Hockey Beats #4 BU 4-0

Submitted by enlightenedbum on

Despite Kile, Shuart, De Jong, and Naglevoort being suspended.  Will Lockwood is real good.  Hayden Lavigne got the shutout, didn't have to make a ton of great saves, mostly just be solid because the defense did a pretty good job of controlling BU.  Took too many penalties, but otherwise really well played.

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stephenrjking

November 11th, 2016 at 10:22 PM ^

This was... not what I expected.

Before the season started my mom asked me what fall series would have a good hockey game to attend. I told her that BU was the best opponent but that Michigan would probably get destroyed.

Nothing so far in this season had suggested anything different. There had been some wins, but most had been skin-of-the-teeth affairs featuring unsustainable luck. So, BU comes to town, loaded roster, highly ranked... maaaaybe one of the games wouldn't be an embarrassing blowout.

And then four guys are suspended, including Kile.

So naturally Michigan wins 4-0. I don't understand this at all. But I'll take it. 

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Canadian

November 12th, 2016 at 8:48 AM ^

Michigan was dominated in the second period but the first and third were different stories. Even in the second the defensive play was pretty good. First time I have been able to see lavigne and he impressed with his positional game. He had a big kid from BU parked on the edge of the crease (Greenway) seemingly all night but Lavigne was able to see and feel the puck impressively well.



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ppToilet

November 11th, 2016 at 10:36 PM ^

BU just couldn't get anything going. Best defense I've seen Michigan put up this year. Took smart shots... Just looked great tonight. Crowd was there too and hopefully tomorrow night is more of the same.

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Commie_High96

November 11th, 2016 at 10:51 PM ^

They played great in the first and third, basically just held on in the second. Was my 6 year old's first UM Hockey game. I was worried going in he would upset by a loss (his first football game was 2014 Minnesota), so it worked out well.

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enlightenedbum

November 11th, 2016 at 11:12 PM ^

Even in the second, 5 on 5 seemed basically even.  We couldn't get much pressure but I don't recall any great scoring chances.  Their power play let them display their talent in that period and Lavigne made some big stops there.  But even then not too many great ones, just solid. Only one I really remember was a netmouth scramble where he barely got his glove back to cover a basically open net.

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Charmandar

November 11th, 2016 at 11:05 PM ^

Bu was playing like punks all night especially Greenwood that poor man's Chara. It took a near fight with 1:26 remaining in the game for the zebras notice the game was getting out of control.



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MGoStrength

November 12th, 2016 at 9:46 AM ^

I had to do a quick google search to see where BU and UM were ranked.  Full disclosure, I don't follow a ton of hockey.  But, I was surprised to see a number of teams I have never heard of like Union, Bemidji, etc.  How is it that a school with an enrollment of less than 3,000 students can compete with a school like Michigan, BU, BC, ND, etc?  Is it because there are fewer schools that compete in hockey versus like football for example?  Or is the money to be made in hockey way less so it's easier to be competitive?  Just curious how the dynamics of college hockey work...sorry if I'm sidetracking the thread.

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User -not THAT user

November 12th, 2016 at 11:43 AM ^

...to Canadian junior leagues and fewer players leaving early to the pro leagues. The players enrolled in the smaller schools tend to stay together for longer and thus are able to better gel as on-ice units rather than having to get used to new linemates/pairing partners each season.

And goaltending. Michigan hasn't had consistent talent for a prolonged period of time since Al Montoya was in school.

This is the difference between Michigan hockey in the 1990's and now; Red still recruits as well as ever, but a player with the abilities of Brendan Morrison is far less likely to stay at school for his full eligibility before leaving early. Look at the guys who have left after two (or even one) years and think of how much better Michigan would have fared with those guys playing into their senior years.

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Sambojangles

November 12th, 2016 at 2:39 PM ^

The hockey experts like Alton, Stephenjrking and Brian could explain better than I can, but here's my attempt: Hockey is and has always been a regional sport. Especially in college, where it's Michigan, Minnesota (the state, with several successful schools plus North Dakota nearby), Boston (BC/BU plus other Hockey East schools), and that's basically it, as far as traditional power bases. Until recently almost no games were on TV, so the big schools like Michigan didn't really have an exposure advantage to recruits. And even with the B1G hockey conference (only in it's fourth year), the conference full of big schools still haven't been able to leverage their money and fame advantages to get better coaches or recruits. PSU is a notable exception as they have gone from club team to competitve in the B1G - that's what actually committing to having a good program will do for you (ahem, MSU, OSU, Wisco).

In that environment, a "small school" (often where hockey is the only D-1 sport) can build a successful program with a good coach and local talent. I'm thinking of LSSU's early-90s run with Jackson, North Dakota with Hakstol and the new coach, and BU, etc. 

Until four years ago, there was no B1G hockey conference, so M/MSU/OSU competed with Western Michigan, Northern, Lake State, and Ferris State in conference, and Wisconsin-Minnesota were in the WCHA with small state schools in the West (Minnesota and Colorado). After the B1G-caused realignment, one interesting storyline will be to see if/when a dichotomy develops in hockey between "power" and "minor" conferences, as exists in football and basketball. It already existed to a certain degree but will the gap grow, with the WCHA becoming a perrenial one-bid conference? 

Also - only about 60 teams total in D-1 hockey. So yeah, there are opportunities for the small schools to be successful.

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