For the first time since March 13, 2010, Munn Arena will be home to a conference playoff hockey game. On that date, the Michigan Wolverines finished a two-game sweep of Michigan State in the CCHA Playoffs, ending the Spartans' season as the losses put them just outside of the NCAA tournament.
On March 16, 2024, the 2023-24 Big Ten regular season champion Spartans will host the Ohio State Buckeyes in the semi-finals of the Big Ten hockey tournament with an NCAA berth secured already and the chance at hosting those Wolverines (or the Minnesota Golden Gophers) next week with a Big Ten Tournament Championship on the line.
Not only is a second banner at stake the next two weeks for the Spartans, but they have a shot to play themselves into a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with two more wins. In a season where I have multiple times said Munn Arena has not hosted a game so large in ages, once again, Munn Arena is hosting a monumental game.
This Season On "MSU vs OSU"
The Spartans and Buckeyes have matched up four times this season, with the Spartans winning three times to the Buckeyes' one. The teams split their most recent series (also at Munn Arena) with Ohio State winning 6-2 on Friday night before the Spartans rebounded for a 5-2 Senior Night victory. The loss to the Buckeyes featured a total unraveling from the Spartans on a night MSU was trying to lock up a Big Ten Championship on home ice (they would clinch the following weekend at Wisconsin).
The Spartans played full of defensive lapses, mistakes, and were hampered by six penalties taken (two power play goals surrendered), including a five-minute major penalty for Tommi Männistö. It was one of the worst three games the team has played all season, up there with losses to Air Force and Michigan. Ohio State controlled play all night and their forecheck caused problems for the Spartans all night with four goals scored just outside the crease, some from breakaways off of turnovers, and from a cutting backdoor play finished all too easy.
In the Spartans' three wins they have wore out the Buckeyes with stellar play from their top two lines. In Columbus, the first line was rolling with Isaac Howard scoring a goal each night, Karsen Dorwart scoring Friday, and Gavin O'Connell - from the second line - scored two goals each night. In fact, O'Connell has scored each game against the Buckeyes, scoring seven this season when these two teams meet. The loss featured the Buckeyes really clamping down on the Spartans first line and the size and experience of the Buckeyes made all the difference.
A key to this weekend will be MSU's top players. At this time of year, your top players simply need to be your top players. Isaac Howard, Artyom Levshunov, and Karsen Dorwart all need to do heavy lifting so that Gavin O'Connell is putting the team over the top, instead of on his back.
