Two things are on the Spartans' minds as they wrap up their regular season against Western Michigan this weekend - to get on a roll heading into the playoffs and to honor their seven departing teammates.
MSU (19-13-2 overall, 15-10-1 CCHA) and the Broncos (15-17-2, 13-12-1) play Friday at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo and Saturday at Munn Ice Arena. Both games start at 7:05 p.m.
In the Spartans' best-case scenario, they would sweep the Broncos and archrival Michigan would sweep a road series from Ohio State this weekend. That would allow MSU to overtake the Buckeyes for third place in the final standings.
"If it takes Michigan winning two to get us into third, absolutely I'd pull for them very hard," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "But we have to bank on ourselves. We need two wins.
"We want to get to Western's goaltenders. I think their defensemen are vulnerable and we can get to Western. I've always thought you can hurt them on the rush and at the goal line."
Adding to the drama this weekend, Saturday is MSU's annual senior night.
Seven players - defensemen Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles, left wing Brian Maloney, center/right wing Troy Ferguson, forward/defenseman Steve Clark, right wing Kris Koski, and junior forward Tim Hearon - will be honored during festivities before the game.
Student manager Bill Scott also will be recognized.
It won't be the last time the septet of Spartans plays at Munn, as MSU will host a first-round CCHA Tournament series next week, but it still will be a career culmination of sorts.
"It's a last hurrah kind of thing," Clark said. "It's kind of depressing. You know that your college career is coming to an end and you're going to have to go out into the real world. But it's exciting at the same time because we're in the playoff race.
"My big plan (Saturday) is to not fall down coming onto the ice."
Hearon, 24, has only used three years of eligibility, but he will graduate in May and decided not to return for his senior season.
The biggest ovations on senior night will probably be reserved for Liles and Fast, a pair of All-American candidates. They have played together since they were freshmen, and Saturday, they will take successive, spotlighted laps around the rink.
"It's something that I always took seriously when I was an underclassman, just out of respect for the older guys," Fast said. "Right now, I hope everyone else does the same, because it is a very special night for all of us. It's going to be emotional."
Koski has played only two games this year, but Comley said he will be in the lineup Saturday.
Tellin' it like it is
After Friday's 4-0 win over No. 8 U-M in Ann Arbor, Comley said something coaches don't usually say with yet-to-be-played games on the schedule.
"This season will be viewed as a disappointment when it's all said and done," Comley said. "I know that. But I just have to continue to make strides.
"Any win right now is big for me as I try to establish myself in this program."
With 13 losses this season, the Spartans have lost almost as many times as the previous two seasons combined (14). Comley is in his first season with MSU after spending 26 years at Northern Michigan.
Should(er) he play?
Sophomore center Jim Slater, the Spartans' most dangerous forward, is "questionable" for this weekend with a left shoulder injury.
Comley said Slater's shoulder has stabilized, and the player has been practicing all week. But Slater still is sore and lacks full range of motion, which affects his shooting and body checking.
"He's in the picture," Comley said. "He's gotten much better the last two days."
Despite Slater's wishes to play, the Spartan coaching staff held him out of both games against U-M last weekend.
Out in the cold
The Spartans received 10 votes in this week's USCHO.com poll and three votes in the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine ranking, leaving them out of both 15-team polls.
In the all-important Pairwise Rankings, which predict the NCAA Tournament field, MSU is tied with Harvard and Dartmouth for 16th place. The Spartans likely have to move up two or three spots to get an at-large invitation to the tournament.
Comley says it will be tough, even if MSU sweeps Western this weekend.
"Hey listen, we've lost to Niagara, Lake Superior, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio)," Comley said. "We have not shown the ability to win all games we should win. We're going to have to fight for our lives."
Postseason fever
MSU has clinched home-ice advantage for the best-of-three first round of the CCHA Tournament, which will be played March 14-16.
Tickets are on sale for $20 to the public and $8 to students. Call (517)355-1610 or (800)GO-STATE for more information.
Bloody shame
During the second intermission of Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Wolverines, officials from the American Red Cross announced U-M had won the first annual "Blood Drive Face-off" between the rival schools.
Wolverines donated 553 pints of blood during the monthlong drive, compared to 548 for MSU. Therefore, U-M has temporary possession of the traveling trophy that will be up for grabs before the Joe Louis Arena game each year.
