Western Michigan may have only taken 37 shots against the Michigan hockey team Friday, but it certainly felt like many more. The Broncos were patient, calculated and intentional with the shots they took, routinely passing up low-chance opportunities from the outside for strategic passes to set up something better.
Although graduate goaltender Logan Stein conceded four goals, he prevented more with several highlight-reel saves against a potent Western Michigan attack. For the Wolverines, his 33-save performance is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak loss.
“I mean, they can score.” Stein said. “Their power play clicks around 30%, I think they’re top 15 in the country in goals for, they’re gonna be able to score goals. … Just trying to make big saves, keep the team in the game, trying to change momentum with a save, or on the PK trying to kill a penalty.”
The Broncos translated those statistics onto the ice early in Friday’s game. About seven minutes into the first period, Western Michigan held the puck behind Michigan’s goal. With the Wolverines’ attention diverted, Broncos defenseman Robby Drazner found an open lane into the slot, received a pass and scored on a one-timer.
Toward the end of the first, Western Michigan took advantage of an untimely Michigan line change to pot a second goal. With the Wolverines out of place trying to change lines, the Broncos’ goaltender pushed the puck up the ice to set up a wide-open look from the point — and forward Tim Washe punished Michigan’s mistake. Each of the first two goals Stein allowed were wide-open, difficult shots for him to stop.
Amid Western Michigan’s success, though, Stein still impressed. Not long after the Broncos’ first goal, they had a 2-on-1 rush opportunity and perfectly timed their dump-off pass. But Stein, facing away from the puck, stuck out his leg and made the pad save. In a similar situation just seconds into the second period, Stein again used his pad to prevent a goal, momentarily taking the air out of the raucous Lawson Ice Arena crowd.
Early in the second period, Stein made another save — or so it seemed. Stein had stopped a Western Michigan shot and was face down in front of the net, seemingly covering the puck. Suddenly, though, sophomore forward Nick Moldenhauer landed on him, Broncos defenseman Cole Crusberg-Roseen closed in, and the puck was in the net. Stein could’ve covered better to prevent the third goal, but the pandemonium ensuing around him was out of his hands.
“We had a blue-line turnover, like a half breakaway,” Stein said of the third goal. “I tried to jam it with my pads, made the save and then just kind of chaos from there. Just gotta try to get hard covers there, especially with them coming in that hard.”
The Wolverines’ own offensive struggles didn’t help, either. Michigan had a tough time sustaining scoring chances, often losing possession quickly in the offensive zone. Western Michigan’s aggressive play on the forecheck, too, forced the Wolverines into more defensive situations and put more pressure on Stein.
That aggressive play led to physicality, and that physicality led to penalties, six of which were called against Michigan. Midway through the second period, the Wolverines found themselves playing three-on-four after matching roughing penalties. The Broncos dominated possession with the man advantage and fired shot after shot toward Michigan’s goal. But Stein held strong, deflecting each attempt.
Stein conceded one more goal in the game, ripped from the right point late in the second period, but shut Western Michigan down in the third period. Despite his best efforts, Michigan’s skaters couldn’t help him out, only managing a goal of their own in the game’s waning minutes.
“We just needed to build momentum and I think we just couldn’t build momentum throughout the game,” Stein said. “They kind of suffocated us a little bit, we’ve gotta be better about that. We need to respond.”
With the Broncos’ strong passing setting up picture-perfect looks, Stein was bound to let a few pucks go by him. But he continued to pick himself up, responding to each let-down goal with an even better save. The Wolverines may not have been able to respond on Friday, but despite the loss, Stein certainly did.
The post Stein impresses, suppresses Western Michigan despite four goals appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
Leave a Reply