John H wrote:
>MICHIGAN STATE 4 Michigan 3 (Tuesday)
>It's obvious that the CCHA isn't going to roll over, play
>dead and allow Michigan to waltz to another title.  This
>was a tough one to lose for the blue and a good win to
>have for the green.
 
It was Michigan State's first "big win" of the season.  They had come close
in games against Top 10 teams earlier in the season (e.g. Maine and Minnesota)
but had always come up on the short end of the stick.  Neither team played
their best game ever, but it was competitive throughout and enjoyable to
watch (and scream at, but I think I might have had a little better time at
Munn than John did). :-)
 
Let's just hope the CCHA doesn't let Western waltz to the title.
 
>Three things that decided the game:
>(1) Anson Carter scoring with :15 remaining in the first
>to send the teams off at 2-2.  That was sure a deflater,
>given that UM outplayed the Spartans for most of the
>first period.
 
It appeared to be pretty even through the early part of the period, even with
the Spartans holding a 1-0 lead.  But MSU went into a shell at about the 10:00
mark which let Michigan even it up and take the lead.  Carter's goal pulled
MSU out of their funk.
 
[Disallowing of Morrison goal snipped.]
 
Whether it was a goal or not, I couldn't tell, since I was on the opposite
side of the arena and Morrison's back was to me.  John is right about Shell
being out of position to make the call, since he was on the same side of the
ice as I was.  Tough to tell if he took fan reaction into account, since his
call seemed to be pretty quick (not something he seemed to do when taking
into account delayed penalties).
 
[Michigan not scoring on the 5-on-3 snipped.]
 
I tend to think this was bigger for Michigan State than John did (especially
since Michigan had over a minute of the two-man edge).  It's true that Michigan
may not have used that time well (IMV, 5-on-3 should be target practice, with
as little passing as possible) but the Spartan penalty kill has been suspect
at times this season.  It has gelled recently in the last two games (but
certainly not against Minnesota) and any time that you can hold a team like
Michigan, with a potentially awesome power play off the board with a two-man
edge is a huge moral victory.
 
About
>90 seconds later, Steve Ferranti pushed them off the
>mountain.  There was a brief scramble in front of the UM
>net and it appeared that Turco had dropped a glove on
>the puck but he obviously hadn't secured it because it only
><,took Ferranti one poke to put it in the back of the net.  Of
>course, Ferranti shouldn't have been allowed even one
>poke, but the UM defensemen (Bourke and Schock again)
>were taking a non-participatory role in the crease.
 
That's Ferranti's fourth game winner this season.  He's really looking good
this season after spending last year in hockey purgatory, watching a lot of
games in street clothes.  Matching him up with Clarke and Tuzzolino may have
been Mason's best move so far this season (the Keyes-Clarke-Tuzzolino line
worked well at times last year, but Keyes is more of a breakaway-style player,
while Clarke and Tuzz are grinders).  The Ferranti-Clarke-Tuzzolino line has
started a fair number of games this season, and looks better each game.
Ferranti may have returned to the form and improved some over his freshman
season, when he centered Clifford and Murray.
 
>Overall, I think Michigan received a *slight* advantage
>as far as the penalty calls (and non-calls).  It certainly
>evens out with the Morrison non-goal, so let's call the
>officiating a wash and give the Spartans the W.
 
The only call I found really objectionable (in retrospect [during the game
they're ALL objectionable ;-)]) was the charge against Tuzzolino, when he and
Bogas sandwiched one Wolverine (Crozier?) near center ice.  (BTW, Bogas didn't
have any memorable hits during the Michigan game.  Must be on a diet.)
 
[Three stars deleted; official- Ferranti, Carter, Alban; John's- Carter,
Clarke, Alban.]
 
I tend to agree with John more, but IMHO Alban should have been #1 star.  He
came up with some really big saves at some opportune times that he wouldn't
have made last year (in fact, I don't think Mike Buzak would have made some
of those saves last year).  Carter was much more of a presence in this game
than he's been all season, with some good hits and the key goals that kept
MSU in the game early.  And Clarke did what he does best.  He's basically a
blue-collar hockey player who gets in front of the net and gives goaltenders
nightmares.  He gets his brains beat in occasionally and only rarely comes
away the hero.
 
>As for Richard Keyes, the fire lit under hit butt did nothing
>but land him in the penalty box.  Probably not the reaction
>Mason was looking for.
 
Keyes has had a strange year.  He looked like he re-injured his knee late in
the game (the one he injured against Wisconsin in last year's NC$$'s) and
sort of hasn't found the groove on the line with Berens and Crane.  Of the
three freshman forwards from last year, Watt has had the best season, but that
may be more from being paired with Carter and York.
 
Onto more personal matters:
>(1) I met the newest member of the Finniss clan...much cuter
>than Dad. :-)
 
Ain't that the truth.  Of course, she hasn't had thirty years of life to chisel
her features out.  Give her thirty years....... and she'll still be much cuter
than Dad. ;-)  Makes me wonder some times if she's really mine.  Got to find
out what the mailman looks like. ;-)
 
Well, I know one thing.  Barring a major miracle (or disaster, depending on
your point of view) she won't inherit my goatee.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University 8-2-0, 11-4-0
 
Maybe it's the UPS guy.
 
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