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GLI Semifinal: Previewing Michigan Hockey vs. Michigan Tech

By Grant Dossetto

Nov 26, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; A view of the inside of Joe Louis Arena in its farewell season before the start of the Detroit Red Wings game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings are playing their last season at Joe Louis Arena before the team moves to Little Caesars Arena next season. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; A view of the inside of Joe Louis Arena in its farewell season before the start of the Detroit Red Wings game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Red Wings are playing their last season at Joe Louis Arena before the team moves to Little Caesars Arena next season. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan hockey has a big game on tap against Michigan Tech. Here is a preview.

Michigan hockey took 3 points from Michigan Tech at Yost barely two months ago. The fortunes for both teams have changed significantly since then. When the teams drop the puck on the 52nd annual Great Lakes Invitational it is the Huskies who will be favored.

Tech is 11-2-1 in its last 14 games. They ended the season’s first half one of the nation’s hottest teams. Michigan is under .500 since the October matchup. What has caused the disparity?

For Tech, good things happened when they put freshman Angus Redmond into net. Tech’s experienced defensive corps (with multiple NHL draft picks) have taken over with an anchor in the crease.

MTU has become a top-10 team in the country on the penalty kill at over 86% and is now a top-six team in goals against, a stingy 2.14 per game. They gave up 28 goals in their first eight games. The Huskies have allowed just 19 in their past 14 games.

Tech is giving up fewer than 22 shots per game and controlling play. Bowling Green Head Coach Mike Bergeron praised Tech’s D after being swept December 9-10th. He said it felt as if his team was playing against seven men because of how little space was available on the ice.

Redmond takes care of the rest. He is statistically the best goalie in the country with a save percentage of .937.

Tech will be a tough matchup for Michigan who does not control play. After sorting through three different goaltenders for much of the first half, they appear to have settled on Hayden Lavigne. I called for that move earlier this month because he had shown poise when dealing with opposing pressure in Michigan’s end of the ice.

Lavigne had a month off between starts so Friday the ninth against Wisconsin was not a good one. Saturday’s performance was in line with the two shutouts he has already notched this year.

Wisconsin outplayed Michigan that night, outshooting them 35-19 overall. Even worse, it was 24 to nine in the last two periods with a lot of scoring chances.

Lavigne should be able to keep Michigan in it as Tech does not score a ton of goals but Tech is a road tested team. MTU is in the middle of a stretch where 19 of their year’s first 26 games are away from Houghton.

The GLI is a tournament Tech founded and is official host of. Michigan takes it seriously, having won the GLI 17 times, but it is everything to Tech. They had the largest fan base of the four participants last year. Expect the same this year too.

Throw in some desperation as non-conference games are important to the WCHA. The league currently looks like a one-bid conference in the NCAA tourney.

Add last a pinch of revenge for a rough weekend in Ann Arbor earlier this year and a GLI loss to UM last December.

That is a potent recipe for UM to overcome.

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