Michigan State Hockey preview: Home opener vs. No. 2 Boston College

Michigan State hockey prepares for a weekend showdown with Boston College. Two powerhouse programs looking to start the season strong.

After a pair of wins to open the season against Lake Superior State, Michigan State hockey returns to Munn Ice Arena. The team had a good showing, even if there are some things that need to be cleaned up. The team picked up a 2-1 overtime win on Friday and a dominant 5-1 win on Saturday. Those two games helped build up a lot of confidence going into a series that has potential national championship implications as the Eagles of Boston College come to Munn.

Matchup history

These are two teams that don’t see each other very often, but when they do the games are important. The Spartans and Eagles first played each other in 1954. This weekend will mark the 31st and 32nd time that these two schools have met on the ice. The all time series record is 17-12-1 in favor of the Spartans. The last few meetings between these teams have not gone in favor of MSU, though.

Michigan State hockey has lost the last five games against Boston College. The last time that the Spartans beat the Eagles was 2007 in the national title game. That game was tied 1-1 with 19 seconds remaining in the third period before Justin Abdelkader scored to win the championship for the Spartans.

Boston College overview

Unlike the Spartans, the Eagles have yet to play a game. Their last action was in the National Championship last season against the University of Denver. They ended up losing that game to Denver 2-0 in Saint Paul, Minn. This year, the team will still be very tough, but will be missing the talents of Will Smith and Cutter Gauthier. Both of these players signed professional contracts and will be playing in the NHL this season.

Though the team is missing heavy hitters from last season, they still look to be one of the best teams in the nation. The offensive talent that they have will provide a challenge for this Spartan Defense. Trey Augustine will also need to be on his game. The biggest boost for the Spartans in this series will be the Munn crowd that is already sold out. They will be looking to be loud tonight and push this team along.

Michigan State overview

For the Spartans, it helps that the team has already built confidence with two wins last weekend. The team is going to need that going against this Eagles team. It will be really interesting to see how the offenses compare. On paper, Boston College has a better offense, what they don’t have as much of is depth. The depth at forward for MSU was a hallmark last season and provided this team with a lot of timely goals.

It will also be important that the team stays out of the penalty box.

Last season the Spartans were one of the most penalized teams in all of college hockey. If the team can keep the play clean while ramping up the intensity, the score should remain close. Lastly, the defense will need to keep up the strong play from last week. If it holds up similar to last week, look for MSU to at least split this series.

Where to watch

Fans looking to watch the Spartans have two chances to catch their team. For the Friday night game, the game will be on the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m. ET. On Saturday, the game will start at 6 p.m. ET and air on BTN+. The Spartans will be looking to fill the barn and come away with two big wins against a high caliber opponent.

Keep checking here at Spartan Shadows for more information on MSU Hockey. For live tweeting during both games, follow @ikerss98.