josh eernisse

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

What just happened (TL;DR): Michigan and Michigan State played a back and forth game all evening, exchanging leads throughout. Michigan held leads of 1-0 and 3-2; MSU had leads of 2-1 and 4-3. While neither goalie was outstanding, Trey Augustine was better than Jacob Barczewski, and that proved to be the difference. There were a couple of controversial goal calls (or wave offs), making it a peak Big Ten game in the final Big Ten game of the season. Both teams were very good as it took almost 75 minutes to decide the final. I don’t hate either teams chances next weekend in NCAA Regionals.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-Michigan started the game with a bang, scoring a goal bright and early. They followed that up with another goal that was waved off goal goalie interference (a debatable decision). The Wolverines continued the onslaught peppering Spartan goalie Trey Augustine when not killing a penalty. Only getting that one goal to count early seemed to change the flow of the game, as MSU played better as the game moved along…with Michigan seemingly feeling a bit fortunate to get to overtime. Overtime was rather even with one goalie making one more save that the other. In the end, the game was about as close as it could be.

-Frank Nazar got his line on the scoresheet a couple of times at Munn on Saturday night. He finished off a very nice backhanded pass from Josh Eernisse from the boards. Nazar raced to the front of the net and elevated the centering pass over Trey Augustine to open the scoring. In the third, down a goal, Dylan Duke fired a shot from the point that Nazar was able to redirect into the net with his back skate. It was a bit of a fortunate bounce, but Frank had to get his foot in the right place originally. 

-The top line scored to make it 2-0, right after the first Nazar goal. Rutger McGroarty found and open Gavin Brindley in the slot who beat Trey Augustine. The goal was waved off due to Garrett Schifsky sending a defenseman into Augustine before the shot. It was reviewed and hotly debated if it was a shove or a position battle. Unfortunately for Michigan, it was ruled a shove and goaltender interference.

-More on this goal in the next section, but Philippe Lapointe made a very nice pass across the ice to Marshall Warren to set up his goal. Lapointe chipping in backs up the fourth line’s great offensive play last weekend in Minneapolis. He also had a very nice backhanded assist to Luca Fantilli on a goal that was waved off for offsides. Good to see Lapointe making a difference in the offensive zone down the stretch.

Defense Notes.

-Overall, I didn’t think the defense was bad at all. They faded a little bit in the third period and then in overtime, as the game kept going, forcing Barczewski to bail them out more than he had to in the first couple of periods. However, other than the first goal, it was hard to fault them for any of the goals. It would have been nice if someone had stepped out into Matt Basgall’s buzzer-beating rocket…but that seemed like a frustrated mental error after the absurdity of the third goal being reviewed and given. That’s slightly understandable.

-The one bad DZTO did come from Luca Fantilli. That was the first real scoring chance that MSU got all evening…over ten minutes into the game. He may have played after that, but I did not see him or notice him. (When college hockey has a naturalstattrick website that I can check TOI and shift times, let me know!) Luca has had an up and down season. He’s flashed some puck moving potential, but has also had his own gaffes in the defensive zone. He still seems a summer away from strong, consistent contributions.

-Marshall Warren had a Cale Makar-esque finish on the third Michigan goal. He reached out to catch the Lapointe pass. Then, he went forehand, backhand and ROOFED the shot over Augustine! Even Seamus Casey must have been like “Wha??” Warren has finally turned into the defenseman that Michigan had hoped he would be all season. He’s been very solid in his zone, on the puck, and is starting to finish some plays. That bodes really well going into Regionals.

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

What just happened (TL;DR): Michigan jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period. They got close to pushing it higher all second period, but could not get the finish. In the third, the Wolverines responded well after finally giving up a goal, quickly firing back with a two goals in 15 seconds. Josh Eernisse ended with two goals. Rutger McGroarty and Ethan Edwards got the others. Jake Barczewski tallied 29 saves.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-This is a great example of a game where not all chances are created equally. The numbers above are very similar across the board. However, Michigan’s chances were much more dangerous. They also have lethal finishers who took those dangerous chances very well. In fact, for much of the second period, Kristoffer Eberly was the only one keeping Ohio State in the game. Michigan’s top two lines buzzed all period and came oh so close multiple times. Finally, the dam broke and the Wolverines put the game away.

-While the Hero Line didn’t score many goals, they may have gotten one of the biggest ones of the season. Just after their lead was cut in half and emotionally it felt like yet another Saturday Wolverines collapse, Frank Nazar made one of the plays of the year. He beat his defender around the net and fired a seed into the slot where Rutger McGroarty was fending off his defender and beat Eberly to regain Michigan’s plural goal advantage. While they weren’t filling the net all night (like usual), they created chances all night and were super close so many times. I think this line is going to stick.

-Just behind the Hero Line, the second line was just as dangerous with their chances, especially in that second period. Dylan Duke and TJ Hughes got into the dangerous areas and got tips, deflections, and shots…just didn’t get the goal. Funnily enough, it was Josh Eernisse on the third line that did most of the damage. He scooped up a loose puck in the slot and beat Eberly to open the scoring. He also swooped into the zone in the third period and beat Eberly again (after it looked like Eberly slid a bit too far off his angle) to give Michigan their final margin.

-Michigan scored eight goals on the weekend and only one goal came from the top line. It probably was the biggest in a lot of ways, albeit. However, if Michigan’s Middle Six and Defense can contribute consistently…#EyeballEmoji

Defense Notes.

-Aside from giving up four odd man rushes, Michigan’s defense was pretty good all night long. There were stretches where it seemed like Ohio State could not get into the House with the puck, let alone get a shot off. The Buckeyes aren’t the most offensively talented team, but Michigan’s back end did what it needed to do –what it consistently hasn’t done- in protecting their goaltender and limiting the dangerous chances. This was the most complete weekend performance on defense since…last season?

-After dinging Ethan Edwards last night, I’m going to give him props. He jumped into the play and scored Michigan’s delayed OMR goal. He also almost got a sweet assist late in the game on a pass to Chase Pletzke, but the shot drew iron. Ethan Edwards is very key going forward, because he would give every defensive pairing a puck rusher. If he turns in more performances like Saturday night’s, Michigan is going to be sitting pretty.

-Luca Fantilli got pretty much all of the sixth defenseman minutes. (In fact, I don’t think I saw Steve Holtz all night?). He…looked really good? On both ends of the ice…yes, I think that is the assessment. He made nice physical plays on the boards, winning pucks. He moved it well and hit Marshall Warren on a diagonal for a great chance in tight. It will be interesting to see the third pairing next weekend. My bet is on Luca.

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 pretty even game, Michigan blew leads of 1-0, 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4. They had chances to run and hide with the game, but just could not get it out of reach. Once again, they score five goals, and once again it is not enough. They do get 4 points on the weekend, but again, they cannot finish it out, grabbing all 6.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-This was a pretty even game across most of the metrics that I have. I did think that Michigan created a ton of really good looks that Kyle McClellen saved in the last couple of periods. He did give up a couple of 5 Hole goals, but he took a ton of Grade A shots away from the Wolverines. Multiple lines were getting very good chances and he made enough saves. It’s hard to fault Michigan’s even strength chances and creations aside from the fact that they just did not beat McClellan…other than those two times, ha!

-Josh Eernisse scores one of the 5 Hole goals after Kienan Draper and Philippe Lapointe created and chance on a rush. It wasn’t the most impressive goal, but it also wasn’t the only scoring chance that line created. Kienan Draper has started to become a playable piece. It didn’t look like he should be on the ice last year. This year, that isn’t true anymore. He’ll probably never be a Top 6 guy at Michigan, but he’s got a nice future if he keep developing.

-The Hero Line strikes again. Gavin Brindley grabs three assists. Frank Nazar gave the Wolverines their last lead in the third period, scoring the other even strength 5 Hole goal after a slick Rutger McGroarty pass. Brindley gambled and lost and gave up the Grade A chance in OT. Nazar also didn’t get back on the 2v1. Overall, though, this line has done it’s share of pulling the sled.

Defense Notes.

-That was not exactly the same performance as last night…at all. The first period was super sloppy in their own end and in transition. Michigan also just could not close out the game on defense. As stated above, the Wolverines had four leads (sure, one goal), and blew all of them. After looking like a team ready for a tournament run (again) on Friday night, they did not look like it on Saturday. The offense did their job, again, but the defense could not keep the puck out of their House…or their net.

-Ethan Edwards give up a pizza in his own slot for Quinn Finley’s opening goal. Edwards also missed an open net in the first period to extend the lead. Frank Nazar didn’t start his transition early enough and couldn’t catch Mathiew de St Phalle on the Badgers’ third goal. Nobody pressed the perimeter on the fifth goal in the third period. That’s just not good enough if you want a sweep.

-Seamus Casey and Tyler Duke did get diagonaled on the second goal, but Seamus Casey did make up for it with a couple of assists. He set up both power play goals. Tyler Duke also grabbed and assist on the third goal.