Like a good lawyer, head coaches can often view a replay and see something totally different than their opponent sees.
Such was the case after No. 4 MSU (9-2-2 overall, 7-2-1 CCHA) notched a 2-1 win over Wisconsin (6-6-0) on Friday night in the College Hockey Showcase at Munn Ice Arena.
The debate centered around MSU senior defenseman Andrew Hutchinson’s controversial game-winning goal with 5:17 to play - which was aided greatly by some physical play by freshman center Lee Falardeau in front of the Badger net.
As the game inched closer to an overtime period, Hutchinson took control of the puck deep in the Wisconsin zone and wristed a soft, low shot through the crease.
Badger goaltender Scott Kabotoff’s poke-check attempt sent the puck about six feet in the air and, apparently, onto Badger defenseman Rob Vega’s back briefly. Falardeau barreled down the crease and sent Vega and the puck into the net and referee Duke Shegos immediately awarded a goal to Hutchinson.
But both Kabotoff and Wisconsin head coach Jeff Sauer maintain the goal should have been disallowed and Falardeau should have been whistled for a penalty.
“The (MSU) guy pushed our defenseman into our goaltender,” Sauer said. “It’s either interference or cross-checking. If he’s trying to play the puck, how do you play the puck with your stick up like (that) behind the guy’s back?”
MSU head coach Ron Mason saw the play develop differently.
“Technically, it was a legal goal unless it was a cross-checking penalty and who knows if it was or it wasn’t,” Mason said. “A lot of stuff goes on in front of the net all the time.
“At home you’re probably going to get that call and maybe on the road you wouldn’t. How the goal went in, or didn’t go in, I thought we controlled the third period.”
Falardeau also said afterward that he thinks his play was legal.
“That happens all the time during a game,” he said. “I didn’t see a whole lot, I was just driving to the net to get things happening.
“I saw the puck go up and then I lost it after that. I think, actually, the puck went in as I was going to the net and the defenseman was still up, not even into the goalie.”
Hutchinson, who earned his first tally of the season on the play, said he thought the play was legal and that Falardeau scored the goal.
“Basically, I just tried to throw it soft so it would sit out nice in the crease and wouldn’t go through,” Hutchinson said. “Fortunately, the goalie deflected it and Falardeau made a nice play - a lot of intensity in front of the net and pushed the guy back and it went in. He’s the guy that made the play happen.
“I couldn’t see everything, but it was two guys fighting for the puck and I think (Vega) kind of tripped over his goalie and, fortunately for us, it was a goal and we got the win.”
Bad luck dogged the Badgers all game. Two Wisconsin shots hit the crossbar and two more hit posts as most of the key bounces went MSU’s way Friday.
A disgruntled Kabotoff, who made 30 saves for the Badgers, lamented Wisconsin’s bad fortune and the Shegos’ ruling of the game-winning goal.
“I guess those are the kind of breaks you get when you’re ranked that high,” he said.
Milestone
MSU recorded its 1,000th all-time victory Friday night.
MSU is the 10th team to post 1,000 victories and the Spartans are the second CCHA team to reach the milestone after archrival Michigan, which has 1,255.
Minnesota is the all-time winningest program with 1,408 wins.
