MSU Hockey Preview: Back to Full Strength at Ohio State

After winning a second straight Great Lakes Invitational championship with a shortened roster — four forwards were away competing in the World Junior Championship — the No. 2 Michigan State hockey team will return to Big Ten play this weekend at full strength.

The Spartans elected to give freshman Ryker Lee and sophomore Shane Vansaghi a rest day on Sunday after their return from the U.S. team’s quarterfinal loss at the World Juniors. Freshman Porter Martone returns to East Lansing with a bronze medal after captaining Canada, while gold medalist freshman Eric Nilson also rejoins the lineup, restoring the forward group to full capacity as Michigan State travels to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ohio State Buckeyes (6-11-1)

The Spartans return 21 goals to the lineup with the return of their World Junior Championship participants — a development Ohio State won’t welcome, as the Buckeyes rank in the bottom 25 percent nationally, surrendering 3.4 goals per game. A year ago, Ohio State leaned on strong defensive play to make a surprise run to the Big Ten Championship Game — an overtime loss to Michigan State — and the NCAA Tournament. This season, however, without Logan Terness in net, Ohio State has struggled to keep opponents contained.

Despite those issues, the Buckeyes rank inside the top 20 nationally in Corsi For percentage (53.3%), indicating they are driving play and possessing the puck effectively. The disconnect has come defensively, where Ohio State has been unable to limit dangerous chances or keep them out of the net.

Ohio State is led in scoring by 21-year-old freshman Jake Karabela, who has four goals and 17 points on the season. Junior Riley Thompson has seen his production dip without former linemate Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, now playing professional hockey, but Thompson remains a threat — he scored twice against Michigan State in Columbus last season and will be one to watch this weekend.

Expect junior Kristoffer Eberly to start both games in goal for the Buckeyes. The Pinckney, Michigan native carries a goals-against average just under three and earned a tie against Bowling Green last weekend, Ohio State’s best result of the series.

Keys to the Weekend

Cayden Lindstrom

It has been a frustrating season for freshman Cayden Lindstrom, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, who has just one goal and two assists in 13 games this season. Lindstrom played sparingly last year while recovering from back surgery and has also dealt with muscle injuries this season while adjusting to the college game.

This weekend carries a narrative element for Lindstrom, as he plays in Columbus — home of the NHL franchise that drafted him. Sometimes, all a shooter needs to get going is to see one puck go in. For the Spartans, there is hope that Lindstrom’s power-play goal Sunday in an exhibition win over the USA National Team Development Program provides that spark. Increased scoring depth would be a significant development for Michigan State.

Lindstrom returned last season to play in the WHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup for the Medicine Hat Tigers, where he rose to the moment on a big stage. That experience suggests he could respond well in a weekend that is likely to bring added attention and pressure.

Suffocate Hope

The first period has been Michigan State’s strongest this season in terms of goal differential, with the Spartans owning a 22–5 edge over opponents in the opening frame.

In a road series against an overmatched opponent, Michigan State would be wise to eliminate any upset hope early each night by establishing control from the opening puck drop.

Game Information

Place:

Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio

Date/Time:

Friday January 9 at 6:30 P.M. and Saturday January 10 at 5:00 P.M.

Streaming:

B1G+ both nights