Neil's Notebook: Spartans Beat Wolverines in 2-1 Thriller
1/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
DETROIT - The challenge facing Michigan State on Friday night at Joe Louis Arena was monumental.
How do you stop the highest-scoring and hottest team in college hockey - Michigan, an offensive juggernaut averaging 6.8 goals in its last five games?
You need to be at your best defensively - as in defensemen playing at a high level in their defensive zone and forwards not turning the puck over and allowing odd-man rushes - and get outstanding goaltending, clutch penalty killing and block a lot of shots.
The Spartans did all that and more as they delivered a defensive gem that led to an exciting, nail-biting 2-1 Big Ten victory over the Wolverines in front of a sellout crowd of 20,027.
"We played them strong. We took away their time and space and lot of times forced them to turn it over,'' said MSU sophomore defenseman Rhett Holland, whose shot from the right point set up Matt DeBlouw's game-winning goal two minutes into the third period.
The victory extended MSU's winning streak to three games and halted Michigan's winning streak at seven games. The Spartans (10-11-2 overall, 4-3-2-2 Big Ten) got a little bit of revenge on the Wolverines (15-8-0, 7-2-0-0) from their 2-1 loss to U-M in the Great Lakes Invitational title game on Dec. 29, also at Joe Louis Arena.
"We were in their faces all night. Our defense got a lot of sticks on pucks,'' said MSU goaltender Jake Hildebrand, who made 29 saves. "I don't know how many shots we blocked but everyone sacrificed their body. It was pretty special.''
For sure, the Spartans' focus was on playing responsible defense, but they still managed to create several quality scoring chances. U-M had an edge in shots on goal but it was only 30-28. "Good defense comes with good offense. When you're playing in their zone, we don't have to worry about them scoring,'' Holland said. "They have one of the best power plays in the league so it was definitely huge to shut them down on their late power play.''
The last five minutes were hectic for the Spartans, who had to work hard, make good defensive plays, including blocking shots, to hold off the pressuring Wolverines.
U-M had a great opportunity to pull into a 2-2 tie when it went on a power play at 16:37. But the Spartans held the Wolverine power play to just two shots on goal and they blocked several scoring attempts from the points.
After killing the penalty, Michigan pulled goalie Zach Nagelvoort with 53 seconds left and swarmed into the MSU zone. Hildebrand made a couple of key saves and the game ended with Spartan sophomore center Thomas Ebbing blocking two shots in a row - one with his ankle and, seconds later, with his stick.
"In the last three minutes, I couldn't tell you what happened,'' Hildebrand said. "It was chaos out there. But we came out on top.''
DeBlouw, one of many Spartan heroes and who scored the game-winning goal, raved about Ebbing's willingness to throw his body around and his ability to be able to block shots.
"One of the best things tonight was our team blocking shots. It's really big for us and it gets everybody going on the bench,'' DeBlouw said. "Ebbing is amazing. I personally feed off him.
"The guy goes from one side of the rink to the other and blocks a shot, but all of a sudden, one of their guys is winding up for shot and Ebbing comes out of nowhere and blocks it. He left it all out there at the end.''
The Spartans blocked 19 shots, with defenseman Travis Walsh leading the way with five. Ebbing blocked four and defenseman John Draeger had three blocks.
MSU coach Tom Anastos said his team's ability to keep possession of the puck in the Michigan zone and create scoring chances kept pressure off the Spartan defense.
"Good defense comes from possession of the puck and staying on the attack. We kept telling guys, even after we scored the goal to go ahead (2-1), `don't fall back. Stay on the attack,'" Anastos said. "Michigan turned it up at the end but we did a good job of making their defense go back (and get the puck).
"Overall, it was a real strong effort. Offensively, there were a couple of pucks I sure would have liked to have seen us hit the net, rather than blow it by. We did create some good chances.
"Michigan is a good team and they're been playing really well. I was pleased how our guys approached the game and executed.''
There were occasions when the Wolverines drove into the MSU zone on what looked like dangerous rushes, but the Spartans often forced their forwards to the perimeter, and passes into the middle ended up getting deflected by MSU sticks in the right places.
"If you let them come through the neutral zone with speed, it'll put you on your heels,'' Anastos said. "We tried to do some things to make it difficult, to be well-positioned and make them have to make really good plays. For the most part, I thought we were pretty effective.''
The victory was MSU's first over U-M at Joe Louis Arena since Jan. 29, 2011, and first at JLA vs. the Wolverines for Spartan seniors Matt Berry, Brent Darnell, Ron Boyd and Tanner Sorenson -- and for Anastos as coach.
"I'm really happy for our seniors. It's their first time down here in beating Michigan,'' MSU center and captain Mike Ferrantino said. "We really wanted to get it for them.
"We wanted to be aggressive and get in on their defense, play in their zone as much as we could, and keep the puck away from their forwards.
Our defense really stepped up - from Hildebrand on out. Everyone took pride in blocking shots and taking away their space. I thought we backchecked really well off their rush and didn't give them much time.''
HILDEBRAND SPARKLES: MSU junior goalie Jake Hildebrand wasn't forced to many any spectacular saves but he was sharp, tracked the puck well all game and seldom gave up dangerous rebounds. He covered pucks very well around the net and was excellent with many blocker saves.
"He was good and steady. He was good in tight and handled everything very well and with poise,'' Anastos said. "We didn't have to rely on him making spectacular saves. His play was steady, just like the rest of our team. There weren't many rebounds.''
Since returning from the Christmas break, Hildebrand is 4-2-1, has two shutouts and has given up only 11 goals - and five of those came in a poor defensive effort at Penn State two weeks ago in which he had little chance on any of the goals.
In MSU's last three victories - two over Ohio State, one vs. U-M - Hildebrand has allowed two goals.
"It's a huge lift and comforting for a team to know that you've got a guy who is not only steady in goal but right on his game,'' Anastos said. "His level of consistency allows the team to feel confident.''
Said Hildebrand, "I think they have a lot of trust in me but I have a lot of trust in (my teammates). I don't think we've given up a back-door goal in quite some time.''
Michigan's only goal came late in the first period on a power play. Freshman standout Dylan Larkin, a first-round draft pick by the Red Wings last June, got open in the slot, took a deflected high pass from Zack Hyman from behind the net, knocked it down, got the puck on his stick and quickly wristed it into the top left corner to tie it 1-1.
MSU got a break in the second period when Michigan appeared to score off a scramble on the edge of the crease, but the referees ruled that the play was whistled down before Andrew Copp jammed the puck into the net.
In addition, U-M's Alex Kile got the puck after a faceoff in the left circle and his shot first caromed off Hildebrand's blocker and then hit the left post and bounced out of danger.
The victory was Hildebrand's third over Michigan and first at Joe Louis Arena.
"It was special, especially in front of a sellout crowd, and my sister (Jaime) came to the game and that makes it much more special,'' Hildebrand said.
DEBLOUW'S BEST MOMENT: Junior center Matt DeBlouw went to area in front of the net early in the third period and got rewarded in a big way with the biggest goal of his career.
DeBlouw saw defenseman Rhett Holland with the puck at the right point, he raised his stick to get Holland's attention and was ready when Holland fired the puck toward the net and DeBlouw.
The puck hit DeBlouw's stick blade, then caromed off his left shin pad and deflected into the net, to the right of U-M goalie Zach Navelvoort, at 1:58 to give MSU a 2-1 lead.
"It was late in our shift. I saw (Matt) Berry in front of the net and I saw Rhett look at me and then he shot,'' DeBlouw said. "I just tried to get my stick on it and I guess it hit my stick and shin pad.
"It's (an) unexplainable (feeling). It's one of the greatest team victories that I've been part of, especially with a packed Joe Louis. Growing up, you dream of having these opportunities. Tonight was one of those moments.''
After the goal, coach Tom Anastos put his arm around DeBlouw's neck in a playful moment on the bench, and had some good words for the 6-foot-1, 187-pounder from Chesterfield, Mich., who now has five goals and three assists for eight points.
"We always talk about the importance of going to the net, but Matt has a tendency to just stand away from the net,'' Anastos said. "Early in the game, we moved the puck around (in the U-M zone) and had a good blast. I look up and he's on the other side of the dot (away from the net). I gave him a pretty good stare.
"In the (third period) situation, he goes to the net just like we work on in practice and the puck goes in. I just wanted to acknowledge that he did the right thing and that he got rewarded. I mentioned it to him after the game, just in case he didn't hear it the first time.''
MSU's coaching staff's message to DeBlouw this season is to shoot more -- he's got the hardest shot on the team -- and go to the net hard and fight to stay there when his teammate have the puck.
"It's good to hear that my coach wants me to shoot the puck more. I just have to hit the net more,'' DeBlouw said. "(When he talked to me on the bench), he just said `what have I been telling you the last few weeks.' I said, `you're right.' Go to the net and good things happen.''
HAAG DELIVERS: Sophomore right wing Villiam Haag scored his third goal in MSU's last five games when he opened the scoring at 3:09 of the first period. Haag got the puck along the boards in his own zone, passed it to Joe Cox and the duo took off on a 2-on-1 rush. Cox fed the puck to Haag in the slot and Haag reached out and deflected it into the right corner.
Haag, who had a team-high five shots on goal and played a strong overall game, has three goals and two assists for five points in the 2015 part of the schedule.
On Friday, he was selected as the third star, behind No. Hildebrand and No. 2 DeBlouw.
BERENSON'S TAKE: Michigan coach Red Berenson praised Michigan State's level of play and Spartan goalie Jake Hildebrand.
"They're playing harder and better and have a certain amount of confidence maybe they didn't have in the GLI,'' he said. "We played more like they're playing now at the GLI. We played with desperation. Tonight, they had the desperation and we didn't.
"Give them credit. They came in here and played a good game and we didn't play well enough.''
In four of its last five games before Friday, Michigan has scored a lot of goals and cruised to some easy victories. The Wolverines outdueled Minnesota, 7-5, routed Ohio State, 10-6, and swept Wisconsin last weekend, 7-4, 6-0.
On Friday, U-M's offense wasn't as in sync as it's been, and part of that was due to Michigan State's defense and backchecking forwards.
"It's pretty clear the puck is not going to go in easy every night. We have to play better than we played tonight if we're going to play close games,'' Berenson said. "We've had it pretty easy the last few games and puck has gone our way. It didn't tonight.''
Berenson said he didn't think Hildebrand stole the game for the Spartans but acknowledged that he played solid.
"There wasn't a big disparity in shots and chances. He came in and played solid and didn't give up anything and that's good for him,'' Berenson said. "We knew he had a good save percentage and the lowest goals-against (average) in the conference. We knew he would be tough and that the game would be close.''
UP NEXT: Michigan State will get to savor its victory for seven days and then it's another showdown with Michigan - this time in Chicago. The Spartans and Wolverines meet at 8 p.m. outdoors at Soldier Field. Both teams will wear special-designed uniforms. Last season, the two teams played outdoors at Comerica Park in Detroit in the Great Lakes Invitational third-place game. The Spartans won, 3-0.
IN THE BIG TEN: With Penn State playing a non-conference game against Vermont on Saturday in Philadelphia, Michigan State moved into a tie for second place with its 2-1 victory over Michigan. Both teams have 16 points, five behind first-place Michigan.
The Nittany Lions (12-7-4, 5-2-1-0) will catch up in games played with MSU and U-M next weekend when they play two games at home against Wisconsin, while the Spartans and Wolverines play one against each other next Saturday in Chicago.
Meanwhile, in a game matching last season's first and second team Big Ten all-conference goalies - Minnesota's Adam Wilcox and Joe Rumpel of Wisconsin - the Gophers overcame a 3-1 deficit (11 minutes into the second period) and went on to a 7-5 victory in Madison. Both Wilcox and Rumpel were finalists for the Hobey Baker Award in 2013-14. Minnesota (12-9-2, 3-2-2-0) and Wisconsin (2-16-3, 0-6-1-1) meet again Saturday in Madison.
Ohio State has the weekend off.
