I wrote ahead of Saturday's B1G Tournament Championship clash that Michigan State had the chance to chase away bad memories of losing to Ohio State in overtime past.

While I am excited to report that yes, Michigan State did vanquish some past demons, I can't say I was hoping it took 35 minutes of overtime to happen, while I kept my four-year-old son awake hours past his bedtime. Most importantly though, to a raucous crowd of 6,555 fans, the winning goal that night came from a Spartan stick, a stick belonging to someone who possibly embodies the turnaround project of Adam Nightingale more than any other player.

On March 25, 2023, Isaac Howard committed to Michigan State out of the transfer portal, following a disappointing freshman season at Minnesota-Duluth. It was a fast commitment, very much owed to the fact that Howard has spoken often about his success coming under the tutelage of Spartans' head coach Adam Nightingale, and Director of Hockey Athletic Performance Will Morlock, while at the United States National Team Development Program.

While Howard came with NHL 1st round credentials - having been taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning 31st overall in the 2022 draft - he was coming off a mostly disappointing season in Duluth. Howard had 6 goals and 11 assists (17 points) and was a (-13) as well.

It is not controversial to say that exactly no one in college hockey in March 2023 was placing bets on Howard to be a Hobey Baker Award candidate within the next two seasons.

Howard has been what Adam Nightingale has sold the program as becoming. Same as fellow NHL draft pick Trey Augustine (2023 2nd round, Detroit Red Wings) who came to East Lansing the same summer as Howard, arriving as a 17-year-old freshman in 2023.

While Howard is supremely confident, he also has been nothing but a team player in East Lansing, giving legitimacy to the program as a place to develop into what was expected of you as an NHL draft pick, even before anyone had seen Michigan State play in a single NCAA tournament game under Adam Nightingale, let alone win back-to-back regular season and tournament B1G championships, something previously never done before Saturday.

Howard had a solid sophomore campaign, but slowed down towards the end of the season, and dedicated himself this season to becoming a goal scorer, not just a top line player, but someone who will impact the game by filling the score sheet.

He has done that all season now.

And when the lights got brightest, the "Iceman" was calm. In the Big Ten Tournament semifinal and championship games, Howard shined with two game winning goals, three goals overall, and an assist. Howard has provided a blueprint that will be sold every recruiting cycle with talented 15-16 year old hockey players. Perhaps more importantly, he has provided a blueprint to talented players in the transfer portal that Michigan State is where you go to deliver on your promise.

As we look ahead to the NCAA Tournament - beginning Thursday with the Spartans playing in Toledo, Ohio as a 1-seed matching up with ECAC Champion Cornell - it is hard to not reflect on the atmosphere of Munn Ice Arena on Saturday night.

It will draw quite the contrast to the often sterile environment we see in the NCAA Regional games, something that you can find me ranting about on social media every year in March. The Spartan fans have bought up tickets in droves for the game, and will help bring an atmosphere akin to Munn, but I can't say enough good things about the band and students at Munn Arena Saturday night.