UNIVERSITY PARK — After a disappointing 7-4 loss to the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 28 at Pegula Arena, the Penn State men’s hockey team could not earn a split in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Jan. 30. The Nittany Lions lost again, 6-3, to the Wolverines.
It is the first time the team has been swept in a weekend series since the Minnesota series ended last season. Penn State also finds itself on a three-game losing streak for the first time since March 19 of last season.
Many of the team’s bad habits that have crept up since December reared their ugly heads over the last three games. Combine that with some bad luck and an extremely talented Michigan team, and the writing was on the wall for the Nittany Lions.
Matthew Skoff and Eamon McAdam were finally unable to cover up for some of the miscues seen in wins over Clarkson, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State. Michigan had numerous odd-man rushes in both contests, and with the talent on their roster, they made Penn State pay over and over again.
Luck and streaky opponent goaltending have gone against the Nittany Lions as well. In the second period at Madison Square Garden, as the Nittany Lions held a 3-2 lead, they could not capitalize on a three-on-one opportunity. And, Michigan’s goaltender, Steve Racine, made a great save on Andrew Sturtz on a separate two-on-one. What could have been a 5-2 commanding lead ended up staying 3-2, and Michigan went on to score four unanswered goals in the third period.
Penn State’s power play is another area that has gone cold recently. Once upon a time, the power play unit was clicking at over 33 percent. After the latest games against Michigan, the unit has dropped to seventh in the country and the percentage is down to 24.27. They have failed to score on the power play in six of the last seven games and have gone just three-for-31 since Dec. 28.
The Nittany Lions now find themselves six points behind Minnesota and Michigan for the lead in the Big Ten. It is hardly an insurmountable point total to overcome, but a lot of things are going against Penn State in the final month and half of the season.
Late in Jan. 30’s contest against Michigan, Sturtz laid a vicious hit on Michigan forward Tyler Motte. It appeared Sturtz left his skates and hit Motte in the head with a flying elbow. It is the kind of hit that will be reviewed by the Big Ten, and many folks think Sturtz will face some sort of suspension.
For a team that is having a hard time generating offense all of a sudden, the Nittany Lions can ill afford to lose Sturtz. He leads the team with 13 goals and has been one of the few consistent contributors for the Nittany Lions throughout the season. If he misses time, it will be against one of the conference leaders, as Penn State travels to Minnesota for matches Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6.
Speaking of the upcoming schedule, it will certainly do Penn State no favors moving forward. At Minnesota, the Nittany Lions need to earn a split, at worst, to keep their dreams of a Big Ten title alive. Eight of the last 10 games are on the road, including the final series of the season against the same Michigan team that just swept the Nittany Lion.
By no means is the season over for Penn State. They still have plenty of time to get back into the Big Ten title hunt, and even make the NCAA tournament. They also have the firepower and goaltending to beat any team in the nation, but if they are to do so, they will have to overcome some increasingly difficult situations. Inconsistent play, a potential of being shorthanded due to a suspension and a brutal schedule make the last month and a half of the season an incredibly uphill battle for this team.
