With JT Compher’s hat trick, two goals from Justin Selman, and 26 saves from Steve Racine, Michigan beat Wisconsin, 5-2, to sweep the Badgers and gain sole possession of the first place in the Big Ten standings with just two weeks of regular-season play to go.
“It’s been a work in progress,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “We’ve had some really good moments and then some not-so-good moments, but I think you can just see it getting better month-to-month. Penalty killing has been a concern. It’s getting better as well. The power play can be dangerous. It certainly looked like an old-time Michigan hockey team.”
Two of Compher’s goals came on the power play, including his game-winning marker at 8:01 in the third. Michigan killed three penalties as well.
In spite of Compher’s performance, this is a game that hinged on a single Wisconsin goal: Grant Besse’s 11th of the season, scored at 19:31 in the second period, pulling the Badgers even with the Wolverines, 2-2.
The Badgers led 1-0 after the first period on Ryan Wagner’s second goal of the season, but the Wolverines went ahead at the 16:09 mark in the second. Selman netted his first goal of the night at 4:53 in the second, a one-timer past Joel Rumpel to tie the game the first time.
Compher’s power-play goal at 16:09 was the end result of good cycling down low by the Wolverines. At the bottom of the right circle, Tyler Motte spun and fed Compher backhanded, and Compher’s shot from near the left dot beat Rumpel on the near side, making it a 2-1 game.
However, the Badgers persisted and with 28.2 seconds left in the second, Besse’s shot hit Racine and then the crossbar, then flew into the air above the net before falling directly behind the Michigan goaltender and into the net. The play was reviewed and the goal was good, and the game was tied 2-2 heading into the third.
That, said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves, should have been the kind of play to fuel the Badgers in the third.
“I was surprised by the start [of the third period],” said Eaves, “because we didn’t come out with the energy that we thought we would’ve had getting that late goal in the second. That was the only period that we’re disappointed in the whole weekend. We didn’t come out and take the energy that we had. We just kind of sat on our heels and let them dictate.”
Berenson said that the way the Wolverines responded to that late goal was key to Michigan’s success.
“Our feeling was that we had to have a third period tonight and once the game progressed the way it did, it didn’t matter. It was up to us to have our best period of the weekend, and I liked the way we answered the bell in the third period. We didn’t worry about the goals, whether it was in or out. We trust that they got it right.”
Compher’s game-winner at 8:01 in the third hit Rumpel and went up and over the goaltender, nicking the crossbar and dropping in. Selman’s goal at 12:18 looked easy. Dylan Larkin skated in on the right wing with the puck with Selman left, drawing Rumpel to defend against Larkin. Larkin dished to Selman, who essentially had an empty net on which to score.
Compher’s third goal was on an actual empty net with 1:19 in regulation.
“I think all the goals [we allowed] tonight resulted in a mistake that we did,” said Eaves, who sounded frustrated at the end of the contest. “The second one, we win the faceoff and we don’t get it out, they score. The first one is a backcheck, we’ve got four guys back, they don’t pick up the right guys. But the third period, they dictated more than we did.”
Eaves said that his “perception” was that the Badgers were energized at the start of the third and that he and the UW coaching staff gave his team the same advice they always do before the start of a period.
“It’s like a broken record and they’ve heard it many times before,” Eaves said. “We just didn’t go out and execute.”
