GOPHERS MEN'S HOCKEY SERIES PREVIEW

at Penn State; 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday

TV; radio: B1G+ streaming (Friday), BTN (Saturday); 1130-AM, 103.5-FM

. . .

Rachel Blount's preview:

Opening bell: The Gophers (7-4-3, 3-3-2-1 Big Ten) have only one loss in their past eight games, moving up one spot to No. 7 in the rankings after last week's tie and victory against Michigan State. Their last four games before the December break are on the road, starting with a pair at No. 18 Penn State (8-4-3, 1-2-3). The Nittany Lions have a three-game win streak and rank No. 5 nationally in goals per game (4.1).

Watch him: Gophers forward Bryce Brodzinski started the season slowly, but he's red-hot now. He had three goals and two assists last weekend, earning the Big Ten's first star of the week, and has points in eight of the past nine games. His next point will be his 100th with the Gophers.

Forecast: The Gophers are trending in the right direction, with a fully healthy roster and a power play that's finally hitting its stride. They carry a three-game unbeaten streak into the series, and they've faced top competition week after week, including 12 games in a row against ranked teams. If they can exploit a suspect Penn State defense, they should pick up points.

. . .

Sign up here to get Gophers sports news delivered to your inbox for free.