When Michigan lost in the Frozen Four each of the last two years I wrote a game column style piece about the loss in the aftermath. This year, after Michigan's 4-0 defeat to Boston College in St. Paul last Thursday, I didn't quite feel the same way. There wasn't much of a game column to write because there wasn't much of a game that happened. Michigan trailed less than two minutes into the contest and never scored. They were competitive for awhile but before the 2nd period was up the game was over. The third period was simply obligatory. The Wolverines were dispatched by a far superior side. 

I have no narrative to speak of but certainly have some thoughts on the games and the season as a whole. So, today we'll go through it all, Hockey Weekly style: 

HockeyBullets About BC 

Overall... okay? I wasn't particularly despondent about the way Michigan played against Boston College. They went up against a team that was definitely better, Michigan played maybe a B-level game and BC played an A-level game. Michigan also got pretty unfavorable puck luck (the double deflection goal stands out) and that combination makes the score 4-0. Perhaps you do that game over again and Michigan loses 3-1 instead. They didn't choke, they just ran into their reasonable finish, having gotten as much out of this roster in the postseason as one could've expected. 

Pulling back the curtain on the underlying numbers. We talked about Boston College's possession numbers in the preview and this game was a pretty clear example of what those possession metrics look like. BC doesn't play with the puck as much as some elite teams and do let opponents shoot a decent amount, but they are a strong defensive team that limits how much the opponent gets near the net. They're well structured in their own zone and kept Michigan to the outside. The Wolverines held the zone, took shots, but with a good goalie in net and a roster of players who use their sticks and block shots well, it makes it difficult to score on even if you have the puck a lot. 

And then of course BC gets the opportunity to attack you in transition the other way. Michigan held the zone in the opening minute, got a look or two, and suddenly Seamus Casey is trapped in the OZ, the puck's turned over, and it's a 2v1. BC finishes it off and Michigan is trailing just like that. The Eagles didn't get a tremendous amount of rush chances, but they got some dangerous ones, also getting a breakaway that Cutter Gauthier scored on and a mini-break for Ryan Leonard that Jake Barczewski made a great save on. 4v4 play was an issue for Michigan, which was going to be a worry against a team as skilled as Boston College and allowed them to score off the rush even more. Michigan was spared by less PK time against this lethal PP, but the flip side was the 4v4 time, which proved just as deadly. You pick your poison against this team, Michigan was maybe moderately unlucky in their goal prevention, but at the end of the day they didn't score and that's a testament to BC's underrated defense and goaltending. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: takes, grades, 2024-25]

1 hour and 21 minutes

With David Nasternak and Alex Drain

This Podcast Has a Sponsor: Michigan Law Grad Jonathan Paul is the guy with the C you want skating next to the ref and pleading your case. He's also a good guy to sit next to at the hockey games.

Well, I was holding off on this post because I wanted something to happen; nothing has yet. Instead I will post this, and thus cause something to happen.

[UPDATE: minutes after this post went up On3's Jamie Shaw predicted 2024 CG Justin Pippen to Michigan.]

VISIT WEEKEND

Michigan had three expected visitors as of a few days ago. Vlad Goldin came in; there has been complete radio silence about his visit.

Yale C Danny Wolf visited this weekend and there is also zero out there. He did not pull the trigger, then. The other team mentioned prominently for him was UNC, and it looks like UNC is pounding the pavement for a starting five. They've been linked to Tennessee's Jonas Aidoo, Kentucky's Aaron Bradshaw (who just committed to OSU), Arizona's Oumar Ballo, and Rutgers's Cliff Omoruyi. Wolf may be further down their board since the rest of those guys are close analogues to Armando Bacot, a defense-and-rebounding kind of C, than the skilled Wolf.

One of their 247 staffers said that they'd "heard no further developments" after Wolf's initial conversations with UNC were reported last week, but there are Trilly Donovan-induced rumors he is going to take a visit to Chapel Hill early this week.

Wisconsin SG Connor Essegian did not come in; he took a visit to Maryland this weekend and is apparently going to take one to South Carolina. He is scheduled to be on campus for the spring game. If that gets pushed further off I'd take that as a signal this isn't happening.

They also had two late breaking/surprise visits. One was Oakland F Trey Townsend coming in on Sunday. Townsend is in that class of grad transfers that is not headed for the NBA and would like to make a hefty chunk of change in his last year in college, understandably. I'm not sure where that leaves Michigan, which is likely going to have to set aside large chunks of their NIL budget for two other one-and-done fifth years in Goldin and Davis.

The other: FAU decommit Lorenzo Cason. Cason was also at Florida this weekend. On3 reports that he wants to have a decision "as soon as possible," so it's probably between the two. Nothing as yet about the other two FAU decommits, Elijah Elliott and Ty Robinson.

[After THE JUMP: positive development with Johnell Davis.]