With their winning flame now doused, the No. 6 Spartans play two games against a hot Western Michigan team this weekend in a home-and-home series.
MSU's 2-1 loss Tuesday to Ferris State — the team's first since Jan. 5 at Miami (Ohio) — snapped its nine-game unbeaten streak. The team heads into Kalamazoo tonight and comes back to East Lansing on Saturday to play a Western Michigan (14-15-1 overall, 11-12-1 CCHA) team that's won seven of its last 10 games and now is fighting for home ice advantage in the CCHA playoffs.
But the last three games may have taken a toll on the Spartans (18-9-3, 14-7-3).
Aside from Tuesday's loss, MSU head coach Rick Comley even has chalked up Saturday's 3-3 tie against Michigan as a loss to some extent.
"I think you always worry about the psyche of your team," Comley said.
"We've lost two in a row now. Well, not lost two in a row, I guess, but games that we should have had a little bit more out of perhaps."
If there is anything MSU can take out of Tuesday's loss, it's motivation.
With only four games remaining this season, each game comes with added significance and less breathing room regarding the NCAA Tournament.
"It kind of sets us back and makes us overall just look at the big picture," sophomore forward Justin Abdelkader said. "Maybe that was good for us going into these last four games."
The Spartans know their quality of play must improve, and they know where it must improve.
"Your concerns are the fact that we're giving up too many shots and not generating enough," Comley said. "We know we're not the greatest offensive team. But we're pretty darn good defensively with very good goaltending. You just have to score at the right times of games."
The numbers indicate there will be plenty of opportunities to score this weekend. Although the season statistics don't do justice to Broncos goaltender Riley Gill's play during the last 10 games, Western Michigan is still last in the CCHA on the penalty kill and second to last in goals allowed per game.
Junior forward Jim McKenzie's return to the lineup will bring much-needed size and scoring ability back to the second line. McKenzie missed all three games this past week because of a nagging shoulder injury, forcing Comley to alter line combinations.
And while the Spartans may have more chances to put the puck in the net, sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg will likely see fewer shots this weekend.
After stopping 115 shots overthe past three games, it may be comforting that the Broncos fired only 39 shots during two games last weekend against Alaska.
But still, it may be difficult to anticipate what Western Michigan's game plan will be when the two teams take the ice.
"Over the years, we've seen a lot of different things from them," Comley said.
"When I watched the (Alaska) series, they played an up-tempo, aggressive game, they were physical, they pressured on the penalty kill. They had the puck a lot, they just didn't generate a lot out of it. You would think that's how they're going to play, but you just never know."
