MADISON, Wis. — It’s a sign of how well things are going offensively for No. 16 Michigan that the Wolverines put up six goals Saturday night and saw their conference per-game average drop.
Zach Hyman and Zach Werenski each scored twice in Michigan’s 6-0 romp over Wisconsin, the Wolverines’ seventh straight victory.
Hyman has scored in all seven of those games, racking up nine goals and 17 points during that time for the Wolverines, who were averaging 6.57 goals per game in conference play at the start of Saturday.
“It’s crazy when you’re scoring as much as we’re scoring right now,” said Hyman, who increased his season goal total to 16 after scoring 13 in his first three seasons combined. “We’re excited because we’re on a roll right now and we’re just trying to go with it.”
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The Wolverines have scored 30 goals in their last four games, the largest output in a four-game stretch since scoring 33 from March 2 to 14, 1997.
They scored the final 12 goals of this Big Ten series, including six on Friday in a 7-4 victory.
“In recent weeks, we’re starting to look like the team that we had in ’97,” Wolverines coach Red Berenson said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but right now it’s good to see our guys getting some confidence.”
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If Wisconsin (2-15-3, 0-5-1-1 Big Ten) was fragile after allowing a three-goal lead to evaporate Friday, Michigan (15-8, 7-1) made things worse early Saturday, scoring twice in the first 123 seconds.
Goals by Dylan Larkin and Hyman led Badgers coach Mike Eaves to replace starting goaltender Joel Rumpel with Landon Peterson.
Peterson (13 saves) gave up goals to Tony Calderone and Werenski as the Wolverines built a 4-0 lead after one period. Rumpel (25 saves) returned to the crease at the start of the second.
Badgers’ coach Mike Eaves said Saturday’s game was finally the point where he had to say enough was enough.
“I think the line has been drawn in the sand,” Eaves said. “Part of the accountability now is ice time missed, no matter who it is.”
Eaves listed junior defenseman Kevin Schulze, senior alternate captain Joseph LaBate, leading scorer Grant Besse and senior center Matt Paape among those he kept on the bench for periods of time Saturday.
“We’re going to a new level and it’s about accountability and moving forward,” Eaves said. “This is all about the process of us getting better. It’s not the first time this type of thing has happened with the team, and it’s going to continue.”
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Hyman beat Wisconsin defenseman Tim Davison in a one-on-one battle for a second time for his second goal of the game and a 5-0 lead in the second period.
Werenski again threaded the puck through a small opening for his second goal of the game in the third.
The Wolverines swept Wisconsin in Madison for the first time since Dec. 12-13, 1975, although the teams played only seven series on Badgers home ice since then.
Michigan’s seven-game winning streak is the longest active in Division I men’s hockey and is the team’s longest since an eight-game run late in the 2010-11 season.
After allowing no fewer than three goals in the previous four games, the Wolverines got a 17-save shutout from Zach Nagelvoort.
“I just think we took more pride in our defensive zone” than in Friday’s game, Werenski said. “We wanted to help ‘Nags’ out, give him some confidence, and I think we did that tonight.”
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