When No. 1-ranked Minnesota was swept by No. 12 Wisconsin in Madison two years ago, it was almost certainly the premier college hockey matchup of the weekend.
But things change. Wisconsin spent the past two seasons in a nosedive straight to college hockey's cellar, while the Gophers have morphed from a perennial power to a fringe NCAA tournament team.
This weekend, the unranked Gophers take on the unranked Badgers in a series in Madison that is less than likely to move the national needle. Both games will be televised: Friday's on the Big Ten Network and Saturday's on the CW Network.