Michigan State Hockey: 5 takeaways from split with No. 11 Ohio State

Over the weekend, No. 2 Michigan State hockey (21-4-3) traveled to Columbus to take on the No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes (16-8-2). After sweeping the Buckeyes in the first season series at Munn Ice Arena, the Spartans were not able to complete the season sweep. The team fell to the Buckeyes 4-2 in Game 1 and was able to win Game 2 by a 4-1 score.

While a loss stings, Game 1 was the first time since early December that the Spartans failed to receive at least one point. This leaves the Spartans still ahead in the Big Ten standings, with a two-point lead now on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Let’s take a look at some of the trends shown in this series.

1. Strong Spartan defensive play

It seems like this is a recurring theme with the Spartan defense. The Spartans are very good at limiting chances and turning them into opportunities on the other side of the ice. This weekend took that to another level. In both games, it seemed as though nobody could get into the high-danger areas for the majority of the games. The shots were either getting blocked by defenders, or they were disrupting the play with a poke check. This forces teams to work outside of the zone that we call the slot, which is in between the two faceoff circles. Due to its proximity to the goalie, most goals are scored from this region.

Some of the standouts over the weekend for their defensive play include Maxim Strbak and Patrick Geary. These two are well known for what they provide offensively for the Spartans but are showing that they are also great two-way players. One of the biggest needs when facing a strong team like the Buckeyes is a tight-knit defensive core. Both of these guys are leaders on that blue line that have elevated the defensive play. This has created opportunities for their team as far as offensive production.

2. Riley Thompson is a force

Credit needs to be given when it is due. While the Spartan offense struggled on Thursday night, there was one player who elevated the Buckeyes to victory, Riley Thompson. The undrafted sophomore is making a case for why he should get looks from different NHL teams soon. Since transferring from the University of Alaska, which was his only offer, he has exploded on the score sheet. This season Thompson is tied for a team lead in goals and is second in assists (12-12-24). These marks tie him up with his points total from last season.

While he is a great player it is the moments that he takes over that led to the loss on Thursday night. He factored in on three of the goals that the Buckeyes scored (2-1-3). After Michigan State hockey took an early lead he scored with about five minutes remaining and then once again early in the second. The second goal came as he exited the penalty box. As frustrating as it was to watch for Spartan fans, this kid should garner some attention in the future.

3. Faceoff issues limit opportunities

It is very hard to score when you don’t have puck possession. For most of the season, this has not been an issue for the Spartans. Though the team occasionally starts slow, it usually doesn’t take long for the offense to pick it up. Winning faceoffs is a very important part of getting that puck possession. The Spartans on the season are averaging a faceoff win percentage of about .510 for the season. This mark is good enough to be in the top 25 nationwide. Unfortunately, that number was a struggle to reach this weekend. The Spartans averaged a faceoff percentage of .495 over the weekend. This number is slightly inflated by a better performance on Friday night.

One of the key aspects of the loss was a lack of puck possession and losing faceoffs in key moments.

4. A tale of two offenses

This season, Michigan State hockey has been consistently one of the best offensive teams in the country. The team ranks top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. That is clearly one of the strengths the Spartans possess. Unfortunately, that offense was not able to show up in both games. That is for multiple reasons. Blocked shots and defensive positioning made life very difficult for the Spartans all weekend.

The difference seems to be that there was a very sluggish appearance in the Thursday night game that wasn’t there on Friday. This is not to say that the team looked bad, it is just that their performance was not up to the usual standard that they’ve set. Whatever Adam Nightingale said following the Thursday game seemed to work though as the offense was able to rise above the great defense by the Buckeyes.

5. Strong showing on special teams

On both sides of special teams over the weekend, the Spartans played stellar. This season the team has had relative success despite getting several penalties. This weekend the Spartans limited the opportunities on the powerplay for the Buckeyes. The Spartans only committed two penalties all weekend and the Buckeyes were unable to make anything happen with the extra man. As far as the Spartan powerplay, they were able to score on one of their three powerplays. The Spartan discipline has been something that Nightingale talks about endlessly. While early in the season the penalties were putting the Spartans in unnecessary danger, outside of the Michigan series they have been great. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Michigan series will be full of penalties on both sides. If the Spartans can keep this trend going, this could work out very well once it comes to tournament time.

Next series preview

Speaking of the Wolverines, the Spartans will be facing off against their arch-rivals for the final time in the regular season next weekend. The series will be split between East Lansing and Detroit. The Friday night game will be at Munn Ice Arena. On Saturday, expect a full house at Little Caesars Arena for the Duel in the D. The Spartans will be looking to defend their 3-2 victory from last season.

Expect a physical game with excellent goaltending as the most played rivalry in college hockey adds two more chapters. Friday night’s game will be streaming at 7 p.m. ET on BTN+ and Saturday will be airing on the Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. The audio will be available on the Spartan Media Network.