EAST LANSING, Mich. – Jack Adams and Justin Janicke put No. 11 Notre Dame in front 2-0 after the first period of play and the Irish went on to post a 4-2 win over Michigan State on Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena to sweep the weekend series.
Adams and Janicke finished with a goal and an assist apiece, as did defenseman Spencer Stastney. Chase Blackmun also scored for the Irish, while Matthew Galajda made 27 saves to earn the win.
“We played playoff hockey this weekend,” Stastney said after the win. “It was a real gritty weekend, low scoring games so we were getting pucks deep, not making mistakes and getting ready for playoffs. They [Hunter Strand, Jack Adams and Justin Janicke] are all great character guys and great players. When they are scoring it is exciting and great for our team moving forward.”
Notre Dame improved to 23-9-0 with the win (15-7-0-5-1-0 B1G).
Drew DeRidder made 27 saves for Michigan State (11-20-1, 5-17-0-1-0-0 B1G).
The Irish were 0-for-2 on the power play, while Michigan State was 1-for-5.
How It Happened
Just over six minutes into the first period, Jack Adams tested DeRidder with a chance from the far boards but the Spartan goaltender got a blocker on it. Spencer Stastney eventually controlled the puck in the neutral zone following that chance and sent Adams back in along the far boards but this time Adams drove towards the net and connected a pass to Justin Janicke in front for the tap in goal and 1-0 Irish lead at 6:30.
The Janicke-Strand-Adams line went back to work to increase the Irish lead to 2-0 at 17:49 of the first. Strand carried the puck into the offensive zone and centered a pass to Janicke, who was able to get it to the front of the net where Adams sent it low past DeRidder for his third goal of the season.
Four minutes into the second while on the penalty kill, Matthew Galajda made a big save on Erik Middendorf from in close and then Adam Karashik blocked Josh Nodler’s follow up to keep the Spartans off the board.
Michigan State was then called for a penalty and on the ensuing 4-on-4, Chase Blackmun took a Jesse Lansdell feed as he cut in from the point and fired a wrist shot past DeRidder for his second goal of the season and a 3-0 lead at 5:19. Freshman defenseman Ryan Helliwell had the second assist on the play marking his first career point.
Michigan State got on the board at 12:23 of the second when Jeremy Davidson converted from just outside the crease to make it a 3-1 game.
The Irish took back the three-goal lead at 13:31 of the second when Stastney sent a shot from the point through a screen in front provided by Max Ellis and Solag Bakich. Jake Pivonka and Ellis had the assists on Stastney’s career-high sixth goal of the season.
Both teams had chances in the third but were stymied by Galajda and DeRidder.
Ryder Rolston had a partial breakaway with five minutes left that was turned aside. Then with seven seconds left in the third the Spartans scored a power-play goal for the final 4-2 scoreline.
Galajda was called on to make 11 stops in the final frame.
Notes
- With a goal and an assist, Jack Adams posted his second multi-point game this season.
- With a goal and an assist, Justin Janicke posted his second multi-point game this season.
- With an assist, Hunter Strand extended his point streak to a career-long three games (2-2-4).
- With a goal and an assist, Spencer Stastney posted his fifth multi-point game of the season and the 10th of his career.
- Stastney’s goal was his sixth of the season, marking a career-high total and he now has 15 points (4-11-15) in Notre Dame’s 15 games since Jan. 15.
- With an assist on Chase Blackmun’s goal, Ryan Helliwell posted his first career point.
- The win was the 73rd of Matthew Galajda’s career and he moved into a tie for 13th all-time (NCAA DI men).
- Notre Dame is now 16-1-0 when scoring first this season.
Next Up
- Notre Dame closes out the regular-season next weekend by playing host to top-ranked Michigan (tickets).
- Both the Friday, Feb. 25 (7:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Feb. 26 (6 p.m.) games will be available on Peacock.
- Saturday’s Irish Wear Green game will feature a post-game ceremony to honor the program’s graduating seniors/graduate students.