Friday, February 22, 2008
Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, Michigan

It was supposed to be a battle between two rivals and two of the nations top teams and for a little over two periods it was. Then an all to familiar third period collapse by Michigan opened the door for the Spartans and they ran with it scoring three goals in the third to win running by a five to two score.

With just over eighteen minutes to play the Spartans charge up the ice, close on the goal, and score an easy goal to take the early lead. As they closed on the goal the Spartans moved the puck right to left, finding a player all alone for the easy chip in through the wide open back door.

With just over one minute to play it was almost a repeat of the games opening goal as the Spartans once again find an open back door to take a two goal lead. Gathering up the puck following a Michigan turn over the Spartans quickly gained the Michigan zone, pushing the puck to the right of the Michigan goal. A quick pass to the left and another wide open back door leads to the Spartans second easy goal of the night.

The first period comes to an end with the Spartans leading by a score of two to nothing. The Wolverines held a fifteen to three advantage in shots on goal.

With just under eleven minutes to play the Spartans were whistled for a penalty putting Michigan on the power play. With just over nine minutes to play the Wolverines would finally get the puck past the Spartan net minder to cut the lead to one. Porter had the puck at the left point, making a pass down low and right of the goal. A quick pass from there into the slot between the circles to Pacioretty leads to the goal as Pacioretty buries the puck top shelf for the power play goal. Both Palushaj and Porter pick up assists on the goal.

The second period would come to an end with the Spartans holding a two to one lead. The Wolverines out shot the Spartans twelve to six to hold a twenty-seven to nine advantage in shots on goal through forty minutes.

With about fourteen and half minutes to play the beginning of the end began when a Spartan player lofted a soft shot from the right face off circle toward the Michigan goal. There were no players screening Sauer, nobody really in the vicinity except Sauer and the Spartan player. Instead of the easy stop that it should have been Sauer watched helplessly as the puck sailed over his shoulder into the net for the easiest goal this series has seen in quite some time.

Just eighteen seconds later, still with over fourteen minutes to play, and the Wolverines apparently still reeling from the soft goal, the Spartans walked the puck right back into the Michigan zone, made a little give and go pass in front of the net before once again making it look easy, sliding the puck past Sauer for goal number four.

With just over eight minutes to play Michigan would cut the lead to two when Winnett carried the puck through center ice, wove his way around a couple of Spartan defenders, and closed on the Spartan goal. As he passed in front of the goal he slipped the puck under the Spartan goal tender for the score. Pacioretty and Vaughan picked up assists on the goal.

At the same time as the goal was scored the Wolverines were whistled for a penalty putting the Spartans on the power play. With 1:17 remaining in that penalty Michigan was whistled for penalty number two to give the Spartans an extended five on three advantage. Michigan killed off the first penalty, but with just over six minutes to play the Spartans got off a shot from the left face off circle that squeezed its way between Sauers arm and his body, ending up in the net for goal number five, this time on the power play.

The game would come to an end with the Spartans winning by a score of five to two. The Spartans out shot the Wolverines thirteen to six in the final period, leaving Michigan with a thirty-three to twenty-two advantage in shots on goal for the game.

Not exactly the kind of start to this weekend that Michigan was looking for with a Championship on the line and so few games remaining they had a chance to make a statement and failed. Well its probably more accurate to say they made a statement, just not the one they were expecting to make. The Championship is still there to win, but if they don't win Saturday nights game at Joe Louis the likelihood of them winning the Championship would be less than fifty percent. They have three games left and through some combination of ties and wins need four points out of those three games to win the CCHA regular season Championship. While things couldn't have gone better for Michigan last weekend, this weekend is looking like its going in the opposite direction. We'll know one way or the other Saturday night about 10 PM.