The last series of the regular season epitomized Michigan’s desultory latter half of the season. The Big Ten tournament seedings are more or less set, and second-to-last placed Minnesota was playing for pride, while second-placed Michigan should’ve also been playing for pride, too. But alas.
Thursday night’s loss was another head scratcher
Last week’s first game against Wisconsin was very poor, and so was this one. Michigan’s bodies were there, but their collective “want to” wasn’t. Despite having the puck a lot of the time, they didn’t really make it difficult for an excellent Luca Di Pasquo, who saved 37 of 39 chances. Adam Valentini deflected a power play goal in the first period, and TJ Hughes tallied in the third after a nifty pass from Michael Hage. Minnesota got a few really good chances and basically scored on all of them. Jack Ivankovic faced 14 shots and saved 11. The fourth goal was an empty netter. This was a cringeworthy effort, altogether.
Friday night’s win was more like it
Michigan hockey left the cringe in the dressing room and battled in a back-and-forth game that was won by the supporting cast and an amazing penalty kill effort. Malcolm Spence scored on a breakaway and put it on a platter for an Asher Barnett (there’s that name again!) slapper that knocked the goalie’s water bottle off the back of the net for the game-winning goal. Barnett had an assist on TJ Hughes’s opening goal, too. Spence ended his three-point night with an assist on Cole McKinney’s empty-netter. Jack Ivankovic (25 saves on 27 shots) outdueled Luca Di Pasquo (29-32).
But it was Michigan’s penalty killing unit that won the game. With less than seven minutes left, Kienan Draper was whistled for a major penalty for cross-checking, which meant a five-minute Minnesota power play that they could score as many as time allowed. Not only did this mean that Michigan would be on the power play for all but two minutes in the game, Minnesota had the third-best power play in the country. Oh, and Draper, Michigan’s top penalty killer, was in the dressing room.
However, Minnesota came up empty. “The (penalty kill) at the end was unbelievable,” Hughes said. “That’s what won us the game obviously” They flooded the Michigan goal, but Ivankovic stood tall and his skaters were blocking the shots.
“It was a huge penalty kill,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “That was a big, big moment because you know you’re going to be in those spots in the future.”
Big Ten Hockey Tournament
The tournament is a win or go home format and the games are held on the campuses of the higher seed. The #1 seed has an opening round bye.
Current Seedings
For Michigan to have any shot at first, Michigan St. would have to lose their final games, which isn’t going to happen. Penn St. could tie Michigan in terms of Big Ten standing points, but Michigan owns the tiebreaker, so they’ll be the third seed.
- Michigan St.
- Michigan
- Penn St.
- Wisconsin
- Ohio St.
- Minnesota
- Notre Dame
Tournament schedule, if the seedings hold
Quarterfinals: Wednesday, 3/11
- #2 Michigan v. #7 Notre Dame
- #3 Penn St v. #6 Minnesota
- #4 Wisconsin v. #5 Ohio St.
Semifinals: Saturday, 3/14
Finals: Saturday, 3/21
Remaining Big Ten Schedule
- 2/28: Ohio St. at Michigan St., Penn St. at Notre Dame,
- Next weekend: Michigan St. at Minnesota, Notre Dame at Ohio St., Wisconsin at Penn St.
- Michigan’s season has ended and won’t play until the Big Ten tournament, although there is an exhibition with Simon Fraser University, a Canadian college from Burnaby, British Columbia, and the alma mater for Terry Fox.