EAST LANSING >> In a conference featuring a number of traditional powers, the Michigan State hockey team is becoming one of its own.

After winning both the Big Ten regular-season and championship titles last season, the Spartans (19-3-2, 10-2-2 Big Ten) are defending their first crown. No. 2 Michigan State sits first in the conference with 32 points, but No. 4 Minnesota is nipping at its heels with 31. As the 1-2 foes square off this weekend in East Lansing, the Big Ten title very well swings in the balance.

“Regardless of what happens, this is what you want for your team,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said. “You want to play in games that mean something. You want to play quality opponents, and regardless of what happens … we gotta keep growing as a team.”

If you want to talk about programs steeped in tradition, Minnesota (19-5-2, 10-3-1) is the poster child. The hardware tells the story: 20 conference titles, six in the Big Ten; 16 tournament wins, twice since the Big Ten formed; and five national championships out of 23 Frozen Four appearances.

“I can remember living there when I coached at Shattuck (St. Mary’s)” Nightingale said. “And a lot of the kids there dream about being a Gopher. … Their challenge is picking the right ones.”

Michigan State? The crisp 2024 banners hanging at Munn Ice Arena are the only two titles won since joining the Big Ten. It has earned more accolades as a program — in total, eight regular-season titles and 14 conference tournament titles, and national championships in 1966, 1986 and 2007.

However, the 12 years between an NCAA Tournament appearance last season and the previous one in 2012 are a reminder the Spartans haven’t been a powerhouse for some time. It’s only now the burgeoning program is a serious contender for NCAA accolades, and only now that Big Ten hardware is more an expectation than a surprise.

That’s why this weekend matters. Nightingale points to Michigan State’s tradition — national championships, Frozen Fours, NHL players, All-Americans, all-league players, conference titles. This isn’t some tiny program that’s never won anything. His team has brought back that glory, but now it needs to keep it going.

“You look at our fan base and you can’t get a ticket now to come watch our games,” Nightingale said. “And so we’re excited about it. I think the tradition here is special, and our job is to kind of get it back going. And we feel like we’re heading in that direction, for sure. … We’re confident putting our tradition up against anyone’s.”

This weekend is an opportunity to build on tradition, or at least to put up some scaffolding to do so. The winner of this series will have an easier path to a title than anyone else in the conference.

Players feel the pressure with what’s at stake. Forward Karsen Dorwart acknowledged the implications of this series, saying he and his teammates like the feeling. But there are still going to be eight games on the schedule after this weekend, and winning now is more about easing the path to a title later.

“I think at this point in the year, they’re all big games,” Dorwart said. “So just knowing you can’t take any nights off. But it’s kind of what you want — you want to be playing the best every time. So that’s what we’re gonna get.”

The best, indeed. Minnesota sports the nation’s most potent offense at 4.1 goals per game — a whole half a goal higher than Michigan State’s 3.4. Defensively, the Golden Gophers only give up 2.2 goals per game, a smidge worse than the Spartans’ 2.0.

Forward Jimmy Snuggerud, a first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues, leads Minnesota with 33 points and 15 goals in 26 games. Defenseman Sam Rinzel’s 24 points from the blue line are also vital to a team that loves to attack off the rush. Michigan State shares that affection for transition play, while Tampa Bay first-round pick Isaac Howard leads the team with 36 points and 18 goals that tie for the national lead. Matt Basgall’s 16 points lead the defensemen.

If these teams’ matchup earlier this season is any indication, this weekend’s proceedings will be close. In Minneapolis, Michigan State won the first game of the series in the shootout before finishing the first half of the season with a statement 5-3 victory the next night.

This weekend is likely to be an inflection point for Michigan State’s Big Ten title defense, but there’s also more at stake. So long as hardware is on the line, tradition is also on the table.

As Nightingale made plain, he’d measure the Spartans’ tradition up against anyone. In the process of adding to the accolades, he’ll find just how they measure up against Minnesota.