The Wolverines were sloppy and undisciplined in a heartbreaking 6-5 overtime loss to Penn State in Game 1 of the Big Ten Tournament. This could be a crucial blow to their NCAA Tournament aspirations:
The No. 11 and fourth-seeded Michigan Wolverines (18-13-4) suffered a devastating 6-5 overtime loss in Game 1 of the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to the No. 15 and fifth-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions (19-12-4) Friday night.
Their four regular season matchups produced a staggering 46 combined goals. This one went down similarly.
Just over five minutes into play, Penn State broke the ice. Michigan had a complete defensive breakdown, abandoning a slot trailer for a golden opportunity. Logan Stein — who was shaky all period, whether it be on shots or playing the puck — was unable to make the save.
However, the Wolverines did not stay down for long. On the ensuing shift, Mark Estapa won a tough battle down low and played the puck to his linemate, Will Whitelaw. Whitelaw’s shot resulted in a juicy rebound, which Estapa tucked home to level the score.
It was the ultimate Estapa shift. He showcased his physicality, fearlessness and determination to get to the dirty areas.
This newly infused energy quickly evaporated when about two-and-a-half minutes later. Ethan Edwards, in a rare lapse, was beaten to the inside by a hard-driving Penn State forward who slotted a feed past Stein. The defensive nightmares continued with less than 60 seconds in the period, when the Nittany Lions sustained pressure and beat Stein again, this time near-side high on a low-angle look.
The Wolverines came out of the intermission with a much stronger showing. The physicality on the forecheck was excellent, Stein looked more comfortable in the crease, even coming up with a massive breakaway stop, and Michigan started generating scoring chances.
The second period saw these foes trade blows — both literally and figuratively — and the tension finally boiled over with around seven minutes remaining. Edwards slid down the left wing with a chance to shoot, but opted to force a feed into the crease for a redirection. His attempt was stymied and led to a mad scramble in front of the Penn State net. The puck would not go and Edwards was mauled after the whistle by a pair of Nittany Lions.
Edwards and Penn State’s Dane Dowiak were sent off for roughing minors.
Now on the 4-on-4, the Wolverines could utilize their skill in space. Tyler Duke possessed the puck near the blue line and slipped a pass to Jackson Hallum, who rifled a one-timer. The electrifying tally cut the deficit in half and sent Michigan into the break with newfound confidence.
Michigan rode that momentum into the third period when Kienan Draper drew a quick tripping call. The Wolverines’ power play was able to settle the puck off the faceoff and had multiple, impressive blue line keep-ins. The unit finally showed off its prowess as a TJ Hughes shot leaked through the Nittany Lion goaltender and Will Horcoff shoveled it in from the crease.
The chippiness continued as these NCAA Tournament-desperate teams played with furious body checks and relentless pressure.
At the 13-minute mark, Michigan made a crucial blunder. Josh Eernisse was called for interference in the offensive zone. Penn State made the power play look easy, and a sweet pass from the goal line hit a wide-open backdoor forward for the goal.
Two minutes later, the Wolverines dug themselves an even bigger hole. The defense, which struggled with breakouts all night, allowed the Nittany Lions to rip a slot shot. The puck took a wild deflection into the air and it snuck behind Stein.
However, there was never a dull sequence in this contest. A mere nine seconds afterward, Nick Moldenhauer flew down the right wing and fired a top-shelf snipe to bring Michigan within one. For the next five minutes, Michigan controlled play. The forward group was excellent on the forecheck and the defenseman did well to maintain chances.
Finally, with 4:28 to go, Hallum scored his second of the game. Edwards made an incredible, no-look, backhanded pass from below the goal line and the puck somehow reached Hallum’s twig for a beautiful finish.
The Wolverines took a penalty with less than a minute to go, but managed to survive regulation unscathed.
In overtime, Michigan killed the initial penalty, but Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen was whistled for tripping after a good offensive push. This time, Penn State made the most of the man advantage, and a nifty between-the-legs shot sealed the victory.
The Wolverines are now in serious danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament and will at least need to force this series to a winner-take-all showdown on Sunday.
If not, Michigan could miss out on the Big Dance entirely.