STATE COLLEGE — With two goals scored early in the final period, the No. 2 Michigan hockey team rallied for a comeback attempt. In that fight, the Wolverines were fed a power-play opportunity to push for a tied game as the clock fought against them.
Rather than Michigan finding the back of the net in those two minutes, No. 5 Penn State answered each shot with a save or clear down the ice. And as the Nittany Lions returned to full strength, another chance slipped through the Wolverines’ fingers.
“We finally found our game, maybe in the third,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato. “We had chances to tie it or win it, and (it) just didn’t go.”
In the past two weekends, Naurato has continued to search for a solution to the loss of freshman forward Henry Mews. Without his steady presence commanding the power play from the blue line, the Wolverines are still trying to grow comfortable as various contenders try out for the spot. Junior forward Jayden Perron is the common answer to these woes creating a five-forward power play that has seen ample time. However, junior defenseman Ben Robertson and sophomore defenseman Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen have both seen ice time on the top unit.
But as that spot functions as a revolving door and the Wolverines try to work out chemistry in the first team, the lack of converting man-up advantages held them back against Penn State.
Through the first period, Michigan failed to convert its sole power-play attempt. The Wolverines shot just two pucks on net which became a trend of the night. While the Nittany Lions started goaltender Josh Fleming instead Saturday and reaped the benefits of that lineup change, Michigan wasn’t producing the shots needed to be a threat on the power play.
“We didn’t shoot the puck enough as a team,” sophomore forward Will Horcoff said. “We didn’t have enough shots as we nearly do, so we didn’t challenge them as much.”
Penn State gifted the Wolverines opportunity once again — this time, in the form of a five-on-three chance. With two Nittany Lions stuck in the penalty box, Michigan had plenty of extra ice space to tie the one-goal game. Sophomore forward Michael Hage peppered Fleming with three shots, but his presence between the pipes remained strong and there wasn’t enough offensive pressure for him to crack as Penn State continuously cleared the puck the zone smoothly.
Now left with only a minute of a man-up advantage, the Wolverines had a closing window on their scoring chances. But that moment passed them by and Michigan was left goalless.
The Wolverines’ power play continues to be a work in progress. As Michigan struggled to shoot the puck freely in those advantage minutes, its scoring chances dwindled. While Fleming’s performance was an obstacle for the unit, the Wolverines realized that their lack of shooting the puck stopped them before they had the chance to achieve the cohesion they are still searching for.
“We just have to be a bit more of shooters on the power play.” Robertson said. “That’ll kind of open things up. That’s something we’re working on and hopefully we’ll get better for next weekend.”
Michigan’s power play still remains among the top in the country as its early success of the season built a strong foundation. While the majority of the pieces of that system remain after Mew’s injury, the Wolverines’ power-play development is currently just short of becoming the game changer.
