Friday, January 29, 1999

Friday, January 29, 1999, Munn Arena, East Lansing, Michigan

Well here we go with the first of two really BIG games for the Wolverines and both of their opponents as well. With only a two point difference between MSU and UM this head to head match is very important. If Michigan wins they draw even with MSU atop the CCHA and they still have a game in hand against the Spartans. If MSU wins they put a four point spread between themselves and the Wolverines and even Michigan’s game in hand won’t help them – leaving us dependent on other teams. We could end up tied with MSU as we still have to play them at Joe Louis, but I want to win the CCHA this year. You remember that game in hand I was just talking about, well tomorrow night MSU doesn’t play while we play ND so like I said, these two games are HUGE on UM’s schedule. We need them both!! Tomorrow night is just as big because Notre Dame wants home ice in the CCHA playoffs and they want to finish as high up in the league as they can. Right now they sit in fourth place, just one point behind Ohio State. Notre Dame is probably not all that happy. They lost last Friday after having a 2-goal lead, and on last Saturday they got beat up with LSSU. Another fact about this game is that Notre Dame isn’t playing tonight, so tomorrow they will still have the bad taste last weekend left in their mouths and they will be well rested. We played both of these teams back to back early in the season and won both games, but we were on our ice. Now we need to do it again on their ice. I said back then that the weekend’s games were very important – there even more important now because the season is starting to wind down and we can’t afford one loss, let alone two. To give you an idea of the task in front of us. Neither MSU nor ND has lost at home this year. MSU hasn’t been beaten at home in the 24 games. The last time MSU lost at home on December 7, 1997. After starting the season by going 6-0-2 on the road Michigan is now 0-3-1 in their last four road games. We can do this, we have the talent to do this, and we just have to play our game.

Before we get to tonight’s action here are some little bits of information about Michigan. Mike Van Ryn is expected to play tonight after being injured last week against Bowling Green. Mike Comrie was named CCHA rookie of the week for the third time for his performance in last weekend’s pair of games. Comrie is really making a statement this year for rookie of the year honors in the CCHA. Bubba Berenzweig is only three points away from breaking into the top 15 on the list of scoring defensemen. Michigan is only 9 wins away from their 1200^th win in the programs history.

As we get ready to go let me say this. Bring it on Spartans! Bring it on Irish! LET’S PLAY HOCKEY!!

Michigan has come out in this game playing very aggressively. They are skating real hard and checking with a vengeance. Actually both teams are playing very hard and with great emotion, as we all would expect in a game between the Wolverines and the Spartans. Oh my, with just four minutes and fifteen seconds gone in the period Mike Van Ryn gets the puck past the MSU goalie for a goal and a one to nothing Wolverine lead. Van Ryn got a little help from Kozakowski of MSU who stuck his hand out, hit the puck, and helped it into his own net – oh isn’t that just to bad. Koch and Berenzweig were given assists on the goal. Now MSU pushes the puck toward the UM zone and a penalty is called against UM giving MSU their first power play chance of the night. MSU is really working the puck around the UM zone hard, but they fail to get a goal on the power play. Michigan skates off the penalty and almost gets a goal at the other end. The MSU goalie left an open side of the net, but we were unable to get the puck through. We have another penalty called, but this time it’s against MSU and Michigan gets their first power play opportunity of the night. So far in this power play MSU’s penalty kill has been keeping Michigan from mounting any kind of offensive threat. Michigan gives the puck away and MSU gets a couple of scoring chances, but they don’t get the point. Now we get another whistle and both MSU and UM loose players to penalties. This kills of the UM power play and will give MSU a one-minute power play, not a good thing. MSU now on the power play and they immediately push into the UM zone. Where is our defense, MSU just got several chances right in front of the net, luckily they can’t score. A couple more chances for MSU, but Blackburn stops them all. UM finally kills off the power play and we are again skating at even strength. They have got to clear those MSU players out from in front of the net so they don’t get those good looks at the goal. Michigan now has the puck deep in the Spartan zone, but can’t get anything going. Now MSU takes it deep into the UM zone, they get off a shot, and a great save by Blackburn. UM pushes back toward the MSU zone – you get the idea, both teams skating and banging up and down the ice. MSU gets called for icing so the face off comes to the right of the MSU goalie. UM is unable to get anything going off of the face off and we’re back to skating and banging up and down the ice. We are down to the last 4 ½ minutes of this first period and UM is still clinging to the 1 to nothing lead. Both teams continue to go back and forth, but it’s mostly defensive at this point with neither team getting any scoring chances. UM has the puck in the MSU zone, fighting hard for the puck, Crozier gets off a quick shot that is turned away, but MSU ices the puck to relieve the pressure on the MSU goal. Michigan continues to apply some offensive pressure and again MSU’s goalie hangs onto the puck to relieve the pressure. Now MSU is applying a little offensive pressure and Michigan ices the puck to relieve the offensive pressure. We are now under one minute to go in the period (43 seconds) and still holding the one to nothing lead. That ends this period and Michigan leads the Spartans 1 to nothing. The period ends with MSU holding the edge in shots on goal 12 to 10.

Here we go in the second period with Michigan taking the puck into the MSU zone. After a couple of back and forths Michigan again has the puck in the MSU zone and Koch gets a backhand shot off, it misses. Matzka keeps the puck in the zone, and get it back to Koch who gets off another back hand shot and he SCORES!! This was 58 seconds into the period with assists going to Matzka and Jillson. UM now has the two goal lead, not a lot, but we have a little breathing room. We’re back to the action with both teams once again skating and banging up and down the ice. MSU got a little bit free and was making a move on the UM goal, but Jillson gets back and knocks the puck away from the MSU player to remove the scoring threat. We are just a little over three minutes into the period and penalties are called against both teams, so we now skate four on four. Berenzweig gets off a shot that just misses, now Matzka has the puck with a perfect look at the goal, there’s the shot, NO he fans on the puck. We should be up three to nothing, but we have to hit the puck. UM again has the puck in the MSU zone and gets off another shot, misses the goal and evil Blackburn grabs onto the puck. Since both teams have a goalie named Blackburn our Blackburn will from here on out be known as good Blackburn and the Spartan Blackburn will be known as evil Blackburn (at least for the duration of the game, then we can be friends). Both teams are now back to even strength – or I should say back to five on five. It looked like MSU might get a real good look at the goal, but Langfeld gets back and breaks things up. The Wolverines continue to back check, fore check, and just generally check all over the ice. MSU gets off another couple of point blank shots and good Blackburn stones them both. The Spartans are now called for a high stick and Michigan will go back on the power play. Previous power plays have not gone very well, so lets see if we can get something going on this one. UM applying some offensive pressure, they’re keeping the puck in the MSU zone, getting off a couple of shots. They are working the puck around the MSU zone, but finally it gets cleared. UM now back on the move trying to get the power play set back up. UM gets it down in front of the MSU zone to Hayes who gets off a shot, but misses. UM keeps the puck in, but we just got whistled for another penalty. Koch gets called for interference, looses his cool and gets a 10-minute misconduct penalty. The Wolverines are very upset about this call – they obviously don’t agree with it at all. Koch has left the ice, hopefully only for the remainder of this period and not the game because he’s been having a really good game. We skate four on four for about 18 seconds and then MSU goes on the power play. MSU taking full advantage of the power play, applying all kinds of pressure, but good Blackburn is up to the task. MSU had several chances, but UM has now killed off the power play and we are once again at full strength. Just as the teams get back to full strength MSU’s York gets clean with the puck and gets off a great shot, but good Blackburn just comes up with another fantastic save. We now have word that Koch didn’t get a 10-minute misconduct, but was given a game misconduct so he is gone for the night. There’s another penalty call with just over half the second period gone. Now Comrie gets off a shot that goes just high over the net. Comrie and Ritchlin on a two on one break away, Comrie gets off another shot, oh my, evil Blackburn gets it and stops the UM scoring chance. Michigan is again called for a penalty with Rominski going to the box for tripping. We really don’t need to give the Spartans this kind of help – come on penalty kill! There are now 6 minutes left to play in this period with MSU trying to get some power play action going. There it goes, a long shot by MSU that gets deflected down in front and gets past good Blackburn. That’s a power play goal for the Spartans and gets them back to within one goal. Michigan got off a good shot that evil Blackburn just got a piece of to keep Michigan from notching their third goal. There is another shot by Ritchlin that is just stopped by evil Blackburn. We are now down to the last 1-½ minutes of the period with both teams kind of slowing down and looking to get into the respective locker rooms to get ready for the third period. That ends the period with Michigan hanging on to the 2 to 1 lead. The period ends with MSU holding the edge in shots on goal 23 to 21.

The third period gets going with both teams coming out flying. After some skating and banging up and sown the ice MSU gets a goal to tie the score at two apiece. After really controlling most of this game UM now finds itself in a dead heat with the Spartans after a couple of deflected shots make it past the good Blackburn. UM moving the puck into the MSU zone, Comrie moving on the net, gets off a shot, which misses, but MSU is called for the penalty putting Michigan back on the power play. This is only the third power play of the night for Michigan with no goals in either of the first two power plays. Now Michigan is working the puck around the zone, Hayes gets off a shot, misses. Michigan keeps the puck in and continues to work it around the zone. There’s a shot by Berenzweig from outside, it deflects off Rominski and he SCORES!! This puts Michigan back on top 3 to 2 with assists going to Berenzweig and Ritchlin. WOW that was big, I SAY BIG!! Back to the action with just over fourteen minutes left in the game. Both teams working hard going back and forth, up and down the ice. MSU gets a 3 on 2 break, but it comes to naught. MSU still has the puck in the Michigan zone and is looking for a shot. Now we get it out of there and take it to the MSU zone. Still in the Spartan zone and Kosick gets off a shot, looking to get it into the top corner, but evil Blackburn gets a glove on it and stops the shot. Michigan was moving the puck up the ice when York took it from Van Ryn, but Van Ryn recovers nicely and knocks it away from York before he could feed it up ice to a fellow Spartan. After the dust (or should I say ice) settles we have a face off to the right of the Spartan goal. Both teams have been going back and forth, neither team able to get anything set up. Now Michigan has the puck deep in the MSU zone and is working it around. Now with half the period gone MSU gets it out of their zone and into the UM zone. MSU getting all kinds of offensive pressure, so far good Blackburn has kept it out of the goal. In all of this mess good Blackburn lost sight of the puck, the puck was sitting right in front of the goal line, finally good Blackburn sees it and covers it up before a Spartan can knick it with a stick and get the goal. Berenzweig blasts out of the UM zone with the puck and gets off a big shot that evil Blackburn is able to stop. Michigan is really flying around the ice, looking to get that extra goal and pad the lead a bit. With eight minutes left in the game Michigan still pushing into the MSU zone. MSU finally gets it out of the zone and down close to the UM net, but UM ices the puck to insure MSU can’t get an easy one, but now we have a face off deep in the UM zone. UM is able to keep MSU from getting set up for any score. Now UM gets a three on two break out, gets off a shot, it misses. Now we go back the other way, with both teams scrapping for the puck. MSU gets off a shot that is stopped by the good Blackburn, but another penalty against UM. Kosick gets called for high sticking giving MSU yet another power play chance with only 5 ½ minutes left in the game. We keep giving MSU all of these power play chances, but enough of that lets kill this off. MSU had it in, but Clark gets it cleared out of the zone. A long shot from out in front that Blackburn stops, but doesn’t handle the rebound and MSU once again scores a power play goal to tie the game. We just keep killing ourselves with these penalties. The action level has really picked up with both teams really moving up and down the ice. The Wolverines are putting on some pressure, but MSU clears it out. Now UM coming back on the attack with Van Ryn and there is a penalty call against MSU (they missed a slash against Jillson – we’ll take it). Michigan gets another power play chance and they need to get the puck in the net, come on blue lets get this game in regulation. MSU’s penalty kill is disrupting UM’s power play setup. Matzka gets the puck down into the MSU zone, gets off a shot that goes wide. There is only 30 seconds left in the power play and UM is unable to mount any real scoring threat. The power play is over and there is only about one minute left in the period. Both teams looking for the winning goal as we go under 1 minute. There are now only 30 seconds left in the game with both teams still looking for the winner. UM getting a couple of shots off right at the end of the period and the third period ends with the score all tied up at three apiece. MSU held a big edge in shots on goal at 35 to 24.

We get ready for five-minute sudden death overtime some fun facts. Michigan is unbeaten in their last 17 overtime games with a record of 9-0-8. The last time these two teams played in an overtime game was back in October of 1991 and it ended in a four to four tie. UM gets the first real chance with a couple of quick shots that the evil Blackburn stops. MSU had the puck deep in the Michigan zone when Adams just threw an elbow at Jillson’s head, but there was no penalty call. The Spartans get called for icing, UM changes lines, and we get the face off deep in the MSU zone. Matzka gets of a quick, hard shot right off the face off, it goes wide. Now Michigan gets called for icing and MSU gets the face off deep in the UM zone. Half of the overtime is gone and both teams are skating and banging up and down the ice. With about 1 minute, 20 seconds to go in the over time period UM is again called for icing and the face off once again moves deep into the UM zone. UM now has the puck in the Spartan zone with one minute left in the overtime. UM still working it around the Spartan end, looking for the opening they need to win the game. Theirs a shot that just misses, Comrie gets off a shot, but evil Blackburn just gets a touch on it to keep it out of the net. MSU ices the puck and we get a face off deep in the MSU zone with only 12 seconds left in overtime. Well we didn’t get the clean win on the face off we needed and now with just 3 seconds left in the overtime there is a face off at center ice. In the end MSU had the shots on goal edge with a 35 to 26 tally.

I just don’t know, to me this was a bit of a disappointment. Even though MSU out shot us we really controlled the tempo of this game, but we made some critical mistakes that gave MSU opportunities that they took full advantage of. Michigan also gave up two power play goals to a team that is only 12% on the power play on the year. I just don’t know but this was another classic UM Vs MSU game. Michigan came out playing a very aggressive game. They got a little tentative after their first goal and played that way until the end of the first period. Right from the get go of the second period Michigan was again playing very aggressively and continued to play that way all the way to the end. Michigan also played very good team defense in this night’s game, but once again paid a heavy price for some very untimely penalties with two Spartan goals coming on the power play (one late in the third period). Well if you have read this all the way to here my hats off to you. This was very long, but hey it was Michigan – Michigan State, what can you expect. We are still two points behind the Spartans in the league and tomorrow night we go into a very hostile South Bend to try and tie things up with the Spartans. We next play MSU on neutral ice (at Joe Louis) on the 20^th of February. Until tomorrow – C-ya!!