EAST LANSING, Mich. — With the Big Ten regular-season title for the taking this weekend and these teams a point apart at the top of the standings at the start of the night, Michigan and Michigan State delivered heart-stopping hockey, with the Wolverines prevailing 5-3 to leap ahead of the Spartans by two points in the standings heading into Saturday’s last game of the season.
Michigan netted the first two and last two goals of the game, and in a physical contest replete with quirky goals scored by both teams, that really was the difference.
“I like the way we started the game,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “I like the way we finished it.”
On goals by Dexter Dancs and Culter Martin, the Wolverines led 2-0 by 9:42 mark in the first.
Dancs said that Michigan knew that a fast start was necessary against Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand, who led the nation in save percentage (.952) from Jan. 1 until tonight.
“We know how good Hildebrand is,” said Dancs, “and we needed to get bodies to the net. State’s really good when they have the lead, and we didn’t want to give it to them.”
Dancs’ goal, his third of the season, was a little one-timer at 3:54 fed from behind the net by J.T. Compher, high and over Hildebrand’s shoulder.
Martin scored when he broke in alone at 9:42.
Five different Wolverines scored in this one, while a single Spartan – junior Ryan Keller – netted his first career hat trick, his first goal putting the Spartans on the board at 13:43 in the first, a rebound of Brock Krygier’s initial shot. It was that goal that seemed to awaken the Spartans and for the rest of the contest, this was anyone’s game.
“I thought we started the game slow,” said Michigan State coach Tom Anastos. “I don’t know how much impact the senior night thing has, but I thought they started way faster than us the first ten minutes so that we looked tight and kind of slapping the puck around. I thought we finally settled down, got through that period and then we started to play a little better.”
At 11:59 in the second, Keller scored his second of the night in spectacular fashion to tie the score, 2-2. After stripping a Wolverine of the puck in the neutral zone, Keller skated in alone and diving to the ice and belly down with Michigan goaltender Zach Nagelvoort out to challenge, Keller pushed the puck through the goalie’s legs and into the net.
Dylan Larkin put the Wolverines ahead at 17:39 in the second, a rebound during a defensive breakdown in front of the Michigan State net, but at 4:52 in the third, Keller scored his second flukey goal of the night when the pass he centered in front of the Michigan net wound up on the stick of UM defenseman Michael Downing, who tipped it in past Nagelvoort, five-hole, grazing the inside of the goaltender’s skate.
“It’s just one of those things,” said Berenson. “The puck bounced in and we didn’t like the goals, but we’ve got to play the game. Our team was good. They weren’t rattled, they weren’t pointing fingers. They were good and we knew we had to get the next goal. It was a hard-fought game and I like the way our team played. One of the better games we’ve played here in recent years.”
Michigan’s strong third period – during which the Wolverines outshot the Spartans 13-7 – proved to be the making of their game. At 14:57, Travis Lynch scored on a centering pass from Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte had the empty-net goal at 18:50.
“They played a real good road game, I thought,” said Anastos. “We gave up goals too easily, especially the way they scored a couple of their goals. There were miscues by us and they took advantage of it.”
The win came with a price for the Wolverines, who lost Compher after he was hit in the first period. Berenson said that top-line right winger is “doubtful” for Saturday’s rematch.
The Wolverines (20-13-0, 12-7-0-0 Big Ten) and Spartans (16-15-2, 10-7-2-2 Big Ten) meet for the final time of the regular season at 5 p.m. inside Yost Ice Arena on Saturday.
