MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin men's hockey team drops the puck on its next series in Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-4 at 4:30 p.m. CT. Friday's game will air on ESPNU, with Thursday's contest streamed at Big Ten Network+.

Here are six quick things to know before tuning in:
 
1. SPEED KILLS: Senior forward Linus Weissbach leads the nation after the first month of college hockey with five goals and 10 points in eight games. The 2017 Buffalo Sabres draft pick is UW's current career leader with 27 goals and 83 points. He also owns four multi-point performances in eight contests this season to pace the squad with 21 career multi-point nights. The speedy winger also recently played in his 100th career collegiate contest (104 GP).

Weissbach owns a game-winning tally, a pair of game-opening goals and a power-play marker this season.

2. MAKING HIS (LIND)MARK: Sophomore forward Owen Lindmark posted a career-high four points on Saturday against Arizona State, matching his career high with two goals, including a short-handed tally. He also led the Badgers in faceoff circle that night and for the weekend, going 29-19 on draws.

3. IT'S SPECIAL: The Badgers went consecutive games scoring short-handed goals, with senior Tarek Baker (Nov. 24 vs. Penn State) and sophomore Owen Lindmark (Nov. 28 vs. Arizona State) each collecting one. 

The Badgers had scored a power-play goal in each of their first six games, and at least one special-teams goal in the first seven contests before failing to post one in its most recent contest against Arizona State on Sunday.

4. RED AND WHITE...AND BLUE: Sophomore forward Cole Caufield and former Badger Alex Turcotte are two of 29 players named to the U.S. National Junior Team camp roster that will compete at the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship. The event runs Dec. 25-Jan. 5 in Edmonton, Alberta.

The group will gather for a training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, starting Dec. 6, and the roster will be cut down to 25 players before the squad departs for Edmonton on Dec. 13.

The United States medaled in four consecutive World Junior Championships (2019-silver, 2018-bronze, 2017-gold, 2016-bronze) before last year, which marked the first time in U.S. history. Former Badgers K'Andre Miller (2019), Trent Frederic (2018) and Luke Kunin (2017) helped the American's cause.
 

Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte part of @usahockey's initial roster for the 2021 World Junior Championship 🇺🇸

(and @N_LaPoint)

📰 https://t.co/NiUKvMnq6L pic.twitter.com/pBShD88l0j

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 30, 2020

Dylan Holloway is already in Alberta with Team Canada at camp awaiting the start of the tournament.

5. SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: OSU senior goaltender Tommy Nappier, a preseason second-team All-Big Ten pick, serves as the Buckeyes' backbone with a 1-3-0 record, but a 2.51 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. For his career, he's 34-17-7 with a 1.96 goals-against average, .934 save percentage and eight career shutouts.

Freshman Travis Treloar paces the offense early in the season with a goal and three points. Preseason honorable mention All-Big Ten junior forwards Gustaf Westlund and Quinn Preston enter with two points each, as well.

Wisconsin closed out the 2019–20 season with four consecutive games at Ohio State, winning in regulation, then tying and winning a shootout to close out the regular season. Returning for the first round of the Big Ten playoffs, UW was swept, losing Game 2 in overtime. That makes these two games the fifth and sixth consecutive games in the series played in Columbus.

Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik was the captain for the Badgers 1990 NCAA championship team and skated from 1986 through 1990 for the Badgers. Rohlik served as an assistant coach under Mark Osiecki when Osiecki served as Ohio State head coach from 2010 to 2013. The two were teammates on the 1990 NCAA championship team.

UW associate head coach Mark Strobel served in a similar role for the Buckeyes from 2015–17, while OSU assistant coach JB Bittner was a Badger assistant coach during the 2015–16 season.

6. HOW TO WATCH: With a pair of afternoon specials this week, puck drop will be at 4:30 p.m. CT in Columbus both Thursday and Friday. 

Thursday's game streams on Big Ten Network+, while Friday's game will be featured on ESPNU. On the radio, listen Thursday at 1310 WIBA and Friday on 1070 The Game. Find both at TuneIn.com and the TuneIn Radio App.