In a wild moment during Minnesota’s power play against Michigan State, things quickly turned chaotic. Minnesota carried the puck up the left side, tried a cross-ice pass that got deflected, and Michigan State jumped on the loose puck. A forward flew past the blue line with a clear path and forced a race with the Minnesota goalie, who came out to cut him off. The two collided hard, knocking the goalie’s helmet clean off. For a second, it looked bad, but he popped up laughing and appeared unhurt.
The hit sent both benches into a brief stir, especially with players swarming Michigan State’s number 23. He seemed more confused than confrontational, even apologetic. After reviewing the collision, the officials handed him a minor penalty for charging the goalie. Despite the call, Michigan State’s coach didn’t flinch. He backed his player with no hesitation, calling it a good aggressive play and seemed fine taking the penalty. The goalie being captain added another layer of intrigue, as it’s rare to see the most intense guy on the ice leading the team. It was the kind of moment that flips a game’s energy without changing the score.