Special teams plays significant role in win over Minnesota State 

With less than six minutes left in the third period and the No. 7 Michigan hockey up by one goal, senior defenseman Ethan Edwards received a cross-checking penalty, sending him into the box and Minnesota State onto the power play. To ensure the game didn’t go into overtime, Michigan needed a lethal penalty kill.

And as the clock wound down, the Wolverines cleared pucks and kept the Mavericks to the perimeter, pushing its players against the walls and sending 200-foot clears out of the defensive zone. With the successful penalty kill, Michigan matched Minnesota State’s intensity and kept them at bay until the final buzzer. 

“In those times in the game you just have to play your D-zone first and sacrifice your body,” junior forward Jackson Hallum said. “But that’s expected in these games, is high intensity, and you just gotta match it and lay pucks in.” 

But as good as the Wolverines’ penalty kill was, their power play was quite the opposite. Going 0-for-6, Michigan held a narrow lead through the entire 60 minutes, held back by their inability to capitalize on man advantages. On both sides of the ice, special teams had an impact in the Wolverines’ win — positive on the penalty kill, negative on the power play. 

“A win is good but power play is tough,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “It’s just execution. Obviously we’ve had a great power play in the past, and we just have to get those guys some chemistry.”

In the first period, the Wolverines got an early power-play opportunity when junior forward T.J. Hughes was tripped in the offensive zone. Michigan’s chances on goal were sparse, and Minnesota State’s penalty kill formation wasn’t helping the Wolverines get shots on target. The Mavericks were extremely successful in clogging the slot and protecting their netminder, making it difficult for Michigan to get any solid chances. 

But once the Wolverines went on the penalty kill for the first time in the game, it was evident that the unit would be the key to their game. With senior forward Mark Estapa spearheading the penalty kill with  faceoff wins, Michigan could easily clear the puck and take the necessary time to regroup. 

“Whatever you emphasize or put value in seems to work,” Naurato said. “Guys didn’t like where we were last year or even the year before. We’re pressuring better. Mark Estapa has been a beast on faceoffs when he gets out there and then we’re getting 200-foot clears, so it’s really good.”

In a slow start to the second period, freshman forward Michael Hage increased the pressure on the Wolverines by receiving an interference penalty. But for the entire time they were down a player, it didn’t look like it. 

Michigan played the entire sheet of ice, sending long-stretched passes across the ice and keeping forwards in the offensive zone, rather than holding them back on defense. Sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky even had a breakaway, tipping the puck into the air and catching it in the slot. Minnesota State goaltender Alex Tracy came out of his zone to mitigate the shot opportunity, and Schifsky followed it up with a diving shot from the point to keep the short-handed pressure on. 

The Wolverines had multiple chances to increase its lead in the scoreless second period, specifically on its power play. However, the Mavericks’ aggressive style of defense and off-target shots from Michigan kept the puck out of the net. 

In the final six minutes, the Wolverines needed to lock in on its defense as Minnesota State put on pressure to tie the game. With Estapa winning faceoffs and all players recognizing how crucial killing the penalty was, Michigan increased the intensity and prevented the Mavericks from tallying a goal. 

While the last two minutes weren’t a penalty kill, playing against an extra skater is an intimidating feat when only up by one goal. But the Wolverines didn’t back down, doing just what Minnesota State had been doing to it on the power play — forcing players against the walls and protecting the goaltender. 

Michigan capped the night with two late goals and a bulletproof penalty kill. However, the lack of success on the power play left Naurato with some work to do. The Wolverines’ stellar penalty kill kept the Mavericks from taking a lead, but their power play kept the game close, leaving Michigan forced into relying on defense to come out on top. 

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