Wolverines Shut Out Buckeyes

Friday, March 21, 2003
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Both teams were looking to move the puck up and down the ice at the start of this game, but as they did just two weeks both teams were playing a very defensive, physical game of hockey out of the gates. Barely forty-five seconds into the game Shouneyia was sent to the sin bin for a high stick and the Buckeyes were on the power play early in the game. That power play wouldn't last very long as the Buckeyes were whistled for a penalty of their own with 1:29 remaining in their power play. Moss had stolen a Buckeye pass just inside the Ohio State blue line and got a break on the Buckeye goalie. To stop the scoring chance a Buckeye hooked Moss, stopping the scoring drive, but also ending the power play. In the end all penalties would be killed off and play would continue up and down the ice.

With about sixteen and half minutes to play in the period the Buckeyes collected their second penalty of the game, putting the Wolverines back on the power play just seconds after their initial, but short power play ended. Once again Ohio State would kill off the penalty without giving up a goal.

With just under thirteen minutes to play Burnes was sent to the box to give Ohio State their second power play of the period. With this second Buckeye power play about half over once again they turn it over just inside their own blue line, this time to Nystrom. Nystrom charged down toward the goal, but just held the puck a little to long and missed his scoring chance. The Buckeyes choice to use a five forward power play in this game has so far proved dangerous as they have turned the puck over in their zone on both of their power plays. This power play will eventually be killed off by the Wolverines.

With just under nine minutes to play in the period Michigan had a great scoring chance but the Ohio State net minder came up with a great save to keep the Wolverines off the board. With just under eight minutes to play the Buckeyes would drag Nystrom to the ice in the corner, sending one of their men to the box, and putting Michigan on the power play. Once again Michigan would come close, but just miss the scoring chance. Other than this one scoring chance this Wolverine power play was poorly run and the Buckeyes killed off another.

With just over three minutes to play one man from each team is sent to the sin bin as two players get tangled up behind the play. With 1:22 left to play, 19 seconds in the previous penalties, OSU was on their way to the box to give Michigan a power play, however, the Wolverine involved retaliated and both teams once again lost a player each. The first period would come to an end with the score all tied up zero. The teams were also dead even in shots on goal with seven shots each.

The second period was pretty much a mirror image of the first with both teams carrying the puck up and down the ice, but both teams continue to check ferociously. As the clock moved under the twelve minute mark that would all change as Michigan would finally get one past the Ohio State net minder for the games first goal. Breaking out of their own zone with some great up ice passes Michigan got the puck to Nystrom as he approached the Buckeye blue line. Carrying the puck into the Ohio State zone Nystrom drew the Buckeye net minder to his left, leaving Helminen basically unaccounted for. Nystrom made a great pass across the ice to Helminen who streaked across in front of the net, then slid a little back hand host through the five hole for the score. Helminen gets the goal, while Nystrom and Richmond each received an assist.

Michigan would strike a second time with just over nine minutes left to play, this time taking advantage of a strange bounce off the boards by the puck. Swistak got the puck at the top of the right circle and went to bang the puck around the boards, behind the net. Just as it approached the net the puck hit something on the boards and bounced right out in front of the net to a very opportunistic Helminen. Wasting no time at all Dwight slammed the puck home for this second goal in barely three minutes. Swistak would get the lone assist on this goal.

As the clock moved under the seven minute mark Michigan would be whistled for a penalty putting the Buckeyes on the power play. However, once again the Michigan penalty kill would step the fore and kill off the penalty. With just over four minutes left to play it looked like each team would lose a player to the sin bin, but the referee's thought that a second Michigan player got a little to involved so Michigan sent two, while the Buckeyes sent one, giving the Buckeyes a late power play chance. They would come close, but once again Michigan killed off the penalty.

With just over one and a half minutes to play in the period the Buckeyes would be whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. While Michigan looked for that third goal the second period would come to an end with Michigan leading by a score of two to zero. The edge in shots on goal would go to Ohio State with a seventeen to fourteen count.

The Wolverines started the third period with about fifteen seconds of power play time to start the third period, but would not be able to take advantage of the extra man in the early going of the third period. With just over seventeen minutes left to play each team would lose a man to the sin bin and would skate four on four for two uneventful minutes.

With just over fourteen minutes to play Montoya would come up with another great save for the game, going down on the ice to cover the puck. A passing Buckeye player would take a little jab at Montoya as he lay on the ice resulting in a penalty to Ohio State and a power play for Michigan. Michigan would get a great look at the goal just as the power play was ending, but the Buckeyes killed off the penalty to stay within two.

With just over twelve minutes to play Burnes would be called for tripping on a call that the replay clearly showed was a fantastic play by Burnes and should not have been a penalty. There is no review for penalties called and Ohio State had a power play. With just over ten minutes to play, nineteen seconds in the Buckeye power play, the final goal of the game would be scored and once again it would Helminen coming up big for Michigan. Getting control of the puck in neutral ice Helminen carried it into the Buckeye zoning. Using Mink and two Buckeyes as a perfect moving screen Helminen waited for his chance and put a perfect shot past the Ohio State net minder to give Michigan a three goal lead. The lone assist went to Martens and the hat trick was Helminens first as a Wolverine. Ohio State almost got one back when they came close to scoring a real soft goal as Montoya made a mental error that left a wide open net for the Ohio State shooter. Luckily Montoya and his defensemen covered up quickly and Michigan held their three goal lead.

With just under ten minutes to play Ohio State once again ran Montoya down to put Michigan back on the power play. The Buckeyes would kill off the penalty, but time was becoming their enemy. Both teams would lose a player to the sin bin with just over seven minutes to play and once again the penalties expired with neither team able to score.

With just under four minutes to play Ohio State would get whistled for another penalty giving Michigan a late power play, but the Wolverines would be unable to take advantage of the extra man. There would be some late penalties called, but the game came to an end with Michigan winning by a score of three to nothing. The Buckeyes ended the game with the edge in shots on goal with a thirty to twenty-four count.

The Wolverines get off to a great start at Joe Louis to advance to the CCHA tournament finals with a shut out victory over Ohio State. After skating to two ties just two weeks ago this game looked to be tough for both teams and it did not disappoint. Both of these teams banged each other around rink and each team saw several scoring chances evaporate by some excellent goal tending.

The Buckeyes did a fine job of shutting down Michigan's number line, but once again a Wolverine stepped up and picked up the slack. Tonights big Michigan player was Dwight Helminen who scored all three of the Wolverine goals, his first hat trick as a Wolverine. Just to top off his first hat trick he scored his third goal, short-handed, his fourth such goal of the year. The Wolverines appear to have arrived at Joe Louis ready to play and tomorrow nights championship game should be a barn burner.