When/Where: Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Magness Arena

TV/Radio: ROOT Sports (Friday)/104.3-FM

The series: Denver leads, 54-16-2, but the teams have not met since 2002, when DU won, 5-0, at the UNO Stampede Tournament in Omaha. MSU has not played in Denver since 1980.

What to watch for: Goals should be at a premium. Spartans goaltender Jake Hildebrand is viewed as one of the best in the nation by many, including Pioneers coach Jim Montgomery. His counterpart Friday, Evan Cowley, was superlative against Air Force this past Saturday. DU played a tighter, more cohesive game in the rematch against Air Force (a 3-1 win), while Michigan State followed a similar formula in its 4-1 win against Lake Superior State. Both teams have defensemen who are willing and able to jump into the offensive attack.

Scouting the Spartans: A more in-depth look at the Spartans can be found here.

DU update: Homecoming weekend will see the return of two regulars to the Pioneers’ lineup – captain Grant Arnold and defenseman Adam Plant. Arnold sat out the first two games against Air Force due to triggering the NCAA’s delayed enrollment legislation. Plant had a lower-body injury. Plant is expected to play with Nolan Zajac, whose three points lead the Pioneers. … Freshman Blake Hillman is expected to stay in the lineup and be paired with Will Butcher. While Matt VanVoorhis and Nick Neville round out the blue line. … Early indications were Quentin Shore and Trevor Moore would remain paired on one line with freshman Dylan Gambrell, while freshman Troy Terry centers Danton Heinen and Emil Romig, whose impersonation of the Energizer Bunny sparked the Pioneers all last weekend. Alternate captain Gabe Levin’s line remains intact with wings Evan Janssen and freshman Logan O’Connor, while Arnold slides into a line with Matt Marcinew and freshman Colin Staub, both of whom were very good in Game 2 vs. Air Force. … Denver remained No. 5 in the USCHO poll and slipped to No. 8 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. … This weekend’s games are the final ones at home until DU opens NCHC play against Colorado College on Nov. 6. After that, the Pioneers are on the road again until a Dec. 11-12 series against St. Cloud State.

@MagnessMayhem