Hockey Heads to Boston to Meet Northeastern Saturday Night
12/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
| Game 18: Michigan State (5-10-2, 1-3 B1G) vs. Northeastern (2-12-3, 0-8-3 Hockey East) | |
| Date | Time | Sat., Dec. 19 â€" 7 p.m. |
| Location | Boston, Mass. | Matthews Arena (4,666) |
| TV | NBC Sports Network |
| Video Stream | NBC Live Extra |
| Live Stats | Stat Broadcast |
| Radio | Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | WJIM 1240-AM |
| Radio (Mobile) | Broadcast available on Spartan Sports Network Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Northeastern | Big Ten |
| Social Media | @MSU_Hockey  | Facebook  |
On The Fly
• Michigan State is making its first trip to Matthews Arena since Oct. 1996 … MSU is 6-2 all-time against Northeastern as Saturday's game marks just the second game between the programs since 1983.
• The Spartans are making the trip to Boston in conjunction with the men's and women's basketball teams, which both take on the Huskies as well … The Spartan women's basketball team will meet Northeastern at 8 p.m. on Friday, while the men will play at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday (NBCSN).
• Michigan State ranks second nationally in both blocked shots per game (17.94) and total blocks (305) … The Spartans have blocked 19 or more shots in eight of 17 games this season, including a season-high 28 vs. Michigan Tech on Nov. 22.
• Senior defenseman Travis Walsh leads the country in total blocked shots with 62 â€" 15 more than any other player … Walsh also leads in blocks per game at 3.65 … Walsh had 63 blocks in 29 games last season, which ranked second on the team.
• JT Stenglein (7-7-14), Mackenzie MacEachern (7-6-13), Michael Ferrantino (4-10-14) and Mason Appleton (3-11-14) lead the Spartans in points.
• Juniors MacEachern, Stenglein, Thomas Ebbing (3-9-12) and Joe Cox (5-6-11) have combined for 40% of MSU's total points and 48% of the team's goals.
• The Spartans rank ninth nationally in penalty kill percentage at 88.3% … The seven power-play goals allowed by the Spartans this season are tied for the eighth fewest in the country.
• Senior captain Michael Ferrantino is the only Spartan that hasn't gone consecutive games this season without a point … Ferrantino has 14 points (4g, 10a) in 15 games this season.
• Freshman Zach Osburn leads all MSU defensemen with 11 points (4g, 7a) … His four goals are one short of the combined total by MSU defensemen last season.
• Osburn ranks third on the team in shots on goal with 51, which is fourth most among all defensemen nationally.
• In starting both games last weekend, senior Jake Hildebrand moved into fifth place on MSU's career games played list among goaltenders at 113.
• Through 17 games, Thomas Ebbing has eclipsed his point total from last season (11) with a 3-9-12 scoring line … The center has points in six of the last 10 games, including a career-best five-game point streak (1-5-6) from Nov. 7-27.
• Under head coach Tom Anastos, the Spartans are 56-11-7 (.804) when scoring at least three goals.
About Northeastern
The Huskies are coming off a home-and-home series with Boston College last weekend where they tied, 3-3, and fell, 4-3, respectively to the No. 4 Eagles … Seven of the Huskies' 12 losses have been by just one goal, including each of the last two … Junior forward Zach Aston-Reese leads the Huskies in points with 15 (5g, 10a), while Nolan Stevens leads in goals with seven … Kevin Roy, a 2015 All-American and the nation's active leader in career points assists, has been out of the lineup since Nov. 13 … Freshman Ryan Ruck has carried the load in goal with 11 starts; he has a 3.05 goals-against average and .889 save percentage … NU ranks 48th nationally in goals per game (2.29) and 44th in goals-against per game (3.24).
A Quick Break
Saturday's game marks the latest the Spartans have played in the month of December - prior to Christmas and the GLI - since 1992 when they played British Columbia and Kent State, Dec. 20 and 22, respectively, in the Nissan Jeep Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.
The late December contest gives the Spartans nine days off before returning to action at the GLI on Dec. 29, which is MSU's shortest break between regular-season games during the month since 1992 (Dec. 22 - Dec. 26). The nine-day break is second only to Vermont and Merrimack as the shortest break for any college hockey team this season during the month of December.
Back to The Hub
Michigan State is making its second trip to Boston this season and third in the last two seasons. Last month, MSU fell at then second-ranked Boston College on Nov. 13, 6-4. Last year, the Spartans lost a pair of one-goal games at Boston University and UMass-Lowell, respectively, in their trip to Boston.
Walsh Leads the Block Party
The Spartans have been one of college hockey's top shot-blocking teams over the past few seasons and the trend is continuing so far in 2015-16 as their 17.94 blocks per game average and 305 total blocks both rank second in the country. Senior defenseman Travis Walsh leads the country in both total blocks (62) and blocks per game (3.65). Walsh has 15 more blocks than any other player in the nation.
MSU has blocked 19 or more shots in eight games this season, including a season-high 28 on Nov. 22 vs. Michigan Tech. The Spartans led the Big Ten and ranked second nationally in blocked shots per game last year at 16.71 and led the nation in the same category in 2013-14 with a 17.67 average.
PK More Than Okay
Michigan State has been one of the nation's top penalty-killing teams this season and enters the weekend ninth with an 88.3% kill percentage. The Spartans have the Big Ten's top penalty kill percentage despite playing six games against teams that currently rank in the top 5 nationally in power-play percentage - Penn State (No. 2), New Hampshire (No. 4) and Michigan Tech (No. 5).
After allowing a goal on the first opponent power play in the season opener, MSU killed 29 consecutive penalties, a feat last achieved in 2007-08. MSU has killed 19 of its last 22 penalties (86.4%) over the last eight games.
The Spartans skated off three Wisconsin power plays last weekend, including a 5-minute major penalty, marking the second time they have extinguished a major penalty this season.
Juniors Producing
After producing one-third of Spartans' total points last season, the junior class has played an even larger role in the team's offensive production in 2015-16. Four of the Spartans' top-six point producers are from the junior class, including: JT Stenglein (7-7-14), Mackenzie MacEachern (7-7-14), Thomas Ebbing (3-9-12) and Joe Cox (5-6-11). A total of seven juniors have combined for 52% of the Spartans' goals and 45% of the team's points.
No Easy Days
Nine of the Spartans' 17 games have been against ranked teams, including seven against teams ranked in this week's USCHO.com Top 20 Poll â€" at No. 17 Denver (two), at No. 4 Boston College, No. 2 North Dakota (two) and at No. 14 Penn State (two). Those four teams have a combined record of 47-13-8. Additionally, Michigan Tech, which has since dropped out of the USCHO.com Top 20 Poll, was ranked 19th when it met the Spartans in November.
The Spartans have played a total of seven games against four teams (Penn State, Boston College, New Hampshire, North Dakota) that currently rank in the top nine nationally in scoring per game.
Appleton Leading Impressive Rookies
The Spartans' four-man freshman class has played a solid part in the team's offensive output so far this season. The rookies have combined to contribute 28% of the team's total points and 26% of its goals.
Mason Appleton is tied for the team lead in points with 14 and his 11 assists lead all Spartans. He has generated at least a point in 11 of 17 games.
Zach Osburn leads all Spartan defensemen with 11 points (4g, 7a) - the most by a Spartan rookie defenseman since Travis Walsh had 11 in 2012-13. All four of his goals have come on the power play and he has three multi-point games. Brennan Sanford's has four goals while Cody Milan has chipped in a goal and four assists.
Hitting the Three-Goal Mark
Under head coach Tom Anastos, the Spartans are 56-11-7 (.804) when scoring at least three goals. MSU is 4-2-2 when scoring three goals this season after going 13-3-1 when doing so in 2014-15.
Spartans in the NHL
A total of nine Spartans have seen action so far this season:
• John-Michael Liles (Carolina Hurricanes)
• Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)
• Shawn Horcoff (Anaheim Ducks)
• Justin Abdelkader (Detroit Red Wings)
• Drew Miller (Detroit Red Wings)
• Jeff Petry (Montreal Canadiens)
• Ryan Miller (Vancouver Canucks)
• Bryan Lerg (San Jose Sharks)
Behind The Shield - MSU Hockey's Digital Magazine
The Spartans launched a new way to stay informed on everything going on around the MSU hockey program with Behind The Shield. For the latest issue, click here.
