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Michigan Hockey: No doubt Wolverines should be No.1

By Chris Peterson

Mar 14, 2021; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan’s Brendan Brisson (19) skates down the ice during the Michigan vs. Ohio State Big Ten Hockey Tournament game Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2021; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan’s Brendan Brisson (19) skates down the ice during the Michigan vs. Ohio State Big Ten Hockey Tournament game Sunday, March 14, 2021 at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan hockey had an impressive weekend, beating the No. 5 and No. 1 teams in back-to-back games to win the Ice Breaker championship.

Michigan fans are enjoying a great football season and the basketball team has championship expectations but if you’re looking for the best Michigan athletics team: It’s Michigan hockey.

The Wolverines are loaded with NHL talent as they had four players selected in the first round last year including the top two picks and so far this season, it has shown on the ice.

On Friday, against fifth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan hockey rolled to a 5-1 win and made ESPN’s Sportscenter. The Wolverines gave up the opening goal, before scoring five straight to win.

That set up a showdown with top-ranked Minnesota State. For the second straight day, Michigan hockey rallied for a win.

Nick Blankenburg scored to give Michigan the lead in the second period, but then Minnesota scored twice, taking a 2-1 lead into the third period.

But the final 20 minutes were all Michigan hockey.

Thomas Bordeleau tied the game on a deflection early in the final stanza, which allowed Brendan Brisson, another former first-rounder of Las Vegas in 2020, to score the go-ahead goal.

Michigan was then able to hang on to win the prestigious tournament which could be a sign of things to come down the road in the Frozen Four.

Michigan should be No. 1 Monday

The Wolverines started the week at No. 3 but after going away from home and beating a pair of top-5 teams by a combined score of 8-3, they should be the unanimous No. 1 this week.

Obviously, it doesn’t matter that much but Mel Pearson’s team deserves to be recognized in the polls for what it did and it’s hard to say this team isn’t the early favorite to win the national title.

Had Michigan not been knocked out of last season’s tournament with COVID-19, it could have been a special run and this team looks like it’s on a mission to make up for it.

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