Opening the season with four straight home game puts the University of Minnesota Gophers hockey program as early favorites to win the Big Ten this year. The team hasn’t gone 4-0-0 to start the season since 2014-15.
At the core of this hot start is a defense that won’t quit. Three of the team’s defenders were named to Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2021 World Juniors Championship, including Ducks prospect and Minnesota native, Jackson LaCombe.
The Spartans, meanwhile, having started out 2-1-1 on the year. One area both teams have excelled in this season has been the faceoff circle, with MSU ranking first with 61.