3 best things about Michigan State hockey's Big Ten Tournament semifinal win

3. Adam Nightingale has this team ready for the NCAA Tournament

Throughout the game, there were plenty of times that the team could have said "it's just not our night" between two goals getting called back and some questionable penalty calls from the referees (shocking, I know).

But the team responded at every turn.

Just 13 seconds after Ohio State tied the game, the Spartans scored the go-ahead goal and never looked back. Trey Augustine is a freshman phenom and goaltending can carry a team far into the postseason. The team has cut down on penalties and can shift from the defensive side to the offense rush in the blink of an eye (must have been watching Izzo's team this year).

In just two years, Cheboygan-native Adam Nightingale has transformed this team from bottom-dwellers to national title contenders. They can beat teams 7-5 (at Michigan) but also win games 2-1(Saturday). They are second in goals scored in the Big Ten, second in shots on goal per game, and top three in both power play and penalty kill.

The mix of veterans, young guns, and transfers has this team primed to contend for years to come.