Penn State men’s hockey traveled to Columbus with plenty at stake in its series against Ohio State over the weekend.

Both teams were tied at 27 points each and second place in the Big Ten standings. Nothing ultimately changed, as the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes split the series. Penn State won game one 4-3, while the Buckeyes won 4-2 the following night. Penn State and Ohio State officially split the regular-season series, as the teams split the first series at Pegula in December.

So, here are some takeaways from the action before the Nittany Lions’ series against No. 1 Minnesota next weekend

The Goaltending Situation Has Improved

Freshman backup goaltender Noah Grannan made his first Big Ten start in game one, filling in for Liam Souliere, who conceded nine goals in the Michigan series. Grannan allowed three goals and made 32 saves in the 4-3 victory.

It’s a lot to ask of a freshman goaltender to make his first conference start in a must-win situation. Although a small sample size, Grannan appears comfortable in net and has proved himself capable of filling in for Souliere when needed.

Head coach Guy Gadowsky said earlier in the season that the Wisconsin native would see Big Ten playing time, but it didn’t seem like Grannan would see significant action with Souliere playing his way into a Hobey Baker Award nomination.

Although Souliere allowed four goals in game two, he made 33 saves and showed flashes of his usual self after a couple of tough outings. With team depth lacking in other areas due to injuries, the coaching staff should feel better about its goaltending situation moving forward.

Connor MacEachern Impressed

Connor MacEachern didn’t do much in game two, but he was pivotal in game one. The Ontario, Canada, native scored two goals, the first giving Penn State a 2-0 lead in the first period and the second giving the Nittany Lions a 3-1 lead in the following period.

It’s always good to see the senior play well, but it’s even more important given Penn State’s recent injury woes on its forward lines, such as Ryan Kirwan’s lengthy absence. MacEachern now has three goals in Penn State’s last five games, the first coming in the Nittany Lions’ 3-2 win over Notre Dame.

Standings Race Tightens Even More

First place is out of reach for Penn State, as Minnesota currently holds a 13-point lead over Guy Gadowsky’s team. Still, the Nittany Lions have a tough road ahead even if they are to finish second. Ohio State has two games in hand, meaning the Nittany Lions will need some luck. What’s also problematic is that both teams are now tied at 30 points each with Michigan and Michigan State for the second spot in the standings. The Wolverines swept Wisconsin, while the Spartans swept Notre Dame over the weekend.

This makes the road ahead for the Nittany Lions all the more pivotal. Penn State needs to show up big in its remaining four games against Minnesota and Wisconsin if it wants to win the battle for second place and get a good seed in the Big Ten Tournament in March.