Sitting here on Saturday morning, a college hockey series already being done and over with feels odd, but par for the course for 2020. So, I guess sitting here and being thrilled with the results of a weekend in which the Spartans only come away with 3 goals is on brand for the times. It was not an intriguing opening weekend for the Spartans due to 2020 coping mechanisms, it was a great start from a team featuring a lineup with 5 freshman, a grad transfer starting in his first weekend with the team, and a new staring goaltender replacing the 2nd team All-Conference goaltender.
Save for an unfortunate bounce Thursday night, with a player who maybe had no business still being in the game, the Spartans were closer to a clean sweep with back-to-back shutouts, than they were at risk of ever losing this week. It’s an excellent start against what was a pre-season top 15 team (likely overrated and missing the top active scorer in NCAA hockey, Johnny Walker) and the Spartans will hit the road needing this type of effort in Columbus next weekend against an Ohio State team who has a Monday-Tuesday series against Minnesota this week.
Lets get to some of the analysis of how the Spartans got this season off to an encouraging start:
First off once again, as they were last season the Spartans won the face-off battle handily. Tommy Apap, one of the best centers at winning at the dot, was once again excellent. Winning key face-off battles to gain possession in the defensive zone, and get penalty kills off to excellent starts. The Spartans will not be a leading team offensively so once again, playing sound defense and doing the little things like winning draws to earn possession will be paramount.
This team finally has some depth in year 4 of the Danton Cole era, allowing them to roll 4 lines, 3 pairs, and see no significant drop-off in play. Tommy Apap centering a third line of Brody Stevens and Jagger Joshua is a shut down line to go against any top line almost. That allows Cole, especially as the home team, to get his playmakers; Lewandowski, Papp, and Nodler favorable match-ups. The biggest depth boost is that now there is no defensive pair drop-off. It is a fluid, consistent bunch, something never seen under Cole to this point as the recruiting needed to build that unit up more than anything.
Special teams was a mixed bag (more on that below in some clips). The power play was never really threatening enough, going 0-6, but the penalty kill was an absolutely perfect unit, killing 7 chances and never giving up too threatening of chances. The PK unit was on fire at the end of last season, and it seems they are picking up right where they left off.
Discipline could be addressed. Almost half of the PK chances against were after taking a penalty in the offensive zone. Those penalties will drive a coach crazy, as 200 feet from your net is not the place we need to be taking calls against. Christian Krygier, Jagger Joshua, and Brody Stevens are specific players who have struggled with PIMs in the past and each took penalties this series. It is nitpicking but these are the things you look to improve when you have such a good weekend.
The advanced stats, tracked by the indispensable College Hockey News, won the possession battle with a Corsi-For (shots attempted, including blocks and shots wide) of 56.3%. They won 58% of their face-offs, both of these teams were also heavy on blocked shots. Have to think if MSU defense keeps that up and plays a team less adept at clogging lanes like Arizona State they could increase that Corsi just a little bit more.
Most importantly, as referenced Thursday, the Krygier twins have great quarantine hair. This could be a season changing look.
Now to some “video” by way of gif analysis. I hope to get some skills to be quicker at video edits and load that, but that may just stay a part of midweek posts, where I have more time. I wanted to get this out to you all as soon as possible today so I went with gifs. This is a free newsletter, please report all requests for refund to Tom Anastos, thank you.
Christian Krygier started off the 2nd period (don’t pay attention to the incorrect score bar below) with a great shift ending in his first career goal as a junior, a theme of the series for the Spartans. Krygier jumped into the play leading to a 2-1 rush, where he just couldn’t get his angle correct to tap home a goal. The puck never left the zone, Krygier cycled up and across the blue line and broke towards the net finshing a great feed from Josh Nodler low, weak side blocker.
Maybe this wasn’t a game misconduct even under review by the refs. But the fact that Chris Grando comes out of the box from his 2 minute minor to score the tying goal after throwing the hit below at Josh Nodler’s knee is infuriating. There is no karma and the puck lies.
The formerly mentioned Chris Grando, a Boston College transfer, ends the Spartans chance at a 1-0 win here. The real play is Jacob Semik knocking a puck out of mid-air leaving it in the slot for Grando. Not much DeRidder can do. Dennis Cesana, who otherwise had a tremendous series, might be a bit upset losing his man who becomes the goal scorer after the zone entry.
Friday night saw the Spartans start off the scoring in the first period this time, but once again came from a junior scoring their first career goal. Mitchell Mattson cleans up a free puck in the slot, after a great shift by Kyle Haskins, driving the net and taking Sun Devils with him, and then Adam Goodsir winning a race and dishing a beautiful passout to a dangerous zone. The cycle was great in this series and while MSU team speed is middle of the pack, they showed great strength winning battles and space in both games.
A final analysis is on the power play. The Spartans seemed to employ a similar in zone 1-3-1 set-up (left to right). It was unsuccessful in scoring in this series due to an active PK from Arizona State but the PP can be something that is slow to start a season often, and that is with a normal lead up. I think this MSU PP showed a skill set that it could pay off, but they need to find a new Patrick Khodorenko passing talent in this team.
In the image above you can see the beginning set-up of the 1-3-1. Last season Khodorenko would often be the middle man, with his quick release he could get shots off in limited space, or dish out passes. In the series this weekend that role was filled by Bemidji State grad transfer Charlie Combs. MSU will like to get the puck from the board man down below the goal line. That player can then do a quick one touch pass to Combs in the slot, he can catch and move back up the boards, skate behind the net to shift the play to Lewandowski, or depending on coverage (and this did happen on other plays) make a long pass out to Dennis Cesana (out of frame) at the point. In this play A.J. Hodges catches the puck and then attempts a wrap-around which unless he scores is only going to lead to a net scramble which MSU does not win this time. They love going low to high and getting a PK to scramble, letting Cesana either shoot or quick feed a waiting Lewandowski or opposite board man for a one-timer. Arizona State played the PK well but I also saw enough to think MSU can clean up their play and beat a sound PK.
In the gif above you can see some of the low-to-high action MSU wants to do, but notice it just wasn’t clean. I also want to point out Dennis Cesana goes from point man, all the way down to net front. This is going to be an active, fluid, power play with defensemen engaged. It will find itself and be a benefit to the Spartans this season.