Penn State has gone four games without a win, its longest streak of the season, taking just one point from each of its last two series against Michigan State and Michigan — the current top two teams in the USCHO poll.
On Tuesday, head coach Guy Gadowsky met with members of the media to provide updates on his team as it prepares for the final stretch of the regular season against a lighter schedule.
Dowiak down
Penn State will be without captain Dane Dowiak for the remainder of the season, including the postseason, he announced on social media earlier in the day. He wrote that he sustained a season-ending upper-body injury during last weekend’s series at Michigan.
Dowiak has amassed nine goals, tied for fifth on the team, plus nine assists, and he’s also been a vocal leader for the team.
“It’s a tough one for us,” Gadowsky said. “However, it’s hockey, we’ve dealt with it before. He’s still our captain. He’s still going to be a huge part of our team.”
Gadowsky said Dowiak will continue to support the team off the ice, though his stick will be missed during the remainder of the campaign.
“What we learned is that we can be a resilient group, that’s hockey, you’re going to be down, you’re going to lose guys and no one ever wants to lose their captain, or anybody, but that’s where we are,” Gadowsky said.
Smith staying steady
Though the Nittany Lions are banged up, one consistent presence has been Jackson Smith, who’s playing some of his best hockey as the postseason draws near.
Against the Wolverines, Smith set the program record for single-season goals by a defenseman with nine, then followed it up with his 10th two periods later. With six games left before postseason tournaments, he has a chance to further that record.
Smith is one of four players with double-digit goals and has nine assists, adding 25 blocked shots on the other end of the rink. Gadowsky said his transition from the Canadian Hockey League has been smooth.
“I think physically, he didn’t miss a beat,” Gadowsky said. “I think this is a bit of a different game in terms of the intensity, etc. As it was for every Canadian Hockey League player coming in, I think he adjusted fairly quickly and I think the reason is he’s very calm.”
The Big Ten requires a heightened level of physicality, but Smith has met that, sometimes going too far and ending up in the penalty box. For him, the pace of play was the hardest adjustment.
“I think mostly the speed and the time, there’s not close to as much time here, you got to be quick with your decision-making,” Smith said.
Battling the Buckeyes
This weekend, the Nittany Lions welcome Ohio State to Pegula Ice Arena for another Big Ten series. The blue and white swept the Buckeyes earlier this season in Columbus and will likely need to do the same to hold its ground or move up in the Pairwise rankings.
While the previous pair of games resulted in wins, Gadowsky said the team isn’t relying heavily on that game film in preparation, as both teams look different now than in October.
“I don’t think we’re gonna draw too much from what happened at Ohio State. There are just too many changes that happened up to now,” Gadowsky said.
For Smith — who went down with a short-term injury the first time he faced the Buckeyes — he’s expecting a well-coached team that plays well defensively and is stout on faceoffs.
“I think the power play needs to stay hot. We’ve been doing well lately, just want to keep that going, and then the PK needs to get back on the horse here,” Smith said.
