It remains a work in progress, but there are signs the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team has found the makings of a laudable identity.

"It's closer to what we want," UW coach Mike Eaves said.

It has taken a while to evolve for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the fact the 11th-ranked Badgers are the youngest club in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and have played the third-toughest schedule in the nation.

It has come to life in a variety of ways, not the least of which is a simple statistic. Through 26 games, UW has outscored opponents 38-18 in the third period. That dominating 20-goal differential tops the WCHA and is third-best in NCAA Division I behind Miami (Ohio) at plus-44 and Michigan at plus-22.

The Badgers began the season by breaking open a 1-1 game in the third period en route to a 4-1 win over Notre Dame in the Lefty McFadden Invitational.

Since then, UW has played seven more games where it was tied or it trailed in the third period but found a way to avoid defeat.

That doesn't include a tainted 3-2 loss at Denver Jan. 11 in which a tying goal in the final second of regulation was wrongly disallowed.

Two of those instances have helped the Badgers take a season-best five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) into a critical WCHA series against No. 12 Minnesota-Duluth Friday night and Saturday night at the Kohl Center.

UW rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third to salvage a 4-4 tie with Alaska-Anchorage Jan. 19, then shimmied out of a 2-1 third-period hole Jan. 26 en route to a tie with Minnesota.

Those two points have enabled the Badgers (7-8-3, 17 points) to move into a fourth-place tie with Duluth (6-7-5, 17 points) heading into their only meeting of the regular season.

"One of the things we talk about before going out for a third period like that is, 'OK, everybody's got five or six shifts here. Go out and win your shift, do your job and don't try to do too much,' " UW senior defenseman and captain Davis Drewiske said.

"A big part of being effective is not trying to do too much. That comes with trusting the guys next to you."

Consider: The Badgers have gotten third-period goals from 17 players, with junior center and assistant captain Ben Street leading the way with six.

Consider: Fourteen of the 38 goals in the third have come from freshmen, with center Kyle Turris topping the list with four.

Consider: Five players have accounted for tying goals in the third, while the winning conversions have come from four sources.

"It's not just one line or one guy," said UW sophomore left winger Blake Geoffrion, who has four third-period goals this season. "It's our team that's played well in the third."

That includes junior goaltender Shane Connelly, whose save percentage in the third (91.9) is higher than his overall total (91.2).

Eaves said the competitive nature of his players has a lot to do with those third-period totals.

"For sure, part of the identity is this is a team that it plays right to the last whistle," he said.

Another element is the year-round conditioning program run by UW strength coach Jim Snider. Weight-lifting and aerobic sessions have been reduced from two per week to one during the second half, but Eaves said those 50-minute sessions are "an important component."

Of course, if the Badgers were more productive in the first two periods — they've been outscored 50-42 — their third-period ways might not stand out so much.

But lessons gleaned from those moments have helped UW cultivate an identity.

"We've had to learn to play from behind," Eaves said. "Maybe that has drawn out some qualities that we need to have."

Badgers vs. Minnesota-Duluth

When, where: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Kohl Center.

TV: Live Friday night on FSN Wisconsin; live Saturday night on Ch. 3; tape-delayed both nights at 10:30 on Ch. 21.

Radio: 1310 AM.