Overview
- Penn State opened with 6-3 and 4-2 comeback wins in Tempe, scoring four unanswered third-period goals each night to take the series.
- Gavin McKenna logged two primary assists in his NCAA debut, then buried a power-play one-timer with 1:53 left for his first goal and the Game 2 winner.
- Arizona State’s special teams faltered in the rematch, finishing 0-for-6 on the power play and conceding both a shorthanded goal and the decisive power-play tally.
- The series drew a national audience on NHL Network and the NHL’s YouTube stream, sold-out crowds, persistent boos for McKenna, and a “forks down” celebration after his winner.
- Penn State managed early blue-line injuries, including Jarod Crespo’s Game 1 exit that left the Lions short on defense, as NHL scouts evaluated McKenna and the CHL-to-NCAA shift.