Michigan vs alaska Hockey Open Thread

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

The players seemed pissed which makes me happy because they should feel bad and want to kick ass for that block M they wear. 

No TV tonight. Game will have live audio here. Puck drop at 7:35. GO BLUE!

This will most likely be the last regular season meeting between these two teams since I can't imagine AKF wanting to make the long trip down here and vice versa with Michigan. 

Enough of the bull shit...getting 6 points this weekend. #letsgoblue

 

 

Nothing less than 6 points this weekend. New season starts tonight.#GoBlue.

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Hockey

kjaskolski

January 11th, 2013 at 9:16 PM ^

Tuesday was terrible all the way around. Tonight there is more energy and in reality Alaska has not had many chances. To their credit, they have buried em when they had a chance. However, the goalies need to make plays and are simply not making any plays.

Joined: 02/03/2011

MGoPoints: 432

Wolverine Devotee

January 11th, 2013 at 10:16 PM ^

Wonderful. Great. If there is ANY positive, It's Michigan found some offense. 

If the season ended tonight, Michigan would be an 8 seed in the playoffs playing 9 seed bowling green at Yost. Seeing as Michigan is now 6-7-0 at Yost, I don't see an advantage.

I mean, if these guys can't win at Yost, one of the most feared places to play in college hockey, where are they supposed to win?!

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 31528

JustGoBlue

January 11th, 2013 at 11:21 PM ^

They lost tonight, but they fought.  At least after Copp got our first goal, they fought.  I'm not sure there is any chance of an at-large anymore, even if we win out.  The margin was already almost nothing and we just lost to two not-good teams.  But they showed tonight that they can do something, there's something there.  They've shown glimpses before and they haven't lasted, but one can always hope this time it'll last.

On another note, I honestly think Copp should be the captain of this team.  Every time he is on the ice good things happen, when good things happen because of him, the whole team is energized.  It's not going to happen mid-season, especially to a freshman, but he is the person on ice right now that is, to me, Making Things Happen or at least trying.  One of way too few.  Energy was better as a whole tonight, but mostly after Copp scored and he was still a highlight for me.  Merrill and Trouba were VERY good at most points, but were also the victim of too many of the odd-man situations Alaska had.  Nieves had so many really close plays and is probably going to be REALLY good next year, but came up just a little short more than a few times.  Moffie might be starting to come around a bit. 

About the game...  Just too many odd-man rushes.  Way too many.  I think 4 of Alaska's goals were scored that way.  The other was off a defensive zone face-off.  Again.  The D has some good offense and we were down the whole game and needed it, but they have to be smart about it.  Having said that, Racine probably should have stopped at least one of those.  Probably not the first one, and the face-off one I don't think he had much shot at, but he needed to get a piece of at least one, preferably both of the others and he didn't.  The SH goal...  Janecyk was HOT after that one.  One of the linesman had to push him away from the ref after he immediately got up and started protesting and he confronted the ref after the game, too.  He was NOT happy. 

And they need to shoot the puck.  The shot total the last few games has just been abysmal.  They set things up really nicely a few times, but the shot afterwards always whiffed or took too long or went wide or something.  They need to get the puck on net and they need to get the puck on the net with the belief that it will go in. 

Some good play, not enough of it, some more signs this team might be starting to wake up.  But at the end of the day, they just need to win and they aren't.

Joined: 06/15/2009

MGoPoints: 895

MastaDon

January 12th, 2013 at 1:06 AM ^

I agree with all that you said. This team just doesn't do "the little things" like they should. The refusal to dump and chase, poor board play (better tonight), losing almost all the puck battles, unable to keep the puck in the zone (often leading to odd man rushes). These are the little things that less talented teams like Bowling Green are beating us at. There are some players doing these consistently - Copp, Sinelli, Treais, Nieves, Kevin and Travis Lunch come to mind. But as a whole they're not done enough.

Joined: 02/05/2012

MGoPoints: 197

lhglrkwg

January 12th, 2013 at 1:45 AM ^

because he was like the last second flyer addition to the team and he's playing better than just about every other guy on the team who was a) drafted or more highly regarded and b) not a freshman

I haven't seen many games this year but maybe Copp should be a captain next year (or at least wear an 'A'). Seems like he's one of the few guys playing Michigan hockey

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 87887