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Friday, February 25, 2000
Friday, February 25, 2000, Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ok, it’s the second "make or break" weekend in a row for the Wolverines and this weekend it involves those Spartans from down the road in East Lansing. Last weekend Michigan played two up in Marquette against Northern Michigan and the results were – push. Neither team won and neither team lost, two back to back ties (the first ties ever between these two teams) left Northern right where they started the weekend, five points behind Michigan. The down side for the Wolverines was that the Spartans gained two points on Michigan and are now just two points behind. That essentially makes Friday night’s game a contest for first place in the CCHA and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that goes with it. If this isn’t drama I don’t know what is (of course it’s been said that I wouldn’t know drama if it bit me in the backside).
What did these two ties do for Michigan on the national scene you ask? Well in a word – nothing. They went into last weekend ranked number five in one poll and number four in two polls. They were ranked number eight in the PairWise rankings. Michigan goes into this weekend ranked number five in one poll and number four in two polls (same rank in all polls). Wisconsin retains their strangle hold on the number one spot in all polls while North Dakota and Boston University hold down the number two and three spots respectively (again in all polls). The other poll positions are all over the place. In the poll that ranks Michigan number five; they have New Hampshire at number four while New Hampshire is at number five in the other two polls. The remainder of the top ten in the two polls that rank Michigan four are filled by Boston College, New Hampshire, Michigan State, Maine, St. Lawrence, and Northern Michigan. They are all over the place so I won’t try listing the position numbers. In the poll that lists Michigan fifth (and New Hampshire fourth) the remainder of the top ten are filled by Boston College, Maine, Michigan State, St. Lawrence, and Colgate (Northern Michigan is at number 11). After last weekend Michigan stayed right at number eight in the PairWise rankings (again Wisconsin sits in the number one spot). Now I looked again today (Friday) and they moved up to number seven. Either last nights win by Western Michigan over Lake State had a positive effect or they simply didn’t have the PairWise updated until late this week. It might be choice number two because Westerns record is under five hundred so I don’t believe they count in Michigan’s PairWise rank. Anyway, as of this afternoon we sit at number seven in the PairWise. Michigan State continues to be the next closest CCHA team at number twelve. Ferris is at number sixteen, Northern is at number eighteen, and Lake State is in at number twenty-four.
Now I have a question for the CCHA "player of the week" pickers. This past week a goalie received defensive player of the week honors (Tony Zasowski from Notre Dame, congratulations to Tony) for his 51 save weekend in Notre Dames contests against Bowling Green. Last weekend as all us Wolverines know both Dan Ragusset and Josh Blackburn had outstanding weekends. Ragusset turned away 58 of Michigan’s 61 shots and Blackburn turned away 55 of Northerns 58 shots. Why wouldn’t one or both of these players’s receive defensive player of the week honors? Both Ragusset and Blackburn stopped more shots than the Notre Dame goaltender. I think I could argue that the two teams involved in the Northern/Michigan contest are both better than Notre Dame or Bowling Green. I further believe I could argue that the contest between Northern and Michigan had greater conference and national implications than the contest between Notre Dame and Bowling Green. I’m not trying to take honors away from Zasowski; he obviously had an outstanding weekend. However, if goalies are getting the defensive player of the week honors in the CCHA there were at least two goalies that had better weekends in an environment that put more pressure on both teams, consequently more pressure on the two goalies. I’m just trying to understand this selection process as right now I am one very confused person (not that I’m not generally confused all the time mind you, but this seems to have caused more confusion than normal). So if anyone out there can shed some light on this for me please let me know – alleviate my confusion, PLEASE!!
Enough of all that lets talk a little bit about this weekend’s match up between the Wolverines and Spartans. This game is for nothing other than first place in the CCHA. Since Michigan was not able to win a game last weekend the Spartans are now just two points (or one MSU win and one UM loss) behind the Wolverines. The Spartans can draw even and according to an article I read in the daily earlier this week effectively take over first place by virtue of the CCHA tiebreakers. The first CCHA tiebreaker is "Most League Wins". Going into this weekend both Michigan and Michigan State have seventeen wins. If MSU wins tonight (meaning Michigan looses) MSU will have eighteen wins effectively putting them in first place (even though both teams will have the same number of points). Both MSU and UM should sweep their final weekend series (MSU plays Notre Dame and Michigan plays Bowling Green). Now obviously Notre Dame is capable of beating MSU and Bowling Green is capable of beating Michigan, but the odds say MSU and UM will sweep next weekend. That leaves tonight’s game as the decisive game for first place in the conference. If Michigan want’s to control their destiny, as they still do, they MUST, I repeat MUST, win tonight’s game. Yes, I know your setting their saying that a tie will maintain the status-quo, Michigan in first by two points over Michigan State, but I had my fill of ties in big games last weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I would take a tie in tonight’s game, but I believe a Michigan win is more important for a couple of other reasons. Let’s face it, the last couple of years MSU has owned the Wolverines on the ice. They haven’t been necessarily more talented, they’ve just been able to win the big games (I say that because most of the games between these two teams have been decided by 1 or 2 goals – a lot of one goal differences). A win tonight would go a long way toward Michigan’s quest for first place in the CCHA. It would give the Wolverines their first season sweep of MSU (in conference sweep I should say) in several years. Finally, it would give the Wolverines a confidence boost as tournament time draws near. I just think there is a lot more riding on this game for Michigan than just the two points it could give them in the conference standings. I would dearly like to see them win both Friday and Saturday nights’ game, but Saturday night is a non-conference game so the one we have to win is Friday. Let us not forget that Saturday night’s game could have some ramifications in seeding (is that the right word? It sounds like I’m planting a garden) for the NCAA tournament. However, if Michigan want’s to maintain control over their own destiny and I believe they do, then Friday night is night to grab the bull by the horns and take the conference race firmly in their hands. If they want to make their lives miserable and wait for someone else to decide their fate, then they can wander through tonight’s game in a daze. I believe that tonight’s game is going to be a great one, I can’t believe that either team won’t be ready to play this one. I give the edge to Michigan, simply because it’s home ice. Perhaps tonight, home ice won’t be a burden, but a blessing. It’s time for me to get a move on and head to A2 for the game. Upon my return I will update the article with game information and get it to the web, so until later C-ya at Yost and GO BLUE!
Well this game started out pretty much the way you would expect, Michigan trying to skate and State clutching, grabbing, and playing the bloody trap; I hate the trap! The first penalty of the game was doled out to the Wolverines exactly three minutes into the contest giving Michigan State the first shot at a power play goal. The Spartans were unable to do anything with the puck and Michigan killed off the penalty. Michigan finally got an opportunity to go on the power play with just over eight minutes gone in the first period. Much like the Spartans Michigan was unable to do anything on this power play. The Wolverines simply could not break the center ice trap, going pretty much the entire power play without even getting set up in the Spartan zone. Both teams went back and forth, up and down for almost the rest of the period until there were just over two minutes left in the period. With 2:06 left in the period it looked like Michigan had scored a goal to take the lead, but the goal was waved off. The referee said the puck was deflected in with a high stick, therefore the goal did not count. I’m not sure about this, the initial shot was blocked by State’s Blackburn, but he didn’t cover the rebound. The rebound did what rebounds do, it bounced out in front of the net and UM was right there to jam it back into the net. I simply don’t see how this could have been a high stick deflection given the circumstances, however, without replay I can’t tell you one way or the other. Was this game on TV anywhere? If it was did they show the shot on replay or does anyone have it taped who can review the play? If you saw it or can review it on tape let me know whether that was a good call or a bad one. Michigan got what was looking like a big break when, with 1:27 left in the period, MSU was called for charging (the MSU player dang near killed our guy by slamming him into the boards – luckily no injury was incurred). Once again, however, the UM power play proved to be completely dismal and the period came to an end with the score still knotted at zero. MSU ended the period with a slight advantage in shots on goal with an 8 to 7 count.
While the second period should have started with UM still on the power play Comrie was called for a crosscheck after the first period buzzer. This ended the UM power play, left both teams skating 4 on 4 for 33 seconds, and left MSU with an early power play in this period for a length of 1:27. Both teams killed off all the penalties with neither team suffering any damage. Once back to even strength MSU settled back into the clutch and grab mode. With about 3 ½ minutes gone in the second MSU was called for a high stick penalty when a MSU player caught Ortmeyer in the chin right off a face off. Once again Michigan would go on the power play and be unable to get a score while on the power play. Finally, with just over 12 minutes left in the period Michigan got a goal that was not waved off. Hilbert won a face off in the MSU zone got the puck back to Huntzicker. The puck was deflected over to Comrie at the top of the left circle and Mike, using a MSU player (it deflected off the MSU player), got the puck in the MSU net to put Michigan on top. Both Hilbert and Huntzicker got assists on this goal. Almost exactly at the midpoint of this period (10:01 left in the period) UM was the victim of yet another rotten call by the officials (at least in my opinion it was rotten). They called Mink for boarding, but to me it looked like a good check. Both players were right next to the boards; they couldn’t help but bounce off them. If everybody got called for boarding in those circumstances the entire game of hockey would change. Well anyway UM was able to kill this penalty off without suffering any further damage. Michigan State almost got a lucky goal in the last half of the second period when a MSU player bounced the puck off the boards to get it past an UM defenseman, but the puck bounced straight at the UM goal. It took our Blackburn a little bit by surprise, but he was able to get just enough foot on it to send it wide – this was a close call. With 4:14 left in the period Michigan moved their lead out to two goals. This goal was very similar to the first one, just a different set of players. This time Shouneyia won a face off, got it back to Peach, who let fly with a shot. MSU’s Blackburn blocked the shot, but he didn’t handle the rebound. Koch was right there to get the rebound and nudge it through the five hole to give the Wolverines their second goal of the night. I swear that puck was crawling over the goal line, but it made it and Michigan’s lead expanded. There was still one set of fireworks to be played out in this period and things got going with about 41 seconds left in the period. Comrie got loose with the puck and was crashing the MSU net. Mike got off a shot and MSU’s Blackburn came up with the stop. However, to stop an opportunistically positioned Wolverine from putting the rebound in the net a MSU player slashed an UM player. This put UM on the power play with just 38 seconds left in the period. Now right about now every Michigan fan in Yost is starting to smell blood, Spartan blood. Michigan was trying to get something going when Peach mishandled a pass, giving MSU a fairly good break on our goal. Our Blackburn made two or three stops, but MSU kept up the pressure and finally got a look at a wide open UM net and they didn’t waste the chance. With just 6 seconds left in the period State picked up a short handed goal to get back within one goal. The period ended with Michigan leading by a score of 2 to 1. The Wolverines did outshoot the Spartans in this period and ended the period with an edge in shots on goal with a 19 to 16 count.
Since the MSU goal was a short handed goal the third period started with Michigan on the power play for 1:22. Now I thought it was pretty important that Michigan come out in this period and jump all over the Spartans while they had this power play opportunity and get that late second period goal back, but it was not to be. MSU killed off the penalty and Michigan once again never really got anything going on the power play. Just when I thought we had wasted a perfectly good opportunity the fates smiled down upon the Wolverines. With just 1:50 gone in the period Huntzicker picked off a MSU pass at center ice. Dave shot the puck toward the MSU net and that little knuckler sailed right over the head of MSU’s Blackburn, hit the cross bar, and deflected into the MSU goal. Michigan was suddenly back in front by two goals off a shot from the red line. This was Dave’s second goal of the season and was unassisted. Now as you might guess the physical aspect of the game had been steadily increasing throughout the game and once UM went back up by two at this point it cranked up a notch. Even with the more physical play neither team had picked up a penalty until Huntzicker was called for tripping just 13 seconds shy of the period midpoint. Now this call was right in front of me and I swear this was one of the worst calls I had seen all night and this was a night of some pretty iffy calls on both sides of the puck. This particular penalty was to prove costly to the Wolverines as the Spartans picked up a power play goal to draw back within one with 8:43 left in the regulation. However, almost exactly three minutes later another outstanding individual effort on the part of an UM player would move the Wolverines back in front by two goals. This play again started in the neutral zone when Langfeld made a great defensive play to knock the puck loose. Cammalleri was right there to pick the puck up and he took the puck and drove for the MSU net. Now Mike had a MSU player draped all over him trying to separate him from the puck, but he simply would not quit. With some utterly unbelievable stick and puck handling Cammalleri got down in front of the net and slipped the puck into the MSU goal as he was falling down. This was just an outstanding play and brought the entire Yost crowd to their feet. This goal came with 5:48 left in regulation and was unassisted. Things took a decidedly turn to the ugly after this. With 4:38 left a set of matching penalties were called against Jillson and Dolyny. Once in the penalty box Jillson chucked his water bottle over the announcer’s table into the MSU penalty box at Dolyny. Dolyny of course decided he wasn’t going to take that and immediately chucked his water bottle at Jillson. Needless all this love had the penalty box door openers scrambling for cover. The end result was that both Dolyny and Jillson spent the remainder of the game in the locker rooms after they were each handed 10-minute misconduct penalties. Well we managed to get through almost the rest of the game without any more penalties until Vancik picked up a high sticking penalty with just 39 seconds left in the game. This put MSU on the power play for 39 seconds, but Michigan killed it off quite successfully and the game came to a close with Michigan the Victor by a score of 4 to 2. The Wolverines ended the night with a slight edge in shots on goal with a 25 to 23 count.
This was just a fantastic win for Michigan. The Wolverines won a game when they really had to and they really outplayed the Spartans for most of this game. This puts Michigan ahead of the Spartans by four points and they continue to lead Northern by five points. However, things aren’t over yet. Tomorrow night’s game between Michigan and Michigan State is not a conference game. Northern plays Miami in the second of their two game stand. It stands to reason that Northern will beat Miami to draw even with the Spartans and Wolverines in conference games played. If this holds true this will also mean that by the end of this weekend Northern will be in second place just three points behind the Wolverines and Michigan State will once again be in third four points back. Michigan has their final two conference games next weekend against Bowling Green. We start out Friday night down in Bowling Green and then finish the regular season back at Yost on Saturday night. If Michigan wants to win the conference they need to win one of those games. Bowling Green is a good team playing for playoff position so we have to be ready to take it to them. Michigan needs to look for a Friday night win to seal the deal and then Saturday night we can give the Seniors a right dandy sendoff at Yost. Michigan State finishes up with a home and home series against Notre Dame and Northern finishes off with a home and home against Lake State. Both Notre Dame and Lake State are also fighting for playoff position so they will out to win and both could pull off wins, but I’m sure Michigan wants to handle this thing themselves and win the conference outright. We are just one win away from our first outright conference championship since 1996-1997. One final word on the crowd at Yost tonight – it was great. A few times the Sparties tried to take over Yost like they have Chrysler their last few visits. Let me say this about that – I THINK NOT!! Every time they tried to get a "let’s go state" going they were drowned out by a chorus of LETS GO BLUE!! Let there be no doubt, Yost still belongs to the Wolverine faithful!
I know I’ve kind of ignored Saturday’s game against the Spartans, so I’ll say a few words now. This game means nothing as far as the CCHA is concerned, but it could prove pivotal for Michigan in the NCAA tournament. Michigan would really like to get a top seed so they can get that first round bye and be just one win away from the frozen four. That’s what Michigan will be playing for tomorrow, NCAA playing position. Needless to say two wins this weekend over the Spartans would greatly enhance our PairWise standings and improve our chances of getting a high tournament seeding. So the team can enjoy this win, huge as it was, for all of one night, this night. By now they should all be snug in their beds replaying tonight’s win in their dreams. When the alarms go off in the morning they need to refocus and get ready to go for their second win in as many nights against the Spartans. So to close this article I’ll leave you with the little rhyme I left with the employees of Arbor Brewing Company after enjoying my celebration pint.
UM 4 MSU 2,
Simply put,
Let’s GO BLUE.
Until tomorrow C-ya.
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