The No. 8 (USCHO.com) Pioneers travel to Duluth, Minn., to take on No. 13 Minnesota-Duluth in an NCHC series  Friday at Saturday

Radio: 6 p.m., 104.3 FM (Friday only) and 1600 AM (both nights)

The Series: DU leads 114-76-11, including 4-2 last season, when the Pioneers swept an NCHC quarterfinal series vs. the Bulldogs.

The Monty Shuffle: Coach Jim Montgomery will shuffle his lines to start Friday’s game. Gabe Levin moves to right wing with fellow senior Quentin Shore and freshman Troy Terry, while Trevor Moore moves to a line with fellow junior Matt Marcinew and freshman Jarid Lukosevicius. Danton Heinen shifts back to wing but remains with freshman Dylan Gambrell. Fellow freshman Logan O’Connor also flanks Gambrell. Junior Evan Janssen centers senior Grant Arnold and freshman Colin Staub. Junior Emil Romig, who played as well as any Pioneer in the first couple series of the season, is not in the lineup. … The D pairs remained the same from Game 2 vs. Colorado College. Minnesota native Blake Hillman‘s presence means the Pioneers will play six freshmen Friday night. … Evan Cowley will start in net.

Will Power: Junior defenseman Will Butcher was selected the conference’s defenseman of the week for the second week in a row. His 10 points, including four last weekend vs. CC, lead the Pioneers and are second in the nation among defensemen.

Injury updates: Neither forward Brad Hawkinson (upper body) nor defenseman Matt VanVoorhis (concussion) traveled with the team. Hawkinson hopes to be ready for next weekend’s series vs. Wisconsin.

Track meet? Montgomery said he hopes not. He stressed team defense this week because the Bulldogs have excellent team speed and generate more than 37 shots on goal per game (DU generates 33). That speed is part of the reason why UMD has drawn nearly five power plays per game. More than a quarter of their 23 goals (six) have come with the man advantage. Conversely, only four of DU’s 29 goals have come on the PP – an area Montgomery also stressed needs to improve. DU’s penalty kill has been outstanding, stopping 24 of 27 chances (89 percent).

@MagnessMayhem