Friday, March 19, 1999

Friday, March 19, 1999, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Well it’s the first night of the final round of the CCHA tournament. Tonight’s semi-final matches feature the Spartans of Michigan State (the regular season champions) against the Wildcats of Northern Michigan and the Wolverines of Michigan against the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Now you don’t often hear of Michigan facing off against Ohio State in hockey, but this year, like last year, the Wolverines and the Buckeyes find a new field of competition. The semi-finals have already started out with a bit of an upset (well more than a bit of an upset) as the #5 Wildcats have already ended #1 Michigan State’s run at the CCHA tournament with a 5-3 victory. You had to figure at least one upset in this tournament and hopefully this is the only one of the night. This loss came after MSU had built a 3-1 lead and in a very uncharacteristic way lost the game in the third period. While the upset is a bit unexpected you can’t be to surprised as all four teams in this weekends round are capable of beating one another. Whichever team makes the fatal mistake in any of these games will loose. I do like Michigan’s chances in their upcoming context against the Buckeyes, even though they haven’t beaten Ohio State all year (0-2-1). Michigan has really been coming on late in the season and Ohio State has had their problems. The face off in tonight’s second semi-final game is only seconds away and we’ll know the answer to this question in a couple of hours. Come on Blue, lets put this game away.

Michigan comes out hot with Van Ryn getting off a quick shot that was very close to putting Michigan on the board early. There was a drive by Langfeld. Michigan appears to have come ready to play. There was a huge charge by the fourth line of Trainor and Merrick. Michigan almost got a big score there, but they were just wide. The Wolverines keep the heat on early in this contest. After the early pressure by Michigan Kosick gets called for hooking and goes to the box. Late in the Michigan penalty Michigan again gets called for a penalty, but OSU scores with just seven seconds left in Kosick’s penalty. Rather than a delayed penalty against Michigan the officials end the original penalty against Kosick and the asses the penalty against Rominski so Michigan is again down a man and OSU gets their second power play of the night (immediately following their first). This was a power play goal for Ohio State that puts Michigan in the early hole after they had really been carrying the play to the Buckeyes in the game. Michigan kills off this second penalty without any further damage, but they must get back on track. Now after a couple more rushes by Michigan OSU is finally called for a penalty and Michigan gets their chance on the power play. Michigan working the puck early and crisply around the OSU zone and Kosick gets the early power play goal. This is a huge goal as it evens up the game and shows that Michigan’s power play is in the house tonight. The assist on this goal goes to Berenzweig. We are now under five minutes to go in the period and Michigan continues to work very hard. Michigan is getting called for yet another late period penalty. They have to kill this off and keep OSU from getting a late goal that would allow them to take some momentum into the second period. This has been one of Michigan’s worst areas this year, taking the late penalty in a period; it has often cost them big time. This is OSU’s third power play of the period. OSU got off a late shot, but Blackburn comes up with the big save. The rebound went back to OSU and Blackburn again comes up with the back to back big save. There are now only five seconds left on this power play and it appears that Michigan will escape this penalty – and they do. There is yet another late period mistake by Michigan. With just 49 seconds left in the period Michigan gets called for another penalty giving OSU their fourth power play chance of the period. In addition, OSU will start the second period with just over 1-minute of power play time. Well it didn’t cost Michigan anything yet as the period ends in a 1 to 1 tie. OSU went 1 for 3 on the power play and Michigan went 1 for 1 on the power play. OSU ended up with an edge in shots on goal at 8 to 6.

Well so far this game has been as close as expected with the score after one being 1 to 1. Michigan has got to get a little more disciplined as they are giving OSU far to many power play chances. OSU will start this second period with 1 minute 11 seconds of power play time. Michigan needs to kill this off and then take it to the Buckeyes. Michigan wins the opening draw and sends the puck deep into the OSU zone. Michigan kills off the penalty, but OSU turns up the heat and gets off a couple of good shots. Blackburn comes up with some big saves to keep OSU off the board. Now Michigan puts some offensive pressure on OSU and OSU gets called for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play early in the second period. Michigan is putting on some heavy pressure on this power play. Van Ryn gets off a shot, then Langfeld looks to get off a shot when the OSU player grabs the puck and throws it out of the rink. OSU gets called for a delay of game giving Michigan the 2-man advantage for 1 minute 18 seconds. Michigan just keeping the puck in play and putting all kinds of pressure on the OSU goal. While still in the first power play Michigan’s Kosick gets his second goal of the game to give Michigan the 2 to 1 lead. Bubba Berenzweig gets his second assist of the night and Langfeld also picks up an assist. Michigan remains on the power play for just over one minute. Michigan continues to put the pressure on, taking several shots, but they are unable to get another goal. Wow, what a series for the Wolverines; they came close to getting a two goal lead, but they really seem to be pushing things hard right now. Another big rush by Rominski off a feed pass by Crozier. OSU got down deep into the UM zone and got a couple of really good shots off, but Blackburn comes up with two more huge stops. Both teams had been going back and forth in the middle of the period without any real scoring chances when bad things happened. Right off a face off in the UM zone OSU blasts a shot at Blackburn who stops it, but he doesn’t cover the rebound, OSU picks up the rebound and gets it past Blackburn to tie the game. Just after this goal Michigan gives up the puck and gives OSU a clean shot at Blackburn. Blackburn gets a piece of the shot and it caroms off the goal post. Whoa, in kind of a calm spot Kosick gets a clean win on the face off, Ritchlin gets the puck, and blasts it past Maund to give Michigan the 3 to 2 lead late in the second period. Kosick picks up the lone assist and he has been involved in all three UM goals. That was very close, Langfeld got a big shot through the screen, Maund never saw the shot, but it clanged off the goal post and didn’t go in. Matzka and Rominski brought the puck into the OSU zone and almost got another UM goal, but a great glove hand save keeps UM out of the goal. Michigan was moving the puck around a bit when they tried to center the puck to Koch. Koch got crosschecked right in front of the net and Michigan will go on the power play late in the second period. Well that ends the UM power play as Langfeld is called for the high stick to even things up at 4 on 4. OSU will of course get some power play time even later in the second period (1:04 of power play time to be precise). Michigan came down into the OSU zone with big pressure, the puck went into the net, and the light came on, but apparently the officials are waving the goal off. They are going to the replay for a decision and it appears that the no goal call will stand. It was clearly a goal, but they are saying that there were two pucks on the ice, so no goal – of course no one knows where the second puck came from or where it went. We are down to the last minute and OSU is going on the power play. Michigan ends the second period with a 3 to 2 lead and they have the lead in shots on goal at 19 to 17.

OSU will start the third period with about 19 seconds of power play time, but Michigan goes into the third with the lead (and the knowledge that they haven’t been beaten in over 100 games when leading going into the third period). We need one more period of hard play by the Wolverines to put this one away. Michigan kills off the power play and both teams are now skating at full strength. Michigan working the puck around the OSU zone very well right now with about 15 minutes left in the period. Not getting any shots off, but they are looking for their opening. OSU got off a couple of shots, but Blackburn stopped both of them. UM ices the puck, but this was a good thing as OSU was really getting some pressure on Blackburn. This gives UM a second to regroup and get things going back their way. Michigan again gets a great look at the net as Comrie feeds Koch the puck, but Maund comes up with the big save and covers the rebound (barely). Not much action for either team as far as scoring chances go in the last several minutes. Both teams are really pretty much going back and forth. Of course just as I say that OSU gets a quick shot just off a face off, but Blackburn comes up with a big save. The third period is now half over and Michigan is still hanging onto the 1 goal lead. A UM goal right now would really go a long way to easing the tension as it would give Michigan a little breathing room. OSU gets off several good shots, Blackburn stops a couple, and the goal post stops another one. That was close, UM ices the puck to relieve the pressure. OSU really seems to be playing with a little more vigor right now as they have taken quite an edge in shots on goal. We’re down to 6:24 in the third and Michigan still hangs on by 1 with the 3 to 2 lead. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Wow another great break for the Wolverines as yet another OSU shot goes off the goal post, we really dodged a bullet there with about 4 minutes left in the period. We’re now down to three minutes in the period and still hanging on by a goal. We’re now down to two minutes to go in the third period and still hanging on by one goal. You can expect OSU to pull their goalie at about 1 minute to go unless UM can keep the puck in the OSU zone. With 1:36 left in the period OSU has pulled their goalie and the face off is in the UM zone. OSU is putting some pressure on, but Blackburn comes up with a big save. The face off stays in the UM zone, but so far we have hung on. If we can just clear the puck out the open net waits for us. UM just got their chance, but they miss the open net. We are now under 1 minute to go and Michigan continues to hang on. There are now 30.4 seconds to go in the game and the face off is to the left of Blackburn. There are now 16 seconds to go, Michigan had cleared the puck, but they got called for icing. There are 4.9 seconds left and the face off moves outside the UM zone. It appears like UM has won it, but it’s still not over. No let downs here and we can move on to the finals. YES!! Michigan wins this one by a 3 to 2 score. They beat OSU for the first time this year and move on to the CCHA tournament finals.

Wow what a game. It was as close as expected and even though OSU seemed to outplay Michigan as they ended up with quite an edge in shots on goal at 35 to 24, but Michigan got the statistic that counted – the WIN!! This was really a big game for Michigan as it not only moved them into tomorrow’s finals, but it also should solidify a bid to the NCAA tournament. In fact Northern, UM, and OSU should all stand a good chance of making the NCAA with some of the other losses that have occurred in the East and West so far tonight. MSU has nothing to worry about as they were already in – they probably don’t like the loss, but they will still be going to the NCAA.

I am still looking for UM to win this tournament and I really like their chances to do just that. Michigan is now unbeaten in 106 games (102-0-4) when leading after two periods, what an incredible run. Tomorrow’s game between UM and Northern should again be quite a match. Until tomorrow Wolverine fans – C-ya!