Sports
Michigan’s #1 hockey remains undefeated despite slow in-game starts
The Michigan hockey team has one of the strongest rosters in the NCAA and was named the nation’s best team in the latest US College Hockey Online opinion poll.
That means every time it grabs the ice, it has a target on its back.
Every game we play was the red letter on that team’s schedule, said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. The preparation, the hype, the energy that has gone into playing us is enormous.
Michigan has a perfect 4-0 record to start the season but has consistently struggled to match the intensity opponents bring early as they try to dethrone the juggernaut. While the Wolverines won handily in three out of four cases, they have shown plenty of early struggles in all four matchups.
Michigan never trailed in its 6-1 season-opening beatdown of Lake Superior, after all, the Lakers dominated the first six and a half minutes of play, outperforming the Wolverines nine to five and winning six faceoffs to Michigans.
Lake Superior State controlled the puck in its strike zone for much of that stretch, creating a barrage of scoring opportunities, as the Wolverines made casual turnovers, capitalized on shot opportunities and struggled to deliver offense. A power play goal eventually gave Michigan a lead that left Michigan looking extremely vulnerable to start.
The Wolverines tried to turn their slow start into an anomaly when they faced the Lakers again the following night and jumped to a quick 2-0 lead. However, the trend continued for the second night in a row as Lake Superior State controlled the last 12 minutes of the first period and the first minute of the second, scoring four unanswered goals.
Only after Michigan fell 4-2 behind did Michigan play to its full potential, burying five unanswered goals to drown the Lakers. Still, the slow start put the Wolverines in an unfavorable position where they had to rally and backtrack from a legitimate hole against an inferior opponent.
Despite comfortable wins, the slow starts pose a challenge for Michigan as it looks set to manage games in a season of high expectations.
We just need to make sure we’re not only ready to meet that challenge, but surpass it, Pearson said. I’m surprised because our teams usually start very well in games.
The Wolverines took two monumental wins this past weekend to catapult themselves to a No. 1 ranking, but they had to overcome another early battle to do so.
On Friday’s win over then-No.5 Minnesota-Duluth, in front of an electric home crowd for the Bulldogs, Michigan was punched in the mouth to open the game. Duluth choked the Wolverines early, taking eight shots to the net before Michigan got its first and had full control over the game script.
The Bulldogs struck first with a goal midway through the first period, while the Wolverines continued to grab straws with unbalanced play. They got back on their feet in the final five minutes of the period, where a power play goal landed them, and they never looked back.
In the Ice Breaker Tournament champions winner of then #1 Minnesota State, Michigan managed to get off to a better start than the previous three games, but was still beaten five-to-one in the first eight minutes and gave more attack time early on. on.
The Wolverines have had the best season start of any team in college hockey, despite struggling to start games. Obviously it hasn’t become a deciding issue yet, but with a grueling Big Ten schedule approaching, Michigan can’t afford to let the trend continue.
It’s more in our heads, said sophomore forward Thomas Bordeleau of Wolverines’ approach to eliminating slow starts. It’s more like a good start to the game, (with a) sense of urgency.
The Wolverines have aspirations for a long post-season run, but in single-elimination hockey, a slow start can prove too much to win. As Michigan looks to improve on an already phenomenal start, a renewed focus on getting games started right will be vital.
You can’t have slow starts like us and keep finding a way to fight back, Pearson said. We have to get better.
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