0:23

Welcome. To Michigan Hockey cast six point

0:25

twenty two were hockey matches football going

0:27

back to back to back. Or.

0:51

Alex, you've done your fair

0:53

share of traveling for things

0:55

in the past in terms

0:57

of like Michigan sports and

0:59

covering things media wise. Yes,

1:02

Yeah. Decent and how do you

1:04

you are normally get like parking

1:06

or try to. Foot. It

1:09

or like, are you at media

1:11

places where you can be shuttled?

1:13

That kind of thing. But.

1:17

We generally. Try.

1:20

And. Get parking. Passes

1:22

If it was like road football

1:25

games here are you usually with

1:27

vehicle. Would. Remain full Like

1:29

so you did softball right? Did you

1:31

get road trip down there? To.

1:33

Florida to Florida Know we flew there. Okay so

1:36

then how did you get to the stadium? We

1:38

rented a car. Oh so you still had a

1:40

car even when you went. Yeah, Alka. Generally.

1:44

Like I've I've driven softballs. Never bad

1:46

because they don't. You didn't didn't are

1:48

really never charging for parking and days off. All

1:51

well, Yeah, ten minutes he would be like at

1:53

all or something. To

1:55

to pay the attendant with the like the orange

1:57

flags that are like yeah when I when I.

2:00

The have been in California same story

2:02

it was as big. Parking. Lots

2:04

yeah pull up heart. So.

2:06

Where. I already. So generally when I've

2:09

gone I've I've mostly driven to things

2:11

and then like more recently, had to

2:13

have had to fly. So I I

2:15

flew to St. Louis. Because Maryland Heights

2:17

is is not St. Louis, we've been

2:19

calling at St. Louis. that is sort

2:22

of ally. It is outside of St.

2:24

Louis. Sure, Ah, almost in the Missouri

2:26

River, not the Mississippi. So.

2:29

My body and I where he met

2:32

me. There he goes by worldwide. Vince,

2:34

he I'm. We. Got a place that

2:36

was like illegal mile away so like

2:38

wow on a walk to their play

2:40

on a one after like you know

2:42

goober round and we work and rent

2:44

a car and all that so fum

2:46

but it's the in like an industrial

2:49

park so there is a river, a

2:51

casino, a community i center on sort

2:53

of spot office. Industrial complex

2:55

and then like for hotels.

2:58

So you have these like roads

3:00

that. Are. Very circuitous. How

3:02

far was that from the casino?

3:05

To what? They. Were the rink. Ah,

3:09

I don't know. like. May. Be

3:11

couple football field thousand his ear his

3:13

more than that is leaking less than

3:15

a quarter mile probably those are my

3:18

of you can see it does. I

3:20

originally wrote that it was attached to

3:22

casino and then people were like. No.

3:24

It's not attached to the casino, really down

3:27

the street from the casino. How did these

3:29

people know? I know as one person that

3:31

google maps that. I just the i

3:33

don't know very strange thing to be fired

3:35

up about. So

3:37

here to defend it was Sanctity of

3:39

the South. Five hundred seats practice or

3:42

so. It's not okay, so it's not

3:44

a practice arena league. I thought it

3:46

was. It's not. There. I mean

3:48

it is. But. There's. Like

3:50

three rinks. And it's like the ice cube. So

3:53

that practice facility is in the back. That's

3:55

where the Blues practice, but then were Linden

3:57

would plays as in an actual like arena.

3:59

I don't think the Blues practice in an

4:01

arena. I think they practice in the Any

4:03

to practice facility and then there's a third.

4:06

Ice. Rink off to the side. So.

4:08

There's it's actually a, you know it actually

4:10

as a community Eisen. But

4:13

the casino is like. Within.

4:15

Sight. Distance easily have to walk across a

4:18

couple parking lot and in fact most of

4:20

the traffic is comforting to the criticism for

4:22

is about to the games on spreading so

4:24

but we're our hotels in a different direction

4:27

and it's and the mill afternoon and I

4:29

was like Wallace is walking around it goober

4:31

like a mile that's kinds of kennel him

4:33

as was in well the day. So we

4:35

start walking and we run into like we

4:38

get almost there were kind of weaving around

4:40

and then we come up to a creek.

4:43

And was hit crossed the greek of you want?

4:45

I can afford it. I mean, I suppose. We.

4:47

Could if we would have brought a raft so we had

4:49

a walk. Down. And

4:51

around. And. But

4:55

there's no sidewalks, are walking like the

4:57

side of like this for lane road

5:00

and like people are driving by and

5:02

honking at us an somebody like Sector

5:04

had out the window and started taunting

5:07

us or it. I was

5:09

that where I was wearing like pressure clothes

5:11

and and obviously here Vince had his mission

5:13

jersey on. So maybe they thought or whatever

5:15

you know like these guys are water the

5:17

game or your fans. So. Then. You

5:20

come over around the curve and sorrow on

5:22

like a hillside as were kind of on

5:24

because there's the road is elevated. And

5:27

course we cross a you know into the little.

5:29

Area where the road goes down to the ice

5:31

arena says like know protests. But

5:36

anyway, that was awesome. I

5:38

probably should have covered over to or later.

5:40

We found that there is a way you

5:43

could have gone around the creek to the

5:45

north side and and back and we did

5:47

that on Sunday and that was a lot

5:49

better. But. That was

5:51

quite an experience and it was like seventy

5:53

five or eighty degrees out. So you get

5:55

into the arena and you're like Bob said

5:57

like a workout, them sweating because it's hot

5:59

out and carrying a backpack and have like

6:01

professional closer on. So and then you get

6:03

into the arena and they have a. Snake

6:06

Folding. Tables as press Row:

6:09

So. Like they're not there Ever Flu Don't

6:11

have classroom or to practice. Still is obviously

6:13

I know it's it's it's were Linden would

6:15

plays do that. Do they not? enough people

6:18

to cover their games? They. Have a

6:20

for. A support it's

6:22

Linden what I mean know who's sending opposing

6:24

media to London? Limestone? Hell, they barely get

6:26

a get anyone to travel there mean on

6:28

and on how many home games they probably

6:30

play but not that many. but they probably

6:33

have a radio crew that does their games.

6:35

For all like the radio cruise in

6:37

the steps. people all had to like

6:39

sit at these folding tables that. If.

6:42

You had Giants in front of you. In terms

6:44

of like people watching the game, you wouldn't have

6:46

been able see. It would be like your thing

6:48

from. Watching. Games that mine

6:50

where everyone standing up and you're

6:52

like wow, hey I'm I'm here

6:54

to generate that is. The arena

6:56

capacity is about the exact same

6:58

as the facilities a P W

7:00

H L Toronto plays and and

7:02

that was the same story. Like

7:04

the media was just. At

7:07

tables like at the top of the

7:09

sexes and stuff. I mean that's i

7:11

think fairly typical for an arena that

7:13

size because you're just not gonna have

7:15

in as as a nice press box

7:18

or anything for an arena that size.

7:20

so i guess my my take away

7:22

his ah i should stop complaining about.

7:24

Empty. Regionals and random small towns

7:27

that are not twenty five thousand

7:29

or twenty five hundred seen. It's

7:31

because like the experience in Allentown

7:33

was like i'm. Just.

7:35

Infinitely better. Like Elite from a media perspective.

7:38

Ogres that was in a h an arena,

7:40

right? And so you actually have facilities for

7:42

that kind of stuff. And I'm in the

7:44

think they tried And and here I'm not

7:46

like I'm not like slamming these people or

7:48

anything. It's just like I just kind of.

7:51

Curious. As to why you would send

7:53

sort of three prominent. For. Me

7:55

Western six of for

7:57

prominent schools and programs.

8:00

To. That level of

8:02

that sort of an arena and appears

8:04

London would the head ten home games

8:06

this season. right? August on

8:09

on Long Island, Stonehill, Anchorage and Western.

8:11

By mean encourages western blot on the

8:13

worst mass As and Westerns your one

8:16

power conference team on that list. yeah

8:18

I'm yeah I some people still have

8:20

staff, they have to sit there and

8:22

do things probably mean meal. We walked

8:25

by like that analytics guys in the

8:27

stats guys and all that stuff and

8:29

they they had that said there to.

8:32

it's not just media. So.

8:34

Speaking of which, does not appear that won him What Is

8:36

hired? A New Coach yet? Now they fired,

8:38

for example, in late February. Better.

8:41

Get on that. Yeah I

8:43

mean. Sir. I

8:45

see says ace or also is interesting that they

8:47

fired I'd This is kind of getting off track

8:49

is interesting that they fired him. Like.

8:52

Did you think you were going to make

8:54

the tournament? This assists. I don't really understand

8:56

that doing enough winning or mean they did

8:58

some winning. He. Went thirteen forty

9:00

and five in Linwood time and the one

9:02

the and I'm guessing that they were bottom

9:04

two or three team in. For. Most

9:07

of that time if they weren't

9:09

that seems like a win. But

9:11

anyway, so the the experience was

9:13

on was definitely definitely interesting. So

9:15

I guess like. Don't. Complain about

9:17

something? has things could be different

9:19

a way or it. We should

9:21

speed into the games because there's

9:23

actually a lot to talk about

9:25

instead of going on about. Tracking

9:28

I suppose. I'm. So

9:32

happy some people but people are vast me in

9:34

the last day or two you know it. My

9:36

day job in other places like he owes you

9:38

are the games as a like a cellphone and

9:40

i was just like. This. Was

9:42

probably. The. Best regional or

9:45

set of hockey games. That.

9:47

I've maybe ever, Been.

9:49

To. Lake. In terms of like

9:52

a group end. Of. Games not just

9:54

like a one off or a series or like

9:56

things like that, but like like us, a setting

9:58

of a mini tournament. Like all. The of

10:00

these games both Michigan games and

10:03

then the State Western game were.

10:05

Like insane. And they

10:07

all came down to the and their everything

10:10

was super hyped. obviously you know there aren't

10:12

They could have been more fans and different

10:14

settings and all as our trying to get

10:16

through. but I thought that the hockey the

10:18

on ice hockey and match ups and drama

10:20

in all of that was. More.

10:22

Than what you could ask for. There were

10:24

very, very few blowouts this whole. Weekend.

10:27

Really? Sans a

10:29

couple the one seeds in the turn and and

10:31

yeah new in those were like. Interesting.

10:33

Tight for a while. the either I think both

10:36

games were one goal to like the end of

10:38

the second period and then. Are many

10:40

midway to the second career. And then

10:42

and the gap find a widened but they

10:44

really last year's tournament was really it can

10:46

have a daughter that first round. Because.

10:49

Like Ohio State just embarrassed her, They

10:51

played Penn State embarrassed tack like there

10:53

are your last year there were a

10:55

lot of this. Like while these two

10:57

teams. Even. As a to three

10:59

match up do not belong on the same

11:01

eyes. Yeah and this week yeah year lot

11:03

overtime games on a one goal games. And.

11:06

With so it was very competitive so we

11:08

both. Sort of previewed the North

11:10

Dakota Michigan game as being. Tight

11:12

end. Like. We

11:15

probably. I.

11:17

Don't know. The teams kind of matched up

11:19

really, really well and it's definitely played

11:21

out that way on the ice. I'm. I.

11:24

Thought it was interesting that Michigan kind of

11:26

flip their lines little bit before the game

11:28

like they dropped due to the third line

11:31

moves at a stop up with Naser and

11:33

Duke was down with Tj and I think

11:35

more than our at. Did you? did you

11:37

read anything into that? I mean they they.

11:39

They jumbled their lines throughout that game. As

11:42

you know, this sort of struggled offensively for

11:44

for periods of time. But did you? Did

11:46

you find interesting that they would make a

11:48

change like that going into such a big

11:51

game? Ah, Necessarily

11:53

mean years. Whatever you think is the

11:55

spark that you need to get it

11:57

done as what you're gonna do. I

11:59

mean. They're see a little tinkering

12:01

than. You know, purely. Holding a

12:04

line. but we're okay. North.

12:07

Dakota probably had their best.

12:09

Stretch. With play in the in the

12:11

early going Michigan looks. I. Don't know.

12:14

I won't say asleep, but they were

12:16

definitely getting outplayed like in the first,

12:18

probably twelve or so minutes of the

12:20

game. Twelve thirteen minutes. like shop for

12:22

six to one. North Dakota.

12:24

And you know the funny thing.

12:27

Is that? Yob. Both

12:29

have the power plays in the

12:31

game because there are only two

12:34

was something to talk about. I'm.

12:37

Both. Of the powerplays happen in like

12:39

the very early stretch of the game.

12:41

And like your Michigan. Get.

12:43

There's and then. North.

12:46

Dakota get there's like eight on an

12:48

overlap. Yeah. So neither team

12:50

actually had a full power play interest.

12:53

And you kind of felt that way like watching

12:56

the western as they came. You were like well

12:58

you know there's there's not that many families called

13:00

where there's gonna be an adjustment period from ah

13:02

from Big Ten ten see A so you just

13:05

not going to get their many But I was

13:07

still a little bit surprised that like are they

13:09

really didn't call anything in the misconceive western game.

13:11

ah I'm there's a couple, but there was one

13:13

on each team via western scored on there's in

13:16

the middle second period and and m as you

13:18

got one late. In the second and they

13:20

didn't score but remembers in them as you

13:22

western game there was that crazy hit in

13:25

the third period or that western guide says

13:27

oh he hit mean else right Ah was

13:29

Gutierrez oh oh he missed the okay that's

13:31

why he came came up as it out

13:34

that was a crazy that he only network

13:36

and dude and me that could have been

13:38

charging and was that you should have been

13:40

palin he came up the wall and like

13:43

three four strides just like. To

13:45

fuck with a tackle the guy in Iraq

13:47

so like oh my god that guys as

13:49

got killed as a sense and I was

13:51

looking at that and I was like man

13:53

if this is a big ten I think

13:55

that's probably five. been a major and they

13:57

were like know and so that kind of.

14:00

The town I felt like a one into

14:02

the second games is it was Canopies. Guys

14:04

there are called anything. We're. So

14:06

Michigan has their. First. Powerplay,

14:09

Chance and. They.

14:11

Create. Maybe like one

14:13

look and then North Dakota actually gets

14:15

a chance and they hit the iron

14:18

and then Brinley gets called for as

14:20

hooking and. So you're going ever

14:22

appear at her appear to foreign for before

14:24

you go back to the North Dakota Powerplay. And

14:26

on for on for where you have the breakdown

14:29

and this is your we can talk about this

14:31

because maybe this happened due to their being one.

14:33

Less skater on the ice for both teams,

14:35

but. North. Dakota comes in on

14:37

a to on three so and I brian

14:40

called it whatever the opposite of an odd

14:42

suspicious and that's kind of cracks omission or

14:44

us will even will be three and three

14:46

or two into this was like a to

14:49

on three for those are reverse odd man

14:51

rush their ago. I received the

14:53

track those by the Way So. North

14:56

Dakota comes in on it with two guys

14:58

and they kinda like Scissor and Cross and

15:00

that the pocket sort of dropped to the

15:02

guy going to the boards and the guy

15:04

on the boards comes towards the center. and

15:06

somehow like all three guys like Edwards is

15:08

kind of chasing the play, traces the park

15:10

war and stays with this guy in than

15:12

shifts. He is also there and everybody just

15:14

kind of. Instead of. Anyone

15:17

going back to the center? the ice looks like

15:19

it probably should be Edwards in that situation may

15:21

be shifty. It's

15:23

hard to blame a defense or forward

15:25

in that situation, but com for having.

15:28

The mail slot. Responsibilities So

15:30

they all go. With. A

15:33

guy on the boards on the cross and

15:35

the park. The task is through and then

15:37

you just have a wide open shop for

15:39

hundred johannesson he. Scores at.

15:41

Don't really blame our trusty their mean you know

15:43

if he makes a safe great but like. It

15:46

just those kinds of break down to the

15:48

ones that we are worried about coming into

15:50

the series and it happens like in the

15:52

first period and a slight oh no not

15:54

this again. the first little bit was real

15:56

bad. I'm not just that goal but then

15:58

when missed was on up. Our play. They

16:00

gave up. That. Really? Bad a

16:02

chance to hit the Iron Man was

16:04

hit the iron. they are birch as

16:06

he had very little opportunity to try

16:09

and save him in they got away

16:11

with as those efforts little bit of

16:13

that game was was pretty bad that

16:15

they were just barely hanging in there

16:17

bf and were lucky to come out

16:19

of it. Only down one nothing just

16:21

really poor breakdowns defending the rosters didn't

16:23

have any traction the offensive zone at

16:25

all. it was. He was pretty

16:27

rough and then d do have anything on

16:29

that that goal like is that just a

16:31

mess from Edwards? More than anything. Yeah.

16:33

Mean that yeah or so. For. Us Defense

16:36

breakdown: Yeah so it's one zero North

16:38

Dakota. or they get their power plant

16:40

stream. Think they didn't attempt on that

16:42

like I was looking at and I

16:44

am think that they did a thing

16:46

Michigan he knows only like a minute

16:48

or something low over, that's but. I'm.

16:51

So I mean that was it

16:53

in an email from. For. Any

16:56

sort of powerplay time. I

16:58

thought Michigan played better. As.

17:00

The period went on. I thought they probably

17:02

overpass the little bit like they'd get into

17:04

his his his own and one of our

17:07

keys was just like what? This guy, this

17:09

goalie for North Dakota person hasn't really played

17:11

in a while and. He

17:13

doesn't have the greatest numbers like just make

17:15

him make saves and you're you're probably get

17:18

something through and it looks like Michigan was

17:20

just trying to set up for a pretty

17:22

goal or you know, sort of those like

17:24

him. He wheat passing goal I

17:26

just creating open next instead of just

17:28

being like was see this guy can

17:31

to save anything. Yeah. Gotta

17:33

put pox on that. Gotta. Start.

17:35

To at least put some pressure on the

17:37

defense, try and cycle and get something going

17:40

in. it's is took I'm a little too

17:42

long to to get going in this game.

17:44

Yeah. It it took him too long

17:46

to really get to that level. took I'm

17:49

too long to really create a whole lot.

17:51

and then they started creating it in. it

17:53

wasn't really. ah, shops, it was more because

17:55

I think they only had like four shots

17:57

in the period. And you know it, they

18:00

probably add more opportunities and chances than that

18:02

they just didn't really. Couldn't really

18:04

break down the Northcote defense so. One.

18:06

Zero after one. not feeling great, Feeling

18:09

better coverage during the opening minutes, but.

18:11

And then that's I think that's when Casey

18:13

less the ice was late in the first.

18:16

Yeah. I was gonna go back at some

18:18

point and try and figure out. What?

18:21

Happened there and like what his last shift

18:23

was and everything. Yes I'm always saying he

18:25

took a big hit from. One.

18:27

Of those North Dakota guys, those massive

18:29

guy yelling twenty five year old. Says

18:33

crunched him or something. The people were speculating

18:35

a might have been concussion just from lot

18:37

the her head I don't know exactly. I

18:39

mean that's impossible. It was not a situation

18:41

where we were like oh. He's. Really

18:43

injured. It. Was a situation where

18:45

we were like. That. Anyone seen him

18:48

in a while right? and a subject as he wasn't

18:50

like laying on the i all they had to drag

18:52

him on know it was like okay well he went

18:54

back to the bench and then. I.

18:56

Started noticing in the second period at

18:58

some point as I will wait a

19:00

minute. One eventually was like whereas you

19:02

then and then I I honestly hadn't

19:05

really noticed it that much and then

19:07

more. We started seeing a lot of

19:09

Luca and hopes and then Michigan tweeted

19:11

some time I think in the third

19:13

saying that he was coming back. Yes

19:15

So. Down. A goal. Com.

19:18

And then you're in the second period. Thought

19:20

Michigan did a little bit better on the

19:22

tie the game just by getting a park

19:24

to the net. Kind of like what we're

19:26

talking about were hold fires from straight away.

19:28

The park hits a stopper and doesn't get

19:30

all the way through. I don't think to

19:32

person in in goal kicks out to the

19:35

side is nature's coming around. the net finds

19:37

the rebound and throws it in and that's

19:39

just trying to what happens when you get

19:41

park so that you always have to create

19:43

a rebound but as to hit something and

19:45

you you give yourself the opportunity of if

19:47

you get a fortune about below. That a

19:49

park. Lox said if it finds a sticker a

19:51

guy you have a good look Because North Dakota

19:53

was doing a good job in zone of keeping

19:55

their six and passing lanes and shutting down missing

19:58

was trying to do on the site. One

20:00

end and not allowing Michigan to hold his

20:02

own for very long. So when you shoot

20:04

like that, sometimes you just get. Random.

20:07

Bounces that's get people out of position

20:09

because of or the pockets then good

20:11

or puck luck on this one does.

20:13

Nice little bounce and basically razors

20:16

come around the net and. It.

20:18

Looks really easy cousin it's pretty open but

20:20

from the angle he that it's not necessarily

20:22

the easiest because he's like almost that the

20:25

goal line and he's turning around and as

20:27

yeah. Swings. At and isn't that.

20:29

Seems that a couple of those like sharp

20:31

angle finishes this year and this was kind

20:33

of. Parfitt. Course in

20:35

that situation. com. And

20:38

then sort of the puck or bounces the

20:40

other direction as in Michigan. Can't get a

20:42

clear I think it was either. Do complexity

20:45

in the corners. tough to see who actually

20:47

had the puck the last by. they're trying

20:49

to get the park out and a course

20:51

of all people. Keaton Pearson grabs that right

20:53

along the boards near the blue line, drops

20:56

it. Fires. That at the net.

20:58

and Jackson Blake, the guy that we

21:00

discussed at length last week, gets his

21:02

stick out and gets of phenomenal redirect,

21:04

somehow getting a stick on it, directing

21:06

it down and purchased the I mean,

21:08

had no chance to mean that's just

21:10

a redirect, you just hope the pocket

21:12

it's you and it didn't It goes

21:14

in the nets and it's. To

21:17

one North Dakota about halfway through the

21:19

game and I think the thing there's

21:21

like you know, each team gets a

21:23

nice break off some puck luck. Michigan

21:25

scored the tired and then. North.

21:27

Go to take the lead again and the difference in the

21:29

game is this. You know that slow

21:31

start and bad break down early on and

21:33

in as the game went along up to

21:36

the third period? your kind of like you

21:38

know they're going up to go win this

21:40

thing now. and the reason why is because.

21:43

Canada. The. Same issue that they

21:45

had. That. those are really really

21:47

good deflection does epoch is going wide

21:49

of than that wide far side yeah

21:51

and then he manages to completely change

21:53

the direction and it goes back the

21:55

other way and saw it i thought

21:57

at the end of the second period

21:59

that Michigan had been playing, I thought

22:01

they played a pretty good second period.

22:04

I thought they were almost a little

22:06

unlucky to have been tied coming out of it,

22:08

you know, in that period. We want goals one to

22:10

one in it. But

22:12

it did feel like they were finding their feet

22:14

a little more and that they would have an

22:16

opportunity to tie the game. But it wasn't going

22:19

to be easy because North Dakota

22:21

was a really good team at

22:23

defending the front of their net and

22:25

suppressing shots and all that

22:27

kind of stuff. They were really, really good this

22:29

year closing out games. So it was going to

22:32

be a little bit of an uphill battle going

22:34

into the third. But they were starting to stack

22:36

better stretches of play on top of each other.

22:39

Yeah. And, you know, tying

22:41

back to what we were talking about earlier, I

22:44

think Michigan had about 14 or 15 shots, somewhere

22:46

like that, through the first two periods. And you're

22:48

like, you know, you just needed more on this

22:50

guy. You had to challenge him

22:52

a little bit more. North Dakota didn't have too many

22:54

more, but they also had the lead and were in

22:56

good shape, in good defense, protecting

22:58

their goalie. And

23:00

they're probably in a position that they would have taken at

23:03

the end of that period. And Michigan just took them a

23:05

little bit longer to get going. And they were kind of

23:07

paying for it at that time. Like you said, the

23:09

tide was starting to turn, but it was more like, well, but will

23:12

they run out of time? Yeah. Like

23:14

you want to be able to play two or three

23:16

periods at that level. And if

23:19

you can do that, you can usually overwhelm your

23:21

opponent and get more and better chances and score.

23:24

Because like you said, I didn't think North

23:26

Dakota had a ton of great opportunities, especially

23:28

in the second period. Well, mostly after that

23:30

initial charge in the beginning. No,

23:32

I mean, they weren't threatening it a whole

23:35

lot after those first five minutes. Michigan had

23:37

been really good defensively. So

23:40

then starting the third, it was, you know, this is

23:42

either going to be the period of the year or

23:44

they're going to go home. And it

23:46

was the period of the year up to that

23:48

point. And you

23:50

know, this starts with kind of what we

23:52

were talking about. There's a throw a puck

23:55

that just gets sort of thrown at the

23:57

net and Pearson Pierce. So They

23:59

have a defenseman. Pearson for used to

24:01

play for Michigan and they have a

24:03

goalie ah said or keaton person personally

24:05

never figured that one out. I thought

24:07

it was the same as the couch.

24:10

I. I that's what I have generally serve

24:12

at. That was when we went back and

24:14

forth on many times over the years and

24:16

never felt like we we should have just

24:19

called him Keaton the whole time. Like the

24:21

brunt of reason thing? we never figured it

24:23

out so didn't and Ludvig is where we'll

24:25

go with now. Ludvig as the goalie Keaton

24:27

as a Defenseman. So. Ludvig.

24:29

Makes a save and tries to clear

24:31

the puck away and hits Keaton in

24:33

the skate. And it goes in. To.

24:36

Tie the game is that's a pretty generous

24:38

interpretation of what happened there. Too generous. A

24:40

lot of the okay to put the trap

24:42

or on at what are you doing in

24:45

the supplies that this puck is rolling towards

24:47

him and he's like i'm just gonna kick

24:49

it right to. It. The for charging

24:51

players in front of my net. I mean

24:53

I I was. I didn't understand what he

24:55

was doing. their if you're gonna try and

24:58

clear that away from the net from here

25:00

to go like pool. full stick like put

25:02

it behind the net. but there's a two

25:04

players especially. but there's also two players behind

25:07

that. It's just the and and yeah Keaton

25:09

person that are. Charging.

25:11

Right at the net as that part is

25:13

rolling towards of the up and that's as

25:15

a situation or normally with the goal you

25:17

just fall on that thing. And to say.

25:20

I'm freezing this real quick now. He tries

25:22

to. Shove it away and shoves

25:24

it right into the guys crashing in front

25:26

of him and boom it goes else. I

25:28

was watching nanos ago what is he doing

25:30

and that's kind of. the point is like

25:33

this is what we wanted to make him

25:35

do with make him do things better than

25:37

this and see if he can. And when

25:39

they finally forced him to do that, Turns

25:42

out since and it ended up

25:44

tying the game via old friend

25:46

teton. However, you pronounce his lesson. So

25:49

it's to to you feel better that's like

25:52

city seconds into the third period. Zero. And

25:54

okay now we're back on level terms and

25:56

we've gotten. Service through

25:58

that. We. We. Even the game

26:00

out. After all of that you know roller

26:03

coaster he threw the first couple period. Let's

26:05

see if they can go in the game

26:07

and within about a minute and a half

26:09

they do it again. Tyler Duke does a

26:11

great job of holding the park in the

26:14

zone, creates a little bit of space. throws

26:16

at the net doesn't quite get the Ludvig

26:18

it hits a guy in front. I think

26:20

it hits Garrett shifty if I'm nominated and

26:23

he turns around and fires that on the

26:25

goalie in than it takes. Again, like just

26:27

perfect puck luck. bounce said the far side

26:29

and where'd. Tj Hughes's flying down the

26:31

wing, grabs it and throws it into

26:33

an open net. And that. You.

26:36

Know, it sounds very like you're teaching six year

26:38

olds, but it's why you take shots and you

26:41

put the puck on the net because that kind

26:43

of stuff can happen. Yup, and. Your

26:45

to your point. In a game

26:47

where team is playing really good defense

26:49

and this is gonna apply. In.

26:51

The next game hypothetically that they'd

26:53

win against State is. You.

26:56

May not be a good defense

26:58

or good goalie just by. With.

27:01

You we play all the time. Sometimes you

27:03

need to screen him. Like you said about

27:05

Augustine, sometimes the as a good defense you

27:07

just need to make everybody's angle sox because

27:10

you get up a different balance. And

27:12

that's what Michigan did in. So two and

27:15

half minutes into the third period you go

27:17

from being like or can they tie it

27:19

to oh my gosh, can we think time

27:21

for seventeen and fast minutes and make it

27:23

to the regional final? Arm. And

27:25

that's when like the play didn't stop there

27:27

and that's a big thing for Michigan to

27:29

is it's not like okay you know we

27:31

got took a few shots. And.

27:34

We got the game tied and we

27:36

took the lead. But. They're like. Can.

27:39

Now we're going to control the period.

27:41

We're going to shut this team down,

27:43

and we're going to add to it.

27:45

And I believe they got the first

27:47

eleven shots of the period yourself. So

27:49

they were fourteen to one at one

27:51

point in time in just in the

27:53

period. Yup, yeah, because I have about.

27:56

With about thirteen, thirty to go shots

27:58

were twenty four, seven. Edit:

28:00

The end of the. Second, They.

28:02

Were twenty four fifteen so Michigan you

28:04

had gotten nine shots to that point

28:06

in the period bout six have minutes

28:08

and North go to hadn't had any

28:10

and they don't really get a shot.

28:12

Ah, For a while. And.

28:16

About. Halfway through the game. it's twenty

28:18

six eighteen, so you just sort of

28:20

starting to see the first half of

28:22

the third period. North Dakota blows the

28:24

lead and then they can't even get

28:26

the park in. On. March

28:28

husky and. Of a

28:30

little over halfway through. Michigan adds

28:33

to their lead. or with you know,

28:35

maybe. One. Is the sweeter goals

28:37

of the year. As shifts he makes a

28:39

really nice. Sort. Of head pass

28:41

com A after his in the zone

28:44

to Tj Hughes who leads him with

28:46

it and Hughes just perfectly sauces the

28:48

the park over to Dell In in

28:51

the. Who finishes like right

28:53

on the other side of the nets

28:55

were usually is and it's for to

28:57

to and this was like this was

28:59

a Michigan goal. For. The first couple

29:02

goals you know they're not is it's not.

29:04

They're not used to sort of grinding out

29:06

trying to a garbage the stuff as much

29:08

they're used his skating, passing and just the

29:10

racing you up. and this is exactly that.

29:12

Yeah, this just a classic high

29:14

skill. High. School play great passing

29:16

and than and are nice shot from

29:18

Duke to finish it off over the

29:20

goalie and now you're up to goals

29:23

with eight minutes to go. You been

29:25

totally throttling this team the whole time

29:27

and and I was like okay time

29:29

differences, game off, lock it down and

29:31

let's move on. Him

29:33

they don't quite do that. I

29:36

because of good all friend Keaton.

29:38

Last. Name who. And.

29:42

We. Have talked about throughout the

29:44

year as saying you know, as

29:46

Michigan's in zone defense has struggled

29:48

at times we'd wondered, hey, What's.

29:51

He doing. ah we could use him

29:53

back as he was always or stay at home

29:55

guy who would kind of protect the front of

29:57

the net never really did much offensively look very

30:00

and you know that's sort of what

30:02

Michigan was missing. Well this

30:05

might have been his best offensive play of his

30:07

career. I don't remember him ever

30:09

doing anything similar like this when he

30:11

was at Michigan but

30:14

he takes the puck and just

30:16

sort of a la McArh Hughes just

30:18

goes around the net keeps skating, skating,

30:20

skating, skating back around into the slot

30:23

fires a chance forces a save from

30:25

Bartreski the puck kicks out right to

30:27

Jackson Coons who just he fills an

30:29

empty rebound in there

30:32

too and I think Bartreski might have gotten

30:34

over a little bit but like you

30:36

know that's just a really good play from

30:39

from Keaton just circling the net being

30:41

becoming very offensive and

30:43

creating a goal that way. Yeah

30:46

this was a really

30:48

nice play I thought Michigan this was

30:51

not a good shift from

30:53

them. Defensively? They were just really

30:55

sluggish. I mean they the

30:57

all five players are kind

30:59

of huddled around the slot and and Keaton

31:02

Pearson's able to have a lot of

31:04

room to zoom around and then snap

31:07

this shot and it just they they were on

31:09

their heels for about a minute leading up to

31:11

this couple shifts in a row and it

31:14

just kind of felt like it was something was

31:16

gonna bad was gonna happen if they couldn't turn

31:18

the tide. Well and it would

31:20

be Keaton Pearson in person because

31:23

that's just I mean that was what I wrote

31:25

in the preview is like he'll probably score the

31:27

overtime winner because he has one goal all year

31:29

instead he got two assists for North Dakota and

31:31

ended up scoring a goal for Michigan so

31:34

for his unofficial first three-point

31:36

game of his career I think. Yeah

31:38

some people didn't like Bartreski

31:41

on this one you know the

31:43

puck comes to the far side yeah he's

31:45

kind of over it sneaks between his like

31:47

elbow and side it this

31:49

was probably the worst goal he gave

31:51

up all weekend it still wasn't anything

31:53

particularly like horrible horrendous

31:55

yeah but he did have

31:58

a pretty legitimate chance on it. say

32:00

that. So it's four

32:02

to three and then

32:06

they go empty late in the game

32:08

and you and Bartjewski

32:10

has to make a couple of saves probably

32:12

the biggest saves that he's made in in

32:14

a while or like more dangerous saves that

32:16

he's had to make in a while because

32:18

you know North Dakota ramps up the pressure

32:20

that's how they get that third goal and

32:22

then they it's it's just sort of hang

32:24

on time for the last the

32:27

last few minutes and he does he makes a

32:29

really good save as the puck jumbles through about

32:31

two or three guys ends up on a fighting

32:34

Sue stick and he flips it up and and

32:37

Bartjewski's glove is right there and at that point you're

32:39

like okay I think maybe

32:42

maybe it might be our turn and

32:44

and we might have this and

32:47

I thought it was really key that he

32:49

played really well down the stretch and that

32:51

the defense held strong because those are things

32:53

that like for the majority of the year

32:55

you just see Michigan dominates games and they

32:57

give them away in the third and you

33:00

know there's been a lot more instances of

33:02

that lately where they've

33:05

had to hold on at the end and they've

33:08

done a pretty good job. Yeah

33:10

a little frantic final minute but Bartjewski

33:12

made a couple big saves. Tyler Duke

33:14

also had a great

33:17

shot block where the puck came

33:19

to the side and just throws his body in

33:21

front of it and eats. You

33:23

shouted him out in your league yesterday. Yeah

33:26

wind up right to the like chest I

33:28

mean that's that's what you want to see

33:30

guys putting their body on the line Bartjewski

33:32

made a couple big saves and that's what

33:34

sometimes it takes to finish these kinds of

33:37

games off you need every

33:39

little last bit of energy and

33:41

you need your goalie to really deliver in

33:43

those kinds of moments and he

33:45

did. Well that's why they say

33:48

like in the playoffs that you actually teams

33:50

actually play defense and block shots like that's

33:52

kind of the mantra and and that's kind

33:54

of like you said that's that's what Michigan

33:56

needed to do and they did and it

33:58

worked and they they beat Dakota

34:00

and that's not something we get to say a

34:02

whole lot. I mean, you know, they won that

34:04

big game in 2011 with one

34:06

of the major upsets of, you know, Michigan hockey

34:08

history. But other than that,

34:11

I think the last time they had beaten North Dakota was

34:13

back in 1998. And

34:16

that might have even been at Yost. So...

34:18

Something I had never gotten to say because

34:20

they never played North Dakota. Well...

34:24

Well, yeah, they I mean they've played them in the tournament in 16.

34:27

And North Dakota was a much better team than outlast

34:30

at that CCM line team.

34:33

And then they, you know, Michigan got run out of

34:35

the building a couple times in, I think, Fargo or

34:37

Grand Forks at North Dakota back in like 06 and

34:39

07. But

34:41

this was... It felt like,

34:43

okay, there's still a lot at play because you

34:45

have a regional final. But this was

34:48

like an accomplishment in and

34:50

of itself that needed to be appreciated

34:53

and celebrated. You know, when you beat

34:55

North Dakota in a tournament, that's not

34:57

something that happens a lot and you

34:59

need to give it its due. Is

35:03

there anything you wanted to say about the state Western

35:05

game before we move on to the regional final? Well,

35:07

two things. First of all, do you want to talk

35:09

about the fire Brad Berry

35:12

situation? What are you talking about? After,

35:15

if you follow, if you like clicked on

35:17

any... Because I follow the North Dakota guy.

35:19

That like Brad Elliott Schlossman guy who covers

35:21

them. Oh, like their beat guy? The Grand

35:23

Forks Herald and then if you

35:25

clicked on like the North Dakota hockey, like

35:27

final score and stuff. Like this

35:29

was a meltdown for North Dakota, like hockey

35:31

fans. They were furious about this game. About

35:34

this game or the way the season ended? This

35:37

game in particular, but they were all just

35:40

like, they wanted... They want the coach fired

35:42

Brad Berry. They want him gone. And... Why?

35:45

Are they Ohio State fans? Kind

35:47

of. I mean, they haven't made the Frozen Four since 2016.

35:50

Okay. So it's basically become

35:52

like this guy, he's a bum. He won

35:54

with the Hacks dolls players, but since he

35:57

became the, you Know, the, you know,

35:59

the real coach. Watch with his players. They

36:01

haven't made a frozen for they've won one

36:03

tournament game Ball ball ball ball ball. haven't

36:05

They done well in the and Chc. That

36:07

they've done really well. The Ncc Okay,

36:10

they haven't done as well the tournaments.

36:12

So it seems that in one of

36:14

college hockey largest fan bases, this coach

36:16

has garnered the tournament choker. Reputation.

36:20

As a thing. No, I don't really

36:22

think so. I mean I wrote type by

36:25

covered as briefly in my piece, but vs

36:27

he's finished first are tied for first the

36:29

Ncc for of the past five seasons. Which.

36:32

He not michigan hasn't done assess as

36:34

that. You know the last time they

36:36

did that. Like. Twenty Twelve A long

36:38

time ago? Yeah, so it's been twelve years

36:40

so should we have fired every one risk in

36:42

North Dakota? Tiny and Vs I guess I

36:44

guess Dakota does really well in the regular season

36:46

and than every year they just get. Some

36:49

what I'm lucky in this extremely random tournaments

36:51

and Michigan every year is kind of bad

36:53

and the first half than very good and

36:55

the second half it's not enough to win

36:57

in the regular season but then they to

36:59

start ripping off games in the playoffs are

37:01

know what any of that really means but.

37:04

I would personally not fire the coach

37:06

who's consistently winning the toughest conference in

37:08

college hockey. I mean, I would if

37:11

I would agree with that. These are

37:13

Node accents. They made the frozen for

37:15

three straight years. twice since it's expanded.

37:18

To. Sixteen teams. That's the

37:20

only program it's done to that two separate

37:22

times. That's pretty good. Often they win a

37:24

title and sixteen to evade did. And they

37:27

made the frozen for in my thing. Fourteen,

37:29

fifteen, sixteen. And they may it or five.

37:31

or six. or seven, or eight. So.

37:34

The point is, this is a fan

37:36

base that generally was accustomed. To.

37:38

Getting to travel to the Frozen for

37:40

quite frequently here and are very cranky

37:42

that that has not happened. Why?

37:44

Audible Presidencies. Now I understand

37:47

that, and I. I

37:49

don't. Like. i don't

37:51

disagree with ceiling frustrated with that because

37:53

you know there is a level of

37:55

pay were one of the best teams

37:57

in college hockey we could at least

37:59

make one frozen for every cycle or

38:01

whatever. There's something to be said for

38:03

that, but that's why you

38:05

and I always say that this

38:07

tournament sucks and the format

38:09

is awful. If you want

38:11

to have a real playoffs, you

38:14

should change it and give more power

38:16

to teams that have earned it. That's

38:20

probably my guess is what North Dakota

38:22

fans are feeling, but you

38:24

get emotional and you say things like that

38:26

because it's frustrating and then you hopefully calm

38:28

down and you don't get fired by your

38:31

guy that keeps hanging conference banners.

38:33

I mean, I don't know. I

38:36

would like it if Michigan would win one of those. That

38:38

would be great, but I don't know.

38:41

Sometimes it's just there are competing goals and it works

38:43

out and sometimes it doesn't, I suppose. Yeah,

38:46

the other thing is the Michigan

38:48

State Western game. That was a wild

38:50

game. They were a really

38:52

high event game. That first

38:55

period I think ended one nothing last turn.

38:57

It felt like there could have been five. State scored first. No,

39:00

Western scored first. Then you went up

39:02

to one. But

39:04

it ended one nothing and it felt like there could have been five

39:06

goals in that first period. There was a

39:08

lot going on and you were just kind of like, well,

39:10

there's going to be a lot more goals scored in this

39:12

game. And then state went up to one in the second

39:14

and I was sort of like, well, okay, they're probably going

39:16

to pull away. Maybe they're going to get the control of

39:18

this. And then Western scored three in like eight minutes. A

39:21

couple, they had two point shot goals. They had

39:23

one that bounced in on the power play and

39:26

they had one other goal in there too

39:29

and they're up four to two and they

39:31

killed off that MSU power play to end

39:33

the second period. And it was kind

39:35

of like, wow, Western is in really good control of this.

39:37

And then the third period, they're all over

39:39

MSU for the first eight

39:42

and a half minutes. And then

39:44

MSU's first shot of the period goes in.

39:47

And it's kind of like, wow,

39:49

this is the way it is.

39:53

But then I thought Western did a pretty good job Over

39:56

those next about nine or so

39:58

minutes. It had on

40:00

a good looks and like the one they

40:02

did camera was able to keep it clean

40:04

and then am as you polls the goalies

40:06

west or had gonna like one look on

40:08

and that well why it wasn't a great

40:10

work but they were know they were close

40:12

and then I don't know how that tying

40:14

goal happens. Hygiene how do you

40:16

collapsing on gets down? The board's right and

40:19

creator I am in his. really this is

40:21

a great play from him. all that stuff

40:23

but how are you giving up? Say. A

40:26

rush goal, In. Six on fire with

40:28

a minute to go. I mean he just he

40:31

can sec. Why is one guy not stapled to?

40:33

This is lot at all times as and their

40:35

coverage is so bad. down the wing everybody goes

40:37

selection of and he slips into the fraud and

40:39

taps as a society. it's just a panic right?

40:42

I because they had shut down state for a

40:44

lot of the period there and then all of

40:46

a sudden in the last minute everybody's freaking out.

40:48

You eat. Six on Five is slightly different, converges

40:50

and you have you don't open net that you're

40:53

like we can just get it, it's over. In

40:55

like Pete eateries, it's hard to. There.

40:57

Is there's a mental aspect? A lot of the

40:59

stuff that you know isn't. Attributed through

41:01

numbers and and it's just

41:03

hard to. These. Things happen

41:06

because. The flights get a little bit

41:08

brighter at times. And. And over

41:10

time was pretty. Damning. Did you

41:12

think that western was gonna win? In one

41:14

thing with overtime generally not, I don't.

41:16

I don't tend to expect those kinds

41:19

of things in a we often think

41:21

that one a team blows the late

41:23

lead the they're just gonna fold up

41:25

or whatever. But would you and I

41:27

talked about at the end of the

41:30

famous genre of these as people always

41:32

refer to with as the Zola Kuiken

41:34

when the Devils ties the Ninety Ninety

41:36

Four Eastern Conference Finals Game seven, the

41:39

Athletes Sixteen Seconds last year and then

41:41

the Rangers the one in overtime Monster

41:43

Sam Atos. Go on the oh no one. He.

41:46

Others, It's also a zachary say in

41:48

the Gold medal game between us and

41:50

can't there's a whole genre of dramatic

41:52

game Tying: Goal: six on five. That

41:54

didn't matter because. The. team that

41:56

was leading one anyway so it does

41:58

happen that's the point But this

42:00

felt different because it felt like state

42:03

was the like they're

42:05

the one seed. They're the team you were sort

42:07

of expected Yeah, yeah, and also just like MS

42:09

even getting all the bounces. So then it was

42:11

just kind of Waiting for the next

42:13

one unsurprising that

42:16

ultimately And

42:18

as the way it usually goes is it's just kind of

42:20

garbage. Yeah, just thrown at the net

42:23

Weird balance goes in welcome

42:25

to overtime We have

42:27

some breaking news. We're not recording Okay,

42:31

we can split it at the end of

42:33

it Jimmy Snuggeroo back to Minnesota what he

42:36

has been Sufficiently n I l'd

42:39

is that what it that what it says as with

42:41

the Gopher he's a first Well, I mean, I guess

42:44

the blues are like the Gopher people are bragging about

42:46

on the internet. It's good for college hockey It's good

42:48

for college hockey. I kind of wonder like

42:50

this just seems to happen to miss I don't know

42:52

where they just get all their players for like three

42:54

and four years Well, I think they have a pretty

42:56

good in I'll program would be my yeah, maybe Michigan

42:59

should I mean part of it is that

43:01

when your football team is ass and you're very cool team

43:03

is ass then You can spend all

43:05

that I know money. Oh, that's one of those is

43:07

true for Michigan No,

43:09

except dusty is Working like

43:12

crazy to get the NIL what it sounds

43:14

like so well if you want wasn't maybe

43:16

that's wise It sounded like he

43:18

wasn't from what I could tell he was complaining

43:20

that he wasn't getting anybody wasn't You

43:22

know bowing down and kissing the

43:24

donors and if you were a donor, would you

43:26

want to be kissed? Probably

43:30

non Stay

43:32

away from me ballast have the update that dusty

43:34

showed up to work last week at 4 30

43:36

in the morning one day I mean is

43:38

he couldn't sleep? Couldn't

43:41

sleep. Let me get him some melatonin. He's

43:43

all I can say is that he sounds

43:45

like a real grindset guy Well

43:48

every minute that he's awake. He is Working

43:51

to be good at coaching basketball. That's

43:53

good, right? It's not bad Unless

43:55

you know it induces burnout, but it's

43:58

47. Yeah, it's relative young you still

44:00

got a few years before he

44:03

loves ball what can you say if

44:11

you find yourself in the penalty box you want

44:13

a Michigan man arguing your case call

44:15

for the little law attorney in former prosecutor

44:17

John King called tonight it's 248 at

44:20

949 and 458 or visit his old website

44:22

at michiganlawgrad.com you

45:30

going into Sunday's

45:33

Easter dinner showdown this was arguably maybe

45:40

the biggest

45:49

Michigan State Michigan hockey

45:52

game in rivalry history sure

45:55

sure I I Don't

45:58

know the history there I Have a. Well enough. but

46:00

will they ever played the turret? I'm had

46:03

an aeroplane, the tournaments, oh that seems like

46:05

a fairer estimation. I mean there's probably been

46:07

games, but the steaks it ever been

46:09

higher stakes are definitely not been higher. And.

46:12

Both teams were. Which are.

46:14

Are legit. The. It

46:16

wasn't like. Sort. Of a fluke of

46:19

like whoa whoa. You know one team is like

46:21

barely scraping and and isn't a very good team

46:23

and the other team is like really good and

46:25

this was like a high and match up that.

46:28

Didn't. Have like a heavy favorite

46:30

job. And. You. Know

46:32

we've seen that in basketball a number of

46:34

times. Not necessarily I or of Mr. Mrs

46:36

ever played nancy a tournament that. Is.

46:39

Nodded. My and basket fandom yeah

46:41

that I know, I was doubted. the I:

46:43

it's it's it's early part. hard to please

46:45

Someone tell me to could have been years

46:47

ago narrated by get to Happen Late you

46:50

know and In and Football. They've never played

46:52

in the post season in any way. By

46:54

all of football games are sort of different,

46:56

They're all like an entity. A surprise if

46:58

they played in a bowl game plan. Why

47:02

meat? Or even like a conference final game?

47:04

They definitely have done that. Yes, and we

47:06

we know that's so. This is like. That.

47:09

Was I will say that. There

47:11

were a couple basketball matchups. They played

47:13

the Big Ten Championship Game and toy

47:16

nineteen guess that was how big that

47:18

was. Really big, yeah and one such

47:20

as risk and lead like the whole

47:22

game until the last three minutes. That

47:24

was Does Simpson against ah, a cashless

47:26

Winston game. Or. There were a lot

47:29

of those will but those Michigan had the

47:31

southwest of with. We played him in the

47:33

semifinals the previous year and miss can pm

47:35

here and then that year and messoud beaten

47:37

missed him twice including in Brooklyn to win

47:39

the regular season crown fear and it was

47:41

like okay now this is our chance for

47:43

revenge and they lead the whole way and

47:45

then. The Up: Unraveled saw that

47:47

there was this. You know their been some

47:50

good matchups but this one felt. This

47:52

was as big as it gets so

47:55

the first thing was like a when

47:57

saw the truck to the rink in

47:59

this. This time when a lot smoother

48:01

because we took the north route and

48:04

went around. Wrote

48:06

fewer hillsides and grass tumbling. Thera

48:08

still on but thought it went.

48:10

It went a lot better. Anyway,

48:12

the first thing here, we. We.

48:14

Went we are the arena and I just

48:17

go like are you put my bag down

48:19

as just like booking it up to the

48:21

media room and looking at the. At.

48:23

The line chart and are like you know, do I

48:25

see twenty six and know and you're just gonna let

48:28

your heart sinks because you're like. I mean

48:30

you feel for the kids because I'm in

48:32

his bed and you know as good a

48:35

player's mission has had all year. He's a

48:37

tremendous talent, especially in college hockey. In terms

48:39

of. Years Guys

48:41

that we haven't really seen a lot

48:43

play that way and this is you

48:45

know, the biggest game of the season

48:47

and like as you don't media. Fans.

48:50

All that kind of thing like you want

48:52

to see him play this game if you

48:54

want this is these are games are made

48:56

on the backs of like these kinds of

48:58

players that you wanna see the. Yeah. And

49:01

of course, no, no Casey. And you know

49:03

that a lot of extra added responsibility for

49:05

Luca and Holsters are both can have to

49:08

play a lot more. and you don't get

49:10

Casey on the powerplay, which you know ended

49:12

up being probably the biggest deal. But.

49:16

You know the positive thing as talk and some before

49:18

the game is a like. While you know myshkin just

49:20

be. North Dakota without him for

49:23

two periods of and Luca and

49:25

Holt said to play a lot

49:27

in that game. So. It's

49:29

disappointing but the on here we are

49:31

in. Injuries happen and. You.

49:33

Know they got most their guys back. It does, other than

49:35

Hallam, you know they were pretty pretty healthy for the second

49:38

half of the year. I.

49:40

Wasn't sure what to think like. this. felt

49:42

like the North Dakota game where you're like

49:44

ah me like to them winning the game.

49:47

But. I don't think they were. You

49:50

know, up a I don't I don't I didn't I didn't

49:52

think that they were like favorite. The

49:54

I didn't feel particularly great going in.

49:57

Just as you had gotten

49:59

it was. It was funny

50:02

because I was messaging. With.

50:04

Jerry rare on Friday night after the

50:06

North Dakota game and I was like

50:09

hey, I don't feel particularly great because

50:11

it just feels like Emma is getting

50:13

old. Bounces cut his team a destiny

50:15

right now and then He was like

50:17

idols overtake the great because we've been

50:20

getting all the bells. That's

50:24

not actually that's gonna run out. So yeah.

50:26

But when I mean you know you gotta

50:28

win three more games, has any? Keep it

50:30

up for mean? you know what I mean?

50:32

It's yeah. by the I, you could take it

50:34

both ways. I think. Got. It. I

50:36

just think that when you go into a

50:38

game like that. The. One thing that

50:41

sort of gives you a little

50:43

bit extra is knowing if you

50:45

have. The. Better goaltender. Yep

50:48

and. You mean that was the

50:50

Lightning, right? I mean, they were good teams,

50:52

but for a long stretches they go in

50:54

the play offs and generally speaking when you're

50:56

lining up at the national anthem and looking

50:58

across the people on the other side. You're.

51:00

thinking. Good. Luck be our guy.

51:03

And. All we need is a couple and you guys

51:05

are done. Definitely gives the players

51:07

a lot of confidence as they can

51:09

feel that way about their goal and

51:11

that the thing that just you know

51:14

I'm not saying the bar, just he

51:16

is not a good goalie Any played

51:18

really well against North Dakota. but I

51:20

mean Tray Augustine showed up against Michigan

51:22

for three four games this year and

51:24

played really really well and. You're

51:27

both teams. I think you're Michigan is. Was.

51:29

Definitely peaking. So you like that you like

51:31

where have they been playing going into it

51:34

but I don't know courses this is just

51:36

try to seems to god and some people

51:38

that. Just. It's. Emphasis

51:41

is again and word. Didn't feel

51:43

particularly great going and given what

51:45

we have seen, but every game

51:47

is individual and you never really

51:49

know. I was thinking going into

51:51

this that Michigan would have the

51:53

advantage with. Fewer. Penalties I

51:55

thought. I'm. Yeah.

51:58

If if the game was. Called. Just.

52:01

Five on Five I your the game

52:03

is played and and called. Like.

52:05

Tournament games had been that we

52:08

expected. Although

52:10

Michigan had really owns the specialties

52:12

battle against him as uses season.

52:14

He our com. But.

52:16

Without. Casey then and means

52:19

is that it will it out and

52:21

I've maybe. So. The

52:23

funny part is this was not

52:25

called perfect. The game that we

52:27

were expecting there were at Michigan

52:30

ended up with five power plays

52:32

and I believe that state had

52:34

what three from. Not mistaken.

52:36

Yeah, they are three. So the

52:38

game actually starts with ah, a good

52:40

chance for Michigan that they don't convert

52:43

on And right right after that are

52:45

Michigan State gets there first. Powerplay,

52:48

Pretty soon in and your car like okay well

52:50

here we go I remember you know and I

52:52

I talk to you and you'd mentioned you know

52:54

I think earnest He entered this only two minutes

52:56

into the game. And it looked like

52:58

he was tripped and nothing was called and.

53:01

I was like okay like I wasn't upset about that.

53:03

I was like this is this is how are the

53:05

games can be called and then the hook they call

53:07

on brindley as like. Wait, What was your

53:09

colleagues that? but you're not calling the trip. It

53:12

was every odd to call that those are two

53:14

different times a game. This right there to that

53:16

quickly into the game and I thought Michigan did

53:18

a pretty good job on that on that penalty

53:21

kill for the most part. like they got a

53:23

minute to to ninety seconds in in seat, didn't

53:25

have a tonic think purchased good to make Lincoln

53:27

a one save with the posts. But

53:30

then you know shot just gets taken

53:32

from api believe it was Matt bad

53:35

call that that let it go and

53:37

he oh Gavin O'connell. Redirect:

53:39

Sit down and in. I'm.

53:42

right? At the cross bar may be a

53:44

thick above. But. It was

53:46

so was like really hard to tell.

53:48

I I think if you said it

53:50

wasn't as the cross bar then obviously

53:52

you'd say it was high. It was

53:54

definitely no it wasn't if I was

53:56

lower. yeah yeah they're added or slightly

53:58

above and it was. Pretty hard to

54:00

tell what I felt like. Ah, they just

54:02

weren't going to overturn that one. know? I

54:05

think that the call a nice was going

54:07

to stand. And. Are

54:09

you know I? I think the I would. Agree.

54:12

With that because I I e O'brien mentioned

54:14

this in in we've talked but this like

54:16

you you like offensive plays like you don't

54:18

wanna. if anything borderline like you know baseball

54:20

it's high goes to the runner. Like.

54:23

I'm okay. With. The often sort

54:25

of getting. That you don't wanna

54:27

take that kind of stuff off the board

54:29

unless it's obvious, in my opinion. Would.

54:31

You say? Yeah, I think that's

54:34

the right way to put an end.

54:36

Michigan challenges it would you? Cancer? Liquid.

54:38

Yet when they challenge that, are you like

54:41

yeah, let's do it because it's really early

54:43

has his early. I think it's definitely played

54:45

a factor because than there were some opportunities

54:47

to challenge for majors later that they. Weren't

54:51

gonna be able to divert liquid, you, would you

54:53

tell it? I mean we'd watch a few major

54:55

challenges all weekend and their mean. Eating.

54:57

Anything I did, the theoretical major, anything.

55:00

There. Was a major in the B C R I

55:02

T aims so. Well. Or RBC

55:05

tech, but ah, I don't always

55:07

it's early in a game you're

55:09

challenging eight if for a goal

55:11

which is in all the right

55:13

idea to. It just when I

55:15

left. Replay. Period. I think you definitely do. Yeah,

55:17

I looked at the Alex The Replant. I'm just

55:19

like, I don't think they're one in this like.

55:21

It just doesn't seem. Like

55:24

even if they're right even if mathematically

55:26

it's sorta like the Goose when you

55:28

look review offsides and soccer and they

55:30

have the graphics that come down the

55:32

guys like for hairs offside you like

55:34

outdoor offside you know like that was

55:36

not happening that saw how this works.

55:38

it's like your eye balling. it really

55:41

has pretty close protect our and it

55:43

went. Pretty. Quickly I think so

55:45

states up on the powerplay One

55:47

Zero. Not the start you're looking

55:49

for physicists. Ah, now you're Now

55:51

you're gonna have to go out

55:53

beat Augustine and some your Michigan

55:55

gets a power play. A.

55:57

Little bit later, After.

56:00

Elbowing call by need House where would

56:02

you now with this? would you look

56:04

at this as maybe like challenging for

56:06

the major cause like it looked like

56:08

he hit at was one of several

56:10

times that I thought the skin could

56:13

have challenge for a major if they

56:15

had not done the early one. Thea

56:17

they do get a power play here

56:19

and it's actually ends up being a

56:21

for on three because they were matching

56:23

panel these before that and. Sir.

56:26

Now you have an interesting situation without Casey. So who

56:28

do they put up top on a for on three.

56:31

And. They it ends up being Brinley. Which.

56:33

I thought was. I was.

56:35

I was watching that and I was

56:37

wondering if they had ever the entire

56:39

season practice to for foul for forward

56:41

for on three powerplay. Ah,

56:44

I mean if you have limited practice time,

56:46

I don't know why that would have is

56:48

I doubted that they have, right? I don't

56:50

I mean it would have to be Edwards

56:52

and right like you're not. You're. Not

56:54

putting trust got up there a maybe war and

56:56

but weren't as a really played. A

56:59

ton of. Powerplay, Minute know

57:01

be edwards, are you at? yeah yeah you'd have

57:03

to com and it but he had really play

57:05

a lot of powerplays. I music is obviously missed

57:07

the first half of the Caesar. So

57:09

Brinley up top and they just didn't. The

57:12

puck movement wasn't the same. I mean they

57:14

moved it a little by. didn't really get

57:16

the at one. Good. Back

57:19

door locked that Augustine got over

57:21

and saved but. Nothing.

57:23

That was the A We. Come

57:25

to see as much I the

57:27

game was relatively even. From

57:30

there I think you know about little

57:32

over halfway through the game or Africa

57:34

first period. it's the shots. About nine

57:36

a Michigan com. Feel. They get

57:38

a chance on Augustine and from straight away

57:40

that looks like he sneaks through and need

57:42

just get something on it deflects that high.

57:45

It just seemed like he was gonna be

57:47

one of those sort a low scoring games.

57:49

They're going to have to figure out a

57:51

way to. Be a

57:53

move inside the side or get a screen

57:55

Something that was not just gonna beat him

57:57

straight up. Yeah. i i

57:59

thought the early power plays for Michigan

58:01

were not nearly as good as the

58:03

later ones. I thought they started to

58:05

find traction later on, but this

58:08

one it was kind of disappointing that they didn't really

58:10

get a lot on it. Well in the second one

58:12

then that overlaps the period, so at the end of

58:14

the first period it's 1-0 Michigan

58:17

State, but Michigan had a

58:19

minute of power play on each side of the

58:21

period break and this was the worst, this might

58:23

have been their worst power play. Sam's

58:26

giving up a shorthand goal. This was probably

58:28

their worst power play of the season as I

58:30

don't even think they got, they

58:32

got the puck in the zone, but I don't think they

58:34

ever had control in the zone and

58:37

that was just done.

58:41

The next thing that I found that was interesting pretty soon

58:43

after that was that Michigan State

58:45

got a 3-on-2 odd man rush and

58:48

that was the first odd man rush and

58:50

I believe the only one that they gave

58:52

up in the entire regional, which

58:54

was kind of a big deal I thought.

58:56

I mean that's a good way to get

58:58

broken down, that's something Michigan had struggled with

59:01

at times, not just throughout the year, but

59:03

over the past few years and it probably

59:05

has to do with you know some style

59:07

of play obviously, but they were very very

59:09

good defensively in transition all weekend.

59:13

Yeah this one was one that

59:16

you definitely kind of thought they got

59:18

away with because you saw it develop

59:20

and it was like oh boy if

59:22

this, yeah, if they can score

59:24

here then the game really begins to shift

59:28

and it just gets fired high and wide

59:30

and then in the

59:32

grand scheme no one will really remember it

59:34

because that's how hockey goes. Yes

59:39

so you know I thought Michigan did a

59:41

pretty good job after that of like getting

59:43

a couple of chances and

59:46

then they get their own 3-on-2 that ends

59:49

up tying the game and nice play in

59:51

to get the puck out of the zone and

59:55

you get a rush going the other way.

59:57

TJ Hughes gets it up and out, gets

59:59

over over to Dylan Duke on the boards and

1:00:02

Edwards fills in the

1:00:04

slot. Duke hits him and then Edwards

1:00:07

is alone and just beats Augustine on

1:00:09

a nice transition opportunity with a pretty

1:00:11

solid shot that just was

1:00:14

well placed. Edwards doing his

1:00:16

job of reprising Casey's

1:00:18

roll, jumping up on this

1:00:20

play. And what

1:00:23

I like the most about this is he didn't catch

1:00:25

and shoot. He just wound up

1:00:27

and snapped it real quick and

1:00:29

didn't really give Augustine any time

1:00:32

to get set up. And he was there and

1:00:34

I mean, this thing is just a missile right

1:00:36

just boom. So

1:00:38

it's one one and you're feeling a little

1:00:41

bit better. And then right after that Michigan gets a,

1:00:43

uh, essentially a breakaway as

1:00:45

it, I think

1:00:47

it was Moldenhauer who gets in to the, to

1:00:52

Augustine's right forces a save. The puck comes

1:00:54

back to the left. I think I said

1:00:56

that Rutger missed. I believe that was Rutger

1:00:58

and it might've been Moldenhauer. It was, it

1:01:00

was Rutger. I think that missed

1:01:02

on the open. Was it? It was, I

1:01:05

thought it was. And then, and then on the

1:01:07

replay, it looked like it was Brindley. I believe

1:01:09

it was Rutger. Maybe I can pull this up.

1:01:11

But the, but the, oh, but the puck comes

1:01:13

across after that chance sits on

1:01:15

the opposite side as, you know, a

1:01:17

good play by Augustine to shut down

1:01:19

the, you know, essential breakaway. And

1:01:22

then it looked like it

1:01:24

was Rutger real a lot in, in real

1:01:27

time. And he just, I mean, the puck is

1:01:29

there. There's a guy that's behind him, but he

1:01:31

has a chance to get his stick on it and

1:01:33

the net is open and he just whiffs

1:01:36

and that's the chance.

1:01:38

So you're like, if they lose this game, like

1:01:40

that's the one where you're like, man, that, that

1:01:43

changes everything. If that goes in. Yeah. It was

1:01:45

just sitting there and they just

1:01:47

couldn't. Well, and it wasn't the

1:01:49

game of like a ton of high danger chances. And

1:01:52

so this was like, you finally got, you, you

1:01:54

tied the game and here's your chance for the lead, sort

1:01:56

of like what happened against North Dakota and he just sits

1:01:58

right there. And you

1:02:00

know, sometimes that happens. Michigan

1:02:03

does get another power play after

1:02:05

that. So I mean, now we're starting, the calls

1:02:07

are starting to add up. Something that I, again,

1:02:09

wasn't expecting this game to be called this way.

1:02:13

And this time they have Edwards in it

1:02:15

at the top. It seems like this,

1:02:18

this was a five on four. So I just

1:02:20

pulled it up. The shot was taken by Rucker.

1:02:22

The whiff was by Brinley. Okay.

1:02:24

Yeah. So it wasn't even mold

1:02:26

an hour. No. No. It

1:02:28

was, apparently. So

1:02:31

they get their power play and they

1:02:33

have one really good chance. They, I've seen them

1:02:36

convert on this a couple of times this year

1:02:38

where they go boards, low slot. You talked about

1:02:40

this, this is like a good change up. They

1:02:42

love that play. Yep. And Augustine

1:02:44

just makes a really good save. That's about all they got.

1:02:48

Just couldn't, the power play just

1:02:50

was not, it's just not the same without

1:02:52

Casey. He just, he makes a five on

1:02:54

four sometimes into a five on three by

1:02:56

making a guy miss, getting people out of

1:02:58

position, creating open spaces. And they

1:03:00

just didn't really have that for the most part.

1:03:03

Yeah. It was a

1:03:06

bit of a slog, but at the very least

1:03:08

they did get one look on that power play,

1:03:10

which was an upgrade on the previous couple. Yep.

1:03:14

So about halfway through, a little after halfway through

1:03:16

the game, it's shots from 1914 Michigan. So

1:03:19

they're kind of taking control in terms of

1:03:21

like creating a lot of creating

1:03:23

chances. But Augustine to this point is living

1:03:25

up to his billing and you're just like,

1:03:28

you know, they're going to need either something

1:03:30

special or, you know, like

1:03:32

you talk about a screen, a nice

1:03:34

bounce, something like that, because, you know,

1:03:36

it's probably going to be a pretty

1:03:38

tight game down to the end and

1:03:40

how always tough to go against

1:03:42

a really good goaltender like that. Yeah.

1:03:45

I thought Michigan had the control of

1:03:47

the game through the first 15 minutes

1:03:50

of the second period. And then

1:03:52

I thought MSU closed the period really strong.

1:03:54

They got that power play. Yep. And

1:03:57

that really, they didn't score on it, but

1:03:59

Barchewski was. forced to make a couple really

1:04:01

big saves. And then they built

1:04:03

off that and they really took the momentum

1:04:05

from that to tilt the ice those last few

1:04:08

minutes at five on five. And then it

1:04:10

kind of felt like, okay, it was good to get

1:04:12

into the locker room and settle this back down. So

1:04:15

one thing I wanted to ask you about, because I

1:04:17

didn't really seen this a ton, but Luca

1:04:20

made a really nice zone exit missing the guy

1:04:22

that was supposed to either check him or take

1:04:24

the puck away. And he gets out and looks

1:04:26

like it's gonna be a three on two. And

1:04:28

Michigan has their two wingers and the two defensemen

1:04:31

for state. And Luca comes in and just from

1:04:34

basically the neutral zone, just fires the

1:04:36

puck deep. That was on a penalty

1:04:38

kill, right? I

1:04:40

thought it was not on a penalty kill.

1:04:42

I thought it was still- Was it on

1:04:44

five on five? I thought it was five

1:04:46

on five. Now, maybe he was

1:04:48

trying to bank pass off

1:04:50

the end boards to a

1:04:52

guy, to the winger on the side.

1:04:54

The one thought I had in that was it's

1:04:56

a period of long change. And

1:05:00

I don't think at the

1:05:03

end of the world, if you're being a little more

1:05:05

conservative in the period of long change, you just wanna

1:05:08

chip and get fresh bodies out there. I just hadn't

1:05:10

seen, cuz it was clear that it

1:05:12

was gonna be a three on two cuz he

1:05:14

makes the guy- Michigan generally likes to attack off

1:05:16

the rush and that's what they prioritize. It was

1:05:18

definitely a little odd in that way. But again,

1:05:20

I'm not gonna go screaming because of just

1:05:23

get fresh bodies out there. These

1:05:25

are tight checking games. This one

1:05:28

was pretty low scoring. Not

1:05:30

the end of the world to be a little

1:05:32

more conservative. So for the second period break in

1:05:34

a row, Michigan gets to wrap a penalty or

1:05:36

power play as Lev Shannov takes a call and

1:05:38

after the whistle call that I think they baited

1:05:40

him into. I thought this was a bit of

1:05:42

a dive for Warren personally. A

1:05:46

KG veteran move? Yeah, Lev

1:05:48

Shannov has to be smarter because he's the

1:05:50

one that comes in from afar and joins

1:05:53

the fray after it's already been set up.

1:05:55

And at the end of the day,

1:05:57

if you come in and join and then a guy ends

1:05:59

up knocked over. and hits the ref as he's

1:06:01

getting knocked over, you're just going to get called

1:06:03

in that situation. But Warren, I thought, went down

1:06:05

pretty easily there and Michigan got a

1:06:07

call out of it. Yeah,

1:06:09

so they get some power play time at

1:06:11

the beginning of the, or the end of

1:06:14

the second. Dylan Duke gets a

1:06:16

couple of chances in tight, nothing that was

1:06:18

like, screaming wide open or anything

1:06:20

like that. But he had a couple good

1:06:22

looks and Augustine made the saves

1:06:24

and then he had another chance that went just

1:06:26

wide at the start of the

1:06:28

third. You

1:06:30

know, I was after two, I was

1:06:33

kind of sitting there talking to

1:06:35

somebody and, you know, I felt good

1:06:38

in terms of the game. I thought, like you said, Michigan

1:06:40

played, for the most part, outplayed them

1:06:42

in the period. At the end, it kind of got

1:06:44

a little bit loose, but you're also coming off of,

1:06:46

you know, a really good third period and you hope

1:06:49

that the team recognizes that and is like, hey, we

1:06:51

just did this and there's

1:06:53

a lot at stake here and we need to come out and

1:06:55

have the third period of the year. I wasn't

1:06:58

feeling great, personally. No. Again,

1:07:01

it just was like, Augustine had played

1:07:03

really well up to that point and

1:07:05

it just kind of was like, I don't

1:07:07

know, this

1:07:09

has the feel of we're gonna. The

1:07:11

team of Destiny. Yeah, it just feels like

1:07:13

we're gonna put 45 shots on Augustine and

1:07:15

he'll save 44 of them and

1:07:17

then MSU will score on a, you know, quadruple

1:07:20

deflection in this. This is kind of the way

1:07:22

it's gone recently. Yeah. And again, the way it

1:07:24

was kind of, to some degree, going up to

1:07:26

that point, just because he'd been really sharp and

1:07:28

it was kind of like, what are we gonna

1:07:30

do to break this guy down? Yep.

1:07:33

So, you know, they, like I said, they

1:07:35

just come off their best third period of

1:07:38

the year. They're gonna need another repeat performance

1:07:40

and essentially that's what they got and maybe

1:07:42

even upped it. State

1:07:45

had a chance early that, you know, forced Barzo into

1:07:47

a really nice shoulder save. That was kind of a

1:07:49

tough chance that he kind of shoveled

1:07:51

to the side and then we

1:07:54

get sort of the one of the bigger,

1:07:56

I Don't know, highlights

1:07:58

for the defenseman, I thought. The I'm.

1:08:00

You know, we'd kind of bagged a little

1:08:03

bit on war and interest got all year

1:08:05

is they'd sort of struggled to play together.

1:08:07

They struggled in their own zone at times.

1:08:09

it's you know, neither one had done a

1:08:11

ton offensively and your i carry for not

1:08:13

going to do a ton of gotta be

1:08:15

great your own zone. they weren't always and.

1:08:17

You. Know to see them be able to connect

1:08:20

on this call was it was sort of

1:08:22

cathartic and a lot of ways. I'm. Just

1:08:24

makes a really nice play on the boards

1:08:27

to get the puck up to Trust. Got

1:08:29

trust got from I thought was more the

1:08:31

center but he was actually over closer to

1:08:33

the left. Point spots war and cheating down

1:08:35

on the right side. hits him below the.war

1:08:37

in collects and beats Augustine to the post

1:08:40

and it was just a really cool moment

1:08:42

to see Trust got worn connect on that

1:08:44

particular goal. The. Unsung hero. This

1:08:46

players the screen in front by

1:08:48

Dylan Duke because it. When.

1:08:51

Know truck outs up high doing as well

1:08:53

given go with shifts key. Augustine.

1:08:56

Is trying to get around the screen and trying

1:08:58

to see what's going on. and that. Leaves.

1:09:00

Him like a half second late to

1:09:03

recognize the past. And it's coming on

1:09:05

the diagonal right. and so. This.

1:09:07

Goes in on the far post and it's

1:09:10

only able to go in it's as low

1:09:12

along the ice. It's only able to go

1:09:14

him because augustine not over and time and

1:09:16

is not quite over because he's just a

1:09:18

little late tracking it because of the screen

1:09:20

and just got sets up the name in

1:09:23

a mood, the war and especially. I've.

1:09:25

Been praising. His off puck

1:09:27

reads for a little while. yeah I and

1:09:29

the offensive zone. it seems they last few

1:09:31

weeks every a gamer to he got one

1:09:33

moment or he makes hello caught in the

1:09:35

ice door. Which game was a was am

1:09:38

as you game on that was he scored

1:09:40

in that one of the previous week but

1:09:42

he also had a chance one of those

1:09:44

weeks. Real. And tight as well

1:09:46

where he colic cut to the slot and then

1:09:48

shouted into the goalies just but he just been

1:09:50

china. Sliding. Down a little

1:09:53

bit, rotating around looking to get

1:09:55

himself open and get in, then

1:09:57

opportunities and. I'm he does that

1:09:59

here. The Gop and the

1:10:01

Goal and it felt like okay,

1:10:03

this is what we need it.

1:10:05

He's been really good for probably

1:10:07

a month, six weeks sour that

1:10:09

stretch, and I think that has

1:10:12

been a lot of the resurgence

1:10:14

of Michigan's T. V. still has

1:10:16

his occasional issues against Russia's disease,

1:10:18

not really superfast. By. Everything

1:10:20

in zones be really good and again

1:10:22

as movement in the all fences zone

1:10:24

has been been really good So as

1:10:26

has been very nice to see. Yes

1:10:28

I agree he's them, he's near. We

1:10:30

kind of both wrote this but he's

1:10:32

kind of becoming the player that michigan

1:10:34

hope in thought they were getting. All.

1:10:37

Year and you start to do that.

1:10:39

In your defense, starts to get deeper

1:10:41

and deeper in. People start to stack

1:10:43

shifts and. Pairings: On top

1:10:45

of each other in terms of getting

1:10:47

good played your like this team is

1:10:49

get in and he is pretty good

1:10:51

to me has earned to the ever

1:10:53

valuable. Gamer. Label that I sometimes

1:10:56

get out of the is at ever valuable.

1:10:58

Yeah. That's

1:11:00

your. That's why they play hockey. To get

1:11:03

that label, state you. Are

1:11:05

with the Alex Rain Gamer have a weak

1:11:07

spot.when you score a late goal to finish

1:11:10

off a really pivotal sweep against Notre Dame

1:11:12

and then he scored a Big Ten Championship

1:11:14

game, they have a new score again in

1:11:16

the third period of a regional final and.

1:11:20

I mean. There. Are different theories

1:11:22

on clutch, but whatever they are. Marshall.

1:11:25

Warren has certainly been that as of late.

1:11:27

Rom I didn't. Quite

1:11:30

feel like the game was over. not

1:11:32

their teammates law time against the high

1:11:35

scoring team. Yeah and we just seen

1:11:37

Michigan a lot. They've had some Baubles

1:11:39

State. Is just that kind teams

1:11:41

that just seems to eat this stuff out. We

1:11:43

just watch them pull one out against Western and

1:11:46

weren't even sure how that happened. But they did.

1:11:48

And so you just you know, from a feals

1:11:50

standpoint you're like, well, I'm glad we're in the

1:11:52

lead, but you know, We'll. see assists

1:11:54

and you know then we're we

1:11:57

i talk about it cause i

1:11:59

actually thought This guy played pretty well

1:12:01

all weekend and just had probably the worst

1:12:04

play one of the worst plays of his season of Felipe

1:12:06

point takes a boarding call in the offensive

1:12:09

zone with you know, roughly you

1:12:11

know 10-ish minutes to go and You

1:12:14

know, there's just you just can't you can't take

1:12:16

that penalty like that particular penalty

1:12:18

in that particular part of the ice He's

1:12:22

probably just finishing a check, you know wanting to make a

1:12:24

hit But the one thing

1:12:26

that could jump start Michigan State in

1:12:29

this third period is getting a power play and

1:12:31

and that's what it was and It's

1:12:33

just it was frustrating because you know, he is a guy.

1:12:36

He's a senior. He's been around we've watched him for four

1:12:38

years he's wearing a letter and like You

1:12:41

just just wanted a little bit better in

1:12:43

that situation Physicality from Michigan

1:12:45

side was starting to ramp up a little

1:12:47

bit in that minute preceding it on the

1:12:50

four check shifts They were really coming in

1:12:52

hard and finishing checks and when

1:12:54

you do that Sometimes you can

1:12:56

get carried away. Yep, and this was carried

1:12:58

away. It was really really dumb and They

1:13:02

put Michigan in a tough position But I thought

1:13:04

the first minute of the power

1:13:06

play for Michigan State and Michigan did a pretty

1:13:08

good job Yeah, no, they were hanging in there.

1:13:10

All right got some clears Barthesky

1:13:12

made a save or two and then it just

1:13:15

went awry. Well, it was right off a

1:13:18

face-off Yep, so, you know, they like it

1:13:20

was similar to that first penalty

1:13:22

kill where everything was great until it

1:13:24

wasn't and For whatever

1:13:26

reason, you know that you mentioned this I think

1:13:28

I was reading in your piece earlier about you

1:13:30

don't really like it When two defensemen go to

1:13:33

the boards not ideal just because then every you

1:13:35

know Those guys are all in one spot and

1:13:37

if you lose that board battle, then you're in

1:13:39

a pretty precarious situation So

1:13:41

when you watch this It looks like if

1:13:43

you don't know who the players are in

1:13:46

terms of like what position they play It

1:13:48

looks like this is definitely on a stop-up

1:13:50

because he bail. He's the last guy that bails

1:13:53

on Sort of the slot

1:13:55

in the backside But if

1:13:57

what you're talking about on a stuff, I mean

1:14:00

But it would it would it be on a

1:14:02

defenseman for if he if one defenseman sees the

1:14:04

other go in the corner like hey That's not

1:14:07

your play. That's someone else's play Not

1:14:11

necessarily I mean it's I Don't

1:14:14

enjoy two defensemen in the corner, but

1:14:16

it's a thing that happens sometimes. Okay, this is the way

1:14:19

it goes. It's a It

1:14:21

just is but if you're a stopper

1:14:23

you can't leave if you're a site your center play

1:14:26

in the spot Especially if you can

1:14:28

see all of your teammates on the board your

1:14:30

in general That's where you play if you're two

1:14:32

defensemen are in the corner, especially you have to

1:14:34

cover the front of the net That's your job.

1:14:36

Yeah, you're not a winger Like if you want

1:14:39

to just skate up and down the wall then

1:14:41

play wing but you're the center on this play

1:14:43

and Brinley is already covering the

1:14:45

wing he's up the wall shaded exactly where he's

1:14:47

supposed to be And the funny

1:14:49

part is this app has been a great penalty

1:14:52

killer all year any Emmy blocks shots sticks from

1:14:54

the neutral zone that me or in the passing

1:14:56

lane always has been really good in this and

1:14:58

it seems like he kind Of figures out because he

1:15:00

kind of goes over there and then sort of freaks

1:15:02

out and it's like oh no And that's when sort

1:15:04

of the pass comes through. It's just really unclear what

1:15:06

he's even doing here Yeah, it just it felt a

1:15:08

little panicky Maybe a little

1:15:10

bit like I got it I gotta go get the puck

1:15:12

and you know and then he instead of

1:15:14

just sitting tight and and watching the backside and so

1:15:16

the pot the pass gets through to

1:15:19

Larson in the slot and he's alone and

1:15:21

he beats Bartoski and Yeah, you know like

1:15:23

a save but like in that situation You're

1:15:25

just like really similar to the Edwards

1:15:27

goal and that you have the goalie kind of

1:15:30

Getting ready to be set in position the

1:15:32

pucks rolling over they're ready they're ready But

1:15:34

again, my favorite thing just a big wind

1:15:37

up just clapper boom back to the net

1:15:39

Yeah and I know I much

1:15:41

prefer that to You know

1:15:43

a catch-and-shoot or trying to bait the goalie

1:15:45

or anything and especially from close because you

1:15:47

have such a big angle to shoot Like

1:15:50

yeah, you could miss for sure But

1:15:53

I mean the the thing that a goalie is going

1:15:55

to be scared of in that situation Is

1:15:57

Going to be if it's just by him before he realizes.

1:16:00

Is it? And Yep! That's.

1:16:02

What happened and it's to to and

1:16:04

at that point you're just like how

1:16:06

not again cos i guess the we

1:16:08

we just can't pull away from these

1:16:10

guys and. He'd

1:16:12

always have all the times, ios regional final

1:16:14

and all that kind of played well enough

1:16:16

and just in the and you just take

1:16:18

it down penalty in and you make it

1:16:21

on. plan the ponytail and it's just like

1:16:23

oh this is gonna be gut wrenching and

1:16:25

a. But

1:16:27

it wasn't because the guy who

1:16:29

was. Regional. Player: Most

1:16:32

Outstanding player You know these these different names

1:16:34

for all these things use Mvp of the

1:16:36

Tournaments. Live. Whatever you want to

1:16:38

call that ends up with four goals

1:16:40

you give him basically a lot of

1:16:42

the credit lines on Hero on the

1:16:44

War and goal Dylan Duke who's not

1:16:47

follow the new and was slid down

1:16:49

the draft boards. There's it's a game

1:16:51

with first round picks galore and the

1:16:53

fourth rounder who's probably coming back next

1:16:55

year is the best player on the

1:16:58

ice and he just picks up the

1:17:00

park. Flies. Through the neutral zone

1:17:02

gets to the boards. I. Was

1:17:04

sitting in that and these the you is kind

1:17:06

of coming at me to these coming sort of

1:17:09

towards the corner. And I'm sitting there watching

1:17:11

me like I'm in. He's gonna have to just

1:17:13

and at the ned. Hopefully there's someone crashing to

1:17:15

these. Gonna run out of space just. Turns.

1:17:18

The defenseman. Gets. Around.

1:17:21

Separate. Out back into the slot so

1:17:24

he doesn't. Kill the goalie

1:17:26

and just beats. Augustine.

1:17:28

To the far post gets around to

1:17:30

skate. And gives Michigan the

1:17:32

lead back like within. Two

1:17:35

minutes of. You. Know the

1:17:37

power play goal and Michigan's back on top

1:17:39

and you just like. This

1:17:41

guy should be wearing a cape. These.

1:17:43

work done is getting a lot last

1:17:46

two summers is what helps make this

1:17:48

play possible he's got a lot quicker

1:17:50

than it used to be this foot

1:17:52

speed also just a real bad that

1:17:55

the hook for map as call the

1:17:57

the defenseman who's on that far size

1:17:59

it Duke swings down around because

1:18:01

boy he looks like he's in quicksand

1:18:06

Just not not moving his feet at all

1:18:08

gets turned around and is just gone I

1:18:10

mean he looks he looks like a

1:18:12

turnstile on this one and Then really

1:18:14

the the most impressive part is how Duke

1:18:17

is able to swoop around Augustine and there's

1:18:19

three Spartans right there And they're all trying

1:18:21

to poke check him and the

1:18:23

fact he's able to keep possession of it and then

1:18:25

tuck it in far Side it's just the hell

1:18:28

of a play. I mean she said we're just like

1:18:30

trying to check him ideally I mean That's

1:18:34

kind of what you're supposed to do in some

1:18:36

way I think in a perfect world Bazgol

1:18:39

you would want to just keep skating backwards and

1:18:41

try to put a check on him rather than

1:18:43

flipping his hips because after he Turns around then

1:18:45

he's just done. Yeah So

1:18:48

it's three two and you're just kind

1:18:50

of like looking for a replay and there

1:18:52

were some interesting Potential

1:18:54

like offside stuff it was really

1:18:56

close at the line. Oh, yeah,

1:18:58

and they decide not to challenge

1:19:01

But the the TV crew is

1:19:03

giving us a tight shot of

1:19:05

the MSU Replay

1:19:07

people. Yeah, the three of them with the

1:19:09

laptop and they're all like, you know Head

1:19:12

over trying to look at their phones the street cuz

1:19:15

there are no trying to assess if they're gonna challenge

1:19:18

I would not call the scoreboard. They're a jumbo

1:19:20

Tron. It might be like a mini Tron Yeah,

1:19:22

not a mega Tron, but So

1:19:25

and then they they dropped the

1:19:27

pot and the TV So

1:19:29

would you have challenged that like didn't they have a timeout? It

1:19:32

was weird. They never challenged anything Yeah, especially

1:19:34

as the game was getting away from them.

1:19:36

It just felt like why not try. Yeah

1:19:38

I mean, what's the worst that happens? You

1:19:41

can't call timeout Yeah, and they dropped the

1:19:43

puck and the camera then pans back to

1:19:45

the action and Edwards

1:19:48

Finds nazer nazer enters the zone

1:19:51

on a two-on-one and Probably

1:19:54

completes the One of

1:19:57

the best passes I've ever seen at least in

1:19:59

college in Michigan. Wacky and in

1:20:01

talkie that I've watched as

1:20:03

he brings the park back

1:20:05

between his legs and passes

1:20:07

over to Brinley one time.

1:20:09

Right on the tape and

1:20:11

he beats Augustine. It's for

1:20:13

to to as the place

1:20:15

is now bonkers and you're

1:20:17

just. Starting. To dream of

1:20:19

Minnesota. The one thing that has

1:20:21

to be talked about here that I haven't

1:20:23

seen talked about that much as what are

1:20:25

the World is going on with Miskin State

1:20:27

on this play. I mean we've talked all

1:20:29

year about how they're not the strongest. At

1:20:32

the backend and they give up

1:20:34

chances on the rush there after

1:20:36

left should off their defensive corps

1:20:38

not. Great. Now.

1:20:41

It's really bad that was threatened with

1:20:43

tip of the other side or right.

1:20:45

Ah, but. Eight. Eighty

1:20:47

Eight distilled down this picture and look at

1:20:50

this rate here as as within five seconds

1:20:52

our face off see of for people they've

1:20:54

now crossed the redneck. The fifth one is

1:20:56

right at the red lining up five players

1:20:58

between the often Sibuyan in the centerline, within

1:21:01

five seconds of a center ice face off

1:21:03

in that sort of their emma in a

1:21:05

game your trailing by one. Yes, seven minutes

1:21:07

to go. This isn't twenty seconds left in

1:21:09

the game day. I've watched this point. I've

1:21:12

no idea what the defenseman are doing. Their

1:21:14

says. Aimlessly wandering

1:21:16

up pies. And then all

1:21:18

the sudden he gets turned over. There I got, oh

1:21:20

I see. Are

1:21:23

we talked about restrain. So we talk

1:21:25

about this pass and prep And and

1:21:27

you said that, he kind of needed

1:21:30

to go between the legs. Well, because

1:21:32

the defenseman, the one that's able to

1:21:34

frantically hurry back Patrick Geary is basically

1:21:37

parallel. Their skates are parallel with each

1:21:39

other and so as he tries to

1:21:41

swing, the backhand is gonna have to

1:21:43

swing it. Basically.

1:21:46

Through Geary. And under his

1:21:48

dick In and that obviously opens you up

1:21:50

for the opportunity for gear he did not

1:21:52

get away whereas buy bitcoin between the legs

1:21:54

of put them behind himself and not the

1:21:56

puck is now behind Geary in there is

1:21:58

a tiny window. Between Geary and

1:22:01

the back checking Spartan right behind

1:22:03

him and so neither does see

1:22:05

the little window that is needed to

1:22:07

get that pass across in which if

1:22:09

you hit it there is physically nothing

1:22:12

they could do The as opposed said

1:22:14

just passing through somebody of. And.

1:22:16

Then die. You know it gets it

1:22:19

across as a perfect perfect feed right

1:22:21

in the wheelhouse and. It's

1:22:23

one of those plays where it. You. Have

1:22:25

to really adjust for. The.

1:22:28

sort of situation. I. Think in

1:22:30

my mind because I've seen a lot of

1:22:32

great plays over the years. A lotta great

1:22:34

passes in a lot of players go between

1:22:36

the legs and crazy stuff this level of

1:22:38

skill in the Nhl on particulars for my

1:22:40

or than it's ever been before. You see

1:22:42

players like. Dakota. Joshua,

1:22:44

who. Smoke when

1:22:46

rather anonymous you notice kind of a

1:22:48

guy and big ten rt good player

1:22:51

but. Wasn't. Always

1:22:53

seem tense or than a wizard and dakota

1:22:55

just to on Sunday the very same day

1:22:57

as this. Michigan State game

1:22:59

goes like between the legs and leaks out

1:23:01

a goalie and scores a goal. Entice are

1:23:04

like guys like that are doing that like

1:23:06

yeah, Players that were close to career wage

1:23:08

sellers are no do everybody's doing the Michigan

1:23:11

Everyone's doing that now. Like if there's so

1:23:13

much skill. there's so many cool stuff. But

1:23:15

there's as is a big difference between your

1:23:17

between legs a pseudonym and than that against

1:23:20

the Anaheim in the like second period of

1:23:22

a dream and late March assists and are

1:23:24

pulling this off in in the seven minutes

1:23:26

to go and elimination playoff. Game when you're

1:23:29

up one goal against your biggest rivals. so

1:23:31

it's it's really really ballsy. the tries to

1:23:33

try to do that and then to pull

1:23:35

it off and he's doing at high speed

1:23:38

with fact checkers like this as as as

1:23:40

agree players of phenomenal play One of the

1:23:42

best sir a skilled passes you'll ever see,

1:23:44

willing you have to yes to hit. Brinley.

1:23:47

And the tape. Because. Our we talked about

1:23:49

is if it's that, if it's a catch and

1:23:51

reset and shoot. Yoga. See my

1:23:53

get across but he hits Brindley in the tape and

1:23:55

the park is gone and Naga seen can't get there

1:23:58

in time and that's what we talked about. It's

1:24:00

like you're going to need that. kind of

1:24:02

a played it beat him and they got

1:24:04

two of them in like. What? Is

1:24:06

it twelve seconds? Yet

1:24:08

call seconds. Closed. For to

1:24:10

to and that you know there's still what

1:24:12

I think seven know, six or something less

1:24:15

in the game in. I mean you know

1:24:17

the way this is played out your Michigan

1:24:19

It had. Limited. A lot

1:24:21

of states chances and when this went in

1:24:23

this one or two or me with com

1:24:26

like the Hassan Haskins touchdown the go up.

1:24:28

Twenty eight, Thirteen on Ohio State and twenty

1:24:30

Twenty one Fear for your car like wow

1:24:32

that's really cool and really good for our

1:24:35

team but also or oh we have to

1:24:37

when we cannot lose sight of that this

1:24:39

is this is a meltdown like this is

1:24:41

this is of that perk proportion of the

1:24:44

is is either the worst well fact we've

1:24:46

ever or with you know a fuck or

1:24:48

we win the two options now Vivid Yeah.

1:24:50

This is the the The Rangers just

1:24:52

got. To. The went to the

1:24:55

extreme on estate decided to go empty

1:24:57

at four. Minutes. Last Ah was

1:24:59

at early for you. Know. I mean

1:25:01

they're down to and they weren't getting

1:25:03

a ton. Attraction is a in the intervening

1:25:06

three minutes after those brindley goal. so. It,

1:25:09

you know Jake had to make it a save in

1:25:11

tight and what's your plan? A team that looked really.

1:25:14

Had a bad six on five

1:25:16

in the previous game. you know,

1:25:18

Dakota. So anything that can can

1:25:20

I start asserting yourself? Ah, yes

1:25:22

or. Purchase. Good make a

1:25:25

save or two down the stretch of than

1:25:27

snow angel where he can. I got up

1:25:29

a little slow and i remember just thinks

1:25:31

in like is he okay I u s

1:25:33

know was assessed ah and but with the

1:25:35

cop the to would have missed the go

1:25:37

or thereabouts like. Muller

1:25:40

takes gets a classic call and

1:25:42

it sounds of this is a

1:25:44

fun title the because you the

1:25:46

was apparently. Yeah. I mean yeah

1:25:48

you have to call comes down on has it

1:25:50

gone by? it's it's one of those ones that

1:25:52

you have to call but at the same time

1:25:54

it takes a tonic guts to call it. And

1:25:56

the reason is because by calling is your ending,

1:25:58

the game's over. Your. An Raf. Just

1:26:00

don't wanna do that they have. You don't want to end

1:26:02

the game by the whistle because you have that little bit

1:26:04

a doubt that what if I missed it. right?

1:26:06

Modifies: I'm pretty sure it's a panel the, but

1:26:08

there's a little parties. It's like. If.

1:26:10

This is actually not a penalty and I

1:26:13

just you know, Miss. Did in the

1:26:15

guy's dick broke on his own or whatever I just

1:26:17

my eyes didn't see as the stuff like that happen

1:26:19

and if you get it wrong than you are the

1:26:21

big clown of the week and all that kind of

1:26:23

stuff so does take a little bit of guts but

1:26:26

at the end of the day it's a clear/prices thick

1:26:28

hair has never see was gonna get a russia out

1:26:30

of it. They. They're gonna have numbers. go

1:26:32

back the other way and so you do. You

1:26:34

have to call and I didn't see really any.

1:26:36

Howling About The Southerners instated are not

1:26:39

like him as as badly so yep

1:26:41

he just you mean. Probably.

1:26:43

From a say perspective your down to goals. You

1:26:45

haven't done anything, You take your chance and if

1:26:47

you. If you break that if you

1:26:49

get called for the flash and mere seats while

1:26:51

other whistle the new you with right and not

1:26:53

win but you win that chance Yes and you

1:26:55

when you're gamble and you know they called it

1:26:57

in and at that point i was like aren't

1:26:59

just just eat pork. Like. Just play around

1:27:02

up. Don't play around like they're half around.

1:27:04

Play. Play. Keep away. Don't give up anything

1:27:06

stupid. So of course they don't. And Brinley

1:27:09

Fires from the Point do tips that it

1:27:11

goes in it's five to two and I

1:27:13

was like wow, I guess I was wrong

1:27:15

and that one maybe not in theory, but

1:27:18

like in certainly like I mean I think

1:27:20

enjoyment factor easier said than done. To

1:27:22

do that you right Because here's the thing we say

1:27:24

like I just pass it around but that's kind of

1:27:26

assuming the team is going to defend the poli kill

1:27:28

like they would normally but they're not going to because

1:27:31

of the because they can't as of the time as

1:27:33

they have to sell right so you're not as is

1:27:35

gonna. Put. Four Guys and a diamond and

1:27:37

in the slot machines as let you pass it

1:27:39

around the the exterior like if you watch the

1:27:41

school that they that they score. Express.

1:27:43

Their making is. There. Is an Ama

1:27:46

you guys but you even enter the zone. Likewise when

1:27:48

you have to enter the zone by his. As.

1:27:50

A sophomore offensive zone, you're on a lot

1:27:52

with possession and they have anxiety when the

1:27:55

draw, which they did. Okay, so. Yeah.

1:27:57

You could fall back, but. even then is

1:27:59

he going to the I mean you're gonna be passing

1:28:01

back and forth and they're gonna be selling out diving

1:28:03

to break up the play So you and the closer

1:28:05

you get to your own net the worst

1:28:07

that that is Yeah, worse it could be if you make one

1:28:09

bad pass. That's true so so they just

1:28:12

say just sort of forced a shot Brinley took

1:28:14

it Duke tipped it and That's

1:28:17

it. That's it five to two I

1:28:22

Mean, you know It's just it's

1:28:25

just kind of awesome when you think back to

1:28:27

the year The third period was the period that

1:28:29

Michigan just struggled in for so long especially in

1:28:31

the first half of the season and part of

1:28:33

that was probably due to lack of depth because

1:28:35

guys were hurt and you know that

1:28:37

kind of thing and You know Then

1:28:39

they just hang the two best third

1:28:41

periods of the year in back-to-back games

1:28:43

the biggest games against two of the

1:28:45

best teams that They've faced all year

1:28:48

with all the stakes on the table. And

1:28:50

I mean We

1:28:53

haven't really talked about the coaching staff at all

1:28:55

But like the stuff that got fixed on this

1:28:58

team in the last month or so or

1:29:00

two I mean the penalty kills been all sort

1:29:03

of the second half of the season the defense

1:29:05

has been better the last you know month to

1:29:07

six weeks since that, you

1:29:09

know Penn State game and then like

1:29:12

the third period narrative stuff about you

1:29:15

know being kind of soft

1:29:17

mentally and you know panicky

1:29:19

and Fading at the end and

1:29:22

they just they just grew

1:29:24

up really fast and I don't

1:29:27

I mean that's got to start with leadership.

1:29:29

Yeah, I think they Definitely

1:29:32

through the coaching were able to

1:29:34

improve various weak spots in their

1:29:37

team the defensive structure in the neutral zone

1:29:39

their issues on the penalty kill all those

1:29:41

sorts of things kind of conspired to help

1:29:44

them improve and give them the kind

1:29:48

of Blueprint they needed and

1:29:50

then it came down to players Executing and

1:29:52

it hasn't all been great and they've

1:29:54

had to go through some choppy

1:29:57

situations. Some of them goaltending induced later

1:30:00

in the season and then this weekend we were

1:30:02

kind of able to see of sort of like

1:30:04

well what you know member

1:30:06

of the MSU big 10 title

1:30:09

game remember the six

1:30:11

to five over time win in Minnesota like

1:30:13

imagine those games but barchesky is good instead

1:30:16

of bad and it's like oh this is what

1:30:18

it looks like they actually win the game

1:30:20

and do it you know in decently convincing manner

1:30:23

and so it it looked

1:30:25

for a long while in January or February like we

1:30:27

weren't going to really get the team that figured it

1:30:29

out but they did a little bit later

1:30:32

than normal but now they're in

1:30:34

a situation where they're going

1:30:36

into the frozen four and

1:30:38

I think that they are very

1:30:41

credibly one of the four best

1:30:43

teams because well when you

1:30:45

beat those two teams it's that

1:30:47

were above them were Quinnipiac

1:30:49

Wisconsin Minnesota Michigan

1:30:52

has a trump card over Minnesota you beat him two out

1:30:54

of three times late in Minneapolis

1:30:56

in all in Minneapolis North Dakota they

1:30:58

beat them Maine I watched

1:31:00

that game you're not fooling me and

1:31:04

then Michigan State so yeah

1:31:07

I don't think there really anyone else has an argument they're

1:31:09

one of the four best right now the way they've played

1:31:11

down the stretch and and this

1:31:13

is you know what we're going to talk frozen

1:31:15

for next week that's definitely not for this podcast

1:31:17

but you know this is a insanely

1:31:20

strong frozen for yep not just like

1:31:22

you you mentioned about blue bloods and

1:31:24

that kind of thing there's definitely a

1:31:26

lot of that all of that

1:31:29

but the teams that are all there are

1:31:31

all really good and they all are

1:31:33

there because they're really good at a lot of things

1:31:35

and they have a lot of really good players and

1:31:39

you know you could argue

1:31:41

that Michigan would have the worst odds of

1:31:43

the four to win the national title but

1:31:46

when you watch this team and you watch what

1:31:48

they did and they you know they did all

1:31:50

this without Seamus Casey they played five of six

1:31:52

periods this weekend against North Dakota Michigan State without

1:31:54

Seamus Casey played really good defense mostly

1:31:57

you know there was a stretch here or there but for the

1:32:00

most part all weekend and

1:32:02

that's the kind of thing that makes you think well they

1:32:04

can beat BC will they I mean

1:32:07

probably not but they

1:32:09

could and it wouldn't be the

1:32:12

biggest upset in the world it would probably be an upset and the

1:32:14

same thing if they face BU or

1:32:17

DU or whatever like this team has

1:32:19

come together fixed a lot of issues

1:32:21

guys are stepping up all the things

1:32:23

that you need to have happened to

1:32:25

make postseason runs you're getting the

1:32:27

most out of the depth

1:32:30

of your roster you're

1:32:32

making intelligent plays for the most part like all

1:32:34

of those things are starting to fall into line

1:32:36

and that's what they needed to do to get

1:32:38

to this point and that's what makes you believe

1:32:40

that you know they're not gonna walk in and

1:32:42

probably be like a sacrificial lamb it's if they're

1:32:44

gonna be a tough out if somebody beats them

1:32:47

sure so and

1:32:50

if they don't you know what this

1:32:52

was one hell of a weekend and

1:32:54

two big wins that regardless of how

1:32:57

the season ends say

1:32:59

a lot about what this group has put together

1:33:01

not saying that they're satisfied with it saying that

1:33:04

you have to look at each accomplishment in and

1:33:06

of itself and winning this regional was probably one

1:33:08

of the toughest regionals that I've ever seen Michigan

1:33:10

go in and actually

1:33:13

execute and win I mean they beat two

1:33:15

top five probably top eight teams in the

1:33:17

country and did

1:33:20

it from a troubled spot and

1:33:22

having to do it down the stretch

1:33:24

they beat an MSU team that they'd had quite

1:33:27

a bit of trouble with and then they in North Dakota

1:33:29

was a team that had been number three like all

1:33:31

year you know what's funny is like all

1:33:33

the final weekend that's the third year in

1:33:35

a row now that Michigan has had a

1:33:37

team that they've struggled with that they've met

1:33:39

in the postseason of one kind or another

1:33:41

and they've beat they've won that last final

1:33:43

game against that team Notre Dame Ohio State

1:33:45

and then now one argument is they've been

1:33:48

decent adjustments another argument is it is also

1:33:50

just really hard to keep beating

1:33:52

a team yeah five or six times in the you know

1:33:54

is there anything you

1:33:57

want to say about any other region we should go through the region

1:34:00

All right talk about what happened in some of

1:34:02

those games Okay, so the also we have to

1:34:04

do talk about one thing you weren't exposed to

1:34:06

this But the ESPN thing has to be discussed

1:34:08

we have to discuss ESPN. It was so bad

1:34:10

Yeah, and the fans are gonna want discussion of

1:34:12

this. All right, they Had

1:34:15

to deal with this too. You had

1:34:17

the broadcasters in this regional were

1:34:19

not good Thanks

1:34:22

Alex the Rucker McGorty

1:34:25

That's what he was called. Yes the

1:34:27

whole we say it again Rucker McGorty

1:34:30

McGorty Yeah, the emphasis on the tea

1:34:32

Okay And it was very

1:34:34

weird that he did that all of Friday

1:34:36

and then somehow no one like told him

1:34:38

on Saturday Like hey, that's you

1:34:40

know, like Eric Portillo. Yeah, it's

1:34:42

just that was really weird. Okay, it was

1:34:45

very annoying I mean that was probably the

1:34:47

first Michigan game. He's watched all year. Yep,

1:34:49

probably but that's just another one I

1:34:51

was like look at the name like Are

1:34:55

you familiar with phonetics? Well,

1:34:57

and you may have answered your own

1:35:00

and then Friday was very frustrating the

1:35:02

MSU Western game because they go in

1:35:04

Western challenges for a major penalty and

1:35:07

we on the broadcast Pick

1:35:10

up some of the ref mic like when the ref

1:35:12

is leaning over through that little hole

1:35:15

to speak to the score You know, I look through

1:35:17

the board a little little hole and

1:35:19

you can hear the ref go Reviewing

1:35:22

for a major penalty and then they

1:35:24

go into the box and pick up the iPad and

1:35:26

then for three minutes there they They're

1:35:29

watching this because MSU Was

1:35:31

going to go on the power play and Western

1:35:34

was challenging for a major penalty And so this

1:35:36

whole time they're watching the penalty Western committed against

1:35:38

MSU and they're like so they're

1:35:40

challenging for a high stick here Actually

1:35:43

a high sticking penalty. I'm like that's not reviewable.

1:35:45

What are you talking about? And

1:35:48

then they're like, well, actually it might be they're challenging

1:35:50

for embellishment I'm like, that's

1:35:52

also not reviewable. What? Have

1:35:57

you been watching they're challenging for a two-line pass

1:36:00

It just was like, if

1:36:03

you've watched any college hockey at all

1:36:06

during this season or the last

1:36:08

year, the year before, number one, you would know

1:36:10

that those aren't reviewable. Number two, you would know

1:36:12

that if they're reviewing something not related to a

1:36:14

goal, it's a major penalty review. That's what it

1:36:16

always is. It's not that hard to

1:36:18

figure out. And, you know,

1:36:20

if you're having trouble figuring out what hit

1:36:22

they're reviewing, that's fine because it's a completely

1:36:24

bizarre process and we don't like it, et

1:36:26

cetera, et cetera. But how do

1:36:28

you not know that's what they're looking at, at

1:36:31

least somewhere in the play, even if you didn't

1:36:33

hear the referee say it? So that it just

1:36:35

felt like, have these guys watched this? Like, did

1:36:37

they just get pulled from like a

1:36:39

volleyball broadcast? Botry ball. And then now they're

1:36:41

having to do this sport they're not familiar

1:36:44

with. Um, and

1:36:46

then they, they had some puck tracking camera

1:36:48

issues. I mean, that's part of the deal

1:36:50

though, is that like ESPN shows how many

1:36:52

college hockey games a year. They, well, so

1:36:54

here's the thing. They show a lot of

1:36:57

them just out East. And so my assumption

1:36:59

is that like a lot of those crews

1:37:01

that do those games are doing the Springfield

1:37:03

and Providence games. Cause those are the networks

1:37:05

they cover. They cover the E-CAC and they

1:37:07

cover the hockey. But they're not, but they

1:37:09

don't do NCHC. They don't do big 10,

1:37:11

but those games are not on like the

1:37:14

ESPN networks. They're on like plus there

1:37:16

on ESPN plus, but those are better

1:37:18

broadcasts. And some of those guys like

1:37:20

Colby Cohen, like those are guys that

1:37:22

cover hockey East. Cause that was coincidentally

1:37:24

the other complaint of the weekend, which

1:37:26

is like the just like. When Peter

1:37:28

was like. Peter was using

1:37:31

Twitter for what it's supposed to

1:37:33

be for. Peter's doing like adding big

1:37:35

accounts and being like, shut

1:37:37

up. Stop

1:37:39

being clown. At one point he

1:37:42

texted me and was like, I don't

1:37:44