Michigan State University Athletics
Neil’s Notebook: Spartans Come Back With Strong Effort, Shut Down Buckeyes
1/25/2021 8:27:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
By Neil Koepke
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – One day after playing one of its worst games of the season, Michigan State bounced back on Sunday with one of its best.
Unlike Saturday, the Spartans played with great energy and at a fast pace, possessed the puck and made plays, defended well and were rewarded with a crucial 2-0 Big Ten victory over Ohio State at Munn Arena.
MSU coach Danton Cole summed up his team's quick turnaround like this:
"Everything we didn't do last night, we did tonight. If you're color blind and watched yesterday's (5-1 loss) and watched the game tonight, you wouldn't know it was the same team.
"It shows how hard it is to win hockey games and how hard you have to play.''
Cole said his team Sunday had an outstanding game, he loved the effort and was proud of his group. But he also had a message.
"I said that's fine. That's worth the price of admission but now let's string some things together. Don't always make it that we have to have adversity to inspire us,'' the Spartans coach told his team. "It doesn't guarantee a win but it guarantees a better feeling than I had last night going home.''
Although Spartans didn't fill the net, they still showed some offensive flair with good zone entries and rushes, crisp passing and fired 35 shots on Ohio State goalie Tommy Nappier.
Two went in – a Tommy Apap shot from the slot in the first period and a one-timer by Brody Stevens just outside the crease midway through the third to give MSU a cushion and relieve some pressure defending a one-goal lead.
In each of its last four series, Michigan State lost the first game. Three times, the Spartans bounced back with a victory in the series finale to escape with a split. They did it against Penn State early this month, vs. Michigan a week later and now with OSU.
"That was a Spartan effort tonight. The guys did a great job bouncing back and (people) will say they got up off the mat and that's great, but how about we quit getting on the mat and start off the right way,'' Cole said. "We keep learning, we keep moving on.''
While the Spartans (6-8-2 overall, 5-8-1-2-1-0 Big Ten) had a lot of passengers in their sub-par and frustrating effort on Saturday, they had most everyone going Sunday with several players making huge contributions.
Goalie Drew DeRidder was protected much better Sunday but still made several quality stops among his 28 saves. For sure, he played at high level to earn his second-career shutout and first since the second game of the season against Arizona State, also 2-0.
But DeRidder and the Spartans caught a break about a minute before Stevens' goal at 8:38 of the final period.
With MSU up 1-0 and on a power play, Ohio State forced a turnover at its blue line and the Buckeyes' Austin Pooley took off on a 2-on-0 breakaway with teammate Matt Cassidy, with the Spartans' Adam Goodsir in pursuit.
Pooley went in close and instead of shooting, he passed the puck to Cassidy on his right. With Goodsir reaching out with his stick, the puck slid under Cassidy's stick and went to the right of the net. Cassidy got possession, turned and fire, and a sprawled DeRidder was back in position and made the save.
Instead of being tied 1-1, the Spartans were still in the lead, and Stevens quickly changed the complexion of the game with his second goal of the season.
Apap and Stevens, playing on a line with freshman Kristof Papp, each had a goal and an assist. Gianluca Esteves set up Apap for his first-period goal with a nice pass to the Apap in the middle at the top of the faceoff circles.
Freshman defenseman Aidan Gallacher picked up his first collegiate point eight minutes into the third period when, from the right point, he fired the puck toward the net. It deflected off OSU forward Quinn Preston and went right to Stevens down low to the left of the net. Stevens quickly fired it between Nappier's legs for a much-needed 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jagger Joshua set a strong tone in the first minute of the game with two crunching checks, and then had another strong game making an impact being physical, killing penalties and making the power play dangerous, even though MSU didn't convert on five chances.
"He's a physical kid, very powerful and he finishes checks,'' Cole said of Joshua, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound left wing from Dearborn. "He announces his presence with authority. I thought he had an outstanding game on Saturday. He was on a mission this weekend.''
The Spartans were much better Sunday in just about every aspect of their game from Saturday's performance.
Team defense was vastly better. Instead of giving up 56 shots on goal and leaving onrushing forwards in position for several Grade A chances, MSU limited Ohio State's rushes, broke the puck out better and kept it in the offensive zone with solid forechecking.
"It was just being up ice and organized and having five guys coming back. We did a much better job with that,'' Cole said. "There was way too much free ice on Saturday. Ohio State took advantage of it. We don't give up much off the rush very often.
"We were competing for the puck tonight. It starts in the offensive zone. As soon as we lost (possession), we had pressure (coming back) and were on the right side of pucks.
"Same reason that the whole game was better – passion and intensity.''
After Apap's goal at 10:01 of the first period, the Spartans held the one-goal lead for 38 minutes, knowing that Ohio State was a good play and a shot away from tying it. So, the emphasis was not on laying back and defending but pushing the puck and trying to extend the lead.
It worked out as Stevens' goal at 8:38 of the third period gave MSU a bit of a cushion, even though there was still more than 11 minutes left. The Spartans again didn't sit back and they possessed the puck and worked hard to get it back when the Buckeyes got possession.
Cole and the Spartan bench breathed a little easier after watching Stevens' shot turn on the red light behind Nappier.
"I said, 'Let's get a third one.' Nothing really feels safe,'' the Spartans coach said. "It just felt good to get some breathing room. It was kind of like at Penn State (in the first game last weekend). We had chances with a 2-1 lead (in the third period) but couldn't get (the next goal).''
The Nittany Lions ended up tying the game with 1:10 left and won it in overtime, 3-2.
"We were getting chances tonight and we (got the goal). And the guys didn't back off after that and continued to forecheck hard,'' Cole said. "I thought we did a nice job in the third period in continuing to push the play, not backing off and trying to milk out a win.''
Stevens, a senior from Ann Arbor, said he liked his team's focus and preparation before game.
"I think we're starting to handle this like more of a business,'' he said. "That's another thing in college hockey that a lot of guys have to learn that this becomes more of a business than just a game you're playing for fun.
"For me, at least in the locker room, it felt more business-like, very focused and goal-oriented. That's something (coach) has been trying to hammer in our heads and I think the nail is starting to drive into that wood.
"Now, we have to keep this rolling. I don't think we have to look deep into last night's game versus tonight's game. We have some positives rolling out of this game and we'll roll into practice tomorrow and the next day. We have to handle each game like it is its own business.''
NO GOALS FOR YOU: Drew DeRidder, arguably MSU's best player thus far this season, had another solid game with a 28-save performance, including key saves in every period.
DeRidder didn't have great support in Saturday's 5-1 loss but he certainly wasn't pleased with allowing three goals in 2 minutes and 5 seconds early in the third period that turned a 1-1 tie into a three-goal deficit for the Spartans.
Ohio State made good plays to get open and good shots to score, but the highly competitive MSU junior goaltender felt he should have stopped some of those shots.
"I try not to play off anger and you shouldn't need to get angry to play your best but that always does kind of drive you a little extra,'' DeRidder said. "I thought I played well tonight. I don't think I did anything different than last night.
"It just happened that a couple got past me. I played the puck well tonight, I was tracking pucks and found the lanes through traffic. I just made the big saves I wasn't able to do last night.''
DeRidder made 9 saves in the first period, only 6 in the second and was a little busier in the third with 13 saves.
"He was outstanding right from the start. He was square (to the shooters) on all shots, locked in and just there,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "Even late, they had some one-timers and he was driving across the net and was right there. You can look at a guy's eye and tell he's ready to go.
"He was ahead of the puck all night. He makes a couple big saves and makes everybody relax a bit.''
DeRidder, 20 a 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Fenton, Michigan, and a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, praised the players in front of him – defensemen and forwards.
"Last night, they had a bunch more shots. We did a better job of getting in the lanes of their shots,'' he said. "We're really good at picking up rebounds. I always feel comfortable that if I leave a rebound in a bad place, I know we're at least going to be able to battle for it.
"Last night I had a couple of rebounds that happened to go to an open guy. Usually there's not an open guy and we fixed that tonight."
PK PERECT: Michigan State's penalty killers had a perfect weekend with seven straight kills, including five in Sunday's 2-0 victory. Ohio State had one power play in the first period and two each in the second and periods.
The Buckeyes had 10 shots on goal, including five during the two power plays in the final period.
Tommy Apap and Brody Stevens and Jagger Joshua and Mitchell Mattson, along with MSU's defensive corps, were aggressive, blocked shots and were in good position. And, of course, goaltender Drew DeRidder was there to make some key saves.
The Spartans' penalty killing has been a team strength most of the season. The units have allowed only 10 goals in 57 opponents' power plays.
Like the power play, penalty killing can turn a game around - one way or another.
"Me, Tommy Apap and Tommy Miller have been killing together for a couple of years now and we kind of try to hold that together,'' MSU senior forward Brody Stevens said. "The power play gets to score goals and that's how they create energy, and for us, it's shutting down the other team's power play.
"Those two minutes of shutting down and frustrating other team is really a big momentum swing. All eight or nine or 10 guys we have on the penalty kill realize that. It's not holding on by a threat but it's more of us trying to suffocate the other team.''
Michigan State's power-play efficiency of 82.5% is second in the Big Ten, only trailing Minnesota (89.5%).
When defenseman Cole Krygier got banged up in the second period, freshman Powell Connor stepped in as the sixth D-man and saw some time killing penalties.
"Having seven defensemen (dressed) as nice,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "Powell is a good penalty killer. He blocks shots, his anticipation is great. He's got good poise with the puck for a freshman.''
THE ROAD AHEAD: Michigan State plays its next five Big Ten games on the road, starting at Wisconsin at 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Friday's game will be televised by Fox Sports Detroit and Saturday's by Fox Sports Detroit Plus.
After facing the Badgers, the Spartans are off the weekend of Feb. 5-7 before facing Michigan in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Feb. 9. MSU plays a non-conference series against Arizona State on Feb. 14-15 (a Sunday-Monday) before playing at Minnesota, Feb. 19-20.
The Spartans play their final five conference games at home – series against Notre Dame, Feb. 26-27, and Wisconsin, March 5-6, and a single game against Michigan, March 10, to close the season.
IN THE BIG TEN: Minnesota, which routed Arizona State 10-0 and 10-2 in a non-conference series on Thursday and Friday, remains in first place with 27 points, four ahead of second-place of Michigan.
The Gophers (13-3-0 overall, 9-3-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) have played 12 conference games while the Wolverines (10-6-0, 8-6-0-1-0-0) have played 14. Michigan is coming off a sweep at Notre Dame and has won four in a row since losing to Michigan State, 3-2, on Jan. 9.
Wisconsin is in third place with 22 points, one in back of U-M. The Badgers (9-7-0, 7-5-0-0-1-0) have two games in hand on the Wolverines. Wisconsin split a series with Penn State on Thursday and Friday.
Three points separate the next four teams. Notre Dame (7-8-1, 5-6-1, 0-1-1) is fourth with 18 points, Penn State (8-8-0, 6-8-0-1-0-0) is fifth with 17, followed by sixth-place Ohio State (5-10-1, 5-9-0-0-1-0) with 16 and Michigan State (6-8-2, 5-8-1-2-1-0), with 15 points, is seventh.
Notre Dame has two games in hand on PSU, OSU and MSU.
In addition to this weekend's MSU at Wisconsin series, Minnesota is at Ohio State on Friday and Saturday, and Penn State plays host to Notre Dame on Thursday and Friday.
Michigan has the weekend off, and it appears that the Wolverines will have to postpone their home series against Penn State, Feb. 3-4, because of the U-M athletic department shutting down all sports for two weeks because of COVID issues.
MSUSpartans.com staff writer
EAST LANSING – One day after playing one of its worst games of the season, Michigan State bounced back on Sunday with one of its best.
Unlike Saturday, the Spartans played with great energy and at a fast pace, possessed the puck and made plays, defended well and were rewarded with a crucial 2-0 Big Ten victory over Ohio State at Munn Arena.
MSU coach Danton Cole summed up his team's quick turnaround like this:
"Everything we didn't do last night, we did tonight. If you're color blind and watched yesterday's (5-1 loss) and watched the game tonight, you wouldn't know it was the same team.
"It shows how hard it is to win hockey games and how hard you have to play.''
Cole said his team Sunday had an outstanding game, he loved the effort and was proud of his group. But he also had a message.
"I said that's fine. That's worth the price of admission but now let's string some things together. Don't always make it that we have to have adversity to inspire us,'' the Spartans coach told his team. "It doesn't guarantee a win but it guarantees a better feeling than I had last night going home.''
Although Spartans didn't fill the net, they still showed some offensive flair with good zone entries and rushes, crisp passing and fired 35 shots on Ohio State goalie Tommy Nappier.
Two went in – a Tommy Apap shot from the slot in the first period and a one-timer by Brody Stevens just outside the crease midway through the third to give MSU a cushion and relieve some pressure defending a one-goal lead.
In each of its last four series, Michigan State lost the first game. Three times, the Spartans bounced back with a victory in the series finale to escape with a split. They did it against Penn State early this month, vs. Michigan a week later and now with OSU.
"That was a Spartan effort tonight. The guys did a great job bouncing back and (people) will say they got up off the mat and that's great, but how about we quit getting on the mat and start off the right way,'' Cole said. "We keep learning, we keep moving on.''
While the Spartans (6-8-2 overall, 5-8-1-2-1-0 Big Ten) had a lot of passengers in their sub-par and frustrating effort on Saturday, they had most everyone going Sunday with several players making huge contributions.
Goalie Drew DeRidder was protected much better Sunday but still made several quality stops among his 28 saves. For sure, he played at high level to earn his second-career shutout and first since the second game of the season against Arizona State, also 2-0.
But DeRidder and the Spartans caught a break about a minute before Stevens' goal at 8:38 of the final period.
With MSU up 1-0 and on a power play, Ohio State forced a turnover at its blue line and the Buckeyes' Austin Pooley took off on a 2-on-0 breakaway with teammate Matt Cassidy, with the Spartans' Adam Goodsir in pursuit.
Pooley went in close and instead of shooting, he passed the puck to Cassidy on his right. With Goodsir reaching out with his stick, the puck slid under Cassidy's stick and went to the right of the net. Cassidy got possession, turned and fire, and a sprawled DeRidder was back in position and made the save.
Instead of being tied 1-1, the Spartans were still in the lead, and Stevens quickly changed the complexion of the game with his second goal of the season.
Apap and Stevens, playing on a line with freshman Kristof Papp, each had a goal and an assist. Gianluca Esteves set up Apap for his first-period goal with a nice pass to the Apap in the middle at the top of the faceoff circles.
Freshman defenseman Aidan Gallacher picked up his first collegiate point eight minutes into the third period when, from the right point, he fired the puck toward the net. It deflected off OSU forward Quinn Preston and went right to Stevens down low to the left of the net. Stevens quickly fired it between Nappier's legs for a much-needed 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jagger Joshua set a strong tone in the first minute of the game with two crunching checks, and then had another strong game making an impact being physical, killing penalties and making the power play dangerous, even though MSU didn't convert on five chances.
"He's a physical kid, very powerful and he finishes checks,'' Cole said of Joshua, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound left wing from Dearborn. "He announces his presence with authority. I thought he had an outstanding game on Saturday. He was on a mission this weekend.''
The Spartans were much better Sunday in just about every aspect of their game from Saturday's performance.
Team defense was vastly better. Instead of giving up 56 shots on goal and leaving onrushing forwards in position for several Grade A chances, MSU limited Ohio State's rushes, broke the puck out better and kept it in the offensive zone with solid forechecking.
"It was just being up ice and organized and having five guys coming back. We did a much better job with that,'' Cole said. "There was way too much free ice on Saturday. Ohio State took advantage of it. We don't give up much off the rush very often.
"We were competing for the puck tonight. It starts in the offensive zone. As soon as we lost (possession), we had pressure (coming back) and were on the right side of pucks.
"Same reason that the whole game was better – passion and intensity.''
After Apap's goal at 10:01 of the first period, the Spartans held the one-goal lead for 38 minutes, knowing that Ohio State was a good play and a shot away from tying it. So, the emphasis was not on laying back and defending but pushing the puck and trying to extend the lead.
It worked out as Stevens' goal at 8:38 of the third period gave MSU a bit of a cushion, even though there was still more than 11 minutes left. The Spartans again didn't sit back and they possessed the puck and worked hard to get it back when the Buckeyes got possession.
Cole and the Spartan bench breathed a little easier after watching Stevens' shot turn on the red light behind Nappier.
"I said, 'Let's get a third one.' Nothing really feels safe,'' the Spartans coach said. "It just felt good to get some breathing room. It was kind of like at Penn State (in the first game last weekend). We had chances with a 2-1 lead (in the third period) but couldn't get (the next goal).''
The Nittany Lions ended up tying the game with 1:10 left and won it in overtime, 3-2.
"We were getting chances tonight and we (got the goal). And the guys didn't back off after that and continued to forecheck hard,'' Cole said. "I thought we did a nice job in the third period in continuing to push the play, not backing off and trying to milk out a win.''
Stevens, a senior from Ann Arbor, said he liked his team's focus and preparation before game.
"I think we're starting to handle this like more of a business,'' he said. "That's another thing in college hockey that a lot of guys have to learn that this becomes more of a business than just a game you're playing for fun.
"For me, at least in the locker room, it felt more business-like, very focused and goal-oriented. That's something (coach) has been trying to hammer in our heads and I think the nail is starting to drive into that wood.
"Now, we have to keep this rolling. I don't think we have to look deep into last night's game versus tonight's game. We have some positives rolling out of this game and we'll roll into practice tomorrow and the next day. We have to handle each game like it is its own business.''
NO GOALS FOR YOU: Drew DeRidder, arguably MSU's best player thus far this season, had another solid game with a 28-save performance, including key saves in every period.
DeRidder didn't have great support in Saturday's 5-1 loss but he certainly wasn't pleased with allowing three goals in 2 minutes and 5 seconds early in the third period that turned a 1-1 tie into a three-goal deficit for the Spartans.
Ohio State made good plays to get open and good shots to score, but the highly competitive MSU junior goaltender felt he should have stopped some of those shots.
"I try not to play off anger and you shouldn't need to get angry to play your best but that always does kind of drive you a little extra,'' DeRidder said. "I thought I played well tonight. I don't think I did anything different than last night.
"It just happened that a couple got past me. I played the puck well tonight, I was tracking pucks and found the lanes through traffic. I just made the big saves I wasn't able to do last night.''
DeRidder made 9 saves in the first period, only 6 in the second and was a little busier in the third with 13 saves.
"He was outstanding right from the start. He was square (to the shooters) on all shots, locked in and just there,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "Even late, they had some one-timers and he was driving across the net and was right there. You can look at a guy's eye and tell he's ready to go.
"He was ahead of the puck all night. He makes a couple big saves and makes everybody relax a bit.''
DeRidder, 20 a 5-foot-11, 175-pounder from Fenton, Michigan, and a product of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, praised the players in front of him – defensemen and forwards.
"Last night, they had a bunch more shots. We did a better job of getting in the lanes of their shots,'' he said. "We're really good at picking up rebounds. I always feel comfortable that if I leave a rebound in a bad place, I know we're at least going to be able to battle for it.
"Last night I had a couple of rebounds that happened to go to an open guy. Usually there's not an open guy and we fixed that tonight."
PK PERECT: Michigan State's penalty killers had a perfect weekend with seven straight kills, including five in Sunday's 2-0 victory. Ohio State had one power play in the first period and two each in the second and periods.
The Buckeyes had 10 shots on goal, including five during the two power plays in the final period.
Tommy Apap and Brody Stevens and Jagger Joshua and Mitchell Mattson, along with MSU's defensive corps, were aggressive, blocked shots and were in good position. And, of course, goaltender Drew DeRidder was there to make some key saves.
The Spartans' penalty killing has been a team strength most of the season. The units have allowed only 10 goals in 57 opponents' power plays.
Like the power play, penalty killing can turn a game around - one way or another.
"Me, Tommy Apap and Tommy Miller have been killing together for a couple of years now and we kind of try to hold that together,'' MSU senior forward Brody Stevens said. "The power play gets to score goals and that's how they create energy, and for us, it's shutting down the other team's power play.
"Those two minutes of shutting down and frustrating other team is really a big momentum swing. All eight or nine or 10 guys we have on the penalty kill realize that. It's not holding on by a threat but it's more of us trying to suffocate the other team.''
Michigan State's power-play efficiency of 82.5% is second in the Big Ten, only trailing Minnesota (89.5%).
When defenseman Cole Krygier got banged up in the second period, freshman Powell Connor stepped in as the sixth D-man and saw some time killing penalties.
"Having seven defensemen (dressed) as nice,'' Coach Danton Cole said. "Powell is a good penalty killer. He blocks shots, his anticipation is great. He's got good poise with the puck for a freshman.''
THE ROAD AHEAD: Michigan State plays its next five Big Ten games on the road, starting at Wisconsin at 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Friday's game will be televised by Fox Sports Detroit and Saturday's by Fox Sports Detroit Plus.
After facing the Badgers, the Spartans are off the weekend of Feb. 5-7 before facing Michigan in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Feb. 9. MSU plays a non-conference series against Arizona State on Feb. 14-15 (a Sunday-Monday) before playing at Minnesota, Feb. 19-20.
The Spartans play their final five conference games at home – series against Notre Dame, Feb. 26-27, and Wisconsin, March 5-6, and a single game against Michigan, March 10, to close the season.
IN THE BIG TEN: Minnesota, which routed Arizona State 10-0 and 10-2 in a non-conference series on Thursday and Friday, remains in first place with 27 points, four ahead of second-place of Michigan.
The Gophers (13-3-0 overall, 9-3-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) have played 12 conference games while the Wolverines (10-6-0, 8-6-0-1-0-0) have played 14. Michigan is coming off a sweep at Notre Dame and has won four in a row since losing to Michigan State, 3-2, on Jan. 9.
Wisconsin is in third place with 22 points, one in back of U-M. The Badgers (9-7-0, 7-5-0-0-1-0) have two games in hand on the Wolverines. Wisconsin split a series with Penn State on Thursday and Friday.
Three points separate the next four teams. Notre Dame (7-8-1, 5-6-1, 0-1-1) is fourth with 18 points, Penn State (8-8-0, 6-8-0-1-0-0) is fifth with 17, followed by sixth-place Ohio State (5-10-1, 5-9-0-0-1-0) with 16 and Michigan State (6-8-2, 5-8-1-2-1-0), with 15 points, is seventh.
Notre Dame has two games in hand on PSU, OSU and MSU.
In addition to this weekend's MSU at Wisconsin series, Minnesota is at Ohio State on Friday and Saturday, and Penn State plays host to Notre Dame on Thursday and Friday.
Michigan has the weekend off, and it appears that the Wolverines will have to postpone their home series against Penn State, Feb. 3-4, because of the U-M athletic department shutting down all sports for two weeks because of COVID issues.
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