After two thrilling third-period comebacks on Friday night, destiny would not be denied. The Spartans, fueled by their signature depth, rallied down two goals in the third period to force overtime and beat Western Michigan. Michigan entered the third trailing by one against North Dakota — a team that was 20-0-0 when leading after two periods — and found a way without superstar Seamus Casey to win, 4-3.
Now, for the sixth time this season, it is the versus the only this time it’s win or go home with a berth on the line.
Michigan State has been one of the darlings of college hockey this season, and an unwelcome thorn in the side of the Wolverines. Michigan is 1-4 against MSU this year, including losses in the Duel in the D and an overtime loss last weekend in the Championship.
At this point, you are familiar with the Spartans and what they bring to the ice, so for this preview, let’s focus on how Michigan can upset its rival and avoid a season-ending loss to Michigan State.
To echo 2021 Jim Harbaugh, we’re going “to beat them or die trying.” In order to avoid death, the Wolverines will need to keep up their physical play, win the second period and mix up their attacks
The officials made it abundantly clear in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament they do not want to decide a game. Actually, they made it clear they were only there to serve as on-the-ice spectators. Normally, this would work against the Wolverines and their top-ranked power play, but as the Sky Hawks found out, Michigan can match physicality with anyone (Mark Estapa’s smirk intensifies) and win games with conditioning.
Now, Michigan can use this physicality to lean on the Spartans and negate some of its rival’s depth-provided advantages. The Wolverines will need to make the neutral zone a battlefield and force the Spartans to feel the weight of the extra minutes played in their first game. If Michigan can lure the Spartans into a street fight, the Wolverines can capitalize with their conditioning, speed and exceptional top line late in the game.
The decisive and highest-scoring period in each of the last two Michigan/Michigan State games has been the middle period. In Detroit, the Spartans outscored Michigan, 2-1, and hung on to win, 3-2. In the tournament championship, Michigan State used a late-period surge to outscore the Wolverines, 3-2, and win, 5-4, in OT.
The long change in the second period has been a friend to the deeper Spartans and Michigan must counter this with long possessions, crips zone exits and puck dumps beyond the center line. Against North Dakota, Michigan struggled early with a myriad of icing penalties, and against Michigan State, these penalties will quickly mount into high-quality scoring chances for the opposition.
Beyond the second stanza, Michigan is actually outscoring the Spartans in the first and third periods combined, 4-2, the last two meetings. If Michigan can win the second period, the Wolverines will likely win the game.
