It’s been 17 years since No. 17 Michigan State last swept No. 20 Notre Dame, a remarkable streak that ended Saturday in East Lansing.
Potent special teams and goaltending can be the difference when the margins are slim, and MSU had both on Friday night.
The win marks Michigan State's first shutout victory since Nov. 26.
Sitting just outside the 16-team NCAA tournament bubble at No. 18 in the PairWise rankings, the Spartans are fighting to earn a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
The Spartans will honor 10 seniors following the conclusion of Saturday's game versus Notre Dame.
Six of the seven Big Ten teams are now ranked, with Notre Dame, MSU's next opponent, entering at No. 20.
Michigan State led 2-1 midway through the game, but five straight goals from Minnesota resulted in another sweep.
The Spartans have the opportunity to regroup and redeem themselves as they return to 3M Arena for a rematch with the Gophers Saturday at 5 p.m.
The puck drops at 8 p.m. Friday night and 5 p.m. Saturday. Both games will be televised on Bally Sports North, as well as streaming on Big Ten Plus.
It will be No. 2 versus No. 15 when Michigan State travels to Minnesota this weekend.
Viktor Hurtig had never been to the United States until this summer, but the late find by Michigan State's coaching staff is paying off already.
Michigan State grabbed four points versus Penn State and moved up two spots in the USCHO Poll.
Jagger Joshua has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, but most importantly it's translating to wins for Michigan State.
Michigan State’s resilience earned the Spartans their first overtime win of the season and first win since Dec. 9
Michigan State will attempt to sweep Penn State Saturday night at 7 p.m. in East Lansing.
The Spartans return home to Munn Ice Arena for the first time since Dec. 9 – the date of their last win. They face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
Michigan State has won just one game since Thanksgiving weekend.
The Spartans continued to struggle with penalties in their fifth straight loss, but Nightingale remains optimistic and said the team is not done learning yet.
The Spartans have another shot to break their losing streak as they return home to Munn Ice Arena to face No. 5 Penn State next Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
MSU has a chance to improve its penalty kill percentage – among other woes – in a rematch with the Buckeyes on Saturday at 4 p.m., which will be the final meeting of the regular season between the teams.