Icers Travel to Columbus to Take On OSU

2/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

Feb. 3, 2011

Michigan State at Ohio State
Dates	Friday-Saturday, Feb. 4-5
Game Time	(F) 7:35 p.m. : \| (S) 7:05 p.m.
Location	Detroit, Mich. Value City Arena (Cap. 17,500; 200x85)
Tickets	Ticketmaster
Televison	(F) Big Ten Network DirecTV Ch. 610; Dish Network Ch. 439
Radio	WJIM 1240 AM
Game Notes	Download PDF
Internet Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Audio
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook
Press Conference Video	Rick
Press Conference Audio	Rick \| Jake \| Trevor

storyline
MSU heads to Ohio State this weekend to finish off the season series with the Buckeyes. It will be the Spartans' first trip to Columbus since November 2008.

media darlings
Friday's game will air live on the Big Ten Network (DirecTV Ch. 610; Dish Network Ch. 439). Dan Kelly and Paul Camponigri are on the broadcast from Value City Arena.
On the radio, both games will be carried by the Spartan Sports Network. It will air on WJIM 1240 AM, and 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
Including the games from November, MSU owns a 80-24-8 all-time against the Buckeyes, and has an 34-14-5 in games played in Columbus. The Spartans last played at Value City Arena in November 2008, where OSU posted 3-0 and 3-1 victories. The teams have split their last two series, both played at Munn Ice Arena.

recent history
MSU and Ohio State split a series at Munn Arena back in November, with OSU rallying on Friday from a 3-1 second-intermission deficit to force overtime and come away with a 4-3 win in the extra period. Alex Szczechura played overtime hero with his goal 1:23 into the extra frame; Chris Crane and Danny Dries were the Buckeye goal scorers in the third-period comeback.
The Saturday game was all MSU, as the Spartans put up a 4-0 shutout. Brett Perlini, Torey Krug, and Jake Chelios helped the Spartans to a 3-0 lead in the opening period, and Perlini's empty-netter with 14 seconds to play in the game iced the victory. Drew Palmisano made 24 saves in his first shutout of the season.

last time out
Senior Joey Shean scored his first goal in nearly two calendar years at 12:26 of the third period to propel Michigan State to a 2-1 victory over Michigan at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday evening.
The teams were scoreless through most of the first two periods, but the 17,577 fans in attendance were hardly starved for entertainment - the teams went end-to-end, and both goalies came up with big saves to keep the opposition off the board. The teams traded goals in the final minute of the second period - Jake Chelios had a power-play marker for the Spartans, while Louie Caporusso answered with a Wolverine marker 30 seconds later.
Shean's first goal of the season came after the midpoint of the period, but Brock Shelgren was called for hauling down Kevin Lynch on a breakaway attempt less than three minutes later. Lynch was awarded a penalty shot, but yanakeff was up to the task - he turned away Lynch's offering with a leg-pad save to preserve his team's slim lead. It was one of 34 saves on the night for the freshman, who defeated Michigan for the second time this season. Shawn Hunwick made 28 saves in net for the Wolverines.

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 779-609-110 (.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.

the 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.
One good thing about MSU's remaining schedule is that it is within six points of both OSU and Northern Michigan, teams it will directly jockey with for playoff positions down the stretch. The Spartans are 12 points ahead of 11th-place Bowling Green, and 10 behind fourth-place Alaska, but with two games in hand on the Nanooks, who have just three series remaining.

a look back
Michigan State finished the month of January with a 4-3-1 record, which is MSU's first month over .500 since October. It is also MSU's best stretch since the 3-0-3 start to the season. Three of the Spartans four victories came over teams in the top three of the CCHA standings - Michigan (twice) and Miami.

scoring surge
Since the start of the GLI, MSU has scored 29 goals, and scored at least four in five of the 10 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 10 games, the Spartans have scored 15 third-period tallies, more than half of the third-period goals it has scored this season (25).

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 4-3-1 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 7-9-2 against ranked opponents, but is 4-1-2 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 on Jan. 8 at y Yost Ice Arena.

still searching
Head coach Rick Comley has used 52 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 4-12-2 in games scoring three or fewer. MSU is 10-4-2 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 5-5-0 in those games this season. Overall in 2010-11, the Spartans have tied four games, had 10 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 seven 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
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 28 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 865 shots this season, compared to 799 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 seven times this year - the most recent against Ferris State on Jan. 27 (20).

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 92-for-117, (.786), and ranks ninth in the CCHA. MSU has allowed seven of its 25 power-play goals against to Michigan in 16 chances in three games, but has killed off 83 of 101 (.822) in its other 24 games combined.
The Spartan power play is 23-for-131 (.176) on the man advantage, good for a tie for fourth 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-four of MSU's 71 goals scored this season have come in special teams situations - 23 on the power play, and one shorthanded. Of the 79 goals the Spartans have allowed, 25 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 11th in the CCHA overall in scoring (15-10-25), and also is tied for fourth in the conference in goals. Derek Grant is 17th in scoring (4-19-23), and sixth in assists.

offensive defenseman
Sophomore blueliner Torey Krug is making a case to be strongly considered for CCHA Offensive Defenseman honors. He ranks 23rd overall in scoring and also in assists, while he is also fifth in power-play points (5g, 6a, 11pts) and tied for fifth in power-play goals. He is the top-scoring defenseman in the CCHA overall.

he's gone national
Torey Krug ranks 15th nationally among defensemen in points per game (0.75), and is tied for third in defenseman goals (8) with Nick Bailen of RPI, behind Justin Schultz of Wisconsin (15) 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 nine 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 six games. His four goals this season is as many as he put on the board last year as a freshman.
Zach Josepher was a DNP for seven straight games, and re-entered the lineup on Jan. 27 against Ferris State. He had assists on the lone tally vs. FSU and on both goals against Michigan (1/29).
Will Yanakeff's save on the Kevin Lynch penalty shot on JAn. 29 vs. Michigan was his second of the season. His first came against Ben Ryan of Notre Dame on Nov. 20 in South Bend. The freshman netminder is unbeaten in his last five starts, and has both victories against Michigan this season .
Drew Palmisano made 27 saves in last Thursday's game vs. Ferris State. He had started three straight games before Yanakeff played on Saturday., and averaged 34 saves over those three contests.

chicago connection
Jake Chelios skated on a line with his brother, Dean, and classmate Greg Wolfe on Saturday. Dean Chelios and Wolfe were teammates on the Chicago Steel (USHL) in 2008-09, and Wolfe and Jake Chelios played together there in 2009-10, until Wolfe was a late-season trade to Omaha.
The younger Chelios has played only two of 27 games this season at forward - the other was also against Michigan, in the Big Chill . Dean assisted on Jake's second-period tally against the Wolverines - his first goal since Nov. 13 against Ohio State, and his first goal as a forward since juniors.

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 five starts since Dec. 1, the Spartans had scored just 12 goals with him in net - and seven of them came in the Jan. 21 game vs. Miami. 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 against Miami, and MSU had four on the board before the end of the second period in the Feb. 21 game vs. the RedHawks. 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 the 2-1 loss at Ferris State on Feb. 27. He has seven 30+-save games in his 22 games this season.

doubling up
Brett Perlini's two-goal effort on Jan. 14 against Lake Superior 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.

long time coming
Joey Shean's goal on Saturday, the game-winner, was his first goal since Feb. 14, 2009 against Ohio State - nearly two calendar years apart.

he's good for one
Daultan Leveille had MSU's lone tally against Ferris State on Thursday. Leveille has at least one point in each conference weekend this season.

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.