Column: The gut-punching duality of Penn State hockey's style

Notre Dame’s Mike O’Leary delivered yet another gut punch in a season full of them for Penn State and its fans.

With the puck lying near the top of the crease, O’Leary extended his stick around Penn State goalie Peyton Jones and tapped it into the back of the net to give the Fighting Irish an overtime victory.

It was the fourth-straight Notre Dame goal in a game the Nittany Lions once led 4-1. That it came as the result of an extremely questionable game misconduct call on Nikita Pavlychev made it extra painful for the Penn State faithful.

But the reality is that it’s nothing new. Penn State has seen that kind of ending before. And they’ll likely see it again, and again, and again.

Because this, after all, is the penance the Nittany Lions give in order to play their high-flying style. It’s the price they pay for an offense that leads the nation in goals per game. It’s the cost of building a program that, less than seven years in, has become one of the most entertaining athletic products on Penn State’s campus.

In other words, all of these blown leads are like the snow hampering a climber who’s gone up the mountain a little bit more quickly than they bargained for. And as Penn State nears the summit, don’t expect that snow to stop.

This is who Guy Gadowsky is.

His teams have one gear. Whether they’re ahead, behind or tied, they’re going to bank on beating you in a track meet for however much time is remaining on the clock.

It’s a style Gadowsky has affirmed his commitment to over and over again. He didn’t get these Nittany Lions to a place where they’re competing for an NCAA Tournament berth every season by instructing his team to go into a shell whenever it finds itself ahead in games, and he isn’t going to start now.

Whether you view that as a good thing or a bad thing depends on your point of view, or maybe the health of your heart.

In the 15 games Penn State has played this season that did not end in wins, the Nittany Lions held leads in eight of them. Twice they’ve blown a three-goal lead and lost or tied.

In the 20 games that Penn State lost or tied last year, the Nittany Lions blew a multi-goal lead four times.

So, with a younger blue line this year that lost Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Trevor Hamilton and four-year contributor Erik Autio, the Penn State has gotten marginally worse in that department.

Perhaps the Nittany Lions will improve next season playing with a lead. Or perhaps they won’t.

It’s a game of chance, really, because Penn State hockey is offensive hockey.

The Nittany Lions likely won’t be the team that lies back and plays fundamental, puck-possession hockey with a two-goal third-period lead.

They’ll still want to create chances and they’ll still want to score, knowing very well that they leave the door open for their opponents to score, too. Penn State is always gambling.

Every time Penn State glides up the ice with speed as a five-man unit, it’s very well aware that it leaves itself vulnerable. The Nittany Lions just don’t really care.

After all, they had their opportunities to score during Notre Dame’s four-goal run that ultimately cost Penn State the game. Nate Sucese hit a crossbar. A couple passes to dangerous areas of the ice didn’t quite click.

That’s what makes it fun. Sometimes it’s exhilarating. Sometimes it’s heartbreaking. It’s never predictable.

That’s just how Penn State hockey is, and probably how Penn State hockey will continue to be.