The Michigan Wolverines (23-5) lost in dismal fashion to Michigan State on Saturday night. The team was outshot, out-coached, and thoroughly outplayed in the annual Duel in the D. A similar performance to the 6-1 ass-kicking they took against Wisconsin, but any loss to Michigan State always feels worse.
And the only thing worse than a loss to a rival is the reaction afterward — panic alarms have been sounding throughout the fan base. Sweeping generalizations about the team and its future based on ONE
insipid performance have dominated the postgame commentary. Yes, the loss is painful, but let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees. This isn’t some maize-and-blue-tinted “We’ll get them next time” B.S. Let’s examine some facts.
Firstly, Michigan State was ranked No. 2 in the country for a reason. Under head coach Adam Nightingale, this team is not the Michigan State of the 2010s. Line for line, player for player, Michigan and Michigan State are the two deepest and best teams in college hockey this season. North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Western Michigan, and even Penn State have similar or better top-line skill, but do not possess the depth of either Big Ten Mitten teams. A season split makes sense with teams this evenly matched. This isn’t like the 2021-22 Michigan team with four top-five picks getting swept on the season by Notre Dame.
Secondly, this was Michigan’s first loss since Dec. 6; Sherrone Moore was still the head coach of the football team the last time this team lost a game. Moreover, this is only the team’s second loss since the middle of November, and until this defeat, the Wolverines had won seven games in a row, including five with a backup goaltender. This team was not going to run the table to finish the season, and coming off the emotional high of Friday’s overtime winner, a follow-up letdown performance makes sense.
“Well, if they’re a great team, they should always be locked in and focused. This isn’t a championship team,” the chronically online man yelled at the social media clouds.
The last time Michigan was a national championship team, the Wolverines were swept by the Spartans that season, including 5-1 and 4-1 losses in February. The team even followed up those losses by dropping a third straight game to Ferris State, which went 15-21 that season. Moreover, that championship team lost 11 regular-season games with a CCHA schedule.
Despite an overhauled roster from last season and being the youngest team in the country, Michigan has already matched or exceeded its Big Ten points total from two of the three most recent Frozen Four Michigan teams with six conference games, and is only one point off the regular-season title hunt in the best conference in college hockey. This team is on pace to be the Wolverines’ best team since the year of Obama’s inauguration, and if Brandon Naurato has taught us anything, it’s he gets the most out of his teams in the tournament.
Lastly, if you want to criticize more specifically and accurately, by all means, this team is not exempt. Will Horcoff, who was in the thick of the Hobey Baker race at the midway point of the season, has to break out of this slump. One goal and four total points since World Juniors from the best player on the team is not going to cut it.
Additionally, both special teams units need to return to their early-season potency, especially the power play. The loss of Henry Mews cannot be the death knell for this unit. And, most obviously, this team has to be sharper on Saturdays. I understand the desperation of the Friday loser in these back-to-backs, but Michigan’s early-period effort in these games has to be better. Those are all fair gripes to have, but let’s also not lose sight of the fact Jack Ivankovic is miraculously already back in net and that Nick Moldenhauer, Jayden Perron and the duo of freshmen defensemen have all taken star turns, while the more prominent stars have struggled.
It is Feb. 9, this team has 23 wins, and has yet to play its collective best hockey. Everything from now until March 27 is just a preamble for what actually matters. Even if Michigan loses out from here, the Wolverines are making the NCAA Tournament and will have a chance to string together the four most important program wins of the 21st century. Michigan lost the battle on Saturday and there is no excuse. But the war has only just begun.
