nolan moyle

CLICK HERE for Game Recap from Kristy McNeil and other pertinent information and HERE for current Pairwise Rankings.

What just happened (TL;DR): Michigan cruised to a 4-1 lead courtesy of an Adam Fantilli hat trick in 6:48 of actual game time. Their defense then started to crumble around them allowing Wisconsin to tie the game in the early third period. It got pretty dicey for a while until Frank Nazar hit a slicing Nolan Moyle who roofed the game-winner over Jared Moe with just over two minutes to play. Michigan would add a couple more to send the Badgers into the offseason and set up a semi-final at Yost next Saturday night.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-While it came in different spurts for each team, it was a pretty even game, overall. Michigan controlled a lot of play in the first period and built up a lead. Wisconsin responded with good stretches in the second period, clawing their way back into the game. In the end, Michigan just got great individual efforts from Frank Nazar, Nolan Moyle, and TJ Hughes.

-Adam Fantilli recorded a hat trick in 6:48 of game time across the first and second periods. Last night’s goals were definitely more impressive, though. His first went in off of Luke Lamaster. The second goal was a nice play, getting a stick on a bouncing puck in the low slot that slid inside the post near the end of the first period. Fantilli may want to thank Jared Moe for just fanning on his shot/dump in from the point just 31 seconds into the second period. Adam barely celebrated as he recognized that Moe gave him a bit of a gift on that one.

-Frank Nazar skated in his eighth game of the season on Friday night. He had a nice goal against MSU at LCA a few weeks ago. He also made a good zone entry that lead to an assist at the outdoor game against OSU two Saturdays ago. However, Nazar hasn’t quite been as visible as anticipated in the start to his season. Tonight, though, he made one helluva stick-lift and backhanded pass to set up Captain Moyle’s game-winner.

-What a goal and ending for the 5th year captain, Nolan Moyle.

Defense Notes.

-Michigan’s defense started pretty well in the first period (after the opening couple of minutes), but it deteriorated from there. They only allowed two shots in the first ten minutes or so, but after the first intermission…oof. Wisconsin got multiple OMRs and in-zone looks at Portillo in the middle frame. Mathieu De St Phalle scored two goals in and around the net with nary a hindrance. His shot was saved by Portillo, but Luke Hughes crashed into the Michigan goalie, jarring the puck free and into the net. MDSP also had a quick flip goal from right in tight to get the Badgers within 4-3 late in the second. Perhaps Portillo could have done better on the fourth goal, but neither Steve Holtz nor Jay Keranen bothered either Brock Caufield or Carson Bantle as they literally passed the puck through the crease along the goal line. Alex said that Michigan has only won two games in regulation when scoring three goals or less all season. Oof.

**PSA: There will be no Breakdown tomorrow night to unfortunately scheduling.**

CLICK HERE for Game Recap from Kristy McNeil and other pertinent information and HERE for current Pairwise Rankings.

What just happened (TL;DR): In a game featuring the most drafted skaters played in the NCAA this season, the narrative quickly shifted from Mitchell Gibson outplayed Noah West to Mitchell Gibson saved the game multiple times and then again for Harvard. The game was mostly even through two periods, but Michigan poured it on to overcome 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to tie the game in the third…and they had numerous good chances to win it…before overtime. Harvard couldn’t cash a 4x3 power play, and Gavin Brindley couldn’t finish a breakaway. Appropriately, the game ended in a tie.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-After the first half of the game, Michigan just started to dominate. They were down 3-1 (and later 4-2 after a PPG), but they started to create more and more chances. After the Harvard PPG that made it 4-2 in the early third period, the Wolverines just avalanches the Crimson. They controlled the play and pushed the Crimson to the brink with every forward combination. Nolan Moyle slit into the lead to make it 4-3 after a nice redirect from Philippe Lapointe. Lapointe later tied the game after a very nice pass from Gavin Brindley on the boards. If regulation had lasted much longer, Michigan would have won it easily. Mitchell Gibson single-handedly got this game to overtime. The last 30 minutes might have been the best by Michigan forwards/lines all season.

-Freshmen are starting to pop. Rutger McGroarty had a handful of great plays. Gavin Brindley was flying up and down the ice all night creating chances and putting Crimson defensemen on…skates. These are two guys Michigan needs desperately to start clicking to reinforce the FSD/MAD line. Speaking of which, Dylan Duke almost created another couple of Duke Goals near the net. Adam Fantilli scored a Harvard Donation goal after Alex Gaffney left the puck behind the net and Duke hit him with a quick pass into the slot.

Ethan Edwards #EyeballEmoji (Patrick Barron)

Defense Notes.

-Ethan Edwards looked really lively again. He power around a guy at the point, got into the slot, and buried a shot (thanks a Lapointe screen). He also Makar’d a dude straightaway, walked down the slot, but fired just wide with a chance to win the game. This game had to have been a huge confidence booster for him.

-The defense overall was pretty fine again. There are always little blips, but they didn’t give away many Grade A chances off of bad DZTOs or eye-rolling misfire passes. Luca Fantilli and Johnny Druskinis both rotated on the third pair and they both looked…good. I saw each of them make simple, fundamental plays that held pucks in, got pucks out, or took a guy off his angle and to the boards. These are encouraging signs.

Previously: Freshmen Forwards 

Last week we covered the freshmen forwards, as Michigan Hockey re-stocks the roster with seven highly talented youngsters up front. They also return eight players at forward from last year's roster, a mix of potential leading scorers, complementary top six pieces, regulars in the bottom half of the lineup, and seldom-used spare parts. That's who we're looking at today. 

Mackie Samoskevich 

Year: Sophomore 

Height/Weight: 5-11/190 

NHL Draft Position: 24th overall, 2021 NHL Draft, Florida 

Stats: 10-19-29 in 40 games last season 

Samoskevich might be the player I am most excited for this season, a highly talented forward who wasn't one of the headliners last year but by the end of the 2021-22 season, he was rounding into a star. Now should be his time to shine. Samoskevich was a 1st round pick in the 2021 Draft by the Florida Panthers, overshadowed by Power/Berniers/Johnson/Hughes, but still an extremely talented player that most NCAA teams would love to have on their roster. It took Samoskevich a bit of time to get going last season, but by the turn of the new year, Samoskevich was becoming a highly effective player. 

Mackie did his best work on a line with the departed Johnny Beecher and Dylan Duke, the latter of which will be mentioned in this piece later on. That line was Michigan's third line during the stretch run of the season and Samoskevich was the best player on that line. In the final 19 games to close the season, Samoskevich was a point-per-game player, scoring 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points.

The package of tools matches that production: Samoskevich is a very good skater and he can make high skill plays on the fly, allowing him to be one of Michigan's best players off the rush. His passing in those situations was nasty at times: 

ROOKIES came to play! pic.twitter.com/SILKys73tk

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) March 20, 2022

As great of a passer as Samoskevich can be at times, his best tool right now is his shot. He doesn't have much of a slapshot to speak of at the moment but Samo's wrist shot is the best on the team among returning players. It explodes off his stick with little effort and he can place it anywhere around the net: 

Mackie Samoskevich is having himself a night! First three-point game since Nov. 20 pic.twitter.com/i9fd22nLMP

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) January 29, 2022

Samoskevich relied on his shot early in the year to generate offense before the rest of his game started to come together. Now that the package has started to gel, you have a dynamic playmaker who is as much a threat to pass as shoot when he comes down the wing on the rush. I don't vote in the Preseason All-B1G nominations, but I would've had Samoskevich on my 1st team. If Samoskevich takes another step forward, which is expected going from being a freshman to a sophomore, he should be one of the best players- and highest scorers- in the B1G. 

Season Expectations: Samoskevich will be on one of Michigan's top two lines and should be driving it, if the center isn't. I would prefer to see him play with Frank Nazar III because I think those two playing together would be incredibly fun to watch, fast, dynamic and hard to stop. But if he plays with Adam Fantilli, that will be fine too. Either way, Samoskevich will get lots of ice time at even strength, PP1 assignments, and should score more than a point-per-game. After the season is over, I expect he will be off to the pros, either in the NHL or AHL. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Complementary players]