Neil's Notebook: Perlini's Patience Pays Off
12/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 3, 2011
By Neil Koepke, MSUSpartans.com staff writer
The puck hasn't been going into the net this season as much as Brent Perlini would like, but the Michigan State senior center hasn't let it impact his outlook.
No negativity, just keeping working.
"You just have to stay patient and never doubt yourself," said Perlini, who went into Friday's CCHA series opener against Bowling Green with just one goal in his last 11 games and three for the season.
"If you stay confident in your abilities and keep working, eventually it's going to go in.''
Perlini's patience and persistence paid off and on Friday he was rewarded. He had a goal, an assist, was on the ice for three MSU goals and had seven shots on goal as the Spartans (9-5-1, 5-4-0 CCHA) carved out a 5-1 victory over the Falcons (6-9-2, 1-9-1) in front of 4,967 fans at Munn Arena.
"The only way to deal with it is to work hard in practice and take that into games,'' Perlini said. "You have to work through it. I'm happy to get one tonight.''
Perlini, a 6-foot-2, 190- pounder from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, assisted on linemate Kevin Walrod's goal 20 seconds into the game and scored a key shorthanded goal on his own rebound at 2:10 of the second period to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead.
Perlini, who scored a team-leading 18 goals last season, was on the ice for his team's fourth goal -- a tip-in by linemate Matt Berry on defenseman Tim Buttery's slap shot from the right point - with 2:18 left in the second period.
"We got those two goals quickly and then with our effort level, we kind of sunk into a (bad) groove and weren't too happy about that,'' he said. "But we had good second and third periods.
"Once we got the shorthanded goal, we never looked back.''
Perlini's line with Walrod and Berry has made in an impact since being put together last weekend against Minnesota. They had six points - three goals and three assists - in a 4-3 win in the series opener. Walrod had two goals, Berry a goal and an assist and Perlini had two assists.
Perlini has four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 15 games. He's tied for second in team scoring with Greg Wolfe (4-10-14), four points behind Lee Reimer (6-12-18).
On Friday against the Falcons (6-9-2, 1-9-1-1), Perlini, Walrod and Berry again combined for six points. Each had a goal and an assist.
"It's great to contribute as a freshman. I've had my chances and haven't been putting them away so it's nice to get one tonight,'' said Berry, who has four goals and five assists for nine points in 13 games.
MSU coach Tom Anastos said Perlini's line had a good week in practice and felt it might be a force against Bowling Green.
"We were talking as a coaching staff and I said that I'd like to see them have a breakout weekend,'' he said. "I thought Perlini had a lot of jump the whole game. He made a lot happen.
"I was happy he got rewarded on the (breakaway) shorthand goal. He broke in hard and shot it and came right back to him. I'm happy those guys had some success. They've been working hard in practice and they earned it.''
Perlini said his team focused all this week on avoiding a letdown after its rewarding weekend against No. 2/3 Minnesota with a victory and tie. But Friday's victory won't mean much unless the Spartans finish the sweep of the Falcons and pick up three more points in the CCHA.
"Coach Anastos did a great job in our mental preparation,'' Perlini said. "It's a big weekend. We have to play hard no matter who (we play).''
CRANDELL THRIVES: Senior defenseman Matt Crandell had a solid game offensively with three assists for the second three-point night of his career. Crandell assisted on Dean Chelios' goal at 5:36 of the first period and on the last two goals - by freshmen Matt Berry late in the second period and Brent Darnell with 1:10 left in the game.
Crandell, who scored a goal last Saturday against Minnesota, has one goal and eight assists for nine points in 15 games. Last season, he had no goals and six assists in 38 games. Crandell's first three-point game came as a sophomore when he had a goal and two assists in a Great Lakes Invitational semifinal win against Michigan Tech. He's had five two-point games, including two this season.
GOOD VICTORY, BUT . . . : Tom Anastos was mostly pleased with Friday's win over BGSU but did not feel his team played a complete game.
"While we got off to a really fast start (with two goals in the first six minutes), I think that hurt our mentality because it came too easy,'' he said. "A lot of the game was kind of sloppy, but you have to play in those games and learn how to win them. In the second and third periods, we played better.''
Anastos said he expected the Falcons, whose best players are freshmen and sophomores, be tough to play against. Bowling Green scored its only goal late in the first period and was competing hard and still in the game for most of the second period.
But Matt Berry tipped senior defenseman Tim Buttery's shot from the right point past Falcon goalie Andrew Hammond at 17:42 to give the Spartans a three-goal cushion at 4-1.
"I think you can learn lessons and it can cost you. In this case, fortunately, we recognized the little details we weren't doing, particularly in the first period,'' Anastos said. "That that didn't cost us and hopefully we can learn from that.''
SOLID IN GOAL: Senior goaltender Drew Palmisano started his third consecutive game and despite not facing a lot of quality chances, he remained alert and sharp and made some key saves during a couple of dangerous flurries by the visitors.
Palmisano made 21 saves and gave up one goal - on a slap shot from the left circle by Falcon freshman left wing Ted Pletsch with 2:16 left in the opening period. The Spartan goalie appeared screened on the play. For Pletch, the son of CCHA commissioner Fred Pletch, the goal was the first of his college career.
"There were circumstances where (Palmisano) would go a period of time with more of a perimeter shot and then all of a sudden we'd give up a real doozy and he'd have to make a big save and he did,'' Anastos said.
"One of the keys for both our goaltenders is that we need them to make timely saves. For our team to have success, a number of things have to happen and that's one of them. We need them to make timely saves very regularly.''
TOP GAMES OF THE NIGHT: Here's three of the best games from Friday night for reasons of drama, surprise and impact:
- 1. No. 8-ranked Colorado College 4, No. 10 Denver 3 (OT): The Pioneers tied with 5:52 left in the third period but the Tigers won it with 1:14 left in overtime on Andrew Krushelnyski's goal on a penalty shot. He was on a breakaway but was tripped from behind by a DU defenseman. Krushelnyski, from Bloomfield Hills, is the son of former NHLer and Red Wing Mike Krushelnyski and a former teammate of three Spartans -- Dean and Jake Chelios and Greg Wolfe.
- 2. Northeastern 9, No. 2 Notre Dame 2: One week after skating into Yost Arena and beating Michigan, 4-1, the Huskies stunned the Irish in South Bend. Northeastern went up 3-0 before the game was five minutes old, led 4-0 after one period and was up 6-0 before the Irish scored with 13 seconds left in the middle period. The Huskies (5-7-2 overall) scored on nine of 20 shots as Notre Dame (10-4-3, 7-2-3-0 CCHA) used three goalies and they combined for 11 saves.
- 3. Providence 2, No. 1 Merrimack 1 (OT): The Friars handed top-ranked Merrimack its first loss of the season, winning on Ross Mauerman's goal at 1:54 of overtime in Providence. The Warriors fall to 9-1-1 overall and 6-1-1 in Hockey East.
