B1G Season is Nigh

Since Michigan football made me into an alcoholic this year, I figure it's time to sober up and pay attention to what I love most...THE COACHING CAROUSEL (wait, that's not right)....MICHIGAN HOCKEY!

Yes ladies and gents, it's almost crunch time in the B1G hockey season, which means I get to rant about Michigan hockey for several paragraphs and pretend to know what I'm talking about.  Let's take a look back on what's been happening this season thus far, and what the next couple of months will hold.

Early Disappointment

The title of this little section is "Early Disappointment", because duh, the beginning of the season was  a disappointment!  Talk about inconsistency (again!).  The season started out on Oct.4th with a visit to Big Rapids against the Ferris State Bulldogs.  And boy did it start on an awful note.  27 seconds in to the game, before I could even get a decent feed on my WCHA stream (which btw, what an awful experience that was.  I hope they've improved the quality of their streams, but I'll never find out because I'm not going to shell out coin for such poor quality).  Then about 30 seconds later, the Wolverines found themselves down 2 goals.  The fresh season was already off to a rocky start, with Michigan trailing 3-0 after the opening period.  It almost felt as if it was going to be another one of "those" years, that we Wolverine faithful have seen so few of in the past 20 years.  We eventually battled back, dropping the opening game with a 4-3 final, but still, it was a tough way to start the year.  

Following the Ferris loss, Michigan ran over the USA - NTDP, something a few other programs struggled to do, and also handled Wilfrid Laurier in a sloppy win.  Then came the UNH series, an early season test that again showcased Michigan's inconsistencies.  Dropping the first game 5-1 and then bouncing back for a 2-1 win on Saturday, it left many scratching their heads.  The following weeks only left more questions around the Maize and Blue...an 8-4 drubbing of UMass-Lowell and a tight game against BU with some questionable calls, many, including myself thought we were snake bitten and not actually inconsistent! Fast forward past a sweep in Houghton, where Mel Pearson's team dismantled the big bad Wolverines, and a shaky weekend against AIC, in which Michigan found a way to simply get it done.  There were still many questions to be answered.  The top three lines were changing on a regular basis, the D-core was being switched up regularly as well, and the goaltending was less than desirable.  I was fortunate enough to in attendance for the PSU series.  Keep in mind, PSU had our number last year, and on Friday night, more disappointment.  Things got off to a great fast start, exactly what Michigan wanted to do, control the tempo.  They were buzzing from the get go and ended up striking first.  Then allowed three unanswered goals in a 3 minute span, where the defense looked simply awful.  The comeback effort fell a little short, and if it's one thing we learned from last year, it's that you can't not take any points on home ice.  This league is competitive, believe it or not, and you need to win on your home ice.  The following night was a completely different showing...nothing could go wrong for the Maize and Blue as they destroyed Penn State 8-1!  Everything was clicking for them that game and you got a sense that things were starting to turn around.  You could see the confidence boost, goal after goal that night...it was fun to watch.

The Turning Point

The following weekend was a character weekend for the team...a late come from behind win against RPI, followed by another onslaught of goals, a 6-0 win on Saturday.   Last Friday Michigan trounced Ohio (heh), and are now scoring 4.07 Goals/game (2nd in the nation).  The team looks completely different, from the start of the season, they have confidence now and need to continue the momentum in the coming weeks.  

What Lies Ahead

Big Blue has one game slated for this weekend, a tough OOC match-up with Boston College, a team that is still struggling to find their identity as well.  It's going to be a big weekend for multiple reasons.  The first being, they've already proven they can score, and score often.  Now they need to compete with the "big boys".  Taking down a big time program like BC will further boost the teams confidence as they head into the GLI (a tournament in which they might be missing 5 players to the National Junior roster).

Following the BC game, the 50th GLI at the Joe!  This will be a great test for Michigan as they face Michigan Tech for the third time this season, and as I mentioned earlier, they could be with out 5 impact players for the world junior tournament.  

Starting off the new year at home against a talented Minnesota team.  Taking one of those games will be vital if they want any chance at winning the regular season B1G championship.  Either way, the next 5 games are going to be pivotal in what type of team Michigan wants to be moving forward.  

Personnel 

Michigan has plenty of talent to be a top 10 team this year.  But without cohesive units, they're destined to struggle.  Here's a quick glimpse at who I like this year and how I imagine them impacting the rest of the season.

•  Dylan Larkin, FR - 2g, 13a - 15pts.  Larkin hasn't been a big goal scorer this year, but his presence is definitely felt on the ice.  He's got a knack for the puck and has great vision, there's no doubt he's high end talent, and is going to be critical to Michigan's success.  Gee, wouldn't it be nice if we could keep him for another year (or two)? 
• Zach Hyman, SR - 7g, 10a - 17pts.  Hyman has been Mr. do-it-all this year.  He's been fun to watch.  Seems to be all over the ice and has quietly (IMO) amassed 17pts thus far.  He'll need to keep the pedal to the floor if the Wolverines want to make it to the NCAA tournament.  
• Tyler Motte, SO - 5g, 9a - 14pts.  Motte has came up huge for the Maize and Blue this year.  His unique combination of speed and skill have landed him on the top line and also garnered him an invite to the US national roster tryout.  He's a goal scorer and needs to keep this pace if the Wolverines want to make a deep push into the playoffs this year.
• Andrew Copp, JR - 7g 6a - 13pts.  Andrew is one of those guys that hardly gets out worked.  He's a Zach Parise kind of captain, and leads by example.  The Junior captain is an integral part of the offense, but more importantly, is a huge defensive help as well.  A pure two-way player, and you know he's hungry to get back to the NCAA tourney.  
• JT Compher,SO - 3g 8a - 11pts.  It's been nice to see JT heat up again.  He gained a lot of respect from the World Junior tournament last year and and a big impact in his freshman campaign.  I hope to see more form JT in the coming weeks, but he's one of those guys that needs to bring his "A" game each night. 
• Zach Werenski, FR - 3g 9a - 12pts.  This kid is the real deal.  And I do mean kid. the 17 year old has already made a huge impact on the blue line.  He reminds me somewhat of Kris Letang with the puck, wheels and hands to match, he's going to be special.  Again, lets hope we get to keep him for another year or two as he develops.
• Boo Nieves, JR - 4g 7a - 11pts.  Boo has been coming on as of late, which is always a good sign.  After a breakout freshman year, Boo went quit for most of last season.  He's a big power forward with soft hands, which makes him especially fun to watch (See goal vs. PSU for example).  He's defintely capable of scoring goals, and that's just what the Wolverines will be counting on him to do for the remainder of the year.  
• Zach Nagelvoort, SO - 2.65 GAA, .908sv%.  Will the real Zach Nagelvoort please stand up?  Zach is one of the best goalies to come through the UofM.  There's no denying that.  But the team lives and dies with his backstopping.  He's been coming on as of late, but the inconsistency in nets has been reflected with the team.  When he's on, he's amazing, but when he's not, we're not.  Here's to hoping he's settled in and won't be relied upon as heavily as he was last year down the stretch.  If the D can get comfortable playing for him, we'll be okay.  We can't expect him to carry the entire load this year, but there are going to be opportunities in every game where we'll need Zach to stand on his head...maybe not for the entire game, or period, but there are probably going to be a couple of stretches where we need Zach to play to the best of his abilities.  There can't be any "turning it off", he has to be dialed in every game.

Well that's all I've got for now!  Let's hope the second half is better than the first...and as always, GO BLUE!

Di Giuseppe and Guptill Leave Michigan

Not too much of a surprise here, with both forwards leaving.  Both DiGi and Guptill have had similar impacts since their Freshman campaigns 2 seasons ago.  I'm a little disappointed DiGi left, I felt as if he was a bigger impact player and could have had a huge year next season.  Guptill was expected, and however good he was was often overshadowed by other incidents/lack of effort.  I can't imagine either of them actually contributing much to Carolina and Dallas, but they'll probably get a couple years in the AHL.  Hopefully they prove me wrong. 

Another Disappointing Season Comes To An End

I was able to attend the Michigan vs. Penn State game on Thursday, thinking it was going to be one of the last times I'd be able to see them live all year.  What I didn't expect was that it was the last time anyone would see them all season.  The 2-1 2OT game on Thursday was one of the most disappointing things I've had to watch.  From when I was younger until today, I can't think of any other time where I've been so disappointed.  Not even last year, when we had to win to get into the NCAA tournament to keep our 22 year streak alive, have I been this disappointed.  Penn State simply dominated UM in the first 2 periods of the game.  We looked like we didn't even belong on the same sheet of ice as PSU, a team that is in it's second year of D-I competition.

The third period and majority of Overtime belonged to the Wolverines.  It was almost as if they awakened (as they should have), and tried to salvage their season.  The worst part about watching them play in the final 3 periods of the game was that I knew they could have been playing like that all game. It's hard to win games with 2 goals, and it's even harder to win with one.  As I sat in my seat at the Xcel Energy Center, the Wolverines gave a stick salute to their fans, and I soon realized, that there is a high probability that we might not be able to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.  I immediately went home, logged onto the Pariwise Predictor and tried to find every which way Michigan could make the Tournament.  There were a lot of different ways we could sneak into the NCAAs, and even possibly nab the 14th seed.  A lot would have had to happened, and as I sat around Saturday, I realized that none of those situations were panning out.

It was an interesting season, one that seemed to peak way too soon.  It will be interesting to see who decides to leave early, and who decides to stick around to try to get Michigan back to it's national prominence.

That Time of Year

So it's apparent my blog has become a seasonal blog now, with me getting more and more anxious for playoffs, perhaps it's the only way I know how to relieve my anxiety.  Now that the regular season is over, it might be fitting to look back, fire up the 'ole brain, and scribble something into a new post.  Let's begin!

Season Review

What can I say about Michigan's season that makes me sound like I don't despise the Maize and Blue?  I find the inconsistency to be the most troubling trend within the last couple of years, that has me somewhat thinking that Red leaving might not be a bad thing.  I couple years ago I'd never find myself saying such nonsense, but it seems as if the players lack respect for the iconic head coach. 

The season obviously got off on a good note.  Beating BC and starting 10-2-1 was an early positive for Michigan, who seems to never really start strong.  This team looked to be unbeatable in the early goings, but quickly lost steam.  Then...more goaltending issues.  Nagelvoort and Racine seemed to both hit a rough patch midway through the year, and we ended up losing to teams like OSU, MSU, and PSU.  That's not acceptable at Michigan.  I'd say the Defense was one of the worst defensive cores I've seen in recent years.  Obviously losing Merrill and Trouba are gigantic losses, but the Freshman that came in gave me some hope.  Early, they looked to be a stable group, but throughout the year their inexperience showed, and it was painful to watch them at times.  I will say that they is a lot of potential here, and if we can avoid early departures, the next 2 years look VERY promising.  Nolan De Jong is one of my favorite new players to watch.  Not necessarily a big guy, but he's an incredibly gifted skater and can move the puck very well.  Mike. Downing.  I'm not sure how to feel about Mike Downing.  Obviously he's a gifted player and certainly can make a difference, however, I saw too much negative in his game, especially in the Minnesota series in Minneapolis in Mid-Feb.  He looked so inexperienced compared to Mac Bennett and the likings, I was amazed he was even dressed, yet alone starting.  Follow his performance up with some awful penalties, and it would be very easy for me to dismiss Downing as a top D-guy.  BUT, he IS a difference maker.  At times he can be our best defenseman and he does have a pretty good sense for where to be on the ice.  He has all the attributes to be a very good defenseman.  On to the forwards, and where do I begin?  Copp, Compher, Di Giuseppe, all stars in their own fashion.  This group can be scary good when they want to be.  One player that I'll focus on that I hope to continue to see more out of, and especially next year, is Alex Guptill.  Guppy has been a favorite of mine since he stepped on campus two years ago.  Him and DiGi were going to be the future.  I was sure of it.  Then we ran into this year, and although both players didn't have the years they wanted to last year, it appears that there was a larger affect on Guptill.  His attitude this year has been awful, hence him probably being a "healthy" a couple of times.  His attitude on the ice, towards officials, teammates, opposing players.  He seems so negative, and I can't imagine it's helping his chances playing at the next level.  He's been fine since being sat down, in fact he's been one of the best on the ice night in, and night out.  I hope he can keep his focus for the remainder of this year, but more importantly, for next year as well.  He truly is an incredible player, he just needs to hold himself to a higher standard. 

Playoff Outlook

I'll be there Thursday when Michigan takes on Penn State at Xcel Energy Center.  Let's hope we come ready to play.  We've already proven that we can't let a team like PSU hang around.  I've been looking at the scenarios and playing with USCHO.com 's  pairwise predictor, and a win on Thursday puts us in a really good position for making the Tournament.  Lose, and we still have a shot at getting in, but I wouldn't want to hope my way into a the field of 16.  I really do believe they can make a push for the inaugural B1G Tournament crown, but it's going to take three of our best games all year.  Plus, if we did end up winning the B1G title, most of the scenarios I've seen pushed us into a 2 seed.  As if it really matters.  I'm hoping for a 3 seed, but I guess we'll get dealt what we deserve.

Depending on how Thursday goes, I'll report back with a recap from the game, and a brief preview of the Wisconsin game (which I will unfortunately not be able to attend).  Thanks for the read and as always, GO BLUE!

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. 

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....

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...