Michigan had 2 games scheduled this weekend, showed up for one, and got mugged
in the other setting all types of "records" in the process.  This is the first
time in over 10 years that Michigan has lost both weekend games at home.  It's
the first time since the 80's that Ohio State has swept Michigan in the
regular season 2-0-1.  First time all season that Lake State has scored 6
goals - not bad considering only 4 Wolverines were in uniform (I don't know
who those other 20 guys were on Friday night).
 
Maybe the flu bug ravished the team on Friday or maybe they all had big tests
on Friday afternoon - Friday night's playing against a lowly Lake State team
was the most lethargic, I-don't-give-a-damn attitude I've seen in 10 years.
More people left the game in the second period than I've seen in real games
late in the third period - I think the team went with them.  LSSU would skate
hard to the puck, Michigan would coast.  LSSU hit, Michigan pushed, LSSU
passed the puck, Michigan pushed the puck to wherever it might go.  This team
needs strong senior leadership and it did not get it this night.  5 goals were
scored on one senior's shifts for both nights including the game winners.  If
they had played on Friday night with the intensity that they played on
Saturday night, they would have come out of the weekend with 2 points.  As it
is, they only have 2 points in their last 5 games.  They were battling for
first place a couple of weeks ago, now they are battling to stay in third
place.  I guess 2 out of the last 3 championships is good enough for this
team.
 
MATT SHEGOS.  Remember this name and fear for your team's health if he refs
one of your games.  This guy did not have a clue the whole game and I have
never seen a crowd scream and boo at a ref for 60 minutes like I did Saturday
night (that's 25 games per year 10 years running).  I usually don't care about
how good or bad a ref is but Shegos was ridiculous.  Here's a sampling -
Michigan gets a goal after the OSU goalie froze the puck because they kept
hacking away until they knocked it in the net and Shegos stood there and
watched it.  He owed Michigan a favor at that time and that's how he repaid
them.  He whistles the play dead another time when he loses sight of the puck
under the goalie - however, the puck was not under the goalie, it was in the
corner.  A Michigan breakaway was called back because some ref forgot Michigan
was short-handed.  OSU would throw a Michigan player down on the ice who would
get up and push with one hand the OSU player back - both people go in for
roughing because the game is too fast for Shegos to figure out what happened.
More than once Shegos missed plays and had to look over at his linesman to
find out why the Michigan player was writhing in pain on the ice.  If a OSU
played fell on the ice and a Michigan player was in the building, it was
called tripping regardless of how it happened.  Shegos single handedly ruined
the game.  It will interesting to me when I watch the replay later this week.
 
Steve Bartley
 
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