In desperate need of a series sweep on the road over Notre Dame to have a chance at a second straight Big Ten title, Michigan State hockey kicked off the first of the two games on a high note with a 5-2 win.
After losing in a shootout and in regulation to Penn State at home last weekend, Michigan State surrendered the first-place spot in the Big Ten standings to Minnesota. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially after leading the conference for most of the season. A win over bottom-dweller Notre Dame was necessary on Friday night to stay alive in the Big Ten title push.
And the Spartans got it thanks to a dominant all-around effort. Winning 5-2 is how you make a statement, especially after disappointing at home a week ago.
Michigan State's season finale will take place on Saturday night in South Bend against these same Fighting Irish, but they have to hope for some help from Penn State who is hosting Minnesota this weekend. The Nittany Lions had a 2-1 lead over Minnesota in the second period before the Gophers tied it up heading into the third.
If Penn State holds on, that would be massive for Michigan State's title hopes.
Even if Penn State does hold on, Michigan State is going to need to take care of Notre Dame again on Saturday night. There's still a lot that needs to happen, but Friday's win over the Irish was a statement.
Can the Spartans get the job done and win a second straight Big Ten regular season title? A lot is going to be decided in the next 24 hours.