Midweek Roundup: 12 January, 2022
Michigan prepares for a weekend set hosting Penn State; Jack LaFontaine to Carolina; Olympic update
This weekend, the University of Michigan men’s hockey team returns to Big Ten action, kicking off the second half of the conference season with a two-game home set against the struggling Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State Update
To put it mildly, this isn’t the season Penn State was expecting. The Nittany Lions 3-9-0 conference record leaves them dead last in the Big Ten, and they are coming off being swept at home by Notre Dame. Right now, the biggest problem for PSU appears to be keeping the puck out of their net. In their seven games to date in December and January, the Nittany Lions have conceded four goals on four occasions and conceded five in another game. Neither senior starter Oskar Autio nor sophomore backup Liam Souliere can claim a save percentage north of .900. It’s awfully hard to win when you’re conceding more than once every ten shots. Traditionally, Michigan-Penn State is a high scoring affair, and I have no doubt the Wolverines will expect to flex their offensive muscles this weekend.
When last we met the Nittany Lions…
Michigan overwhelmed their eastern rivals, scoring eleven goals over the course of a series sweep. Erik Portillo was unimpeachable between the pipes, Kent Johnson notched six assists, and Owen Power managed a goal and five helpers. For more, revisit, our full weekend review below:
Bordeleau and Truscott Poised to Return
Per Connor Earegood of the Michigan Daily, Thomas Bordeleau and Jacob Truscott will be back in the lineup this weekend. Bordeleau had been out of action since the Minnesota game on December 4th, while Truscott missed only last weekend’s sweep over UMass. With the Wolverines already riding a wave of confidence following that sweep, the return of two top players to the lineup leaves the team in an excellent place as we return to Big Ten play.
Hobey Nominees
It was announced this afternoon that Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson, and Owen Power have all earned Hobey Baker nominees, an award given to the nation’s top college hockey player. At this stage in the nomination process, one team can only earn three nominations, but it is likely that Brendan Brisson will join them before too long.
It is the official editorial stance of Gulo Gulo Hockey that awards are silly and meaningless, but, as long as they exist, Michigan players might as well win them. If we here at Gulo Gulo had a vote, it would be cast in favor of Johnson for the dynamism he brings on a nightly basis. We will save a more detailed discussion of the award for when its presentation draws nearer.
LaFontaine to the Canes
Now former Minnesota Golden Gopher netminder Jack LaFontaine made headlines this week when he officially went pro, signing an entry level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes (who had selected him in the 2016 NHL Draft). Carolina has been decimated by injuries and illness at the position throughout their organization, so the next call went out to LaFontaine.
From a competitive standpoint, this is a serious blow for Minnesota, Michigan’s top rival for the B1G regular season crown, as junior backup Justen Close has played just twenty-eight minutes this season, whereas LaFontaine is the reigning Richter Award winner for NCAA Hockey’s top goaltender.
It will be interesting to see if any other NCAA players (and given the circumstances, I’d have to imagine it would most likely only be goaltenders) end up fielding a similar call before season’s end.
At the risk of sending panic waves, the Buffalo Sabres (holders of Erik Portillo’s draft rights) are in the midst of a similar goalie injury flash flood.
The good news for Michigan fans is that, unlike Carolina, Buffalo is not in the midst of a playoff race, and therefore would seem to have minimal incentive to rush the development of an important prospect.
Olympic Update
The U.S. men’s Olympic hockey roster is slated to be announced tomorrow at 5 pm as of this writing. At the moment, it is expected that Matty Beniers and Brendan Brisson will be among the announced names. There is an outside chance Thomas Bordeleau joins them, and I suspect that, if he weren’t coming off a prolonged COVID-related absence, he would be a lock to join Beniers and Brisson in Beijing. Instead, he will likely be on the roster bubble. Luke Hughes, who was chosen to represent the U.S. at the World Juniors that never really was, could also be among the selected, but Hughes’ youth, even in an Olympics free of NHL players, makes his inclusion unlikely.
Canada has not yet set a date for their roster announcement, but Kent Johnson and Owen Power will almost certainly be on the list.
As a result of these inclusions, Michigan will be one of several elite college hockey programs operating shorthanded for a good chunk of February. The good news for Michigan fans is that, even if the team is without some of its biggest stars during that stretch, they will now have ample reason to watch an Olympic hockey tournament that may well have been dull sans NHL players.