Michigan State hockey dominates All-Big Ten first team with 4 selections

The postseason Big Ten awards were presented on Wednesday afternoon, and Michigan State hockey pretty much dominated every single category.

Adam Nightingale was named the conference’s coach of the year and Trey Augustine was named Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Spartans were dominating pretty much all the awards, including the All-Big Ten first team.

Actually, especially the All-Big Ten first team.

In fact, Michigan State had four selections out of six on the All-Big Ten first team which was revealed on Wednesday. The only other schools represented were Wisconsin and Michigan.

Forwards Porter Martone and Charlie Stramel, defenseman Matt Basgall, and Augustine all made the first team along with Michigan’s TJ Hughes and Wisconsin’s Ben Dexheimer.

This just goes to show that Michigan State has the most talented roster in college hockey, and it should be the favorite to win the national title. This team has countless NHL draft prospects, several first-rounders, arguably the best goalie in college hockey, and some of the nation’s best young talent. Anything less than a Frozen Four would be a disappointment.

Is this the Michigan State team to break the Frozen Four drought?

Nightingale has had some really talented Michigan State teams in his four years as head coach, but this is arguably his most talented. A lot of people believed that last year’s team was going to win the whole thing for the first time since 2007, but the Spartans were shocked in their first-round game.

Two wins will get Michigan State to the Frozen Four for the first time in two decades, and I think this is going to be the team to finally do it.

It all really depends on the regional draw that Michigan State gets, but there’s no reason that this loaded team with four first-team All-Big Ten selections shouldn’t be playing in the Frozen Four.

Michigan State suffered a disappointing loss in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, but that came after a Big Ten title-winning season (the Spartans’ third straight).

I believe that Nightingale makes his first Frozen Four this season. A Final Four and a Frozen Four are both possible, Spartan fans. We sleep in May.