Optimistic, Ferrantino reiterated the message head coach Tom Anastos delivered to his team following the loss.

“We have to find game,” Anastos said. “I thought there were some things tonight that took place that can - and maybe I’m reaching to find some good - but I thought we saw some positive steps in our game tonight.”

The Spartans struck first when sophomore forward Dylan Pavelek drove the net on a breakaway and snapped a shot high over the glove of Michigan goaltender Steve Racine to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

MSU’s play through the first half of the first period was a stark contrast to the previous night holding the Wolverines to one shot through the first ten minutes. Ultimately MSU held Michigan to 11 shots in the period compared to the 20 it gave up the night before.

The Wolverine’s started to come alive around the five minute mark of the period, peppering Hildebrand and the MSU defense. Goaltender Jake Hildebrand stoned Cooper Marody with a miraculous stretching save on the power play to preserve a one goal lead.

Dexter Dancs would finally break with 1:28 to play in the period Hildebrand when Max Shuart, behind the net, found Dancs on the doorstep. Dancs lifted Shuart’s pass through Hildebrand’s arm, watched the puck trickle over the line then promptly celebrated in the corner, tying the game at 1-1.

Cooper Marody kicked off the barrage four straight second period Michigan goals when a rebound careened right to him and he buried it behind a diving Hildebrand. Michael Downing added another tally to make it 3-1 less than a minute later.

Zach Werenski provided a little flair that seemed to wake MSU up when the defenseman sniped one over Hildebrand’s shoulder then proceeded to mimic playing a violin on the ensuing celebration. The floodgates had flown open.

The Spartans started playing with a little more fire, making crisper passes and flying up and down the ice but a Tyler Motte goal with 7:45 to go in the period delayed any Spartan response.

Villiam Haag carried the response when he walked off the side wall, skated to the top of the circle and wristed one by the blocker of Racine. MSU cut the deficit to 5-3 shortly thereafter, when captain Michael Ferrantino snapped a wrist shot over Racine on a MSU 5-on-3 man advantage.

“There seemed to be a little more structure, a little more cohesiveness,” Ferrantino said. “We kinda got back to play our game a little bit more which was nice.”

Ferrantino’s rocket of a shot proved to be all the Spartans could squeeze out of their tank. Of their seven shots in the period, only a few were opportune chances, with most being knocked to the corner or held easily by Racine.

Michigan’s 6-3 victory over MSU assured it that it would stay atop the Big Ten standings with 13 points and keep MSU in the role of basement dweller with a measly three points.