Michigan
31-10-1
Denver
30-9-1
Michigan's High-Octane Frozen Four Run Ends in Overtime Against Denver
4/7/2022 9:10:00 PM | Ice Hockey
Site: Boston, Mass. (TD Garden)
Event: NCAA Frozen Four (Semifinal)
Score: #3 Denver 3, #2 Michigan 2 (OT)
Records: U-M (31-10-1), DU (30-9-1)
Next U-M Event: Season completed
BOSTON, Mass. -- The University of Michigan ice hockey team hit the ice at TD Garden for a national semifinal in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday evening (April 7) for a record 26th time. This season's rendition put up a valiant effort for nearly 75 minutes of playoff hockey before the second-ranked Wolverines succumbed to the third-ranked Denver Pioneers by a 3-2 score off a rebound goal late in overtime.
» In his 42nd consecutive start, Erik Portillo made 30 saves on 33 shots faced in 74:53 of play.
» Michigan's penalty kill held Denver off the board in three attempts; U-M had zero power plays.
» Seniors Garrett Van Wyhe (2-1-3) and Nolan Moyle (2-2-4) ended their NCAA run on three-game point streaks.
Sophomore netminder Erik Portillo was excellent all night for Michigan, making 30 saves while consistently adding flashes of brilliance as needed. Denver's two goals in regulation were scored off deflections, while the overtime dagger was a rebound after Portillo made an initial stop. After starting all 42 games for the Wolverines, Portillo ends his fantastic season with a 31-10-1 record.
Michigan's Swedish stalwart made a pair of difficult saves on grade-A scoring chances in the game's opening minutes before Luke Hughes wowed the crowd with a gorgeous, spinning deke that slid the puck between the lone forechecker's skates to elude his pressure in the U-M zone.
The best shift for the Wolverines in the early minutes came deep in the DU zone when Mackie Samoskevich led a fantastic shift for his line alongside Johnny Beecher and Dylan Duke around the halfway point of the first period. The trio possessed the puck below the goal line but failed to get a shot on net.
The Pioneers broke the deadlock 11:22 into the contest after a long shot from the point created a rebound in the slot that was deposited into the back of the net by Brett Stapley to put DU up 1-0.
With 5:06 left in the opening frame, Michigan produced its first shot on goal after earlier escapades into the DU zone had resulted in pressure but without shots on Magnus Chrona.
After 20 minutes of play, Denver carried a one-goal lead to the dressing room along with a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal. It was a penalty-free period that saw U-M win 10 of 18 faceoffs.
The first few minutes of the second period were productive for Michigan as the team continued to play with the threatening intensity that had been adopted toward the end of the first frame.
Four minutes into the middle period, Garrett Van Wyhe skated the puck through the neutral zone on the left side of the ice before flipping a pass up to Nolan Moyle at DU's blue line. After gathering the pass, Moyle used his frame to protect the puck as he powerfully drove toward the net. After the pair teamed up to cycle the puck below the goal line, the third member of their line, Jimmy Lambert, found space at the top of the crease. Moyle slid a pass to Lambert's tape, and the senior wasted no time before sending a shot over Chrona's pad to tie the game at one goal apiece.
With the assists, Van Wyhe and Moyle each extended their point streaks to three games.
Freshman forward Mark Estapa ensured his presence was felt after several strong offensive shifts with a booming hit on a Pioneer defenseman while forechecking at the point. Estapa's centreman, the cerebral Thomas Bordeleau, made an impact in all 200 feet of ice. On one occasion, his creativity as a puck-handler and play-driver on offense was showcased directly before the forward backchecked to dismiss a rush as last man back on the other end of the ice.
The first penalty of the game, a two-minute minor for holding, was called on Moyle while the senior skater was forechecking in Denver's zone with 6:11 left in the second period of the long-change.
The Pioneers power-play unit (13th in NCAA at 24.7 percent) hit the ice for the first man-advantage of the Frozen Four as Michigan's penalty kill unit (18th in NCAA at 82.7 percent) lined up against them. Despite allowing a pair of quality chances, the Wolverines dismissed the power play.
Michigan's critical game-tying goal early in the second period held up to create a 1-1 tie after 40 minutes as the teams returned to their respective locker rooms. Denver continued to grow its lead in shots on goal (16-9), while the Wolverines maintained an edge in the faceoff dot (20-17). DU was 0-1 on the power play, but Michigan had yet to receive an advantage.
A long point shot was sent into traffic by a Pioneer defenseman 5:36 into the third period, and the puck was deflected by a teammate's blade in the high slot to beat Portillo and resurrect DU's one-goal lead.
Hughes created a useful chance by carving his way through the neutral zone and driving deep into the offensive zone before dumping a pass back into the slot that missed a teammate's blade to cause the opportunity to fizzle out.
With the Pioneers established in the Michigan zone, Estapa flew out to the point to block a shot and send a loose puck into the neutral zone. Fifth-year senior Michael Pastujov collected and pushed the puck into the DU zone before finding the third member of their line, Bordeleau, on an odd-man rush near the crease. The sophomore from Terrebonne, Quebec, swung at the puck once before a self-made rebound brought the puck back within reach. Alone with the goaltender, Bordeleau confidently sent a quick shot over the pad and found twine to tie the game 9:09 into the third period. Pastujov and Estapa picked up assists on Bordeleau's 20th career goal.
Shortly thereafter, Brendan Brisson was called for boarding near the halfway point of the third, but Michigan's penalty-kill unit was up to the task again as it dismissed the DU power play.
Following several minutes of fast-paced five-on-five play, Samoskevich was called for holding with 5:31 left in regulation in a tied game to give the Pioneers a third power play while Michigan continued to go without a chance of its own with the extra attacker.
Fortunately for all those wearing maize and blue, the Michigan penalty-kill unit continued its strong play. Moyle in particular stepped up once again to make a strong play as he and his fellow penalty killers successfully turned aside a Denver power play for the third time in as many tries.
Coach Mel Pearson took a timeout with 29 seconds remaining in regulation before a critical faceoff. After U-M drove into the Denver zone, time expired before the Wolverines could put a shot on net.
Neither side was able to create an advantage after 60 minutes of regulation play, so the teams prepared for sudden-death overtime. The Pioneers had a healthy lead in shots on goal (26-14), but U-M had put together a 29-24 performance in the faceoff dot.
The Wolverines continued to play quality hockey, threatening Chrona's cage as the teams battled up and down the ice in the extra session. U-M forward Kent Johnson missed the post by a matter of inches in a great offensive opportunity before being pitchforked to the ice; no penalty was assessed on the play.
Bordeleau set up a fantastic scoring opportunity for Brisson just past the nine-minute mark of the OT period. The two charged through the neutral zone after gaining a step on their respective defenders. As Brisson drove the center of the ice, Bordeleau slowed up to chip a saucer pass onto Brisson's tape as he poked a chance on net that Chrona was able to turn aside.
Pearson took the team's extra timeout with 7:57 left in overtime and shots at 31-19 in DU's favor.
Hughes dashed down the ice on an odd-man rush on his next shift but looked to shoot the entire way. When he reached the left hash, the nation's top-scoring defenseman launched a shot that Chrona gobbled up in his vertically arched crimson and gold "Denver" logo to get a faceoff.
Denver pushed play into the Michigan end before the Pioneers' Carter Savoie scored on a second-chance opportunity with 5:07 left in the OT session to win the game for Denver.
At game's end, DU had 33 shots to U-M's 21. Michigan did own the faceoff circle, winning 39 draws to Denver's 29. With Thursday's loss, the Wolverines and their faithful bid farewell to a memorable 100th season of varsity hockey.
This season's group finishes as Big Ten Tournament champion at 31-10-1, the best record since the team went 33-6-4 in 2007-08, along with numerous record-breaking performances and a legacy that has been cemented in Michigan hockey history.
With the loss, the program falls to 12-14 all-time in national semifinals and has now lost two straight since shutting out top-ranked North Dakota in 2011. The win marks Denver's first victory over U-M since Feb. 2, 1980 after U-M prevailed in the last six meetings, and it was also the first-ever win for DU over Michigan in four tries at the NCAA Tournament.
