Michigan State annihilates Gophers 9-3 in battle of college hockey elites

The much-ballyhooed college hockey showdown between No. 2 Michigan State and No. 4 Minnesota was a laugher on Friday night, but nobody in the State of Hockey found it all that funny.

Michigan State blew the doors off the Gophers, speed-skating to a 9-3 win in East Lansing to move four points ahead of Minnesota at the top of the Big Ten standings.

Minnesota trailed 1-0 after the first 20 minutes before evening the score on Oliver Moore’s goal 26 seconds into the second period. After trading goals over the next eight minutes, the Spartans turned a 2-2 game into a 5-2 lead with three goals in the span of four minutes and 20 seconds.

Jimmy Snuggerud’s goal made it a 5-3 game headed into the third period, but the Spartans lit the lamp four more times for the 9-3 final score. It is the most goals scored by an MSU team against Minnesota since Feb. 1, 1980.

Michigan State outshot the Gophers 42-30 and the big difference was goaltending. While MSU”s Trey Augustine made 27 saves, Minnesota’s goalie tandem of Nathan Airey and Liam Souliere were beaten for five and four goals, respectively.

Airey was pulled after surrendering the first five goals on 27 shots. Souliere allowed four goals on only 15 shots on net.

While Friday’s game was only available on BTN+, Saturday’s rematch will be televised on Big Ten Network. The puck drops at 5 p.m. CT.