FINAL CORSI NUMBERS (www.collegehockeynews.com)

Forward Notes.

- Michigan seemed out of sync, early on in the game. They were not moving well, pucks jumped off sticks, and they didn’t register a shot until almost nine minutes into the game. It was very nervy to see the talented forwards stuck in the own zone just trying to get the puck out to get a change. That was the first 10-15 minutes, though.

- Brendan Bisson. Yikes. He put on a show tonight. Not only did he score a Barzal between the legs goal (after a great feed from Bordeleau…surprise), but he almost had another couple. While he is clearly going to excel on the power play, I am starting to think that the Brisson/Bordeleau line is the number 1 scoring line for Michigan. His finishing is just going to an elite level. He’s not too shabby of a passer, either.

- The KJ/Beniers/Samo line had a great second period and changed the game. They had a couple more of their “Forever Shifts” again, stranding the Bulldogs a long way from their bench and tiring several lines out. By the end of the period, they gave Michigan some insurance when KJ hit Beniers with a beautiful cross-ice pass for an empty net dunk. The game didn’t end, but it started to feel over at that point.

- How do you finish a game? You death-march your opponent through a controlled third period. Michigan clinically controlled the last frame and mostly kept the Bulldogs out of the House. Duluth managed to tally some shots, but very few were in dangerous areas…when they were even able to get to the puck. Very impressive third period from the Wolverines.

Defense Notes.

- Like the forwards, the defensemen also seemed stuck in mud in the first period. All pairings seem to struggle and just completing passes and getting exits. After the first intermission, the defense did settle down. Then, other than a few blips, it was much better and mostly smooth sailing.

- Luke Hughes really jumped tonight. He did have a couple of goofy TOs, but he also created a ton in the offensive end. In addition to his Power Play goal, he played a huge role in setting up the KJ/Beniers tally.

- Jacob Truscott had an up and down game. He struggled early in his own end and looked a little out of place on the power play. After Blankenburg’s injury, Michigan tried to fit him into that spot. It didn’t go super well. Truscott still is a nice fit next to Luke Hughes– and he did move the puck well before the third goal- but overall tonight was not his best performance.

Luke Hughes proved very dynamic on the power play [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

SPECIAL TEAMS CHART

Power Play. After Nick Blankenburg’s head-shot/snap into boards, Michigan had a chance to kick start their offense with a five minute major. Their man advantage got off to a very slow start. Alex mentioned Duluth did a great job of defending aggressively without getting out of position. Nick Pastujov finally got free in the slot and made with a really neat dish to Hughes at the “BrissonDot.” Luke tallied his first goal of his career, knotting the game score at one. Michigan mostly looked frustrated with Duluth’s Kill, especially when they started ready for Michigan’s blast from the right dot. The Wolverines finally got their second opportunity after the game was essentially over. Matty Beniers cashed at the post, giving Michigan a 5-1 advantage. 

Penalty Kill. Michigan took a penalty early, and Duluth had multiple good chances to score early in the first. Michigan did kill the penalty, but it was a bit shaky. After that, their kill was clinical. The Wolverines didn’t have to kill another penalty until the third period when Garrett Van Wyhe tallied Michigan’s first short-handed goal of the year (covered later). After early struggles, the penalty kill looked very calm and collected against a potent Bulldog advantage.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Some more thoughts and a conclusion]

Erik Portillo was steady in net when Michigan needed him to be [James Coller]

GOALTENDING CHART

Notes. Erik Portillo started in net and was an absolute the rock in the first period. Michigan’s slow start meant the first shots of the game were against Portillo. He scrambled and positioned himself very well, keeping his team in the game until they got their skates underneath them. Portillo did not have as much to do in the second frame, as the puck was in the other end for long stretches. He did have to make a Stay Awake save a couple of different times. This will probably be a trend as the season continues. Other than a handful of stops from distance, Erik’s third period was highlighted by getting knocked over as Blankenburg was thrown into him after a save. Down initially, he looked to be fine after a little maintenance. Very assuring game from the Swede tonight.

ODD MAN RUSH CHART

Notes. Not many. Michigan did not give up an OMR, tonight! Woooo! They were very disciplined in transition.

Garrett Van Whye stole a puck at his own blue line and raced down the ice alone. Stejskal looked to make the original save, but it managed to find its way past him and in. That made it 4-1 and effectively ended the contest.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Alex and I were messaging all night, asking questions, and bringing up things we wanted to see, etc. In the end, he mentioned that this was pretty much the game we’d expect to see a talented team like Michigan play against a high quality opponent on the road. That doesn’t happen to Duluth at home very often, and Michigan looked very impressive after a nervy start. They draw national #1 Minnesota State at 5:00ish PM on Saturday. Should be fun!