In the latest edition of the Mitten State rivalry, Michigan and Michigan State face off as top-10 foes at each school’s home rink. Here is our hockey preview for this weekend’s huge series:
The last time the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans faced off on the ice, a spot in the Frozen Four was on the line. The stakes are not as high this time around, but this series is still one of the most important Big Ten hockey weekends of the year.
Series Preview
The No. 10 Wolverines (13-8-1, 7-5 Big Ten) face off against the No. 1 Spartans (18-2-2, 9-1-2) in a pivotal home-and-home affair, with Friday night’s contest in Ann Arbor and Saturday sequel in East Lansing.
Michigan has struggled to put together complete weekends over the last month. It split against Notre Dame last weekend, split against Ohio State and, you guessed it, split against Wisconsin prior to that. Staying afloat is fine, but if the Wolverines are to make some noise on the national level — as are the expectations every year — they need to starting sweeping some teams.
However, they face another tough test in the Big Ten gauntlet.
Talent isn’t holding Michigan back. Freshman forward and Montréal Canadiens first-round draft pick Michael Hage leads the team in goals (13) and points (24) despite missing three contests. Forwards TJ Hughes (20 points), Evan Werner (16 points) and Garrett Schifsky (14 points) are also key contributors up front.
Captain Jacob Truscott mans the blue line and provides a sturdy, defense-first approach that matches up nicely against any opponent’s top line. This series also has Ethan Edwards written all over it, as the future New Jersey Devil is a stalwart defensively and has shown flashes on offense.
More importantly, he plays with a certain edge that will be crucial to pulling off the upset.
But, as has been the case over the last several years, the Wolverines sometimes rely too heavily on skill. We’ve seen bigger teams like Minnesota and Notre Dame push them around when the game tightens up, and the Spartans will no doubt try to do the same. MSU head coach Adam Nightingale’s squad is versatile enough to adapt to any game style.
Michigan State received 48 out of 50 first-place votes in the latest USCHO.com Rankings . The Spartans led by USA World Juniors starting goaltender Trey Augustine, captain Red Savage and leading scorer Isaac Howard (18 goals and 33 points).
Augustine supports an absurd 1.97 goals against average and a .931 save percentage through 15 starts (11-2-2). But what stands out even more is his sophomore classmate, Luca Di Pasquo, is 7-0-0 with a 1.70 GAA and a .933 save percentage. Yeah, they’re that good.
So no matter who is in net for MSU, the Wolverines will be tasked with an uphill battle.
MSU also hasn’t lost in regulation since Dec. 6 at Wisconsin. Fortunately for Michigan, stats go out the window during this emotional rivalry.
Keys to the Game
Muck it up. Michigan is going to need some puck luck to beat Augustine (or Di Pasquo). Power forwards like Mark Estapa, Kienan Draper and Josh Eernisse aren’t afraid to get to the dirty areas and will likely need that courage to upset the Spartans.
Michigan typically wants to play with speed and skill, but a dump-and-chase, grind-it-out style could prove beneficial. MSU has an extremely talented roster and won’t be starstruck by guys like Hage or Hughes.
On the back end, the Wolverine defensemen must avoid costly turnovers and keep the puck in the Spartans’ zone. Additionally, penalties will also play a big role — whichever team can irritate its opponent into boneheaded mistakes usually comes out on top. Expect a physical, hard-fought contest in which the cooler heads will prevail.
Game 1
When: Friday, Jan 17, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
How to watch: BTN+
Game 2
When: Saturday, Jan 18, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI
How to watch: BTN