Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Seeking to Bounce Back on Friday vs. No. 5 Minnesota
12/4/2020 8:56:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Michigan State knew that it had to be at the top of its game on Thursday to beat an experienced, highly skilled team like 5th-ranked Minnesota.
Unfortunately, the Spartans weren't in synch over the first two periods and the paid the price. A slow start, turnovers and a lack of puck possession by MSU enabled the undefeated Gophers to capitalize and cruise to a 3-1 victory at Munn Arena.
In the Big Ten series opener, Michigan State (2-2-1 overall, 1-2-0-1-0-0 Big Ten) played better in the third period – scoring its only goal – but it wasn't enough to make up for a poor first 40 minutes.
"I didn't like our legs in the first two periods. We were stuck in the mud,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "Minnesota is the type of team that can do that to you.
"We probably turned over a hundred pucks tonight. If you keep feeding the monster, it's not a good game plan. We had way too many pucks that we didn't get out (of the defensive zone) and didn't get in (to the offensive zone).''
The Gophers (5-0-0, 5-0-0-0-0-0) dominated the first period, holding a 16-8 edge in shots on goal and outscoring the Spartans, 2-0.
Minnesota scored twice before the game was nine minutes old. Ben Meyers scored from the right circle on a power play at 7:21 and, just 1 minute and 34 seconds later, Sampo Ranta backhanded a rebound past MSU goalie Drew DeRidder for a quick 2-0 lead.
Four minutes into the second period, the Gophers made it 2-for-2 on the power play and increased their lead to 3-0 as Scott Reddy slid his own rebound into the net from just outside the crease on the right.
"They're too good of team to play the way we played in the first 40 minutes,'' Cole said. "You keep giving a team that moves the puck like they do time and space and keep turning it over, it's just a bad, bad recipe and it doesn't work.''
The Spartans had only 16 shots on goal over the first two periods, but worked hard, possessed the puck better and had more scoring chances in the third period, putting 11 shots on goal.
Gophers senior goaltender Jack LaFontaine, a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Mississauga, Ontario, who spent two seasons at Michigan before transferring to Minnesota last year, came within 3 minutes and 42 seconds of recording his second consecutive shutout.
Michigan State finally solved LaFontaine when junior defenseman Cole Krygier's shot from the left point found its way past LaFontaine, who was likely screened by Spartans' freshman right wing A.J. Hodges.
If there was a bright spot for Spartans on Thursday, it was their energy and urgency in the third period.
"One compliment I will give, it's the guys on the bench. They're a prideful bunch and they kept themselves together,'' Cole said. "There was pushback there. They were ticked off. That's good to see.
"If you would have told me (after the first period) that at the end of the third that we'd have two minutes to go and we're pulling our goalie and getting some decent chances to score, I probably wouldn't have taken that bet.''
The Spartans will try to salvage a series split in the series finale against the Gophers at 8 p.m. (Fox Sports Detroit) on Friday at Munn Arena.
MSU was 0-4 on the power play, while Minnesota went 2-for-6. DeRidder made 31 saves, including a breakaway by Meyers late midway through the second period. LaFontaine finished with 24.
Until LaFontaine gave the late MSU goal, he had a shutout streak of 143 minutes and 22 seconds, dating back to the Gophers' 4-1 win over Ohio State on Nov. 23. He allowed a goal at 12:56 of the second period and shut out the Buckeyes the rest of that game and also the next night in a 2-0 victory.
"Minnesota defends well. They shut down lanes pretty quick and you have to be ready,'' Cole said. "But if you keep turning the puck over in the offensive zone, you're not going to get a lot of shots.
"If you're not moving and supporting the puck and not funneling pucks to the net and winning some battles, that's a bad way to play. They took a lot of that away from us.
"We didn't deserve to win tonight. We have to make sure we deserve to win tomorrow.''
BOUNCE BACK THE FOCUS: MSU senior center and captain Tommy Apap said "our biggest issue was that they came out faster than us, and when you come out slow, it's really going to hurt you.''
The Spartans' challenge on Friday is to rebound from their second straight loss by playing with more energy and smarter with the puck – and both right from puck drop.
"Their defensemen skate really well and when they can skate well and break the puck out, it's hard to get second chances on net,'' Apap said. "We have to do a better job of getting pucks on net and we can't let their D-men have room.
"We have to hop on them and have a much better forecheck tomorrow.''
Michigan State will try to build on its play in the third period and hope it carries over to Friday's start.
"The positive that we'll take out is the third period – we definitely took it up another level,'' Apap said. "We started skating faster, chipping pucks behind the and playing more our style.''
SPECIAL TEAMS: After Minnesota scored on its first two power-play opportunities, the Spartans penalty killers were able to survive the next four Gophers' power plays. Minnesota went 2-for-6 with 13 shots on goal.
Michigan State failed to convert on four chances, with six shots on goal. The Spartans' last two power plays – one in the second period and one in the third – lasted only 47 and 37 seconds, respectively.
"They have a lot of skill and move the puck really fast,'' senior center and ace penalty killer Tommy Apap said of Minnesota's power play, 5-for-18 (27.7%) in five games. "On their second goal, we have to clamp down and clear the puck.
We have to pack it in a little more and do a better job of blocking shots. We can't let as many pucks get to the net. If we block more shots, we'll limit their opportunities on the power play.''
Coach Danton Cole said he was impressed with Minnesota's power play but not impressed with the way his team defended the first two.
"I didn't like our positioning on the first one. And on the second one, everyone on the ice did something wrong,'' he said. "Hey, that's the game. We weren't sharp, and when you don't have legs, you start getting tired.''
TOP SHOOTERS: Minnesota, which had 34 shots on goal, was led by junior left wing Blake McLaughlin with six shots on MSU goalie Drew DeRidder. Senior center Scott Reedy had five shots on goal, including his team's third goal, and sophomore defenseman Jackson Lacombe also had five shots.
Michigan State had five players with three shots on goal – senior center Charlie Combs, junior left wing Adam Goodsir, freshman right wing A.J. Hodges and a pair of defensemen – senior Tommy Miller and junior Cole Krygier, who scored MSU's only goal.
Combs and sophomore center Josh Nodler assisted on Krygier's goal.
Nodler had a great scoring chance late in the second period when he found himself all alone in front of the net to the left. He went backhand to forehand and shot but goalie Jack LaFontaine made a big save to preserve his team's 3-0 lead.
IN THE BIG TEN: There were some big surprises in the Big Ten's other three games on Thursday.
No. 7/7 Michigan failed to finish off a sweep of winless Penn State, and instead, ended up suffering a 9-5 defeat against the Nittany Lions in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The Wolverines (5-3-0 overall, 3-3-0-1-0-0), who won the series opener 3-1 on Wednesday, fell behind early Thursday, 2-0, but eventually held a 4-3 lead in the second period. But Penn State scored four goals in 17 minutes to take a 7-4 lead after 40 minutes.
U-M scored with 6:21 left in the third period to cut its deficit to two goals, but the Nittany Lions (1-5-0, 1-5-0-0-0-0) scored into an empty net and 18:14 and added another goal with 32 seconds left to earn its first win of the season and end a five-game win streak.
At Ohio State, the No. 13/14 Buckeyes scored four goals in the first period, gave up two in the second to Wisconsin, and then held on to defeat the No. 14 Badgers 4-2 in the series opener. OSU (2-3-0, 2-3-0-0-1-0) has won two straight while Wisconsin (4-5-0, 4-3-0-0-1-0) has lost three in a row.
No. 16/13 Notre Dame, coming off sweep at Michigan, lost at home against Arizona State, 6-3, in a non-conference series opener. The No. 20 Sun Devils held a 3-2 lead after one period, 4-3 after two, and scored two unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Irish (2-3-0, 2-2-0-0-0-0).
Arizona State (3-3-1) has won three games in a row after starting the season with two losses at Michigan and a tie and a loss at Michigan State. Last weekend, the Sun Devils swept Wisconsin, 8-5, 3-1.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Michigan State knew that it had to be at the top of its game on Thursday to beat an experienced, highly skilled team like 5th-ranked Minnesota.
Unfortunately, the Spartans weren't in synch over the first two periods and the paid the price. A slow start, turnovers and a lack of puck possession by MSU enabled the undefeated Gophers to capitalize and cruise to a 3-1 victory at Munn Arena.
In the Big Ten series opener, Michigan State (2-2-1 overall, 1-2-0-1-0-0 Big Ten) played better in the third period – scoring its only goal – but it wasn't enough to make up for a poor first 40 minutes.
"I didn't like our legs in the first two periods. We were stuck in the mud,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "Minnesota is the type of team that can do that to you.
"We probably turned over a hundred pucks tonight. If you keep feeding the monster, it's not a good game plan. We had way too many pucks that we didn't get out (of the defensive zone) and didn't get in (to the offensive zone).''
The Gophers (5-0-0, 5-0-0-0-0-0) dominated the first period, holding a 16-8 edge in shots on goal and outscoring the Spartans, 2-0.
Minnesota scored twice before the game was nine minutes old. Ben Meyers scored from the right circle on a power play at 7:21 and, just 1 minute and 34 seconds later, Sampo Ranta backhanded a rebound past MSU goalie Drew DeRidder for a quick 2-0 lead.
Four minutes into the second period, the Gophers made it 2-for-2 on the power play and increased their lead to 3-0 as Scott Reddy slid his own rebound into the net from just outside the crease on the right.
"They're too good of team to play the way we played in the first 40 minutes,'' Cole said. "You keep giving a team that moves the puck like they do time and space and keep turning it over, it's just a bad, bad recipe and it doesn't work.''
The Spartans had only 16 shots on goal over the first two periods, but worked hard, possessed the puck better and had more scoring chances in the third period, putting 11 shots on goal.
Gophers senior goaltender Jack LaFontaine, a 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Mississauga, Ontario, who spent two seasons at Michigan before transferring to Minnesota last year, came within 3 minutes and 42 seconds of recording his second consecutive shutout.
Michigan State finally solved LaFontaine when junior defenseman Cole Krygier's shot from the left point found its way past LaFontaine, who was likely screened by Spartans' freshman right wing A.J. Hodges.
If there was a bright spot for Spartans on Thursday, it was their energy and urgency in the third period.
"One compliment I will give, it's the guys on the bench. They're a prideful bunch and they kept themselves together,'' Cole said. "There was pushback there. They were ticked off. That's good to see.
"If you would have told me (after the first period) that at the end of the third that we'd have two minutes to go and we're pulling our goalie and getting some decent chances to score, I probably wouldn't have taken that bet.''
The Spartans will try to salvage a series split in the series finale against the Gophers at 8 p.m. (Fox Sports Detroit) on Friday at Munn Arena.
MSU was 0-4 on the power play, while Minnesota went 2-for-6. DeRidder made 31 saves, including a breakaway by Meyers late midway through the second period. LaFontaine finished with 24.
Until LaFontaine gave the late MSU goal, he had a shutout streak of 143 minutes and 22 seconds, dating back to the Gophers' 4-1 win over Ohio State on Nov. 23. He allowed a goal at 12:56 of the second period and shut out the Buckeyes the rest of that game and also the next night in a 2-0 victory.
"Minnesota defends well. They shut down lanes pretty quick and you have to be ready,'' Cole said. "But if you keep turning the puck over in the offensive zone, you're not going to get a lot of shots.
"If you're not moving and supporting the puck and not funneling pucks to the net and winning some battles, that's a bad way to play. They took a lot of that away from us.
"We didn't deserve to win tonight. We have to make sure we deserve to win tomorrow.''
BOUNCE BACK THE FOCUS: MSU senior center and captain Tommy Apap said "our biggest issue was that they came out faster than us, and when you come out slow, it's really going to hurt you.''
The Spartans' challenge on Friday is to rebound from their second straight loss by playing with more energy and smarter with the puck – and both right from puck drop.
"Their defensemen skate really well and when they can skate well and break the puck out, it's hard to get second chances on net,'' Apap said. "We have to do a better job of getting pucks on net and we can't let their D-men have room.
"We have to hop on them and have a much better forecheck tomorrow.''
Michigan State will try to build on its play in the third period and hope it carries over to Friday's start.
"The positive that we'll take out is the third period – we definitely took it up another level,'' Apap said. "We started skating faster, chipping pucks behind the and playing more our style.''
SPECIAL TEAMS: After Minnesota scored on its first two power-play opportunities, the Spartans penalty killers were able to survive the next four Gophers' power plays. Minnesota went 2-for-6 with 13 shots on goal.
Michigan State failed to convert on four chances, with six shots on goal. The Spartans' last two power plays – one in the second period and one in the third – lasted only 47 and 37 seconds, respectively.
"They have a lot of skill and move the puck really fast,'' senior center and ace penalty killer Tommy Apap said of Minnesota's power play, 5-for-18 (27.7%) in five games. "On their second goal, we have to clamp down and clear the puck.
We have to pack it in a little more and do a better job of blocking shots. We can't let as many pucks get to the net. If we block more shots, we'll limit their opportunities on the power play.''
Coach Danton Cole said he was impressed with Minnesota's power play but not impressed with the way his team defended the first two.
"I didn't like our positioning on the first one. And on the second one, everyone on the ice did something wrong,'' he said. "Hey, that's the game. We weren't sharp, and when you don't have legs, you start getting tired.''
TOP SHOOTERS: Minnesota, which had 34 shots on goal, was led by junior left wing Blake McLaughlin with six shots on MSU goalie Drew DeRidder. Senior center Scott Reedy had five shots on goal, including his team's third goal, and sophomore defenseman Jackson Lacombe also had five shots.
Michigan State had five players with three shots on goal – senior center Charlie Combs, junior left wing Adam Goodsir, freshman right wing A.J. Hodges and a pair of defensemen – senior Tommy Miller and junior Cole Krygier, who scored MSU's only goal.
Combs and sophomore center Josh Nodler assisted on Krygier's goal.
Nodler had a great scoring chance late in the second period when he found himself all alone in front of the net to the left. He went backhand to forehand and shot but goalie Jack LaFontaine made a big save to preserve his team's 3-0 lead.
IN THE BIG TEN: There were some big surprises in the Big Ten's other three games on Thursday.
No. 7/7 Michigan failed to finish off a sweep of winless Penn State, and instead, ended up suffering a 9-5 defeat against the Nittany Lions in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The Wolverines (5-3-0 overall, 3-3-0-1-0-0), who won the series opener 3-1 on Wednesday, fell behind early Thursday, 2-0, but eventually held a 4-3 lead in the second period. But Penn State scored four goals in 17 minutes to take a 7-4 lead after 40 minutes.
U-M scored with 6:21 left in the third period to cut its deficit to two goals, but the Nittany Lions (1-5-0, 1-5-0-0-0-0) scored into an empty net and 18:14 and added another goal with 32 seconds left to earn its first win of the season and end a five-game win streak.
At Ohio State, the No. 13/14 Buckeyes scored four goals in the first period, gave up two in the second to Wisconsin, and then held on to defeat the No. 14 Badgers 4-2 in the series opener. OSU (2-3-0, 2-3-0-0-1-0) has won two straight while Wisconsin (4-5-0, 4-3-0-0-1-0) has lost three in a row.
No. 16/13 Notre Dame, coming off sweep at Michigan, lost at home against Arizona State, 6-3, in a non-conference series opener. The No. 20 Sun Devils held a 3-2 lead after one period, 4-3 after two, and scored two unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Irish (2-3-0, 2-2-0-0-0-0).
Arizona State (3-3-1) has won three games in a row after starting the season with two losses at Michigan and a tie and a loss at Michigan State. Last weekend, the Sun Devils swept Wisconsin, 8-5, 3-1.
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