M Hockey vs #7 western Open Thread (Live on CBS Sports)

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Michigan NEEDS a win this weekend or this season is reallllllllyyy scary the rest of the way.

Per @umichhockey on twitter, they will have a moment of silence pregame for the tragedies in Connecticut. 

stephenrjking

December 14th, 2012 at 8:32 PM ^

All you need to know about this team is that they got 74 seconds of 5-on-3; during that time they were soundly outworked, and the only scoring chance was a one-man breakaway by a defenseman... for Western. He hit the post. 

In past years Michigan has struggled but at least looked good on the ice. The year they won the CCHA to keep the streak alive, most of the season was a confusing mess of losing games in which they outshot opponents, bad luck, and so on. This year they just plain look awful. I haven't seen Michigan look this incompetent in hockey since that UM-MSU game my parents took me to in the 80s when MSU fans filled half the arena and MIchigan was a hockey neophyte.

WingsNWolverines

December 14th, 2012 at 8:39 PM ^

and using their experienced seniors at will. Our younger guys just can't compete right now. This might get a lot uglier before its over.

stephenrjking

December 14th, 2012 at 8:47 PM ^

This is plainly just a bad team. I don't know why. I think there's talent, but who knows? They're terrible. There's no life in the arena or the team at all.

I have no experience with the team being this bad, I'm not even sure how to be a good fan.

Wolverine Devotee

December 14th, 2012 at 8:47 PM ^

I think Red should not let the guys wear Maize until they earn it. That jersey is an honor to wear, not a right. Do something, anything to motivate them.

stephenrjking

December 14th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^

Getting soundly outplayed at home by a superior team as your team plays out the string; scoring a cosmetic goal to reduce an uncatchable deficit to 2; chanting at the goalie: So THIS is what it feels like to be a Western fan.

Shoe sure is on the other foot this year. 

WingsNWolverines

December 14th, 2012 at 10:15 PM ^

We can't score on the man advantage to save our life. I don't like to give up hope on our teams but this Michigan hockey team is looking like its not going anywhere.

UMxWolverines

December 14th, 2012 at 11:13 PM ^

That was absolute ass. The team, the crowd, all ass. Yost is starting to become a library because all the rich a-holes are buying all the rest of the tickets. It wasn't only this way tonight, I noticed it back in October too when they played Sparty.

Oh and I sat in the section next to Brian. I was gonna say hi but I was pissed and he looked like he was too.

stephenrjking

December 14th, 2012 at 11:48 PM ^

The crowd has had the life beat out of them. It's entirely natural to be less enthusiastic when your team stinks.

Seriously, it's not like there's much to cheer about here. There's some talent, but it's not playing to potential. It's not one of those underdog teams that lacks skill but plays its guts out. They're apparently not a great group of character guys you just want to get a chance to win. It's the hardest kind of team to cheer for.

This team just got thoroughly manhandled and deservedly beaten in its own arena, after two weeks of "thinking about it." There seems to be a full-on meltdown, and given that we have guys like Trouba who have other places to go, this could hurt us for years.

I don't blame the crowd. It's just a bad, bad hockey team.

UMxWolverines

December 15th, 2012 at 12:47 AM ^

I'm talking outside of the student section. I don't remember it being this bad before. Thefour bronco fans in my section could be heard over the entire arena. I was also pissed that I had to sit by two Pioneer lax bros (no offense to lax bros) that showed up with 2 minutes left in the 1st and ended up leaving early.

Owl

December 15th, 2012 at 12:20 AM ^

I see you commenting often about Michigan hockey, which suggests to me that you know what you're talking about. I love hockey, but t I've only been following the team as long as I've been a student. Do you have any idea what could have happened to this team? How are we so bad? Why is our forecheck so weak and passing so sloppy? We had a legitimately good team last year, and not that many people left. I'm going to keep going to every game I can, but damn is it much less fun to do so this year. 

Don

December 15th, 2012 at 8:35 AM ^

Mel Pearson joined the UM staff for the 88/89 season, after Red had been here four years. Two years later, UM made the NCAA for the first time under Red, for the 90/91 season. That season started our 22-year streak of appearances in the NCAA tournament.

Pearson departed for the head job at Michigan Tech for the 2011/12 season, and last year we made the tournament almost in spite of ourselves. It was hardly a season distinguished by great play, with the singular exception of Hunwick. Now, in the second season since Pearson's departure, the team appears rudderless. The injuries to key players have obviously been critical, but as many have noted here and elsewhere, the guys that are on the ice are playing uncharacteristically poorly. Unless there's a dramatic turnaround, our streak of making the NCAAs is going to end.

I asked Brian about the possible impact of Pearson's exit on the radio Thursday morning, and he figuratively threw up his hands and said "I dunno." Any opinions out there?