Alright, a quicker recap since Blogger ate the first one.
Michigan is halfway toward giving themselves a chance in the CCHA race. Behind stellar goaltending from Bryan Hogan and a couple of nice goals by our seniors, Michigan was able to end Notre Dame's 20 game unbeaten streak last night.
Hogan was at his best out of the gate when Notre Dame had several scoring chance before finally Turnbull gave the Wolverines the lead on a goal that was a thing of beauty. He broke in down the right wing, cut toward the net, got Pearce down, and lifted a gorgeous backhander up under the bar, just inside the goalpost.
Miller put the Wolverines up 2-0 on a faceoff just seconds into the second period. Neither player was able to get a stick on the puck when it was dropped and it kind of sat between the skates of the Irish player. Miller dug it out and fired one in before Pearce could react.
The Irish cut it back to one when a pass got through David Wohlberg to Kyle Lawson. He was able to stickhandle through the defense and slid a pass over to Guentzel for a tap-in.
Pearce made a couple of huge plays later in the game when he poke-checked Turnbull, who brought the puck out of the corner all alone and then poke-checked Czarnik who was in on a breakaway.
The Irish had five power plays in the game, but Hogan kept all seven shots out of the net.
Other notes:
-Michigan had some problems in their own end. They gave the puck away an awful lot. Even Summers had a couple of uncharacteristic giveaways. Gotta be better in our own end tonight.
-I had the biggest WTF? moment that I've had in a long time when CBS College Sports put up a graphic showing Billy Sauer as the starting goalie and the announcers went with it. I had a text message to my buddy all typed out which said, "I just started watching on the DVR. Why the hell is Sauer play?" before the announcers corrected themselves. They said he was slated to start before Michigan pulled a late change. I don't think I buy that one, though maybe it was accurate, I dunno. Later, they put up a graphic showing Matt Rush as one of the keys to the game. Not a good night for the graphics department.
-Our PK owns.
-This win pulls Michigan within 6 points of the Irish. Even with another win tonight we'd still be facing an uphill battle, but it would be nice to put a little more pressure on Notre Dame. And it would be nice to have the Irish be 0-4 against the other top teams in the conference. We now sit in fourth place, two back of Alaska (still with four games in hand, so I'm not worried about catching them). We pulled two points ahead of OSU and Omaha.
-Llewellyn had a beautiful hipcheck early in the game. I think it was against Condra, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Win tonight at Yost, and things get reallllllly interesting.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
10 Things to Know About Notre Dame
1) Notre Dame comes into this game ranked #1 in the country with a 19-3-3 record. They haven't lost since Miami finished out a sweep of them on October 25th, a span of 20 games.
2) If you look at their schedule though, they really haven't played too many great teams. They lost to Denver and got swept by Miami. They beat BC, which was a nice win, but here are the CCHA teams they've played during this streak: LSSU four times, BGSU four times, Western twice, Ferris twice, Alaska twice (in South Bend). Duluth, Union, and Providence were their other games. Pretty much the opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule this year. Need more proof? They've played the 24th rated schedule in the country according to the current RPI rankings. Michigan is #8. Only Ohio State, Cornell, and Princeton have played worse schedules amongst the teams in the top 15 in RPI.
3) The key to their success? They really don't give up that many goals. They've given up more than three just one time the entire season, and that was in the season opener (a 5-2 loss at Denver). They've only given up 3 goals on five occasions. They've held an opponent to 0 or 1 goals on fourteen occasions.
4) Their leading goal scorer is the surprising Christan Hanson, who has 14-12--26 in 25 games. He had just 20 goals and 33 points in the three seasons prior to this one. Calle Ridderwall, the sophomore who put the dagger in the hearts of Michigan fans in overtime last year, has 10 goals, eight of which have come with the man advantage (He's 5th in the country in PPGs). Erik Condra and Kevin De-De-Deeth have cracked the twenty point mark as well. Ryan Thoia-Thang (when did I turn into Chris Berman?) has been a little quiet. He has just 8-6--14 after going for 41 and 32 points the last two seasons. Nine guys have 5+ goals.
5) Amongst their defensemen, Brian Blatchford, Ian Cole, and Kyle Lawson have combined for 5 goals and 38 assists. Teddy Ruth doesn't provide much in the way of offense, but he's rock solid back there. And in net it's been Jordan Pearce for the most part. He's 18-3-3 with a 1.56 goals against and a very impressive .936 save percentage. He's 5th nationally in goals against and 7th in save percentage.
6) They're 12th nationally in offense (3.44) and 3rd defensively (1.56 goals per game). They're #2 in scoring margin, behind Air Force, who doesn't actually count.
7) They're a pretty disciplined team as well, 36th in most penalty minutes at just 15.4 a night (4.4 fewer than Michigan). And the special teams? They're pretty darn good too. #4 in PP at 21.8%. Their 34 goals with the man advantage trails only North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth. They're sixth on the PK, killing off 89.7% of their opponents' power plays. They've also scored six shorthanded goals on the season. Only Air Force, Army, RIT, and BGSU have more (Who would've bet on those four?).
8) Michigan leads the all-time series 66-43-5, but Notre Dame (as everyone remembers) won the most recent meeting, beating Michigan 5-4 in overtime in the national semifinals. We're just a tick over .500 in South Bend, and are 37-20-3 at Yost.
9) Travis Turnbull actually leads all Wolverines in career points against ND with a 3-5--8 line in 8 games against the Fighting Irish. Aaron Palushaj has 5 points in 3 games (all assists). Matt Rust had 3 goals and four points against ND last year. Hagelin is also a point per game player against them. In net, Billy Sauer is 3-3-0 with a 3.19/.894, and I just threw up in my mouth a little. Bryan Hogan has a 2.62/.900 in the 2+ periods he's played against them.
10) Erik Condra has done really well against Michigan in his career, with a 3-6--9 line in seven games. Regan, Deeth, Blatchford, and Thang all have 5+ points against the Wolverines. And Ridderwall had 3 points in 3 games last year. Pearce is just 1-2-0 with a 3.15/.890 against us.
Tomorrow's game will air on CBS College Sports at 8:05 Eastern. Saturday's game is on FSN Detroit at 7:35. So, woo hoo, I actually get to watch on a TV!
A couple other quick things:
-The preliminary hearings in the Mike Milano trial started today. Steve Kampfer testified for over an hour. That kid has had an eventful week. While the testimony doesn't paint either kid in a very good light, I have to say that I've never understood the "He's been attacked twice this year. Clearly he needs to keep his mouth shut" type comments that I've heard several times (not just from Sparties) since the incident took place. I really don't believe that what Conboy and Tropp did had anything to do with Kampfer or his personality (which I don't know anything about). He drilled Tropp, they were getting beat yet again by Michigan, and they both flipped out. I'd buy into it more if he had gotten powerbombed at a bar twice in a year. But on the scorecard you've got one fight outside a bar and one on-ice incident because a couple of knuckleheads snapped.
-Corey Tropp gave an interview to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader about his take on the incident last weekend. Here's what he says he remembers about the slash:
There's some interesting stuff in that interview. I've said my piece. No need to comment further, but the response above kind of deserve a "Uhhhhhh...."
2) If you look at their schedule though, they really haven't played too many great teams. They lost to Denver and got swept by Miami. They beat BC, which was a nice win, but here are the CCHA teams they've played during this streak: LSSU four times, BGSU four times, Western twice, Ferris twice, Alaska twice (in South Bend). Duluth, Union, and Providence were their other games. Pretty much the opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers' schedule this year. Need more proof? They've played the 24th rated schedule in the country according to the current RPI rankings. Michigan is #8. Only Ohio State, Cornell, and Princeton have played worse schedules amongst the teams in the top 15 in RPI.
3) The key to their success? They really don't give up that many goals. They've given up more than three just one time the entire season, and that was in the season opener (a 5-2 loss at Denver). They've only given up 3 goals on five occasions. They've held an opponent to 0 or 1 goals on fourteen occasions.
4) Their leading goal scorer is the surprising Christan Hanson, who has 14-12--26 in 25 games. He had just 20 goals and 33 points in the three seasons prior to this one. Calle Ridderwall, the sophomore who put the dagger in the hearts of Michigan fans in overtime last year, has 10 goals, eight of which have come with the man advantage (He's 5th in the country in PPGs). Erik Condra and Kevin De-De-Deeth have cracked the twenty point mark as well. Ryan Thoia-Thang (when did I turn into Chris Berman?) has been a little quiet. He has just 8-6--14 after going for 41 and 32 points the last two seasons. Nine guys have 5+ goals.
5) Amongst their defensemen, Brian Blatchford, Ian Cole, and Kyle Lawson have combined for 5 goals and 38 assists. Teddy Ruth doesn't provide much in the way of offense, but he's rock solid back there. And in net it's been Jordan Pearce for the most part. He's 18-3-3 with a 1.56 goals against and a very impressive .936 save percentage. He's 5th nationally in goals against and 7th in save percentage.
6) They're 12th nationally in offense (3.44) and 3rd defensively (1.56 goals per game). They're #2 in scoring margin, behind Air Force, who doesn't actually count.
7) They're a pretty disciplined team as well, 36th in most penalty minutes at just 15.4 a night (4.4 fewer than Michigan). And the special teams? They're pretty darn good too. #4 in PP at 21.8%. Their 34 goals with the man advantage trails only North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth. They're sixth on the PK, killing off 89.7% of their opponents' power plays. They've also scored six shorthanded goals on the season. Only Air Force, Army, RIT, and BGSU have more (Who would've bet on those four?).
8) Michigan leads the all-time series 66-43-5, but Notre Dame (as everyone remembers) won the most recent meeting, beating Michigan 5-4 in overtime in the national semifinals. We're just a tick over .500 in South Bend, and are 37-20-3 at Yost.
9) Travis Turnbull actually leads all Wolverines in career points against ND with a 3-5--8 line in 8 games against the Fighting Irish. Aaron Palushaj has 5 points in 3 games (all assists). Matt Rust had 3 goals and four points against ND last year. Hagelin is also a point per game player against them. In net, Billy Sauer is 3-3-0 with a 3.19/.894, and I just threw up in my mouth a little. Bryan Hogan has a 2.62/.900 in the 2+ periods he's played against them.
10) Erik Condra has done really well against Michigan in his career, with a 3-6--9 line in seven games. Regan, Deeth, Blatchford, and Thang all have 5+ points against the Wolverines. And Ridderwall had 3 points in 3 games last year. Pearce is just 1-2-0 with a 3.15/.890 against us.
Tomorrow's game will air on CBS College Sports at 8:05 Eastern. Saturday's game is on FSN Detroit at 7:35. So, woo hoo, I actually get to watch on a TV!
A couple other quick things:
-The preliminary hearings in the Mike Milano trial started today. Steve Kampfer testified for over an hour. That kid has had an eventful week. While the testimony doesn't paint either kid in a very good light, I have to say that I've never understood the "He's been attacked twice this year. Clearly he needs to keep his mouth shut" type comments that I've heard several times (not just from Sparties) since the incident took place. I really don't believe that what Conboy and Tropp did had anything to do with Kampfer or his personality (which I don't know anything about). He drilled Tropp, they were getting beat yet again by Michigan, and they both flipped out. I'd buy into it more if he had gotten powerbombed at a bar twice in a year. But on the scorecard you've got one fight outside a bar and one on-ice incident because a couple of knuckleheads snapped.
-Corey Tropp gave an interview to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader about his take on the incident last weekend. Here's what he says he remembers about the slash:
CT: Well I was skating through center-ice ... I thought I got kneed, but you know, people have been saying it was a clean hit. I guess I just wasn’t too happy with the hit. (Andrew) Conboy came up and kind of suckered him from the side, and I really didn’t realize Conboy was going to sucker him.
I was going go over and give him a little push myself. It was kind of one of those things where I didn’t even realize he was injured on the ice when I did it. After that I felt pretty bad. I still feel pretty bad about the whole situation.
There's some interesting stuff in that interview. I've said my piece. No need to comment further, but the response above kind of deserve a "Uhhhhhh...."
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh CYA!
Andrew Conboy has left the Michigan State program. The wording in some of the articles has been kind of funny, but the impression that I get is that both kids were technically removed from the hockey team--not just suspended for the remainder of the season. The article in the Detroit News suggests neither player is a member of the hockey team any longer. They were both free to petition for reinstatement following the season, but Conboy has elected to drop out of school and enter the pro ranks. He'll be better off in a league where he can fight, since if he has a future in hockey, that's gonna be about all he's good for.
Comley has said that if Tropp choses to remain in school, they'll discuss his status in the spring.
So bare minimum, the fallout from this incident has been what I was hoping for. Conboy gone, Tropp suspended for the year. I waffled many times about whose actions were worse, and I suppose the fact that it was that tough of a decision for me means that I should want both of them to be gone. Maybe that's the eventual outcome. I mean, how do you pick between Bertuzzi and McSorley?
Things might get worse for the duo from Moo U. The University of Michigan police are investigating Conboy's roundhouse and the Tropp Chop to determine if further investigation is needed in the matter, which could ultimately result in criminal charges.
As I said when the incident occurred, I've never made up my mind as to how I feel about criminal charges being filed as a result of sporting events. If you do have a strong feeling one way or the other and would like to voice said opinion, a reader asked me to pass along the email address of the Washtenaw County prosecutor: prosecutormackie@ewashtenaw.org
Red Berenson was posed a question about where the line is between sports and criminal activity and I think he has a pretty good perspective on it. There's also a major foot-in-the-mouth moment from the reporter.
It'll be interesting to see where this all goes, but I think for the most part it's time to move on unless another major development happens. At least one of the two goons is gone and he ain't coming back. Unless Steve Kampfer ends up in the ECHL, he'll probably never face Conboy again.
I would imagine that the students will get a nice lecture at some point about the language used, but you'll still never convince me that that chant wasn't 100% warranted. MGoBlog and Jizzard from The Fort put it better than I possibly could:
Brian:
Jizzard:
That was beautiful.
One last piece of fallout from the attack could come in the area of recruiting. Check out this comment on one of my posts:
That probably wasn't the impression the Spartans wanted to make on a potential recruit.
MVictors contacted Dave Shand about the possible legal ramifications. That other dude who used to write a bunch of junk for that paper that likes to publish the transcripts of students without their permission also chimed in. They also updated everyone about the Shand vs. Martin lawsuit.
Comley has said that if Tropp choses to remain in school, they'll discuss his status in the spring.
So bare minimum, the fallout from this incident has been what I was hoping for. Conboy gone, Tropp suspended for the year. I waffled many times about whose actions were worse, and I suppose the fact that it was that tough of a decision for me means that I should want both of them to be gone. Maybe that's the eventual outcome. I mean, how do you pick between Bertuzzi and McSorley?
Things might get worse for the duo from Moo U. The University of Michigan police are investigating Conboy's roundhouse and the Tropp Chop to determine if further investigation is needed in the matter, which could ultimately result in criminal charges.
As I said when the incident occurred, I've never made up my mind as to how I feel about criminal charges being filed as a result of sporting events. If you do have a strong feeling one way or the other and would like to voice said opinion, a reader asked me to pass along the email address of the Washtenaw County prosecutor: prosecutormackie@ewashtenaw.
Red Berenson was posed a question about where the line is between sports and criminal activity and I think he has a pretty good perspective on it. There's also a major foot-in-the-mouth moment from the reporter.
It'll be interesting to see where this all goes, but I think for the most part it's time to move on unless another major development happens. At least one of the two goons is gone and he ain't coming back. Unless Steve Kampfer ends up in the ECHL, he'll probably never face Conboy again.
I would imagine that the students will get a nice lecture at some point about the language used, but you'll still never convince me that that chant wasn't 100% warranted. MGoBlog and Jizzard from The Fort put it better than I possibly could:
Brian:
But the FYS cheer on Saturday was the right emotion at the right time, A ringing loud expression of contempt and disgust was the appropriate reaction. Sometimes "fuck you" is the only appropriate sentiment.
Jizzard:
I don't know if I've ever heard a chant from a student section so adequately reflect the feelings of every student and hardcore Michigan hockey fan. It was direct, it was concise, there was none of the singsong foolishness of a "f*** the Irish" chant. It just said exactly what everybody who saw the incident was feeling. It is what I thought when I heard what had happened following the game on Saturday night, and it reflected how I felt on Sunday when I saw some Sparty Fan Reaction, and again when I read their crap on Monday. It wasn't "f*** the Spartans" in cartoon voices, it was a loud, proud, angry, defiant "F88K YOU STATE." It was perfect. I'm proud of our students for expressing themselves that way, rather than making the Spartan bench a garbage pit or rushing the ice or overturning the Spartan bus - the likely outcomes in East Lansing and Columbus. Free speech and expression over violence, in the classic Michigan Student tradition. Bravo, Michigan students.
That was beautiful.
One last piece of fallout from the attack could come in the area of recruiting. Check out this comment on one of my posts:
My son and i were at this game in Ann Arbor (as a recruiting trip). He's being looked at my both Michigan, Michigan State and a few others. I can't tell you if he'll be playing at Michigan or not, but i do promise you he won't be playing for Michigan State. My wife, my son, and I all sat watching this unfold on the ice across from us and couldn't believe what we were seeing. I was almost surreal. Hockey has enough challenges without incidents like this feeding the anti-hockey sentiment across the nation. I'm just glad Steve Kampfer is going to be OK. Best of luck on the rest of the season.
That probably wasn't the impression the Spartans wanted to make on a potential recruit.
MVictors contacted Dave Shand about the possible legal ramifications. That other dude who used to write a bunch of junk for that paper that likes to publish the transcripts of students without their permission also chimed in. They also updated everyone about the Shand vs. Martin lawsuit.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Conboy and Tropp Suspended for the Season
FYS just announced that Andrew Conboy and Corey Tropp will both be suspended for the duration of their season for their roles in the attack on Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer Saturday night. I know a lot of people, myself included, were hoping for more. I was of the opinion that Conboy, at the very least, should've been kicked off the team.
But I don't think anyone can be unhappy with the punishment, especially considering the fact that Kampfer escaped major injury. I realize that the result doesn't change the action--the recklessness was the same whether they killed him or he got away uninjured--but I'm ok with the punishment FYS imposed. I would only hope that both players are on no-tolerance policies from here on out. On-ice, personal life, in class....take a false step and you're gone.
I do feel that if Kampfer had been seriously injured we would have seen at least one Spartan booted from the team. But I'd much, much rather have a healthy Kampfer than have two fewer Spartans on their hockey roster.
Even though FYS's team is awful, the punishment is severe. Both guys are going to miss 12+ games, and they've got a stigma that will follow them for a long time. (Have you ever looked at Todd Bertuzzi the same way after his hit on Steve Moore? I haven't.) Considering that it doesn't appear Kampfer will miss any action, I think it's pretty reasonable. Though I do still question FYS for having a no-talent knucklehead like Conboy on the team.
There's finally a good-quality video of the incident on Youtube, so if you haven't yet seen what all the fuss is about, here ya go:
As one would expect, the Michigan blogosphere exploded about the incident.
-The Ace of Sports, The Diag and MHNet had hilarious beat-downs of the State News writer who essentially split the blame for the incident between Michigan and MSU. I had a similar reaction to the two of them when I read that story. I'm glad they already did it justice. I especially liked that MHNet pointed things out to yet another recipient of the thin letter that no, the second word of the chant was not "State".
The original article (by the way, check out the hyperlink...evidently they've got a Canadian uploading articles or something?) is worth reading, simply to see the writer getting ripped to shreds in the comments.
This is the best part:
But I don't think anyone can be unhappy with the punishment, especially considering the fact that Kampfer escaped major injury. I realize that the result doesn't change the action--the recklessness was the same whether they killed him or he got away uninjured--but I'm ok with the punishment FYS imposed. I would only hope that both players are on no-tolerance policies from here on out. On-ice, personal life, in class....take a false step and you're gone.
I do feel that if Kampfer had been seriously injured we would have seen at least one Spartan booted from the team. But I'd much, much rather have a healthy Kampfer than have two fewer Spartans on their hockey roster.
Even though FYS's team is awful, the punishment is severe. Both guys are going to miss 12+ games, and they've got a stigma that will follow them for a long time. (Have you ever looked at Todd Bertuzzi the same way after his hit on Steve Moore? I haven't.) Considering that it doesn't appear Kampfer will miss any action, I think it's pretty reasonable. Though I do still question FYS for having a no-talent knucklehead like Conboy on the team.
There's finally a good-quality video of the incident on Youtube, so if you haven't yet seen what all the fuss is about, here ya go:
As one would expect, the Michigan blogosphere exploded about the incident.
-The Ace of Sports, The Diag and MHNet had hilarious beat-downs of the State News writer who essentially split the blame for the incident between Michigan and MSU. I had a similar reaction to the two of them when I read that story. I'm glad they already did it justice. I especially liked that MHNet pointed things out to yet another recipient of the thin letter that no, the second word of the chant was not "State".
The original article (by the way, check out the hyperlink...evidently they've got a Canadian uploading articles or something?) is worth reading, simply to see the writer getting ripped to shreds in the comments.
This is the best part:
With the game all but over, U-M’s Steve Kampfer took a run at MSU sophomore forward Corey Tropp at center ice.
In an attempt to stick up for his teammate, MSU freshman Andrew Conboy went after Kampfer to try and teach him a lesson.
Wow.
MGoBlog had a pair of typically awesome pieces. One about the incident itself and a follow-up the next day. (Bonus points for the picture of Tropp between Satan and Jim Tressel.) He makes a really great point that the punishment needed to be severe, considering college hockey doesn't allow players to "police themselves" by fighting.
I do agree that the suspension to the players isn't as severe as it would have been if FYS was a decent hockey team, but these have to rank amongst the longest suspensions in the history of college hockey. I wanted to see one, if not both of them, kicked off the team, but the realistic side of me figured that wouldn't happen. It's nice to know that brutally assaulting someone on the ice is twice as severe as saying "Sloppy seconds" about your ex-girlfriend though. In case you were wondering.
Here was MHNet's original take about the game. I can't remember if I linked to it or not.
A really strong take from Michigan Sports Center.
WCH has the FYS chant figured out.
The national media/blogosphere has picked up on things as well. The incident made it to Deadspin, The New York Times, The Sporting News, AOL's Fanhouse, and now, ESPN.
The Ann Arbor News, who has been all over this story, has an account of how Bruce Kampfer made it past security into the visiting locker room. The elder Kampfer called Red Berenson to apologize for his actions and Michigan announced that security will be beefed up in the future.
The Michigan Daily has an interview with Steve Kampfer. He confirms that the slash hit him in the neck and he mentions that no one from FYS has contacted him to apologize and he doesn't want them to.
Some good news: Mel Pearson was on WTKA today and mentioned that Mark Mitera is doing very well and is "probably a couple weeks away still..." It sounds like we're going to get #17 back before the end of the year, which is amazing. Our defense corps is going to be just ridiculous when he gets back. Scooter Vaughan, who had a very solid freshman season, is a healthy scratch already. Hard to believe that we've got the #9 defense in the country without Mitera, without Kampfer for over half the season, and without Burlon for 8 games or so. If that group is completely healthy for the post-season, we're going to be sitting pretty.
Final thoughts:
I'm glad to see that FYS took action before the CCHA did (even if it was kind of a joint venture). They sent a message that actions like that won't be tolerated, and even if I think it lacked a little bit of a spine not to boot at least one of them, the punishment was quick, it was severe, and they didn't make excuses for the actions, unlike the State News reporter.
I'm also glad to see that Michigan quickly admitted that the security outside the visiting locker room was lax and has taken steps to remedy the situation. It shouldn't be that easy to get inside a team's locker room. Though had there been adequate security around, Mr. Kampfer still could have gotten to Tropp when the team was headed out to the bus, if he really wanted to. Security would have eliminated the "spur of the moment" reaction to run in there, though, and it's good they're going to step it up. It wasn't a great reaction, but Mr. Kampfer has brass ones...
Finally, I have to comment about the language at Yost, most notably the FYS chant. I might take some heat for this opinion, and that's fine. Maybe it's a generational thing or maybe I just have a very high threshold for what is offensive, but I just don't see what the big deal is. I really don't. It's a nice ideal that college games be a family atmosphere, but when you've got a couple thousand college kids in the same place, there's going to be language that you don't necessarily want your kid to hear. Hell, there's probably language you wouldn't want your kid to hear in the dining halls, let alone at the hockey games.
When I was 11, my parents let my brother and I see My Cousin Vinny. I still remember it to this day. We went to the video store and they told both of us, "We don't agree with the language that they use in this movie. You will not use the words they use. But the movie is funny enough that we think you need to see it." We watched it. We laughed a lot. And it didn't corrupt me from having heard the word "fuck" several dozen times. Be a good parent and it's a non-issue. Either your kid knows the word or they're going to learn the word at some point. Don't stop going to Yost because of the language. If it happens, use it as a teaching tool.
I never agreed with throwing the term "C***-sucker" into the penalty chant. I do think that crosses the line. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite somewhat, I'm not sure. I have my own lines and I think that one crossed it. But I never have seen the problem with the rest of the penalty chant--seriously, you can say the majority of those words on TV--and even if the FYS chant would normally cross my hypothetical line, I do believe that it was completely called-for in this situation. Sometimes booing just doesn't get it done. Call me immature if you want to.
For the record, I realize that stuff like that doesn't paint the university in a great light. Would I appreciate it if they wouldn't chant "Fuck the Irish" unprovoked? Sure. But in general, I view people as overly-sensitive about stuff like that. We can have all the violence in the world on TV. But God-forbid we see a covered up breast during the Super Bowl or someone says the F-word. Maybe you shouldn't have to consider what your kid will hear if you take him to the hockey game. But if he doesn't know those words yet, he's gonna learn them soon enough. Probably from you during a Michigan football game. Chances are, unless he's like 4 he probably uses them already when he's out of your earshot.
Lastly, since I have to run, lost in the melee this weekend was how freaking awesome our new second line is. Palushaj, Rust and Hagelin were amazing this weekend. They've clearly got chemistry, Rust is scoring again, and Caporusso proved yet again that he can be perfectly effective without Palushaj on his wing. Turnbull and Wohlberg are playing great hockey. Two scoring lines (and a fantastic checking line) make for a very scary Michigan team moving forward, especially considering how good our defense and goaltending have been. The third line wasn't great, but things don't always gel overnight. If Czarnik gets going--and he pretty much has to at some point--the third line could be pretty good as well.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thank God
From the Detroit Free Press:
Seriously? He might play this weekend? That kid is either the toughest SOB in the world or he's seriously got someone looking out for him.
This also should put an end to the debate about where Tropp hit him:
Comley said that Conboy will "probably" stay home next weekend when they play Lake State. Why there is any qualification on that statement is beyond me. Both players should be suspended for the season, bare minimum. Sheer luck is the only reason this didn't turn into another Steve Moore incident.
The CCHA shouldn't need to issue a suspension to get Comley to leave Conboy's ass home. There's no circumstance where that behavior should be acceptable and if he doesn't have the balls to park him for a damn long time, regardless of what the CCHA does, I'll officially lose all respect for that man.
I say it again, though....thank God...
“I have a strained neck right now,” Kampfer said in a phone interview with the Free Press on Sunday. “I had no relapse of what happened earlier. Hopefully, I’ll be back this weekend.”
Seriously? He might play this weekend? That kid is either the toughest SOB in the world or he's seriously got someone looking out for him.
This also should put an end to the debate about where Tropp hit him:
“It’s something that shouldn’t have happened,” Kampfer said. “It just shows the lack of sense that people have. I don’t think two-handing someone over the neck when someone has had previous injuries is right or necessary.”
Comley said that Conboy will "probably" stay home next weekend when they play Lake State. Why there is any qualification on that statement is beyond me. Both players should be suspended for the season, bare minimum. Sheer luck is the only reason this didn't turn into another Steve Moore incident.
The CCHA shouldn't need to issue a suspension to get Comley to leave Conboy's ass home. There's no circumstance where that behavior should be acceptable and if he doesn't have the balls to park him for a damn long time, regardless of what the CCHA does, I'll officially lose all respect for that man.
I say it again, though....thank God...
Michigan 5, FYS 3
When I wrote earlier this year that I was happy the "nasty" was back in the Michigan/MSU hockey rivalry, this isn't the kind of nasty that I wanted to see.
One player in the hospital. One already suspended for three games. Another sure to receive a suspension. Players tossed from the handshake line. Fans calling for jail time. An attack in the MSU locker room. One incredibly loud (and audible on TV) "F*** You, State" chant that probably had Paula Weston submitting another "OMG SUCH BAD FANS" column before the game even ended. That's not the way a hockey game should end.
For those who missed it, MVictors has the video. The attack--and let's be real, that's what it was--occurs around the 45 second mark and it was worse than what you can see in that clip. Basically, Corey Tropp was bringing the puck through center ice in the waning moments of the 5-3 Michigan victory. Steve Kampfer stepped up and smoked him with a perfectly clean check (and that's not the homer in me talking...it was 100% clean and I don't think any FYS fan would debate that).
Andrew Conboy (more on him later) then chased Kampfer and did his best Todd Bertuzzi impression, sucker-punching him from behind. As Kampfer lay motionless on the ice, Tropp made it to him and unleashed a BC-two-hander into his neck area. Scrums broke out (though I don't think the Michigan players realized how awful the incident was, or we would've had an all-out brawl on our hands). Tropp was assessed a five-minute major for slashing, two ten minute misconducts, and a double game-disqualification, which carries with it a minimum three-game suspension. Conboy got a double minor for roughing, which surely will be increased.
After laying on the ice for several minutes, Kampfer finally skated off with the help of David Wohlberg and Chad Langlais, but was taken to the hospital strapped to a gurney with his neck in a brace. I don't think anyone wants anything more than to hear that Steve Kampfer is ok. As scary as the situation already is, it's made worse by the fact that Kampfer is coming off a well-documented assault, in which he suffered head and neck injuries.
In the post-game handshake line, Tim Miller was escorted to the locker room after reportedly jawing with FYS head coach Rick Comley.
In the aftermath, there was an incident in the FYS locker room. The Ann Arbor News reported that a man attacked Comley, but Mike Spath posted that it was Corey Tropp who was the target. Police were called and not a whole lot else is known. Rumors are out there as to who the man is--Comley said it was "a parent"--and if they're true, while you'd like to see a better reaction, and depending on what took place (no details have emerged yet) it may have been over the line, I sure as hell can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. I can't imagine what it must be like to see a kid (your kid?) end up in a neck brace for weeks after an assault, have him come all the way back, and then have him get brutally attacked again just a couple of months later.
As for my opinion on things, I think it was a disgusting display. Conboy has already proven to be a no-talent thug. I think it's hysterically funny that he only got four minutes, but despite the incompetence of their on-ice officials, I have faith that the conference will be passing down a suspension of some sort. Honestly, if I were FYS I would take the opportunity to regain a wasted scholarship and do what St. Cloud did to his brother: boot him from school.
He's a talentless hack, who was pretty much hated by FYS fans before tonight because of his constant dip-shit penalties. Guys like him don't belong in college hockey. Comley stated that he felt like Conboy was probably going to do something dumb when he came out of the penalty box for the last shift, but he "couldn't pull him off the ice". If you've got a kid that is that big of a loose cannon--who you can predict will do something this flat-out retarded--then you don't need him on the roster. Do the right then and send that punk packing, Comley.
As for Tropp, he doesn't have a history of being a dirty player. He lost his mind, and he reacted in a horrifically stupid way. He deserves a suspension well beyond the three games the on-ice officials assessed him with. I don't think it would be unreasonable to sit him the rest of the year. He slashed an injured player in the neck/head, and whether he meant to hurt him or he was just reacting, he certainly did it with the recklessness to cause serious injury. With the crackdown on shots to the head, it can't be ignored. While the video wasn't nearly as shocking as what Chris Simon has done in the past, it was really dangerous and has no place in the game. I'm not sure Tropp should have any place in the game for a good long while, either. Then again, it might be a worse punishment to make him keep suiting up for that sorry-sack team.
I'm not sure how I feel about criminal charges being brought against the players for incidents like this. I do think people are way too quick to suggest it in a lot of cases. I've always been of the opinion that it has to be grossly negligent and completely outside the scope of the game to warrant even consideration. I'm not the person to ask if this incident fit the bill. I will say that I don't think what Conboy and Tropp did is any different than what Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore. And I pray to God that Kampfer has a happier outcome than Steve Moore did.
Tell me how what they did to Kampfer is any different than this:
At least Bertuzzi had the decency to challenge Moore to a fight first, before he sucker-punched him when Moore refused. Conboy just blindsided him. He's a complete coward and Tropp is every bit as big of a gutless chump.
Also to blame for this incident--though certainly not nearly as much as the players themselves--are the on-ice officials, Sergott and Hall, who let the game get completely out of hand. They called a terrible game, emotions were running high on both sides, and they made it worse by incensing both teams.
The first major mistake was when Travis Turnbull was taken down on his way to the net. Turnbull slid into the goal, where Brandon Gentile gave him a two-handed shove to the face and kept pushing. Turnbull couldn't do much fighting back, since he was trapped in the net. He went bonkers when he finally got up. The officials evened-up the penalties.
The other big problem was toward the end of the game (and it resulted in Conboy being in the box before the incident occurred). Conboy had Llewellyn pinned against the boards down behind the Michigan net as the play came out to center ice. He then popped Llewellyn in the face with an official looking right at it. No call. Llewellyn retaliated about ten seconds later by drilling Conboy when he didn't have the puck. The result: Both players were sent to the box. Conboy was pissed because he got called for a penalty for doing nothing (even though he should've been called earlier). Then he came out and attacked Kampfer.
That was the tip of the iceberg though. Palushaj slew-footed Palmisano. Langlais was called for tripping when a FYS player fell a full two seconds after Langlais's stick was anywhere near him. Kampfer was sent off for a really weak roughing penalty, and they returned the favor to Sturges a few minutes later. If they were calling it tight (with the penalties on Kampfer and Sturges) to keep control, they really got away from it later in the game.
I don't think I buy the outrage directed at Comley. I don't believe it for a second that he sent those guys to attack Kampfer and he was fairly stand-up about the incident after the game. He apologized to Red Berenson, and, I can't find the link, but he had some pretty strong words about the lack of intelligence involved with the attack. If he really wants to apologize, he'll at least double whatever suspension the CCHA imposes. I do think that if he really believed that Conboy would do something stupid when he re-entered the play, he needs to have better control of his players. Sent a signal to the box that you want him back on the bench after his penalty is up. They do things like that all the time for strategic reasons. But the bigger issue is why you have a knucklehead like that on your roster.
As for the game itself, Michigan completely dominated. Late in the game, Fox Sports had the scoring chances at 29-7 Michigan. We outshot them 51-21 and the game was only close due to a 15-second stretch on a BS 4-on-4, and a horrible giveaway by Travis Turnbull.
As was the case last night, Matt Rust got the scoring started. This time it took just 36 seconds. Aaron Palushaj fed him, Rust walked in, pulled it cross-crease, and beat Palmisano.
Kampfer made a gorgeous backhand pass to Turnbull on a 3-on-2 and Turnbull roofed it up off the water bottle to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. After a great save by Palmisano on Hagelin, Hogan returned the favor and robbed Gazely. FYS went buck after the play was over, Rowe came flying in and leaped into a pair of Michigan players. Somehow we got the extra two. I'm all for putting one team short-handed after a big scrum, but it helps if the correct team ends up short-handed. Hagelin had the best chance on the FYS power play, batted a pass from Matt Rust out of the air on a 2 on 1.
The power play finally got one late in the period. Brandon Burlon uncorked a shot through traffic to put Michigan up 3-0 heading into intermission. Miller and Lebler both set screens. I don't think Palmisano had a chance to see that one.
Langlais was incredulous after the penalty they called on him early in the second period. As I said, he got his stick on the FYS player's skate. He didn't knock him off stride, and then a full two seconds later, the FYS player lost an edge and fell. Sergott saw that as a penalty. That was big because Sprague took a penalty a few moments later. Instead of a Michigan power play, we were playing 4 on 4 and FYS scored twice.
Schepke scored his fourth in five games against Michigan this season with a shot that beat Hogan from the top of the circle. It was a nice shot, but Hogan would probably like another shot at stopping that one. Then off the faceoff, FYS was able to hit a streaking Andrew Rowe, who got past Greg Pateryn. He popped it in and just like that it was a hockey game again.
Michigan appeared to regain their 2-goal lead a few minutes later. Several Wolverines raised their sticks and the play was reviewed. It looked as if the puck was headed in, but it hit a FYS defenseman who was lying in the crease. Kivisto then gloved the puck while it was on the goalline and slid it underneath Palmisano. I'm not sure how long you have to have your glove on the puck to warrant a penalty shot. He didn't have it on there very long, but he did glove the puck while it was in the crease.
The next shift, Michigan hit the goalpost and I started to get worried that we were going to find a way to lose this one. I was catching the game on the DVR, and all I knew was that a friend called me after the game (to talk about the incident, of which I was unaware at this point). I figured I wouldn't get a call after a win, so I immediately assumed the worst.
Palushaj went to the box for hooking. He got his stick under Leveille's arm, and Leveille clamped down on it and then flopped like his name was Robbie Earl. It was a hook, but Frenchy definitely helped that one along. On the PK, Wohlberg stole the puck, tried to stuff it in, and got cross-checked, negating the rest of the FYS power play.
We went into the intermission up 3-2 and outshooting them 37-12.
And just 12 seconds into the third, Carl Hagelin was at it again. Rust hit him streaking down the wing and he threw it into the net off a defenseman to put Michigan back up by a couple of goals. FYS had no answer for Michigan's speed this weekend and Hagelin took advantage of it. He can flat out fly. By the way, that play was really close to being offside. The replays were inconclusive, but when I saw it live, I thought he was off. Hagelin's foot was blocked by a player's helmet on what would've been the best angle. But after the call on Langlais that indirectly led to two goals (unless you think FYS had it in them to score a pair of shorties on one shift when they have 1 SHG all year), I'm not feeling sorry for them about anything.
The 2-goal lead was short-lived, however, because Travis Turnbull threw a pass up the middle where it was intercepted and deposited in the back of the net by Henderson.
Chris Summers gave the Wolverines yet another two-goal lead with a shot from the point. Palmisano was piiiiiiiiiissed about that one, and he probably had a point. Palushaj was knocked down going to the net and when he got to his feet it appeared as if he slew-footed the FYS goalie. Palmisano got back up and was square to Summers, but there probably should have been a penalty called on that one. Then again, there probably should've been a penalty called on the guy who took Palushaj down as well.
Miller went to the box about halfway through the third and didn't look all that happy about it. I think he got hit low (clipping anyone?) and reacted poorly, but we didn't see a replay. Regardless, we killed the penalty without too much trouble.
Turnbull then went to the box for pushing a FYS player into the goal. Because they were really consistent about calling those. At least 3 Michigan players were hauled down going to the net, Travis Turnbull was hit into the net and then pummelled, and nothing resulted in penalties. This did. And Turnbull was rightfully upset about it. Wohlberg and Miller did a great job killing that one off.
Then came the Llewellyn/Conboy incident. They called Conboy for unsportsmanlike conduct for yapping at Llewellyn after the hit. Because that was a lot worse than punching him in the face for no reason, which went uncalled ten seconds earlier.
Palmisano kept the game within reach when he stoned Hagelin on a breakaway and then stopped Caporusso on the follow-up.
The players came out of the box and then all hell broke loose.
It wasn't the best game we've ever played--there were a lot of awful turnovers in our own end--but any win in a rivalry game is a good one. I have to give all the credit in the world to our penalty killers. FYS had 7 power plays in the game and on those power plays, Michigan actually outshot the Spartans 4-2. Yes, they had 2 shots on goal in 11:43 of power play time. That's absolutely incredible.
Lebler needs to stop taking stupid penalties. When things are so competitive that Ben Winnett and Brandon Naurato are healthy scratches, you can't be good for something stupid every game if you want to stay in the lineup. With the way Fardig, Glendening, and Ciraulo are playing, I don't see them coming out of the lineup in the near future. His charge two minutes into the game just wasn't the type of play he needs to make.
Palmisano was really, really good for FYS. He made 46 saves and a lot of them were of the grade-A variety. We managed 5 goals solely because you can't possibly stop them all when the chances are of that quality. We had twenty-nine scoring chances. And that was before a couple we had on the 5-on-3 at the end of the game. I kind of wish the game could've been extended long enough for Tropp's penalty to be served. It would've been nice to hang another couple goals on their asses.
But anyway, the students put it best. Fuck you, State. Enjoy last place, you pricks. They're in the basement by themselves after this weekend, and the only reason they're not further out of the cellar is because of shootout points.
As for Michigan, they took care of business. With OSU's loss to WMU tonight and UNO's loss to Miami, we're in a tie with both of those teams for 4th place, just two points behind Alaska (who lost in a shootout to NMU) and four back of Miami. We have four games in hand on Alaska and two in hand on UNO and the Dynasty.
Next up are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who haven't lost since October 25th. That is a huge, huge series. More on that later in the week.
In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed--say a prayer if you do that kind of thing--for Steve Kampfer. I can't believe this happened to him again....
Edit: Still no news on Kampfer. MVictors has photos that show things a little better than the video clips that are out there so far. Though you don't get a great appreciation for the violence with which Tropp swung his stick. I still don't know how you do that to a defenseless player. I'm really curious to see the CCHA and FYS reaction to this.
One player in the hospital. One already suspended for three games. Another sure to receive a suspension. Players tossed from the handshake line. Fans calling for jail time. An attack in the MSU locker room. One incredibly loud (and audible on TV) "F*** You, State" chant that probably had Paula Weston submitting another "OMG SUCH BAD FANS" column before the game even ended. That's not the way a hockey game should end.
For those who missed it, MVictors has the video. The attack--and let's be real, that's what it was--occurs around the 45 second mark and it was worse than what you can see in that clip. Basically, Corey Tropp was bringing the puck through center ice in the waning moments of the 5-3 Michigan victory. Steve Kampfer stepped up and smoked him with a perfectly clean check (and that's not the homer in me talking...it was 100% clean and I don't think any FYS fan would debate that).
Andrew Conboy (more on him later) then chased Kampfer and did his best Todd Bertuzzi impression, sucker-punching him from behind. As Kampfer lay motionless on the ice, Tropp made it to him and unleashed a BC-two-hander into his neck area. Scrums broke out (though I don't think the Michigan players realized how awful the incident was, or we would've had an all-out brawl on our hands). Tropp was assessed a five-minute major for slashing, two ten minute misconducts, and a double game-disqualification, which carries with it a minimum three-game suspension. Conboy got a double minor for roughing, which surely will be increased.
After laying on the ice for several minutes, Kampfer finally skated off with the help of David Wohlberg and Chad Langlais, but was taken to the hospital strapped to a gurney with his neck in a brace. I don't think anyone wants anything more than to hear that Steve Kampfer is ok. As scary as the situation already is, it's made worse by the fact that Kampfer is coming off a well-documented assault, in which he suffered head and neck injuries.
In the post-game handshake line, Tim Miller was escorted to the locker room after reportedly jawing with FYS head coach Rick Comley.
In the aftermath, there was an incident in the FYS locker room. The Ann Arbor News reported that a man attacked Comley, but Mike Spath posted that it was Corey Tropp who was the target. Police were called and not a whole lot else is known. Rumors are out there as to who the man is--Comley said it was "a parent"--and if they're true, while you'd like to see a better reaction, and depending on what took place (no details have emerged yet) it may have been over the line, I sure as hell can't say that I wouldn't have done the same thing. I can't imagine what it must be like to see a kid (your kid?) end up in a neck brace for weeks after an assault, have him come all the way back, and then have him get brutally attacked again just a couple of months later.
As for my opinion on things, I think it was a disgusting display. Conboy has already proven to be a no-talent thug. I think it's hysterically funny that he only got four minutes, but despite the incompetence of their on-ice officials, I have faith that the conference will be passing down a suspension of some sort. Honestly, if I were FYS I would take the opportunity to regain a wasted scholarship and do what St. Cloud did to his brother: boot him from school.
He's a talentless hack, who was pretty much hated by FYS fans before tonight because of his constant dip-shit penalties. Guys like him don't belong in college hockey. Comley stated that he felt like Conboy was probably going to do something dumb when he came out of the penalty box for the last shift, but he "couldn't pull him off the ice". If you've got a kid that is that big of a loose cannon--who you can predict will do something this flat-out retarded--then you don't need him on the roster. Do the right then and send that punk packing, Comley.
As for Tropp, he doesn't have a history of being a dirty player. He lost his mind, and he reacted in a horrifically stupid way. He deserves a suspension well beyond the three games the on-ice officials assessed him with. I don't think it would be unreasonable to sit him the rest of the year. He slashed an injured player in the neck/head, and whether he meant to hurt him or he was just reacting, he certainly did it with the recklessness to cause serious injury. With the crackdown on shots to the head, it can't be ignored. While the video wasn't nearly as shocking as what Chris Simon has done in the past, it was really dangerous and has no place in the game. I'm not sure Tropp should have any place in the game for a good long while, either. Then again, it might be a worse punishment to make him keep suiting up for that sorry-sack team.
I'm not sure how I feel about criminal charges being brought against the players for incidents like this. I do think people are way too quick to suggest it in a lot of cases. I've always been of the opinion that it has to be grossly negligent and completely outside the scope of the game to warrant even consideration. I'm not the person to ask if this incident fit the bill. I will say that I don't think what Conboy and Tropp did is any different than what Bertuzzi did to Steve Moore. And I pray to God that Kampfer has a happier outcome than Steve Moore did.
Tell me how what they did to Kampfer is any different than this:
At least Bertuzzi had the decency to challenge Moore to a fight first, before he sucker-punched him when Moore refused. Conboy just blindsided him. He's a complete coward and Tropp is every bit as big of a gutless chump.
Also to blame for this incident--though certainly not nearly as much as the players themselves--are the on-ice officials, Sergott and Hall, who let the game get completely out of hand. They called a terrible game, emotions were running high on both sides, and they made it worse by incensing both teams.
The first major mistake was when Travis Turnbull was taken down on his way to the net. Turnbull slid into the goal, where Brandon Gentile gave him a two-handed shove to the face and kept pushing. Turnbull couldn't do much fighting back, since he was trapped in the net. He went bonkers when he finally got up. The officials evened-up the penalties.
The other big problem was toward the end of the game (and it resulted in Conboy being in the box before the incident occurred). Conboy had Llewellyn pinned against the boards down behind the Michigan net as the play came out to center ice. He then popped Llewellyn in the face with an official looking right at it. No call. Llewellyn retaliated about ten seconds later by drilling Conboy when he didn't have the puck. The result: Both players were sent to the box. Conboy was pissed because he got called for a penalty for doing nothing (even though he should've been called earlier). Then he came out and attacked Kampfer.
That was the tip of the iceberg though. Palushaj slew-footed Palmisano. Langlais was called for tripping when a FYS player fell a full two seconds after Langlais's stick was anywhere near him. Kampfer was sent off for a really weak roughing penalty, and they returned the favor to Sturges a few minutes later. If they were calling it tight (with the penalties on Kampfer and Sturges) to keep control, they really got away from it later in the game.
I don't think I buy the outrage directed at Comley. I don't believe it for a second that he sent those guys to attack Kampfer and he was fairly stand-up about the incident after the game. He apologized to Red Berenson, and, I can't find the link, but he had some pretty strong words about the lack of intelligence involved with the attack. If he really wants to apologize, he'll at least double whatever suspension the CCHA imposes. I do think that if he really believed that Conboy would do something stupid when he re-entered the play, he needs to have better control of his players. Sent a signal to the box that you want him back on the bench after his penalty is up. They do things like that all the time for strategic reasons. But the bigger issue is why you have a knucklehead like that on your roster.
As for the game itself, Michigan completely dominated. Late in the game, Fox Sports had the scoring chances at 29-7 Michigan. We outshot them 51-21 and the game was only close due to a 15-second stretch on a BS 4-on-4, and a horrible giveaway by Travis Turnbull.
As was the case last night, Matt Rust got the scoring started. This time it took just 36 seconds. Aaron Palushaj fed him, Rust walked in, pulled it cross-crease, and beat Palmisano.
Kampfer made a gorgeous backhand pass to Turnbull on a 3-on-2 and Turnbull roofed it up off the water bottle to give Michigan a 2-0 lead. After a great save by Palmisano on Hagelin, Hogan returned the favor and robbed Gazely. FYS went buck after the play was over, Rowe came flying in and leaped into a pair of Michigan players. Somehow we got the extra two. I'm all for putting one team short-handed after a big scrum, but it helps if the correct team ends up short-handed. Hagelin had the best chance on the FYS power play, batted a pass from Matt Rust out of the air on a 2 on 1.
The power play finally got one late in the period. Brandon Burlon uncorked a shot through traffic to put Michigan up 3-0 heading into intermission. Miller and Lebler both set screens. I don't think Palmisano had a chance to see that one.
Langlais was incredulous after the penalty they called on him early in the second period. As I said, he got his stick on the FYS player's skate. He didn't knock him off stride, and then a full two seconds later, the FYS player lost an edge and fell. Sergott saw that as a penalty. That was big because Sprague took a penalty a few moments later. Instead of a Michigan power play, we were playing 4 on 4 and FYS scored twice.
Schepke scored his fourth in five games against Michigan this season with a shot that beat Hogan from the top of the circle. It was a nice shot, but Hogan would probably like another shot at stopping that one. Then off the faceoff, FYS was able to hit a streaking Andrew Rowe, who got past Greg Pateryn. He popped it in and just like that it was a hockey game again.
Michigan appeared to regain their 2-goal lead a few minutes later. Several Wolverines raised their sticks and the play was reviewed. It looked as if the puck was headed in, but it hit a FYS defenseman who was lying in the crease. Kivisto then gloved the puck while it was on the goalline and slid it underneath Palmisano. I'm not sure how long you have to have your glove on the puck to warrant a penalty shot. He didn't have it on there very long, but he did glove the puck while it was in the crease.
The next shift, Michigan hit the goalpost and I started to get worried that we were going to find a way to lose this one. I was catching the game on the DVR, and all I knew was that a friend called me after the game (to talk about the incident, of which I was unaware at this point). I figured I wouldn't get a call after a win, so I immediately assumed the worst.
Palushaj went to the box for hooking. He got his stick under Leveille's arm, and Leveille clamped down on it and then flopped like his name was Robbie Earl. It was a hook, but Frenchy definitely helped that one along. On the PK, Wohlberg stole the puck, tried to stuff it in, and got cross-checked, negating the rest of the FYS power play.
We went into the intermission up 3-2 and outshooting them 37-12.
And just 12 seconds into the third, Carl Hagelin was at it again. Rust hit him streaking down the wing and he threw it into the net off a defenseman to put Michigan back up by a couple of goals. FYS had no answer for Michigan's speed this weekend and Hagelin took advantage of it. He can flat out fly. By the way, that play was really close to being offside. The replays were inconclusive, but when I saw it live, I thought he was off. Hagelin's foot was blocked by a player's helmet on what would've been the best angle. But after the call on Langlais that indirectly led to two goals (unless you think FYS had it in them to score a pair of shorties on one shift when they have 1 SHG all year), I'm not feeling sorry for them about anything.
The 2-goal lead was short-lived, however, because Travis Turnbull threw a pass up the middle where it was intercepted and deposited in the back of the net by Henderson.
Chris Summers gave the Wolverines yet another two-goal lead with a shot from the point. Palmisano was piiiiiiiiiissed about that one, and he probably had a point. Palushaj was knocked down going to the net and when he got to his feet it appeared as if he slew-footed the FYS goalie. Palmisano got back up and was square to Summers, but there probably should have been a penalty called on that one. Then again, there probably should've been a penalty called on the guy who took Palushaj down as well.
Miller went to the box about halfway through the third and didn't look all that happy about it. I think he got hit low (clipping anyone?) and reacted poorly, but we didn't see a replay. Regardless, we killed the penalty without too much trouble.
Turnbull then went to the box for pushing a FYS player into the goal. Because they were really consistent about calling those. At least 3 Michigan players were hauled down going to the net, Travis Turnbull was hit into the net and then pummelled, and nothing resulted in penalties. This did. And Turnbull was rightfully upset about it. Wohlberg and Miller did a great job killing that one off.
Then came the Llewellyn/Conboy incident. They called Conboy for unsportsmanlike conduct for yapping at Llewellyn after the hit. Because that was a lot worse than punching him in the face for no reason, which went uncalled ten seconds earlier.
Palmisano kept the game within reach when he stoned Hagelin on a breakaway and then stopped Caporusso on the follow-up.
The players came out of the box and then all hell broke loose.
It wasn't the best game we've ever played--there were a lot of awful turnovers in our own end--but any win in a rivalry game is a good one. I have to give all the credit in the world to our penalty killers. FYS had 7 power plays in the game and on those power plays, Michigan actually outshot the Spartans 4-2. Yes, they had 2 shots on goal in 11:43 of power play time. That's absolutely incredible.
Lebler needs to stop taking stupid penalties. When things are so competitive that Ben Winnett and Brandon Naurato are healthy scratches, you can't be good for something stupid every game if you want to stay in the lineup. With the way Fardig, Glendening, and Ciraulo are playing, I don't see them coming out of the lineup in the near future. His charge two minutes into the game just wasn't the type of play he needs to make.
Palmisano was really, really good for FYS. He made 46 saves and a lot of them were of the grade-A variety. We managed 5 goals solely because you can't possibly stop them all when the chances are of that quality. We had twenty-nine scoring chances. And that was before a couple we had on the 5-on-3 at the end of the game. I kind of wish the game could've been extended long enough for Tropp's penalty to be served. It would've been nice to hang another couple goals on their asses.
But anyway, the students put it best. Fuck you, State. Enjoy last place, you pricks. They're in the basement by themselves after this weekend, and the only reason they're not further out of the cellar is because of shootout points.
As for Michigan, they took care of business. With OSU's loss to WMU tonight and UNO's loss to Miami, we're in a tie with both of those teams for 4th place, just two points behind Alaska (who lost in a shootout to NMU) and four back of Miami. We have four games in hand on Alaska and two in hand on UNO and the Dynasty.
Next up are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who haven't lost since October 25th. That is a huge, huge series. More on that later in the week.
In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed--say a prayer if you do that kind of thing--for Steve Kampfer. I can't believe this happened to him again....
Edit: Still no news on Kampfer. MVictors has photos that show things a little better than the video clips that are out there so far. Though you don't get a great appreciation for the violence with which Tropp swung his stick. I still don't know how you do that to a defenseless player. I'm really curious to see the CCHA and FYS reaction to this.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Michigan 6, MSU 2
It's hard to say if it was what Michigan was doing or if MSU is just truly that bad of a hockey team, but I think we're onto something with these new lines.
The new top line of Wohlberg, Caporusso, and Turnbull combined for 3 goals and 5 assists (including a couple of really pretty shots, one by Wohlberg, and one by Caporusso).
Matt Rust, paired up once against with Aaron Palushaj, tipped in a shot five minutes into the game. And the fourth line of Ciraulo, Fardig, and Glendening was fantastic once again.
The game clearly turned when the score was 2-1 Michigan and the Spartans took a shot that trickled through the legs of Bryan Hogan and nestled up right against the goalpost, halfway over the line. Gazely dove and tried to knock it in but missed and the Wolverines were able to clear. They came down the ice, Hagelin scored unassisted, and the game was never again in doubt.
I know I sound like a broken--or should it be borken--record, but I am so happy that I get to watch Carl Hagelin play hockey. That kid has to be the perfect definition of a coach's dream. He works his ass off, you can put him out there in any situation, and he just never stops skating. When Michigan is on the PK and someone steals the puck from the opponent, I don't even need to see the number any more to know that it's Hagelin. He's phenomenal.
Actually I thought all of our penalty killers were really good tonight. Rust had a great game tag-teaming with Hagelin on the forecheck. Tim Miller was fantastic in his role once again, though I wish he had shot it when he tried to feed someone (Digger or Wohlberg) back door on one golden opportunity. Wohlberg and Fardig were solid once again.
And Chris Summers. Wow. One of the things I've been remiss about is that I don't praise our defensemen nearly as much as I should. I made more of an effort to keep an eye on the back-end tonight and Summers is just a beast. He and Burlon are as solid of a duo as we've had lately.
The fourth line was really, really good tonight. I don't know if Red was trying to send a message to Naurato and Winnett by dressing the guys he dressed or if he was rewarding the play of Fardig, Glendening, and Ciraulo, but either way, I like having those guys in the lineup. They made things happen out there and aside from Glendening's (iffy) penalty when it was already 4-1, they didn't hurt us a bit out there. Fardig did well on the PK, and he potted a goal for himself too.
But after a fairly quiet start to the game, it was really the top line that stole the show. Caporusso scored his 19th and 20th of the season, the second of which was a beautiful hesitation move to get Lerg to go down before roofing it (off a great pass from Wohlberg). And David Wohlberg had a nice little backhander up under the bar of his own. The third member of that line, Turnbull...he only had a playmaker, with a trio of assists. Not a bad night.
I think that's all I really wanted to mention. It's also nice that every single player who took a draw tonight was above .500. Michigan was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 39 of 60 draws. They didn't quite hit the 40-50 shots I projected, but they got to 36 after outshooting the Spartans 17-5 in the third period.
In net Hogan played a pretty solid game. He made a few really big pad saves when they were needed and there wasn't really a whole helluva lot he could do on either MSU goal. He left a few too many rebounds tonight, but he was able to corral most of them, so it didn't end up being a big deal.
The only real downer of the night was that the power play was terrible again. 0 for 3 with just two shots on net. I suppose it's good that we keep winning games (for the most part) even though they just can't get it clicking with the man advantage.
I hope these lines keep clicking, because I really do like them. I love having Palushaj with Rust, Caporusso and Wohlberg clearly have some chemistry (and Turnbull is playing really well), and the fourth line is just awesome. The third line wasn't great tonight, but they had a couple of shifts where they were really swarming (I did think Miller had a very good game though).
All in all, a really satisfying victory after a slow first period.
To make things even better, NMU took care of Alaska, which moves us just three points behind them with four games in hand. On the sucky side, both the Miami/Omaha game (two teams ahead of us) and the OSU/WMU game went to a shootout and became three-point games. We pick up another point on Miami, since they lost, but OSU kept their unbeaten streak going.
So we stay 6th place in the CCHA:
-10 points behind Notre Dame with a game in hand
-4 points behind Miami with 2 games in hand
-3 points behind Alaska with 4 games in hand
-2 points behind OSU
-2 points behind UNO with 2 games in hand
The shootout points really are killing us. Miami is the only team in the bunch that doesn't have 3 shootout bonus points on the season (they've just got one). Without those, we're ahead of OSU and UNO, tied with Alaska (with a ton of games in hand) and in position to pass Miami. Not to mention that if we were to win tomorrow night in our game in hand, as well as sweep the Irish next weekend, we could pull within a single point of the CCHA lead. With the shootout points, it's a lot steeper of a hill to climb, though I still think we're in very good shape for second place in the conference.
And we've gotten some separation on the rest of the pack. We're 5 points up on Ferris in 7th place with a game in hand, and no one else is closer than 9 points behind us.
Tomorrow's a big one. We've lost to a lot of bad hockey teams this season, and it would be nice to complete the regular season sweep of MSU, in what could very well be the last time we face Mini-Me. The game is important not only because it's two more points at stake in a very tight CCHA race, but it could also let us build up some momentum heading into next week's huge home-and-home with Notre Dame.
The new top line of Wohlberg, Caporusso, and Turnbull combined for 3 goals and 5 assists (including a couple of really pretty shots, one by Wohlberg, and one by Caporusso).
Matt Rust, paired up once against with Aaron Palushaj, tipped in a shot five minutes into the game. And the fourth line of Ciraulo, Fardig, and Glendening was fantastic once again.
The game clearly turned when the score was 2-1 Michigan and the Spartans took a shot that trickled through the legs of Bryan Hogan and nestled up right against the goalpost, halfway over the line. Gazely dove and tried to knock it in but missed and the Wolverines were able to clear. They came down the ice, Hagelin scored unassisted, and the game was never again in doubt.
I know I sound like a broken--or should it be borken--record, but I am so happy that I get to watch Carl Hagelin play hockey. That kid has to be the perfect definition of a coach's dream. He works his ass off, you can put him out there in any situation, and he just never stops skating. When Michigan is on the PK and someone steals the puck from the opponent, I don't even need to see the number any more to know that it's Hagelin. He's phenomenal.
Actually I thought all of our penalty killers were really good tonight. Rust had a great game tag-teaming with Hagelin on the forecheck. Tim Miller was fantastic in his role once again, though I wish he had shot it when he tried to feed someone (Digger or Wohlberg) back door on one golden opportunity. Wohlberg and Fardig were solid once again.
And Chris Summers. Wow. One of the things I've been remiss about is that I don't praise our defensemen nearly as much as I should. I made more of an effort to keep an eye on the back-end tonight and Summers is just a beast. He and Burlon are as solid of a duo as we've had lately.
The fourth line was really, really good tonight. I don't know if Red was trying to send a message to Naurato and Winnett by dressing the guys he dressed or if he was rewarding the play of Fardig, Glendening, and Ciraulo, but either way, I like having those guys in the lineup. They made things happen out there and aside from Glendening's (iffy) penalty when it was already 4-1, they didn't hurt us a bit out there. Fardig did well on the PK, and he potted a goal for himself too.
But after a fairly quiet start to the game, it was really the top line that stole the show. Caporusso scored his 19th and 20th of the season, the second of which was a beautiful hesitation move to get Lerg to go down before roofing it (off a great pass from Wohlberg). And David Wohlberg had a nice little backhander up under the bar of his own. The third member of that line, Turnbull...he only had a playmaker, with a trio of assists. Not a bad night.
I think that's all I really wanted to mention. It's also nice that every single player who took a draw tonight was above .500. Michigan was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 39 of 60 draws. They didn't quite hit the 40-50 shots I projected, but they got to 36 after outshooting the Spartans 17-5 in the third period.
In net Hogan played a pretty solid game. He made a few really big pad saves when they were needed and there wasn't really a whole helluva lot he could do on either MSU goal. He left a few too many rebounds tonight, but he was able to corral most of them, so it didn't end up being a big deal.
The only real downer of the night was that the power play was terrible again. 0 for 3 with just two shots on net. I suppose it's good that we keep winning games (for the most part) even though they just can't get it clicking with the man advantage.
I hope these lines keep clicking, because I really do like them. I love having Palushaj with Rust, Caporusso and Wohlberg clearly have some chemistry (and Turnbull is playing really well), and the fourth line is just awesome. The third line wasn't great tonight, but they had a couple of shifts where they were really swarming (I did think Miller had a very good game though).
All in all, a really satisfying victory after a slow first period.
To make things even better, NMU took care of Alaska, which moves us just three points behind them with four games in hand. On the sucky side, both the Miami/Omaha game (two teams ahead of us) and the OSU/WMU game went to a shootout and became three-point games. We pick up another point on Miami, since they lost, but OSU kept their unbeaten streak going.
So we stay 6th place in the CCHA:
-10 points behind Notre Dame with a game in hand
-4 points behind Miami with 2 games in hand
-3 points behind Alaska with 4 games in hand
-2 points behind OSU
-2 points behind UNO with 2 games in hand
The shootout points really are killing us. Miami is the only team in the bunch that doesn't have 3 shootout bonus points on the season (they've just got one). Without those, we're ahead of OSU and UNO, tied with Alaska (with a ton of games in hand) and in position to pass Miami. Not to mention that if we were to win tomorrow night in our game in hand, as well as sweep the Irish next weekend, we could pull within a single point of the CCHA lead. With the shootout points, it's a lot steeper of a hill to climb, though I still think we're in very good shape for second place in the conference.
And we've gotten some separation on the rest of the pack. We're 5 points up on Ferris in 7th place with a game in hand, and no one else is closer than 9 points behind us.
Tomorrow's a big one. We've lost to a lot of bad hockey teams this season, and it would be nice to complete the regular season sweep of MSU, in what could very well be the last time we face Mini-Me. The game is important not only because it's two more points at stake in a very tight CCHA race, but it could also let us build up some momentum heading into next week's huge home-and-home with Notre Dame.
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