In a critical series for second place in the Big Ten, goalie Peyton Jones made 45 saves and the Nittany Lions scored on two of their three power-play opportunities to push their unbeaten streak to 11 straight games. Four different Penn State players found the back of the net, but it was the play of Denis Smirnov and Evan Barrett that improved the Nittany Lions to 2-0-1-1 against the Buckeyes.
Taking advantage of their home ice from the start, Smirnov slammed home a rebound on a shot that went wide of the net and bounced right off the boards back onto his stick. He helped double the lead by the end of the period by perfectly executing a two-on-one, sheltering the puck on the way to the net and hitting Nate Sucese at the last second by the left post.
Barrett delivered the game-winner on a power play early in the second period and slammed the door shut with an empty-net goal with 1:16 remaining, offense that held up because Jones erased the fact the Buckeyes had a 47-36 edge in shots.
“If we didn’t have the start and have Peyton, this could have been a long night,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said.
Junior Mason Jobst scored twice in the second period for Ohio State, which had its season-best six game win streak snapped.