USCHO: Pickin’ the Big Ten 

Minnesota at Penn State

Drew: Penn State’s long unbeaten streak came to an end over the holidays with a loss to Robert Morris, but the Nittany Lions were able to rebound with a nice 5-1 win over Clarkson. The Gophers held off UConn on Friday and dropped an overtime game against Harvard to finish second in the Mariucci Classic. A home sweep this weekend would do wonders for Penn State’s title campaign, but I don’t see that happening.

Paula: I see this weekend’s series as a barometer for each team. Each team is keen for six points, and each team is capable of taking six points — but, like Drew, I see a split. The Golden Gophers are 7-1-0 all-time versus the Nittany Lions; the last meetings were 5-0 and 6-2 home wins for Minnesota. The BTN will carry Friday’s game, which begins at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday’s game starts at 3:00 p.m. and is not televised.

Drew’s picks: Minnesota 3-2, Penn State 5-3.

Paula’s picks: Penn State 4-2, Minnesota 3-2.

Source: USCHO.com Blogs :: Big Ten Blog :: U.S. College Hockey Online