Kornacki: Moyle Scores Two Critical Goals in Comeback Win Over Buckeyes
2/22/2019 11:59:00 PM | Ice Hockey, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Wolverine head coach Mel Pearson liked the winning spirit his ice hockey team displayed when it had to come back, then needed to take the lead, and eventually had to maintain aggressiveness to put the game away.
They checked every one of those boxes en route to Friday night's (Feb. 22) 4-2 University of Michigan win over first-place Ohio State before an energized sellout crowd at Yost Ice Arena.
"We find a way," said Pearson. "I liked our perseverance tonight. We just hung in there and found a way to will our way to a victory."
And so it was quite fitting that the tying and go-ahead goals in the third period were supplied by a fourth line that, quite simply, finds a way.
Right wing Nolan Moyle scored first on a rebound and then on a pass from center Garrett Van Wyhe, his freshman classmate. Speedy, gritty sophomore left wing Dakota Raabe also assisted on the game-winner at 16:49 of the final period, and defenseman Quinn Hughes helped set up Moyle's first goal seven minutes prior.
"You've got two freshmen and a sophomore playing against a senior(-laden opponent)," said Pearson. "But they (also) got scored on, on that second (Ohio State) goal, and I didn't like it.
"But they redeemed themselves and continued to play. That's perseverance and energy, and that was a big-time goal when Garrett Van Wyhe made the play with good speed and strength, goes to the net, and Moyle gets in front of the net and it's a tap-in.
"We needed something because they don't give up a lot of goals. Their goals-against is the best in the league (2.17 entering Friday). So, good for us and good for our players. But we hung in there and found a way to get it done."
Moyle
Determination was the common thread to both scores.
Van Wyhe came from goalie Sean Romeo's left side and circled behind the net before coming right at Romeo with a shot. Moyle wasted no time banging in the rebound to the goalie's stick side.
"Garrett really uses his speed and got the puck to the net," said Moyle.
With a little over three minutes remaining and the scored tied, Van Wyhe circled behind the net in the exact same manner. Only this time, the big center flicked a pass to Moyle, who this time beat Romeo to his glove side just inside the post.
"Him going to the net," said Van Wyhe. "We've really been working on that -- going to the net hard and finding it."
Van Wyhe said they're definitely developing a feel for one another's play, adding, "Playing together for a while adds chemistry. So, we kind of found it today."
Moyle also scored two goals in the Feb. 9 win over Michigan State in Detroit, and he now has four tallies in his last three games. The Briarcliff, New York, winger had been relatively quiet prior. He has six goals total, though another was a game-winner in the Jan. 5 game at Notre Dame Stadium.
"I've been with Raabe and Van Wyhe for a while," said Moyle. "So, we've got really good chemistry and the puck has just been finding me lately. I just keep trying to play my game and complement these guys because they've been working hard."
However, their line couldn't get a shot on net until the third period, and nothing was clicking early in the game.
Michigan could muster only five shots on goal in the first period of a game they needed to win in order to make a statement.
The Wolverines weren't picking it up in the second period, either. After a listless power play failed and several good scoring opportunities were wasted with poor shots, Pearson called his lone timeout.
What did he tell the players huddled around him on the bench?
"That we had to start playing," said Pearson. "The intensity level had dropped for some reason. We came out, had a short power play, and they jumped us a little bit. We were slow to pucks and losing battles. At times, it didn't seem like we were ready for the puck. Our awareness was poor.
"I just had to give them a little reminder. We needed a friendly reminder that there was a lot of hockey left and we had to play hard."
Lockwood
Michigan's perfect penalty-killing unit, which denied Ohio State all four times it had a man advantage, and stonewalling goalie Strauss Mann (29 saves) were keeping the home team in the game until Hughes lit the offensive fuse.
The Wolverines were going to have a two-man advantage for the final 11 seconds of the second period and the first 27 seconds of the third period. They weren't going to get a better opportunity to score, and Hughes wasted little time doing so.
Will Lockwood fed Hughes from behind the net, and Hughes rifled the puck past Romeo with a slap shot to score with 2.4 seconds left in the period.
The Yost faithful erupted with joy, and a 4-1 scoring surge over 19 minutes had begun.
Pearson credited assistant coach Brian Wiseman for drawing up the play and the players for executing it. Hughes said the play was used three weeks ago at Minnesota but failed in a frustrating manner.
"We were fortunate enough for a five-on-three," said Hughes. "That obviously doesn't happen every day. But whenever we get that opportunity, we have to take advantage of that.
"It's something we've been working on (recently), and it's a play we've been trying to hit. We had a play at Minnesota and hit the post. So, I felt confident. I knew it was coming, and I was just hoping everyone could hear me make the play. It was so loud in there."
Then it got deafening, and the energy sent the Wolverines off to the races.
Defenseman Nicholas Boka feathered a pretty pass to Jimmy Lambert for the goal that came one second after Michigan's power play had been technically "killed," icing the outcome with only 1:10 remaining to play.
"No lead is safe," noted Pearson. "You have to finish the deal, you have to complete it. ... Tonight, we found a way to seal the deal and continue to play. That's a big goal by Jimmy Lambert.
"We stayed with it and played to the end. Let's not play the scoreboard, let's play to win."
Michigan played smart and hard to the final horn.
"Huge win for us," said Pearson. "Points are so critical in the standings."
The Wolverines (13-12-6, 9-8-4-2 Big Ten) are tied with Minnesota for third place with 33 points apiece and hold one of the two final home-ice advantages for the best-of-three series in the tournament's opening round. They host the Buckeyes again Saturday night before finishing the regular season next weekend with two games at Wisconsin, which is in last place.
