Buckeyes Bamboozle Wolverines

Friday, February 3, 2006
Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Desperately in need of wins and points the Wolverines, especially the defense, seemed to be sleep walking as they dropping a key CCHA contest to rival Ohio State at Yost Arena tonight. While the Wolverines were able to score five goals on a team that has been shutting down their opponents, they gave up seven goals, the final one an empty netter late in the contest. There should be some intense discussions inside the Wolverine locker room as they search for some form of consistency with just eight games left in the regular season.

The Buckeyes didn't waste any time getting on the board in this game as they had the puck in the net less than a minute into the game. Michigan turned the puck over in their own zone, with Ohio State gathering it up and closing on the Michigan goal. A couple of moves to get around a couple more Michigan players and the Buckeye skated slipped the puck past Sauer for the score.

Michigan would get a couple of power play chances late in the period, but they would be unable to score. The first period would come to an end with Ohio State leading by a one to nothing score. The Wolverines held a fourteen to ten advantage in shots on goal.

Michigan would finally get on the board with fifteen and half minutes left in the second period when they would break out of their zone with numbers in their favor. Kolarik carried the puck up the side boards and into the Buckeye zone. Ebbett was skating right with him, but down the center of the ice. As the defense moved to Kolarik he slid a pass across the ice to Ebbett who tipped the puck past the Buckeye net minder. Kolarik and Kaleniecki each picked up an assist on the goal.

Shortly after tying the game the Wolverines were sent to the penalty box to give the Buckeyes a power play chance, however, it would be the Michigan penalty kill that would carry the play. With the clock just under fourteen minutes, forty-five seconds left in the Buckeye power play, Ebbett got behind the Buckeye defense, receiving a pass near the red line. He skated hard into the Buckeye zone, closed on the net and slid the puck, along with the goalie, over the goal line for the score. Kolarik and Dest each picked up an assist on this short handed goal.

The Michigan lead didn't last long as the Buckeyes got back to even with just over twelve minutes to play. In an almost mirror image of the Wolverines short handed goal a Buckeye player got behind the Michigan defense, received a pass near the red line, flew into the Michigan zone, and slid the puck past Sauer to once again tie the game.

With the clock just under eleven minutes the Buckeyes were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. With just over nine minutes to play the Wolverines gained control of the puck near the Buckeye blue line. They charged into the Buckeye zone down the side and looked to make a pass through the slot. However, as that pass went through the slot it was redirected into the Buckeye net for the score. Kaleniecki got credit for the power play goal, while Hensick and Porter each picked up an assist.

Less than thirty seconds later, off the ensuing face off, the Buckeyes got control of the puck near the Michigan blue line, went around several Michigan players, marching right into the Wolverine zone. Walking right up to the Michigan goal he punched the puck past Sauer to once again tie the game.

With just over six minutes left in the period the Buckeyes would put Michigan back on the power play. That power lasted just eight seconds when Michigan was whistled for a penalty of their own. With the teams skating four on four the Wolverines would manage to score their fourth goal of the period with the clock just under the five minute mark. Johnson got off a shot from just inside the blue line. It wasn't the hardest shot, but it did have to make its way through a number of players, finally going into the Buckeye net over the goalies shoulder. Cogliano and Rohlfs each picked up an assist on the goal.

With just under three minutes to play it appeared that Michigan at extended their lead to two goals when they slid the puck through the five hole. However, as the puck went under the Buckeye goalie the referee blew the whistle indicating he had lost site of the puck and the resulting goal was waved off.

The second period would end with Michigan holding a slim four to three lead. Michigan out shot the Buckeyes fifteen to fourteen in the period to end forty minutes of play with a twenty-nine to twenty-four advantage in shots on goal.

With just over nineteen minutes to play in regulation time the Buckeyes flew into the Michigan zone and blasted a shot top shelf that just went into the front top corner of the net. The goal judge didn't light the light and the referee was in no position to see the goal. A review was called for and after a very short review the goal was counted and the Buckeyes had once again tied the game.

About forty-five seconds later, with eighteen and half minutes left to play the Buckeyes were once again behind the Michigan defense and storming toward the Michigan goal. As they closed they got off a shot that squeezed between Sauer and the post to score their second goal in less than a minute and retake the lead. At this point Sauer was removed from the game and Ruden was brought in.

With the clock just under fourteen minutes Michigan would tie the game for the last time off a face off in the Michigan zone. Michigan won the face off and got a quick pass out to Rohlfs who then flew up the ice into the Buckeye zone. As he reached the top of the face off circle he let fly a wrist shot while in full stride that beat the Buckeye net minder to tie the game at five goals each. Porter and Hensick each picked up an assist on the goal.

With about thirteen and half minutes to play the Buckeyes were whistled for a penalty to put Michigan on the power play. About one minutes later, with 1:08 of power play time left, the Wolverines allowed the Buckeyes to once again get behind their defense, skating into the Michigan zone all alone. The Buckeyes closed on the Michigan goal, scoring a short handed goal to retake the lead for good.

With just over three minutes to play Johnson was called for a five minute major penalty to leave Michigan short handed for the remainder of the game, just when they could least afford to be short handed. The Wolverines held the Buckeyes at bay for most of the remainder of the game, pulling their goalie with about a minute to play. With just 35.8 seconds left in the game the Buckeyes finally got free with the puck, ending all of Michigans chances by scoring an empty net goal.

The game would come to an end with the Buckeyes winning by a seven to five score. Michigan out shot the Buckeyes eleven to eight in the period, ending the game with a forty to thirty-two advantage in shots on goal.

While the Wolverines scored plenty of goals in this game, they couldn't stop the Buckeyes from scoring to save themselves. The defense was so ineffective they might as well have not been on the ice. With so few games left on the schedule and points in the conference race worth their weight in gold, the Wolverines couldn't afford to lose a game on home ice, but that's exactly what they did. The consistency problems for this team seem to be deep rooted as they continue to plague them on a weekly basis. The Wolverines need to hold home ice for the remainder of the season, starting tomorrow night with the rematch against these same Buckeyes.