Now, nearly six months and 34 games later, MSU hockey has finally turned that corner. It didn’t always look like the Spartans would reach that junction this year.

MSU started the season going 4-8, which wasn’t too much of a surprise for the team picked to finish second-to-last place in the Preseason Big Ten Poll.

The Spartans showed glimpses of a group that was turning the page as a rebuilding program. They beat No. 14 Ferris State in early November, and hung with high-profile teams such as Boston University, Massachusetts-Lowell and Boston College.

Still, something was missing that kept MSU from finding the consistency needed to string wins together.

Then on Dec. 6, the Spartans suffered their worst loss of the season against No 3 Minnesota. That 5-0 loss helped serve as a wake-up call.

Anastos suspended senior forward Matt Berry after the game, who was leading the Spartans in points at the time.

MSU responded with what Anastos called their best game of the season by tying the Gophers 3-3 and beating them in a shootout.

Since that Saturday night, the Spartans have looked like a different team.

MSU went 12-6-1 through the end of the regular season, which was enough to secure them a second-place finish in the Big Ten.

The stretch included three sweeps of Big Ten opponents at Munn Ice Arena, a 2-1 victory over No. 13 Michigan at Joe Louis Arena, and a vital 4-2 win over Minnesota at Mariucci Arena.

It’s seen Berry come back from his six-game suspension and produce at a point-per-game pace.

It saw two Spartans post hat tricks at Munn, one by sophomore forward Mackenzie MacEachern and the other by junior forward Ryan Keller.

MSU’s penalty kill and defense have both moved among the best in the country over that stretch.

Sophomore forward Joe Cox gave one of the most inspiring performances in the history of Munn in a February sweep of Penn State.

And, what has probably been the biggest reason for the Spartans’ resurgence, it has seen junior goaltender Jake Hildebrand cement himself as the best goaltender in the Big Ten and possibly the nation.

With that being said, it took every single one of the Spartans buying in to Anastos’ philosophy to get where they are now. It took Berry becoming more of a set-up player than pure scorer.

It took players like Keller and junior forward Matt DeBlouw to listen to Anastos’ endless requests to go to the net.

All in all, it required a collective mentality of putting teammates above self. One that Anastos says needs to be instinctual and not fabricated.

MSU has scored 47 and 50 less goals than the Gophers and Wolverines, respectively. The Spartans were never going to win on talent alone. They don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone, as the great Herb Brooks would say.

The Spartans earned the first round bye in the Big Ten tournament by playing a gritty, defensive game and relying on their goaltender in critical moments.

That’s not to say MSU hasn’t flashed some skill throughout the year. It has scored three or more goals in eight of its last 10 games. That didn’t just happen with puck luck.

Nevertheless, the Spartans aren’t satisfied with what they have accomplished. They have their sights set on an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and beyond.

MSU will have to win two games at the Big Ten tournament this weekend in order to do so. If the regular season holds true, that will likely mean two victories against UM and the Gophers.

While it is a tough road to get there, Anastos and the Spartans already proved they can turn the corner.