Michigan Series Recap

[MUSIC] Welcome to the standard pod, DU hockey podcast. Like always, my name is Abel. I'm here with Trevor and Braden. What's up, fellas? What's going on? I wish we had better news after a weekend that I think we were all looking forward to. But never the last we wanted to make sure that we had a recap pod about the two games against Michigan. Braden and Trevor were there, so I wanted to start the pod by kind of getting you all to feel for the environment and how it was with the banner. Yeah, it was a Friday night, raised the 11th banner to the, to the rafters. Thought it was a pretty good environment. A lot of buzz in the building, but I just wish the game would have gone a little bit better. Yeah, I think I got in there an hour before and like the concourse was packed, a lot of jerseys and fans. So I think people are really excited, you know, lots of kids running around and the next generation of DU fans and the production was great. I mean, they had some sparklers and they raised the banner. So it was pretty cool. Yeah, it looked good on TV. I mean, I feel like you could feel the energy. What do we think about the sweaters? I know we were kind of debating what they might have on the front. Yeah, I liked it. I liked it more in person than I think when I first saw it on social media, but they looked clean. They looked good, kind of using that as the old crimson and gold colors, not the more modern ones. So I liked that there was kind of a nod to that. Yeah, I liked them. I think anytime you just have a nice cursive script on the front, it's hard to go wrong. And yeah, sometimes it's harder. They'll do like a jersey reveal, but I'm like, I want to see the whole uniform and also on the ice. So I thought that they look good, nice cream color against Michigan's blue and, you know, the shoulder patch had like the 2026 champions, which I get it. They're raising the banner. Kind of I'm just turning the page next year. That was my only gripe, but they were cool. Well, without further ado, we'll jump into these two losses. But we promise that we have some positives. Even though, yeah, it's definitely not the outcome that we wanted. So we'll start with game one, boys. Tough four, one loss. Do you had a ton of chances early just watching it back? And I think I counted two breakaways where they just weren't able to capitalize. And then all of a sudden Michigan, Michigan got a chance. I think I put down the 11 minute mark and they score. It's one zero when I feel like we could have been up to two zero very easily. Did y'all feel the same way being inside the arena? Chances early on. Yeah. Yeah, definitely felt like they came out flying. It felt like they were motivated. You know, but I thought they had, you know, their chances early to really, you know, take the lead and kind of take the reins from Michigan. But you got to give credit. I think to Michigan's goalie, not only in the first game, but really throughout the whole weekend. I thought he played pretty well. Yeah, I agree. I think that do you look pretty good? I mean, they looked focused. They didn't look like, you know, their mind was anywhere else. Yeah, I think Ivan Kovic was really good all weekend. And yeah, I made some key saves. Just he was swallowing a lot of pucks. Not, you know, allowing a ton of rebounds, I think. And do you have their backup in and suffered, you know, a few rebounds to the slot that Michigan capitalized on? I think that they ride their first goal. They kind of have a, a demand walk in without any coverage. Do you kind of got a little bit mixed up and free shot from the point? And then we'll mixed up the rebound goes right to someone wide open to, uh, with some new guys, especially the young defenseman. But the, yeah, the first goal, just kind of combination of those things. Yeah, and then obviously they had the, the two games in Alaska, previous to this, along with the, you know, the other exhibition against the, the U 18 team USA, but yeah, just a big step up really in talent. You know, Michigan has just as many NHL draft picks as, as do you. So it was a good heavyweight battle. But yeah, first goal. It seemed like they were, you know, do you was pressing the play? And then you kind of give one up like that. Kind of puts you back on your heels a little bit. Second one after that. So, um, you know, I think that kind of maybe threw them off a little bit as well going down to a pretty quickly within a short amount of time. I thought they did look good overall as well. Despite, you know, maybe the score not really indicating that. I think Michigan was really had some extra motivation, you know, a little pep in their step from, uh, from what happened last year. Yeah, that's true. I mean, I think like when I think of when to use out their best, like, they're making good breakout passes, they're going in the zone, you know, with possession and like they were doing that well enough. But I did think Michigan looks maybe a little bit more dangerous in the zone. Like, I don't know, just kind of crashing the net harder. And like their second goal is really nice, given go play. And they just looked like they, you know, made a couple extra passes or just kind of seen nice, maybe a little bit better on a couple of those plays. But still close game, um, kind of happened fast. You know, like you're saying all of a sudden it's two zero and you're like, wow, the game started, you know, and then, um, especially with those early chances and maybe sometimes it is nice just to be on the road and you're just with the guys and you're just on a business trip kind of thing, you know, without all the extra stuff. So like y'all are saying they, they came ready to play. I noted, um, one of the best, at least full strength shifts came with five minutes left in the second and you, you wish you could score there. And then, you know, maybe it's two one. It's a little bit more manageable. And then, um, of course, do you, I noted in the third period, kills off a wonderful power play. They don't, they don't allow one shot on goal. And, um, I think within 60 seconds Michigan, uh, scored full strength. And then, all of a sudden, it's, it's three zero. Yeah, it's, you might, that's kind of how it was going the whole, the whole weekend. You know, it's like, do you would kind of have some sustained pressure and then maybe give one up right after, you know, a good shift, which is really, you know, from a player's perspective, kind of a backbreaker, right? Because you're just doing all this hard work and not getting the reward for it. There, um, not only from last season, but this first game, obviously, those teams wanted to come and show out and, you know, leading to some of the things that we, I think we see, you know, in game two. But, um, you know, one of the big takeaways, at least for me watching on television, was Daxon Rudolph. He just looks different. Um, and so just, just faster and creating plays. Um, I mean, he's got, you know, pretty, uh, some good speed, uh, good vision. I do think like a couple of times, um, you know, trying to shoot. He had some lanes blocked and you're just going to be a lot more agile. The player playing against is going to be smarter, understand where you're trying to go at the puck, even if it's a deflection. So that's just going to take time for these guys to be like, okay, well, you know, the guys I'm playing against are pretty smart, pretty good. Um, to get this through, I got a shuffle, you know, an extra half step left or right and get this on or maybe take an extra half second when I'm like, wheeling across the face of the, you know, slot, something like that. But, yeah, I mean, physically, I think he's, you know, very dominant player and just mentally getting the puck to the net, seeing, you know, kind of where to go with the puck. Yeah, I think that was one thing I definitely noticed throughout both games was to see my Michigan was really just in the shooting lanes over the span of the whole two games. They're laying out for every shot, uh, they're playing like it's, this is their game setting of the Stanley Cup final. So we'll, um, you know, we'll let them have this one, we'll maybe see them in the, in the tournament again, but just a really good test right off the bat for, for DU and kind of like as Braden mentioned for some of these new CHL guys to kind of, you know, get their bearings with what a top tier NCAA team looks like, right? They're going to be older guys have just more experience in really all facets of the game, so, uh, but yeah, looking at the power play one for six, you'd like to maybe pot another goal or two there, um, same thing with, uh, game two finishing two for six, you know, it did seem like they had quite a few five on threes in game two. So they had their opportunities to really, um, kind of get back at Michigan in game two, but just wasn't meant to be it seemed like, uh, as Michigan was, you know, blocking shots laying out, playing really physical, which, you know, DU has struggled with in the past, um, you know, later in the season and also just in general, um, not always the most physical team. Yeah, game two being a fourth three loss. I was definitely making a note of the power play as well Trevor and we get an early goal on the power play with Emerson and you just think, okay, you know, that they've settled in and maybe it's going to be a little bit different tonight, but just kind of wasn't the case. And then I noted, uh, Michigan tied it and then they quickly added a power play goal and the commentators were talking about how the new face off rule led directly to the goal because they had to do it again. Um, I'm still not totally clear exactly what this new rule is if y'all could maybe expand and help me out a little bit too. I think what it is is both centers have to have their blade fully on the ice, which is what which is what I'm seeing. But so maybe David Carle was seeing something from the bench where the Michigan player was didn't quite have his full blade on the ice there. Oh, gotcha. Travel your face off specialist like isn't it usually the player to the their back closest to the boards has their stick on nice. Well, yeah. So it's usually defensive zone player in that situation right has to put a stick down first. Yeah. I think essentially what I'm seeing too is like essentially it's been tightened up and they want it more closely with NHL standards. Yeah, and it'll probably they'll probably honestly loosen it up over the course of the year, you know, like same thing with football right they kind of call games, take you tacky in the first couple weeks and then kind of let it play out. So we might see some of that as well, you know, moving forward, but either here nor there just, yeah, pretty unfortunate when I was watching the game back that it did lead directly to the goal. Yeah, that kind of distracted or something. Maybe buy it for all the same from the second goal. The second goal is right like power play and. It just kind of hit the bumper play from the the boards this slot and it like. Yeah, casual is kind of above it and the other forward is a little bit too into the middle and wasn't covering it definitely want to see the pk just tighten up a bit. Kind of led to a little bit more bad luck, which is a college is asking. We thought we tied it to to and then, you know, it's overturned, which felt like it was happening quite a bit and then Michigan quickly responded making it three one. So kind of really took the wind out of the sales there. See that's that's kind of the theme of the weekend, right? We're sustained pressure. We think we get a goal and then, you know, maybe it comes back or maybe we hit the post or something like that or get shot gets blocked. And then it's all of a sudden, you know, down the other way into the back of our net. So, you know, you got to give credit to Michigan, they came in and and really. Especially game two took it to do you physically. And I just think this was a really good test, you know, really early on. Just to get the new guys kind of acclimated to what they might expect in the NCAA moving forward. Yeah, I thought on the third Michigan goal. Right, like, do you have the puck and they're advancing in and like, James and flips it in and then he chases it all the way to the corner. But he doesn't retrieve it and so Michigan goes the other way. And James sends all the way up, you know, where the four ads are and it's like, then Siberian is a center back. And they pretty much just pass it right around him and then perons in and fires really, you know, really good shot like perfect shot over Kipsov. But yeah, I just think that's an example where I have like these D are really active, but you got to pick and choose. And James is not even necessarily that offensive, but you got to pick and choose your spots. And especially if you're going to pinch and not get the puck, you're going to leave your forward on an island. Like that and it could come back to bite you. If you do that, you know, five, six times a game, they're probably going to score on one of them. So I know that they were down to on you as at the time. But just part of what makes them great is their active defenseman, but it also comes back to bite them. You'll also notice and bring out enough you saw this as well, but you know, do you really, I feel like has champion that high cycle, right? They'll get guys going, you know, through the corner out to the top of the circle and then have someone come behind him, right? And then they'll drop it or fake drop it and kind of get, you know, the defending players into spin cycle. And it seemed like that wasn't really happening throughout these two games. It kind of seemed like they were more getting into the point and then the point trying to get the shots through. So that just seemed like a little bit of a shake up from what I feel like I've seen you over the past, you know, five or six years, kind of turned towards it. Yeah, that's true. I think that just takes a lot of commitment from your wingers, right? Like I'm going to hand this off to the defenseman. He's going to cut down low at the puck and like the wingers got to, you know, commit and stay up top and be good defensively. So maybe they're just kind of working that in still, but yeah, I agree. Like they normally have a lot of smaller puck moving defenseman that, right? If you're in the offensive zone, like your, your fourids are all covered by defenseman or a center that's pretty good at defense. If we can make it like a smaller guy, right? Like Daxon root off on their left wing. I think do you probably take that right? And then you, you know, it's kind of trying to split the offensive zone into a series of like smaller one on ones and let your defenseman go to work if they're really talented. Yeah. And then finally, we tied the game three, three, but then Michigan scores a goal. It's waved off. It's for high sticking. They review. They say no, no Michigan player touched it above the crossbar. So the goal counts for three and time kind of runs out there. So really disappointing end to that game. When you think you have a shot to win it late. Yeah, that's just a, that was such a fluke play. You have to be good to get lucky, right? So Michigan does take a shot from the slot. And it's like they miss, but it just comes right back off the guy. So it's a bummer. But, you know, can't let him shoot it from the slot. I guess is the moral of the story there. But yeah, I thought do you had a really good third period? Like, I think the shots were 11 to 4 if I'm right in the third and they had a good flurry at the end that that one other goal called off as well. And I know do you do give up a couple of, you know, two on ones really towards the after they had tied it. So it's got to clean that up a little bit like you're mentioning, Braden, right? Just get the have someone stay back, especially in a three three game against talented to make Michigan. You don't want to be giving up those those two on ones. That fool looking at it. I mean, you feel a lot better about game two. You can say, all right, things go a little bit more our way a break here break there. You know, the series is one one and you're probably feeling a lot better about it. But yeah, just just didn't go our way. I think we'd rather take our lumps now than later on. So that's, that's a fine trade off, even if we have to wait. But I wonder now, boys, the elephant in the room. Where was Johnny Hicks? Yeah, I don't, I don't know. I didn't even realize he was hurt. I know, Braden, you were keeping tabs on them last weekend and noticed he wasn't. I just thought it was trying to address. Yeah, and that's the vision. But, um, yeah, I mean, I didn't want to speculate. I was like, it's an exhibition, whatever. But yeah, when he didn't start, I was like, Oh, that's not not great. I mean, um, on their official like summary of the game, they show him as day today with an upper body injury. So day today is good and hockey speak like usually week to week is like we have no idea, but right day to day sounds better to me. Yeah, and it sounded optimistic like they might try to get him back for this upcoming weekend. So it'd be nice to have him back, not saying the outcome would have been any different, but I do think that he might have provided just a little bit more stability back there with it. Connect the rebound control brand that you were saying earlier, just it did just seem like there were a lot of dangerous rebounds right in front. And I feel like Johnny Hicks kind of takes that away from a lot of teams. So, yeah, he's a big game player. And I think he would, uh, you know, perform well in the series. But, yeah, I think it's also good to get a look at your backup goalie early in the season and see what you have. And the season is just an evolution. So, you know, how much how many starts curve solve will get and hopefully you can continue to get some confidence. No, David Carl is a Alaska guy. So he wanted that Alaska goalie. And we'll see how he does. I mean, his numbers weren't very good for Alaska, like his record or say percentage. I know it's hard on a bad team, always, to gleam. that. But yeah, I mean, a little bit of a risk. I mean, he's, I would say Chris, I'll look okay. But not good. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely going to need Johnny Hicks back. And you know, it's actually not going to get any easier as they're going to play Boston College this upcoming weekend. So another team with, you know, maybe not as much talent as they've had in the past. But still, always a dangerous team to have a couple of games again. So be nice to have Johnny Hicks back for that just to provide that little bit more stability on the back end. Yeah. Look at that. I think there's 17 or 18. So definitely. Yeah. Yeah. 18 I think guys have now. So do you drop to four? I was going to see you guys really thought of that because to me, there's kind of the big four like Michigan and Michigan State and then an NCHC like no DAC in Denver. So I know us for Michigan's there, but I feel like those big four at least for now is they just put Denver at the bottom there, which means reasonable. But what do you guys think? Yeah. I mean, reasonable. It's not like they lost to, you know, an unranked team or anything like that. Second game was much closer. So being in the top four, I think makes sense. I think a lot of these other teams, you know, like Michigan, Michigan State, I think they've played a couple more games than DU at this point as well. So DU still kind of just has that limited sample size of games to go on. They're two and two. So that's nothing. You know, crazy nothing like last year, at least yet. But I do think you kind of got to get back on track with these next two upcoming games and maybe get a sweep of BC. You know, that be a good statement, a good bounce back. And then we kind of head into the NCHC play after that. So they are home for the next few weekends until they go to Arizona. But, you know, throughout October, they're home. So this will be a nice chance to kind of rack up some wins here. Yeah. And I think also looking at the ranking, I think it's totally fair. I mean, they're obviously aware like we didn't have Hicks. I think with him, it's easily you're leaving that with a split. And so, yeah, let's hopefully he's back and like Trev saying, let's catch some momentum going into, you know, conference play. And so, yeah, I think we'll be glass half full for sure. I think that's our nature anyway. So learn from the mistakes and learn, you know, grow. It's a long season. Maybe puts a tad more pressure on this weekend. But not anything that this team isn't used to. So, yeah, a sweep would be really nice. And hopefully, our plan is to have a small preview for the weekend set against Boston College. But without a doubt, we'll have a recap show just like we're doing today for Michigan. So, we'll definitely be looking forward to all of that. Any last observations or anything, Phyllis? I think it just melted off to the players like Michigan, you could tell it really wanted to win. I think do you the second night was really into it like there's so many scrums like even after the handshake line, like Eperson was almost out there bench after shaking their hand, like still talking crap to them. Like it was, yeah, man, it was just a great atmosphere and college hockey's is so much fun was like that. And hopefully they can get on national TV in the future. Yeah, we look forward to this weekend and bringing y'all more podcasts. Brain, let's promote the website. Can you give us the website again? Yeah, our website is duhockeypodcast.com. Have a lot of stats. Do lines, history, awards, things like that. Just if you want to learn anything about duhockey, you can go there and just try to make it a good resource. It's interactive and visual and check it out. All right, boys. We'll meet up later in the week. We'll enjoy these games Friday and Saturday. Go Pios. Go Pios. Go Pios.