B1G Champs: Michigan 4, Minnesota 3
Michigan wins its second-ever Big Ten Tournament with an impressive display in Minneapolis
It would be difficult to conceive of a worse opening thirty-two seconds for the University of Michigan men’s hockey team in the Big Ten Championship Game.
After the Wolverines and host Minnesota Gophers exchanged dump-ins, a Jackson LaCombe stretch pass caught the normally unflappable defense pairing of Owen Power and Keaton Pehrson off guard, and Jaxon Nelson slipped through for a breakaway.
Nelson scored, and the sold out 3M Arena at Mariucci crowd roared. They waved their rally towels, and it was 1-0 Gophers.
However, the early deficit and hostile environment did little to shake the Wolverines’ resolve. Forty-five seconds of play later, Brendan Brisson brought the game back to level pegging.
Michigan would not concede again until the game was out of reach, winning 4-3 and taking home the second Big Ten Tournament title (and tenth conference tournament title overall) in program history.
It wasn’t spectacular to start, but the patience and vision of Matty Beniers set up Brisson—who had split the Gophers’ formidable defense pair of Brock Faber and Ryan Johnson—with a prime look at goal. Brisson wasted no movement on a one-timed five-hole finish. 1-1.
That chaotic opening minute and seventeen seconds set the table for a back-and-forth first period, characterized by end-to-end rushes.
For two teams accustomed to outclassing their opponents in skater talent, it resembled a matchup of two heavyweight prize fighters content to throw haymakers in the early rounds in a bid to land a knockout blow.
The first ended with shots level at ten and with both goalies having turned aside quality opportunities. However, with just over two minutes to play in the game’s opening period, Michigan’s third line of Dylan Duke, Johnny Beecher, and Mackie Samoskevich carried the puck up ice en route to giving the Wolverines a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Beecher gained the zone and played in Samoskevich to attack the flank, while Duke drove to the net. The Connecticutian, normally known for his wrist shot, sent a centering pass toward Duke and goaltender Justen Close. Instead of finding Duke’s blade, Samoskevich found that of Gopher defenseman Mike Koster, who did Duke’s job for him by redirecting the pass past Close.
The capacity crowd at Mariucci may not have been silenced, but it was muted. Likewise, the Wolverines’ celebration was understated; it is difficult to achieve true jubilation over an own goal. Nonetheless, Michigan’s message came across loud and clear.
Against the one team in the country with a legitimate claim to matching its talent, Michigan made plain the futility of challenging it to a high-event, track meet-style game.
Notre Dame was able to keep the score low throughout the season against the Wolverines by mucking up the neutral zone (an approach Michigan can be sure it will see in the NCAA Tournament), but the Gophers dared to challenge the Maize and Blue to a wide-open contest. For about fifty-eight-and-a-half minutes Saturday, Minnesota learned why few others ventured to even attempt the same.
That Michigan garnered its late-first period lead in transition not through a dazzling display of skill but instead with sound fundamentals and a bit of puck luck felt appropriate for postseason hockey.
A bit more than two minutes after the curtain rose on the second period, freshmen Duke and Samoskevich were back at it in transition. A spinning Thomas Bordeleau slipped a lead pass through to Samoskevich, springing him for an odd-man rush against a scrambling Gopher defense.
Conscious of the fact that Close would be keyed in on his lethal shot, Samoskevich drove to the net with the puck in a shooting position, before sliding it to his backhand and feeding Duke for a shot the Gopher goaltender had no hope of stopping. 3-1, Wolverines.
The two freshmen will rightfully receive plaudits for their standout performance in a title game, but do not make the mistake of allowing that to distract you from Bordeleau’s setup. It was quintessential Bordeleau, the combination of composure and skill on full display as he pirouetted and snuck his feed through a crowd of backchecking Gophers to launch Samoskevich.
Five minutes later, with Tristan Broz in the box for boarding, Michigan inverted a familiar formula to stretch its lead to three. Instead of Bordeleau and Johnson setting up a Brisson one timer, Bordeleau and Brisson fed the British Columbian winger, who did his best impression of his Californian teammate, again leaving no chance for Justen Close to make a save.
We at Gulo Gulo love to tout the versatility of Johnson’s game, and this goal offers a clear illustration of the variety within the crafty winger’s bag of tricks. We think of Johnson’s slick stick-handling and pinpoint passing first, but, as last night’s goal makes plain, he has a much more formidable one timer than his slender frame might suggest.
With Johnson’s 4-1 goal deposited, the Wolverines were largely content to play a defensive game for the final thirty minutes of action. Much like last weekend against Notre Dame, Michigan showed a comfort and acumen in their own end that had been absent for most of the regular season.
While they certainly don’t prefer to spend long stretches in their own end, the Wolverines proved themselves ready to answer that call when it does come. There was no reluctance to block shots, and strong sticks and sound decision making ensured that the Wolverines were able to exit the zone cleanly.
Though the Gophers weren’t entirely devoid of quality opportunities, it was a masterclass from Michigan’s centermen—Beniers, Bordeleau, Beecher, and Jimmy Lambert. Mel Pearson showed a willingness to use any of the four in most any situation, and he was rewarded.
Their effective use of the puck and geometric command of space helped ensure that the Gophers offensive opportunities came mostly with a healthy bit of distance separating them from Erik Portillo.
Nonetheless, Portillo was a worthy recipient of the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Though the Wolverines played a strong game in front of him, Portillo was still called on to come up with a number of vital saves, including one in the third period where he had lost his stick, and the towering Swede rose to the occasion.
The Big Ten Network broadcast was quick to point to Portillo’s size as central to his net, and there is no doubt a six-foot-six frame gives an opposing shooter precious little to shoot at. However, Portillo’s compact and efficient movement was equally important to his success Saturday, if not more so. As the Gophers whipped the puck around the offensive zone, seeming to recognize that a straight-on shot attempt would be powerless against Portillo’s pads, the hulking sophomore continued to square up shots and ward off danger.
A chaotic last minute of play pulled the Gophers to a 4-3 score thanks to a pair of Matthew Knies goals. Knies’ second (coming with just over five seconds to play in the game) was enough to inspire a momentary fright, but no more.
The Michigan Wolverines were Big Ten (tournament) champions, the team’s fourth piece of hardware on the season. Of course, the real prize remains to play for. As Mel Pearson said in his postgame interview with BTN, “I think we want another one. We’re going to be greedy.”
If there were doubts entering the season about this uber-talented crop of Wolverines, they were twofold.
First, there was the question of goaltending. Could Erik Portillo step into the void left following Strauss Mann’s graduation last Spring? A .928 save percentage and B1G Tournament MVP offer an obvious answer.
Second, there was the question of whether the young and talented Wolverines had the mettle to hack it in the Wild West that is postseason hockey. In winning the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan answered that question as well, at the levels both of style and execution.
On consecutive Saturdays, Michigan knocked off Notre Dame (a defensive juggernaut that until that game had smothered the Wolverines in four regular season matchups) and Minnesota (the one team that seemed able to match the Wolverines’ skill and depth).
In doing so, the Wolverines showed the ability to combine what makes them special (offensive flair, speed and skill in transition) with what is necessary for postseason success (discipline with and without the puck, resilience in the face of adverse situations).
After the Wolverines’ sweep of Michigan State in the first round, freshman Luke Hughes said in an interview Bally Sports Detroit “Every guy is jacked up and ready to get started.” It may have seemed odd timing for such an observation; after all, Michigan had already played a full regular season slate and playoff series.
So why did Hughes characterize last weekend’s game with the Irish as the moment at which Michigan must get started? Because even a team as youthful as the Wolverines had the perspective to recognize that what would define its legacy was yet to come.
Hughes’ words came at the moment any margin for error fell out from the season. From that point forward, every game would be do-or-die, single-elimination postseason hockey, first to close out the B1G tournament and then in the NCAA tournament.
If last weekend’s defeat of Notre Dame and yesterday’s triumph over Minnesota are any indicator, the 2021-2022 Michigan Wolverines thrive amidst that high-stakes chaos.
Odds and Ends
What’s Next?
With its B1G victory taken care of, Michigan has locked in the NCAA Tournament’s number-one overall seed. Unlike the NCAA basketball tournaments, the hockey tournament relies on a mathematical formula to determine at-large bids and seeding. On Saturday night, ESPNU will broadcast the selection show, where Michigan will find out its path to the Frozen Four. The team will be back in action on either Thursday or Friday, with a national title left to play for.
It’s Great to Be a Michigan Wolverine
Saturday was a banner day for athletes clad in maize and blue. The women’s basketball team routed American at Crisler Arena to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The men’s basketball team pulled off an upset of third-seeded Tennessee to advance to a fifth-straight Sweet Sixteen. Michigan women’s gymnastics won the Big Ten. 125-pounder Nick Suriano won an individual national championship on the wrestling mat.
In simplest summation, it’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
Gopher Crowd
Before closing, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the sold-out Mariucci crowd once more. Despite receiving little to celebrate almost all night, the attendant Gopher fans made their presence felt throughout the game, showing a resilience that perhaps outpaced the on-ice performance. Things did turn sour late when a series of consecutive (obvious) Gopher penalties led to fans littering the ice with projectiles. The PA announcer declared “This is not Minnesota hockey.”
By night’s end, it was a straining evening for the notion of “Minnesota nice.”
Active Night for Luke Hughes
By no stretch was it the most impressive evening we’ve seen out of Luke Hughes this season, though he did register an assist on Brisson’s opener. Nonetheless, Hughes was impressive at both ends of the rink and in transition. Since we normally laud Hughes’ skills with the puck, why don’t we take a moment to tout his defensive contributions.
Without wishing to place too great a burden of expectations on the eighteen-year-old freshman’s shoulders, Hughes’ effectiveness as a defender resembles that of Erik Karlsson, before injuries robbed the Swede of his speed. Like Karlsson, Hughes’ aggressive offensive involvement requires him to be adept at defending the rush even when he trails the play. Thanks to his fleet feet, Hughes was able to make a number of key defensive interventions doing just that on Saturday night.
Knies is Nice
As one more token of our good will toward Minnesota’s program, we’d also like to celebrate the Gophers’ most impressive player on Saturday night.
In the game’s final minute, Arizona-born forward Matthew Knies first scored to make the game 4-2, then attempted to score a “Michigan” after juggling the puck behind Portillo’s net. Though that attempt was thwarted, the big winger gloved down a lobbed centering attempt and wired a shot Portillo never saw to bring the score to 4-3. As we said above, it couldn’t do more than scare Michigan fans for a moment or two, but it was an impressive effort.
Knies, a 2020 second-round choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has the potential to make a splash in this Spring’s Stanley Cup playoffs once the Gophers’ season concludes. A player of his size and skill would command a hefty return at tomorrow’s NHL trade deadline, but the Leafs have the opportunity to bring in Knies on a bargain entry-level contract without foregoing an asset of their own to do so. Not a bad ace in the hole for general manager Kyle Dubas as he makes the final tweaks to his roster in the coming twenty-four hours.