After his first-period shot caromed off the crossbar Friday, Denis Smirnov offered everyone in attendance a lesson in perseverance.

The victim of some brutal puck luck throughout a goalless streak dating back to January 4, Smirnov was finally rewarded with a pair of juicy rebounds that created two goals for the Russian forward, as he spurred Penn State to an 8-2 thrashing of Wisconsin.

“It was definitely a good feeling,” Smirnov said. “You always have ups and downs. You always hit posts. Goalies make amazing saves or something like that. You’ve just got to stay in the game and keep positive all the time.”

Yet Smirnov seemed to have a little extra Friday, noting that the team dug just a bit deeper, playing for their seniors on senior weekend.

“He is working hard, and [goals are] often what happens,” Gadowsky said. “It’s funny how that works.”

Even in a game that turned into a rout, Smirnov’s contributions came at crucial moments.

He first scored in the opening frame after a Brandon Biro goal had given the Nittany Lions the early lead, collecting a rebound at the side of the Wisconsin net and tossing it in for an easy goal to put Penn State up 2-0.

After Wisconsin stormed back early in the second period to knot the game at two, Smirnov again found the puck at his skates near the netmouth and plenty of open space. His second goal put the Nittany Lions back on top, 3-2, and began a run of six unanswered goals for Penn State.

Smirnov’s tally game after a huge glove save by Peyton Jones that kept the game tied. Gadowsky called it the most important portion of the game.

“It gave us a little momentum, we came back and scored three goals. I thought that was the biggest stretch of the game,” he said.

The Nittany Lions entered the night leading the nation with an average of just over 40 shots per game. They exceeded that mark by 16 Friday, making life miserable for Badger goalie Daniel Lebedeff, who struggled with rebound control all night and was eventually removed from his crease in the third period.

Biro, like Smirnov, scored twice, adding a third period tally that marked his 12th of the season.

Six other Nittany Lions found the back of the net. Smirnov finished with four points, and defenseman Cole Hults finished with three.

And Penn State did all of that without the benefit of a power play and without the services of star centerman Evan Barratt, who entered the game second in the country in points per game.

“I think we’re pretty deep,” Gadowsky said. “Obviously Evan Barratt has had a great year, and so has his line. I also think that when we’re successful we get a lot of scoring from everywhere, and I think that’s what’s happening.”

Indeed, each of Penn State’s four forward lines lit the lamp, and Hults notched a goal from his post at the blue line.

It made for a dominant performance in a game the Nittany Lions had to have.

With three equally crucial games remaining on its schedule, Penn State will need to abide by a similar formula, especially if Barratt remains unavailable.

“It’s playoff hockey from here on out,” Nate Sucese said.