EAST LANSING, MI.— Michigan State returns to conference play after getting some rest during its final bye week of the year. Despite having a week off, the Spartans retain their No. 1 ranking in both national polls and remain atop the NPI rankings.
The Spartans will see Notre Dame for the second time this season, this time on home ice. Michigan State spent plenty of time on the road in February, and this will be the first series played at Munn Ice Arena in almost a month.
The Big Ten standings shifted once again last weekend, with the University of Michigan reclaiming first place with 43 points. Michigan State currently sits second with 39 points but has a two-game buffer over the Wolverines. The Spartans earned a tiebreaker over Michigan in their last matchup, meaning they need to win four games in regulation and bring two games to overtime to round off the year to get back to first in conference standings.
It has been a rough year for Notre Dame, which is last in the Big Ten with a 2-15-1 record in conference play. The Fighting Irish do not have a skater with a plus-minus rating above 0 or one averaging at least a point per game.
Despite the lack of success, a few names have stood out on this Notre Dame squad. Junior forward Evan Werner leads the team with 28 points and 102 shot attempts. Junior forward Cole Knuble has recorded a team-high 18 assists this season and has played a key role in the Fighting Irish’s offensive production.
Notre Dame’s blue line play has been well below league average in most statistical categories, including the worst penalty kill in Big Ten play. Junior defenseman Paul Fischer leads the Fighting Irish in ice time (21:36) and has recorded an impressive 18 points in 26 games this year.
Sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf has had a rough go in net, posting a sub-.900 save percentage and just one shutout in 28 games this season. Kempf has allowed an average of 3.56 goals per game and holds a 6-18-4 record as Notre Dame’s starter.
For Michigan State, the offensive domination continues. Despite a challenging schedule to start the year, the Spartans’ top line has been one of the nation’s best.
Senior center Charlie Stramel leads the team with 38 points and a plus-minus of 28. Freshman forward Porter Martone continues to show his dominance on a nightly basis with 1.38 points per game—good for fourth best in the nation. The final member of the trio, senior forward Daniel Russell, has recorded a team-high 23 assists in his senior campaign. Stramel, Martone and Russell have combined for 107 points and a plus-minus of 78 while on the ice this year.
In net, junior goaltender Trey Augustine has continued his excellence. Augustine currently ranks fifth in the nation in shutouts (3), save percentage (.932) and goals-against average (1.96). He was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey.
The Spartans will look to secure two regulation wins this weekend to earn six points in the Big Ten standings. Michigan does not have a bye week until the final week of conference play, meaning Michigan State can only reclaim the top spot if the Wolverines unexpectedly drop both games in their road series against Wisconsin this weekend.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday at Munn Ice Arena.
