Spartans Ready to Meet Michigan at Soldier Field

Feb. 5, 2015

Game 24: Michigan State (10-11-2, 4-3-2-2 B1G) vs. No. 14 Michigan (15-8, 7-2 B1G)
Date \| Time	Sat., Feb. 7 - 8 p.m. ET
Location	Chicago, Ill. \| Soldier Field (61,500)
Tickets	TicketMaster.com
TV	BTN
Video Stream	BTN2Go
Live Stats
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 \| Michigan State \| Big Ten
Social Media	@MSU_Hockey \| Facebook

On The Fly...

• Michigan State and Michigan will meet for the second-straight weekend in Saturday's Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago ... The game will mark the 302nd all-time meeting between the two schools, making it the most-played rivalry in college hockey ... Saturday will be just the second meeting between the Spartans and Wolverines outside the state of Michigan - the prior meeting outside the state was Dec. 28, 1968 in Madison.

• Saturday will be Michigan State's fifth outdoor game in program history and its fourth against Michigan ... MSU and Michigan are 1-1-1 in the previous three meetings outside.

• The Spartans won their third straight game with last Friday's 2-1 victory over Michigan in front of a sellout crowd of 20,027 at Joe Louis Arena.

• MSU is now 5-2-2 - with two shootout wins - over its last nine games and is currently tied for second place in the Big Ten standings with 16 points and a 4-3-2-2 league record.

• Over the last nine games, the Spartans have extinguished 23-of-26 opponent power plays, while going 7-for-29 (24.1%) on the man advantage ... MSU has allowed an average of 2.0 goals per game since Dec. 6, which ranks tied for fifth in the nation over the span.

• Goaltender Jake Hildebrand was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week for the second-straight week ... He leads the Big Ten in goals-against average (2.35) and save percentage (.920) ... He has played 99.1% of the Spartans' game action this season, which is the highest percentage of any goaltender in the nation ... Hildebrand has allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of 23 games this season, including six of the last seven.

• Hildebrand has a career total of 2,393 saves - 14 shy of tying Norm Foster (1984-87) for ninth most in MSU history.

• Linemates Brent Darnell (2g, 2a), Ryan Keller (2g) and Thomas Ebbing (1a) have combined for seven points in over the last three games ... One of the three players has scored the game-winning goal in four of the last five MSU victories.

• Darnell has been the Spartans' hottest offensive threat of late, picking up at least a point in seven of the last nine games ... The senior has 11 points (5g, 6a) over the nine-game span, including two game-winning goals ... Darnell is MSU's leader in Big Ten games in goals (5) and points (8) ... Overall, he is third in goals (6) and fourth in points (13).

• The Spartans' .862 penalty kill percentage leads the Big Ten and is 14th best nationally ... The 11 power play goals allowed by MSU are tied for the sixth fewest in the country.

• The Spartans are 9-1-2 when scoring first and 9-0-2 when leading after two periods.

• Under head coach Tom Anastos, the Spartans are 46-7-5 when scoring three or more goals.

• MSU leads the league in goals against per game at 2.39, which ranks 23rd nationally.

• The Spartans rank fifth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game at 16.0.

• MSU has held its opponent to five shots on goal in the first period in each of the last two games.

The Last Time Out
Matt DeBlouw's goal at 1:58 of the third period snapped 1-1 tie and turned out to be the winner in a 2-1 victory over Michigan at Joe Louis Arena ... The win was MSU's first vs. Michigan at Joe Louis Arena since Jan. 2011 ... Six of the last eight games between the two teams at JLA have been decided by one goal ... Jake Hildebrand made 29 stops as he allowed one goal or fewer for the third-straight game ... Villiam Haag scored his fifth goal of the season to open the scoring in the first period ... MSU blocked 19 Wolverine shots, led by Travis Walsh's game-high five.

Against Michigan This Season
The Spartans have held Michigan, the nation's highest-scoring team (4.22 goals per game), to just three total goals in the two meetings this season ... Rhett Holland has a point in both games (1g, 1a) against the Wolverines this year ... Jake Hildebrand has .949 save percentage ... MSU is 0-for-2 on the power play and Michigan is 1-for-4.

Hildy Stays Hot
Goaltender Jake Hildebrand was named the Big Ten's First Star of the Week on Feb. 3 for the second consecutive week and third time this season. Hildebrand turned away 29 of 30 shots last weekend, holding the nation's leading offense to one goal. Has allowed only two goals in his last three games, all victories, and leads the Big Ten in goals-against average (2.35) and save percentage (.920).

Where it Started
The Spartans and Wolverines are meeting for the fourth time outside after essentially giving birth to the outdoor game phenomenon in the fall of 2001. The two programs met in the first outdoor game of the modern era on Oct. 6, 2001, at Spartan Stadium in front of a then world-record crowd of 74,554. Temperatures for the game hovered just above freezing with wind gusts reaching 30 mph. Freshman Jim Slater scored the game-tying goal with 47 seconds to play as the teams skated to a 3-3 tie.

Spartans Unveil Jersey for Hockey City Classic

Familiar Opponent, Unfamiliar Setting
The Michigan-Michigan State rivalry spans across all sports, however very rarely do the teams meet outside their home state. MSU and U-M have met more times than any other programs in college hockey as Saturday will be the 302nd meeting; it will mark just the second contest between the schools outside the state of Michigan. In 1,077 combined all-time meetings between Michigan State and Michigan in hockey, football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and softball, just 12 games have occurred outside the state of Michigan (football 0-of-107 meetings outside the state; hockey 1-of-301; men's basketball 1-of-175; women's basketball 4-of-81; baseball 1-of-302; softball 5-of-111).

Spartans Go 5-2-2 Over Their Last Nine
• The Spartans are 5-2-2 since a 3-3 tie and shootout win over Minnesota on Dec. 6.
• Brent Darnell leads MSU with 11 points (5g, 6a) while five other players have at least five points, led by Villiam Haag (3g, 3a) and Joe Cox (2g, 4a).
• Jake Hildebrand has two shutouts, a 1.97 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage.
• MSU is 7-for-29 (.241) on the power play and has extinguished 23-of-26 (.885) opponent opportunities.
• The Spartans have allowed two or fewer goals in six of the nine games ... The 2.0 goals-against per game is fifth nationally over the stretch.

Watch Tom

Penalty Kill Leads the Big Ten
After allowing five power-play goals in consecutive games against Minnesota, the Spartans rebounded to kill 21 consecutive opponent power plays over a seven-game stretch. That streak came to an end last Friday vs. Michigan as the Wolverines scored on their first power-play try, but the Spartans extinguished the next two.

Since Dec. 14, Michigan State has the country's top penalty killing unit, boasting a .958 penalty kill percentage and allowing just one power-play goal, both of which lead the nation over the span.

Michigan State's .862 penalty kill percentage leads the Big Ten (.047 higher than second place Minnesota) and ranks 14th in the nation. The 11 power play goals MSU has allowed this season are the fewest in the Big Ten and sixth-fewest in the country.

The Spartans' 21 consecutive penalty kills was their longest stretch since Nov. 10 - Dec. 7, 2012, when they also killed 21 straight over a six-game span.

Hildebrand Sharp; Moving up in the Record Books
Jake Hildebrand has yielded two or fewer goals in 12 of 23 games this season, including six of the last seven. Hildebrand's second shutout of the season on Jan. 24 was the sixth of his career, tying him with Matt Migliaccio (2001-05), Ron Scott (1980-83) and Joe Selinger (1956-59) for sixth place on the Spartans' all-time shutout list. His next shutout will tie him with Bob Essensa (1983-87).

Hildebrand's 2,393-career saves are the 10th most in MSU history; he is now 14 stops away from tying Norm Foster (1984-87) for ninth place.

Darnell, Ebbing and Keller Fitting Well
Brent Darnell, Thomas Ebbing and Ryan Keller have played together for the last nine games and have been one of the Spartans' most consistent and dangerous lines, combining for 11 of the Spartans' 24 goals over the stretch. In fact, one of the three players has scored the game-winning goal in four of the Spartans' last five wins. Ebbing scored the game-winner in the 6-4 win over Clarkson (Dec. 14), while Darnell followed with the clincher in each of the next two victories - vs. Ferris State (Dec. 28) and Ohio State (Jan. 23). Keller got his first game-winning goal of the season in the 2-0 win over the Buckeyes (Jan. 24).

Additionally, Darnell had the shootout-winner at Penn State (Jan. 16) to give MSU the extra Big Ten point.

Darnell Steps Up
Senior Brent Darnell is on the best streak of his career as he has at least a point in seven of the last nine games, producing five goals and six assists over the span. Darnell started a five-game point streak (tying a career best) with a two-goal effort in a 3-3 tie and shootout win vs. Minnesota. He was named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal vs. Ferris State and then adding an assist the following night. Against Ohio State Jan. 23-24, he tied a career high with three points (1g, 2a) in the 4-1 win and added another goal in the 2-0 win.

Darnell is tied for third on the team in goals (6) and fourth in points (13). The senior from Canton has 54 points (24g, 30a) in a team high 127-career games.

In Big Ten Play...
• Brent Darnell leads MSU in goals (5) and points (8) ... Two of his five goals have come on the power play
• Defenseman Ron Boyd is a team-best plus-4
• Junior defenseman Travis Walsh leads in assists (4)
• The Spartans have allowed two goals or fewer in five of nine games
• Jake Hildebrand has a .928 save percentage

Walsh Giving Offense a Lift
Junior defenseman Travis Walsh has stepped up his offensive production this season as his 12 points (2g, 10a) are a career high and rank fourth among Big Ten defensemen.

Walsh has two assists in the last four games and hasn't gone more than three consecutive games without a point this season.

Sacrificing The Body
For the second consecutive season, Michigan State is among the nation's top teams in shot blocking. Currently the Spartans rank fifth nationally and second in the league behind Ohio State in blocked shots per game at 16.0. Defensive partners Travis Walsh (49) and Josh Jacobs (44) lead MSU in blocks.

Last year, MSU led the nation in blocked shots per game with an average of 17.67 and led all Big Ten teams in total blocked shots with 636, ranking fifth nationally. Walsh tied for first in the Big Ten and ninth in the nation in blocks last season with 85.

Haag Finds the Net
Playing on the top line with Michael Ferrantino and Joe Cox, Villiam Haag has put up five points (3g, 2a) in the last five games. He ended an eight-game scoring drought with a goal in both games at Penn State (Jan. 16-17), marking the third time as a Spartan he has scored in consecutive games as eight of his 13-career goals have come in consecutive games.

Haag led all MSU rookies in goals with eight last season.

Spartans in the NHL
A total of 13 Spartans have seen action in the NHL so far this season:

• Torey Krug (Boston Bruins)

• John-Michael Liles (Carolina Hurricanes)

• Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)

• Corey Tropp (Columbus Blue Jackets)

• Shawn Horcoff (Dallas Stars)

• Justin Abdelkader (Detroit Red Wings)

• Drew Miller (Detroit Red Wings)

• Jeff Petry (Edmonton Oilers)

• Mike Weaver (Montreal Canadiens)

• Chris Mueller (New York Rangers)