MICHIGAN WOLVERINES: The Wolverines have been one of the most impressive teams in college hockey for the 2021-22 season and enter the week ranked fourth in the USA Today & USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll. 

Michigan has posted a 21-7-1 record through 29 games of action and enter the game on a three-game win streak, and winners of seven of their last eight contests. Most recently, the Wolverines traveled to Wisconsin to sweep the Badgers over the weekend with a pair of victories, 5-1 on Friday night and 6-2 in the second game of the series. 

Forward Matty Beniers, an NTDP alum, leads an offensive onslaught from the Wolverines with 36 points (16g-20a) on the season. Forwards Brendan Brisson (17), and Nick Blankenburg (11), along with defensemen Luke Hughes (10) have all hit double digits in scoring.

Forward Kent Johnson leads the team with 24 helpers, while Owen Power, the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, follows right behind with 23 assists on the year.

In the cage, Erik Portillo has started every game for the Wolverines, playing to a 21-7-1 record with a 2.20 GAA and .926 save percentage. Portillo, along with Power, are property of the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.

Power, Johnson, Beniers and Brisson are all in Beijing, China to take part in the 2022 Olympic Games and will miss the game. 

Michigan has routinely dominated the all-timer series against the NTDP, winning 16 of the first 20 matchups. But Team USA has claimed victory in each of the last two games, the most recent a 4-1 win at Yost on January 25, 2020.

MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS: Muskegon has risen to first place in the USHL's Eastern Conference, overtaking the Chicago Steel for top honors. The Lumberjacks have posted an 8-0-2-0 record over their past 10 games to extend the season-long mark to 22-10-3-2, good for 49 points and the first place ranking.

The 'Jacks have a plethora of scoring up front that have yielded success, led by forward Quinn Hutson, who leads the team with 20 goals and 47 points. Joey Larson has matched his 20 scores and Phillip Tresca (19), Ben Strinden (17) and Jacob Braccini (16) have all found the back of the net often.

Jacob Guevin ranks third among all USHL blueliners with 34 points (4g-30a) in 35 games this season.

The Lumberjacks are backstopped by a pair of Russian netminders, who have split the playing time quite evenly. Platon Zadorozhny has appeared in 13 games, posting a 9-4-0 record, 3.11 GAA and .888 save percentage while Aleksandr Kuleshov has been his equal in 13 games of action with an 8-1-1 record, 3.15 goals-against average and .889 SV%. 

The U18s and Lumberjacks have already squared off four times this season, with Team USA taking the first three contests before Muskegon responded with a 3-2 win back on December 15.

After Friday's game, the two sides will square off once more this season, a pair of games at Mercy Health Arena in Muskegon on March 11-12.