After defeating then-No. 1 Michigan in Detroit and hoisting the Iron D Trophy, No. 1 Michigan State hockey took a break from Big Ten competition during its final bye week of the season.
Head coach Adam Nightingale said the bye week came at a good time, as the team has spent all but one week on the road since resuming conference play at the start of January.
The Spartans are back this week and will host Notre Dame at Munn Ice Arena for a two-game series. The opening game is set for Thursday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The series finale is set for Friday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
The Spartans enter the series 13-5-0 in Big Ten action (22-6-0 overall). MSU holds 39 points in the conference, second to No. 2 Michigan due to the Spartans’ bye week. The team did not compete and had no opportunity to earn points.
MSU must continue to win to contend for the Big Ten regular-season title, which it has won the past two years. Junior defenseman and alternate captain Patrick Geary said the title has not been a major topic of conversation.
“We don't talk about it much, we don't have a standings board,” Nightingale said. “We don't bring it up to our guys. We're focused on one day at a time. I think that those things take care of themselves. We have been really consistent the last couple of years here, and I feel like this year we have as well.”
In contrast, the Fighting Irish are at the bottom of the conference with a record of 2-15-1 (6-20-4 overall) and nine points. However, they won their second conference game just last weekend against Minnesota and have forced a few overtimes against Big Ten opponents.
“I don't think we're taking it as a trap game (easy win) at all,” Geary said. “Honestly, we think they're a top-15 team in the country. I know the standings and whatever, their outcome hasn't been great all year, but they have a lot of skill. They're great off the rush, so we got to play our game. It's a great weekend, and they're a tough team for sure.”
Last meeting
The teams met earlier this season on Nov. 14 and 15. The Spartans took the first game in a 4-1 victory, starting strong and finishing with poise. Senior goaltender Dolan Gilbert made his career debut for the Spartans, playing 54 seconds in the arena where he grew up. Gilbert’s father was an equipment manager at Notre Dame during his childhood.
In the second game, MSU broke the puck out sloppily but improved throughout the night, winning 3-1. It was the Spartans’ first conference series on the road.
Scouting the Irish
Forward Evan Werner leads the team in scoring. He’s tallied 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) for the Irish after spending last season with Michigan. He registered five points and a hat trick during Notre Dame’s series against Wisconsin two weeks ago. The Irish lost 5-6 in overtime and 4-5 the next day.
Forwards Sutter Muzzatti (27 points), Cole Knuble (24 points), and Danny Nelson (23 points) trail close behind Werner. The forwards are key components in Notre Dame’s power-play unit, which is ranked No. 5 in the nation, fourth in the Big Ten. Notre Dame has only scored against MSU on the power play this season.
Goaltender Nicholas Kempf is expected in net for the Irish. He has played in 28 games and carries a 3.56 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Kempf competed in three games for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championship this year, alongside freshman forward Ryker Lee and sophomore forward Shane Vansaghi.
“I look at Cole Knuble and Danny Nelson… he's having a great season,” Nightingale said. “Werner's a heck of a player, (defenseman Paul) Fischer on the back end, and a World Junior goalie (Kempf). So we're gonna have to be at our best if we expect to have success.”
This is Notre Dame’s first season under head coach Brock Sheahan. He served as an associate head coach for two seasons prior.
MSU as of late
The Spartans continue to be led by their first line of forwards: seniors Charlie Stramel and Daniel Russell, and freshman Porter Martone. All three of them are on a five-game point streak.
Stramel leads the team with 18 goals and 38 points, while Martone trails with 16 goals and 36 points. Russell has tallied 33 points, including 23 assists, most coming on his linemates’ goals. Despite their production, Spartans from other lines have scored in almost every game this season as well.
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The Spartans’ penalty kill is ranked second in the Big Ten, 22nd in the country.
Junior goaltender Trey Augustine has continued to be a backbone for the team. He holds a 1.96 goals-against average, the best in the conference and fifth nationally. His .932 save percentage ranks second in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation.
The Spartans’ bye week gave them time to fine-tune situations and recover before the final stretch of the season, Geary and Nightingale said.
“They're ready to play now,” Nightingale said. “We practice hard here, and they're ready to play against someone else… There's no more break, and we got to make sure we're playing our best hockey here.”
