Rivalry in reverse – Michigan State-Michigan games always raise the level of excitement in the state, but given the recent fortunes of the two teams even more appears to be at stake this weekend. New Spartan head coach Tom Anastos has energized his team and has it on an 8-1-1 run in the last 10 games, sneaking into the polls at No. 14. Michigan, meanwhile, has fallen out of the national rankings due to a 1-6-1 slump. You can throw out the records, as they say, but MSU's surge has increased interest in the program, while Michigan's recent play adds importance to what should be a terrific home-and-home series. Friday night's game at Yost Ice Arena is on Fox Sports Detroit, while Saturday's visit to Munn Ice Arena is on Big Ten Network. Michigan State will honor its 1986 NCAA championship team at the Saturday night game.
Also On TV - Friday: Michigan Tech at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports North), Minnesota Duluth at Wisconsin (8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network), Nebraska-Omaha at North Dakota (8:30 p.m. ET, Fox College Sports). Saturday: Boston University at Maine (7:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network), Nebraska-Omaha at North Dakota (8:30 p.m. ET, Fox College Sports), Michigan Tech at Minnesota (9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports North).
A Festivus Miracle (on ice) – Lake Placid, N.Y., is a home of hockey history, both the obvious international events and past ECAC championships. Saturday two great ECAC rivalries return for what's been dubbed the Festivus Faceoff, featuring Rensselaer vs. Union at 4 p.m. and Clarkson vs. St. Lawrence at 7:30 p.m. Both meetings are rematches from earlier this season, with Union and Clarkson posting the first wins.
Future watch – Vancouver Canucks fans ought to keep an eye on an intriguing matchup in Hamilton, N.Y., Saturday night that features Canucks picks Joe Cannata (Merrimack) and Jeremy Price (Colgate). Both clubs have impressed in the first half, combining for a 21-6-2 record. Cannata and Price are a big part of their successes, with Cannata posting a .933 save percentage and Price leading Raider defensemen with 11 points in 13 games. Also worth watching from an NHL standpoint is Dallas draft pick Austin Smith, a Colgate senior, who leads the nation in goals (18) and points (27).
In the show – One of the NHL's best regional battles has taken on shades of the aforementioned Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. Calgary and Edmonton will face off Saturday at 10 p.m. ET (plenty of time for those catching the 6:30 p.m. college game) with two former Wolverines on the Flames (Brendan Morrison and David Moss) and three former Spartans on the Oilers (Shawn Horcoff, Corey Potter and Jeff Petry). Morrison returned from injury earlier this week and posted two goals and two assists in his first game back.