Some comments from last night's game.  I haven't had a
chance to watch the tape (it was televised as the PRIME
GotW), so these are all "live" impressions.
 
(A) I have to acknowledge UIC for no longer being goons.
The Flames came into the game as the least penalized
team in the CCHA and seemed to live up to that.  Four years
ago, a 9-3 UM-UIC game would have seen 30-40 penalties
between the two teams.  They go at it again tonight, but I
believe (and hope) that even the bad blood generated by
playing the same team twice within 24-27 hours will not
escalate this one into a free-for-all.
 
(B) A real solid game was turned in by some 3rd and 4th
liners for the Wolverines.  I thought that Matt Herr was
outstanding and Justin Clark continues to improve, including
netting his first collegiate goal.  Bobby Hayes also turned in
another workman-like performance.
 
(C) Freshman defenseman Bubba Berenzweig recorded his
first UM goal, ending a streak of goal-less games by Wolverines
wearing #3 that dated back to November of 1990.  Bubba is
becoming a fan favorite at Yost.
 
(D) Marty Turco made a couple of nice saves in the first two
periods, but didn't look overly sharp in the UM net.  In the
third, it appeared that he was playing for the shutout and
that he kind of gave up after UIC scored their first goal (on a
second rebound, argh!...someone should have cleared it
by then).  I sit near the other end of the rink, but the 2nd and
3rd UIC goals appeared to be soft.  As for Turco actually
playing 60 minutes in a 9-3 game (that was 8-0 at one point)...
Gregg Malicke was dressed as the backup but doesn't
appear to be fully ready to go following a knee injury
sustained the previous Friday.  I believe that UM's third
netminder, Greg Daddario, will be suited as the backup
tonight.  I also think Turco would have come out after 40
minutes or possibly after UIC's first goal had Daddario been
dressed last night.
 
(E) Michigan's 6th goal was unique.  With a 5-on-3 advantage,
UIC coach Larry Pedrie pulled his netminder.  The score was
5-0 at that point, nearing the end of the 2nd period.  I thought
is was a good move because if UIC could have scored 6-on-3,
the lead would have been cut to 5-1 and they still would have
had about 4:00 of power play time...because the second UM
penalty was a major.  However, the move backfired as UM's
John Madden scored his 7th (yes, 7th!) shorthanded goal of
the season into the empty net.
 
(F) Last...and least except for the anal retentive stat buffs like
myself...Michigan SHOULD have had a 10th goal.  Bobby
Hayes scored late in the 3rd period to make the game 10-3,
but referee Steve Piotrowski waved it off.  The call had no
effect on the game, but taken out of context it was probably
the worst call I've ever seen Piotrowski make.  The UIC
goaltender (Spencer) dropped and began to make ice angels,
apparently sitting on the puck...however, he missed it and the
puck was in the back of the net.  A couple of players from each
team quickly arrived in the crease and Piotrowski blew the
whistle.  When he saw the puck in the net, I think he thought that
someone poked it in from under Spencer, but not so...the
initial shot hit the back of the net long before Piotrowski blew
the whistle.  The two linesmen looked at each other in
amazement, wondering why Pi was waving off a clear goal.
It would have been Michigan's third straight game in double
digits.  I'm looking forward to seeing the replay on this, to
confirm that my eyes weren't deceiving me.
 
 
John H (U Mich) [log in to unmask]
PS - An open question for UIC fans.  What happened to captain
Rob Hutson.  He was nowhere to be found, literally.  I'd like to
hear the scoop from someone at/near UIC.
 
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