Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Looking to Rebound on Saturday
2/8/2020 9:30:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
MINNEAPOLIS – Two goals in the second period – one early, one late – doomed Michigan State on Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Minnesota, the hottest team in the Big Ten, turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead with opportunistic goals off bouncing pucks in the crease, and played solid defense in the third period to claim a 4-1 victory over the Spartans in the first game of a Big Ten series.
The Gophers, who have won six straight and are 8-1 in their last nine games, scored at 4:45 of the second period as Sampo Ranta tapped in a loose puck in the crease for a 2-1 lead.
And then the backbreaker: Minnesota's Scott Reedy scored with 1.9 seconds left in the middle period after a scramble near the crease and a puck that went off a Spartan and into the net.
A few minutes earlier, MSU came close to tying it 2-2 on a power play with several excellent chances. Instead, the Gophers carried a 3-1 cushion into the third period.
Michigan State controlled the play in final 20 minutes but couldn't penetrate Minnesota's defense and beat freshman goaltender Jared Moe (22 saves).
The Gophers wrapped up the victory when Reedy scored his second goal of the night, hitting an empty net with 19 seconds left.
"It was a pretty close game but they were better around the net. They deserved to win,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "We'll have to be a little more hungry and more desperate from the beginning of the game tomorrow.
"At the end of the day, it's a loss. We learn and get ready for tomorrow.''
The Spartans will try to rebound and salvage a split in the series when the teams meet again at 6 p.m. Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
"We have to own the front of the net like they owned it tonight,'' said Spartans' junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski, who scored MSU's only goal on a power play midway through the first period.
The loss dropped the Spartans (13-13-1 overall, 9-7-1-0) Big Ten, 28 points) into a fourth-place tie with idle Notre Dame (12-11-5, 7-7-4-3, 28 points).
With the victory, Minnesota (13-10-4, 8-5-4-3, 31 points) moves into a first-place tie with Ohio State (16-9-4, 9-7-2-1, 31 points). The Buckeyes tied Penn State (17-9-3, 9-7-2-0, 30 points), 2-2, on Friday but earned the extra point with a victory in the shootout.
Michigan State and Notre Dame are three points behind Minnesota and two back of Ohio State.
The Spartans' only goal was scored on a power play by Lewandowski at 8:18 of the first period, tying the game, 1-1 off a nice passing play with linemates Sam Saliba and Patrick Khodorenko.
"We got out of the first period 1-1 and we were just OK, but Minnesota took the play to us and we were trying to get our sea legs going,'' Cole said. "In the second period, we were a little better but unfortunately they got that late one.
"It's a funny game because it could have gone the other way. We could have had a 2-on-1 at their net but it goes the other way, they get a good bounce and score.''
The Spartans pushed hard in the third period and had a 17-10 edge in attempted shots at the net but didn't have any grade A chances.
Lewandowski found himself all alone in front of Moe and the puck coming toward him. But with his back to the net, the puck bounced off his stick and he never got possession to take a shot.
"I had a couple of chances in front. The puck was rolling. I don't know what it was,'' said Lewandowski, who led the Spartans with four shots on goal. "They did a good job limiting us and making dumps with the puck. It's a different rink and rimming pucks around, it's got to be fast and not slow. It took us a while to get used to it.''
Cole felt his team got better as the game went on but didn't have much to show for it in the scoreless second and third periods.
"We got better every period. I thought we were better in the second period than the first and in the third we pushed back and did some things well,'' he said. "We started doing some of the things that we talked about, things that we need to do to have success.
"We kept working and battling and now we have to get something out of this weekend. We kept battling and working.
"Minnesota did a good job with the two-goal lead and they didn't push (to score) too much. We need to start tomorrow's game where we left off.''
For the second straight game against the Gophers, MSU gave up a goal in the second minute of play and on the first shot. Blake McLaughlin's shot from the slot along the ice hit the left post and caromed into the net behind Spartans goalie John Lethemon (22 saves) at 1:11.
In Minnesota's 2-0 win over Michigan State on Jan. 10 in East Lansing, the Gophers' Reedy scored 1:40 into the first period.
Lewandowski tied it with his eighth goal of the season on a power play at 8:18. The Gophers capitalized on some rebounds and good bounces to take control with a two-goal second period by Ranta and Reedy.
"The got a couple of good bounces. They were weird goals and I want to say the third one went off our guy and went in,'' Lewandowski said. "I did turn it over at the blue line so I take (the blame) for that one. It's on me.''
Michigan State has lost the first game of a series or tournament and bounced back to win the next night three times this season. The Spartans did it at Colorado College in October, against Arizona State at home in December and in the Great Lakes Invitational in late December.
"There's no quit in our locker room. We controlled the puck and the play in the third period but we just couldn't score,'' Lewandowski said. "That's the thing with a series. You play the same team the next night so you have to let them know that it's not going to be easy. There's no letup.''
To get a split and stay in the hunt for a high finish in the Big Ten, the Spartans will have to start with energy, sustain it for most of the game and create better scoring chances and execute.
"We have to get more shots. Moe is a good goalie and with him catching with his right hand, that can throw some players off,'' Lewandowski said. "We have to get to their defense and to Moe. Our forechecking is something that drives the team.''
SPECIAL TEAMS ARE BRIGHT SPOTS: Michigan State had only two power plays on Friday – one in the first period and one in the second. The Spartans had good puck movement and good scoring opportunities.
They had two shots on goal, including Mitchell Lewandowski's goal from the outside the left circle, in the first period. They had four shots on their second power play, seven minutes into the second period, but failed to convert.
"The power played looked really good,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "We got (a goal on) the first one and had several chances on the second one. Both groups did a good job moving the puck around. We just didn't get enough of them.''
The Spartans' penalty killers continued to excel with their sixth-straight game without giving up a goal. Minnesota was 0-for-2 on the power play, with three shots on goal – all on the first extra-man advantage in the opening period.
MSU opponents are 0-for-12 on the power play over the six games.
IN THE BIG TEN: In the showdown between the two teams tied for first place, Penn State took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Ohio State tied it on early goals in the second and third periods and the teams ended up tied 2-2. After a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime, OSU won the two-round shootout, 1-0, to earn two points in the standings. PSU gets one.
The Buckeyes outshot the Nittany Lions, 35-31. But PSU held a 5-0 edge in first overtime. Penn State is 1-3-3 in its last seven games, and in the tied games, it has lost one in 3-on-3 overtime and two in shootouts.
Michigan rolled past Wisconsin, 8-4, in Ann Arbor to climb within four points of fourth-place MSU and Notre Dame. Freshman left wing Nick Granowicz scored three goals and senior left wing Jake Slaker had a goal and three assists.
The Wolverines (12-12-3, 7-8-2-1, 24 points) scored one goal in the first period, four in the second and three in the third.
Wisconsin's Max Zimmer scored midway through the third period to cut U-M's lead to 5-4, but the Wolverines blew the game open with three straight goals. The seventh-place Badgers (10-16-1, 5-13-1, 17 points) played without two top forwards who are injured – sophomore Jack Ahcan and freshman Alex Turcotte.
Michigan plays Michigan State next Friday at Munn Arena and Feb. 17 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Notre Dame has this weekend off.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
MINNEAPOLIS – Two goals in the second period – one early, one late – doomed Michigan State on Friday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Minnesota, the hottest team in the Big Ten, turned a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 lead with opportunistic goals off bouncing pucks in the crease, and played solid defense in the third period to claim a 4-1 victory over the Spartans in the first game of a Big Ten series.
The Gophers, who have won six straight and are 8-1 in their last nine games, scored at 4:45 of the second period as Sampo Ranta tapped in a loose puck in the crease for a 2-1 lead.
And then the backbreaker: Minnesota's Scott Reedy scored with 1.9 seconds left in the middle period after a scramble near the crease and a puck that went off a Spartan and into the net.
A few minutes earlier, MSU came close to tying it 2-2 on a power play with several excellent chances. Instead, the Gophers carried a 3-1 cushion into the third period.
Michigan State controlled the play in final 20 minutes but couldn't penetrate Minnesota's defense and beat freshman goaltender Jared Moe (22 saves).
The Gophers wrapped up the victory when Reedy scored his second goal of the night, hitting an empty net with 19 seconds left.
"It was a pretty close game but they were better around the net. They deserved to win,'' MSU coach Danton Cole said. "We'll have to be a little more hungry and more desperate from the beginning of the game tomorrow.
"At the end of the day, it's a loss. We learn and get ready for tomorrow.''
The Spartans will try to rebound and salvage a split in the series when the teams meet again at 6 p.m. Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
"We have to own the front of the net like they owned it tonight,'' said Spartans' junior left wing Mitchell Lewandowski, who scored MSU's only goal on a power play midway through the first period.
The loss dropped the Spartans (13-13-1 overall, 9-7-1-0) Big Ten, 28 points) into a fourth-place tie with idle Notre Dame (12-11-5, 7-7-4-3, 28 points).
With the victory, Minnesota (13-10-4, 8-5-4-3, 31 points) moves into a first-place tie with Ohio State (16-9-4, 9-7-2-1, 31 points). The Buckeyes tied Penn State (17-9-3, 9-7-2-0, 30 points), 2-2, on Friday but earned the extra point with a victory in the shootout.
Michigan State and Notre Dame are three points behind Minnesota and two back of Ohio State.
The Spartans' only goal was scored on a power play by Lewandowski at 8:18 of the first period, tying the game, 1-1 off a nice passing play with linemates Sam Saliba and Patrick Khodorenko.
"We got out of the first period 1-1 and we were just OK, but Minnesota took the play to us and we were trying to get our sea legs going,'' Cole said. "In the second period, we were a little better but unfortunately they got that late one.
"It's a funny game because it could have gone the other way. We could have had a 2-on-1 at their net but it goes the other way, they get a good bounce and score.''
The Spartans pushed hard in the third period and had a 17-10 edge in attempted shots at the net but didn't have any grade A chances.
Lewandowski found himself all alone in front of Moe and the puck coming toward him. But with his back to the net, the puck bounced off his stick and he never got possession to take a shot.
"I had a couple of chances in front. The puck was rolling. I don't know what it was,'' said Lewandowski, who led the Spartans with four shots on goal. "They did a good job limiting us and making dumps with the puck. It's a different rink and rimming pucks around, it's got to be fast and not slow. It took us a while to get used to it.''
Cole felt his team got better as the game went on but didn't have much to show for it in the scoreless second and third periods.
"We got better every period. I thought we were better in the second period than the first and in the third we pushed back and did some things well,'' he said. "We started doing some of the things that we talked about, things that we need to do to have success.
"We kept working and battling and now we have to get something out of this weekend. We kept battling and working.
"Minnesota did a good job with the two-goal lead and they didn't push (to score) too much. We need to start tomorrow's game where we left off.''
For the second straight game against the Gophers, MSU gave up a goal in the second minute of play and on the first shot. Blake McLaughlin's shot from the slot along the ice hit the left post and caromed into the net behind Spartans goalie John Lethemon (22 saves) at 1:11.
In Minnesota's 2-0 win over Michigan State on Jan. 10 in East Lansing, the Gophers' Reedy scored 1:40 into the first period.
Lewandowski tied it with his eighth goal of the season on a power play at 8:18. The Gophers capitalized on some rebounds and good bounces to take control with a two-goal second period by Ranta and Reedy.
"The got a couple of good bounces. They were weird goals and I want to say the third one went off our guy and went in,'' Lewandowski said. "I did turn it over at the blue line so I take (the blame) for that one. It's on me.''
Michigan State has lost the first game of a series or tournament and bounced back to win the next night three times this season. The Spartans did it at Colorado College in October, against Arizona State at home in December and in the Great Lakes Invitational in late December.
"There's no quit in our locker room. We controlled the puck and the play in the third period but we just couldn't score,'' Lewandowski said. "That's the thing with a series. You play the same team the next night so you have to let them know that it's not going to be easy. There's no letup.''
To get a split and stay in the hunt for a high finish in the Big Ten, the Spartans will have to start with energy, sustain it for most of the game and create better scoring chances and execute.
"We have to get more shots. Moe is a good goalie and with him catching with his right hand, that can throw some players off,'' Lewandowski said. "We have to get to their defense and to Moe. Our forechecking is something that drives the team.''
SPECIAL TEAMS ARE BRIGHT SPOTS: Michigan State had only two power plays on Friday – one in the first period and one in the second. The Spartans had good puck movement and good scoring opportunities.
They had two shots on goal, including Mitchell Lewandowski's goal from the outside the left circle, in the first period. They had four shots on their second power play, seven minutes into the second period, but failed to convert.
"The power played looked really good,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "We got (a goal on) the first one and had several chances on the second one. Both groups did a good job moving the puck around. We just didn't get enough of them.''
The Spartans' penalty killers continued to excel with their sixth-straight game without giving up a goal. Minnesota was 0-for-2 on the power play, with three shots on goal – all on the first extra-man advantage in the opening period.
MSU opponents are 0-for-12 on the power play over the six games.
IN THE BIG TEN: In the showdown between the two teams tied for first place, Penn State took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Ohio State tied it on early goals in the second and third periods and the teams ended up tied 2-2. After a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime, OSU won the two-round shootout, 1-0, to earn two points in the standings. PSU gets one.
The Buckeyes outshot the Nittany Lions, 35-31. But PSU held a 5-0 edge in first overtime. Penn State is 1-3-3 in its last seven games, and in the tied games, it has lost one in 3-on-3 overtime and two in shootouts.
Michigan rolled past Wisconsin, 8-4, in Ann Arbor to climb within four points of fourth-place MSU and Notre Dame. Freshman left wing Nick Granowicz scored three goals and senior left wing Jake Slaker had a goal and three assists.
The Wolverines (12-12-3, 7-8-2-1, 24 points) scored one goal in the first period, four in the second and three in the third.
Wisconsin's Max Zimmer scored midway through the third period to cut U-M's lead to 5-4, but the Wolverines blew the game open with three straight goals. The seventh-place Badgers (10-16-1, 5-13-1, 17 points) played without two top forwards who are injured – sophomore Jack Ahcan and freshman Alex Turcotte.
Michigan plays Michigan State next Friday at Munn Arena and Feb. 17 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Notre Dame has this weekend off.
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