Entering this weekend, Michigan Hockey had held a third period lead against an opponent and not won the game in regulation eight different times, out of 36 total games. That doesn’t include games that were tied in the third, only to see the opponent edge past the Wolverines late, or the matchup against Michigan State in January that Michigan led 4-1 in the second period, because they blew the entire lead in the second period (four straight goals against in the span of ~seven minutes). To say the Maize & Blue have had trouble finishing games off in the third period is an understatement. It’s been the defining theme of this season.
Poor defense has also been a theme too often. Michigan is only middle of the pack in goals against nationally but considering that they are a team ranked in the tournament picture, it isn’t good. Michigan is tied for the most goals against per game among the 16 teams currently in the tournament picture. They have a tremendous offense, top five in goals per game scored with a historically great power play, but the other half of the game they have struggled with often this season. Michigan typically blows leads in the third period because they are not a good team at keeping pucks out of the net, period.
Against Minnesota in particular, it’s been a major problem. Coming into Saturday night, three of those eight third period blown leads came at the hands of Minnesota. Those three games constituted three of the four games that Michigan played against Minnesota this season. They led the first game 3-1 in the second before conceding a goal with one second left in the 2nd period and then two in the third. They led the second game 2-1 entering the third period and ended up having to win in a shootout. And then two weeks back, a backup-goalie meltdown saw Michigan need overtime to win a game that they led 3-0, 4-1, and 5-4, all in the third period. It’s been a bit of a broken record of the same problems and especially in this matchup, the same opponent.
This time around there was no blown lead. Michigan scored early in the first period, shouldered an annoying but correct review that disallowed a second goal, eventually scored one anyway, and then protected that lead through the third period to bring the game to the regulation finish line. They did it by playing as good of a team game as they have played all season, one that finally introduced elements that have been missing from Michigan’s games for so long: structure, cohesiveness, situational hockey. Michigan looked clinical in tilting the ice on Minnesota, generating chances necessary to take the lead but not letting up on the gas pedal when it was time to protect that lead.
Even strength possession in this game was 61-46 in favor of Michigan, rather decisive in the Wolverines’ favor. If we narrowed it down to expected goals (data which is not public in college hockey), I presume the gap would be much wider. Even in the last four minutes of the game, with Michigan leading 2-0 and then 2-1, they got the best looks, a breakaway and then another solo rush for Frank Nazar, both of which did not go in. Minnesota scored in the final minutes, but it was on a shot through traffic, a decisively lower quality look. Michigan dominated shot quality throughout this game, when it was tied and when they were leading, something that has seldom happened this season.
Minnesota came out sharp and had a good first couple shifts, owning the opening two or so minutes. Michigan was on their heels and hung in there, most importantly not surrendering a goal during that stretch of time. Once they got through the opening shifts, Michigan asserted themselves. They pushed play the other direction and got that first goal. From then on forward they were decisively the better team for the remaining 56 minutes. Even when Minnesota went on the power play, they didn’t get much in the way of quality scoring chances as Michigan’s significantly improved penalty kill muzzled the Gophers. Unlike the Notre Dame series last week, the last minute of play in a one-goal game was not frantic, Michigan as confident as they’d been all game previously. It was like watching a whole new team.
