Fourth-ranked Wisconsin returns to Kohl Center for rare top 10 showdown with No. 9 Minnesota

MADISON – Mike Hastings’ first season as Wisconsin men’s hockey coach has been filed with milestone-breaking moments.

Friday and Saturday we’ll get another one.

The fourth-ranked Badgers rekindle their rivalry with No. 9 Minnesota in what will be the biggest series between the border rivals since 2006. That’s the last time both teams were ranked in the top 10 in a series played at the Kohl Center.

There is a different energy when Minnesota is up next.

“It’s no disrespect to any other team that we play on the schedule because if you’re not ready in this league you’re going to get your lunch handed to you repeatedly so you have to be on point, but one of the first things that was mentioned in the weight room on Monday morning at 7:30 was that it was Gopher week,” Hastings said. “And that wasn’t delivered from that coaches, that was from the players.”

It has been three months since UW swept the Gophers in Minneapolis. At the time Minnesota was the No. 1 team in the nation and UW was ranked for the first time in the top 20 at No. 14 by USCHO.com.

In the rematch the roles have flipped. Minnesota trails UW by six points in the Big Ten standings. UW trails first-place Michigan State by five points but is the highest-ranked team from the conference.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. both nights. Both contests will be shown on Big Ten-plus and can be heard on 97.3 The Game or on the Badgers App or the Varsity Network app.

Here are three things to watch:

Can the Badgers make the most of their home ice advantage?

Despite a disappointing loss to Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 24 and its tie with Lindenwood on Jan.13, Wisconsin has delivered at home. The Badgers are 10-1-1 at the Kohl Center. They never trailed after the first period in the building. Twice they came back to win after trailing.

UW’s largest home crowd so far this season was 12,218 for the second game versus Michigan, a series that energized the crowd the way Hastings hopes will be the case this week.

“You have to earn that opportunity to have that juice in the building, for people to come in and watch,” Hastings said. “We’ve been very fortunate with that here in our first season together. ... The No. 1 reason it was electric (against Michigan) was because we won. We entertained."

How well will UW contain Minnesota's explosive offense?

The 10 goals Wisconsin allowed last week at Michigan were the most it has given up in a series this season.

Minnesota’s offense is almost as potent. It ranked second in league play in goals scored (56) and third in power play percentage (28%).  Junior Rhett Pitlick (12 goals, eight assists) and Bryce Brodzinski (nine goals, nine assists) rank 1-2 in league in scoring while sophomore Jimmy Snuggerud ranks second in the league in shot attempts.

The Badgers understand their defense must be better this time around.

“One thing I thought Michigan did a really good job of was getting inside us. Inside our defensive zone, their offensive zone,” Hastings said. “Yeah, it’s a point of emphasis for us this week, our rush defense and with a little bigger rink making sure make sure we’re protecting the most important ice which is inside those dots.”

Cruz Lucius stays hot

Cruz Lucius leads Wisconsin with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) and has been productive against the Gophers during his career. The sophomore from Grant, Minnesota, scored the game-winner against Minnesota on Oct. 26 and helped set the tone for Wisconsin's victory the next night by assisting on a power play goal in the first period.

In six games against the Gophers, the Minnesota native has three goals and four assists and has recorded a point in all but one of the games.

More: Christian Fitzgerald's OT goal caps wild win for Wisconsin men's hockey over No. 14 Michigan

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: No. 4 Wisconsin hosts No. 9 Minnesota in rare top 10 hockey showdown