Michigan State hockey set for biggest weekend of season against rival Michigan
The next edition of college hockey's most-played rivalry coming this weekend will have major postseason implications for both sides.
No. 15 Michigan State and No. 6 Michigan are two of four teams tied for second place with 30 points in the Big Ten with just three weeks remaining in the regular season. No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Penn State are the other two teams in the second-place deadlock. Minnesota is well ahead in first with 43 points.
The regular-season winner gets a bye in the first-round of the conference tournament while the teams in second through fourth places get home ice in their first-round series.
The Spartans (15-13-2 overall, 9-9-2 Big Ten) jumped into the thick of the battle for home ice with last weekend's sweep of Notre Dame. Goaltender Dylan St. Cyr was awarded the First Star of the Week in the Big Ten following his 65 saves over the two games against his former team, including a shutout.
"It was a good weekend for our team, and I thought the building was electric and (St. Cyr) had a really good weekend," MSU coach Adam Nightingale said. "It was a nice way for our seniors to go out, but the way everyone's bought in to the way we want to do things, it leads us into this weekend and a big opportunity."
MSU and U-M (18-9-1, 10-8), which is coming off a sweep of last-place Wisconsin, split their first series this season in December with both sides winning 2-1 games on home ice.
Taking advantage of the schedule
It's MSU's turn for an advantageous schedule as the Spartans will host Michigan on Friday and the Wolverines will concede a home game for the teams to play in the annual "Duel in the D" Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The two schools alternate each year giving up a home game for the game in Detroit.
MSU is 11-4-1 at home this season, with two of those losses coming in the non-conference and two coming against No. 1 Minnesota. With a win Friday, MSU would sweep the rest of the Big Ten, outside of the top-ranked Gophers, while playing at Munn Arena in the regular season.
MSU will announce yet another sellout crowd for Friday's game at Munn — as it has been for all of the Spartans' Big Ten games. This is the first time since the 2011-2012 season that MSU has recorded double-digit wins home wins in a season.
"It's a very exciting week any time you get to play Michigan, and this time it means a lot for the standings," senior forward Erik Middendorf said. "Everyone knows how important home ice is in the playoffs, so every game means something from here on out. I'm excited we get this game at home this year after playing at Yost last year. The Munnsters have been showing up this year and we've been really good at home."
MSU will likely need at least six points in its final four games to clinch a top-four finish and home ice.
Red-hot Wolverines
Michhigan has had its ups and downs this season, dealing with absences due to the World Junior Tournament and an illness outbreak that had so many Wolverines unable to play at one point that they had to dress a backup goaltender as a forward.
But over the past three weeks, U-M has gotten healthier with nearly its full lineup in place and has won five of six games — the lone loss coming in overtime on the road against Minnesota.
The Wolverines are playing their best hockey, led by freshman phenom Adam Fantilli, whose 45 points in just 24 games played leads all of college hockey. Fantilli wasn't in the lineup for the first series between these teams.
"(Fantilli)'s a really talented player and he has a long track record of being an impact player and obviously we'll have to be aware of him," Nightingale said. "We had two really good games earlier, and they are a really good team. Both games were tight, and I expect both games to be close again."
Little Caesars Arena woes
Detroit has not been a kind host to the Spartans recently, as they've dropped the past four against Michigan in the "Duel in the D" and have yet to win a game against U-M at Little Caesars Arena.
The Spartans haven't won the "Duel in the D" since winning in both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. They've won only won one other time since 2004 — a 2-1 win in the 2010-11 season.
Regardless, the MSU players seem eager to play in the atmosphere at LCA, which is generally one of the most attended college hockey games of the season across the country.
"The fans all year have been exceptional, and there's going to be a ton of people at Little Caesars showing their support," sophomore defenseman David Gucciardi said. "Especially with the way the standings are, there's a lot going into it and that excites us a lot and we're really working to be ready to go for those games."
The Friday game at Munn, which will be televised on Bally Sports Detroit, is at 7 p.m. Saturday's game in Detroit, which is on ESPNU, is scheduled for an 8 p.m. puck drop.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU hockey set for biggest weekend of season against rival Michigan
