MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS: The Under-17 Team is the lone NTDP squad in action this week, as they square off with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in a home-and-home set on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

The 'Jacks recently climbed into second place in the USHL's Eastern Conference and have played to a 26-14-1-1 record through their first 42 games of the season. They has won four in a row and seven of their last 10 games played.

Muskegon rosters three of the league's top-7 scorers, led by Matvei Gridin, whose 50 points (20g-30a) ranks second in the USHL. He's followed up by Ethan Whitcomb (13g-33a--46pts) and Sacha Boisvert (27g-18a--45pts). The latter's 27 tallies ranks second among all USHL players.

Defenseman Easton Young has paced the Lumberjacks' blueliners with three goals, 19 assists and 22 points, all of which lead the Lumberjacks this year.

In net, Muskegon has had seven goaltenders man the crease for them this season, but none of them are qualified in terms of playing time in the league. Lukas Swedin leads the septet with 14 appearances this season, but recently, it has been Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev's net, as he's appeared in each of the last four games for Muskegon. Over that span, the Russian netminder has picked up wins in all four with a 2.52 GAA and .924 SV%.

The pair of games this weekend will be the third and fourth, and final, games between the Lumberjacks and U17s this season. Muskegon picked up a pair of wins back on October 20-21, winning 5-2 at USA Hockey Arena and 6-3 back in Muskegon.