Neil's Notebook: Minnesota Rallies to Top Spartans
12/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING â€" The effort was there. The compete level was good. Battles were won. Energy was expended.
Execution was a different story. At times, it was there. When big plays were needed to be made at key moments of the game, there were flaws in the execution.
They proved costly and made for a frustrating ending as a winnable game turned into a second straight defeat for Michigan State.
The Spartans played a much better game on Saturday than they did in Friday's 4-2 loss to No. 11 Minnesota.
The end result?
It was the same.
They were in position to win the second game of the Big Ten series and emerge with a split, but turnovers and penalty killing issues doomed Michigan State.
The Gophers overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second period, scored a crucial power-play goal midway through the third to break a 2-2 deadlock and held on for another 4-2 victory and a series sweep at Munn Arena.
"We rebounded well tonight but we just didn't' have the ability to execute at key times,'' MSU coach Tom Anastos said. "I talk all the time about those key moments that you don't know when they're going to come.
"A couple of key moments went their way and not ours. We have to find a way not to give up consecutive goals in a short period of time. That allows a team to build momentum. We played a much better game than we did on Friday, but we didn't shut down their power play.''
The Spartans (4-8-1, 0-2 Big Ten) held a 2-0 lead and were playing very well, with energy and speed halfway through the second period. But the Gophers (9-5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) took advantage of a turnover and a MSU penalty to score two goals within 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
All of a sudden, the game was tied and the visitors were the team with the momentum.
It started with a turnover in front of the Spartan net. Minnesota defenseman Jake Bischoff intercepted a clearing attempt at the left point and fired the puck back at the net. It went in to cut the Gophers' deficit to 2-1 at 10:33.
Less than two minutes later, Spartans freshman center Sam Saliba made great play in the crease to save a sure goal when he kept a sliding puck from crossing the goal line by sweeping it out back toward goalie Ed Minney.
But Saliba knocked the net off its mooring at the left post (as the Gophers look at the net) and he was given a delay of game penalty at 11:44.
The Spartans killed off all but 11 seconds of the Minnesota power play, but at the end, freshman Rem Pitlick took a perfect pass in the right circle and one-timed the puck into the top right corner to tie it 2-2.
"They're a good team and they took advantage of those special teams opportunities and beat us on special teams. That became the difference in the game,'' Anastos said. "They have depth and that poses problems for you.
"There were momentum shifts that opened the door for opportunity. The took advantage and we didn't. On their third goal, we had a chance to clear the puck but didn't.''
In the third period, JT Stenglein of the Spartans was called for tripping at 9:53. Once again, the Gophers clicked, scoring with 39 seconds left on their power play.
Brent Gates, a sophomore who's from Grand Rapids, Mich., found an opening in the slot, too a well-place pass and with some room to maneuver, he went to his right and lifted a backhander past Minney at 11:14 to give Minnesota its first lead of the game at 3-2.
The Spartans kept pushing, trying to create quality scoring chances around Gophers sophomore goalie Eric Schierhorn in the final eight minutes.
With four minutes left, MSU sophomore right wing Mason Appleton was perched on the left edge of the crease when the puck popped toward him and Schierhorn out of position.
"I had a gift on the backdoor with a wide-open net but the puck bounces over my stick with a chance to tie it,'' Appleton said. "When you're hot you're getting that puck on your stick. But when you're not, it goes over your stick and you're unlucky.''
For the second consecutive game, an empty-net goal ended MSU's hopes of sending the game into overtime. This time, Tyler Sheehy hit the empty net to make it 4-2 with 37.2 seconds left.
"Last night, we were atrocious and everyone saw that. Today, we played a lot better, we worked harder and won battles and did some of the things that we wanted,'' Appleton said. "But we just didn't get the bounces and calls, and we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
"Sometimes, I thought we played really well and then we'd kind of get into a lull. Someone would make a turnover and we would let it affect us. We have to find a way to not have those ups and downs and play a complete 60 (minute game) like we did at North Dakota.''
Michigan State got goals from Stenglein at 16:09 in the first period and by Thomas Ebbing at 6:13 of the second period.
Stenglein, who also scored on Friday night, deflected freshman defenseman's Mitch Eliot's shot from the right point past Schierhorn.
Ebbing converted on a 3-2 rush with Joe Cox and Stenglein, with Cox feeding a trailing Ebbing in the middle. Ebbing hit the top right corner for a 2-0 Spartan lead.
After his 40-save performance in Friday's loss, Minney didn't have as many difficult shots on Saturday, but delivered another excellent game. He made 34 saves, including a breakaway right pad save on a breakaway by Minnesota's Justin Kloos with 4:35 left to keep his team in the game.
Schierhorn also had a solid, steady game, making 17 saves and six in the third period.
Cox, MSU's senior captain, was very frustrated by not getting at least a split of the series and MSU's inconsistencies in its play.
"I think a huge portion of it is focus and with just paying attention to detail. We got sloppy at times and they took advantage of the opportunities that we gave them,'' Cox said. "We lost our focus, had some sloppy play and they're a good team. They're great offensively and took advantage of us. I thought we could have worked a little harder.
"We took a couple steps forward with that North Dakota weekend (win and a tie two weeks ago) and I going into the USA game, I thought we had a good week, but this weekend we took a step back. We have to reevaluate ourselves this week and get ready for Northeastern.''
One player who stood out for Cox was Minney.
"I thought he played great again tonight,'' Cox said. "I just wish we could have gotten a better outcome for him. He kept us in both games.''
The Spartans will turn their focus on exams for much of this week and get ready for their final game before the holiday break â€" a non-conference contest against Northeastern at 3 p.m. Sunday at Munn Arena.
"Any time you have a young team like ours, you'll have some ups and downs as you're going through the growing pains of gaining experience,'' Anastos said. "I didn't think we had enough guys going on Friday night. I know there's a lot going on but there's a lot going on for the other teams, too. There's a lot of stress over school.
"The two games were much different. While the score was close and we had chances to tie it on Friday, I didn't think the game was close. We lacked a real focus in terms of our execution on Friday. Tonight, it was much sharper, and in things we wanted to do, we were much sharper.''
Anastos expects his team to rebound from getting swept and continue the process of working hard to get better.
"There's no doubt in my mind that we will get better. While we're disappointed with the results this week, this will motivate us and we'll learn from it. We have a young group and there's a lot of hockey left in the second half of the year.
"When we've had challenges, we've learned from those challenges, and I think we'll continue to do so because I like the personality and demeanor of this team. I do remain encouraged by our team, absolutely.''
YOUNG DEFENSE RISES: In both games of the series, Michigan State played four freshmen on defense, including two whom had seen just a limited amount of playing time.
Damian Chrcek had played in only four games before joining the lineup for each game of the series. Rookie Anthony Scarsella didn't play Friday but did make his fifth appearance on Saturday.
MSU was without junior Carson Gatt, who is sidelined with a lower body injury suffered last Sunday in the game against the U.S. Under-18 team.
"I look at our defense and they were playing against a deep, experienced group of forwards and I see how hard they competed back there,'' Anastos said. "We'll get a lot better.
"Chrcek and Scarsella haven't played in a lot of games but I like their progress.''
The other defensemen include senior Rhett Holland, sophomore Zach Osburn and freshmen Jerad Rosburg and Mitch Eliot. Freshman Butrus Ghafari, who has played in 11 games, was in the lineup on Friday but was a healthy scratch on Saturday. Scarsella took his spot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: On Friday, the Spartans didn't play well overall but their penalty killing turned out to be a bright spot because they didn't allow any goals during five power play opportunities by the Gophers, who have two dangerous, highly skilled units.
For sure, Minnesota was sharp in moving the puck around quick with precision-like passes and it created lots of scoring chances. But the Gophers couldn't finish and MSU's penalty killers worked hard and survived, allowing no goals.
On Saturday, the Spartans played much better in most areas but penalty killing wasn't efficient. The Gophers capitalized on two of three chances. They failed to convert on a late, first-period power play but when it counted, Minnesota executed.
The Gophers tied it 2-2 on a power-play goal at 13:33 of the second period, and won it on clutch power play with 8:46 left in the third period.
Meanwhile, Michigan State failed to convert two power plays â€" 9:23 into the first period and with 6:12 to go in the game and Minnesota holding on to a 3-2 lead. The Spartans had two shots on goal on the second power play but no shots on target during the first.
Minnesota had five shots on goalie Ed Minney on its three power plays â€" two each on the power plays in which the Gophers scored.
"They made really nice plays on their power plays,'' Appleton said. "The first one, on the one-timer and the second one when their guy found the seam in the low slot in front and made a good play.
"Against a highly skilled team like that, you have to stay out of the box. You can't let them hurt you on special teams.''
UP NEXT: The Spartans still have three games remaining this month but only one before the holiday break. MSU plays Northeastern at 3 p.m. next Sunday at Munn Arena.
It's the return visit by Northeastern teams in hockey and men's and women's basketball after three Spartan teams played their Huskies counterparts in Boston last December.
The women's basketball teams get things started with a noon game Sunday at Breslin Center, followed by hockey at 3 p.m. at Munn Arena and the men's basketball teams closing out the day's events with a 7 p.m. game at Breslin.
Last season, the Northeastern hockey team defeated the Spartans, 2-1, at Matthews Arena.
NO. 1 VS. NO. 2, ROUND TWO: The showdown for the top spot in the college polls ended in a split in Denver. No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth rebounded from Friday's 4-3 loss to No. 2 Denver and pulled out a 3-1 victory on Saturday.
The Bulldogs held a 2-0 lead on goals in the first and second periods before the Pioneers made it 2-1 with seven minutes left in the middle period. It remained a one-goal game until Duluth's Joey Anderson scored into an empty net at 19:00 to ensure victory.
Denver outshot UMD, 39-26.
IN THE BIG TEN: Michigan and Wisconsin combined for 11 goals on Friday in a 7-4 victory by the Badgers, but Saturday's rematch in Ann Arbor was more about keeping the puck out of the net instead of putting it in. The Wolverines bounced back with a 4-1 victory to earn a Big Ten series split.
Michigan scored two quick goals midway through the first period and held the 2-0 lead until the last two minutes of the second period when the Badgers scored to make it a one goal-game.
It remained 2-1 until the last minute of the third period when Michigan scored two empty-net goals to seal the victory. Wisconsin outshot U-M, 35-19. The Badgers were 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Wolverines were 1-for-4.
Michigan is off until the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, Dec. 29-30. The Wolverines open with Michigan Tech on Dec. 29.
Wisconsin is idle until Jan. 6-7 when it plays host to Michigan State at the Kohl Center in Madison.
