WATCH: Everything Michigan State's Adam Nightingale Said After Loss to Michigan
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- No. 2 Michigan State dropped a game in regulation for the second time in three games on Friday when it was bested, 2-1, by No. 13 Michigan.
Prior to its loss to Ohio State last Thursday, the Spartans hadn't suffered a regulation loss since December.
Friday's meeting with the Wolverines consisted of 16 penalties, 10 of which were against Michigan State. They amounted to 31 minutes in the box for the Spartans.
Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale discussed both his concerns and positive takeaways from Friday's loss when he addressed the media postgame.
You can watch below:
Below is a partial transcript from his postgame presser:
Opening statement:
Nightingale: "Obviously, a tough one, for sure. I thought we got ourselves into penalty trouble, for sure, to start. I thought we did a heck of a job on the kill. When we put a team with that much talent on the power play and we give up three shots on five kills, and they scored, obviously, on the five-on-three, what it does is it taxes you. I thought we got to our game in the second. I thought we had a lot of good looks, and it's a tie ballgame going into the third, and obviously, they made a play at the end to get the win. So, obviously disappointing, for sure. But like I said, our guys were disappointed but never discouraged, and we got a big-time opportunity tomorrow."
Q: I think you're 12-0-2 in the second game of the series this season, what have been able to do earlier this year to be able to finish series strong?
Nightingale: "I mean, I think, sometimes, it's the way the season goes or whatever. But I think that our guys are willing to learn, right? And I think that's important, right? Our game's not a perfect game, and mistakes are going to happen, and our job is to try to coach our guys and adjust in the areas we need to be better at. And I like that about this group. That's what we're here to do, is teach and learn and grow. And what our guys do need to understand is when we're getting down to the end of the season here, where you don't have that opportunity the next night, right? So, you got to make sure -- and not that I didn't think we were sharp -- I thought we gave ourself plenty of chances and created enough to give ourselves a chance to win the hockey game, but that's what I respected about this group is, there's a humility that it's not blaming the refs, it's not lucky bounce. We're not into that; we're into 'We got to get better,' and tomorrow, that's our goal."
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