All eight Big Ten teams played — and it was wild
A recap of everything you may have missed (or not) on Thursday night
Intrepid Michigan Daily hockey beat writer Brendan Roose tweeted the gif above early in the Michigan-Penn State game Thursday night. It sums up the evening across the Big Ten pretty well. In no particular order of importance, a recap of some of the wildest moments of the night.
Ohio State scored four goals in the first period
The Buckeyes haven’t exactly been known as a high-powered offense in recent years, but it seems like they come to life against Wisconsin. In last year’s Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State won the first game 9-1 — and it led 9-0 before Wyatt Kalynuk broke up the shutout.
Thursday, the Buckeyes put up four goals in the first 20 minutes. The Badgers came back to make it 4-2 with goals from Jason Dhooghe and Cole Caufield, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit. It was Wisconsin’s third straight loss. The Badgers have lost every game since losing Roman Ahcan, Ty Pelton-Byce, Dominick Mersch and Tarek Baker to COVID-19 protocols and having to play with just nine forwards and 17 skaters.
On any other night, a four-goal first period might be the biggest headline from the night. This time, we’re just getting started.
Fourteen (!) combined goals in Michigan-Penn State
I was somewhat disappointed after Wednesday’s game between these two teams wasn’t the wide-open track meet I’d hoped for. The hockey gods certainly listened. Thursday’s game was one of the wildest games I’ve seen in a long time.
In hindsight, it should’ve been a sign that we were in for something extraordinary when, in the first three minutes, there had already been three goals and a game misconduct penalty. The Nittany Lions scored on their very first shot of the game and didn’t really look back from there.
After the Wolverines go up 4-3 just about five minutes into the second period, their defense collapsed. Penn State scored four unanswered to go up 7-4 before the period was over. Brendan Brisson’s first even-strength tally of the season cut it to 7-5, and Jimmy Lambert caught the post on an open net which would’ve made it 7-6. Instead, the Nittany Lions hit the empty net to lead 8-5 — and they still weren’t done.
Penn State went to the power play with less than a minute left, and Guy Gadowsky wasn’t content to let the game end on a quiet note. Tim Doherty made it 9-5 with under 30 seconds left to cap an absolutely wild one.
In the past three seasons, the six Michigan-Penn State games at Pegula Ice Arena have given us a combined 56 goals. Wednesday’s 3-1 Michigan win was the quietest game the Wolverines have seen at Penn State in years.
Strauss Mann chased for the first time in more than a year
The last time Michigan goaltender Strauss Mann was pulled was at Michigan State on Nov. 16, 2019, after giving up three goals in just over a period and a half. At the time, Mel Pearson said the move was more to inspire his defense than because of Mann’s performance.
Thursday night could be all but the same story. Mann was pulled in the second period after allowing six goals, but it certainly wasn’t all his fault. The Wolverines’ defense was lacking for most of the game and things didn’t get much better when Erik Portillo made his collegiate debut in Mann’s stead.
Much has been made of what Penn State lost offensively with Evan Barratt and Liam Folkes, among others, graduating or signing professional deals, but the Nittany Lions are still built to score goals. After scoring just 10 goals in their first five games, Thursday night’s nine should be a turning point for Penn State’s offense.
Arizona State scored six at Notre Dame
Less than a week after two defensive-minded, grinding games against Michigan that featured eight combined goals, Notre Dame came out Thursday night and allowed six goals — though one was an empty-netter. Jax Murray and Matthew Kopperud each potted two goals.
The Sun Devils went 0-3-1 in their first four games as an affiliate member of the Big Ten but have since won three straight. It’s no coincidence that in the last three games, they’ve scored 17 goals and in their first four games, they scored just two. The offense has come to life without Johnny Walker, the NCAA’s leading career goal-scorer, who has missed the last five games since suffering a lower-body injury against Michigan.
Three goals scored within the first minute of a period
Aarne Talvitie got the fun started 47 seconds into Penn State’s game against Michigan. In the second period, Cam York gave Michigan a 3-2 lead just 34 seconds after the puck was dropped.
And across Big Ten country in South Bend, Ind., Ryan O’Reilly opened the scoring for Arizona State a mere 11 seconds into the first period. There’s nothing like the feeling of a goal so early in a period — it’s usually a massive momentum swing.
The transitive property is no match for college hockey
Michigan swept Arizona State who swept Wisconsin who swept Notre Dame who swept Michigan who lost to Penn State who got swept by Wisconsin who lost to Ohio State. I tried to make a connection fit in here with Michigan sweeping Arizona State, then getting swept by Notre Dame who then lost to Arizona State, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
As Sun Devil coach Greg Powers said last week, “They’re college kids. You never know what you’re going to get.”
Truer words, Greg. It’s part of what makes college hockey so irresistible.
Thanks for reading this edition of Fresh Ice! If you’re new here and liked what you saw, please consider subscribing — you’ll receive previews, recaps, deep dives, and anything else I can come up with right in your inbox, for free.
If there’s something you’d like to see me write about in this space, please let me know! I’m always looking for fun suggestions. You can email me or find me on Twitter.