Sunday, December 27, 1998

Sunday, December 27, 1998, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Well it’s Sunday and it’s the final day of the Great Lakes Invitational (GLI). Today’s first game will have Michigan Tech taking on Northern Michigan and the championship game, later today, will pit the Michigan Wolverines against the Michigan State Spartans. This should be a good day of college hockey so let’s get to the games.

Michigan Tech vs. Northern Michigan

Northern is applying most of the offense in this game. Michigan Tech can’t seem to get anything going. Play is moving fairly fast. About four minutes into the game Northern gets their first goal of the game. Michigan Tech is playing a new goalie tonight; it’s the younger brother of the goalie Michigan played against last night. The rest of the period really belonged to Northern, but toward the end of the period Tech mounts an offensive attack with a flurry of shots. Even though they get some shots they get not goals. The period ends with Northern leading one to nothing. There is also a scuffle at the end of the period that will probably result in some penalties to start the second period. Northern also led with shots on goal at the end of the first period, leading 13 to 11.

The scuffle at the end of the first period did result in one player from each team going to the penalty box each with a coincidental penalty, leaving the teams skating 5 on 5. Tech had been on the power play at the end of the previous period and they still have one minute of power play time left. They mount an offensive charge, making use of the man advantage. With just seconds to go in the power play Tech gets a goal to tie the game. There was quite a long wait as this goal was reviewed on instant replay. There were questions as to whether it had been tipped in with a high stick. The goal is ruled good and the game remains tied. This is good news for Tech because their power play has been very bad this year (it’s down around 5%). About five minutes into the period Northern gets a flurry of shots. During this time Tech commits a foul and puts Northern on the power play. Northern gets several good shots off but the Tech goalie keeps them out of the net. Tech kills this power play and a short time later it is Tech on the power play. Shortly after going on the power play Northern is called for another penalty and Tech now has a 5 on 3 advantage. Northern is able to kill the power play and Tech comes up with no points. Northern, again on a power play, get several more good shots, but again the Tech goalie is up to the task. Some more good shots by Northern and with the continuous pressure they finally catch the Tech goalie in a position he can’t recover from and Northern scores a goal. This puts Northern up 2 to 1. Toward the end of the period Tech is again called for a penalty and finishes up the period on the power play. At the end of two it’s Northern 2, Tech 1.

At the start of the third period Northern is still on the power play. It looks like Northern got a quick goal, but it is ruled to have come after the whistle. Northern keeps applying the pressure and gets off a shot. The shot rebounds off a bar, Northern gets the rebound and slams the puck into the net to take get a quick early period goal. This put Northern up 3 to 1. Now just seconds after this goal Northern gets another goal is suddenly up by a score of 4 to 1. Seconds later Northern gets yet another goal, taking the 5 to 1 lead. This all happened in the first 3 ½ minutes of the game and all the scoring happened inside a one minute span. The Tech goalie that had appeared to be in a zone that no Northern player was going to crack has suddenly fallen apart. With eight minutes left in the game Northern is getting good pressure on the Tech goal; they get off a shot. The shot misses, but Northern gets the rebound and puts the puck in the net, taking a 6 to 1 lead. At this time Tech makes a goalie change. Now we’re down to 2 minutes in the game. Northern again applying pressure on the Tech goal, they get off a shot, get the rebound, get off a shot, they get the score. Northern is now up 7 to 1. With seconds left in the game Northern gets yet another goal. There is hardly time enough to have a face off after the goal. The game ends with Northern 8, Tech 1.

Well this game was very close until the first few minutes of the third period when Northern broke this game wide open. Northern claims third place in the GLI tournament with the win, leaving Tech to fill the fourth spot. In about an hour we have the final game of this tournament and that one should be a good one.

Michigan vs. Michigan State

This is the championship game everyone expected to see – Michigan’s Wolverines against the Spartans of Michigan State. It should be everything we expect it to be a nice tight contest, between the two best defenses in the league.

Both Michigan and Michigan State come out working hard. Very early in the game (only 1:19 into the contest) Michigan State gets off a shot that gets into the net and MSU has the early one point lead. About five minutes into the period MSU goes on the power play. Rominski takes the puck and works it deep into the MSU zone. MSU trying to get their power play going, but Michigan’s defense is stopping them. Koch takes the puck and drives it deep into the MSU zone, takes a shot that misses. Now both teams are back at full strength. Both teams trading face offs and moving up and down the ice. A more offensive minded Spartan team than we are used to seeing. Michigan again starting fairly slow, not hitting on all cylinders at this time. MSU gets a big push and a shot off and Blackburn gets the save, but now we have a penalty. The Wolverines are called for a slash and MSU goes back on the power play. MSU working the power play down into the Wolverine zone and get a shot. Shot blocked and rebounds to corner. More pressure, but Michigan’s defense turns it around and pushes it down to the MSU end. MSU gets another shot off, but Blackburn covers it up and we have another face off. MSU gets off another shot that bounces off a UM stick, then a pad, then a stick, then a pad, then it bounces into the net. This one is certainly looking like everything is going MSU’s way getting a power play goal to go up two to nothing. The Wolverines have to get their game together and start playing their game before things get away from them. MSU gets off another shot that hits the post, this time Michigan dodges the bullet. Michigan finally gets their first power play opportunity with 5:45 left in the period. MSU’s goalie goes behind the net to play the puck, but the puck bounces back out in front of the net where Kosick has a shot at an open net, but he misses it. This is not good, that should have been an easy goal. Michigan continues to apply the pressure in this power play and the fans and players are all pointing into the net, but there is no light and no indication from the referee. A couple of players get tangled up and Crozier gets called for a penalty giving MSU another power play. Now they’ve also put Kosick and a Spartan player in the penalty box, but MSU still gets a power play. Blackburn gets a couple of stops in the first part of the power play. MSU gets another shot that sails over the top of the goal. Another strangely bouncing puck almost goes into the net, but Blackburn gets his glove on it or MSU might have gotten another goal. Michigan has killed off the MSU power play and both teams are at full strength. Time running down in the period and Michigan is pushing the puck into the MSU zone. Peach takes a pass from Comrie and walks in, but he is turned away. At that’s the end of the first period and MSU has a 2 to nothing lead over the Wolverines. MSU has a 6 to 5 advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan is starting the second period with an offensive onslaught. Several shots were put on net and the Spartans were called for a penalty. This was a delayed call so the Wolverines got to work for another shot before the penalty was called. Michigan goes onto the power play early in this period. Comrie works the puck down on the goal and gets off a shot, but the MSU goaltender snags the puck. Now off a face off MSU gets the puck on a stolen pass and Adams blasts it past Blackburn to get a short-handed goal and a 3 to nothing lead. Michigan gives it away again, but this time Blackburn stops the shot. Comrie comes down the ice gets off a shot that is again stopped. Michigan gets the puck right in on the goal, but can’t get a goal. Now MSU gets another power play opportunity. Michigan just cannot do anything right in this game. MSU applies pressure gets off a shot, but Blackburn gets the stop. MSU gets another shot off and Blackburn gets another stop, we go to another face off. The power play is almost done and there are about fourteen minutes left in the period. There is plenty of time to score in this game, but the Wolverines must get it going soon. Comrie gives up the puck deep in the Michigan zone and MSU gets off a shot, but it hits a MSU player in the back. Face off in the Michigan zone. The Spartans keep the puck on the Michigan end of the ice, but MSU gets called for a penalty. Michigan gets a power play chance. Michigan not taking care of the puck and come close to giving up another short handed chance to MSU. Michigan moves the puck down into the MSU zone and Comrie got off a shot, it gets blocked and it’s bouncing all over the place. Another scoring chance missed. Comrie, Koch, and Peach work the puck down into the zone and Peach gets a shot off, but again the MSU netminder makes the save. The Wolverines again work the puck into scoring position and again cannot convert for a point. They are getting great chances to score and can’t get the puck past the MSU goaltender. MSU has killed of the power play and both teams are back to full strength. MSU gets off another funny bouncing shot that almost goes into the net. Another shot that Kosick redirects, but no goal. Comrie gets his stick on the puck and Michigan works it around a bit, but MSU clears it out. Now MSU gets a rush at the Michigan net, but pushed aside by Blackburn. MSU again gets the puck down low, get off a shot, there is a redirect, but it gets pushed aside. Matzka lays it right out in front for Rominski, but Rominski is tied up and can’t get a shot off. MSU pushes back to Michigan net, now Michigan moves the puck back into the MSU zone. Now less than five minutes left in the period. Michigan gets a couple of chances to score, but can’t convert. Michigan got a break away and was closing on the net, but MSU grabs on and gets called for the penalty, but they stop any scoring threat. Michigan now gets 1:38 of power play to end this period, and will start the third in the power play should they fail to score. Comrie gets off a shot that is blocked. The rebound goes to MSU who immediately push it down toward the Michigan goal. Down to one minute and Michigan is moving the puck down, but MSU clears it off. Michigan gets a line change, and moves the puck down into the MSU zone. All kinds of action down in front of the MSU goal with shots coming from all directions. Finally MSU goalie covers the puck and MSU forces a face off and Michigan gets no points again. Just under 10 seconds to go in period on the face off. Spartans win the face off and clear the puck. MSU ends the period with a 3 to nothing lead. Michigan was still not playing real well, but did quite a few good shots off. They now lead in shots on goal 17 to 14, but they trail on the scoreboard.

Michigan begins the third period on the power play. They have just ½ minute of power play time. Michigan rushes the MSU zone, but the shot goes wide. MSU clears the puck and the power play expires. Both teams going back and forth up and down the ice. Now Peach pushes the puck in hard at the goal and Peach gets a great shot, but can’t get it past the MSU goaltender. The goaltender also covers up the rebound and Michigan still can’t get the puck in the net. Long shot by Comrie that the MSU netminder stops and covers. There will be a face off in the Spartan end. Both teams again going back and forth, up and down the ice, making runs at their respective opponent’s goal. Just less than fifteen minutes left in the game and Michigan has got to start getting the puck in the net if they want to get this game. Michigan gets another chance with Matzka and Crozier coming in on net. Matzka gets off a backhand shot that is covered. Now a couple of MSU players go after Crozier and all kinds of players get tied up in a scuffle. All penalties called are coincidental so we stay at five on five. Now Rominski and Comrie work down into the MSU zone. Comrie takes the pass from Rominski and we finally have a goal with right around eleven minutes left in the game. Here’s hoping that this gets the gates opened up. MSU now applying pressure on the Michigan net. They get a couple of chances, but not good ones. Michigan clears the puck out that will stop play for a face off. This also allows a line change and we can get an injured Bobby Hayes off the ice. Off the face off MSU gets the puck and gets a good shot, but Blackburn gets the stop. Now Michigan moves it down into the MSU zone and Comrie gets a shot and scores. Rominski and Kosick get assists on this goal. It appears that Michigan got the score to 3 to 2, but the officials waved off the score. There is some controversy from this, as it appeared to be a quick whistle and a bad call by Shegos. Two Wolverines (Hayes and Crozier) get misconduct penalties (and their out of the game) from their expressed dislike of the call after the goal was waved off. Now both teams moving back and forth, up and down the ice. Michigan trying to make something happen still two goals down with just under eight to go in the game. MSU gets a take away and almost gets a score, but Blackburn gets the stop. The puck moves down and there will now be a face off in the MSU end. MSU again makes a big rush at the net, but Blackburn again comes up with a save. Now Michigan gets a couple of quick shots off and the MSU goalie stops that. We are now down to about five minutes left and a penalty has been called – it is going against the Wolverines, putting the Spartans on the power play. I don’t think anything else can go wrong in this game, everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong so far in this game. MSU applying some pressure, but so far there have been no real scoring threats. Michigan gets some pressure on the goal, but the shot is stopped and covered. Now MSU pushing in toward the Michigan net, they get off a shot, and Blackburn gets it covered up. Only fifteen seconds left in this power play, but we’ll be under four minutes in the game still needing two goals. Michigan kills off the MSU power play and Michigan pushes the puck into the MSU zone. The Spartans clear the puck and get called for icing. We are now down to 3 ½ minutes to go, still needing two goals. Now down to two minutes to go in the game. Michigan pushes the puck down the ice, but they are having trouble getting into the Spartan zone. York gets the puck, moves it past Peach, and gets off a shot. The shot misses, and then Michigan gets called for icing so they can’t pull their goalie. Now less than one minute and Michigan still can’t get the puck into the MSU zone. Now MSU gets another shot that Blackburn turns away. Michigan gets a shot off, but it doesn’t go and MSU has won the GLI by a score of 3 to 1. Michigan and Michigan State both end the game with 26 shots on goal, and MSU ends up with two extra points on the scoreboard.

Well remind me never to predict the outcome of these hockey games. Michigan skated fairly poorly in the first period giving up two shots that they shouldn’t have given up. They skated hard the entire game and did skate better in the second and third periods, but they could never get any sustained offensive rhythm going in this game. MSU gets their second straight GLI title and Michigan again has to wait until next year. Michigan’s next game is next Saturday night, January 2, against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This is the first official game in OSU’s new arena and this is the night they will be raising their NCAA final four banner from last year’s NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes have been playing pretty good hockey lately. This, with the emotion of the night at their new arena, means a tough night for the Wolverines next week. Hopefully Michigan will work out the kinks before next week and get back on track.