Thursday, March 28, 2024

Spartans score on one-man advantages

October 8, 2001
Junior goalie Ryan Miller blocks a shot by U of M during the Cold War game on Saturday. Miller blocked 19 shots for the Spartans. —

MSU had to have an extra skater to manage a 3-3 tie with Michigan in “The Cold War” at Spartan Stadium on Saturday.

But, considering the otherwise underwhelming Spartan performance, MSU head coach Ron Mason will take the CCHA point any way he can get it.

The top-ranked Spartans (0-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 CCHA) scored all three of their goals while skating with at least a one-man advantage - two on the power play and the game-tying tally with 47 seconds to play and junior goaltender Ryan Miller out of the net.

And while it probably would have warmed Mason’s heart to score at least once playing at even-strength, he said he was encouraged by MSU’s 2-for-6 power play production.

“We maintained possession in the zone, which you have to do,” Mason said. “The timing on it wasn’t great and (U-M is) a very good penalty killing team as well, so it’s probably not going to be as good against them as it will be against others.

“They took some penalties they had to take in the third period and we capitalized.”

The MSU power play unit led the league with a .229 success rate last season, but lost key contributors from last year’s team such as Rustyn Dolyny, Damon Whitten and John Nail.

Before “The Cold War,” Mason cautioned it takes time for an effective power play unit to mesh, but Saturday’s effort made a good first impression.

Senior right wing Adam Hall got the power play rolling by scoring the first goal of MSU’s season 3:25 into Saturday’s first period. With U-M defenseman Andy Burnes serving a slashing penalty, MSU freshman forward Jim Slater fed Hall streaking toward the net and the Spartans’ team captain tipped the puck over U-M goaltender Josh Blackburn for the tally.

“Obviously, you can always improve,” Hall said of the power play. “But we were working it around pretty well, especially for the first game of the season. Clicking on the power play like that was very key for us tonight.”

Freshman defenseman Duncan Keith got into the power play merriment 5:43 into the third period with MSU on a 5-on-3 advantage. Keith uncorked a blistering slap shot from just inside the blue line that whizzed past Blackburn for his first collegiate goal.

But Slater was the Spartans’ unforeseen hero Saturday. With Miller out of the net in favor of a 6-on-5 MSU advantage, the rookie from Lapeer forced overtime and ignited the crowd by swatting a loose puck into the Wolverine net.

Slater credited his linemates Hall and junior left wing Brian Maloney with creating offensive opportunities with a man-advantage all game.

“You can’t ask for any better guys than those guys - they make you want to play hard,” Slater said. “It was a good job all around.”

But odds are the MSU power play units won’t remain the same all season and Mason could even shake them up before the Spartans’ two-game series with Lake Superior State on Thursday and Friday at Munn Ice Arena.

Keith said there’s still work to be done on the power play, despite its success Saturday.

“It was pretty good, but we got a lot to go on getting to know each other,” Keith said. “Maybe we can work on the breakouts a little more too - just a lot of things to work on.

“Overall, it was a good first effort. I’m not taking anything away, it was a good team effort to come back and the power play helped us out a lot.”

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