Photo by: Michael Caples
Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Get Everything They Want Out of Exhibition Win
10/8/2019 9:44:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com
EAST LANSING – Every area of Michigan State's game got tested on Monday in an exhibition game against Western Ontario.
And in most cases, the Spartans got high grades for their efforts on offense, defense, with goaltending and on special teams.
Michigan State scored three power-play goals and fired 55 shots on goal en route to a 6-1 victory over the Mustangs in front of a crowd of 2,500 at Munn Arena.
The Spartans got goals from six players, points from 16 skaters, including all three freshmen, and goalie Drew DeRidder, and had 27 shots on goal during their 10 power plays.
In addition, MSU had four 5-on-3 manpower advantages as Western Ontario took 11 penalties – nine minors, one major and a disqualification. The Spartans killed three of four Mustang power plays.
"I liked our energy and our pace. We were getting pucks on net and going to the scoring areas,'' senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said. "We had a ton of chances. We scored six goals but there were definitely more plays to be made. We have to work on converting those chances.''
The Spartans, who led 2-1 after one period, 3-1 after 40 minutes and scored three times in the third period, got goals from junior center Tommy Apap, freshman right wing Nicolas Müller, junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski, the sophomore defensemen twin brother combination of Cole and Christian Krygier and senior left wing Logan Lambdin.
Lewandowski, Christian Krygier and Lambdin each scored on the power play.
Defenseman had Dennis Cesana, a sophomore, had one assist and led his team with seven shots on goal. Four players had five shots – Lewandowski, Lambdin, Cole Krygier and Patrick Khodorenko.
Goalies John Lethemon and DeRidder were sharp, each making some excellent saves. Lethemon, a senior, started and played the first 29 minutes and 53 seconds and made nine saves, including a breakaway stop in the opening period. He allowed Western Ontario's only goal by Kyle Pettit on a power play midway through the first period.
DeRidder, a sophomore, took over at 9:53 of the second period and stopped 12 shots, including two on breakaways, the first in the second period and MSU holding a 2-1 lead.
"Overall, real positive and now we start getting ready for the real thing. We accomplished everything we wanted tonight,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said.
The Spartans open the 2019-20 season with a non-conference series at Northern Michigan at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.
"The guys made some plays and got pucks on net, and we learned some things – and things we have to tighten up,'' Cole said. "We wanted energy and enthusiasm and I thought the guys did a nice job with that. And we were able to get everybody into the game.''
As in every game – especially early in the season – there were positives and negatives. But for most of the 60 minutes, Cole liked what he saw.
"I did. Some of the things that we talked about since we got back here in terms of the pace that we want to play and want to push things up the ice and make sure we back pressure in transition, I thought we did a ice job,'' he said.
"In one area, I thought we were loose with pucks. They've got some smart players and guys who have put up some points in major junior (in Canada). They have good sticks and they jump into the lanes. That would be one area we need to tighten things up. When the big play isn't there, understand where the bailout is.
"That's first-game type of things and I'm glad we knocked some of that rust off.''
The Spartans have been practicing four hours a week from late August through September and have been on the ice fulltime since Oct. 1. So, the players were eager to "hit someone not in green and white."
"It's been a long couple of months of practice and we were chomping at the bit to get after someone other than teammates,'' said Rosburg, who's paired with Cesana and they're on the No. 1 power-play unit with Khodorenko, Lewandowski and Muller.
"Our pace was pretty good and I'm happy with the result. It's really early but it's good to see what you've been working on for a month. It's good to get chances to work out things with a new (power-play) unit. We started to get more comfortable late in the game.''
Khodorenko, who was held without a point despite several quality scoring chances, liked what he saw from the offense. MSU moved the puck well and applied great pressure and could have easily had three or four more goals. But Mustangs goalie David Ovsjannikov, a 6-foot-6, 238-pound sophomore from Pizen, Czech Republic, made several outstanding saves.
"I think we're good offensively. We can score goals,'' Khodorenko said. "I felt like I was peppering the goalie myself but couldn't buy one. Our power play was working well and had a lot of chances. Both power plays.''
MSU's second power-play unit features senior Sam Saliba and freshmen Josh Nodler and Jagger Joshua up front and the Krygier brothers at the points. Nodler and Joshua earned assists on Christian Krygier's 5-on-3 power-play goal midway through the third period.
Apap, known as a shutdown forward and stellar faceoff man, had the honor of scoring MSU's first goal of the season – although it doesn't count in team statistics because of the game being designated as an exhibition.
Nevertheless, Apap had a strong first period, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead as he fired in his own rebound from the slot seven minutes into the game. Apap's shot from the right circle was stopped by Ovsjannikov but he moved into the middle and picked up the rebound and his quick wrist shot found the back of the net.
"It was set up well by Smitty (Jake Smith) with a good entry play,'' said Apap, who assisted on Cole Krygier's early third-period goal. "I just had to get the puck on net. There was a good screen and the goalie didn't see it.''
Apap said he was encouraged by what he saw during the Spartans' first test under game conditions.
"I think we're fast. We've gotten a lot faster since the spring,'' he said. "We've done a lot of training, a lot of speed work. We played physical tonight and we have to keep that going.
"I think we played a full game tonight. There were some parts of our game where we were a little inconsistent and turned the puck over. But that's just the game of hockey. But through and through, we played a strong game. What we want to look for this year is being consistent.
"Every part of our game was tested and that's what we wanted out of this game. It was nice to get a lot of reps on the power play and penalty kill.''
Apap was 13-4 in the faceoff circle as MSU held a 41-23 edge.
Western Ontario (2-3 overall) was playing its second game in two days. The Mustangs lost 5-2 at Ohio State on Sunday afternoon.
FRESHMEN MAKE AN IMPACT: Michigan State's three freshmen forwards – Nico Müller, Josh Nodler and Jagger Joshua - got off to a good start in their college careers with each picking up one point and drawing praise from Coach Danton Cole.
"I thought all three played really well. You can see what you get with all of them,'' Cole said. "Müller is pretty cerebral. He can pass and attack on offense. The more he plays the better he'll get and be more comfortable.
"Jagger played big and strong. He makes good, smart plays with the puck defensively. I like him all over the ice. He's got a certain presence. You'll see it more as we move along.
"I thought Josh was great. His presence and play with the puck were good and he was moving his feet.''
Muller, a 6-foot, 168-pounder from Arisdorf, Switzerland, actually scored the game-winning goal late in the first period when he deflected defenseman Butrus Ghafari's shot from the left point past Western Ontario goalie David Ovsjannikov.
Nodler, a 5-11, 191-pound center from Oak Park, Mich., and Joshua, a 6-2, 196-pounder from Dearborn, assisted on Christian Krygier's power-play goal in the third period.
"They just need games and to get comfortable,'' Cole said of his three rookie forwards. "Coming from junior hockey, those three will get a decent amount of playing time. I was really happy how they played, how they competed. They understand what we're doing and they contributed.''
BROTHER COMBO ON DEFENSE: Twin brothers Christian and Cole Krygier are starting the season paired together as one of three defensive units. The sophomores are also on the points on MSU's second power play with Sam Saliba and freshman Jagger Joshua and Josh Nodler.
"I thought they were pretty good tonight,'' Cole said after MSU's 6-1 exhibition victory over Western Ontario.
"As twins, they have a good bond and kind of know where each other is and work well for each other. They're real comfortable with each other, and that levels out things with Jerad (Rosburg) and Dennis (Cesana) playing together and Tommy Miller and finding a pair there (with him). Bootsy (Butrus Ghafari) got some good ice time tonight and did a good job.''
For sure, the Krygiers are a work in progress but it appears both have lifted their games to a higher level can make more of an impact this season.
"Puck maintenance was probably my main issue with them tonight,'' Cole said. "On defense, you have to make things as simple as possible, and that usually works really, really well. It's a lot faster and cleaner.
"They complicated things tonight and fortunately we didn't pay a price for it. But that's some things we have to clean up.''
NEW SPARTANS, DEPARTED SPARTANS: In addition to freshman forwards Nico Müller, Jagger Joshua and Josh Nodler, Michigan State has a new look with its coaching and office staff.
Former Spartan standout center and captain Jim Slater is the new volunteer coach, replacing ex-MSU goalie Jason Muzzatti who is now the goaltender coach for the Carolina Hurricanes, working for ex-Spartan standout forward Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes head coach. Slater played 584 games and 10 seasons in the NHL and four years in Europe, retiring after last season.
Dan Sturges, another former Spartan, is the new director of hockey operations. Sturges played for MSU from 2005-2009, winning a NCAA championship in 2007. He takes over for former MSU standout defenseman Brad Fast, who taken a position in medical products sales.
Meanwhile, Fast's wife, Lindsay, also an MSU graduate, is the Spartans' new executive secretary, replacing longtime secretary Kris Smith, who retired in May after a 49-year career at Michigan State.
Five players from last year's Spartans have departed. Defenseman Zach Osburn and forwards Cody Milan and Brennan Sanford graduated. Taro Hirose gave up his senior year to sign with the Detroit Red Wings in March. He played in 10 games with the Wings last season and had a goal and six assists. He's earned a spot with the Wings to start this season and has one assist in two games.
MSU's other departure is David Keefer, who is now at Northern Michigan. Keefer had 11 points in 48 career games.
IN THE BIG TEN: All seven conference teams open their regular seasons with non-conference games this weekend.
On Friday and Saturday, No. 13 (USCHO), No. 10 (USA Hockey) Penn State plays host to Sacred Heart, Minnesota visits Colorado College and No. 11 Clarkson is at Michigan.
No. 8, 9 Notre Dame is home to Air Force on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. No. 16, 15 Wisconsin is at No. 10, 6 Boston College on Friday and then heads north to North Andover, Mass., to face Merrimack on Saturday.
No. 12, 14 Ohio State is part of the four-team Ice Breaker tournament in Toledo. The Buckeyes play No. 14, 12 Western Michigan in the opening semifinal on Friday and the winner or loser of Friday's No. 17 Bowling Green-RIT semifinal on Saturday.
Last Sunday, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame won exhibition games. The Nittany Lions blanked Ottawa, 5-0; the Wolverines cruised past Windsor, 8-2; the Buckeyes topped Western Ontario, 5-2, and the Irish defeated the U.S. U-18 team, 4-2. Wisconsin was idle.
MSUSpartans.com
EAST LANSING – Every area of Michigan State's game got tested on Monday in an exhibition game against Western Ontario.
And in most cases, the Spartans got high grades for their efforts on offense, defense, with goaltending and on special teams.
Michigan State scored three power-play goals and fired 55 shots on goal en route to a 6-1 victory over the Mustangs in front of a crowd of 2,500 at Munn Arena.
The Spartans got goals from six players, points from 16 skaters, including all three freshmen, and goalie Drew DeRidder, and had 27 shots on goal during their 10 power plays.
In addition, MSU had four 5-on-3 manpower advantages as Western Ontario took 11 penalties – nine minors, one major and a disqualification. The Spartans killed three of four Mustang power plays.
"I liked our energy and our pace. We were getting pucks on net and going to the scoring areas,'' senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said. "We had a ton of chances. We scored six goals but there were definitely more plays to be made. We have to work on converting those chances.''
The Spartans, who led 2-1 after one period, 3-1 after 40 minutes and scored three times in the third period, got goals from junior center Tommy Apap, freshman right wing Nicolas Müller, junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski, the sophomore defensemen twin brother combination of Cole and Christian Krygier and senior left wing Logan Lambdin.
Lewandowski, Christian Krygier and Lambdin each scored on the power play.
Defenseman had Dennis Cesana, a sophomore, had one assist and led his team with seven shots on goal. Four players had five shots – Lewandowski, Lambdin, Cole Krygier and Patrick Khodorenko.
Goalies John Lethemon and DeRidder were sharp, each making some excellent saves. Lethemon, a senior, started and played the first 29 minutes and 53 seconds and made nine saves, including a breakaway stop in the opening period. He allowed Western Ontario's only goal by Kyle Pettit on a power play midway through the first period.
DeRidder, a sophomore, took over at 9:53 of the second period and stopped 12 shots, including two on breakaways, the first in the second period and MSU holding a 2-1 lead.
"Overall, real positive and now we start getting ready for the real thing. We accomplished everything we wanted tonight,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said.
The Spartans open the 2019-20 season with a non-conference series at Northern Michigan at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.
"The guys made some plays and got pucks on net, and we learned some things – and things we have to tighten up,'' Cole said. "We wanted energy and enthusiasm and I thought the guys did a nice job with that. And we were able to get everybody into the game.''
As in every game – especially early in the season – there were positives and negatives. But for most of the 60 minutes, Cole liked what he saw.
"I did. Some of the things that we talked about since we got back here in terms of the pace that we want to play and want to push things up the ice and make sure we back pressure in transition, I thought we did a ice job,'' he said.
"In one area, I thought we were loose with pucks. They've got some smart players and guys who have put up some points in major junior (in Canada). They have good sticks and they jump into the lanes. That would be one area we need to tighten things up. When the big play isn't there, understand where the bailout is.
"That's first-game type of things and I'm glad we knocked some of that rust off.''
The Spartans have been practicing four hours a week from late August through September and have been on the ice fulltime since Oct. 1. So, the players were eager to "hit someone not in green and white."
"It's been a long couple of months of practice and we were chomping at the bit to get after someone other than teammates,'' said Rosburg, who's paired with Cesana and they're on the No. 1 power-play unit with Khodorenko, Lewandowski and Muller.
"Our pace was pretty good and I'm happy with the result. It's really early but it's good to see what you've been working on for a month. It's good to get chances to work out things with a new (power-play) unit. We started to get more comfortable late in the game.''
Khodorenko, who was held without a point despite several quality scoring chances, liked what he saw from the offense. MSU moved the puck well and applied great pressure and could have easily had three or four more goals. But Mustangs goalie David Ovsjannikov, a 6-foot-6, 238-pound sophomore from Pizen, Czech Republic, made several outstanding saves.
"I think we're good offensively. We can score goals,'' Khodorenko said. "I felt like I was peppering the goalie myself but couldn't buy one. Our power play was working well and had a lot of chances. Both power plays.''
MSU's second power-play unit features senior Sam Saliba and freshmen Josh Nodler and Jagger Joshua up front and the Krygier brothers at the points. Nodler and Joshua earned assists on Christian Krygier's 5-on-3 power-play goal midway through the third period.
Apap, known as a shutdown forward and stellar faceoff man, had the honor of scoring MSU's first goal of the season – although it doesn't count in team statistics because of the game being designated as an exhibition.
Nevertheless, Apap had a strong first period, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead as he fired in his own rebound from the slot seven minutes into the game. Apap's shot from the right circle was stopped by Ovsjannikov but he moved into the middle and picked up the rebound and his quick wrist shot found the back of the net.
"It was set up well by Smitty (Jake Smith) with a good entry play,'' said Apap, who assisted on Cole Krygier's early third-period goal. "I just had to get the puck on net. There was a good screen and the goalie didn't see it.''
Apap said he was encouraged by what he saw during the Spartans' first test under game conditions.
"I think we're fast. We've gotten a lot faster since the spring,'' he said. "We've done a lot of training, a lot of speed work. We played physical tonight and we have to keep that going.
"I think we played a full game tonight. There were some parts of our game where we were a little inconsistent and turned the puck over. But that's just the game of hockey. But through and through, we played a strong game. What we want to look for this year is being consistent.
"Every part of our game was tested and that's what we wanted out of this game. It was nice to get a lot of reps on the power play and penalty kill.''
Apap was 13-4 in the faceoff circle as MSU held a 41-23 edge.
Western Ontario (2-3 overall) was playing its second game in two days. The Mustangs lost 5-2 at Ohio State on Sunday afternoon.
FRESHMEN MAKE AN IMPACT: Michigan State's three freshmen forwards – Nico Müller, Josh Nodler and Jagger Joshua - got off to a good start in their college careers with each picking up one point and drawing praise from Coach Danton Cole.
"I thought all three played really well. You can see what you get with all of them,'' Cole said. "Müller is pretty cerebral. He can pass and attack on offense. The more he plays the better he'll get and be more comfortable.
"Jagger played big and strong. He makes good, smart plays with the puck defensively. I like him all over the ice. He's got a certain presence. You'll see it more as we move along.
"I thought Josh was great. His presence and play with the puck were good and he was moving his feet.''
Muller, a 6-foot, 168-pounder from Arisdorf, Switzerland, actually scored the game-winning goal late in the first period when he deflected defenseman Butrus Ghafari's shot from the left point past Western Ontario goalie David Ovsjannikov.
Nodler, a 5-11, 191-pound center from Oak Park, Mich., and Joshua, a 6-2, 196-pounder from Dearborn, assisted on Christian Krygier's power-play goal in the third period.
"They just need games and to get comfortable,'' Cole said of his three rookie forwards. "Coming from junior hockey, those three will get a decent amount of playing time. I was really happy how they played, how they competed. They understand what we're doing and they contributed.''
BROTHER COMBO ON DEFENSE: Twin brothers Christian and Cole Krygier are starting the season paired together as one of three defensive units. The sophomores are also on the points on MSU's second power play with Sam Saliba and freshman Jagger Joshua and Josh Nodler.
"I thought they were pretty good tonight,'' Cole said after MSU's 6-1 exhibition victory over Western Ontario.
"As twins, they have a good bond and kind of know where each other is and work well for each other. They're real comfortable with each other, and that levels out things with Jerad (Rosburg) and Dennis (Cesana) playing together and Tommy Miller and finding a pair there (with him). Bootsy (Butrus Ghafari) got some good ice time tonight and did a good job.''
For sure, the Krygiers are a work in progress but it appears both have lifted their games to a higher level can make more of an impact this season.
"Puck maintenance was probably my main issue with them tonight,'' Cole said. "On defense, you have to make things as simple as possible, and that usually works really, really well. It's a lot faster and cleaner.
"They complicated things tonight and fortunately we didn't pay a price for it. But that's some things we have to clean up.''
NEW SPARTANS, DEPARTED SPARTANS: In addition to freshman forwards Nico Müller, Jagger Joshua and Josh Nodler, Michigan State has a new look with its coaching and office staff.
Former Spartan standout center and captain Jim Slater is the new volunteer coach, replacing ex-MSU goalie Jason Muzzatti who is now the goaltender coach for the Carolina Hurricanes, working for ex-Spartan standout forward Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes head coach. Slater played 584 games and 10 seasons in the NHL and four years in Europe, retiring after last season.
Dan Sturges, another former Spartan, is the new director of hockey operations. Sturges played for MSU from 2005-2009, winning a NCAA championship in 2007. He takes over for former MSU standout defenseman Brad Fast, who taken a position in medical products sales.
Meanwhile, Fast's wife, Lindsay, also an MSU graduate, is the Spartans' new executive secretary, replacing longtime secretary Kris Smith, who retired in May after a 49-year career at Michigan State.
Five players from last year's Spartans have departed. Defenseman Zach Osburn and forwards Cody Milan and Brennan Sanford graduated. Taro Hirose gave up his senior year to sign with the Detroit Red Wings in March. He played in 10 games with the Wings last season and had a goal and six assists. He's earned a spot with the Wings to start this season and has one assist in two games.
MSU's other departure is David Keefer, who is now at Northern Michigan. Keefer had 11 points in 48 career games.
IN THE BIG TEN: All seven conference teams open their regular seasons with non-conference games this weekend.
On Friday and Saturday, No. 13 (USCHO), No. 10 (USA Hockey) Penn State plays host to Sacred Heart, Minnesota visits Colorado College and No. 11 Clarkson is at Michigan.
No. 8, 9 Notre Dame is home to Air Force on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. No. 16, 15 Wisconsin is at No. 10, 6 Boston College on Friday and then heads north to North Andover, Mass., to face Merrimack on Saturday.
No. 12, 14 Ohio State is part of the four-team Ice Breaker tournament in Toledo. The Buckeyes play No. 14, 12 Western Michigan in the opening semifinal on Friday and the winner or loser of Friday's No. 17 Bowling Green-RIT semifinal on Saturday.
Last Sunday, Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame won exhibition games. The Nittany Lions blanked Ottawa, 5-0; the Wolverines cruised past Windsor, 8-2; the Buckeyes topped Western Ontario, 5-2, and the Irish defeated the U.S. U-18 team, 4-2. Wisconsin was idle.
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