New Conference, New Season, New Team
Lots has changed from last year's Michigan team that saw it's 22 year NCAA playoff streak come to an end. A team that ended up 18-19-3, and fell one game short from winning the last ever Mason Cup. Significant improvements have been made to a team that had inconsistent offense, defense and most of all, goaltending in 2012-2013. With the new, young season already underway, Michigan looks optimistic as they look to reload, instead of rebuild.
It's hard for perennial powerhouses to stay out of the national spotlight. Last season the Wolverines found themselves in the wrong kind of spotlight. As Michigan struggled, it was Red Berenson who also struggled with making the decision of whether or not to leave Michigan (you may recall, he spoke publicly about debating whether he should leave Michigan due to poor performance). The iconic Head Coach cited that a strong playoff push was enough to see him come back for the remaining three years of his contract. After an NCAA tournament that was unwelcoming to Michigan for the first time in 22 years, early departures that left multiple questions on the blue line, and a very long off-season for fans of the maize and blue, Michigan took center stage in the College hockey world last Thursday in a showcase matchup vs. #4 ranked Boston College.
#11 Michigan - 3, #4 Boston College - 1
Michigan embarked on a new conference, new season, and revamped lineup on Thursday. The opening night for the college hockey season saw an epic battle of two legendary coaches. With Red Berenson and BC Head Coach Jerry York behind each bench, there couldn't have been a more exciting way for both teams to prove themselves early in the year.
After Michigan's exhibition loss to Windsor, it was unclear on which team would show up on Thursday. Admittedly, Michigan did play very well in their 2-1 loss to Windsor. They moved the puck very well, limited chances, and saw pretty decent goaltending. All in all, they looked like your typical Michigan hockey team (other than not being able to put the puck in the net). Thursday was a new challenge against a team that always looks to play into early April, and Michigan showed up. The Maize and Blue looked like they picked up exactly where they left off from last seasons late push. Luke Moffatt scored just 7:25 into the opening stanza, and Michigan never let up from there. After taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, Michigan got an early 2nd period goal from Andrew Copp (the eventual GWG), and Steve Racine backstopped the Wolverines, recording 20 saves en-route to a 3-1 win.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Last Weekend's Recap
First and foremost, I'm just going to come out and say it. I have my foot in my mouth right now. Cornell completely shocked me and I'm still in disbelief that Michigan was sent packing by the Big Red. I'll break down each regional, starting with the unfortunate loss that ended our season.
Cornell 3-Michigan 2 (OT)- Where do I even begin on this game? It seemed as if it was going to be a blow out within the first 95 seconds of the game, only to have a goal disallowed on a very questionable call. Now I'm not saying that's what threw us under the bus, but there's no question that it deflated our tires a little bit. There's so much to say about the departing seniors on this team (which will be said in a different post), but it was a heck of a career for most of them. This game keeps eating away at me because this was absolutely one of the easiest regions, and the trip to another national title seemed so...apparent, for the lack of a better word. It just seemed like Michigan was destined to go back to the FF, and redeem last year's 3-2 overtime loss to UMD. Another year in the books, another championship avoids our grasp. Good season, boys.
(Side Note)- I do find it very strange that the last three games of the year ended with a final score of 3-2, and what's even more strange is the fact that Michigan's season has ended with a 3-2 overtime loss for three consecutive years. First losing to Miami in 2010, then Duluth in the NC game in 2011, and now Cornell in 2012. I love dramatic games, but not when your team comes out on the losing end year in, and year out. Oh, well, gotta stay positive for next year.
Ferris State 2-Denver 1- Ferris narrowly squeaked by Denver, in what I thought was going to be a good game. It certainly turned out that way. It was good to see Ferris get the win, being the only CCHA team to win their game. Collectively the CCHA went 1-4 in their first round games. Not a good showing this year.
Ferris State 2-Cornell 1- All I'm saying is that I'm somewhat glad Cornell didn't make it to the FF. I knew they didn't belong, and even though I was (am) bitter about them beating Michigan, I felt Ferris deserved the chance to go to Tampa. Taylor Nelson played huge in nets for Ferris and was named the regional MVP. He'll need to play even better next weekend in Tampa if he wants to bring a National Championship back to Big Rapids.
West Regional
North Dakota 3- Western Michigan 1- I will admit, I didn't get to see any of this game, which is unfortunate because it sounded like a pretty decent game for the most part. It must have been tough for Western to walk into Englestad East (I swear UND draws more fans than Minnesota at Xcel), and play a surging Sioux team. One thing I will comment on is the new UND jersey, which removed the classic Indian head logo. All I have to say on that issue is that the NCAA is so ridiculously over the line here, I'm honestly becoming more of a Sioux fan just becasue of this ruling. From what I've heard, the Sioux tribe members feel honored to have it be the schools mascot, but lawmakers and other people (fuzzy on this part) are all about removing the logo. Ok ok, you caught me. I'm not an expert on the situation, but I do know that the Indian head logo is a part of the UND tradition, and it would be a shame to see them lose it forever.
Minnesota 7- Boston U 3-This sure was an interesting game to watch. It seemed as if BU had Minnesota against the ropes early, but Minnesota was clearly determined to redeem their monumental collapse against UND in the WCHA final 5. They left no doubt, dropping 7 goals on the Terriers.
Minnesota 5- North Dakota 2- This game was not as exciting as I thought it was going to be. NoDak came out with little to no energy, and the Gophers left no doubts this time. It was a solid win for the Gophers, but something tells me the Sioux weren't up to the challenge on this particular day. I'm pretty sure that if this was a best of 3 game series, it would have gone into overtime in the third game to crown a winner. But that's the beauty and ugliness of college hockey playoffs...one and done. See you in Tampa, Minnesota.
More to come later....
Cornell 3-Michigan 2 (OT)- Where do I even begin on this game? It seemed as if it was going to be a blow out within the first 95 seconds of the game, only to have a goal disallowed on a very questionable call. Now I'm not saying that's what threw us under the bus, but there's no question that it deflated our tires a little bit. There's so much to say about the departing seniors on this team (which will be said in a different post), but it was a heck of a career for most of them. This game keeps eating away at me because this was absolutely one of the easiest regions, and the trip to another national title seemed so...apparent, for the lack of a better word. It just seemed like Michigan was destined to go back to the FF, and redeem last year's 3-2 overtime loss to UMD. Another year in the books, another championship avoids our grasp. Good season, boys.
(Side Note)- I do find it very strange that the last three games of the year ended with a final score of 3-2, and what's even more strange is the fact that Michigan's season has ended with a 3-2 overtime loss for three consecutive years. First losing to Miami in 2010, then Duluth in the NC game in 2011, and now Cornell in 2012. I love dramatic games, but not when your team comes out on the losing end year in, and year out. Oh, well, gotta stay positive for next year.
Ferris State 2-Denver 1- Ferris narrowly squeaked by Denver, in what I thought was going to be a good game. It certainly turned out that way. It was good to see Ferris get the win, being the only CCHA team to win their game. Collectively the CCHA went 1-4 in their first round games. Not a good showing this year.
Ferris State 2-Cornell 1- All I'm saying is that I'm somewhat glad Cornell didn't make it to the FF. I knew they didn't belong, and even though I was (am) bitter about them beating Michigan, I felt Ferris deserved the chance to go to Tampa. Taylor Nelson played huge in nets for Ferris and was named the regional MVP. He'll need to play even better next weekend in Tampa if he wants to bring a National Championship back to Big Rapids.
West Regional
North Dakota 3- Western Michigan 1- I will admit, I didn't get to see any of this game, which is unfortunate because it sounded like a pretty decent game for the most part. It must have been tough for Western to walk into Englestad East (I swear UND draws more fans than Minnesota at Xcel), and play a surging Sioux team. One thing I will comment on is the new UND jersey, which removed the classic Indian head logo. All I have to say on that issue is that the NCAA is so ridiculously over the line here, I'm honestly becoming more of a Sioux fan just becasue of this ruling. From what I've heard, the Sioux tribe members feel honored to have it be the schools mascot, but lawmakers and other people (fuzzy on this part) are all about removing the logo. Ok ok, you caught me. I'm not an expert on the situation, but I do know that the Indian head logo is a part of the UND tradition, and it would be a shame to see them lose it forever.
Minnesota 7- Boston U 3-This sure was an interesting game to watch. It seemed as if BU had Minnesota against the ropes early, but Minnesota was clearly determined to redeem their monumental collapse against UND in the WCHA final 5. They left no doubt, dropping 7 goals on the Terriers.
Minnesota 5- North Dakota 2- This game was not as exciting as I thought it was going to be. NoDak came out with little to no energy, and the Gophers left no doubts this time. It was a solid win for the Gophers, but something tells me the Sioux weren't up to the challenge on this particular day. I'm pretty sure that if this was a best of 3 game series, it would have gone into overtime in the third game to crown a winner. But that's the beauty and ugliness of college hockey playoffs...one and done. See you in Tampa, Minnesota.
More to come later....
Thursday, March 22, 2012
The Best of the Rest...2012 NCAA Tournament Preview
What's going to happen this weekend?! I'm getting a little nervous thinking about how things might unfold (I know, I have a serious problem). In my head I'm imagining all the scenarios that would benefit Michigan, but all wishing aside, here's how I figure the brackets would turn out.
East Regional
Union vs. Michigan State- This is a tough game for me to break down, mainly because it contains two things that I despise. Sparty, and the ECAC. Dry heaves. Fingernails on a chalkboard. Any movie with Reese Witherspoon. That's the feeling I get when I think about these two teams. Normally I would want any team to beat the ECAC team...but now that it's State...I hope they tie. Oh wait, you can't tie in a NCAA tournament game? Well I hope they both concede to Miami and call it a day.
Prediction: 5-3 Union- Only because I've heard from people that they have some talented forwards. Like I said, I could care less. Picking the lesser of two evils.
UMASS-Lowell vs. Miami (OH)-Well looky here! This should actually be a pretty decent game! In a region where I wish Michigan would have ended up (Midwest isn't that bad FTR), I'm really liking Miami's chances to stumble into the NCAA tournament. Granted I don't honestly believe that they belong here, but they are just the most logical team to survive this (weak) bracket.
Prediction: 4-0 Miami-Look for Conner Knapp to play stellar, and for the rest of the Miami forwards to play inspired hockey this weekend. They haven't been stellar all year, but once you get to this point, it doesn't really matter anymore. Win and move on...that's enough motivation for the Redhawks.
Championship game: Miami 6-Union 1-I hope this game isn't close...no matter who is in it. This region isn't very interesting to me, and I don't want to do the whole "foot in mouth" routine, but I'm fairly confident you won't find a national champion in the East.
Lets Go West!
Minnesota vs. Boston University-I probably should have started in this region because this is where I'll be paying most of my attention (apart from UM, of course). Heavyweight programs squaring off in the first round. It doesn't get any better than this. BU-Minnesota...the 70's rivalry revisited. It seems like these two teams are always in the hunt for a national championship, and even when they're having down years, teams still circle them on their schedule. That's the cost of being a national powerhouse. The fact that this game is taking place in Minnesota makes me want to lean a little towards the maroon and gold, but after seeing the IMPLOSION last weekend, I have to take BU in this one. I have a feeling that more Sioux fans are going to these games anyway...after seeing the XCel energy center lit up with black and green last year for the Frozen Four, I know that that place will have at least 15,000 Sioux fans ready to cheer on BU (well, maybe they want to beat the Gophers to go to the Frozen Four, but whatever). Either way, UND fans will be out in full force to cheer on their beloved Sioux. BU had a strong regular season, much like Minnesota, but I have a feeling they might be able to eek out a win on the road. I'll say...
4-3 (OT)-BU
North Dakota vs. Western Michigan-Does it get any better than this!? Two teams peaking at the right time squaring off in the first round. Because I don't have much time to write as much as I'd like...I'll come straight out and say it...North Dakota wins this game. It may not be pretty, and it certainly won't be a clean game, but North Dakota will end up grinding down the Broncos. Aaron Dell can be an elite level goaltender if he has a focused team in front of him (as apparent in the 2nd and 3rd periods of the Minnesota Final Five game).
5-2-Sioux
Championship: North Dakota 4-BU 2
Ahhh NORDEAST
BC vs. Air Force-Look, I like this bracket a lot! It's obvious BC is the fan favorite, and a lot of people will be hopping on the BC bandwagon. But as Lee Corso always says..."NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!!!!". As much as it still burns me to think about...Air Force pulled off a huge upset in 2009 against the boys in Blue, and anything can happen around this time of the year. Air Force has definitely been streaky all year, but they can play up to other team's levels.
Prediction: 3-2 BC-It'll be close, but you can't fight that #1 ranking. There's a reason why the Eagles come in as the top ranked team in the land.
Duluth vs. Maine-To me, this is going to be an AWESOME game. Both teams are playing great hockey, and both are hungry for a chance to get back to the Frozen Four. I'd really like it if Maine took this region, but sometimes you gotta bet with your brain, and not your heart.
Prediction: 5-3 Duluth-Gotta go with the defending national champions here.
Championship Game: 2-1 (OT) Duluth-After last year's overtime loss to Duluth...I want nothing more than to beat them in the 2012 Championship. Better believe I'm advancing them to the FF based solely on that reason.
So there we have it...if my predictions turn out correctly, we'll see...
Michigan
Miami
North Dakota
Minn-Duluth
...in the frozen four. Another All-WCHA/CCHA Frozen Four for the second year in a row. I'll check back early next week to review my picks, reflect on the tournament, and discuss the Frozen Four.
Happy hockey readers...
East Regional
Union vs. Michigan State- This is a tough game for me to break down, mainly because it contains two things that I despise. Sparty, and the ECAC. Dry heaves. Fingernails on a chalkboard. Any movie with Reese Witherspoon. That's the feeling I get when I think about these two teams. Normally I would want any team to beat the ECAC team...but now that it's State...I hope they tie. Oh wait, you can't tie in a NCAA tournament game? Well I hope they both concede to Miami and call it a day.
Prediction: 5-3 Union- Only because I've heard from people that they have some talented forwards. Like I said, I could care less. Picking the lesser of two evils.
UMASS-Lowell vs. Miami (OH)-Well looky here! This should actually be a pretty decent game! In a region where I wish Michigan would have ended up (Midwest isn't that bad FTR), I'm really liking Miami's chances to stumble into the NCAA tournament. Granted I don't honestly believe that they belong here, but they are just the most logical team to survive this (weak) bracket.
Prediction: 4-0 Miami-Look for Conner Knapp to play stellar, and for the rest of the Miami forwards to play inspired hockey this weekend. They haven't been stellar all year, but once you get to this point, it doesn't really matter anymore. Win and move on...that's enough motivation for the Redhawks.
Championship game: Miami 6-Union 1-I hope this game isn't close...no matter who is in it. This region isn't very interesting to me, and I don't want to do the whole "foot in mouth" routine, but I'm fairly confident you won't find a national champion in the East.
Lets Go West!
Minnesota vs. Boston University-I probably should have started in this region because this is where I'll be paying most of my attention (apart from UM, of course). Heavyweight programs squaring off in the first round. It doesn't get any better than this. BU-Minnesota...the 70's rivalry revisited. It seems like these two teams are always in the hunt for a national championship, and even when they're having down years, teams still circle them on their schedule. That's the cost of being a national powerhouse. The fact that this game is taking place in Minnesota makes me want to lean a little towards the maroon and gold, but after seeing the IMPLOSION last weekend, I have to take BU in this one. I have a feeling that more Sioux fans are going to these games anyway...after seeing the XCel energy center lit up with black and green last year for the Frozen Four, I know that that place will have at least 15,000 Sioux fans ready to cheer on BU (well, maybe they want to beat the Gophers to go to the Frozen Four, but whatever). Either way, UND fans will be out in full force to cheer on their beloved Sioux. BU had a strong regular season, much like Minnesota, but I have a feeling they might be able to eek out a win on the road. I'll say...
4-3 (OT)-BU
North Dakota vs. Western Michigan-Does it get any better than this!? Two teams peaking at the right time squaring off in the first round. Because I don't have much time to write as much as I'd like...I'll come straight out and say it...North Dakota wins this game. It may not be pretty, and it certainly won't be a clean game, but North Dakota will end up grinding down the Broncos. Aaron Dell can be an elite level goaltender if he has a focused team in front of him (as apparent in the 2nd and 3rd periods of the Minnesota Final Five game).
5-2-Sioux
Championship: North Dakota 4-BU 2
Ahhh NORDEAST
BC vs. Air Force-Look, I like this bracket a lot! It's obvious BC is the fan favorite, and a lot of people will be hopping on the BC bandwagon. But as Lee Corso always says..."NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!!!!". As much as it still burns me to think about...Air Force pulled off a huge upset in 2009 against the boys in Blue, and anything can happen around this time of the year. Air Force has definitely been streaky all year, but they can play up to other team's levels.
Prediction: 3-2 BC-It'll be close, but you can't fight that #1 ranking. There's a reason why the Eagles come in as the top ranked team in the land.
Duluth vs. Maine-To me, this is going to be an AWESOME game. Both teams are playing great hockey, and both are hungry for a chance to get back to the Frozen Four. I'd really like it if Maine took this region, but sometimes you gotta bet with your brain, and not your heart.
Prediction: 5-3 Duluth-Gotta go with the defending national champions here.
Championship Game: 2-1 (OT) Duluth-After last year's overtime loss to Duluth...I want nothing more than to beat them in the 2012 Championship. Better believe I'm advancing them to the FF based solely on that reason.
So there we have it...if my predictions turn out correctly, we'll see...
Michigan
Miami
North Dakota
Minn-Duluth
...in the frozen four. Another All-WCHA/CCHA Frozen Four for the second year in a row. I'll check back early next week to review my picks, reflect on the tournament, and discuss the Frozen Four.
Happy hockey readers...
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Blah Blah skip a season...Blah Blah
Whew! Well that was a crazy season...let's see what did I miss?
-Some goals were scored...
-Some saves were made...
-Won some...
-Lost some....
Annnnnd voila! #1 Seed in the Midwest region, playing Cornell. Sound good?
Ok ok, in all honesty I got really bad with visiting my blog...and I forgot my username/password, but that's a whole different story. Enough excuses though, I was terrible writing on here. Or not writing (I guess). My deepest apologies if anyone was really hell-bent over my 4 month hiatus. But there's something special about playoff time. Snow is melting, playoff intensity, national champions to be crowned. Yup, Michigan is at it again, looking to make their second consecutive Frozen Four appearance. Let's take a look at the region, and how I see it unfolding...
#1 Seed-Michigan Wolverines (24-12-4)
Well, tbh, you're reading a Michigan hockey blog, so you should probably know how we stack up, and what we need to do to get to Tampa. (<--------too many "to"s? Ok, just checking)
#2 Seed- Ferris State Bulldogs (23-11-5)
The #1 team in the CCHA regular season had quite the disappointing ending to their playoff run, losing to Bowling Green in the best of three series. Their top dog, IMO, is Sr. Goaltender Taylor Nelson, who had a .920SV% and a 2.18GAA throughout the regular season. He NEEDS to be the best player on the ice in Green Bay in order for the Bulldogs to win. I think Ferris has a solid 1st and 2nd line, and each player is capable of scoring when needed. They don't have any real offensive stand outs, but what they do have is a set of consistent 2 lines that can go toe-to-toe with any 2 lines in the country. There...I said it. Ferris is a good team. BUT, they're playing a pretty well rounded Denver team who got smacked in the mouth by NoDak in the WCHA championship game. Ferris needs/wants to prove that the BG series was a fluke, and that they belong in the contention for a National Championship.
#3 Seed- Denver Pioneers (25-13-4)
To me, Denver is a sleeping giant. They can play with the big dogs, and if they get some confidence, they can be a very scary team. Let's start in goal with Sam Brittian (who should get the start against FSU, but ya never know). 67 saves against UMD in the WCHA semi-final. Granted they played roughly 88 minutes of hockey, but still...to fend off the defending national champions for 88 minutes is quite impressive to say the least. If Gwozdecky can't figure out that he's got a good goaltender right there, maybe he should be re-evaluated as Head Hockey Coach at DU. Just saying. But nevertheless, I think he'll make the right decision and throw Brittian between the pipes, which means we should have a great goaltending match up in the DU/FSU game.
Next up, the DU forwards...holy buckets they've got a few studs on this team, and if they get rolling, there might not be any stopping them. Jr. Drew Shore with 52 points (21g, 31a) on the year, Jason Zucker with 46 (22g, 24a), and little brother Nick Shore with 41points (13g, 28a). These are some pretty serious numbers, and like I feel like I've said 3299 times in this post, Denver is not to be messed with. They are for real, mark my words. And, on top of the three forwards with 40+ points, add Freshman Defenseman Joey LaLeggia contributing 38 (11g, 27a) points from the blue line, and Denver seems primed to make another post-season push.
#4 Seed-Cornell Big Red (18-8-7)
Anyone that knows me, knows that if there's three things I hate about college hockey, it's that there's no NCAA hockey video game, the Michigan State Spartans, and the fact that the ECAC gets too much attention in the NCAA tournament. Prime example, look at Yale last year. Ranked #1 in the nation for how long? Bounced in the first round? C'mon this is getting ridiculous. When was the last time a ECAC team made a serious run in the national tournament? I honestly can't remember (maybe because I don't choose to remember, but whatever). To me, the ECAC is a joke of a conference, and...........I just happened to ponder what would happen if the Big Red upset Michigan. Let's just say I'll stop here, and say good luck to the Big Red.
How I see it unfolding...
Michigan beats Cornell 5-2
Denver beats Ferris 4-3 in OT (I'm hoping this game goes into OT, 2OT, heck maybe even 3OT just so the winner is gassed for the next game).
Michigan beats DU 3-2
That's how I see it happening. Expert prediction if I may say so. I'll be in Rochester MN for an adult hockey tournament, but will be extremely focused on the games this weekend. Good luck to all teams (except for those playing UM). Hopefully we see some exciting games.
-Some goals were scored...
-Some saves were made...
-Won some...
-Lost some....
Annnnnd voila! #1 Seed in the Midwest region, playing Cornell. Sound good?
Ok ok, in all honesty I got really bad with visiting my blog...and I forgot my username/password, but that's a whole different story. Enough excuses though, I was terrible writing on here. Or not writing (I guess). My deepest apologies if anyone was really hell-bent over my 4 month hiatus. But there's something special about playoff time. Snow is melting, playoff intensity, national champions to be crowned. Yup, Michigan is at it again, looking to make their second consecutive Frozen Four appearance. Let's take a look at the region, and how I see it unfolding...
#1 Seed-Michigan Wolverines (24-12-4)
Well, tbh, you're reading a Michigan hockey blog, so you should probably know how we stack up, and what we need to do to get to Tampa. (<--------too many "to"s? Ok, just checking)
#2 Seed- Ferris State Bulldogs (23-11-5)
The #1 team in the CCHA regular season had quite the disappointing ending to their playoff run, losing to Bowling Green in the best of three series. Their top dog, IMO, is Sr. Goaltender Taylor Nelson, who had a .920SV% and a 2.18GAA throughout the regular season. He NEEDS to be the best player on the ice in Green Bay in order for the Bulldogs to win. I think Ferris has a solid 1st and 2nd line, and each player is capable of scoring when needed. They don't have any real offensive stand outs, but what they do have is a set of consistent 2 lines that can go toe-to-toe with any 2 lines in the country. There...I said it. Ferris is a good team. BUT, they're playing a pretty well rounded Denver team who got smacked in the mouth by NoDak in the WCHA championship game. Ferris needs/wants to prove that the BG series was a fluke, and that they belong in the contention for a National Championship.
#3 Seed- Denver Pioneers (25-13-4)
To me, Denver is a sleeping giant. They can play with the big dogs, and if they get some confidence, they can be a very scary team. Let's start in goal with Sam Brittian (who should get the start against FSU, but ya never know). 67 saves against UMD in the WCHA semi-final. Granted they played roughly 88 minutes of hockey, but still...to fend off the defending national champions for 88 minutes is quite impressive to say the least. If Gwozdecky can't figure out that he's got a good goaltender right there, maybe he should be re-evaluated as Head Hockey Coach at DU. Just saying. But nevertheless, I think he'll make the right decision and throw Brittian between the pipes, which means we should have a great goaltending match up in the DU/FSU game.
Next up, the DU forwards...holy buckets they've got a few studs on this team, and if they get rolling, there might not be any stopping them. Jr. Drew Shore with 52 points (21g, 31a) on the year, Jason Zucker with 46 (22g, 24a), and little brother Nick Shore with 41points (13g, 28a). These are some pretty serious numbers, and like I feel like I've said 3299 times in this post, Denver is not to be messed with. They are for real, mark my words. And, on top of the three forwards with 40+ points, add Freshman Defenseman Joey LaLeggia contributing 38 (11g, 27a) points from the blue line, and Denver seems primed to make another post-season push.
#4 Seed-Cornell Big Red (18-8-7)
Anyone that knows me, knows that if there's three things I hate about college hockey, it's that there's no NCAA hockey video game, the Michigan State Spartans, and the fact that the ECAC gets too much attention in the NCAA tournament. Prime example, look at Yale last year. Ranked #1 in the nation for how long? Bounced in the first round? C'mon this is getting ridiculous. When was the last time a ECAC team made a serious run in the national tournament? I honestly can't remember (maybe because I don't choose to remember, but whatever). To me, the ECAC is a joke of a conference, and...........I just happened to ponder what would happen if the Big Red upset Michigan. Let's just say I'll stop here, and say good luck to the Big Red.
How I see it unfolding...
Michigan beats Cornell 5-2
Denver beats Ferris 4-3 in OT (I'm hoping this game goes into OT, 2OT, heck maybe even 3OT just so the winner is gassed for the next game).
Michigan beats DU 3-2
That's how I see it happening. Expert prediction if I may say so. I'll be in Rochester MN for an adult hockey tournament, but will be extremely focused on the games this weekend. Good luck to all teams (except for those playing UM). Hopefully we see some exciting games.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Offensive Outburst!
Ok, what happened last night? Did the Maize and Blue really light the lamp 10 times against St. Lawerence, or was I just dreaming? We did?! Ok, I thought so.
Last night Michigan defeated St. Lawerence 10-3 at Yost Ice Arena, moving Michigan's record to a perfect 4-0 early in the year. Michigan was led by...well, too many goal scorers, but the obvious choice is Senior Captain Luke Glendenning, who scored a hat-trick, and David Wohlberg who scored a goal to go along with his three helpers. It was nice to see the offense explode, and wow were they firing on all cylinders. It's easy to say that St. Lawerence isn't the strongest team, but the night belonged to Michigan. Every bounce seemed to go Michigan's way.
I don't think you can score ten goals and NOT have the bounces go your way. Hunwick, played solid and allowed three goals on 30 shots. The defense, to me, is still a work in progress though. They're still taking a lot of chances, and maybe it was due to the offenseive outburst, but they seemed to be jumping up in the play a little too much. Shots were 34-32, so it's not like the defense had the night off or anything. When was the last time Michigan scored 10 goals in a game!? I honestly can't recall the last time we put up double digits on an opponent. It's good for them to score, and for a lot of freshmen, get the "monkey off their backs", so to speak. They won't have to feel pressured to produce since they have been doing it so much already. But, the early cake walk is over, and the next step to defending the CCHA regular season crown comes next week in Marquette. I can imagine that the offense will come into that series with a lot of confidence, but I'm going to steal one from Brady Hoke's page, and remind everyone that this is still a young team, and has a long ways to go. They will get even better, and hopefully the long season won't take it's toll too early this year.
It should be interesting to see some premier teams go head-to-head this weekend. Boston College/University take on Denver, which will be a great test for all three teams. Maine heads out west to visit North Dakota, which could be a very rude awakening for the Blackbears. And last but not least, the Gophers head up to Duluth in an early season WCHA matchup. Hmm...interesting...PREDICTIONS:
Denver beats BU, Ties BC-BC hangs onto #1 ranking
North Dakota sweeps Maine
UMD and Minnesota split in what I think will be a hard fought series.
Last night Michigan defeated St. Lawerence 10-3 at Yost Ice Arena, moving Michigan's record to a perfect 4-0 early in the year. Michigan was led by...well, too many goal scorers, but the obvious choice is Senior Captain Luke Glendenning, who scored a hat-trick, and David Wohlberg who scored a goal to go along with his three helpers. It was nice to see the offense explode, and wow were they firing on all cylinders. It's easy to say that St. Lawerence isn't the strongest team, but the night belonged to Michigan. Every bounce seemed to go Michigan's way.
I don't think you can score ten goals and NOT have the bounces go your way. Hunwick, played solid and allowed three goals on 30 shots. The defense, to me, is still a work in progress though. They're still taking a lot of chances, and maybe it was due to the offenseive outburst, but they seemed to be jumping up in the play a little too much. Shots were 34-32, so it's not like the defense had the night off or anything. When was the last time Michigan scored 10 goals in a game!? I honestly can't recall the last time we put up double digits on an opponent. It's good for them to score, and for a lot of freshmen, get the "monkey off their backs", so to speak. They won't have to feel pressured to produce since they have been doing it so much already. But, the early cake walk is over, and the next step to defending the CCHA regular season crown comes next week in Marquette. I can imagine that the offense will come into that series with a lot of confidence, but I'm going to steal one from Brady Hoke's page, and remind everyone that this is still a young team, and has a long ways to go. They will get even better, and hopefully the long season won't take it's toll too early this year.
It should be interesting to see some premier teams go head-to-head this weekend. Boston College/University take on Denver, which will be a great test for all three teams. Maine heads out west to visit North Dakota, which could be a very rude awakening for the Blackbears. And last but not least, the Gophers head up to Duluth in an early season WCHA matchup. Hmm...interesting...PREDICTIONS:
Denver beats BU, Ties BC-BC hangs onto #1 ranking
North Dakota sweeps Maine
UMD and Minnesota split in what I think will be a hard fought series.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Maize Jersey
We all know that there have been mixed feelings on the new Reebok jerseys this year...people love one, hate the others, love em all, or hate em all!!! Either way you look at it, I feel as if they missed their mark this year (especially with the white jersey, but that's my own 2 cents). So late last night I explored around to see what people wanted to see on the jerseys. It was almost overwhelming that a lot of people wanted to see the script "Michigan" back on the maize jersey...So I played around with some pictures and came to this conclusion.
It's not the same script as the 1998 national championship jersey (the "m" is slightly different), but it is the script from the maize jersey from 2003. Either way, I think it looks great and I'm increasingly dissappointed that they didn't go with this look! Personally, I feel this personifies Michigan hockey at it's finest.
I'm also playing around with the away, and white jersey too, but can't gain a good consensus on what people want to see on those jerseys. So let me know what you want to see! Do you want the block "M" to come back to the white jersey?! Should the block "M" stick to the away blue? Maybe the diagonal "Michigan" should come back?! Bounce some ideas around, and let me know what you want to see!
-GO BLUE!
It's not the same script as the 1998 national championship jersey (the "m" is slightly different), but it is the script from the maize jersey from 2003. Either way, I think it looks great and I'm increasingly dissappointed that they didn't go with this look! Personally, I feel this personifies Michigan hockey at it's finest.
I'm also playing around with the away, and white jersey too, but can't gain a good consensus on what people want to see on those jerseys. So let me know what you want to see! Do you want the block "M" to come back to the white jersey?! Should the block "M" stick to the away blue? Maybe the diagonal "Michigan" should come back?! Bounce some ideas around, and let me know what you want to see!
-GO BLUE!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
St. Lawrence Preview
Michigan comes into this game with a 3-0 record, and I wouldn't expect anything less than another big win from the Maize and Blue. The defense, although giving up some relatively good chances early in the young 2011-2012 season, has looked very good. Ever since Merrill was suspended, question marks started popping up everywhere. Who's going to be the blue line threat on the powerplay? Will any defenseman register 20+ points? Rest assured Wolverine faithful, the blueline will be fine. The biggest concerns I had this year was where was the offense going to come from?! Even that question has been answered (granted, it is early in the year) thus far. Averaging 4.6 goals per game, the Michigan forwards, especially underclassman have stepped up huge. Thursday against St. Lawrence will be another day for them to prove themselves. Let's look ahead to this one game homestand to see where Michigan can improve, and what they need to do in order to get a W.
Keys to the game:
-Physcal play! Michigan needs to be physical with St. Lawrence, especially in the defensive zone. St. Lawrence has never been a team known for their size, so the Wolverines need to take body every chance they get. Grind the Saints down, and use Yost to our advantage.
-Continue being successful on the PP. 28% is a pretty tremendous number, and if Michigan can convert on 25% of their chances tommorow, consider it a success.
- Let Hunwick become comfortable in net. A little contradictory to my other keys to success, but do not be mistaken, Michigan NEEDS Hunwick. The CCHA goaltender of the week has been simply on fire in the first three games. What the defense needs to focus on is boosting Shawn's confidence. "But how?", one might ask, and the answer is simple. Again, eliminate odd man rushes, and force St. Lawerence to shoot outside shots. Shawn will have no problems with these types of shots, and he's proven before that he can easily make 40 saves without seeing too many quality opportunities (North Dakota, last year). Now, giving up 40 shots to St. Lawrence would be another story, but look for Hunwick to make around 25-30 saves in this game.
-EARLY START. Coming on strong in the third period has been an early common theme for the Wolverines, and look for them to come out swinging early in this one. Yes, we've outscored opponents 3-1 in the first period...but a stronger start will lead to a stronger finish in my opinion. We waited to turn it on in the 3rd against Bentley, and the sense of urgency seemed to fill Yost. Not like we were in a come-from-behind scenario, but peppering their goalie all night had to pay off eventually. Hopefully it doesn't take a late surge to light the lamp.
Prediction: W 4-0
Look for Hunwick to increase his sterling numbers, and for Chris Brown to have a big game with at least three points. The freshmen will yet again contribute, and Michigan will play it's most complete game yet. See you tomorrow at Yost. The puck drops at 7:35.
Michigan comes into this game with a 3-0 record, and I wouldn't expect anything less than another big win from the Maize and Blue. The defense, although giving up some relatively good chances early in the young 2011-2012 season, has looked very good. Ever since Merrill was suspended, question marks started popping up everywhere. Who's going to be the blue line threat on the powerplay? Will any defenseman register 20+ points? Rest assured Wolverine faithful, the blueline will be fine. The biggest concerns I had this year was where was the offense going to come from?! Even that question has been answered (granted, it is early in the year) thus far. Averaging 4.6 goals per game, the Michigan forwards, especially underclassman have stepped up huge. Thursday against St. Lawrence will be another day for them to prove themselves. Let's look ahead to this one game homestand to see where Michigan can improve, and what they need to do in order to get a W.
Keys to the game:
-Physcal play! Michigan needs to be physical with St. Lawrence, especially in the defensive zone. St. Lawrence has never been a team known for their size, so the Wolverines need to take body every chance they get. Grind the Saints down, and use Yost to our advantage.
-Continue being successful on the PP. 28% is a pretty tremendous number, and if Michigan can convert on 25% of their chances tommorow, consider it a success.
- Let Hunwick become comfortable in net. A little contradictory to my other keys to success, but do not be mistaken, Michigan NEEDS Hunwick. The CCHA goaltender of the week has been simply on fire in the first three games. What the defense needs to focus on is boosting Shawn's confidence. "But how?", one might ask, and the answer is simple. Again, eliminate odd man rushes, and force St. Lawerence to shoot outside shots. Shawn will have no problems with these types of shots, and he's proven before that he can easily make 40 saves without seeing too many quality opportunities (North Dakota, last year). Now, giving up 40 shots to St. Lawrence would be another story, but look for Hunwick to make around 25-30 saves in this game.
-EARLY START. Coming on strong in the third period has been an early common theme for the Wolverines, and look for them to come out swinging early in this one. Yes, we've outscored opponents 3-1 in the first period...but a stronger start will lead to a stronger finish in my opinion. We waited to turn it on in the 3rd against Bentley, and the sense of urgency seemed to fill Yost. Not like we were in a come-from-behind scenario, but peppering their goalie all night had to pay off eventually. Hopefully it doesn't take a late surge to light the lamp.
Prediction: W 4-0
Look for Hunwick to increase his sterling numbers, and for Chris Brown to have a big game with at least three points. The freshmen will yet again contribute, and Michigan will play it's most complete game yet. See you tomorrow at Yost. The puck drops at 7:35.
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