Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Neil’s Notebook: Back on the Road, Spartans Seeking More Success
11/29/2019 11:58:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michigan State started the season with a victory at Northern Michigan. Two weeks later, the Spartans won at Colorado College.
In early and mid-November, MSU won two more road games at two of the most difficult places in the country – Penn State and Michigan.
After three consecutive, successful home games – win, win, tie – the Spartans this weekend are back on the road where they've played well and boast a strong 4-3 record.
The new challenge is beating No 11/11 Ohio State at Value City Arena – at least once . . . and maybe twice.
For sure, No. 20 Michigan State can win in Columbus because the last four Spartans' victories over the Buckeyes have come at Value City Arena – one in each of the last four seasons.
MSU (6-5-1 overall, 4-1-1-0 Big Ten) and Ohio State (7-4-1, 3-3-0-0) meet at 5 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
In their last meeting, the Spartans won, 3-2, spoiling the Buckeyes' senior night in the last game of the regular season last year.
Patrick Khodorenko says experience is a big reason for Michigan State's early success on the road.
"We've got older guys who have been through it before. We only have three freshmen who haven't experienced places like Penn State and Michigan,'' said the senior center who leads the Spartans in scoring against OSU with 14 points (5 goals, 14 assists) in 15 games.
"We know what we're going into and how we have to play against teams on the road, especially defensively. We know we have to come out with a little more energy and that's contributed to our success.''
MSU has the best road record among Big Ten teams who have played more than two games away from home: Ohio State is 3-3, Minnesota is 2-2-1, Notre Dame is also at .500 at 2-2-2 and Michigan stands at 1-5. Penn State has played only two road games and won both – at Minnesota.
Coach Danton Cole says improved defense has made life on the road more enjoyable this season.
"The biggest thing as a team is that we're defending better and that's kept us in a lot of those games,'' he said. "We said before the season that our D-corps is going to be one of our strengths. That's a huge part of it, and not just the defense playing well but the forwards as well.
"On top of that, you have to tip your hat to (senior goalie) John Lethemon. I don't want to limit how effective he's been for the whole length of the game but he's been very timely. There's been times we needed a breakaway save or on a big rebound and he's been there.''
Lethemon's had exceptional games in victories at Penn State (48 saves) and Michigan (35 saves) and was sharp in wins at NMU and Colorado College.
"When it's going that way, then you have confidence,'' Cole said. "If you think a lot of stuff is going to go in and you think we have to have six goals because we're not playing well defensively, it puts a lot of pressure on you and it's hard to play.
"You go on the road and you have to defend and weather the storm. We've been able to do that. At Penn State, you have to deal with the first 5-10 minutes and if you don't, it could be 4-0 – if you don't handle the crowd and their speed.''
Value City Arena can be a tough place to play but not always because of the crowd or atmosphere. The capacity for hockey is 18,809 but most often the balcony is covered and the fans are in the lower bowl.
"They've had some good crowds over the years and it can get pretty loud there, but the most difficult part of playing Ohio State is Ohio State,'' Cole said. "They've been a really good team.''
Over the last three seasons, the Buckeyes are 67-33-16. They've made the NCAA Tournament the last three years, and played in the Frozen Four in 2017-18, losing to eventual champion Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in the semifinals. Last year, OSU won the Big Ten regular season title, nine points ahead of Notre Dame.
Last season, Michigan State was 3-6-1 on the road from the start to the Christmas break, and then went 2-6-1 in the second half for a 5-12-2 overall road record.
After this week, the Spartans are home for four straight games (two each with Wisconsin and Arizona State), then in Detroit for the Great Lakes Invitational, followed by two more home contests in early January against Minnesota before going back on the road at Wisconsin, Jan. 17-18.
"I think going on the road helps with our chemistry, with the bond of everyone being together,'' junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski said. "It's special to get wins on the road early in the season. It's not easy. We just have to keep it going.''
JOINING THE TOP 20: Voters in each of college hockey's major polls have taken notice of MSU's recent success. After the Spartans' split at Penn State, sweep of Michigan and a tie and win over Notre Dame last weekend, they found their way into the USCHO top 20 poll, landing in the 20th spot with 52 points. It's the first time MSU received votes in the polls. MSU finished seven points ahead of Northern Michigan and 39 behind No. 14 Wisconsin.
In the USA Hockey/USA Today top 15 poll, Michigan State didn't make it, but basically is tied with UMass-Lowell at No. 16 team with 26 points, 15 behind No. 15 … That means voters had to vote for the Spartans for no worse than 15th and maybe even a few spots higher.
The Big Ten has five teams ranked in the USCHO poll – Notre Dame (5th), Penn State (7th), Ohio State (11th), Wisconsin (19th) and MSU (20th). In the USA Today/USA Hockey rankings, there are three conference teams among the top 15 – Notre Dame (4th), Penn State (7th) and OSU (11th). Wisconsin did not receive any votes for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Minnesota State (10-1-1) is No. 1 and Cornell (8-0-0) No. 2 in both polls.
THE MSU-OSU RIVALRY: The Spartans lead the series 91-45-13 but the Buckeyes hold a 14-4-2 edge over the last four seasons. MSU was 1-2-1-1 against OSU last season. Michigan State's last sweep of Ohio State was on Jan. 23-24, 2015 – 4-1 and 2-0 at Munn Arena.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: They lost eight key seniors from last year's Big Ten regular season champions that contributed 49 goals and 106 points. They include forwards Mason Jobst (17-19-36), Dakota Joshua (9-13-22), Freddy Gerard (7-13-20), John Wiitala (9-8-17) and Brendon Kearney (7-4-11), defensemen Sasha Larocque and Tommy Parran and goalie Sean Romeo.
But the Buckeyes return a standout goalie in junior Tommy Nappier (2.13 GAA, .926 saves percentage), a high-scoring forward in senior Tanner Laczynski (4-9-13) and a strong defensive corp led by seniors Wyatt Ege, Matt Miller and Gordi Myer.
Other key forwards include sophomore Gustaf Westlund (7-6-13, team's scorer), seniors Carson Meyer (3-5-8) and Ronnie Hein (2-4-6), sophomore Quinn Preston (3-4-7) and freshman Tate Singleton (3-3-6).
OSU has nine freshmen on its roster and eight have played but only four have played in more than six games.
"Ohio State puts a lot of pressure on you and scores a decent amount of goals. I think you saw that against Penn State,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "They're still one of the best teams in the country.''
The Buckeyes split at Penn State last weekend, losing 5-4 and winning 4-3. OSU is averaging 2.92 goals a game, fourth in the Big Ten and just ahead of Michigan State's 2.67.
Despite giving up eight goals against the high-scoring Nittany Lions (4.62 goals per game), Ohio State is the top defensive team in the Big Ten with a goals-against average of 2.17.
"They lost some seniors from last year but I still think they have seven or eight seniors that are pretty impactful,'' Cole said. "They're go pretty deep and they're talented.
"Tommy Nappier is a heckuva goalie and has been the last few years. He platooned last year (with Romeo) but it's his position this year. He's outstanding.
"There's challenges for us, but I like that. That's good for us. If we're not on top of our game in all areas, the game won't go (well) for us.''
Laczynski, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 6th round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, leads OSU in scoring against Michigan State with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 15 games. Hein is second with eight points (5-3), also in 15 games.
The Spartans' Mitchell Lewandowski was junior teammate of Laczynski in 2015-16 and Nappier in 2016-17 with the Chicago Steel of the U.S. Hockey League. MSU goalie John Lethemon also was a teammate of Laczynski in 2015-16.
Steve Rohlik is in his seventh season as a head coach – all at Ohio State - and has a career record of 120-88-29. He spent three seasons as an OSU assistant under Mark Osiecki, his former teammate at Wisconsin. Rohlik, who graduated in 1990, and Osiecki won the 1990 NCAA championship in Detroit.
ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER STAR: For the third straight week, a Spartan is the Big Ten's No. 1 star, and all three are seniors. Forward Sam Saliba, who had three goals last weekend against Notre Dame, including the winner on Saturday, earned the No. 1 star this week.
Saliba follows goalie John Lethemon for his play against Michigan Nov. 14,16, and center Patrick Khodorenko against Penn State Nov. 8-9, as the conference's top player.
"That's hard to do," Coach Danton Cole said of MSU's hat trick of No. 1 stars. "The best thing about it for me is it's three different players. That's a great thing.
"It's not like it's Taro (Hirose) every week. Not that we wouldn't … I'd take Taro being the first star the last three weeks. That would have helped us this year. But it's moving around and that's how our team is.
"We don't spend a lot of time in individual awards. We stick to what's happening with the team. I'm happy we're 4-1-1 in the Big Ten, and not that having three first stars isn't great, but that doesn't get you in the playoffs.''
STINGY LETHEMON: In his last six games, senior goalie John Lethemon has allowed 0, 5, 3, 0, 2 and 2 goals. That's helped bring his goals-against average down to a Big Ten leading 2.12. And with four games with 35 or more saves, Lethemon's save percentage has risen to .939. That's also the best in the conference and No. 6 in the nation.
The race for best GAA in the Big Ten is as close as it could get. Ohio State's Tommy Nappier is just .01 behind Lethemon at 2.13 and Michigan's Strauss Mann is .02 behind at 2.15.
Lethemon's save percentage lead isn't as close as the GAA. He's at .939 with Nappier and Mann tied for second at .926.
Lethemon and Mann share the conference shutout lead with two apiece. That puts the MSU and U-M goalies in a 12-way tie for third nationally. Spencer Knight of Boston College and Dryden McKay are tied for the lead with three shutouts.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTE: MSU's three freshman forwards are quietly making a solid impact and winning positive notices from the coaching staff for their contributions and development through the first 12 games of the season.
Center Josh Nodler and right wing Nico Müller each have two goals and three assists for five points and forward Jagger Joshua has two assists. All three have played in every game.
Nodler, a 5-foot-11, 191-pounder from Oak Park, played a big role in last Saturday's 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame. He made two great passes to set up Logan Lambdin for the tying goal and Sam Saliba's game-winner, both late in the third period.
In Friday's 1-1 tie vs. the Irish, Nodler won a faceoff in the left circle in the second period that led to Saliba's tip-in goal on defenseman Cole Krygier's shot from the left point. Nodler got the puck to Lambdin, who passed back to Krygier, so as the fourth Spartan to touch the puck he didn't get an assist.
Nodler had an assist and goal against Michigan and has three points in his last four games.
"We've been able to bring our three freshmen along,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "You're starting to see Josh Nodler get on the scoresheet more regularly. He made a great play on the game-winning goal last Saturday and on Lambdin's goal.
"On the winner, he made a play from one corner in the offensive zone to the far side at the blue line to (defenseman) Dennis Cesana. It was a great pass, which a lot of guys can't make, that started the play.
Müller, 6-0, 168, from Arisdorf, Switzerland, started the season on a line with Patrick Khodorenko and Mitchell Lewandowski. He then played with Khodorenko and Sam Saliba for a few games before joining center Tommy Apap and Joshua.
Jagger and Nodler earned assists on MSU's first goal of the season – by Cole Krygier on a power play at Northern Michigan
Müller and Joshua assisted on Apap's goal against Michigan that made it 3-0 at Munn Arena.
"Nico Müller is a fantastic hockey player. He's getting some points but the ticks he gets in video breakdown from the coaches is a lot more than showing up on the scoresheet,'' Cole said. "He's a smart player, he's easy to play with and we've moved him around in the lineup.''
Joshua, 6-2, 196, from Dearborn, is a physical forward who has earned a spot as a regular penalty killer.
"Jagger Joshua contributes in a lot of ways and, while he hasn't been on the (scoresheet) that much, he brings a certain swagger and physicality to us,'' the Spartans' coach said.
"I think those three guys have been impactful on whatever line they've been on. Some times we have two of them together, some times they're all spread out.
"But I think hockey IQ, compete and courage are things you need. And those guys have elevated two, sometimes three lines.''
IN THE BIG TEN: There's only one other conference series this weekend and that has No 19 Wisconsin (6-7-1 overall, 1-4-1-1) playing host to Michigan (4-8-2, 0-5-1-0) on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Notre Dame, Penn State and Minnesota are playing non-conference games.
Minnesota, playing a Thursday-Friday series against former WCHA rival North Dakota, got routed 9-3 in the series opener in Minneapolis. The No. 3/3 Fighting Hawks (11-1-2, 5-0-1 NCHC) led 3-1 after one period, 7-3 after two and added two goals in the third period.
The Gophers (5-7-3, 2-3-3-2 Big Ten) used three goaltenders – Jack LaFontaine for the first 24 minutes, Jared Moe for the next 29 minutes and Justen Close for the fine six. The teams close out the series on Friday.
Meanwhile, the No. 5/4 Irish (8-2-2, 4-2-2-1) are playing a home-and-home series against former CCHA rival No. 15/16 Bowling Green (8-5, 5-3-0 WCHA) – at Notre Dame (8-2-2, 4-2-2-1) on Friday and BGSU on Saturday.
The No. 7/7 Nittany Lions are on the road for two games against Hockey East teams. PSU (10-3-0, 6-2-0-0) plays at Merrimack (2-8-2, 1-4-2) on Friday and at No. 15 UMass-Lowell (7-3-4, 4-1-3) on Saturday.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Michigan State started the season with a victory at Northern Michigan. Two weeks later, the Spartans won at Colorado College.
In early and mid-November, MSU won two more road games at two of the most difficult places in the country – Penn State and Michigan.
After three consecutive, successful home games – win, win, tie – the Spartans this weekend are back on the road where they've played well and boast a strong 4-3 record.
The new challenge is beating No 11/11 Ohio State at Value City Arena – at least once . . . and maybe twice.
For sure, No. 20 Michigan State can win in Columbus because the last four Spartans' victories over the Buckeyes have come at Value City Arena – one in each of the last four seasons.
MSU (6-5-1 overall, 4-1-1-0 Big Ten) and Ohio State (7-4-1, 3-3-0-0) meet at 5 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
In their last meeting, the Spartans won, 3-2, spoiling the Buckeyes' senior night in the last game of the regular season last year.
Patrick Khodorenko says experience is a big reason for Michigan State's early success on the road.
"We've got older guys who have been through it before. We only have three freshmen who haven't experienced places like Penn State and Michigan,'' said the senior center who leads the Spartans in scoring against OSU with 14 points (5 goals, 14 assists) in 15 games.
"We know what we're going into and how we have to play against teams on the road, especially defensively. We know we have to come out with a little more energy and that's contributed to our success.''
MSU has the best road record among Big Ten teams who have played more than two games away from home: Ohio State is 3-3, Minnesota is 2-2-1, Notre Dame is also at .500 at 2-2-2 and Michigan stands at 1-5. Penn State has played only two road games and won both – at Minnesota.
Coach Danton Cole says improved defense has made life on the road more enjoyable this season.
"The biggest thing as a team is that we're defending better and that's kept us in a lot of those games,'' he said. "We said before the season that our D-corps is going to be one of our strengths. That's a huge part of it, and not just the defense playing well but the forwards as well.
"On top of that, you have to tip your hat to (senior goalie) John Lethemon. I don't want to limit how effective he's been for the whole length of the game but he's been very timely. There's been times we needed a breakaway save or on a big rebound and he's been there.''
Lethemon's had exceptional games in victories at Penn State (48 saves) and Michigan (35 saves) and was sharp in wins at NMU and Colorado College.
"When it's going that way, then you have confidence,'' Cole said. "If you think a lot of stuff is going to go in and you think we have to have six goals because we're not playing well defensively, it puts a lot of pressure on you and it's hard to play.
"You go on the road and you have to defend and weather the storm. We've been able to do that. At Penn State, you have to deal with the first 5-10 minutes and if you don't, it could be 4-0 – if you don't handle the crowd and their speed.''
Value City Arena can be a tough place to play but not always because of the crowd or atmosphere. The capacity for hockey is 18,809 but most often the balcony is covered and the fans are in the lower bowl.
"They've had some good crowds over the years and it can get pretty loud there, but the most difficult part of playing Ohio State is Ohio State,'' Cole said. "They've been a really good team.''
Over the last three seasons, the Buckeyes are 67-33-16. They've made the NCAA Tournament the last three years, and played in the Frozen Four in 2017-18, losing to eventual champion Minnesota-Duluth, 2-1, in the semifinals. Last year, OSU won the Big Ten regular season title, nine points ahead of Notre Dame.
Last season, Michigan State was 3-6-1 on the road from the start to the Christmas break, and then went 2-6-1 in the second half for a 5-12-2 overall road record.
After this week, the Spartans are home for four straight games (two each with Wisconsin and Arizona State), then in Detroit for the Great Lakes Invitational, followed by two more home contests in early January against Minnesota before going back on the road at Wisconsin, Jan. 17-18.
"I think going on the road helps with our chemistry, with the bond of everyone being together,'' junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski said. "It's special to get wins on the road early in the season. It's not easy. We just have to keep it going.''
JOINING THE TOP 20: Voters in each of college hockey's major polls have taken notice of MSU's recent success. After the Spartans' split at Penn State, sweep of Michigan and a tie and win over Notre Dame last weekend, they found their way into the USCHO top 20 poll, landing in the 20th spot with 52 points. It's the first time MSU received votes in the polls. MSU finished seven points ahead of Northern Michigan and 39 behind No. 14 Wisconsin.
In the USA Hockey/USA Today top 15 poll, Michigan State didn't make it, but basically is tied with UMass-Lowell at No. 16 team with 26 points, 15 behind No. 15 … That means voters had to vote for the Spartans for no worse than 15th and maybe even a few spots higher.
The Big Ten has five teams ranked in the USCHO poll – Notre Dame (5th), Penn State (7th), Ohio State (11th), Wisconsin (19th) and MSU (20th). In the USA Today/USA Hockey rankings, there are three conference teams among the top 15 – Notre Dame (4th), Penn State (7th) and OSU (11th). Wisconsin did not receive any votes for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Minnesota State (10-1-1) is No. 1 and Cornell (8-0-0) No. 2 in both polls.
THE MSU-OSU RIVALRY: The Spartans lead the series 91-45-13 but the Buckeyes hold a 14-4-2 edge over the last four seasons. MSU was 1-2-1-1 against OSU last season. Michigan State's last sweep of Ohio State was on Jan. 23-24, 2015 – 4-1 and 2-0 at Munn Arena.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES: They lost eight key seniors from last year's Big Ten regular season champions that contributed 49 goals and 106 points. They include forwards Mason Jobst (17-19-36), Dakota Joshua (9-13-22), Freddy Gerard (7-13-20), John Wiitala (9-8-17) and Brendon Kearney (7-4-11), defensemen Sasha Larocque and Tommy Parran and goalie Sean Romeo.
But the Buckeyes return a standout goalie in junior Tommy Nappier (2.13 GAA, .926 saves percentage), a high-scoring forward in senior Tanner Laczynski (4-9-13) and a strong defensive corp led by seniors Wyatt Ege, Matt Miller and Gordi Myer.
Other key forwards include sophomore Gustaf Westlund (7-6-13, team's scorer), seniors Carson Meyer (3-5-8) and Ronnie Hein (2-4-6), sophomore Quinn Preston (3-4-7) and freshman Tate Singleton (3-3-6).
OSU has nine freshmen on its roster and eight have played but only four have played in more than six games.
"Ohio State puts a lot of pressure on you and scores a decent amount of goals. I think you saw that against Penn State,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "They're still one of the best teams in the country.''
The Buckeyes split at Penn State last weekend, losing 5-4 and winning 4-3. OSU is averaging 2.92 goals a game, fourth in the Big Ten and just ahead of Michigan State's 2.67.
Despite giving up eight goals against the high-scoring Nittany Lions (4.62 goals per game), Ohio State is the top defensive team in the Big Ten with a goals-against average of 2.17.
"They lost some seniors from last year but I still think they have seven or eight seniors that are pretty impactful,'' Cole said. "They're go pretty deep and they're talented.
"Tommy Nappier is a heckuva goalie and has been the last few years. He platooned last year (with Romeo) but it's his position this year. He's outstanding.
"There's challenges for us, but I like that. That's good for us. If we're not on top of our game in all areas, the game won't go (well) for us.''
Laczynski, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 6th round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, leads OSU in scoring against Michigan State with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 15 games. Hein is second with eight points (5-3), also in 15 games.
The Spartans' Mitchell Lewandowski was junior teammate of Laczynski in 2015-16 and Nappier in 2016-17 with the Chicago Steel of the U.S. Hockey League. MSU goalie John Lethemon also was a teammate of Laczynski in 2015-16.
Steve Rohlik is in his seventh season as a head coach – all at Ohio State - and has a career record of 120-88-29. He spent three seasons as an OSU assistant under Mark Osiecki, his former teammate at Wisconsin. Rohlik, who graduated in 1990, and Osiecki won the 1990 NCAA championship in Detroit.
ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER STAR: For the third straight week, a Spartan is the Big Ten's No. 1 star, and all three are seniors. Forward Sam Saliba, who had three goals last weekend against Notre Dame, including the winner on Saturday, earned the No. 1 star this week.
Saliba follows goalie John Lethemon for his play against Michigan Nov. 14,16, and center Patrick Khodorenko against Penn State Nov. 8-9, as the conference's top player.
"That's hard to do," Coach Danton Cole said of MSU's hat trick of No. 1 stars. "The best thing about it for me is it's three different players. That's a great thing.
"It's not like it's Taro (Hirose) every week. Not that we wouldn't … I'd take Taro being the first star the last three weeks. That would have helped us this year. But it's moving around and that's how our team is.
"We don't spend a lot of time in individual awards. We stick to what's happening with the team. I'm happy we're 4-1-1 in the Big Ten, and not that having three first stars isn't great, but that doesn't get you in the playoffs.''
STINGY LETHEMON: In his last six games, senior goalie John Lethemon has allowed 0, 5, 3, 0, 2 and 2 goals. That's helped bring his goals-against average down to a Big Ten leading 2.12. And with four games with 35 or more saves, Lethemon's save percentage has risen to .939. That's also the best in the conference and No. 6 in the nation.
The race for best GAA in the Big Ten is as close as it could get. Ohio State's Tommy Nappier is just .01 behind Lethemon at 2.13 and Michigan's Strauss Mann is .02 behind at 2.15.
Lethemon's save percentage lead isn't as close as the GAA. He's at .939 with Nappier and Mann tied for second at .926.
Lethemon and Mann share the conference shutout lead with two apiece. That puts the MSU and U-M goalies in a 12-way tie for third nationally. Spencer Knight of Boston College and Dryden McKay are tied for the lead with three shutouts.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTE: MSU's three freshman forwards are quietly making a solid impact and winning positive notices from the coaching staff for their contributions and development through the first 12 games of the season.
Center Josh Nodler and right wing Nico Müller each have two goals and three assists for five points and forward Jagger Joshua has two assists. All three have played in every game.
Nodler, a 5-foot-11, 191-pounder from Oak Park, played a big role in last Saturday's 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame. He made two great passes to set up Logan Lambdin for the tying goal and Sam Saliba's game-winner, both late in the third period.
In Friday's 1-1 tie vs. the Irish, Nodler won a faceoff in the left circle in the second period that led to Saliba's tip-in goal on defenseman Cole Krygier's shot from the left point. Nodler got the puck to Lambdin, who passed back to Krygier, so as the fourth Spartan to touch the puck he didn't get an assist.
Nodler had an assist and goal against Michigan and has three points in his last four games.
"We've been able to bring our three freshmen along,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "You're starting to see Josh Nodler get on the scoresheet more regularly. He made a great play on the game-winning goal last Saturday and on Lambdin's goal.
"On the winner, he made a play from one corner in the offensive zone to the far side at the blue line to (defenseman) Dennis Cesana. It was a great pass, which a lot of guys can't make, that started the play.
Müller, 6-0, 168, from Arisdorf, Switzerland, started the season on a line with Patrick Khodorenko and Mitchell Lewandowski. He then played with Khodorenko and Sam Saliba for a few games before joining center Tommy Apap and Joshua.
Jagger and Nodler earned assists on MSU's first goal of the season – by Cole Krygier on a power play at Northern Michigan
Müller and Joshua assisted on Apap's goal against Michigan that made it 3-0 at Munn Arena.
"Nico Müller is a fantastic hockey player. He's getting some points but the ticks he gets in video breakdown from the coaches is a lot more than showing up on the scoresheet,'' Cole said. "He's a smart player, he's easy to play with and we've moved him around in the lineup.''
Joshua, 6-2, 196, from Dearborn, is a physical forward who has earned a spot as a regular penalty killer.
"Jagger Joshua contributes in a lot of ways and, while he hasn't been on the (scoresheet) that much, he brings a certain swagger and physicality to us,'' the Spartans' coach said.
"I think those three guys have been impactful on whatever line they've been on. Some times we have two of them together, some times they're all spread out.
"But I think hockey IQ, compete and courage are things you need. And those guys have elevated two, sometimes three lines.''
IN THE BIG TEN: There's only one other conference series this weekend and that has No 19 Wisconsin (6-7-1 overall, 1-4-1-1) playing host to Michigan (4-8-2, 0-5-1-0) on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Notre Dame, Penn State and Minnesota are playing non-conference games.
Minnesota, playing a Thursday-Friday series against former WCHA rival North Dakota, got routed 9-3 in the series opener in Minneapolis. The No. 3/3 Fighting Hawks (11-1-2, 5-0-1 NCHC) led 3-1 after one period, 7-3 after two and added two goals in the third period.
The Gophers (5-7-3, 2-3-3-2 Big Ten) used three goaltenders – Jack LaFontaine for the first 24 minutes, Jared Moe for the next 29 minutes and Justen Close for the fine six. The teams close out the series on Friday.
Meanwhile, the No. 5/4 Irish (8-2-2, 4-2-2-1) are playing a home-and-home series against former CCHA rival No. 15/16 Bowling Green (8-5, 5-3-0 WCHA) – at Notre Dame (8-2-2, 4-2-2-1) on Friday and BGSU on Saturday.
The No. 7/7 Nittany Lions are on the road for two games against Hockey East teams. PSU (10-3-0, 6-2-0-0) plays at Merrimack (2-8-2, 1-4-2) on Friday and at No. 15 UMass-Lowell (7-3-4, 4-1-3) on Saturday.
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