Spartan Showdown With Michigan Saturday at JLA

1/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Jan. 28, 2011

Michigan State vs. No. 6 Michigan
Dates	Saturday, Jan. 29
Game Time	8:05 p.m.
Location	Detroit, Mich. Joe Louis Arena (Cap. 20,058; 200x85)
Tickets	Ticketmaster
Televison	FS Detroit DirecTV Ch. 663; Dish Network Ch. 430; ATT-UVerse Ch. 737
Radio	WJIM 1240 AM
Game Notes	Download PDF
Internet Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Audio
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook
Press Conference Audio	Dean \| Brett \| Derek

storyline
MSU prepares for the annual showdown with Michigan at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday. Arguably the fierciest rivalry in the sport of college hockey, the teams face off for the 284th time on Saturday evening.

media darlings
Saturday's game will air live on FS Detroit, on DirecTV channel 664 and on ATT UVerse on channel 737. Ken Daniels, Mickey Redmond, and Shannon Hogan are on the broadcast from Joe Louis Arena.
On the radio, Saturday's game will be carried by the Spartan Sports Network. It will air on WJIM 1240 AM. While the radio call can also be heard on www.spartansportsnetwork.com. Scott Moore and Rob Woodward are in their sixth season together on the call of Spartan hockey.

series history
Michigan State trails the all-time series with the Wolverines by a 123-142-18 margin.
This is the 23rd meeting all-time between these rivals in regular-season games played at Joe Louis Arena; the Wolverines hold an 11-7-4 edge in non-GLI, non-CCHA Tournament games at the Joe.
Michigan has won the last three regular-season meetings at JLA, including last year's 5-4 decision. Prior to the three-game streak by the Wolverines, the two teams tied three straight games. MSU's last regular-season victory over the Wolverines at Joe Louis Arena was on March 6, 2004 (1-0).
Overall, MSU is 10-12-5 in regular-season games played on the Detroit Red Wings home ice. (Full MSU at the Joe records can be found on pgs. 181-183 of the MSU Hockey Media Guide)

recent history
Michigan holds a 2-1 lead in the first three of four scheduled games between the archrivals this season. The teams most recently met in the first conference weekend of 2011, and each won on their home ice.
Daultan Leveille tipped a shot from the right point by Matt Grassi 1:54 into the overtime period to give Michigan State a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory over Michigan on Jan. 7 at Munn Ice Arena. Sophomore captain Torey Krug had a hat trick for the Spartans, with all three goals being scored from the same spot on the ice - from the high slot.
The Wolverines battled back from a 3-1 deficit with a pair of goals in the final three minutes, but MSU put the game away with the overtime winner. Freshman netminder Will Yanakeff made his first career start at Munn Ice Arena and had a career-best 37 saves. He had surpassed his previous career best 22) by the second intermission.
On Saturday, the teams entered the third period with a Michigan holding a 1-0 lead on a Carl Hagelin second-period tally, but the Wolverines put up three third-period markers for a 4-0 shutout victory. Drew Palmisano made 36 saves for the Spartans.

within inches
The last decade has been the closest in the history of the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry. The Wolverines hold a slim 23-21-11 lead in games played since the start of the 1999-2000 season.
MSU was 3-1 in the regular season against its archrival last year, and UM swept the five games in which the teams met in 2008-09. Prior to last 2008-09, only once in the last decade had one team won three consecutive games (MSU accomplished the feat in February and March of 2001).

count em all?
Michigan has won 142 games in this series, but 41 of those wins came between 1922 and 1957. The Spartans recorded only two victories in that span.
There is a five-game discrepancy between MSU and U-M's all-time series records, all in the early 1920's. The MSU records have four more Wolverine victories and one for the Spartans.

283 battles in the war
The Michigan State-Michigan rivalry is one of national prominence across the board, but due to the similar levels of success and a close won/loss records between the programs, it also may be the fiercest. In college hockey circles, it is perhaps the premiere rivalry - and with 281st chapters and two more to come this weekend, it is also the most-played rivalry in the sport.

283 Michigan State/Michigan
282 North Dakota/Minnesota
277 Denver/Colorado College
257 Minnesota/Michigan
261 Minnesota/Michigan Tech
256 Minnesota/Wisconsin
254 North Dakota/Denver
252 Boston College/Boston University
249 Minnesota/Colorado College
237 North Dakota/Michigan Tech
232 Yale/Princeton
230 Harvard/Yale
219 North Dakota/Colorado College
218 Michigan/Michigan Tech
216 Boston College/Northeastern
214 Michigan Tech/Minnesota-Duluth
214 Minnesota/Minnesota-Duluth
211 Michigan Tech/Denver
211 Harvard/Princeton
209 North Dakota/Minnesota-Duluth
207 Boston University/Northeastern
194 Dartmouth/Yale
192 Dartmouth/Harvard
188 Dartmouth/Princeton
186 Clarkson/St. Lawrence

LAST TIME OUT
Ferris State jumped out to an early lead and used solid play from goalie Pat Nagle to hold on for a 2-1 victory over visiting Michigan State on Thursday evening. Drew Palmisano was the Spartans' brightest star for the third straight game, making 14 first-period saves and keeping MSU close enough to stage a dangerous late rally. Daultan Leveille had the lone goal for MSU in the third period.

end of an era
Head coach Rick Comley announced his retirement from his position as head coach at Michigan State, effective at the end of the 2010-11 season. Comley, just the third coach in the modern history of the MSU program, made the announcement at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Highlights of his Michigan State tenure start with the 2007 National Championship, and include the 2006 CCHA Tournament title, and Great Lakes Invitational titles in 2004, 2006, and 2009. He has had 12 former MSU players skate in the National Hockey League, 15 All-CCHA performers, six All-Americans, and three Hobey Baker finalists. In addition, four have earned Academic All-America honors, and three of the five winners of the CCHA's Ilitch Humanitarian Award have played at MSU under Comley.
Overall, Comley has coached 10 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists, 15 All-Americans, four league players of the year, 26 first-team all-league selections, and 85 academic all-league selections.
The coach owns a 778-608-110 (.557) career record in 38 seasons and is one of just five coaches to surpass the 700-win plateau. He has recorded a 181-133-39 record in his MSU tenure. Comley ranks among the top five coaches all-time in wins and top three among active coaches.

gaining ground
Comley owns a 778-609-110 (.559) career overall coaching record, good for fourth place on the all-time wins list. Former MSU coach and athletic director Ron Mason finished his career behind the bench in 2002 with 924 wins, while Jerry York of Boston College has 865 and Jack Parker of Boston University has 844.

this week's popularity contest ...
Michigan State has been left out of both national polls the last six weeks, after at least receiving votes in each of the first 10 surveys of the season.

he road out
MSU's remaining schedule lies in two-game series, as the Spartans will play CCHA sets with Ohio State and Alaska on the road and against Northern MIchigan and Bowling Green at home.

a look back
Prior to the most recent back-to-back losses, the Spartans were 4-1-1 in dating back to the Great Lakes Invitational consolation game. It is MSU's best stretch since the 3-0-3 start to the season. Two of the Spartans four victories came over teams in the top three of the CCHA standings - Michigan and Miami.

scoring surge
Since the start of the GLI, MSU has scored 27 goals, and scored at least four in five of the nine games. In this span MSU was shut out against Michigan on Jan. 8 and Miami on Jan. 22.
MSU is 7-1-2 when scoring four goals or more this season.

late tallies
In their last nine games, the Spartans have scored 14 third-period tallies, more than half of the third-period goals it has scored this season (24).

seven = heaven
MSU' seven goals on Jan. 21 against Miami was the most for the Spartans since the 10-1 victory over Michigan Tech in the 2009 Great Lakes Invitational, and the most in a CCHA game since Jan. 4, 2008, an 8-2 decision over Lake Superior. It was the most the RedHawks had allowed since also allowing seven to Boston College in the NCAA semifinals last spring.

nice shootin', tex
MSU's seven goals against Miami on Jan. 21 came on just 22 shots. It was the fewest Spartan shots to reach the net since the Dec. 3 game against Ferris State, a 3-2 victory.

FIRST night formalwear
Michigan State has four ties this season, and three have come in the first games of two-game sets. The Spartans tied Maine, 4-4, in the first game of their series with the Black Bears, and tied Alaska (1-1) and Alabama-Huntsville (4-4) in the first games of those series as well. MSU's other tie came in its last game, at Lake Superior on Jan. 15, a 2-2 deadlock after a 4-0 victory in the first game of the series.

for starters
The Spartans were undefeated through their first six games for the first time since 1998-99. MSU was 4-0-2 that season, and started 5-0-2 before losing to Ohio State on Nov. 13.

tough sledding
MSU had a tough November, winning just twice in nine outings. One of its seven losses came in overtime, two were one-goal games, and two others were two-goal margins thanks only to a late empty-netter. The Spartans had a 2-3-0 December, and are 3-3-1 in January.

traditionally strong
In 25 of MSU's 28 seasons in the CCHA, it has finished fourth or better. MSU has won six regular-season titles, finished second eight times, third eight times, and fourth three times.

non-conference
Rick Comley owns a 42-30-7 record in games against non-conference teams since coming to Michigan State prior to the 2002-03 season. (This includes regular-season, tournament, and NCAA Tournament games) Only once has a Comley team been sub-.500 in games against non-conference foes in a season (2003-04).
MSU's 2010-11 schedule has one independent (Alabama-Huntsville), four games against WCHA competition (Minnesota, Wisconsin, MIchigan Tech, and Colorado College in the GLI) in addition to the two-game set with Hockey East entry Maine.
This year, MSU went 4-2-2 against non-conference teams, with a win and tie each against Maine and UAH. The Spartans' also split the College Hockey Showcase, a win at Minnesota and a loss at Wisconsin. MSU's dropped a 5-4 decision to Colorado College in the GLI, but rebounded to down Michigan Tech, 5-3, in the consolation game.

ranking
MSU's nine games prior to the Dec. 30 game against Michigan Tech were against ranked teams, and the Spartans started 2011 with four of their first six against No. 7/8 Michigan, and No. 11/12 Miami. Overall, MSU is 6-9-2 against ranked opponents, but is 3-1-2 against teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game. The only loss against a top-10 opponent is MSU's 4-0 loss to the Wolverines in their most recent outing.

still searching
Head coach Rick Comley has used 50 different line combinations this season in search of finding some consistent scoring.

four is a magic number
This year, MSU is 7-1-2 when scoring four goals or more, and is 3-11-4 in games scoring three or fewer. MSU is 8-4-2 when allowing three or fewer, and 1-9-2 when giving up four or more.
The GLI semifinal against Colorado College (12/29) was the only time this season that MSU scored four goals or more and lost.

win `em close
27 of MSU's 38 games a year ago were settled by two goals or less, and 12 were one-goal affairs. Of the eight that were two-goal margins or more, four involved an empty-net goal.
MSU was 8-4-0 in one-goal games in 2009-10, and is 5-4-0 in those games this season. Overall in 2010-11, the Spartans have tied three games, had nine one-goal affairs, and three others which had empty-net tallies.

free hockey
Michigan State is now 1-2-4 in overtime this season, and has played an extra period twice in its last four games.
The Jan. 7 game against Michigan was MSU's first and only overtime victory in seven chances this season, a 4-3 decision. The Spartans' last win in overtime came in December 2009 at Bowling Green - when then-freshman Torey Krug scored the game-winner, his first collegiate tally. Krug had a hat trick in this season's overtime victory.

big games
Last weekend, MSU had its largest single-game output in a calendar year, with seven goals against Miami (1/21).
Michigan State allowed six goals to Notre Dame on Nov. 19, the most since a 7-3 loss to Wisconsin in the College Hockey Showcase last November.
Just a week later, the Spartans scored a season-best five goals in the game at Minnesota, the most since Feb. 26, 2010 when MSU posted a 5-2 victory over Bowling Green. MSU then allowed five goals to Michigan in the Big Chill.
With nine goals in the two games of the Great Lakes Invitational, it was the most goals the Spartans have scored in consecutive games this season. MSU had scored eight in the weekend set with Maine .
Since the start of the GLI, MSU has scored 27 goals, and scored at least four in five of the nine games. MSU was shut out against Michigan on Jan. 8 and vs. Miami on Jan. 22.

big periods
The Spartans entered the third period of the Jan. 14 game at Lake Superior in a scoreless tie, but put four goals on the board in the final frame for their largest scoring output in a single period this season. It was the most in a single period for the Spartans since scoring five in the second period against Michigan Tech in the 2009 Great Lakes Invitational.

shooting gallery, part i
MSU has outshot its opponents in just nine of 27 games, including holding its opponents to 20 shots or less twice. Despite being on the short end of the shot margin in approx. 2/3 of its games, opponents have 830 shots this season, compared to 769 for MSU - a shot discrepancy averaging just over two shots per game.
The Spartans allowed a season-high 47 shots to Miami on Jan. 22, and had surrendered 46 the previous night to the Red Hawks.
MSU's game total of 46 shots against Michigan Tech (12/30) was its season-best. The previous high was 38, set against both Maine (Oct. 14) and Alabama-Huntsville (Oct. 29).

shooting gallery, part ii
Michigan State put 23 shots on the board in the second period against Michigan Tech on Dec. 30 - the highest number for the Spartans in a period this year. In fact, MSU has failed to record 23 shots in a game six times this year - the most recent against Wisconsin (22).

not quite a shooting gallery
The Spartans held Colorado College to just two shots in the third period of the Great Lakes Invitational semifinal, the fewest shots MSU has allowed in a period this season. The Spartans outshot the Tigers 15-2 in the frame, as they mounted a two-goal rally that fell just short, falling 5-4.

someone else's turn for a wall
Michigan Tech netminder Josh Robinson made 41 saves in the GLI consolation game against MSU, the first time an opposing goaltender had made 40+ saves in a game since Northern Michigan's Brian Stewart made 41 on March 16, 2008 - a 3-2 Wildcat win in the third game of the CCHA Quarterfinal series at Munn Ice Arena. It is the most saves for an opposing goalie this season.

first ... and second
MSU outshot Michigan, 34-29, in the Big Chill game - yet lost the game, 5-0. It was the first game this season that MSU outshot an opponent and lost. It happened again against Colorado College, where MSU outshot the Tigers 35-23.
The Spartans are 5-2-2 when putting more shots on the board in a contest.

We hadn't had much use for brooms...
MSU has been swept twice this season - at Western Michigan (Nov. 5-6) by 4-3 and 3-1 scores, and Nov. 19-20 at Notre Dame (2-6, 2-4).
MSU had taken at least a point out of every CCHA series last season - one of just three teams to do so. The WMU series was MSU's first point-less weekend since the final regular-season weekend against Notre Dame in February of 2009.

scoreless
MSU has been shut out five times this season - twice each by Ferris State and Michigan, and on Jan. 22 by Miami. It was the fifth time overall this season, and for the second time in the last three Saturday tilts. It ties the program record for shutouts against in a season, set in the 2008-09 season.
Both of Ferris State's shutouts came at Munn Ice Arena, while Michigan's shutouts have both come in Ann Arbor - 5-0 at the Big Chill, and 4-0 in their matchup at Yost.
The Spartans have shut out two opponents this season, both by 4-0 scores - Nov. 13 vs. Ohio State, and Jan. 14 vs. Lake Superior. The shutout against the Lakers was MSU's first on the road since Dec. 9, 2009 at Northern Michigan, which was a 1-0 score.

powering up
On the season, MSU's penalty kill is 90-for-115, (.782), and ranks ninth in the CCHA. MSU has allowed seven of its 25 power-play goals against to Michigan in 14 chances in three games, but has killed off 83 of 101 (.822) in its other 21 games combined.
The Spartan power play is 22-for-129 (.171) on the man advantage, good for sixth in the CCHA.

doubling up
MSU has potted two man-advantage tallies in six different games this season.

shorty
One of Lake Superior's two goals scored in the series (Jan. 14-15) was a shorthanded breakaway tally by senior Rick Schofield, MSU's fourth shorthanded goal allowed of the season.
The Spartans allowed shorthanded goals to Notre Dame in each of their two games (Nov. 19-20), including Saturday's game-winner with just under two and a half minutes remaining in regulation. The empty-net goal was also a shorthanded marker, giving MSU three shorthanded tallies against in the series.

special specials
Twenty-three of MSU's 69 goals scored this season have come in special teams situations - 22 on the power play, and one shorthanded. Of the 76 goals the Spartans have allowed, 24 have come with a man advantage and four shorthanded.

they're honored
Four MSU players have received weekly honors from the CCHA this season.The most recent is freshman netminder Will Yanakeff, who was the CCHA Goalie of the Week on Jan. 17 after the Lake Superior series. Yanakeff was outstanding against the Lakers, stopping 58 of the 60 shots he faced. He made 24 saves on Friday in a 4-0 shutout, the first of his career. On Saturday, he turned aside 34 shots, including a career-best 18 in the second period.
Junior defenseman Brock Shelgren was named the CCHA Defenseman of the Week after the Maine series. It was the first CCHA weekly honor in his career. Drew Palmisano earned CCHA Goaltender of the Week honors for his performance in the Alaska series (Oct. 22-23), and Derek Grant was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 15 after a five-point weekend against Ohio State.
Torey Krug was named to the All-Tournament team at the Great Lakes Invitational.

they like our d
Sophomore captain Torey Krug was named to the CCHA Preseason All-Conference Team. Krug received the third-most votes of any blueliner in the conference, garnering three first-place votes and 30 points. Junior goaltender Drew Palmisano was an honorable mention selection, garnering 14 points and one first-place vote.
Krug was named to the Inside College Hockey first-half team.

conference leaders
Brett Perlini is 9th in the CCHA overall in scoring (15-10-25), and also is fourth in the conference in goals. Derek Grant is 13th in scoring (4-19-23), and tied for fifth in assists.

offensive defenseman
Sophomore blueliner Torey Krug is making a case to be strongly considered for CCHA Offensive Defenseman honors. He ranks 17th overall in scoring and is tied for 18th in assists, while he is also fourth in power-play points (5g, 6a, 11pts) and tied for third in power-play goals. He is the top-scoring defenseman in the CCHA overall.

he's gone national
Torey Krug ranks 13th nationally among defensemen in points per game (0.92), and is tied for third in defenseman goals (8) with Nick Bailen of RPI, behind Justin Schultz of Wisconsin (13) and Matt Baxter of Alabama-Huntsville (9).

hot hand
Torey Krug's hat trick on Jan. 7 against Michigan was MSU's first since Corey Tropp's against Bowling Green on Dec. 12, 2009. To his recollection, it is his first hat trick at any level of the game.

historical presence
Torey Krug's eight goals this season is the most for a Spartan defenseman since Tyler Howells put up 10 in the 2005-06 season. If he gets three more, he will move into a three-way tie for 9th place in a single season in the MSU annals, tied with All-Americans AJ Thelen (2003-04) and Brad Fast (2002-3), with 11 in a season. The school record is held by Steve Beadle, who had 21 goals in 1989-90.

HOT HANDS
Kevin Walrod has scored three times in the last eight games, after scoring his first collegiate tally in his 35th career game - the GLI consolation game against Michigan Tech.
Dustin Gazley had his second two-goal game of the season on Jan. 21 against Miami, the other coming against Minnesota on Nov. 26. His nine goals has tied his career best in a single season, set last year as a junior.
Dean Chelios has two goals in the last five games. His four goals this season is as many as he put on the board last year as a freshman.
Brett Perlini has nine points (4g, 5a) in his last eight games.

crease newbie holds his own
Freshman goalie Will Yanakeff saw his first collegiate action on Nov. 19 at Notre Dame, coming in to play the third period in relief of Drew Palmisano. The rookie stopped 12 of 13 shots in that third peirod. He got the starting nod a night later, and made 19 saves against three goals in a 4-2 loss.
In his first collegiate start on Nov. 20, Yanakeff faced a penalty shot against ND's Ben Ryan just 22 seconds into the game. Yanakeff made a right leg -pad save; it was the first saved penalty shot for MSU since Feb. 2, 2008, when Jeff Lerg stopped Nebraska-Omaha's Bill Bagron in a 4-2 Spartan victory.
Yanakeff earned his first collegiate victory over Michigan Tech in the GLI consolation game with 22 saves. He got a win in his first Munn Arena start on Jan. 7 against Michigan, making 37 saves in an overtime victory.
The "Firsts" continued at Lake Superior State, when he earned his first back-to-back starts. Friday's 24-save performance was his first career shutout, and Saturday's tie was his first collegiate shootout.

run ... er ... goal support
Drew Palmisano hasn't received much offensive support in his starts over the last six weeks. In his starts since Dec. 4, the Spartans had scored just 12 goals with him in net, and seven of them came against Miami on Jan. 21. Will Yanakeff has watched his teammates score 17 goals in front of him in his four-plus games in that same period.
Palmisano drew both starts last weekend, and MSU had four on the board before the end of the second period in the Feb. 21 game vs. Miami. That night, Palmisano had a season-best 42 saves, four shy of his career record of 46 set against Michigan in January of his freshman season, and he also set a new single-period best with 20 third-period stops. Palmisano backed that up with a 43-save outing against the Red Hawks in the series finale, and stopped 27 of 29 shots in Thursday's 2-1 loss at Ferris State. He has seven 30+-save games in his 22 games this season.

doubling up
Brett Perlini's two-goal effort on Jan. 14 against Ferris State was his fourth of the season and the fifth of his career.
On the season, he has a team-best 15 goals, his first time in double-digits in his career.

offensive defenseman?
Brock Shelgren scored his fourth goal of the season in the first period of the Jan. 15 game at Lake Superior. He had just one goal in the first two seasons of his college career. His six points this season ties his single-season best, set as a freshman with a 1-5-6 line.

he's a winner
Daultan Leveille has scored the game-winning goal in two of MSU's last three victories - the overtime winner against Michigan on Jan. 7, and in the Jan. 14 shutout win over Lake Superior.

you go to the box, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame Torey Krug has spent the most time in the penalty box for the Spartans this season, with 21 penalties for 45 minutes. Dustin Gazley is a close second (15/38), followed by Derek Grant (9/26). Anthony Hayes (7/25) Gazley, Krug and Brock Shelgren (11/22) are the only players in double-digits for penalties.

block party
MSU has blocked 319 shots in 27 games, compared to 368 for its opponents. In the second game against Alaska (Oct. 23), the Nanooks blocked 30 MSU shots, and Lake Superior blocked 31 in the 2-2 tie on Jan. 15.
Sophomore captain Torey Krug has blocked a team-high 45 shots, while Krug's defensive partner Matt Grassi has 34. Blueliners Brock Shelgren (38), Tim Buttery (29) and Jake Chelios (22), and Matt Crandell (15) also register double-digits. Buttery blocked a career-best five shots against Colorado College on Dec. 29, Shelgren had his career-best (5) against LSSU on Jan. 14, and Grassi turned in his career and a season team-best seven against the Lakers on Jan. 15. Grassi has 16 blocks over his last three games.

giving back
Michigan State junior alternate captain Trevor Nill is among a record 25 players have been unveiled as the nominees for the 2011 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The list includes returning nominees Sam Kuzyk of Adrian, Mario Mjelleli of Augsburg and Brigid O'Gorman of Connecticut College.
Finalists will be announced in mid-February, with the award scheduled to be presented on Friday, April 8 at the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minn.

goalie u
Since the 1980-81 season, all but one Spartan starting goaltender has earned all-league honors (the Spartans have competed in both the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or Central Collegiate Hockey Association during this stretch).
The list reads like a who's who in Spartan hockey - Ron Scott, Bob Essensa, Norm Foster, Jason Muzzatti, Mike Gilmore, Mike Buzak, Chad Alban, Joe Blackburn, Ryan Miller, Dominic Vicari and Jeff Lerg. Scott, Alban, Blackburn, Miller and Lerg were All-Americans.
The only starting goalie who didn't make an all-star team or win an award during this stretch was Matt Migliaccio in 2002-03. Drew Palmisano kept the streak alive with his Second Team All-CCHA honor in 2009-10.