The OSU/Michigan shared the Ohio State Fairgrounds with a Home & Garden
show, but around 1000 fans managed to find the Coliseum and got to see a
pretty good hockey game.  The announced attendance was 3202.  Yeah, and
Yost seats 15,000 ;-) .
 
=== Michigan 7    Ohio State 4 === at Columbus, OH
If Michigan left Miami after the first period Saturday night, they sure
didn't make it to Columbus on time for this game.  A pathetic defensive
performance in the first & second period allowed the Buckeye's to take a
4-2 lead halfway through the second.
 
Michigan's Gregg Malicke started in the net, and I must say that I really
feel sorry for him.  Since Red is very clear in his definitions of
"starting goalie" and "back-up goalie," Gregg gets very little "real" (not
mop-up) work in the nets.  As this game meant nothing in the standings and
was the last regular season game, we all figured (correctly) that Gregg
would get the start in net.
 
At first, it looked like a typical OSU/Michigan game with Madden &
Botterill notching a goal each in the first 6 minutes.  But the Buckeyes
hung tough and took advantage of horrible defensive mistakes by the
Wolverines.  OSU's Chad Power intercepted a Wolverine pass and skated in on
Malicke all by himself, notching a pretty goal (short-handed).
 
A minute later, Michigan's Blake Sloan (who usually doesn't make this type
of mistake) made a sloppy pass across the center of the ice, which was
intercepted OSU's McMillan.  McMillan took advantage of the breakaway and
got a nice shot, but this time Malicke made the save.  However, the rebound
sat open in the crease and OSU's Richards knocked the puck into the net
over a sprawled out Malicke.  Soon after, another sloppy pass gave the
Buckeye's their THIRD breakaway, but this time Malicke was able to make the
save and not allow any rebound.
 
In the second period and on the power play, the Buckeyes made some sharp
passes and got the Wolverines all confused around the net.  With another
delayed call coming, a Michigan player knocked the net off the moorings
just before the puck could go in.  The Michigan defense was befuddled by
the Buckeye's strong power play perfomance and seemed truly frustrated.
 
Their frustration grew as referee Roger Graff called a penalty shot--which
was the CORRECT CALL (see, I do compliment the officiating when deserved).
The Wolverines clearly knocked the net off on purpose, and the puck was
clearly going into the net when it was knocked off the moorings.  OSU's
Dufour deked around Malicke and put the penalty shot into the net.  3-2
Buckeye's.
 
There was tremendous confusion around this call, as Michigan was already
down one man.  There was over a minute left on this penalty.  When the net
was knocked off the moorings, Graff was already indicating a delayed call
on the Wolverines.  After Dufour's successful penalty shot, Graff took the
first penalty off the clock and put the new penalty on the clock.  Thus,
the Buckeye's ended up with a 2-minute 5-4 power play.  I'm not clear,
however, on why the first penalty came off the clock.  I assume that if
Dufour had not made the penalty shot, the first penaly would have stayed on
the clock and OSU would have had a 5-3 power play for over a minute ? .
 
Anyway, with the power play nearing an end, OSU's notched their fourth
goal.  At this point, Berenson pulled the frustrated Malicke and put Marty
Turco into the game.  Malicke's performance was not as bad as it appears on
paper.  He made some good saves.  If his defense played as they SHOULD have
played, the THREE breakaways would not have occured, and, I believe,
Malicke would have been in the net for the entire game.  Instead, Michigan
put forth two periods of sloppy play and Malicke gets the blame.
 
Michigan's Jason Botterill finished up the second period scoring with a
power play goal from Harold Schock and Morrison.
 
It was noticed by a Michigan fan that Berenson and assistant coach Mel
Pearson where seen sitting on the bench outside the locker room during the
second intermission.  One would probably believe that Berenson let his 9
seniors take over the motivational speaking during the second intermission.
 IMO, by not saying anything at all, Berenson said more about how he felt
about the game.
 
The motivational tactic must have worked, as the Wolverine's came out with
renewed life in the third period.  Bill Muckalt tied it up with a power
play goal 27 seconds in the third, and Boterill gave Michigan the lead at
the 8:03 mark.  The Wolverines looked much sharper in the third and played
well to finish the game 7-4 (John Madden finished the scoring with two
goals: one at 9:49 and an empty net & shorthanded goal at 19:28).
 
One could only have wished that the Wolverines had played the WHOLE weekend
with the same intensity as they showed in the third period.  Instead, they
come into the weekend with a lackluster attitude and get knocked around.
 
IMO, they have come into many games this season with this attitude: that
they've already won before the first puck even gets dropped.
 
It makes me wonder if they are truly ready for the playoff run.
 
From the Top Row,
roger
 
 
// Roger L. Spurgeon    [log in to unmask]
 
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