The Blog That Yost Built

Having Some Seats Over There: 3 Prospects Go Blue

2013-05-25T12:58:00.002-05:00

Michigan has been busy on the recruiting front over the past month, picking up three new commitments. The most recent--and the one that I'm actually writing about in a timely fashion--is defenseman Nicholas Boka, who just announced his commitment via Twitter.

Boka was among the first seven players to commit to the NTDP U-17 team for the 2013-14 season. He joined fellow Michigan commitment Brendan Warren in that first group. That would make him a 2015 commitment. He's also a former Spartan commitment. Boka is listed at 6'0", 175.

Russ Bitely called him a "B-Player" (above average) at the Select 15 Camp a year ago:

A good-sized kid who is probably still growing and he has a lot of upside to his game. He is not a flashy offensive-defenseman although he moves the puck well and isn’t afraid to skate it up either. He is quite mobile and plays aggressive. Boka showed some physical play at the back-end and plays sound position as well as controlling gaps. He looks to have pretty heavy shot from the point too.

ProspectScoutingReports.com wrote the following about him:

Nick Boka is yet another talented defenceman on a very solid back end for Compuware U16. Boka is dependable in his own zone, providing stable and well positioned support. Engaging in a physical brand of defence, Boka does very well for himself in puck battles along the boards and will throw his fair share of hits. Latent offensive potential should continue to develop has his skill set suits that branch of development. Boka has good mobility and reads the developing offensive situation allowing for successful transitions. In addition, an under-utilized shot from the point is another tool Boka possesses.

USHR liked him when they saw him playing forward:

Michigan State went with big and physical Nicholas Boka. We first saw Boka back in November as a forward and liked him at that position as he simply punished defenders on the forecheck. At the Select 15 Festival he played a simple and composed game and we pegged him at #30 in a deep group. Has good feet for a big guy and plays a pro-style game. Boka is a bit of a projection pick by the Spartans, but a good project to have. The Plymouth, Mich. native put up a 14-22-36 scoring line through 61 games played -- at both forward and defense.

And after the Bauer Invitational:

Michigan State recruit is developing into a big, two-way defender who plays with an edge. Has good feet for a big kid and seemed more confident with the puck on his stick this weekend than at the Select Festival over the summer.

The Sarnia Sting hold his OHL rights. He was a 6th-round pick, but fell in the draft due to his commitment to the NTDP.

OHL Scout Kevin Hess told MiHockeyNow that Boka is a "Good skating defender that plays on the edge. He is a punishing defender that finishes a high percentage of his checks. Great offensive instincts with a heavy shot from the point."

Also pledging to the Wolverines in the not-so-distant past are goaltender Hayden Lavigne (2014 or 2015) and defenseman Cutler Martin (2014). MichiganHockey.net has profiles of both Lavigne and Martin.
Lavigne is a big goalie, listed at 6'3", 190 at the moment. He played for the Wellington Dukes of the OJHL last season and was 9-7-1 with a 2.48/.922. He was a third-round pick of Tri-City in the USHL Draft, but the Dukes are said to be expecting him to return next season.

With the recent commitments of Lavigne and Zach Nagelvoort, and Steve Racine being just a sophomore, that would seem to close the door on Jared Rutledge returning to Michigan after a year in the USHL. It was confirmed that he will not return to the team next season. I wish him nothing but the best (as long as he stays out of the Big 10!), and I'm sorry it didn't work out in Ann Arbor.

Martin hails from East Lansing and currently plays for the Tri-City Storm in the USHL. He's listed as 6'1" 210 and put up a 4-12--16 line with a -2 rating and 74 PIMs in 59 games last year. He was far-and-away the leading defense scorer on Victory Honda in 2011-12, with a 12-22--34 line in 38 games. Only one defenseman in that talent-rich league had more points than him that season (and he had 38 in 40 games), so he seems like he might have some offensive pop in his game.

Storm Head Coach Josh Hauge said the following of Martin: "He can move pucks and keep the game simple, but at the same time he’s got nastiness to him and can be really hard to play against in front of the net."

Martin will again be with Tri-City next year. If Lavigne joins him, I just might have to hit up a couple of USHL games next season. Chicago and Dubuque aren't too far away.

Rutledge Leaving the Team? 7 Skaters Make Final Draft Rankings

2013-04-24T20:10:00.002-05:00

There was a fair amount of Michigan hockey news today, starting with the news that Jared Rutledge will not be with the Michigan hockey team next year, according to a report on The Wolverine ($ link). The Daily cited this report on their website as well, before amending their story to reflect that Rutledge told them, via text, that he will be returning next season.

Spath said on the Yost Post message board that he can "100% guarantee" that Rutledge won't be back next year and told me on Twitter that his source is "impeccable". He also mentioned that Rutledge "could return in 2014-15". Since it's a $ link, I won't post any further details, though it's not hard to read between the lines about what's happening or where he might be playing. I have no reason whatsoever to doubt Spath, but it's a little odd that Rutledge is denying the report. I'm sure we'll find out more in the coming days, but I wouldn't expect to see him on the ice next year. Going elsewhere, playing a ton, and hopefully getting his confidence back is probably best for both parties, rather than him splitting time with two other goalies that have college experience and another recruit that was just brought in to compete for the job. Best of luck to Jared, whatever he decides.

Spath's article also has some recruiting news, including a blurb about a player who was supposed to be in the 2013 class but is reclassifying to 2014. We'll talk about that once it works its way out from behind a pay wall.

In other news, NHL Central Scouting released their final Draft rankings today. Seven current and future Wolverines appear on the list:

JT Compher - 34

Michael Downing - 49

Tyler Motte - 84

Nolan De Jong - 111

Alex Kile - 136

Andrew Copp - 142

Evan Allen - 157

2014 recruit Dexter Dancs dropped out of the rankings after being ranked in the midterm.

Michigan's seven affiliated players on the list is tops amongst NCAA programs. Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth each have six. PSU (2), Wisconsin (2), OSU (1), and FYS (0) combine for fewer ranked players than the other two B1G schools.

In other news, the OHL is including language in their tryout agreements with players that might make them ineligible for NCAA hockey. No shocker, the OHL are a bunch of dicks. College Hockey, Inc. has reached out to the NCAA for clarification on the matter and should hopefully have an update in the near future.

Billy Powers is being "prominently mentioned" for the vacant UConn coaching job. Bryan Hogan will play in Germany next year. Andrew Cogliano is up for the Masterton Trophy (HT: Center Ice) Cogliano and Hagelin are in the mix to be on the cover of NHL 14. Vote early, vote often. Also, where the hell is JMFJ in that contest?

Lastly, I'm pretty sure I missed writing about this, but the club officially announced that Mac Bennett will be the captain next year with DeBlois and Copp alternates. That shouldn't surprise anyone as they're the three obvious choices. I love that Copp is wearing a letter as a sophomore. That means we've got three straight seasons (at least) where Michigan won't be turning over all their captains like they did this past season. Andrew Copp man. Andrew Copp.

Having a Seat Over There: Zach Nagelvoort

2013-04-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

Even with the emergence of Steve Racine down the stretch, there was speculation that the Wolverines would look to bring in a goalie next season. They've done so, picking up a commitment from Zach Nagelvoort today. Nagelvoort played this season for Aberdeen in the NAHL (he started the season with the Soo before being traded at his request to gain some more playing time). On the season he is 17-6-2 with an impressive 2.10/.936. Since being acquired by Aberdeen, Nagelvoort is 8-1-1 with a 1.66/.949. He ranks 3rd in the league in both GAA and save percentage (though his save percentage is only 2 points out of the top spot).

Despite some great play down the stretch from Nagelvoort, the Wings missed the playoffs. I've been told he'll be with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL for their playoffs, so maybe he'll see some postseason action yet!

While he was on the Soo, they posted a long interview with him on YouTube:

Last year he was 10-6-1 with a 2.27/.921 with Traverse City and Kalamazoo in the NAHL.

MGoBlog dug up a quote from his coach in Aberdeen that was very complimentary:

“Zach came in and immediately injected the team with confidence. He is a very confident goaltender and person and it rubbed off on the rest of the team. We know we have a chance to win every night when he is in goal and during the last two months of the season, that was the mindset in every game and one of the reasons the team played so well.” Winter also said that Nagelvoort’s strengths in goal lies within his athleticism. “Zach is a very athletic goalie, who doesn’t give up on plays and he is very quick from side to side. He makes the 2^nd and sometimes 3^rd saves you need to stay in the game and keep momentum going and you almost never see a bad goal scored on him. I think all that combined with his confidence makes him an elite goaltender at this level.”

This gives Michigan five goalies on the roster for next season, with Racine, Jared Rutledge, Luke Dwyer, and Adam Janecyk. I think it's pretty automatic that one of them won't be with the team next year. Racine you'd figure is a lock and I have a hard time believing that Janecyk would leave before his senior year when he's proven to be at least capable. Dwyer has never really played, and there was talk (though I don't know if it was more than speculation) that Rutledge could go back to the USHL for a year to get some confidence back. Time will tell.

Even with Racine's play, there's definitely an opportunity to earn playing time. I'd imagine that Racine gets first crack at the job, but, like last year, the best player is going to play.

Trouba Signs With Winnipeg

2013-04-02T20:45:00.001-05:00

Jacob Trouba will forego his final three seasons.
Photo: Bill Rapai

The Wolverines have suffered their second defection of the offseason as Jacob Trouba has signed with the Winnipeg Jets.

The freshman defenseman won Best Offensive Defenseman and was named first team All-CCHA. He was also a finalist for CCHA Rookie of the Year and won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships. Only Alex Guptill and AJ Treais had more points than his 12-17--29 line, and only Guptill had more goals. He also blocked a team-high 53 shots and led the team in penalty minutes with 88. He also led the team with seven power play goals and 14 power play points. He was second on the team (!) with 115 shots.

He quickly endeared himself to Michigan fans due to his hard hits and absolute rocket of a shot. He was at his best in one of the playoff wins over Western Michigan when he had two highlight reel goals to lift Michigan to a victory.

His departure means Michigan will be replacing three of their top four defensemen next year, with Jon Merrill also going pro and Lee Moffie graduating. Mac Bennett, Kevin Clare (who it now sounds like will be back next year), Mike Chiasson, Brennan Serville, and Mike Szuma will return on the blue line. The Wolverines will also add Michael Downing, Nolan De Jong, and Spencer Hyman. It was also mentioned as a possibility that Kevin Lohan could join the team next year. So Michigan will have bodies on the blueline, but there are some big skates to fill. Downing is the best candidate to be able to step onto the top pairing and play with Bennett.

If Trouba skates with the big club before the end of the season--as I imagine he will--he will be the 19th Wolverine to play in the NHL this year. Wisconsin currently leads the NCAA with 19 players in the NHL (they have a 20th on a roster, but he has not played yet, so they could easily pull back ahead).

In other news, it's time for the annual jersey auction. I imagine those #8 jerseys will fetch a pretty penny. There are 5 options to pick from this year, with the GLI jerseys also up for bid. It looks like Moffie, Lynch, and Treais kept their blue jerseys, while Rohrkemper kept his white jersey and Sparks kept the GLI blue jersey.

Merrill Goes Pro, Trouba Leaning Toward Staying?

2013-03-31T23:37:00.002-05:00

As expected, Jon Merrill has decided to forego his senior season and sign with the New Jersey Devils. He signed a 3-year entry-level deal with them, but will play the rest of the season in Albany on an amateur tryout, so the remainder of this year will not count against the three years on the deal.

Merrill had 2-9--11 in 21 games as a junior. He missed large chunks of the two previous seasons with a suspension last year and then a neck injury this season, but proved to be a high-end player when he was in the lineup and was Mitch McGary-esque with his breakout passes.

In his only full season he was named to the All-CCHA Second Team, the all freshman team, and was a finalist for CCHA Rookie of the Year, best offensive defenseman, and best defensive defenseman. He was also the #1 star of The Big Chill at the Big House.

He closes his Michigan career with 11-36--47 in 82 games with a +25 rating. He took just 21 penalties for 45 minutes. Merrill's AHL career has gotten off to a good start with 3 assists and a +3 rating in his first two games for Albany. He has been reunited with Brandon Burlon, who has 1-16--17 in 48 games.

In other news, Adam Wodon from CollegeHockeyNews tweeted that he is hearing from Michigan people that Trouba is "leaning towards staying at Michigan". No analysis needed on that one. Clearly it would be huge for the Wolverines if JMFT came back for another year.

MGoBlue has a list of the Wolverines currently in the NHL and their stats. From a fantasy hockey perspective there's no one absolutely killing it, though Pacioretty (9-17--26), Cogliano (8-10--18, +15), Cammalleri (11-14--25), and Mike Brown (107 PIMs) are all having pretty solid seasons. There have been 18 former Wolverines in the NHL this year, tied for second with BC behind Wisconsin's 19. (Jake Dowell has been recalled, but hasn't skated for the Wild yet. He'd be #20.)

End of the Season, End of The Streak

2013-03-26T21:26:00.005-05:00

A total repeat of 2010 wasn't to be. After throttling Miami 6-2 on Saturday, the Wolverines fell 3-1 to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in the final CCHA Championship. The loss ends Michigan's season, and also ends the NCAA-record 22-year tournament streak.

It's certainly a disappointing finish to the season, but at least there were some things to cheer about in the end. The first 30 games were a complete debacle and, as suspected, there were some problems in the locker room--Moffie admitted it--that took some time (and perhaps an injury/suspension) to resolve. Eventually everyone got on board and they showed what kind of team they could be. When they were 10-18-2 there were a couple of directions that the season could have gone: They could have completely mailed it in and embarrassed themselves in the process or they could have fought to salvage things. They picked the latter. I totally get if people don't think that group deserves praise for deciding to play with ten games left in the season, but I do think they deserve credit for digging deep and righting the ship.

It's tough for me to comment too much on something like this because I don't have a lot of insight into the dynamics of a locker room, especially one containing college kids and all the things that go along with being college kids. I don't have that experience with how things can go South and how difficult it can be to get things headed back in the right direction.

I don't think it's necessarily a coincidence that it happened in a year when Michigan had to replace all four of their captains--I certainly don't mean that as a knock against the guys who wore letters this year. I mean it in the sense that none of them had worn letters previously and I have no doubt that it takes time to grow into that role. Things went really poorly right from the outset (injuries, losses, potentially lack of confidence in the goalies causing a lack of effort, lack of confidence from the goalies, and at least one person splitting the team apart) and it's easy to see how it could potentially just start snowballing. Does that happen if a Hagelin/Kolarik/Hunwick/Porter is there? It's of course speculation, but I suspect not. In the end, the captains got the ears of the team and they got the best effort and best performance out of the guys at the time of the season when you need that. It took 30 games, and it completely removed their margin for error, but in the end they got to playing like a Michigan team should play and they darn near pulled off a miracle run to the Tournament.

Of course, the problem with losing your margin for error is that when you keep playing good teams you have to be perfect and Sunday the Wolverines weren't. It took some great play out of Steve Racine for the Wolverines to not be down 2 or 3 goals in the first period, let alone to come out of the first period leading by a goal. They held on as long as they could--Brian mentioned the two games that jumped right to my mind as I was watching (The North Dakota semifinal game and the loss to BC in the regional in 04)--but the Irish eventually cracked Michigan. All it took was Trouba and Bennett getting crossed up for just a second and Notre Dame had a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

After being extremely aggressive for most of the game--Notre Dame beat Michigan to a lot of pucks, forechecked hard, were great in transition and were stellar cycling in the offensive zone--the Irish took their foot off the gas in the third up by a goal and it nearly bit them. Justin Selman was robbed trying to tip in a great pass from Hyman and Moffie had one last gasp for the Wolverines, but Summerhays was up to the task.

The streak had to end sometime. I'm not going to look back on this team in anger for not making the tournament. Quite frankly, we're not entitled as fans to have our team make the tournament every season. We were spoiled that they made it as many years as they did. I remember several seasons sweating it out down the stretch as Michigan sat firmly on the bubble--hell, it was just 3 years ago that they needed a miracle run slightly better than this one to get in, and we all LOVED that team.

I can't get too worked up about finally missing out on the Big Dance because they've actually been dodging that bullet for a while. It's a disappointment that the streak ends with a team that was clearly capable of so much more, but they're not the first talented team to miss the tournament and they won't be the last. I get that people are more frustrated since they did show what they were capable of toward the end of the season, but I'd look back on this team in a much worse light if they just folded than I will with them going down swinging and proving that they were more than just a team that wasn't very good. It's a lesson to all of us that you can't project a team's success merely on talent. Leadership, chemistry, etc. mean a lot more than people sometimes think they will.

The key is for the future leaders of this team--Bennett, DeBlois, Copp, etc--to take the lessons learned from this season and make sure that the issues don't reoccur. If they come back as a united team next year, then maybe losing the tournament streak isn't in vain.

I've read a LOT of opinions about the end of the season and I've found myself saying "Oh, good point" quite a bit, even about completely opposing viewpoints. I get it if people want to say "They didn't play like they gave a crap for 30 games, why are we praising them for doing it for the last ten?" but I also get it (and am on board with) the people who appreciate that the light bulb finally went on and the lessons were finally learned. In the end, it was too little, too late.

Other viewpoints: MGoBlog, Section 25, Hoover Street Rag, The Wolverine.

So, what's next? Attention, as it always does during the offseason, turns to who will be back next year? Michigan loses Treais, Kevin Lynch, Sparks, Rohrkemper, and Moffie to graduation. Kevin Clare may or may not return from his injury/suspension. Jon Merrill and Jacob Trouba could both step into an NHL lineup before the end of the season if they wanted to. From the sounds of it, Merrill is almost certainly leaving, but Trouba feels there's some unfinished business at Michigan. Sports betting sites don't lay odds on that kind of thing, but Spath put it at 60-40 that he returns, which would be HUGE.

Alex Guptill had a very nice season in the end, but apparently clashed with the coaches a little bit (and was left home for a series at Ferris). PDG and Nieves could also be lesser threats to leave. Then you wonder about the incoming freshmen, as it's a very talented group. I'd say Evan Allen is the biggest threat to not make it to campus, as he's a Windsor pick and you know how that goes. He mentioned back in November that he was keeping his options open with regard to the OHL. For what it's worth, he just tweeted that he's wearing #15 at Michigan next season. (Downing says that he will be wearing #5.)

One who you can scratch off the list? Mac Bennett. He's said he will be back next season.

There have been rumblings that Michigan was looking to bring in a goalie next year. Has Racine's play down the stretch changed anyone's mind? He certainly looked like a goalie that can play at a high level. A month off to get his head straight really helped him. Would an offseason do the same for Jared Rutledge? Will he be back? There are a lot of questions to be answered this offseason.

Next season brings the Wolverines to the long-awaited Big Ten Hockey Conference. 6 teams means only 20 conference games, which leaves a lot of room to play teams from around the country. There have been lots of reports on Twitter today about future games. Apparently during Red's press conference (or maybe during his radio show?) he mentioned we'll be playing UNH (away), UNO (away), Boston University, Michigan Tech at home for a series, Boston College, and RIT (away). What does all that mean? It means the team better be friggin' ready to go from the get-go next season, because there's a damn good chance they'll be playing the toughest schedule in America. Also, the 20 game non-conference schedule is going to be awesome. How do you like the idea of playing teams like that ever year?

In other news, Lindsay Sparks has signed with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL and Kevin Lynch is expected to join Columbus's AHL affiliate. Also, commit Brendan Warren will play for the NTDP next season.

Michigan Takes on Miami at the Joe

2013-03-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

Round three of the CCHA Tournament pits the Wolverines against the #1-seeded Miami RedHawks. Miami edged out Notre Dame for the CCHA crown and currently sits tied for 3rd in the Pairwise. They come into this weekend 24-10-5 on the season but 10-7-2 away from home. They punched their ticket for the Joe by beating FYS in three games (0-3, 4-1, 4-1).

Miami is a team that won't overwhelm you offensively, but they do have some talent up front. They have both the CCHA MVP (Austin Czarnik--man, I guess we got the wrong one, eh?) and the CCHA Rookie of the Year (Riley Barber) playing forward for them. Barber led the team in scoring and was the top-scoring freshman in the nation with a 15-23--38 line. Czarnik has 14-22--36, though four of his goals were empty-netters (4 also came short-handed). Freshman defenseman Matthew Caito has chipped in with 5-15--20 on the season.

Overall, though, they rank just 38th nationally in offense at 2.54 goals per game. Like Western Michigan, however, they earn their wins on the defensive end. After a shaky week by Quinnipiac, the RedHawks now rank #1 nationally in team defense at 1.62 goals per game. Ryan McKay has taken the reigns in net after splitting time most of the year. He's made the last six starts. On the season he has an unbelievable 1.20 goals against average and .954 save percentage (tops in the nation in both categories).

He has only given up more than two goals on one occasion this season, that in a 3-3 tie against NMU back in January. He has lost 3 of his last seven starts, however. The fact that he's 12-5-2 despite almost never giving up more than 2 goals means that Miami's offense is prone to letting them down. They've been shut out on seven occasions this year, including three by a 1-0 final. They have scored 4+ in four of their last seven, however, keeping in mind that those were against LSSU, OSU, and FYS.

The teams split a pair of games at Yost during the first weekend of CCHA play. Michigan won 4-2 and then lost 4-3 the next night, behind three goals in a 2:41 span. McKay only saw 5 minutes of action, however. That was also so long ago and things have changed so much that I don't think you can take a whole lot from those games. Racine did play well between the pipes during the Friday night game. The goals he allowed were of the fluky variety.

Their PP is right about where you'd expect (36th). They're sixth on the PK at 88.2%, but they have scored 8 short-handed goals on the year (4 by Czarnik), which is second to only Bobby Mo's 9.

Game time is at 4:35 pm and the game will air on FSN Detroit +. If the Wolverines win, they'll take on the winner of Notre Dame/Ohio State with a tournament berth on the line.

Back to the Joe! Michigan Sweeps WMU

2013-03-18T20:12:00.000-05:00

The Wolverines moved one step closer to keeping their NCAA streak alive this past weekend. The went into Kalamazoo, where the Broncos had lost only twice all season, and downed WMU by 4-3 and 5-1 scores.

It was the first time all season that WMU had given up 4+ goals in back-to-back games, just the second time all season they had given up 3+ goals in back-to-back games, and, incredibly, just the second time since November they had given up even two-or-more in consecutive games.

They advanced to the CCHA semifinals thanks to a 100% team effort. Steve Racine provided great goaltending (even in giving up 3 on Friday night, he couldn't really be faulted for any of the goals). Outside of a couple of blips on Friday the defense was outstanding. The offense lit up one of the nation's best in Frank Slubowski, chasing him on Saturday. The power play scored in both games and was 2-for-7 on the weekend. The PK was a perfect 9-for-9. It doesn't get a whole lot more well-rounded than that.

Michigan was able to turn Friday night's tilt into an up-and-down the ice kind of game, which is the style they traditionally have liked to play. PDG gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead on a nifty pass from Kevin Lynch. Lynch carried the puck in deep and threaded the needle between two Broncos to give PDG a great opportunity and he buried it.

Justin Selman, who may have played the best hockey of his Michigan career this weekend, added a goal before intermission. Hyman made a nifty play to get the puck to Selman in traffic in the Michigan zone and Selman rushed it up ice. With Hyman driving the net, Selman got off a great shot that Slubowski stopped, but he left a juicy rebound. Selman jumped on it and was able to tuck it into the net.

Western didn't roll over, though. Two goals in just over a minute tied the game back up and both were the result of Michigan turnovers. After Serville and DeBlois failed to get the puck out of the zone, Szuma had to step up on Walters. That left Chase Balisy all alone in front of the net, as Copp had broken out of the zone when it looked like Michigan would clear. That's not the guy you want to give a lot of room to, and he made Michigan pay.

Moffatt then couldn't handle the puck in the neutral zone and WMU came back the other way. Hargrove wristed one past Racine on a two-on-one to even the game.

Michigan would respond three minutes later on an NHL-type play by Jacob Trouba. He picked up the puck on Michigan's side of center ice, beat one guy to gain the zone and then wound up for a slapshot. He froze the defenseman and Slubowski with the threat of a bomb, pulled it down, and lasered a wrist shot past both of them before they could move. It really isn't fair for a kid to have that kind of a slapshot only to have that kind of release and speed on a wrister as well.

Western came right back again, however. They got the puck back to Morrison at the point who flipped a shot on cage through a heavy screen that was deflected a couple of times on the way through. There was absolutely no chance for Racine to stop that one.

With Michigan on the power play in the third period, Trouba got the game-winner. He brought the puck from the left point over into the middle of the ice. Western Michigan got crossed up with who was supposed to be covering him and Trouba made them pay by bombing a shot through Slubowski. In the screen shot below, the WMU player between the top of the circles had shaded to the middle of the ice. The player nearest the blueline stopped moving to his left and was trying to pass Trouba off. You can see him pointing. That moment was all it took as Trouba was able to bring the puck to the top of the circle before uncorking one.

You can see the confidence that Red Berenson has in his young players, because which forwards were out there with less than two minutes to go in a one goal game? Sinelli, Hyman, Selman, Copp, etc.

Darren Eliot said something early in the game that I thought was interesting. He said that when he had seen the Wolverines before, he thought that their players were using the poor goaltending as an excuse not to work hard. Now that their goalie is stopping shots, the team's confidence in him has gone up, and they're all playing better. I don't know if that was the case, but I can tell you even from playing at the extremely low level of hockey that I play at, it's really deflating to work your butt off to get back into a game and then have a soft goal go in. Or to come out ready to play and find yourself down on a couple of soft goals. I'm an extremely competitive person and I hate losing more than I like winning. And I'm not going to say I've always skated my butt off in situations like that. I think there could potentially be something to that.

On Saturday Michigan finished the job without any drama. They took a 1-0 lead on another big goal by Kevin Lynch. Jon Merrill found him with an absolutely threaded pass from his own zone to the far blueline. Lynch broke in and snapped one past Slubowski.

Late in the period Michigan turned it over in their own end and Hargrove was able to put one through a screen to tie the game. Michigan outshot WMU 15-3 in the first period, but came out of it all tied up. Nieves had been absolutely robbed by Slubowski a couple of minutes before that.

In the second, though, the Wolverines left no doubt as to who was going to the Joe. They put four pucks past the WMU goaltenders, the third of which chased Slubowski from the game. Moffatt fed Treais, who took a shot from a really bad angle that Slubowski stopped. The WMU keeper was way out of position after making the save and was slow to get back into his net. Treais was able to corral the rebound and slide it back to Sinelli who put one into an empty net.

Guptill nearly made it 3-1 moments later as Trouba absolutely walked a Bronco and fed him in the slot. Slubowski made a big save. Guptill would have the last laugh, though. Moments after Slubowski robbed Lynch on another Trouba feed, the big defenseman got it to Moffatt who fed Copp in front. The puck bounced back into the slot and Guptill put it in through some traffic. Less than a minute later, the season would end for The Big Slubowski. PDG skated through seemingly the entire WMU team. His shot was stopped, but the rebound sat right in front of the net. A Bronco failed to clear and DeBlois was able to knock it home.

Different goalie, same result. Moffatt found Guptill with a nice pass, Guptill spun and beat Hafner. That was Moffatt's third assist of the period. WMU would outshoot Michigan 9-3 in the third period, including a couple of stretches in the middle of the period when they pulled their goalie while on the power play, but they weren't able to solve Racine, who is playing with all the confidence in the world.

Think that team is having fun? At the end of the highlight video, Lee Moffie comes into the celebration and yells out joyfully, "WE'RE GOING TO RICK'S!!!!!!"

Want a great stat? The Michigan PK is 41 of 42 in the third period this year.

Michigan will now take on Miami in the semifinals, just as they did back in 2010 when they were in a win-or-go-home situation. The RedHawks are another great defense (#2, just .03 behind Quinnipiac), mediocre offense (#37). They do have Ryan McKay in net, however. He has a 1.20 goals against average and a .954 save percentage. More on Miami a little later this week. Should Michigan advance, they'll play the winner of OSU and Notre Dame for the CCHA Championship and the coveted automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

With that win, Michigan heads to the Joe for the 24th consecutive season. That makes for 21 straight senior classes that made it to the Joe all four years. Impressed, Rico?

Alex Guptill now has points in 9 straight (including seven multi-point games) and has matched the 33 points he scored as a freshman. Since Ohio State weekend when Michigan's hot streak started, no player in the nation has more points than Alex Guptill. PDG has 14 points in his last 12. Trouba is one goal away from tying the Michigan freshman defenseman record of 13, and is in striking distance of Jack Johnson's freshman points record. Since Racine retook the goaltending duties, he is 7-0-1 with a 1.98 goals against and a .919 save percentage.

In other CCHA news, it appears the Red Wings are close to signing goaltender Jared Coreau to a contract. Love that signing if it happens. Big goalie, who was outstanding for the Wildcats. He was a big reason I (incorrectly) picked them to finish high up in the standings than most. Nice to see them dipping into the college free agent waters.