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Wolverines Buck Mavericks
Friday, February 8, 2002
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tonight begins the final stretch of games for the Michigan Wolverines for this
hockey season. Their future in the CCHA and in the NCAA tournament will be decided
in large part over the next seven games. After losing two games to Alaska and
Bowling Green the Wolverines are currently on the bubble as far as the NCAA tournament
is concerned. They are still in the running for the CCHA regular season championship,
but they continue to need help from the Spartans - three points of help to be exact.
If Michigan can win out and the Spartans lose another game and tie another game,
Michigan would find itself in first place by a single point. No matter what the
Spartans do, however, it is clear what the Wolverines must do - they must win.
Nebraska comes into this weekends series looking to take another step up, not just
for this team, but for their program. In the short number of years that the Mavericks
have had a hockey team, they are challenging for one of the top spots in the CCHA and
are on the verge of earning their schools first ever invitation to the NCAA tournament.
If the Mavericks can sweep Michigan this weekend, they will take over second place in
the CCHA and likely force Michigan to win the CCHA tournament if they want to go to
the NCAA tournament. If Michigan sweeps the Nebraska this weekend, they will solidify
their hold on second place and at the very least keep pace with the Spartans. They will
also win two very important games over a ranked team which could help them move up in
the Pairwise rankings, getting them into a little bit better position for an at large
bid to the NCAA tournament should that be necessary.
Make no mistake - Michigan's final seven games are against some very tough competition,
however, wins over that competition can significantly improve their standing in the NCAA
tournament picture. The CCHA will take care of itself, all Michigan has to do is win.
Both teams hit the ice skating hard in this contest, but it seemed to be the Mavericks
with a little bit more jump in the early minutes. It would also be the Mavericks who
would take the first penalty of the game as they put Michigan on the power play barely
three minutes into the game. Michigan was unable to mount any great pressure on this power
play and ended it themselves when they were whistled for a penalty with thirty-four
seconds left in the power play.
With both teams short a man the action continued with four players on the ice for
each team. The Mavericks got control of the puck and skated it straight at the Michigan
goal. Getting in close a charging Maverick jammed the puck between Blackburns legs
to give Nebraska a one to nothing lead. This was an even strength goal as the score came
with four seconds left in the Nebraska penalty. Nebraska moved to the power play after
those four seconds were up, but they were unable to get the puck past Blackburn with the
extra man.
The teams would trade penalties in the late going of the first period (each team had
one additional power play chance), but niether team was able to find twine. The first
period ended with Nebraska leading by a score of one to nothing. The Wolverines had
the decided edge in shots on goal with a sixteen to six count.
The second period started, at least in one respect, much like the first - Nebraska
was whistled for the first penalty of the period. This time they made it four minutes
before the whistle was blown. Michigan's power play continued to sputter and it looked
like the Mavericks would get through the penalty without suffering any damage. Then,
with twenty-eight seconds left in the Michigan power play, Nebraska was whistled for
their second penalty giving Michigan a two man advantage. While they came close once
with the two man advantage they were unable to score. They didn't fare any better through
the remainder of the second Nebraska penalty as they were unable to score even with
almost four minutes of continuous power play time.
Michigan found itself killing off a penalty just as the clock approached the midpoint
of this period, but they were able to kill it off without giving up another goal. About
two minutes after this penalty was killed off each team lost a man to the sin bin and
they once again skated four on four. Things would get interesting after a penalty,
called at the four minute mark of the period, put Nebraska on the power play.
Michigan had killed off almost three quarters of this power play, when JJ Swistak
made a great individual effort to chip the puck out of the Michigan zone. Jumping
forward, laying himself out on the ice, he poked the puck out of the Wolverine zone
breaking up the Nebraska power play. He then scrambled after the puck, chipping at it
and scrapping for it the whole way through the neutral zone. The puck eventually
ended up inside the Nebraska zone behind their deepest defenseman. Just as this was
happening Helminen came out of the players box, on a player switch, got control of the
puck and drove hard for the Nebraska goal. Skating in close Helminen got off a nice
shot, top shelf, to score Michigan's first goal of the game. The lone assist on this
short handed goal went to Swistak. All of this action came to a conclusion with
thirty-two seconds left in the Nebraska power play. Just seconds after scoring this
goal, still short handed, Michigan got another break away. This time time they could
not come up with the score.
The second period would come to an end with the score all tied up at one goal
each. Michigan would continue to dominate in total shots on goal as they ended
the second period with a twenty-eight to twelve advantage.
The third period seemed to start at a somewhat slower pace, but with a more
physical nature to it. The hitting seemed to ratchet up a notch in the final period
of the game. Probably the best scoring chance for either team in this period would
come with just over three minutes gone. At this time Michigan was whistled for a
penalty, putting Nebraska on the power play. While killing off this penalty Michigan
got control of the puck behind the Nebraska goal. With the Maverick netminder pulled
far to one side of the goal, Michigan skated behind the net and looked to be on their
way to wrapping the puck around, poking it into a very empty net. Inexplicably the
Wolverines missed this golden opportunity to score the go ahead goal, leaving the
game knotted in a one to one tie.
Michigan would get one final power play chance, again at the midpoint of the period.
Once again they were unable to take advantage of the extra attacker and the power play
was killed off by Nebraska. The defensive struggle would continue with each team seeing
a couple of scoring chances through the final minutes of the game, but they all came
up short. Regulation time would come to an end with the game still tied at one goal
each. Michigan ended the third period with a thirty-three to sixteen advantage in
shots on goal.
After a short rest break the overtime period got under way with both teams going
after the puck right from the start. Shouneyia would get control of puck near center
ice. From there he skated into the Nebraska zone, skating down the press box side of
the ice. Nystrom was following the play off to Shouneyia's left. After drawing the
goal tender to him, Shouneyia flipped the puck over to Nystrom who drove to the
goal and jammed the puck past the Maverick netminder. Nystrom scores the game winner in
overtime, with the assist going to Shouneyia. The game ended with Michigan winning by a
score of two to one. The goal was the only shot on goal in the overtime so Michigan
ended the game with a thirty-four to sixteen advantage in this category.
Well this game was everything it was expected to be going in. It was fast paced,
it was physical, and it was a nail biter the whole way. Michigan played a pretty
good game tonight. While their offense seems to be a bit off, but their defense seems
to be playing quite well. Probably the best part of that defense is the penalty kill
which has killed off something like fifty-one straight power plays. Perhaps just as
good is Blackburn who once again played a very good game (makes one wonder where this
level of play was back in October). The power play is still struggling mightily.
I'm not sure when I last saw a Michigan power play this ineffective, this late in the season.
Through it all this was a good, hard fought, victory for the Wolverines. One they
needed for a number of reasons. They keep pace with Michigan State, who defeated
Notre Dame in East Lansing. They solidified their hold on second place in the
CCHA and they go into tomorrow nights game with the extra confidence that tonights
win should give them. The only real problem Michigan seemed to have tonight was
keeping control of the puck. The puck seemed to jump off their sticks with great
regularity through most of the game. Both teams do this all again tomorrow night
at Yost - it should be just as exciting as tonights contest.
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