For Michigan to repeat their 2018 march through the playoffs to a berth in the Frozen Four tourney finals, everything had to go just right in three straight weekends of the Big Ten conference playoffs.
In their opening weekend, best-of-three quarterfinal round in Minnesota, everything did not go just right.
Fittingly, Friday night’s opening game boiled down to an overtime battle, the 11th such extra-time game the Wolverines had played since the start of Big Ten conference play in mid-November.
Ten minutes into overtime, Gopher sophomore forward Brannon McManus scored a power-play goal to clinch the series opener and put Michigan directly behind the eight ball for the weekend.
Adding salt to the wound, Michigan had taken an early 2-0 lead in the game on goals by sophomore forward Michael Pastujov and junior forward Will Lockwood. Minnesota fought back with a second-period goal by senior captain forward Tyler Sheehy and a game-tying effort by freshman forward Blake McLaughlin midway through the third period.
“It’s a tough way to lose, especially with the importance of the first game in a short series like this,” Michigan head coach Mel Pearson said. “I am really proud of the team and their work ethic and how they competed tonight.”
Minnesota took the energy gained by that opening-night win and buried Michigan’s postseason hopes with a three-goal offensive outburst in the first period Saturday night on the way to a 4-1 series-clinching victory. Junior forward Rem Pitlick scored two of the Gopher’s four goals to add to this team-leading season totals.
“We weren’t ready to play and they were,” lamented a disappointed Pearson of the Saturday outcome. “That was the bottom line. They jumped us. Other games we’ve been able to claw ourselves out, but at this time of year when teams are desperate, you can’t do that.”
The series loss eliminates the Wolverines from the potential Big Ten Tournament title that was their only route to an NCAA Championship entry.
Quinn Hughes Signs With Canucks
On Sunday after the season’s end, Michigan sophomore defenseman announced what had been a foregone conclusion — that he had made the decision to sign an entry-level pro contract with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Hughes was the seventh overall pick by Vancouver in last summer’s NHL Draft, but made the decision to spend his sophomore season with the Michigan program rather than signing right away with the Canucks.
“Thank you to the coaching staff, medical staff, trainers and the best fans in college hockey,” Hughes said of his tenure on the Wolverine blue line. “Most importantly, thank you to my teammates who made this the best two years of my life. Proud to be a part of the Michigan family. Go Blue!”
Michigan head coach Mel Pearson said of Hughes' signing: “I want to congratulate Quinn on his signing with the Vancouver Canucks. I want to thank him for his time at the University of Michigan and the contributions he made to our program. Quinn is an outstanding player, but more importantly, he is an outstanding young man. The Canucks are getting an elite prospect. We look forward to following Quinn’s professional career.”
Michigan's Three Stars Of The Weekend
First Star — Junior forward Will Lockwood and Michael Pastujov (tie)
Pastujov and Lockwood scored early goals giving Michigan a 2-0 lead Friday night.
Second Star — Sophomore forward Jack Becker
Becker poured three shots onto the Gopher net in Friday’s opening game and assisted on Will Lockwood’s early second-period goal which extended the Wolverine lead to two at the time.
Third Star — Freshman goaltender Strauss Mann
Mann’s 28 saves on Friday, many of them spectacular, gave the Wolverines a chance in the crucial series opener.
Quote Of The Weekend
“We were embarrassed [in the first period]. We played with a little bit more pride in the second period. We worked hard [in the second period]. We’ve had trouble scoring goals. We really have all year, and that’s why we’ve been in so many tight overtime games and come out on the wrong end of those. That wasn’t the case tonight. They [Minnesota] were the better team.”
— Michigan head coach Mel Pearson to Bailey Johnson of the Michigan Daily after Saturday night’s season-ending loss
Other Big Ten Hockey Tournament Action
Michigan State 0 at No. 16 Notre Dame 1 (Fri.)
Michigan State 0 at No. 16 Notre Dame 2 (Sat.)
Wisconsin 4 at No. 18 Penn State 3 (Fri.)
Wisconsin 2 at No. 18 Penn State 6 (Sat.)
Wisconsin 3 at No. 18 Penn State 4 (OT) (Sun.)
Penn State visits Ohio State and Notre Dame hosts Minnesota in one-game elimination contests next weekend for the right to advance to the Big Ten Conference Championship game.
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