Spartans Set to Take on Badgers This Weekend at Munn

Games 15-16: #19/- Wisconsin (7-8-1, 2-5-1-1 B1G) at Michigan State (6-7-1, 4-3-1-0 B1G)
Dates | Times: Friday, Dec. 6 | 7 p.m. // Saturday, Dec. 7 | 7 p.m.
Location: East Lansing, Mich. | Munn Ice Arena
Tickets: MSUSpartans.com
Promotions:
Friday – Teddy Bear Toss, MSUFCU Night
Saturday – Freshmen and seniors postgame autographs
Web Stream: BTNPlus.com & BTN + app
Radio: Spartan Sports Network (Listen Live) | Local: WJIM 1240-AM & 106.9-FM
SSN Mobile App: iPhone/iPad | Android
Game Notes: Michigan State | Wisconsin | Big Ten

On the Fly…
• The Spartans start a four-game home stand this weekend as they'll host Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. both nights at Munn Ice Arena.

• Michigan State enters the series in fourth place in the Big Ten with 13 points (4-3-1-0), while Wisconsin is five points behind in sixth place (2-5-1-1) ... Wisconsin is coming off a home split (W, 3-2; L, 3-1) vs. Michigan.

• Senior John Lethemon leads the Big Ten in save percentage at .940, which ranks fourth nationally among goaltenders that have played at least 10 games … Lethemon's 2.02 GAA is second best in the league.

• The Spartans' average of 2.12 goals against per game in Big Ten play is tied with Ohio State for the best in the league … On the season, MSU is yielding just 2.5 goals per game, which is fourth in the Big Ten and 23rd best nationally.

• The Spartans have allowed three or fewer goals in each of the last six games, which is MSU's first time doing so since the 2013-14 season.

• In extinguishing all seven OSU power plays last weekend, MSU hasn't allowed a goal on the man-advantage in five of the last six games, killing 17-of-19 (89.5%) opponent power plays over the span … In Big Ten games, the Spartans lead the league with an 88.0% penalty kill percentage, having snuffed out 22-of-25 opponent power plays.

• The Spartans rank fourth nationally and second in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage at .548 … Tommy Apap ranks second in the Big Ten with a .589 winning percentage in the circle (145-101).

• Logan Lambdin, whose career-long six-game point streak ended last weekend, has six points (3g, 3a) over the last eight games and is tied for second on the team with eight points (4g, 4a).

• Spartan seniors have accounted for 12 of the Spartans' last 18 goals.

• Michigan State is ninth nationally in power-play efficiency at 24.4%.

• Six different Spartans have scored game-winning goals.

About Wisconsin
Wisconsin is coming off a split with Michigan (W, 3-2; L, 3-1) last weekend at home … The Badgers are in sixth place in the Big Ten with a 2-5-1-1 record and 8 points – five behind the Spartans … UW freshman Cole Caufield leads the Big Ten with 10 goals; Caufield also leads the team with 18 points … UW ranks sixth nationally in total goals (52) and is 15th in goals per game (3.25) … The Badgers' average of 3.38 goals against per game ranks 48th … Daniel Lebedeff has started all but one game and owns an .898 save percentage and 3.25 GAA.

Wisconsin matchup

Ohio State Series Recap
The Spartans yielded just six shots on goal in the third period of both games and have held opponents to a season-low six shots in the third period of the last three games … John Lethemon allowed just three total goals for the third consecutive series … MSU won 53.8% of the faceoffs and has won more faceoffs than its opponents in all seven series this season.

Lethemon Putting Up a Wall
Senior John Lethemon is off to the best start of any season of his career as the senior leads the Big Ten in save percentage (.940) and is second in GAA (2.02). Lethemon has started all eight Big Ten games and leads the conference in save percentage (.949), GAA (1.74), total saves (259) and shutouts (2).

Lethemon made a career best 48 saves in a 2-0 shutout win at No. 6 Penn State. He earned his sixth career shutout – and second against Michigan – with 35 saves in a 3-0 win on Nov. 16. The last time out against Ohio State, he made 36 stops, which marked the sixth time this season he has made at least 35 saves.

Locking Down
In allowing three or fewer goals in 12 of 16 games this season, the Spartans now rank 23rd nationally and fourth in the Big Ten in goals against per game at 2.5 – which is 0.89 lower than its average last season. MSU has been even stingier of late as in conference play the Spartans are tied with Ohio State for the lowest goals against per game average at 2.12.

Heading into Friday's game, the Spartans have allowed three or fewer goals in six consecutive games, doing so for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

PK Leading in B1G Play
Since the start of conference play on Nov. 8 at Penn State, the Spartans have posted a league-best 88.0% penalty kill percentage. More impressive is that it has come in part against the three teams in the league with the highest season power-play percentages (Penn State, 32.8%; Notre Dame, 25.0%; Ohio State, 25.0%). In the six games against those teams, MSU extinguished 14-of-17 power plays.

Lambdin Producing…And at the Right Time
While Logan Lambdin had the best point-producing spurt of his career come to an end last weekend, the senior enters Friday second on the team with eight points (4g, 4a). Lambdin's six-game piont streak from Nov. 8-23 tied with Patrick Khodorenko for the longest by a Spartan this season as he produced six points (3g, 3a) over the span.

Lambdin's points came at big moments over the six-game span. The streak started Nov. 8 at No. 6 Penn State where he sealed the MSU win with an empty-net goal. Against Michigan, Lambdin broke a 3-3 tie by scoring the game-winning goal on the power play in the third period of a 4-3 win. Two nights later, he helped set up the game-winning goal. Last weekend against Notre Dame, he scored the game-tying goal with 6:12 to go in the third period of the Spartans 3-2 come-from-behind win. MSU is 6-1-1 in games Lambdin has recorded a point this season.

The Captain Comes Through
Second-year team captain Sam Saliba scored three of the Spartans' four goals in the series against Notre Dame and was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week on Nov. 26 for his efforts. Saliba, who had three assists entering the series, scored his first goal of the year in the 1-1 tie. In the 3-2 victory, he tied the game, 1-1, in the second period, and then got the game-winner with 1:10 play in third period. Saliba has a team-best three game-winning points this season (1g, 2a).

In Big Ten Games, MSU…
• Is tied for the league lead in goals-against per game at 2.12.
• Is tied for the league lead in goals against at 17.
• Leads the league in penalty kill percentage at .880.
• Ranks fourth in power play percentage at .176, while having the fewest number of power-play opportunities (17).

Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, Nov. 22, 2019

Michigan State vs. Notre Dame, Nov. 22, 2019

Seniors Seeing (B1G) Stars in November
The Spartans boasted the Big Ten First Star of the Week for three consecutive weeks in November with seniors Sam Saliba (Nov. 26), John Lethemon (Nov. 19) and Patrick Khodorenko (Nov. 12) all garnering the accolade.

In scoring three of the Spartans' four goals vs. Notre Dame, including a game-winner, Saliba earned a weekly conference accolade for the first time in his career. Lethemon earned the No. 1 star honor for the first time in his career after he posted a .960 save percentage in the sweep of Michigan and earned his second shutout of the year in his 35-save effort in the 3-0 win. Khodorenko was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week for the second time in his career after he had four points in the series split at then-No. 6 Penn State (Nov. 8-9). Khodorenko scored the game-winner in the second period of a 2-0 shutout win. The following night, he scored twice and had an assist in a 6-4 loss. Khodorenko's second goal with 1:07 left pulled the Spartans to within a goal.

Powering Through
The Spartan power play enters the weekend ninth nationally at 24.4% (10-for-41). The Spartans' 41 power-play attempts are the second fewest in the country (Notre Dame, 40) of any team that has played at least 14 games.

Patrick Khodorenko leads the Spartans with six power-play points (2g, 4a). Two of sophomore Dennis Cesana's three goals on the season have come on the power play, while Mitchell Lewandowski has scored two goals this season on the man-advantage.

In the Rankings
For first time since Oct. 7, 2012, Michigan State appeared in the USCHO.com top-20 poll on Nov. 25, coming in at No. 20 this week. The Spartans dropped out of the top-20 in this week's poll, but still recieved votes.

Strong in the Dot
The Spartans rank fourth in the country in faceoff winning percentage at .548. Tommy Apap ranks second in the Big Ten in winning percentage at .589. Adam Goodsir (.541) and Patrick Khodorenko (.540) rank 11th and 12th, respectively, in the conference in faceoff winning percentage.

The Spartans have won more faceoffs than their opponents in nine of 14 games, including taking 69% of draws in a 5-1 win at Colorado College on Oct. 26.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tommy Apap

Dennis Cesana

Adam Goodsir

Patrick Khodorenko

Logan Lambdin

John Lethemon

Mitchell Lewandowski

Sam Saliba