December 26, 1998

December 26, 1998, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Well it’s the day after Christmas and college hockey is underway. This weekend finds the Wolverines playing in the 34^th annual Great Lakes Invitational (GLI), one of the premier holiday tournaments in the country. This is a four-team tournament and all the teams are from the state of Michigan. This year’s participants are Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Michigan, and Michigan Tech. Tech plays in the WCHA and the other three teams are from the CCHA. Michigan and Michigan State are both ranked in the top ten in the national polls (Northern has been ranked this year, though not recently). The first game today will be between Northern and Michigan State, while the last game of the day will be between Michigan and Michigan Tech.

Michigan State vs. Northern Michigan

The game got off to a quick start with York of MSU getting a quick goal (within the first couple minutes of the period). Less than one minute later Northern got a goal to tie the game at one apiece. The action continued for almost the remainder of the period, with neither team being able to get another score. The pace was a bit faster than I expected from Michigan State, but it wasn’t real fast. Late in the first period MSU mounted a furious offensive attack while on the power play. During this power play the puck rarely left the Northern zone. However, even with the almost constant pressure the Northern goalie turned away all MSU shots. There were no power play goals in the first period, which ended in a 1-1 tie. MSU lead in shots on goal 16 to 9.

Early in the second period Northern got a great 2 on 1 break away. They moved the puck very well into the MSU zone, ending with a terrific pass and goal to put Northern up 2 to 1. A bit later in the period MSU got a 2 on 1 breakaway, they moved the puck into the Northern zone, and got a shot off, but it was blocked. The rebound, however, came right out front, and a trailing MSU player blasted it into the net. The game was again tied at 2-2. Again in a very short time Northern steals the puck off a MSU pass. The Northern player took a big slap shot from just inside the blue line and the puck shot like a laser beam into the net putting Northern back on top 3 to 2. That is how the period ended, Northern 3, MSU 2. MSU lead in shots on goal 25 to 20, remember this is a team that has allowed no opponent more than 25 shots on goal all year and Northern had 20 by the end of the second.

The third period starts out quickly with MSU getting a fast goal to tie the game yet again at 3 apiece. For the first time all night Northern is unable to immediately answer the MSU goal and the game remains tied for quite some time. Both teams getting some chances, but none making it into the net. With about 5 minutes left in the game MSU’s York puts the puck in the net to give MSU it’s first lead of the game since the first three minutes of the first period. Northern continues to work the puck trying to get a goal, but MSU’s defense is up to the task. With a little under a minute left in the period Northern pulls their goaltender to try to generate the offense they need to take the game into overtime, but with about 20 seconds left MSU’s York got the puck, and shot it into an empty net to get his hat trick for the evening and give MSU a two goal lead. That was it, the game was over. MSU advanced to the championship round on Sunday with a 5-3 win over Northern.

This game was played at a faster pace than usual for MSU and they were the ones forcing the play in a lot of cases. I thought Northern might just get the Spartans there for a while, but they seemed to tire out in the third period and just couldn’t get the extra jump they needed to beat MSU. MSU’s goalie also seemed to settle down a bit after the first period or period and a half. In the end MSU’s defense and the play of Mike York propelled the Spartans to the win.

Michigan vs. Michigan Tech

Well this game was a fast game. Both teams came out skating and didn’t slow up much for the rest of the game. Both teams got a couple of good shots at the goal within the first three minutes of the first period, but everyone got through it, the game remained scoreless. The period progressed with both teams skating hard and getting a few shots at the goal, but no one was able to mount any real scoring threat. About midway through the first period Michigan got their first power play opportunity (this was the first penalty of the game). Although they got the first power play, they were not able to mount any scoring pressure in this power play and Tech killed it off. Tech has really been dominating the first half of this period with a lot of physical pressure. There has been lots of checking and lots of hard checking. For this being the first game after two weeks off, the Tech players are really bringing the heat to Michigan. Michigan looks a little rusty and is having trouble setting their offense with the aggressive checking by Michigan Tech. About midway through the period things begin to change. Slowly the Tech player’s back off on the checking and Michigan begins to get a little better offensive flow. I don’t know if the Tech players are getting a bit tired or if Michigan is just getting a bit smoother and not giving Tech the opportunities to trap the puck with a check. It’s now late in the period (about 2 ½ minutes left), the flow of the game has continued to shift from Tech to Michigan. Then Langfeld gets an opening, takes a shot, but misses. The rebound comes right back at Langfeld who takes the puck and punches it into the net to put Michigan on the board with a 1-0 lead. Crozier and Huntzicker were given assists on the goal. With about 1 ½ minute left in the period Michigan is called for a penalty putting, Tech on the power play. Michigan is able to kill of the period and retain their one goal lead, but they will start the second period down a player for about 30 seconds. Michigan led in shots on goal after one, 11 to 4.

Tech starts the second period on the power play, but Michigan’s defense kills off the power play. The entire first period had been fast, very few penalties, and almost constant up and down play. The second period has started out much the same way. About five minutes into the period, while on the power play, Ritchlin takes a pass from Berenzweig and blasts the puck into the net to Michigan up 2 to nothing. Matzka was also given an assist on this goal. This entire power play was well executed with a lot of good movement during the power play. The penalties are a bit more frequent in this period and Tech is now on the power play, but Michigan’s defense is just to good. Tech never gets any real scoring threat mounted. As the Tech power play ends Langfeld comes out of the penalty box and takes a pass behind the Tech defenders. He takes off with the puck, but a Tech player catches Langfeld and trips him. Langfeld gets back to his skates and still gets a shot off, it misses, but Langfeld kept working hard trying to get the puck into the net. Of course the Tech player was called for the tripping penalty and that put Michigan on the power play. Michigan applies some pretty decent pressure on this power play, but they are unable to get a score. Then with about six minutes left in the period Merrick gets a feed and puts the puck in the net to give Michigan a three to nothing lead. This was Merrick’s first goal of the year, with Trainor and Clark getting assists on the goal. This goal came as the result of a lot of good hard work by the Michigan team. They just kept working the puck around the Tech zone trying to set up a scoring shot. They got several shots off during this stretch, with Merrick’s shot finally going in. Late in the second period Tech was called for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play for the last thirty seconds of the second period. The period ended with Michigan leading three to nothing and leading in shots on goal 27 to 9. The Wolverines were also one for three on the power play.

The second period was also fast, not quite as fast as the first, but a lot of up and down skating. The third period starts with Michigan on the power play and both teams still skating hard. The play is also getting a bit more physical. Tech kills off the penalty and both teams trade a few power plays in the first half of the third period, but neither team is able to score a goal. Then about midway through the first period, with the physical play continuing to increase, tempers snap just a little bit. There is a big dustup on the ice involving several players from both teams. Play stops for several minutes as the referees separate players and sort out the penalties. In the end five or six players from each team end up in the penalty box each with two-minute penalties. Two of the five or six for both teams had an additional two-minute penalty to serve, as they were deemed the worst offenders. The end result is five on five hockey with standing room only in the penalty boxes for both teams. Shortly after play resumes a Tech player is called for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. They apply some decent pressure and get a terrific scoring opportunity during this power play, but the shot goes wide. This was as close to a gimme as your going to see in one of these games and this should have been a goal. A short time later, during another power play, Peach gets off a slapshot that reaches the net putting Michigan up four to nothing. This is Peaches first goal of the year and assists go to Murray and Ritchlin. This puts Michigan up 4 to nothing with time beginning to run out on the Huskies. With about three minutes left in the period Tech puts on an offensive burst that ends up being to much for Blackburn to turn away. After blocking several shots from several different directions Tech finally got Blackburn on one side of the goal with the puck on the other and were able to get it in the net. This ended Blackburn’s bid for another shut out and put Tech on the board, but still trailing 4 to 1. This is how the game ended. Michigan got the win and advances to the championship game on Sunday.

Michigan got off to a slow, ragged start in this game, but as the game went on they got back into playing form. The entire team played very hard. Langfeld and Matzka still continue to impress with their play as does Blackburn, Berenzweig, Ritchlin, etc…. There just all playing real hard, developing some good team cohesion, and while there is no single point getter, everyone seems to be getting in the act with scoring coming from just about anybody on the ice. We saw two players get their first goals of the year with other points being spread around among a handful of Wolverines who are slowly accumulating points for the year. So tomorrow will see Northern take on Tech in the consolation game at 1:30 PM. This will sort out the third and fourth place finishes. Then at 5:00 PM the Wolverines will take on the Spartans in the championship game. Going into this game Michigan is on a ten game unbeaten streak, just like last year, and they are facing the Spartans for the GLI championship, just like last year. This loss to the Spartans last year was the first time in a decade that Michigan has not won the GLI. This year I believe the outcome will be different. Michigan will end the Spartans win streak in the GLI at one game, and they will start another win streak of their own. My prediction for this game Michigan 3, MSU 1.

Till later, C-ya!