Michigan State hockey began their postseason push on Saturday, fresh off a bye for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans were rewarded for their regular season success with a date against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes had taken Michigan State to the brink before, requiring a 13-round shootout to bury on Senior Night in the last contest at Munn Ice Arena before Saturday.
The Spartans started strong, but Ohio State responded fiercely. In the end, it was the Buckeyes that prevailed in some extra hockey, with a Felix Caron shot less than 3 minutes into overtime sending OSU to the cusp of stealing a bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Here are some rapid reactions from Munn Ice Arena.
1. Discipline will define this team
The game started with a strong Spartan start, outshooting Ohio State 7-to-1 early in the first. However, the game flipped, partially from a 4-on-3 powerplay that Ohio State buried. Michigan State hockey is tremendously talented, but the disciplinary concerns reared their ugly head Saturday.
Maxim Strbak turned an MSU powerplay into the 4-on-4 by a retaliatory hit to Felix Caron that was whistled as roughing.
Anthony Romani took all the wind out of MSU’s sails in the second period with a penalty with 25.2 seconds to play recording a tripping as the Spartans pushed for a go ahead goal.
Charlie Stramel compounded matters, with a high sticking turning into a 5-on-3 that MSU could kill off. However, they lost crucial time to attack.
When they played penalty-free hockey the rest of the third period, the Spartans were gifted multiple top chances. However, those chances could not be capitalized on, leading to overtime and a loss.
2. The captain has an off night
The Spartans entered the “win-or-go-home” section of the year with a few players looking for one last run for glory. Among those is senior defenseman and Michigan State hockey captain Matt Basgall.
The normally stout defenseman had an off night. He could not corral multiple bouncing pucks, leading to one of OSU’s goals on the night. Additionally, the first Spartan powerplay saw Basgall unable to handle pucks on back-to-back attacks, with one attempt nearly turning into an Ohio State shorthanded goal.
This was a shockingly out of sorts day for Basgall, and it came at the worst time. However, Saturday did not signal the end of the Spartan season. Basgall gets a mulligan this time.
There is very minimal concern for Basgall rallying for his next chance. All around the ice, there were a few plays that could have flipped the tide, even a little bit, and the blame does not rest solely on the captain.
3. The Buckeyes have the Spartans’ number
It is apparent that Ohio State has solved Michigan State hockey. After the Spartans ran Ohio State off the ice in the opening game of the season series, 6-2, the Buckeyes have gone 3-0-1 against the green and white.
Adam Nightingale was extremely complimentary of the Buckeyes and their ability to play sound hockey, along with their discipline. He expressed optimism at seeing Ohio State again, although many of the fans would prefer to not see the Buckeyes until the 2026-2027 season.
Trey Augustine was left out to dry on multiple occasions on Saturday night, and saved some solid chances by the Buckeyes. However, it is clear that there is a good Buckeyes scouting report on Augustine and the Spartan defense.
What is next for Michigan State hockey?
The Spartans get an extra bye week due to this loss, and will await their tournament draw next Sunday, March 22. There is no danger of MSU being held out of the tournament, and the Spartans are likely a one-seed based on other losses around the NCAA during postseason tournaments.
