It’s not an uncommon hockey strategy, but it seems to have penetrated the top-ranked Spartans’ consciousness more than usual in the early stages of this season.
“Just get the puck to the net and see what happens,” junior left wing Brian Maloney repeated again and again after practice Monday.
The Spartans won’t call it their season motto, but it’s close. After all, MSU (3-0-1 overall, 3-0-1 CCHA) is averaging more than 37 shots per game this year after averaging just fewer than 30 shots in 42 games last season.
MSU head coach Ron Mason attributes the shot surge to the team’s new personnel - featuring six freshmen forwards - and also to its revamped offensive scheme.
“You can’t coach goals and you really can’t coach offense much either - you recruit offense,” Mason said.
“But you can get your team playing a little different system to give them more opportunities to get in offensive positions and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to give them more chances to get a 2-on-1 or to create a shot than we did last year.”
MSU’s let ’er rip mentality has been especially evident in its last three games - all Spartan victories. The Spartans amassed 39 and 46 shots in two wins over Lake Superior State and 40 shots in their 2-0 shutout of Ferris State on Saturday.
Freshman center Jim Slater said the Spartans are free to shoot whenever they’re open.
“Any time you can get a shot on net, no matter what shot it is, you’re going to take it,” Slater said.
“We shoot from all over the place, you know, hoping somebody’s going to the net for a rebound.”
But Mason said not all shots are good shots.
“Ones that miss the damn net and go all the way around the back of your zone when you’ve got everybody in the zone, especially on a power play, (are bad shots),” Mason said.
“Either that or getting it blocked by the defense and creating a chance for the other team.”
Still, there is some merit to forcing the opposing goalie to play the puck as much as possible.
“Every time you put the puck on net, the goalie’s got to do something with it,” sophomore center Tim Hearon said.
“I’ve seen some pretty crazy goals here in the past couple of years. I mean, up in (Sault St. Marie, former right wing) John Nail won the game for us with a shot from the red line last year.”
Shots could become more of a commodity this weekend as MSU travels to its first road series of the season - at No. 12 Nebraska-Omaha (3-1-0, 0-0-0) on Friday and Saturday.
The Mavericks boast all-CCHA defenseman Greg Zanon and CCHA all-rookie goaltender Dan Ellis and only allowed about 30 shots a game last season.
So Maloney, who has one of the hardest slap shots on the team, said MSU has to be wise with its shot selection in the nation’s heartland this weekend.
“You don’t want to give the goalie an easy save or let him feel the puck or rip one into his glove - that’s kind of like a giveaway,” Maloney said. “You have to shoot smart, but still shoot often.
“As we start playing the top teams, so they say, it’ll be tougher to get 40 shots, but we’ll keep playing our defensive style and getting the puck to the net.”
