tj hughes

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

What just happened (TL;DR): After a couple of periods to forget, Michigan played their best third period of the season against an elite opponent in a big time game. After a little puck luck, Michigan’s jumbled line of Garrett Schifsky, TJ Hughes, and Dylan Duke assembled the prettiest goal of the season at the most crucial time of the season in what would be the game-winner. Michigan came from behind, flipped the third period on its head, shut down their opponent, and then held the fort to close the game. Who’s breaking narratives, now?

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-For the first two periods, Michigan couldn’t get much going. They barely had the puck during the opening half of the beginning frame. While they finally got some possession, they over-passed, and didn’t just shoot the puck on a beatable goalie. In the second period, they started doing so and got rewarded early. Once the third period started, the Wolverines were flying, dominating puck possession, shots, and attempts.They registered the first nine shots of the third period. Each period seemed to bring improvement with offensive creation. That’s what you want to see.

-Two of Michigan’s goal resulted from just throwing the puck on net. Both goals were deflections in front of the crease to open shooters at the side of the net. Steve Holtz fired the first one that Frank Nazar scooped up, beating Ludvig Persson. Tyler Duke fired the second one, hitting Garrett Schifsky on its way to TJ Hughes’s stick, giving Michigan a 3-2 lead. Another point in my previews was just getting pucks to Persson and making him make a lot of saves. Once the shot total started rising, the goals started flowing.

-Perhaps the prettiest goal of the season was the fourth and game-winner. Garrett Schifsky made a slick pass ahead to TJ Hughes, who softly sauced a pass across the low slot to Dylan Duke, who smoothly fired the puck in the net. Michigan bounced, jumbled, and blendered their lines seemingly all night. While there seemed to be a bit of discombobulation at times, it paid off watching the goal hit the back of the net.

-Michigan looked very much locked down for the first couple of periods. They overpassed a ton in the first. They also just didn’t create enough in the second. Major props to the coaching staff and players for figuring some things out and dominating the third period.

Defense Notes.

-Early in the first period, the Wolverines made the Big Mistake. For two periods it was the difference and on track to being what ended their season. On a 2v3, North Dakota made a simple scissor move, crossing their forwards upon entrance. Instead of just racing back to protect the house, Ethan Edwards chased Abram Wiebe to the boards. Marshall Warren did as well (same with Garrett Schifsky, who I don’t fault as much due to circumstances), leaving no one on Hunter Johannes streaking into the slot. Johannes fired into the top corner to open the scoring. A simple switch, an extra man back…didn’t matter. It ended with North Dakota’s best chance of the night.

-After that though, Michigan was really, really good defensively. They didn’t allow much, even less from dangerous areas, and pretty much locked down the third period, sans a play or two. Not too bad. Maybe they just needed to get one out of their system?

-Marshall Warren, again, was really good. He got back a few times to eliminate potential breakaways. He was strong and physical around the net and on the boards. He’s really developed into the player Michigan hoped they were getting last summer.

-Seamus Casey apparently took a big hit in the first period and never returned. That…is really bad news. I have no idea what the reason is, but not playing in the final two periods is not what we need to hear this time of year. The good news is that Luca Fantilli and Steve Holtz both played pretty well in his absence. It’s not often we’ve seen both of them play as much as they did tonight…but here we are. And we’re still standing!

-This will be known as the Keaton Pehrson Game. The former Michigan Wolverine registered two assists and scored a goal. I joked in the preview that he would score the overtime winner that would end Michigan’s season. Well, instead, he helped both teams. Two previous times in his career, he had a two point night. On Friday, he registered two assists for the Fighting Sioux and deflected a puck into the net for Michigan. His deflected goal came off of a play by Ludvig Persson hitting him with the puck. We’ll call it a three point night…the largest scoring night of his collegiate career.

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

What just happened (TL;DR): Similar to Friday night, Michigan lead after the first period 2-1. Notre Dame won the second period, 2-1. Gavin Brindley finished a well-worked goal to give Michigan a 4-3 lead early in the third. Down the stretch though, Jake Barczewski made two amazing pad saves, and the defense limited the Irish shots and chances. Sounds like a game-closing #NarrativeChange to me. TJ Hughes tallied two goals. Rutger McGroarty dishes three assists. Gavin Brindley chipped in a goal and an assist.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-At even strength, the game was relatively, well, even. Michigan had slight edges in shots and chances, but the difference ended up coming in the quality department. The Wolverines were able to dissect the Irish defensive zone and get looks and shots from the House with relative ease. Notre Dame, on the other hand, didn’t create a ton of chances, but finished the chances they got.

-Once again, it was Michigan’s Names that did the damage. TJ Hughes finished a very nice play between Gavin Brindley and Rutger McGroarty in the dying seconds of the opening period. Rutger’s Grade A look was denied, but Hughes crashed the net and poked the puck in to give Michigan a lead going to intermission. He also tallied on a power play tip.

-Dylan Duke tied the game in the mid second period on a very Dylan Duke goal. After his wraparound was denied, Josh Eernisse’s chance deflected back to Dylan, and he was able to slam the puck in with his second chance at the edge of the crease. Duke lead the team with even strength shots on net and chances attempted. He’s up to 21 goals, now, to pair with his 21 assists…in 36 games.

-After scoring twice on Friday, Rutger McGroarty did his work passing the puck on Saturday night. His most impressive play was skating down a loose puck in the offensive end, and flipped it back to Tyler Duke. Tyler got to the net, and slid it across to a waiting Gavin Brindley for the go-ahead, game-winning goal. Rutger leads the team with 34 assists. Gavin leads the team with 23 goals. Both guys will be counted on to continue to push Michigan through this tournament and into the next.

Defense Notes.

-Once again, Michigan’s defense all around was pretty good. They did a solid job of keeping Notre Dame to the edges and not asking Jake Barczewski to bail them out with tons of Hero saves. This is the third game in a row where it is tough to blame many goals on the in-zone defense. As a unit, their puck management has also started to improve, not giving away as many DZTOs as in previous months.

-Seamus Casey and Tyler Duke each had an assist. Casey came on a shot that was deflected on a power play. Tyler’s was on a nice skating and passing play that got the puck across to an open Gavin Brindley for the final goal of the game. While the rest of the backend crew has continued to solidify, these two have been the most proficient in the offensive end, as well.

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

What just happened (TL;DR): LOL. I can’t even. Michigan dominated 47 minutes of the game, holding a 4-1 lead. They then proceeded to give up 3 straight goals, score another at the end to take the lead, and finally cede one last time in the dying minutes to head to overtime. Seamus Casey opened and closed the scoring, garnering two goals and an assist on the evening. Gavin Brindley had two goals and two assists. Noah West had two of the best periods of his life, followed by one of the worst. In the end, Michigan wins in overtime a game they should have won (and maybe lost?) in regulation. I guess that’s progress?

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-After looking lifeless at even strength on Friday night, Michigan came out on fire and dominated the first period, followed by most of the rest of the game. They pressed Minnesota from the drop, then back-checked well after obtaining a lead, and even added on in the third AND fought back to take the lead late. The Wolverines scored four even strength goals in different ways and pressured both Minnesota goalies all night.

-Gavin Brindley played with Dylan Duke and Rutger McGroarty. Brindley finished off a 3v3 rush after two deft passes from Dylan and Rutger to double Michigan’s lead early. He also scissored with Seamus Casey, popping out the opposite side, and firing a shot inside the far post from the slot. That was such a timely goal, as Michigan had given up a goal early in the third and the Gophers were building momentum and chances. Michigan needed a response from a star, and Gavin Brindley answered the call.

-Rutger McGroarty had himself quite a two minute stretch at the end of the third period. He grabbed a rebound off of a great shot by Jacob Truscott and lifted it over a down Nathan Airey to give Michigan a 5-4 lead with just 1:39 to go. Then, he fell asleep in the slot, allowing Luke Mittelstadt to sneak behind him for the second game-tying goal, robbing Michigan of a much needed regulation win. That has got to be the most extreme swing of emotion for one player in that short of a timespan all season. Rutger has been great for Michigan all year. That two minute stretch pretty much exemplifies the ride this season has been.

-TJ Hughes took maybe the silliest penalty all year for the Wolverines. Up 3-0 in the middle of the second period with the Gophers and their fans having zero life or jump, he cross-checked a guy from behind into the boards, earning himself an early trip to the showers and his team the only (seemingly, ha) way Minnesota was going to get back in the game…a major power play. Luckily, his teammates stepped up and bailed him out, but the question does wonder how the third plays out if Michigan has the services of one of their top two centers. That is just the situational awareness that the team in general has lacked. Regardless of if that play should have been a penalty, it was completely unnecessary.

-Mark Estapa has quietly been having himself an improved season. He got on the scoreboard, thanks to a goofy decision by normally sound Minnesota goal Justen Close. Close came out to play the puck and fired it straight to Kienan Draper. Draper sent the puck into the crease and Mark Estapa tallied, giving Michigan an not so insurmountable 3-0 lead.

Defense Notes.

-Honestly, Michigan’s defense was really, really good all night. They only allowed five shots on goal in the first period, just seventeen through two periods, and could not really be primarily faulted with any of the five (!) goals. Obviously, there are always things that could have been done better or plays anyone would want back, but Michigan pretty much kept their House and zone clean. While the third period got out of hand, this may have been the first time that I wasn’t complaining about really any defenseman’s play consistently.

-In 2010, Bryan Hogan got hurt in net, as Michigan season was falling apart around them. Walk-on Shawn Hunwick entered the net. Michigan’s team basically had a Come to Jesus moment, saying “EVERYONE…is defending HARD, tonight.” And…they did. They shut down Notre Dame, and won the game…followed by many more that season to preserve the Tournament Streak by winning the CCHA Tournament and even an NCAA Tournament game. It sorta felt like that tonight. Michigan’s skaters knew their starter was not available, and after last night’s lackluster performance, everyone to a man needed to up the ante and get the team to the finish line. And weirdly, even after checking the final scoreboard, they did…sans one forward on one play at the end of the game.

-Seamus Casey is ALIVE! After scoring in 22 of Michigan’s first 25 game, Casey has registered one point (a meaningless secondary assist) in his last eight games…until Saturday night. Casey looked much more like himself, skating, creating, and just pivoting away from guys, keeping the puck moving. He also hit the net twice on the power play and set up Gavin Brindley for his sweet snipe. This is the Seamus Casey Michigan will need for every game for the rest of the season.

-Jacob Truscott was very good on Saturday. Steve Holtz played fine. Luca Fantilli, Tyler Duke, and Marshall Warren all made plays and played very good defense. That is a very weird thing to say about a team that gave up five goals, but here we are!