Its season slowly moving toward the brink on the heels of three-straight home losses, Penn State must now navigate a series that begins in a house of nightmares for the Nittany Lions.

That, of course, is Michigan’s Yost Ice Arena, where no current Penn State player has ever won.

The Nittany Lions (13-9-2) and Wolverines (8-9-6) will play their series opener in Ann Arbor at 7:30 p.m. Thursday before closing the series Saturday at Madison Square Garden as part of the Big Ten’s Super Saturday event. That game will begin at 7 p.m.

Storyline of the week — The WJC’s Cost

No teams have been impacted in a greater way by the World Junior Championship than Penn State and Michigan, each losing a player for the season as the result of an injury suffered at the tournament. The Nittany Lions lost Aarne Talvitie, and the Wolverines will now have to find a way to replace the production of star centeman Josh Norris, who averaged more than a point per game while scoring 10 goals before his season was ended.

Player to watch, Penn State — Ludvig Larsson

Larsson looked like he might be a revelation for the Nittany Lions early in the season before fading into a background role shortly thereafter. The grad transfer Swede has picked it up lately, however, with goals in each of his last two games. He’ll provide valuable secondary scoring for the Nittany Lions if he can keep it going this weekend.

Player to watch, Michigan — Quinn Hughes

It’s always an exciting experience whenever you get to watch a player of Hughes’ pedigree at the college level. A top-10 choice in last year’s draft and a teammate of Evan Barratt on the United States’ WJC team, Hughes is easily the most dynamic player on Michigan’s roster after Norris’ injury. The defenseman leads the Wolverines with 22 points.

Penn State will win if…

It cuts down on the penalties. Michigan’s power play ranks toward the bottom of the Big Ten, but the Nittany Lions simply cannot afford to grant opponents 10 power-play chances like it did for Ohio State last Saturday. The Wolverines have a unit on the man advantage led by Hughes, and if given enough chances it will certainly make the Nittany Lions pay.

Michigan will win if…

The Wolverines can once again capitalize on Penn State’s defensive inefficiencies. They score at the second-lowest rate in the Big Ten, but posted six goals in each of their games against the Nittany Lions during a series at Pegula Ice Arena earlier this year. Those totals are tough for even an offense as talented as Penn State’s to match.

Prediction:

Split

I just can’t pick Penn State to win a game at Yost until I see them do it. It seems like they always find a bizarre way to lose in that building. I do like them to take care of business at MSG, however, against a Michigan team that matches up with them pretty evenly right now.