After losing the first five games of the season, Penn State has pulled to within one game of .500 on a 6-2 streak. At 6-7 on the year, the Lions are within striking distance for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, so the early struggle is now in the rear-view mirror.
Michigan State did enough to win the game and so did the Lions. Drew DeRidder is having a tremendous season in net for the Spartans and without his effort the game would have been more like 6-2 in Penn State’s favor. Oskar Autio played well on the other side of the ice, allowing just two goals that deflected off players and then into the net.