Michigan Hockey ‘17-18, Game #32: Michigan 1, Notre Dame 0

Submitted by David on

(James Coller/MGoBlog)

Captain Calderone with his signature snipe [Jamer Coller]

OFFENSE

 

Corsi

House

Possession %

First Period

26 13 57%

Second Period

19 7 59%

Third Period

18 8 34%

Overtime

n/a n/a n/a

TOTAL

63 28 48%

Analysis: Michigan’s forecheck has been great throughout the weekend and it was on display again in the first period. They did not let Notre Dame out of their zone very often and created a number of solid chances.

Looking at their numbers overall, this is a great offensive performance. They took a lot of attempts and got into the House area for almost half of them. There is a reason that Cale Morris is a Hobey candidate, as was evident this evening. Michigan could have had a few more goals with as many good looks as they had, but Morris stole the show. For their lone goal, Dancs forced a DZTO on the boards, Marody dished to Calderone, and Calderone sniped one just off of Morris’s glove and into the net, therby concluding the scoring.

[After THE JUMP: anatomy of a sweep]

(James Coller/MGoBlog)

Arby’s offering Cecconi some advice [Coller]

DEFENSE

 

Corsi

House

Possession %

First Period

20 2 43%

Second Period

13 7 41%

Third Period

35 11 66%

Overtime

n/a n/a n/a

TOTAL

68 20 52%

Analysis: So…these numbers, again. Notre Dame missed the net a lot in the first period but took a volume of attempts, mostly from the perimeter. The second was filled with penalty time, but the Irish were able to generate more chances in the House. Michigan scored late in the second, and as the third period moved along, the gameplay changed. Michigan was mostly content to clear, dump, and change.

The Irish did not have an overwhelming number of shots, but they threw tons at the net. Michigan’s defense was once again very strong. In a 0-0 game, Michigan mostly kept ND away from the slot and broke the puck out with relative ease. Again, as the game ticked down, Michigan set deeper and deeper and the Irish needed a goal. Still, super Grade A chances didn’t really come until Notre Dame pulled their goalie and set up their faux power play.

The Wolverines did get lucky, but they also played some of their best defense against a very stout team. They got their fortunate goal and then bled the game away. That has not been something that has been said about Michigan hockey in a while, and it is a great sign that the Wolverines are showing it is in their repertoire.

(James Coller/MGoBlog)

This is the appropriate reaction for a Michigan fan, today [Coller]

SPECIAL TEAMS

 

PP For

PP Against

PP Corsi For

PP Corsi Against

PP Shots/Min For

PP Shots/Min Against

First Period

n/a 0/.5 n/a 3 n/a 1

Second Period

0/1 0/1.5 1 9 .5 4.66

Third Period

0/1 n/a 3 n/a .5 n/a

Overtime

n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

TOTAL

0/2 0/2 4 12 .5 4

Analysis: Michigan only gave the Irish two power plays tonight. That is fantastic. Their penalty kill still looks extremely passive. I noticed that Notre Dame was able to enter the zone with ease multiple times. Michigan was also content to have the Irish move the puck around the perimeter without much of a nuisance. This was also evident at the end of the game when the Irish essentially had their third power play with an extra attacker. I’m not sure if this the the plan or if the goal is to never get anyone out of position and just let the power play fire at will from distance, but it is what Michigan has decided to do. The results have not been great, but they got away with it tonight.

Michigan had two power plays themselves and neither looked particularly dangerous. The Irish are very strong on both sides of the man advantage and it showed again. Hughes hit Cecconi on a great cross-ice-through-crease pass, but Morris was, spectacularly, there. Other than that, there was not much.

(James Coller/MGoBlog)

Dude was an a wall. [Coller]

GOALTENDING

 

Shots Faced

Shots from House Faced

First Period

8 0

Second Period

15 10

Third Period

12 5

Overtime

n/a n/a

TOTAL

35 15

Analysis: Hayden Lavigne was a rock star tonight. He didn’t have as much to do in the first period, as the Irish could not get much on net. However, as the game wore on, the chances started mounting. He had I don’t even know how many game-savers. The last few minutes seemed like a blur as he covered, deflected, and positioned his huge frame to preserve Michigan’s single-goal lead. I did not see many loose rebounds, as most of his deflections seemed to find the corner or a teammate.

Now…he did get lucky, as well, The Irish had three or four looks that just evaded the posts and went wide or into the side of the net. Oglevie had a tip the literally went behind Lavigne, across the crease, and inches outside of the far post. Sometimes, when you play well, it just is your night. Everything worked for him tonight.

ODD-MAN RUSHES

Defense

Rushes

Advs

Escape%

Offense

Rushes

Advs

Scoring%

1st Period

n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

2nd Period

1 3v2 100%   n/a n/a n/a

3rd Period

n/a n/a n/a   1 3v2 0%

OT

n/a n/a n/a   n/a n/a n/a

Total

1 3v2 100%   1 3v2 0%

Analysis: There were a couple of almost-OMRs but, they were really played with an extra attacker, so I didn’t count them. So, Michigan gave up a single OMR tonight. It was a 3v2 that Lavigne saved with his chest, I believe. That’s it. Hooray!

Likewise, Michigan also generated a single OMR: a 3v2 that produced a shot that went wide, IIRC. This was the opposite of the Friday game where each team was a little loose defensively. Both teams tightened down and stayed home. M forced a ton of DZTOs, but I cannot track those.

FINAL CORSI NUMBERS

I had: Notre Dame 68, Michigan 63

www.collegehockeynews.com had: Notre Dame 68, Michigan 63

Comments

CarrIsMyHomeboy

February 18th, 2018 at 9:27 PM ^

It seems like with at least a split next weekend, we are now in. But if we sweep next weekend and make it to the conference tournament finals (and after sweeping #1, why not acknowledge it as possible?), it looks like we would grab a 2-seed...which would be just the best kind of Year One Such Fun Pearson Insanity.

I Bleed Maize N Blue

February 18th, 2018 at 10:17 PM ^

So it seems like some of the other teams around us have favorable matchups next weekend. Maybe not as favorable as us, but we need to win to keep pace, I think.

Going by College Hockey News' current pairwise, Northeastern (12) has a home and home with NH (48), N Dakota (13) is at Miami (29), UNO (14) hosts CO College (24). Then there's MN Duluth (10) @ WMU (15). And in March UNO @ MN Duluth, N Dak hosts St Cloud St (1), and WMU @ CO College.

SF Wolverine

February 18th, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^

good observation on the forecheck.  This team is fast, and they play fast to their advantage.  Even when ND broke out past the forecheck, the forwards backchecked hard to keep the numbers even.  Guys really seem to be buying in; wasn't until the third when I saw some guys gliding a bit, and that was probably to avoid getting too many people too deep in the o-zone.  Hayden was excellent.  TCB now against ASU, which is a pretty chippy team, so will be a good test of guys staying in the system and not letting a less talented team get under their skin.

Matt51

February 19th, 2018 at 12:07 AM ^

Good win for M, I am so happy to see them playing good hockey. They most likley will get to the  tourney where they belong, and once you get there anything can happen.

Alton

February 19th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^

It should be stated that over the entire 240-minute course of the 4-game season series, Michigan allowed only 1 even strength goal by Notre Dame.

Obviously this has a lot to do with Jeff Jackson's negative hockey, but it is still quite an accomplishment.  I really do think that if Jeff Jackson weren't stuck in the late 1990s Notre Dame could be a great hockey team.  Unfortunately for Notre Dame and fortunately for Michigan, he refuses to use his talent and depth for anything other than playing defense and waiting for a penalty.

 

gpmurf

February 19th, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^

Hey Mom, we're in the show!!!

 

 

But dammit man, going forward, which opponents do I root for in the last weekend of the season to help us move up? Now that we beat ND, I think we want them to win. Fk OSU regardless. Does it generally come down to anyone well rankd and who we've beaten we want to do well? How well do we need to do in the Big tourney to gurantee a slot in the regionals or are we already in?

 

Lastly, how cool is it that we get to ask such questions about M hockey again?

David

February 19th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^

Unless M crashes the next 2 weekends, I'm thinking they're probably in. Playing for a seed, now, though, as I think they have a shot at a #2 if they keep winning. I'm not sure who to root for, yet. I'll have something by the end of the week, again.