Early Deficit Too Much in 7-3 Loss to Michigan

GAME CAPSULE

Michigan State spotted Michigan a 4-0 lead in the first 30 minutes of regulation and fell 7-3 to the Wolverines in the Duel in the D game at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

MSU (11-18-1, 5-15-0) scored a pair of power play goals less than a minute apart to get back into the game at 4-2 after allowing a pair of shorthanded breakaway tallies early in the five-minute major power play. Nash Nienhuis had two goals on the night – the first multiple-goal game of his career – and added an assist, while Dennis Cesana had a goal and an assist.

Jimmy Lambert had a pair of goals for Michigan (23-7-1, 14-6-0 B1G), which had five different goal scorers and got 22 saves from Erik Portillo. Drew DeRidder had 25 saves for MSU, which dropped its 10^th straight game.

The Spartans had 18 blocked shots to seven for the Wolverines, and went 2-for-4 on the power play. Michigan scored once on three power play chances, but had two shorthanded markers to mitigate a five-minute major.

The Spartans will play their final four regular-season games at home, hosting Notre Dame next weekend in a two-game set.

STATISTICS OF NOTE

Nash Nienhuis had his first career multiple-goal night and added an assist.
Dennis Cesana had a goal and an assist
Drew DeRidder made 25 saves .

NOTABLES AND STORYLINES

Michigan took all four meetings of the teams in the 2021-22 season.
MSU was a dominating 49-23 in the faceoff circle.
The Spartans blocked 18 shots to Michigan's seven.

GAME SYNOPSIS

FIRST PERIOD: Mackie Samoskevich forced a turnover at the blue line, giving him a clean breakaway opportunity and allowing him to put the Wolverines on the board just 1:35 into the game. At 7:16, Dylan Duke was camped on the doorstep and was able to bat at a loose puck in front, and got it past DeRidder for a 2-0 advantage. MSU held a 12-11 edge in shots in the period.

SECOND PERIOD: The fans were treated to a wild seven-goal second period. The fireworks began when Michigan's Mark Estapa put a nasty hit on Christian Krygier just past the seven minute mark of the period, and received a five-minute major and game misconduct – this gave MSU a five-minute major power play, and an opportunity to cut into the Wolverine lead. Instead, the Spartans gave up a pair of shorthanded breakaway goals, the first to Jimmy Lambert at 9:12 and a second from Thomas Bordeleau at 10:38. MSU regrouped and scored two power-play goals within a minute in the balance of the power play – one from Nash Nienhuis from Dennis Cesana and Jagger Joshua, the next from Nienhuis and Cesana and Joshua to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Lambert scored his second of the night at 15:09 and Nienhuis got his second less than a minute later to make it 5-3; Michigan got a late goal (18:51) from Nick Granowicz to entend the Michigan lead out to three at the second intermission. Both teams had 24 shots a side at the break,

THIRD PERIOD: After a flurry of goals in the second period, there was a dearth of scoring in the third period by both teams. The Spartans had a struggle getting pucks to the net, and DeRidder turned away the first 14 shots he saw in the frame. With just over 15 seconds remaining in regulation, Luke Hayes' shot off a defensive zone faceoff found its mark for the final margin. It was Hayes' third goal of the series.

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Team Stats

Nash Nienhuis

Dennis Cesana

Jeremy Davidson

Jagger Joshua

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Drew DeRidder

Jagger Joshua

Christian Krygier

Nash Nienhuis

Players Mentioned

Dennis Cesana

Drew DeRidder

Jagger Joshua

Christian Krygier

Nash Nienhuis