Michigan State University Athletics
Hockey Wraps Up Regular Season at Home This Weekend
3/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 12, 2014
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Weekly Press Conference
Head Coach Tom
Watch Spartan Hockey All-Access
Episode 6
On The Fly...
• Michigan State hosts No. 5 Wisconsin in its final regular-season series this Friday and Saturday at Munn ... The Spartans are coming off a 4-3 victory over Michigan last Saturday, while the Badgers enter as winners of five straight games.
• This weekend will mark the final two home games for MSU's six seniors: Dean Chelios (136 GP), Jake Chelios (151 GP), Nick Gatt (51 GP), Lee Reimer (136 GP), Greg Wolfe (144 GP) and Will Yanakeff (57 GP) ... Saturday's senior recognition ceremony will begin at approximately 3:45 p.m.
• While it has been determined MSU and Ohio State will meet in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament next Thursday in St. Paul, Minn., seeding has yet to be finalized ... The Spartans are currently fifth with 22 points, while Ohio State is fourth with 24 points ... The Buckeyes are at Penn State this weekend.
• Michigan State continues to be one of the best shot-blocking teams in the nation as it currently leads the country in blocks per game at 17.67 and ranks fifth in total blocks at 583 ... MSU has blocked +20 shots in 14 games this season.
• MSU ranks 18th in the nation in goals allowed per game at 2.52 ... The Spartans have allowed more than two goals four times in the last 15 games ... Opponents have scored more than two goals against the Spartans in just 13 of 33 games this season.
• Sophomore defenseman Travis Walsh is tied for the Big Ten lead in total blocked shots with 77, while his 2.57 blocks per game average ranks second in the league and third in the nation ... Walsh is one of six Spartan defensemen that rank in the top 14 in the conference in total blocks as all have at least 48.
• The Spartans are 9-1 when scoring at least three goals this season ... A different Spartan has scored the game-winning goal in nine of MSU's 10 wins ... Mackenzie MacEachern has two game-winners for the Spartans.
• Jake Chelios ranks second among Big Ten defensemen in assists with 18, while his 20 points are third most among all conference blueliners.
• Michigan State and Ohio State are are the Big Ten leaders in shootout wins with four apiece ... The Spartans have taken part in seven shootouts this season, going 4-3.
• The Spartans recorded power-play goals in both games vs. Michigan last weekend, marking the first time they scored in consecutive games on the man-advantage since a stretch of three straight contests from Dec. 27-Jan. 10.
• Greg Wolfe has been held without a point in just two of the last eight games, producing a 4-5-9 scoring line over the stretch.
THANK YOU, SENIORS
Michigan State's senior class of Dean Chelios, Jake Chelios, Nick Gatt, Lee Reimer, Greg Wolfe and Will Yanakeff has combined to play in 675-career games. This season, the group of six has combined for 33% of the team's goals and nearly 40% of its points. Greg Wolfe (26 points), Jake Chelios (20 points) and Lee Reimer (19 points) rank as the MSU's top point producers, while the same trio, plus Dean Chelios, is accountable for 42% of the team's assists this season.
Wolfe's 26 points (12g, 14a) and Jake Chelios' 20 points (2g, 18a) are both career highs.
Will Yanakeff carries a 2.55 career-GAA and a .918 career-save percentage into this weekend.
BLOCK PARTY
• In leading the nation in blocked shots per game at 17.67, the Spartans have the Spartans have amassed a total of 583 blocks, just nine fewer than their total all of last season (42 games).
• MSU has 92 more total blocks than OSU, the next closest team in the Big Ten.
• Spartan defensemen boast six of the 14 highest blocked-shot totals in the Big Ten: Travis Walsh (77, T-first), RJ Boyd (59, sixth), Jake Chelios (58, T-eighth), John Draeger (58, T-eighth), Brock Krygier (51, T-11th) and Rhett Holland (48, 14th).
• MSU has blocked at least 20 shots in 14 games this season, going 6-4-4 in those contests.
• The Spartans' season high in blocked shots was 26 on Jan. 24 vs. Michigan.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
• The 83 goals MSU has allowed this season are tied for the 17th fewest of any team in the nation.
• Last weekend's series vs. Michigan marked the first time since Nov. 8-9 in a pair of losses at Michigan Tech (3-0, 3-2 OT) that MSU had allowed more than two goals in consecutive games.
IN THE BIG TEN STATISTICAL RANKINGS
• Greg Wolfe is tied for sixth in goals (12) and is 11th in points with 26 ... Four of Wolfe's goals have come on the power play, which ties him with Matt Berry for fifth in the league.
• Jake Chelios' 18 assists are tied for seventh overall and are second most among all defensemen.
• Travis Walsh is tied for first in total blocked shots with 77 and is second in blocks per game average at 2.57.
SPARTANS IN CONFERENCE GAMES
• Greg Wolfe (5-10-15) is tied for sixth in points, while Mike Ferrantino is tied for sixth in goals (7-5-12).
• Jake Hildebrand has a .926 save percentage - fourth among all goaltenders in league play ... Hildebrand's goals-against average is 2.53, which is fourth among goaltenders in Big Ten games.
• Three of the eight losses have been by one goal and two others by two.
NOTES ON THE MICHIGAN SERIES
• Saturday's victory was the Spartans' third comeback win of the season and the two-goal deficit was the largest they have overcome this season ... MSU's other come-from-behind wins were vs. Penn State on Feb. 15 (2-1 after trailing 1-0 in the second) and vs. Boston University (3-1 after trailing 1-0 in the third).
• In registering a power-play goal in both games, it marked the first time this season MSU scored on the man-advantage in both games of a conference series.
FERRANTINO PRODUCTIVE ON MULTIPLE FRONTS
Sophomore Mike Ferrantino has continued to be one of Michigan State's most consistent players this season. He has produced 11 points since Jan. 1 (16 games), including six goals, which ties him with Lee Reimer for the most over that span. On the season, Ferrantino ranks second on the team in goals with nine, while his 18 points rank fourth.
Ferrantino's plus-3 rating is tied for the third on the team. He has been a plus or even player in 26 of 33 games this season. He was plus or even in 16 consecutive games from Nov. 29-Feb. 7.
In the faceoff circle, the Plymouth, Mich., native leads MSU with a .546 winning percentage, which also ranks 12th in the Big Ten. Defensively, Ferrantino has the second-most blocked shots - 31 - of any forward in the conference.
NOTES ON THE DEADLOCKS
• MSU's seven ties are the second most in program history ... Only the 2005-06 and 1991-92 teams had more with eight each.
• MSU, Bemidji State, Mercyhurst and Michigan Tech lead the nation in ties.
• The Spartans have participated in more shootouts - seven - than any other team in the nation and their four shootout wins are tied with OSU for tops in the Big Ten.
• The Spartans' three consecutive ties (OSU, 2-2; OSU, 2-2, PSU, 2-2) from Feb. 7-14 were the program's first since Jan. 23 - Feb. 5, 1999 (Northern Michigan, 1-1; Michigan, 3-3; Notre Dame, 2-2).
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• MSU had power-play goals in both games vs. Michigan last weekend, going 1-3 and 1-1, marking the fourth time this season, and first time in conference play, it had goals on the man-advantage in consecutive games.
• The Spartans had a power-play goal in a season-best three consecutive games from Dec. 27-Jan. 10, which is their longest streak of the season and longest since they had at least one power play goal in six consecutive games from Feb. 3-18, 2012.
• MSU had two power-play goals in the Feb. 8 2-2 tie vs. OSU, marking the third time this season the Spartans have scored twice on the man-advantage (Jan. 24 vs Michigan, Dec. 1 vs. Princeton).
• Eight of the Spartans' 18 total power play goals this season have come in conference play.
• Greg Wolfe leads MSU in power-play points (4-5-9) ... Matt Berry is tied with Wolfe in power-play goals with four ... Jake Chelios leads MSU in assists on the man-advantage with six.
• Lee Reimer (2 goals, 1 assist) leads the team lead in shorthanded scoring.
Jake Chelios ONE OF THE BIG TEN'S BEST IN POINT PRODUCTION
Jake Chelios is making the most of his senior season as he ranks second among Big Ten defensemen in assist with 18 and ranks third in points at 20. His 18 assists are the most by a Spartan defenseman since Torey Krug's 22 in 2011-12. Chelios' four-game point streak (0-5-5) from Dec. 27-Jan. 11 was the longest of his career.
THE IRON MAN
Jake Chelios is one of eight players in the nation to have appeared in at least 150 consecutive games. Chelios has played in 150 consecutive games.
THE MUNN ADVANTAGE
Since its opening in Nov. 1974, Munn Ice Arena has provided the Spartans with an undeniable advantage. Now in its 39th season as the home of MSU hockey, Spartan teams have compiled a dominating 525-199-61 (.707) record in the building. MSU is 8-5-3 at home this season, ensuring its streak of .500 or better in the building for 33 consecutive seasons.
HILDEBRAND A RICHTER AWARD CANDIDATE
Jake Hildebrand is one of 18 candidates for the inaugural Mike Richter Award, presented by Let's Play Hockey and The Herb Brooks Foundation. The award honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men's hockey and will be presented at the Frozen Four in Philadelphia.
SPARTANS IN THE NHL
A total of 17 former Spartan hockey players have played in the NHL this season: Torey Krug (Boston), Corey Potter (Boston), John-Michael Liles (Carolina), Duncan Keith (Chicago), Corey Tropp (Columbus), Shawn Horcoff (Dallas), Chris Mueller (Dallas), Justin Abdelkader (Detroit), Drew Miller (Detroit), Jeff Petry (Edmonton), Derek Grant (Ottawa), Mike Weaver (Montreal), Adam Hall (Philadelphia), Tim Kennedy (Phoenix), Ryan Miller (St. Louis), David Booth (Vancouver) and Jim Slater (Winnipeg).
UP NEXT
The Spartans will head to St. Paul, Minn., for the inaugural Big Ten Tournament where they will meet Ohio State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. The complete tournament bracket will be released on Sunday. For tickets and information, click here.
