Michigan Tech forward Teydon Trembecky controls the puck behind the Augustana net during a game Saturday, Feb. 7, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With just two games left in the regular season, the No. 16 Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team sits first in the CCHA standings after picking up a tie and an overtime win at Lake Superior State last weekend. The two games were nearly flipped with each other, as the Huskies led 2-0 Friday and the game ended in a 2-2 tie, whereas Saturday, the Huskies twice trailed by two, but they fought back to tie the game late and win in overtime.

“(They were) interesting games, obviously,” said Huskies coach Bill Muckalt. “I think Friday, you’re 27 seconds from a regulation road win, and, obviously, credit to Lake State and Damon Whitten. He’s obviously a really good coach. Their team had a bye week. I think they played us extremely hard.

“Saturday, we’re down two goals twice in the hockey game. (We) probably looked tired and looked like it was going nowhere. Really proud of the resolve in our group. (We) just stayed with it. We come back from two goals down on the road, tie it, pull the goalie. Then, obviously, electric finish by Teydon (Trembecky), and tremendous celebration there, too. So, good for Teydon, good for our team. Those three points will be huge, I think, here when the regular season concludes.”

With the tie and the win, the Huskies are 21-10-3 overall and 16-5-3 in conference play. They hold a one-point advantage over the St. Thomas Tommies for first in the standings, but have played two more games than the Tommies, who face Augustana this weekend.

Trembecky, a freshman forward, broke a five-game pointless drought Saturday with two goals and an assist. He leads all the Huskies’ newest faces with a team-high 13 goals, and 24 points.

“He’s got a knack to score, and when he pulled it back in, the goalie’s got to respect the shot, and he kind of brings it back, has some deception, and he froze him,” Muckalt. “I think it’s tough as a goalie. I was talking to L.J. (Scarpace) on the way home, our assistant coach, about that. The goalie can’t trust the ‘D’ (defense), the D can’t trust the forwards, and that’s one of those instances where all of a sudden, you’re in control of the puck, you’re breaking it out, everything’s hunky dory and rosy, until it’s not. All of a sudden, you got a guy coming down on you with a breakaway.”

Along with Trembecky, the Huskies are getting quality play from the rest of his line, which includes sophomore forward Elias Janssen and freshman forward Noah Reinhart.

“I think that Noah’s been good, but Elias Janssen’s been the center on that line,” said Muckalt. “He made an unbelievable play, behind-his-back to pass to Teydon Trembecky, and it was right in his wheelhouse. So, I think Elias has been really good for our team, and I think, even on the last goal, he doesn’t get credit for it, but I think he screened on ‘Ando’s’ (Anderson) shot from the point when we had the goalie pulled.”

Along with the strong play of the Janssen line, the Huskies continue to get strong play from the line of alternate captain Max Koskipirtti, captain Isaac Gordon, and senior forward Stiven Sardarian. Sardarian missed the Winter Carnival series against Augustana due to illness, but this past weekend, he put up two assists Friday and added another one Saturday on the game-tying goal by Anderson.

“Just rinse, repeat, right? That’s what he’s done all year,” Muckalt said. “He makes plays. He’s offensive. He’s creative. Made a couple really good passes on the power play. Makes others around him better. So, pretty much that’s who he is. That’s what he does. He makes plays.

“I think he’s tied for, probably, the leading assists in college hockey, or (he’s) right there. (He’s a) guy you want to play with. If you’re in the offensive zone, I’d probably have my stick on the ice, and I’d be ready for it, because you’re going to get the puck when you least expect it. He’s fun to watch. Good to have him back.”

While it might not be advantageous in some coaches’ eyes to have a bye week while teams around you have a chance to catch, or even pass, you in the standings, Muckalt feels the Huskies need this breather.

“I think this break comes at a good time for our team to get back and get healthy as a group,” he said. “We’re going to have the opportunity to really dive into Bowling Green, and watch the games this weekend, get ready for them. We took Monday, and Tuesday (off). We’ll have a recovery, and rollout-stretch day, and do some video, but we need a couple days off. Then we’ll get back at it, and I think it’ll be really valuable for us.

“There’s some things we want to work on that we’ve identified through video that we need to do better. So, (we will) kind of get the wrenches out, adjust the carburetor and the spark plugs, and those are some things that we want to tinker with. We’re doing a lot of things well, and, I think, the rest will (be good), just getting away from the rink a little bit, getting rejuvenated, and getting our energy back. It’s going to be a battle here when we get back at it.”