Ryan Miller seems to have turned the usually potent Miami (Ohio) RedHawks into his personal statistic-padding team.
The junior goaltender recorded another shutout over the RedHawks - his fourth straight whitewash of Miami - in Saturday night’s 2-0 MSU win at Munn Ice Arena.
The Spartans (8-2-1 overall, 7-2-1 CCHA) have now held Miami (6-5-1, 4-3-1) scoreless for 292:07 minutes of hockey, dating to March 11, 2000.
Miami came into the series averaging 3.90 goals per game, but Miller made 28 saves Saturday for his 23rd career shutout. The Spartans also blanked the RedHawks in the series opener Friday, 3-0.
For the second straight night, the Spartans and RedHawks entered the first intermission in a scoreless deadlock.
Both Miller and Miami goalie David Burleigh played well in the opening period - keeping two of the league’s strongest offenses off the scoreboard.
Miller stopped 10 shots in the first frame, including a rocket from Miami defenseman Clarke Walford.
Burleigh turned away point-blank chances from freshman center Jim Slater and junior right wing Troy Ferguson as part of his six-save period. He stopped 26 in the game.
But MSU finally got on the board 8:07 into the second period on freshman center Lee Falardeau’s third goal of the year.
After controlling a loose puck, the rookie wristed a shot at Burleigh and then tipped his own rebound for a 1-0 MSU lead. Senior left wing Joe Goodenow assisted on the tally.
The RedHawks nearly evened the score three minutes later, but Miller stood tall once again.
Miami intercepted a pass from MSU junior defenseman Brad Fast behind the Spartan net, which led to an open shot in the slot by RedHawk right wing Greg Hogeboom. But Miller deflected the one-timer with his blocker and preserved the one-goal lead.
The game also took a decidedly more physical turn in the middle stanza, as numerous skirmishes cropped up after whistles. The most violent tussle came when RedHawk right wing Todd Grant poked Miller after a save, and MSU sophomore defenseman Joe Markusen came to his goalie’s aid.
Four players received roughing after the whistle penalties for the melee, in which Miller gave Grant a face-wash with his glove.
Junior left wing Brian Maloney staked MSU to a 2-0 lead with his fourth tally of the season at 4:21 of the third period.
Junior right wing Steve Jackson fed Maloney in the slot and Maloney one-timed a laser past Burleigh’s glove for the lead-doubling goal.
Both teams’ power play efforts went 0-for-3 on Saturday.
MSU next plays Wisconsin at 7:05 p.m. Friday in the College Hockey Showcase at Munn.
