Neil’s Notebook: With B1G Standings in Mind, Spartans and Wolverines Set to Square Off
2/13/2020 9:48:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Five years ago, Michigan State and Michigan were in the hunt late in the season for the Big Ten's regular-season title.
It came down to the last night of the season when the champion was crowned. But the Spartans and Wolverines came up short. Minnesota finished first in 2014-15 with 39 points, MSU was second (37) and U-M third (36).
Fast forward to this season and both Michigan State and Michigan are title contenders along with four other teams – Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
When the Spartans and Wolverines meet this weekend, the series is just as much about the Big Ten title chase and securing home ice for the playoffs as it is about the rivalry.
Michigan State and Michigan meet for the third and fourth times this season at 6 p.m. Friday at Munn Arena and at 7 p.m. Monday in the annual Duel in the D at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
"It brings a little more importance because of where we are in the standings. There's a lot of implications with it,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "It's not just the standings. It's Michigan State and Michigan.''
The No. 19 Spartans (14-13-1 overall, 10-7-1-0 Big Ten) swept the Wolverines (13-12-3, 8-8-2) in mid-November – 4-3 at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor and 3-0 at Munn Arena.
This week's series has a different flavor because of Monday's game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
"It's a big venue and a big stage and that relates to recruiting and where our program is going,'' Cole said. "I think the state of NCAA hockey is better when Michigan State and Michigan are relevant on the national scene. These should be great games.''
For sure, Michigan will have revenge on its mind and Michigan State is striving to make it a season sweep. But the standings and a potential high finish in the Big Ten, and a NCAA Tournament bid are huge factors in adding more spice to the rivalry.
The Spartans, with 31 points, are in a three-way tie for second place with Minnesota and Ohio State, and two points behind first-place Penn State (33 points).
Notre Dame (28 points) is in fifth place, three points behind MSU, Minnesota and OSU, and one point ahead of Michigan (27)
The Wolverines, in sixth place, are six points behind the Nittany Lions and four in back of MSU, Minnesota and Ohio State and trail Notre Dame (28) by one point.
The Spartans, Gophers, Irish and Michigan have an advantage over Penn State and Ohio State. They have six games left while the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have only four. OSU is off this weekend, while PSU is idle the last week of the season.
Spartans senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said the matchup with the Wolverines is about the rivalry and positioning in the Big Ten standings.
"I think you can look at both. I don't think one is in the forefront over the other,'' he said. "You can use the rivalry as a little extra motivation, if we need any and I don't think we do.
"Every game, no matter who we play, we try as hard as we can to win. But playing Michigan is a little sweeter.''
It's especially sweet for the Spartans when they beat the Wolverines. And it especially sour when a game ends in defeat. But a loss this weekend not only hurts a team's pride, it's extra tough to accept because it impacts a potential high finish in the standings.
"No matter the situation the rivalry is always going to be there,'' MSU senior co-captain and right wing Sam Saliba said. "The mindset for us is playing well, coming out strong and maintaining our position in the Big Ten and coming out with three points on Friday. There won't be any lack of energy in the building on Friday.''
Michigan State just played the hottest team in the Big Ten in Minnesota, emerging with a series split, thanks to an impressive come-from-behind 4-2 victory last Saturday in Minneapolis.
So now, the Spartans are going up against a Michigan team that's the second-hottest in the conference. The Wolverines are 6-1-1 since the Great Lakes Invitational and 9-3-1 since Nov. 30.
"Both teams are getting very good goaltending,'' Cole said of the Gophers and Wolverines. "That's essential. Everybody that gets anything done in hockey, you have to have that going.
"Defensively, Michigan has done a nice job in terms of shutting teams down. That's how you win games. That gives you a chance every night. And they're dangerous offensively. They've been able to score goals. That's a pretty good combination.
"They're playing well and as a team. They're getting a lot of pucks on net. They're darn close over the (recent) spell to (what) Penn State (does).''
THE RIVALRY: Michigan, thanks to its domination in the 1920s and 1950s, holds a 165-137-24 edge in the series. Last season, Michigan State went 1-2-2 against the Wolverines. This season, the Spartans swept U-M, 4-3 in Ann Arbor on Nov. 14 and won 3-0 in East Lansing on Nov. 16.
In the first victory, MSU rallied from a 3-1 deficit with a late second-period goal by Patrick Khodorenko and two unanswered goals in the third period - by Khodorenko and Logan Lambdin.
In the series finale, goalie John Lethemon made 35 saves in posting his fourth career win over U-M. MSU got goals from freshman Josh Nodler in the first period and Austin Kamer and Tommy Apap in less than two minutes apart midway through the second period.
Michigan State's sweep was its first over Michigan since Nov. 13-14, 2009 – 3-2 in Ann Arbor and 2-0 in East Lansing.
In the last 12 meetings against U-M, MSU is 4-5-3. The last time the Spartans won the season series was in 2016-17, with a 2-1-2 edge.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan looked like anything but a contender for the Big Ten title early in the season. They started 3-1-1, with two home wins over Lake Superior State and one vs. Western Michigan and a loss and a tie against Clarkson, also at Yost Arena.
Then the Wolverines went into a slump. They were winless in seven games – 0-6-1. On Nov. 30, U-M was 4-9-2 overall and 0-6-1 in the Big Ten. But in December, Michigan started to play better, and went 3-2, including a home split with Penn State and a split in the GLI, defeating Ferris State in the semifinals and losing to Michigan Tech in the final.
The Wolverines started 2020 with four games on the road. They swept Notre Dame, 3-0, 3-1, then routed Penn State, 6-0, and tied the Nittany Lions, 4-4, earning two points in the standings with a win in the 3-on-3 overtime.
After a split with Ohio State – a 3-2 win and 4-1 loss – Michigan swept Wisconsin, 8-4, 5-3, last weekend in Ann Arbor.
All season long, Michigan's defense has been solid, and at times, the offense has struggled to score. But not lately.
Sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann is having a standout year, and has been among the leaders, along with MSU's John Lethemon and Ohio State's Tommy Nappier, in goals against, save percentage and shutouts.
In fact, he's No. 2 in the Big Ten to Lethemon in those three categories. In 17 games, Mann has a 2.07 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and four shutouts.
Defensively, the Wolverines are No. 1 in the Big Ten with a 2.21 team GAA, with Michigan State second at 2.32. They're tied for third in penalty killing at 82.1 percent. MSU is second at 84.3 percent.
U-M's defensive corps includes seniors Luke Martin and Griffin Luce, both stay-at-home type defensemen, standout freshman Cam York (5-9-14), sophomores Nick Blankenburg (3-9-12) and Jack Summers and freshman Keaton Pehrson. York played at the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons, and was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The offense is led by seniors Jake Slaker (10-11-21), Will Lockwood (6-10-16) and Nick Pastujov (7-7-14) and a pair of freshmen – defenseman York and forward Johnny Beecher (7-6-13), a first-round NHL draft pick (30th overall) by the Boston Bruins.
Michigan has scored 27 goals in it last six games, including 13 last weekend against Wisconsin.
Lockwood, U-M's second-leading scorer last season (16-15-31), missed the first series against the Spartans because of an injury. In 11 games against MSU, Lockwood has three goals and four assists for seven points.
"He's a good player, a really good player,'' MSU senior center Sam Saliba said. "He's a good skater, has a good skill set and provides another offensive threat that we're going to have to deal with.''
Said senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg: "They're a good team. They have a lot of skill on offense, and their goalie is playing well. They have a good young defenseman (in Cam York). It'll be a good challenge. I think we're playing well, too. So, it should be a good weekend.''
Senior Jake Slaker and junior Jack Becker are U-M's top scorers against Michigan State with eight points. Slaker has one goal and seven assists in 16 games and Becker has a team-high four goals and four assists in 12 games.
Coach Mel Pearson is in his third season at Michigan and has a 48-43-13 record. He coached at Michigan Tech for six seasons before taking over for Red Berenson at U-M in 2017. He has a career record of 166-135-42 in almost nine full seasons.
KEY PLAY, BIG VICTORY: In looking back at MSU's come-from-behind 4-2 win at Minnesota last Saturday, Coach Danton Cole said one particular play was not only a turning point, it epitomizes the Spartans as a team.
"On Friday, at the end of the second period, we got scored on late – with 1.9 seconds left and that makes it 3-1 (for the Gophers). And that's real hard to come back from,'' Cole said of the series opener, won by Minnesota, 4-1.
"On Saturday, it's 2-1 (Gophers) and we played a decent second period after a not-very-good first period. We got back in the game and I think it was under five seconds left in the period and there's a backdoor play and there's kind of a funny bounce and their guy has an open net.
"But Sam Saliba comes flying back and dives and deflects the puck into the corner, and keeps it 2-1. I think if you can take one play that not only defines the weekend but defines this team that would be it.''
Michigan State took control in the third period and shocked the Gophers by scoring three goals in 8 minute and 3 seconds, outshooting Minnesota, 15-6, and pulling out a 4-2 victory and earning a series split.
"There's a lot of fight in them. Most weekends we may not be the most talented team, but we might (have) the most talented guys in the locker room and that's real important,'' Cole said.
SPECIAL TEAMS FLOURISH: Michigan State has not allowed a power-play goal in the last seven games, killing 15 straight penalties starting on Jan. 11. Last weekend, Minnesota failed to score on five power plays.
The Spartans lead the Big Ten in league play with a 92.7 percent penalty kill success rate. MSU has allowed only 4 goals in 55 power plays by opponents.
Michigan State's power play scored one goal in each game at Minnesota and has a goal in three of the last four games, despite not getting many chances. The Spartans, who have looked dangerous on the power play in recent weeks, had just four power plays in the Minnesota series, five against Penn State three weeks ago, eight at Wisconsin Jan. 17-18 and five in the two home games vs. Minnesota, Jan. 10-11.
"There's a few areas of the game that you have to be good in,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "We broke down all the teams that made the NCAA playoffs. If you look at their power play, penalty killing and goaltending, they were all very good. Now they might not have the best power play and penalty kill, but combined they were pretty darn good.
"If you combine ours, we're in the top 10 in the country. Our goaltending has been top notch. If you can at least go in with that comfort, it takes a little off your mind saying 'we know these areas are going to be good.'
"Johnny (Lethemon) is going to play well, our penalty kill is going to do a good job and our power play is going to be dangerous. Those are big parts of the game. They're huge. As you get to the playoffs, special teams mean more and more.''
STATS, STATS AND MORE STATS: Patrick Khodorenko has a good shot at winning the Big Ten scoring title in conference games only.
The senior center from Walnut Creek, Calif., with 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points in conference play, is tied for second with Penn State's Evan Barratt (9-11-20). Freshman Cole Caufield of Wisconsin leads with 22 points – 11 goals and 11 assists.
Khodorenko, who leads the league in goals, has six games left while Caufield and Barratt have only four conference games remaining.
In overall games, Khodorenko is fourth with 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. Penn State's Nate Sucese leads with 34 points – 10 goals and 24 assists.
Caufield (18-14-32) and Barratt (11-21-32) are tied for second.
Sucese and Barratt have four games left but Caufield has six since Wisconsin is playing a non-conference series next weekend against Arizona State…
MSU goalie John Lethemon's .927 save percentage is the best in the nation. His goals-against average in overall games is 1.93 and that is No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally. Lethemon's five shutouts is tied with second nationally with Spencer Knight of Boston College. Lethemon owns shutouts over Penn State, Michigan, Arizona State and two vs. Wisconsin…
The Spartans have the best GAA in Big Ten play at 2.06. They're No. 2 in overall games at 2.32…
With Khodorenko leading MSU in scoring with 31 points, his linemate, Mitchell Lewandowski is second with eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Right behind is sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana with 18 points – 5 goals, 13 assists.
Senior right wing Sam Saliba and senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg are tied for fourth with 15 points apiece. Saliba has nine goals and six assists while Rosburg has four goals and 11 assists…
Khodorenko is MSU's top scorer against Michigan with eight goals and four assists for 12 points in 17 games. Senior Logan Lambdin is tied for second with Mitchell Lewandowski with 10 points, both with four goals and six assists. Lambdin has played in 16 games vs. U-M while Lewandowski has played in 12. Senior Sam Saliba has four goals and five assists for nine points in 17 games.
IN THE BIG TEN: First-place Penn State, with only four games left, visits last-place Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday. The Nittany Lions (18-9-3 overall, 10-7-3-0 Big Ten) are coming off a 2-2 tie (shootout win) and 6-3 victory at Ohio State.
The Badgers (10-17-1, 5-14-1-1), who have lost five in a row and were swept at Michigan last weekend. In an earlier meeting, Penn State swept Wisconsin 6-1, 4-2 in Madison.
In the other conference series, Minnesota and Notre Dame, each with 31 points and also tied with Michigan State, meet in Notre Dame, Ind., on Friday and Saturday. The Irish tied 2-2 (3-on-3 OT loss) and won 5-3 against the Gophers in Minneapolis in November.
Ohio State has this weekend off.
Here's how the Big Ten contenders finish the season:
Penn State: 4 games - at Wisconsin, home vs. Minnesota, bye.
MSU: 6 games - Michigan at home and in Detroit, home vs. Ohio State and at Notre Dame.
Minnesota: 6 games: at Notre Dame, at Penn State, home vs. Michigan.
Ohio State: 4 games – Bye, at Michigan State, home to Wisconsin.
Notre Dame: 6 games – home to Minnesota, at Michigan, home to MSU.
Michigan: 6 games – at MSU, vs. MSU in Detroit; home to Notre Dame, at Minnesota.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – Five years ago, Michigan State and Michigan were in the hunt late in the season for the Big Ten's regular-season title.
It came down to the last night of the season when the champion was crowned. But the Spartans and Wolverines came up short. Minnesota finished first in 2014-15 with 39 points, MSU was second (37) and U-M third (36).
Fast forward to this season and both Michigan State and Michigan are title contenders along with four other teams – Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Notre Dame.
When the Spartans and Wolverines meet this weekend, the series is just as much about the Big Ten title chase and securing home ice for the playoffs as it is about the rivalry.
Michigan State and Michigan meet for the third and fourth times this season at 6 p.m. Friday at Munn Arena and at 7 p.m. Monday in the annual Duel in the D at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
"It brings a little more importance because of where we are in the standings. There's a lot of implications with it,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "It's not just the standings. It's Michigan State and Michigan.''
The No. 19 Spartans (14-13-1 overall, 10-7-1-0 Big Ten) swept the Wolverines (13-12-3, 8-8-2) in mid-November – 4-3 at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor and 3-0 at Munn Arena.
This week's series has a different flavor because of Monday's game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
"It's a big venue and a big stage and that relates to recruiting and where our program is going,'' Cole said. "I think the state of NCAA hockey is better when Michigan State and Michigan are relevant on the national scene. These should be great games.''
For sure, Michigan will have revenge on its mind and Michigan State is striving to make it a season sweep. But the standings and a potential high finish in the Big Ten, and a NCAA Tournament bid are huge factors in adding more spice to the rivalry.
The Spartans, with 31 points, are in a three-way tie for second place with Minnesota and Ohio State, and two points behind first-place Penn State (33 points).
Notre Dame (28 points) is in fifth place, three points behind MSU, Minnesota and OSU, and one point ahead of Michigan (27)
The Wolverines, in sixth place, are six points behind the Nittany Lions and four in back of MSU, Minnesota and Ohio State and trail Notre Dame (28) by one point.
The Spartans, Gophers, Irish and Michigan have an advantage over Penn State and Ohio State. They have six games left while the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes have only four. OSU is off this weekend, while PSU is idle the last week of the season.
Spartans senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg said the matchup with the Wolverines is about the rivalry and positioning in the Big Ten standings.
"I think you can look at both. I don't think one is in the forefront over the other,'' he said. "You can use the rivalry as a little extra motivation, if we need any and I don't think we do.
"Every game, no matter who we play, we try as hard as we can to win. But playing Michigan is a little sweeter.''
It's especially sweet for the Spartans when they beat the Wolverines. And it especially sour when a game ends in defeat. But a loss this weekend not only hurts a team's pride, it's extra tough to accept because it impacts a potential high finish in the standings.
"No matter the situation the rivalry is always going to be there,'' MSU senior co-captain and right wing Sam Saliba said. "The mindset for us is playing well, coming out strong and maintaining our position in the Big Ten and coming out with three points on Friday. There won't be any lack of energy in the building on Friday.''
Michigan State just played the hottest team in the Big Ten in Minnesota, emerging with a series split, thanks to an impressive come-from-behind 4-2 victory last Saturday in Minneapolis.
So now, the Spartans are going up against a Michigan team that's the second-hottest in the conference. The Wolverines are 6-1-1 since the Great Lakes Invitational and 9-3-1 since Nov. 30.
"Both teams are getting very good goaltending,'' Cole said of the Gophers and Wolverines. "That's essential. Everybody that gets anything done in hockey, you have to have that going.
"Defensively, Michigan has done a nice job in terms of shutting teams down. That's how you win games. That gives you a chance every night. And they're dangerous offensively. They've been able to score goals. That's a pretty good combination.
"They're playing well and as a team. They're getting a lot of pucks on net. They're darn close over the (recent) spell to (what) Penn State (does).''
THE RIVALRY: Michigan, thanks to its domination in the 1920s and 1950s, holds a 165-137-24 edge in the series. Last season, Michigan State went 1-2-2 against the Wolverines. This season, the Spartans swept U-M, 4-3 in Ann Arbor on Nov. 14 and won 3-0 in East Lansing on Nov. 16.
In the first victory, MSU rallied from a 3-1 deficit with a late second-period goal by Patrick Khodorenko and two unanswered goals in the third period - by Khodorenko and Logan Lambdin.
In the series finale, goalie John Lethemon made 35 saves in posting his fourth career win over U-M. MSU got goals from freshman Josh Nodler in the first period and Austin Kamer and Tommy Apap in less than two minutes apart midway through the second period.
Michigan State's sweep was its first over Michigan since Nov. 13-14, 2009 – 3-2 in Ann Arbor and 2-0 in East Lansing.
In the last 12 meetings against U-M, MSU is 4-5-3. The last time the Spartans won the season series was in 2016-17, with a 2-1-2 edge.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES: Michigan looked like anything but a contender for the Big Ten title early in the season. They started 3-1-1, with two home wins over Lake Superior State and one vs. Western Michigan and a loss and a tie against Clarkson, also at Yost Arena.
Then the Wolverines went into a slump. They were winless in seven games – 0-6-1. On Nov. 30, U-M was 4-9-2 overall and 0-6-1 in the Big Ten. But in December, Michigan started to play better, and went 3-2, including a home split with Penn State and a split in the GLI, defeating Ferris State in the semifinals and losing to Michigan Tech in the final.
The Wolverines started 2020 with four games on the road. They swept Notre Dame, 3-0, 3-1, then routed Penn State, 6-0, and tied the Nittany Lions, 4-4, earning two points in the standings with a win in the 3-on-3 overtime.
After a split with Ohio State – a 3-2 win and 4-1 loss – Michigan swept Wisconsin, 8-4, 5-3, last weekend in Ann Arbor.
All season long, Michigan's defense has been solid, and at times, the offense has struggled to score. But not lately.
Sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann is having a standout year, and has been among the leaders, along with MSU's John Lethemon and Ohio State's Tommy Nappier, in goals against, save percentage and shutouts.
In fact, he's No. 2 in the Big Ten to Lethemon in those three categories. In 17 games, Mann has a 2.07 goals-against average, a .932 save percentage and four shutouts.
Defensively, the Wolverines are No. 1 in the Big Ten with a 2.21 team GAA, with Michigan State second at 2.32. They're tied for third in penalty killing at 82.1 percent. MSU is second at 84.3 percent.
U-M's defensive corps includes seniors Luke Martin and Griffin Luce, both stay-at-home type defensemen, standout freshman Cam York (5-9-14), sophomores Nick Blankenburg (3-9-12) and Jack Summers and freshman Keaton Pehrson. York played at the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons, and was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The offense is led by seniors Jake Slaker (10-11-21), Will Lockwood (6-10-16) and Nick Pastujov (7-7-14) and a pair of freshmen – defenseman York and forward Johnny Beecher (7-6-13), a first-round NHL draft pick (30th overall) by the Boston Bruins.
Michigan has scored 27 goals in it last six games, including 13 last weekend against Wisconsin.
Lockwood, U-M's second-leading scorer last season (16-15-31), missed the first series against the Spartans because of an injury. In 11 games against MSU, Lockwood has three goals and four assists for seven points.
"He's a good player, a really good player,'' MSU senior center Sam Saliba said. "He's a good skater, has a good skill set and provides another offensive threat that we're going to have to deal with.''
Said senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg: "They're a good team. They have a lot of skill on offense, and their goalie is playing well. They have a good young defenseman (in Cam York). It'll be a good challenge. I think we're playing well, too. So, it should be a good weekend.''
Senior Jake Slaker and junior Jack Becker are U-M's top scorers against Michigan State with eight points. Slaker has one goal and seven assists in 16 games and Becker has a team-high four goals and four assists in 12 games.
Coach Mel Pearson is in his third season at Michigan and has a 48-43-13 record. He coached at Michigan Tech for six seasons before taking over for Red Berenson at U-M in 2017. He has a career record of 166-135-42 in almost nine full seasons.
KEY PLAY, BIG VICTORY: In looking back at MSU's come-from-behind 4-2 win at Minnesota last Saturday, Coach Danton Cole said one particular play was not only a turning point, it epitomizes the Spartans as a team.
"On Friday, at the end of the second period, we got scored on late – with 1.9 seconds left and that makes it 3-1 (for the Gophers). And that's real hard to come back from,'' Cole said of the series opener, won by Minnesota, 4-1.
"On Saturday, it's 2-1 (Gophers) and we played a decent second period after a not-very-good first period. We got back in the game and I think it was under five seconds left in the period and there's a backdoor play and there's kind of a funny bounce and their guy has an open net.
"But Sam Saliba comes flying back and dives and deflects the puck into the corner, and keeps it 2-1. I think if you can take one play that not only defines the weekend but defines this team that would be it.''
Michigan State took control in the third period and shocked the Gophers by scoring three goals in 8 minute and 3 seconds, outshooting Minnesota, 15-6, and pulling out a 4-2 victory and earning a series split.
"There's a lot of fight in them. Most weekends we may not be the most talented team, but we might (have) the most talented guys in the locker room and that's real important,'' Cole said.
SPECIAL TEAMS FLOURISH: Michigan State has not allowed a power-play goal in the last seven games, killing 15 straight penalties starting on Jan. 11. Last weekend, Minnesota failed to score on five power plays.
The Spartans lead the Big Ten in league play with a 92.7 percent penalty kill success rate. MSU has allowed only 4 goals in 55 power plays by opponents.
Michigan State's power play scored one goal in each game at Minnesota and has a goal in three of the last four games, despite not getting many chances. The Spartans, who have looked dangerous on the power play in recent weeks, had just four power plays in the Minnesota series, five against Penn State three weeks ago, eight at Wisconsin Jan. 17-18 and five in the two home games vs. Minnesota, Jan. 10-11.
"There's a few areas of the game that you have to be good in,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "We broke down all the teams that made the NCAA playoffs. If you look at their power play, penalty killing and goaltending, they were all very good. Now they might not have the best power play and penalty kill, but combined they were pretty darn good.
"If you combine ours, we're in the top 10 in the country. Our goaltending has been top notch. If you can at least go in with that comfort, it takes a little off your mind saying 'we know these areas are going to be good.'
"Johnny (Lethemon) is going to play well, our penalty kill is going to do a good job and our power play is going to be dangerous. Those are big parts of the game. They're huge. As you get to the playoffs, special teams mean more and more.''
STATS, STATS AND MORE STATS: Patrick Khodorenko has a good shot at winning the Big Ten scoring title in conference games only.
The senior center from Walnut Creek, Calif., with 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points in conference play, is tied for second with Penn State's Evan Barratt (9-11-20). Freshman Cole Caufield of Wisconsin leads with 22 points – 11 goals and 11 assists.
Khodorenko, who leads the league in goals, has six games left while Caufield and Barratt have only four conference games remaining.
In overall games, Khodorenko is fourth with 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. Penn State's Nate Sucese leads with 34 points – 10 goals and 24 assists.
Caufield (18-14-32) and Barratt (11-21-32) are tied for second.
Sucese and Barratt have four games left but Caufield has six since Wisconsin is playing a non-conference series next weekend against Arizona State…
MSU goalie John Lethemon's .927 save percentage is the best in the nation. His goals-against average in overall games is 1.93 and that is No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally. Lethemon's five shutouts is tied with second nationally with Spencer Knight of Boston College. Lethemon owns shutouts over Penn State, Michigan, Arizona State and two vs. Wisconsin…
The Spartans have the best GAA in Big Ten play at 2.06. They're No. 2 in overall games at 2.32…
With Khodorenko leading MSU in scoring with 31 points, his linemate, Mitchell Lewandowski is second with eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points. Right behind is sophomore defenseman Dennis Cesana with 18 points – 5 goals, 13 assists.
Senior right wing Sam Saliba and senior defenseman Jerad Rosburg are tied for fourth with 15 points apiece. Saliba has nine goals and six assists while Rosburg has four goals and 11 assists…
Khodorenko is MSU's top scorer against Michigan with eight goals and four assists for 12 points in 17 games. Senior Logan Lambdin is tied for second with Mitchell Lewandowski with 10 points, both with four goals and six assists. Lambdin has played in 16 games vs. U-M while Lewandowski has played in 12. Senior Sam Saliba has four goals and five assists for nine points in 17 games.
IN THE BIG TEN: First-place Penn State, with only four games left, visits last-place Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday. The Nittany Lions (18-9-3 overall, 10-7-3-0 Big Ten) are coming off a 2-2 tie (shootout win) and 6-3 victory at Ohio State.
The Badgers (10-17-1, 5-14-1-1), who have lost five in a row and were swept at Michigan last weekend. In an earlier meeting, Penn State swept Wisconsin 6-1, 4-2 in Madison.
In the other conference series, Minnesota and Notre Dame, each with 31 points and also tied with Michigan State, meet in Notre Dame, Ind., on Friday and Saturday. The Irish tied 2-2 (3-on-3 OT loss) and won 5-3 against the Gophers in Minneapolis in November.
Ohio State has this weekend off.
Here's how the Big Ten contenders finish the season:
Penn State: 4 games - at Wisconsin, home vs. Minnesota, bye.
MSU: 6 games - Michigan at home and in Detroit, home vs. Ohio State and at Notre Dame.
Minnesota: 6 games: at Notre Dame, at Penn State, home vs. Michigan.
Ohio State: 4 games – Bye, at Michigan State, home to Wisconsin.
Notre Dame: 6 games – home to Minnesota, at Michigan, home to MSU.
Michigan: 6 games – at MSU, vs. MSU in Detroit; home to Notre Dame, at Minnesota.
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/ Men's Ice HockeyAdam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Michigan | December 6, 2025
Saturday, December 06
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Michigan | December 5, 2025
Friday, December 05
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Colgate | November 26, 2025
Wednesday, November 26
Adam Nightingale Postgame Comments | Wisconsin | November 22, 2025
Saturday, November 22