In order to see if it can get things going on the power play this weekend, Michigan first has to go across the state.

When the Wolverines travel to Big Rapids for two games against Ferris State this weekend, they will showcase two new power-play units.

"We tried to split our top scorers up and put them on two different units (thus far)," Michigan assistant coach Mel Pearson said. "Now we're going to try and overload and see if we get at least one group going on the power play."

"Going" is just about the last thing Michigan's extra-man offense has done this season. The power play is just 10-for-58 this season, ranking eighth in the CCHA.

Michigan's newly loaded top-power-play line features three of the team's most prolific scorers: T.J. Hensick, Chad Kolarik and Andrew Cogliano.

"There's much more skill on (the new line), there's going to be a lot more puck control," Hensick said. "With Cogliano and Kolarik now on my unit, hopefully we'll get things going."

The trio has a combined 44 points in Michigan's 10 games this season.

Considering the team's offensive prowess, the Wolverines' power-play struggles have been a mystery of sorts this season.

Michigan has the nation's best offense - scoring nearly five goals per game - but its power play ranks just 26th.

Early in the season, the Michigan power play lagged because it was looking for the perfect goal. There were too many passes and too few shots. The larger forwards spent too much time passing and not enough time camped out in front of the goalie.

Those problems have subsided in recent weeks, but new ones have emerged.

Last weekend against Nebraska-Omaha, Michigan went 0-for-7 with a man advantage and didn't move the puck quickly enough against the Mavericks' pressure penalty-killing strategy.

Poor power-play production haunted Michigan last year, too. The Wolverines converted on less than 20 percent of their man-advantage opportunities.

This week, it doesn't appear as if it will get any easier as Michigan (4-2-0 CCHA, 7-3-0 overall) will test out its new power play against a respectable Bulldog unit that ranks fifth in the conference.

Add to that the fact that Michigan has struggled in recent trips to Ewigleben Ice Arena (2-5-1 in its last eight games), and a weekend against a perennial middle-of-the road conference opponent becomes that much more harrowing.

Even though Ferris State (1-4-1, 3-6-1) currently stands second to last in the conference, it has had to struggle with an early-season trip to Fairbanks and a difficult home-and-home with Michigan State.

Despite the apparent difficulties the weekend presents, senior captain Matt Hunwick is looking forward to the chance to get out of town.

"It's going to be a good test for our team, seeing how we respond playing in a new atmosphere without all our fans there," Hunwick said.

Note: Michigan added four more prospects to its 2007 recruiting class, bringing the total number to nine. The newest additions include Swedish forward Carl Hagelin and Matt Rust of the U.S. National Team Development Program. Forward Max Pacioretty and goalie Bryan Hogan also signed letters of intent yesterday.

Michigan at Ferris
Matchup: Michigan 7-3-0; Ferris State 3-6-1
When: Tonight and Tomorrow, 7:05 p.m.
Where: Big Rapids