A disappointing series for ASU two weekends ago against Colorado College ended on a sour note after giving up four unanswered goals in the third to lose 5-4, dropping Arizona State down to third in the NCHC with 28 points. The Sun Devils though had the perfect opportunity to jump back toward the top of the conference standings with a weekend series against Miami (OH), who had yet to win a conference game this season.

No. 12 Arizona State (16-9-1, 11-5 NCHC) completed the weekend sweep over the Redhawks (3-21-2, 0-16) with 7-1 and 4-1 wins for its third straight road sweep. The six consecutive wins away from Mullet Arena is a program record, and with No. 3 Western Michigan and Omaha both splitting their weekend series, the Sun Devils jumped both teams to tie the Mustangs for first place at 34 points. Although the team is in high spirits on paper, ASU lost a key player to a scary injury over the weekend.

After a four-point game Friday night to extend his point streak to seven games, graduate forward Artem Shlaine attempted a wrap-around shot in the first period on Saturday and was blindsided by a Redhawk defender, sending him flailing into the boards and instantly crumpling to the ice. Trainers quickly ran out onto the ice to tend to Shlaine, and he was stretchered off the ice with the training staff holding his head and neck still the entire time.

According to a post from the Sun Devil Hockey account on X, ASU and Miami's medical staff announced Shlaine’s condition had “improved immensely” Saturday evening, though there’s no official timetable with a month left in the regular season. As a top-line forward and second on the team with 26 points, Shlaine’s absence on and off the ice as a player and leader will leave the remaining skaters with tremendously large shoes to fill.

ASU was clicking on all cylinders Friday night, scoring three goals in the second and third periods. Graduate forward Lukas Sillinger set a program record with 69 career assists. His two assists came within three minutes of a five-minute power play, similar to the situation the Sun Devils had just two weeks ago against St. Cloud State when they scored three goals on a five-minute power play.

Special teams shined for Arizona State this weekend with the two goals on the man advantage as well as two shorthanded goals on Friday and another power-play goal on Saturday. Junior forward Bennett Schimek scored one of the shorthanders, his third of the season to lead the NCHC. ASU’s power play moved to second in the country after the weekend, now at a 29.6% success rate.

Senior goaltender Luke Pavicich started in the crease for both games, stopping 20 of 21 shots Friday and 10 of 11 Saturday, as the Redhawks were completely shut down throughout the game on offense. Pavicich’s .918 save percentage is seventh in the NCHC, with his partner in crime, junior Gibson Homer, right above him at .920.

Arizona State also won the faceoff battle both nights, a rarity for a team that’s 44th in the country with a 48.4% win rate in the circle. While it may be taken with a grain of salt against an opponent that’s on a 16-game losing streak, small victories can add up over time, especially late in the season, with postseason hockey right around the corner.

Senior forward Ryan Kirwan finished the weekend with two goals, both of those coming on the power play Friday night. He now leads the NCHC with 18 goals and leads ASU with 28 points. Losing Shlaine is a major hit to one of the top offenses in the conference, but the Sun Devils will have a quick turnaround with one of the most important series of the season so far looming ahead.

Arizona State will host No. 5 Denver this weekend, and the Pioneers are certainly looking for revenge after the Sun Devils swept them in Denver earlier in the season. Denver hadn’t been swept since February 2020 and was riding a 21-game win streak heading into the series. For ASU, this past weekend was exactly what it needed to get some wind underneath its sails, and the Sun Devils will look to carry that momentum past one of the best programs in the country.

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