big ten champions

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

What just happened (TL;DR): Michigan just won the Big Ten Hockey Tournament in Minneapolis for the second straight season! They responded well being down a goal twice, including once in the third period. AND…they killed off a game, holding a one goal lead for the final 8+ minutes. All very impressive feats that they’ve struggled with throughout the year. #EyeballEmoji

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-After a back and forth boring first period, Michigan mostly dominated possession and shots for the rest of the game. While they did makes mistakes to give up a number of transitional chances, Michigan rolled their lines and were able to sustain zone time and create looks on net with basically every line contributing. Minnesota’s superstar top line did get their chances, but Michigan’s depth (h/t Alex) proved strong throughout the game.

-Rutger McGroarty tallied Michigan’s first two goals on similar chances. The first came on a rebound that Ethan Edwards threw on net. The rebound kicked to Rutger in the slot and he buried it. The second was a bomb from Keaton Pehrson off the end boards out in front. Again, Rutger was positioned well in front the of the net for the rebound dunk. He also provided the screen on the game-tying goal.

-I mentioned that this rink/game/team was never going to fit Dylan Duke’s strong suit. He’s never going to be as effective in an Olympic rink. For the most part, that was true. BUT…in the third period, in a tie game, Dylan Duke made a play. TJ Hughes made a great entry pass from the blue line right to Duke’s stick. Dylan went forehand, backhand around Justen Close’s out-stretched skate and finished inside the post for the game-winner. Right where you’d expect Duke to finish.

-The fourth line was impressive on Saturday night. Mark Estapa was great on the forecheck, winning pucks below the goalline. He also had a number of decent scoring chances, too, including ringing the iron on the penalty kill. Nolan Moyle, too, had a few decent chances and checked well on both ends. Nick Granowicz also made a really nice play backchecking in his own crease to breakup a very good look.

Seamus Casey had the game-tying goal (Patrick Barron)

Defense Notes.

-In zone, Michigan’s defense was pretty good. They didn’t get overwhelmed and trapped very often. There weren’t TOO many bad DZTOs. They generally were comfortable on the puck getting it up and out. Luke Hughes and Keaton Pehrson had a bit of a rough start. Luke also did have a couple turnovers he’d probably want back, but overall it was a pretty positive night.

-The defensive issues came in transition. Luke Hughes made a bad shot decision that lead to a 2v1. Keaton Pehson played it very poorly, allowing a simple pass across for a goal. Seamus Casey was also caught napping once that lead to a rush. Casey and Edwards were both caught in the offensive zone when Minnesota scored on their 2v0. Steve Holtz was completely undressed by Rhett Pitlick on a 1v1 for the third goal. Holtz is by all accounts a great dude with a phenomenal recovery story, but he’s probably not skating in an ideal defensive lineup for Michigan. A lot of the positives Michigan gained with the play in their own end, they gave away in transition.

-Despite getting burned on a couple of very bad OMRs, Seamus Casey did snipe a corner from distance to tie the game in the third period. It was his 7th goal of the season and his 24th point in his 33rd game. Not bad.

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

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

-After Minnesota's fast start, Michigan's Hero Line answered. The defense was a little wobbly early on, but once that settled down, Michigan played the better game. They created good chances and finished well. Minnesota also had to get hyper aggressive late just to make it close in the end. After beating Notre Dame in a tightly played physical game, the Wolverines outskated and outskilled the Gophers in a wide open affair. Very good opposite performances going into the NCAA Regionals next weekend.

-Mackie Samoskevich is really starting to pop. He did get a luck bounce on his goal as Samo's pass hit Mike Koster in the slot and the Gopher defenseman redirected it into his own net to give Michigan a 2-1 lead. Mackie also created a few more chances by gaining the zone, creating space, and forcing very nice saves from Justen Close on dangerous chances. He set up Dylan Duke on a 2v1 with a very skilled cross-slot pass. Samo is set to have himself up to have a nice tournament going into what could be a big, big sophomore year.

-The Hero Line struck when Michigan needed them the most. Down a goal 32 second into the game, Matty Beniers beat Brock Faber along the goalline before slipping the puck into the slot where Brendan Brisson beat Ryan Johnson to the spot. Brisson slid the puck inside the far post to equalize just 45 seconds after the Gophers took the lead. While they didn't score again at even strength, they did stabilize a horrific start backed by a raucous crowd. Brisson also added an assist on the Kent Johnson power play goal that proved the be the eventual winner. 

-Thomas Bordeleau also had a very nice night, quietly tallying a couple of assists. He was super smooth moving the puck well with a KJ-like flourish, but not as many dangerous giveaways. All scoring lines are looking Full Go at the right time.

[AFTER THE JUMP: More Talk About Banners]

My best friend coaches high school basketball in California. We grew up in Ann Arbor as hoops obsessives. He called me on the home phone, because that was how you did it then, when local hero LaVell Blanchard committed to Michigan. We bought tickets for $5 apiece outside of Crisler Arena during the Brian Ellerbe era; one time someone insisted on giving them to us for free. We attended every home game during the glorious NIT title run of 2004.

We also watched a lot of games like this from the other side: a Michigan team desperate to maintain some forward momentum getting smashed back to the Stone Age by Michigan State. As the Spartans hung close in a whistle-marred, stilted first half, my friend sent a text: "We're like 10% more focus from winning this game by 25."

Michigan locked in and won by 19, then celebrated their first regular season Big Ten championship since 2014 in front of Tom Izzo. Juwan Howard earned his first banner as head coach and it feels far from his last. The Wolverines could've been sent reeling by their upset loss against an Ayo Dosunmu-less Illinois team on Tuesday. Instead, they grinded through early foul trouble, got themselves together at the end of the first half, and put on a defensive clinic in the second.

We didn't see this growing up.

another Wagner to haunt Izzo's nightmares [Campredon]

After Michigan jumped out to a 7-0 lead, the pace slowed and the lead shrunk due to turnovers (8 in the first half) and fouls (10), both of which had an outsized impact on Hunter Dickinson, who had eight points, four turnovers, and two fouls before halftime in only nine minutes. Austin Davis also picked up two quick fouls, which led to a Brandon Johns cameo at center that sparked a late first-half spurt to head into the tunnel up by 11. 

Then the superior team put the hammer down. Michigan State shot 9/30 in the second half, going 7:52 without a point as the Michigan pushed the lead to 28 and making four of those field goals after Howard emptied the bench. Franz Wagner hit three quick three-pointers to end any hope of a Spartan comeback, Dickinson stayed foul-free while going 3/4 after the break, and Isaiah Livers and Mike Smith added triples during the scoring barrage.

defense wins championships [Campredon]

The Wolverines could've stopped scoring after a Dickinson bucket with 13:44 to play and still won. Instead, they continued to pour in points until the game got well out of reach. That allowed Howard the chance to give curtain calls to his seniors—Isaiah Livers, Austin Davis, Eli Brooks, and Mike Smith—in their final home game, then root on the bench mob before the confetti fell.

That was the Michigan team we'd become accustomed to watching before Tuesday. That's a one-seed. That's a conference champion.

They can put a stamp on the regular season on Sunday in the rematch at the Breslin Center. A game-long coronation that possibly knocks MSU out of the NCAA Tournament would be a dream way to head into the postseason. We've been waiting a long time.

[Hit THE JUMP for more photos and the box score.]