Michigan State University Athletics
Neil's Notebook: Spartans Start Weekend in Solid Fashion
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING - The stage is set.
Thanks to a solid, well-played 4-1 victory over Ohio State on Friday at Munn Arena, Michigan State has a chance to achieve something on Saturday that it hasn't done all season.
It's sweep a two-game series.
In the Big Ten standings, that means six points, three for each victory.
In arguably the Spartans' most important game of the season to date, MSU (8-11-2 overall, 2-3-2-2 Big Ten) can make a huge statement in the second game of the Big Ten series against the Buckeyes (7-12-2, 2-5) at 7 p.m. at Munn Arena.
Forget all the good parts of Friday's well-deserved victory. The Spartans' focus is now on playing another productive three periods of hockey over 60 minutes and putting themselves in position for their first series sweep since Jan. 17-18, 2014 - 3-0 and 3-2 wins over Penn State.
MSU swept three series last year, including Princeton and American International, but only one in Big Ten play.
"We can't be satisfied with one win on the weekend. This series isn't complete unless we get two wins,'' said senior right wing Brent Darnell, who played a key role in beating Ohio State with a goal and two assists.
"Last weekend (at Penn State), we got a shootout win on Friday and came up flat on Saturday. We're putting the onus on ourselves. We have to come out strong. We didn't put six good periods together last weekend. This is a huge test for our team.
"This game is behind us. Saturday is a different story.''
On Friday, MSU found a way to score four goals and defend against a team that is capable of scoring a fair amount of goals. The Spartans scored two goals in the second period, gave up one early in the third, and answered with a power-play goal and another goal in the final minute to seal their first victory in 2015 and end a three-game winless streak.
For sure, Ohio State was weakened by the absence of several key players due to injuries, including senior forward Matt Johnson, who shares the team scoring lead with three other players with 10 goals and four assists for 14 points.
But MSU was vastly improved in all phases of the game from last Saturday's 5-2 defeat at Penn State. The Spartans played with more energy and focus and were much improved defensively.
And several Spartans, in addition to Darnell, contributed to a successful Friday night in front of a capacity crowd of 6,333.
Matt Berry, playing his first game after rejoining the team after a month-long suspension, had one of his best games of the year with an energetic, solid effort. He scored the Spartans' first goal, in the second period, and assisted on MSU's third goal of the game - by Mackenzie MacEachern on a power play early in the third-period.
Ryan Keller scored MSU's fourth goal, a game clincher with 48 seconds left.
Goalie Jake Hildebrand didn't have to make any spectacular saves but he was tracking the puck very well and make some timely saves that could have changed the complexion of the game if the puck had found its way into the net,
Linemates Michael Ferrantino and Joe Cox didn't have any points but they were tenacious along the boards in keeping the puck out of dangerous areas and prominent in helping kill off four Ohio State power plays.
MSU coach Tom Anastos liked the way his team rebounded from last Saturday's forgettable loss at Penn State, and was happy to see several players playing important roles in carving out a much-need victory.
But like so many players, Anastos' focus was more on what's next - Saturday's series finale - than Friday's accomplishments.
"We look at it as we've played three periods of a six period weekend. So, now we're at the intermission and we're going to focus on period four,'' he said. "I liked the business-like tone of our locker room after the game. The guys knew what I was going to say before I came into the room. They may have said it before I came in.
"I want our guys to focus the most on the energy, emotional and intensity levels we need to play when the pucks drops (Saturday) at 7 p.m. Whatever the results are, let's just play and leave it out there.''
In each of the next two weekends, Michigan State will play just one game - both on neutral ice against Michigan. The Spartans and Wolverines meet next Friday at Joe Louis Arena and again on Feb. 7 outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago.
The next chance for a sweep is Feb. 13-14 against Penn State at Munn Arena.
"I'm more focused on effort because effort leads to the potential result,'' Anastos said of Saturday's rematch against the Buckeyes. "I don't want us to think about the result. I want to have a good 60 or 65 minute effort and see where things fall.
"I don't want to get too excited about (Friday's victory). It's three periods of six and now we're at the intermission.''
Ferrantino said Friday's success won't mean as much unless the Spartans come up with another solid game that leads to another victory.
"We've won a few games on Friday and not come out well on Saturday. We have to turn the page on this game and get ready,'' Ferrantino said. "We'll look at the game back and see what we can do better.
"It's a mentality. We can't be satisfied. We have to finish the job at home.''
Michigan State has scored four goals or more in only three of its last 14 games - a 4-2 victory at Princeton, Nov. 29, a 6-4 win at home against Clarkson, Dec. 14, and Friday vs. OSU.
Over the last four seasons, the Spartans are now 46-7-4 when scoring three goals or more.
"It was nice to see four pucks go into the net and nice to see us win special teams,'' Anastos said.
With OSU having just cut MSU's lead to 2-1 early in the third period, the Spartans found themselves on the power play, and they converted with six seconds left on the Buckeyes' penalty. MacEachern fired in his own rebound at 6:19, with Berry and Darnell assisting.
MSU went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Spartans skated off four Ohio State power plays. MSU has gone six games without giving up a power-play goal, killing off 19 consecutive opponents' power plays.
BERRY MAKES AN IMPACT: Senior right wing Matt Berry had not played a game since Dec. 5 and has only practiced with the Spartans for the last two weeks after returning from a team-imposed suspension. But on Friday, Berry's delivered an impressive all-around performance to help MSU defeat Ohio State.
Berry scored the Spartans' first goal on a nifty wrap-around effort just 1:35 into the second period. He assisted on Mackenzie MacEachern's power-play goal six minutes into the third period to boost MSU's lead to 3-1.
The 5-foot-10, 168-pound forward from Canton, Mich., also worked hard to win puck battles along the boards in both zones and was a force for the Spartans for most of the game.
"He was really motivated and was flying around the ice, all over the place,'' Ferrantino said. "His compete level was very good. He played a 200-foot game. We're happy to have him back.''
Berry was happy to be back and playing hockey again and grateful that his teammates welcomed him with open arms.
"I just went out and worked as hard as I could with my linemates, and we got a couple of good bounces,'' he said. "Luckily, I snuck one in there in the second period.''
Berry was teamed with two big, speedy guys - junior center Matt DeBlouw and sophomore left wing MacEachern.
"It took a couple of shifts to get the rust off. After that, I felt good and my linemates really helped me out. We all seem to have a good amount of skill and DeBlouw and Mac are both really fast and can get back quickly. On the rush, we can all make plays.
"We've been skating together since I came back and I think we played off each other pretty well and feed off each other's energy. We just try to create chances and get pucks to the net.''
Darnell was happy to find himself on the power play with Berry and MacEachern early in the third period. From the edge of the crease, each touched the puck during a flurry that ended with MacEachern' first hitting the right goal post from just outside the crease and then firing it into the right corner to give MSU 3-1 lead.
"Berry was great tonight. We knew he was going to go out and give it his all,'' Darnell said. "He's so skilled that you expect that any time he's on the ice, he can make things happen.
"That line (MacEachern-DeBlouw-Berry) can make plays. I think MacEachern is kind of the X-factor,'' Darnell said. "Whomever he's playing with seems to be scoring and doing well.''
MSU coach Tom Anastos said Berry had to get a big lift by scoring the key goal in the second period and the team got a huge boost, too.
"It was good for (Berry) to get back (and score), and more importantly, it was a lift for our team,'' he said. "We talk about guys making plays and doing things that make a difference for the team. That (goal) did and I'm sure it helped his confidence.
"It gets you jacked up and your team rises from it, too. His goal was a lift, especially after coming off the first period with a lot of good chances but not scoring. I liked how we played but it was nice to break the ice (in the second period) with (Berry's goal).''
With a goal and assist, Berry has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 15 games. He's tied for the team scoring lead with Ferrantino (9-6-15).
DARNELL STILL ON ROLL: Senior right wing Brent Darnell had his five-game point streak halted last Saturday at Penn State, but he got back on track against OSU on Friday.
With a goal and two assists, Darnell has scored at least a point in six of his last seven games. MSU's hottest scorer has four goals and six assists for 10 points starting with a two-goal performance in a 3-3 tie vs. Minnesota on Dec. 6.
During this stretch, he's had three multi-point games, including two goals against the Gophers, two assists vs. Clarkson on Dec. 14 and the three-point effort in the victory over OSU.
"I think it's (about) keeping things simple. One of the things our line takes pride in is getting to the dirty areas,'' said Darnell, who's been teaming with center Thomas Ebbing and left wing Ryan Keller, who scored MSU's fourth goal on Friday. "We all get a long and we've been playing pretty well together.''
Darnell's 10-point surge has moved him into fourth place in team scoring with five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 18 games.
He gave MSU a 2-0 lead at 14:08 of the second period with a quick, perfectly placed wrist shot off a faceoff in the right circle. Ebbing won the draw and put the puck right on Darnell's stick on the edge of the right circle. He one-timed it to the left corner and the puck found its way into the net.
Darnell assisted on MacEachern's and Keller's goals, early and late in the final period, respectively.
"That's what we need out of him every night, every single night,'' MSU coach Tom Anastos said. "It's not necessarily scoring all the time.
"In the second period, he was coming off the bench on a line change and he busted back (into the MSU zone on an OSU rush) and, at the last minute, he was able to make a huge play by deflecting the puck.
"His overall play has been good and he's getting rewarded. He almost scored a goal before the goal Keller scored. Darny scored a nice goal on the faceoff. I had a great view of it (from the bench). It was a poised play. He kind of found a seam and that's not easy. I think it hit the (left) post and went in.
"We need him to continue to contribute.''
HILDEBRAND SOLID: MSU junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand did not need to have a spectacular game on Friday. But he did make a major impact with an efficient outing with several key saves that could have changed the game around.
He stopped 33 Buckeye shots and was aggressive and in control the entire game. Hildebrand also benefitted by a Spartan defensive corps that rebounded from a sub-par outing last Saturday at Penn State.
"We got timely goals and timely goaltending tonight,'' MSU junior captain Mike Ferrantino said. "Hildy was good last weekend and he carried it right through this week in practice and into the game. He was comfortable. There weren't a lot of rebounds and our defense was good.''
"I don't remember Hildy having to make any spectacular saves,'' MSU coach Tom Anastos said. "He was steady, made some good saves and we defended well.''
HAIL TO THE FANS: MSU players and coaches raved about the vibrant crowd of 6,333 that packed into Munn Arena and help create an exciting atmosphere.
"The crowd was unbelievable. Before the game, you go out there and see that it's a sellout, it gets everyone jacked up,'' MSU senior right wing Brent Darnell said. "The students were great. You hope it keeps going like that.''
"It was a great crowd,'' coach Tom Anastos said. "We want to give the crowd stuff to get excited about so we can feed off them.''
IN THE BIG TEN: Two weeks ago, Penn State rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie Ohio State 4-4 in the third period, before losing 5-4 in overtime. The Nittany Lions were again in the rallying mood on Friday against Northern Michigan. They fell behind 4-1 late in the second period before scoring four straight goals, the last with 3:20 left in the third period, to pull out a 5-4 non-conference victory in State College.
Meanwhile, Michigan followed a similar formula against Wisconsin, rallying from a 4-1 deficit early in the second period with six unanswered goals to defeat last-place Wisconsin, 7-4, in Madison.
Trailing 4-3 entering the third period, the Wolverines scored three goals in 2 minutes and 3 seconds (9:19, 10:20, 11:22) to go up 6-4 and it was pretty much over.
In the last three games, all victories, Michigan has scored 24 goals and allowed 15 -- a 7-5 win over Minnesota, 10-6 vs. Ohio State and now 7-4 against Wisconsin.
In another non-conference game Friday, Minnesota lost to No. 1 ranked Minnesota State, 4-2, in the first round of the annual North Star College Cup, a tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul involving four schools from Minnesota.
In the other semifinal, Bemidji State upset Minnesota-Duluth, 4-0. The Gophers will play Minnesota-Duluth today in the third-place game, while two WCHA teams - Minnesota State and Bemidji - collide in the championship game.
