2B — March 9, 2020
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
T
wenty minutes after
Michigan had sealed a
win over Michigan State,
and with it a berth in the Big
Ten Tournament semifinals, a
continuation
of a run that
has seen the
Wolverines
lose just three
times since
the New Year
and climb
back into
contention
for an NCAA
Tournament
bid, Hayden
Lavigne wore a blue suit and tie.
Clean cut, with everyone around
him still covered in sweat.
Lavigne didn’t play on Friday.
Or on Saturday. He hasn’t played
since Nov. 23, when he got his
only start of the season in net
and lost, letting up his third
goal of the night 36 seconds into
overtime in a non-conference
game at New Hampshire.
He spent this weekend stand-
ing next to assistant coach Kris
Mayotte on the back row of
Michigan’s bench, and when
senior forward Jake Slaker put
the series away with an empty-
net goal in the final minute on
Saturday, all Lavigne could do
was crane his neck and watch.
“Honestly, it was probably
one of the easier weekends I’ve
had to face all year,” sophomore
goaltender Strauss Mann said
after shutting the Spartans out
twice. Mann is the story. He has
been the story throughout the
season. He will be the story as
long as Michigan’s season goes
on.
This puts Lavigne — a senior
who two years ago won a com-
petition for playing time, played
the way Mann is playing now
and took Michigan all the way
to the Frozen Four — in an espe-
cially fascinating spot.
“It’s a different position, obvi-
ously,” Lavigne said, as Mann
spoke to a group of reporters a
few feet away. “And not neces-
sarily one that I want to be in,
but at the same time, winning
like this is a fun atmosphere just
to be around in general.”
Over the course of this con-
versation, Lavigne
will say all the
right things. He’s
accepting the role
and doing what
he can, enjoy-
ing the wins as
they come. But
it’s clear that two
years ago, when
he skated off the
ice in Minneapolis
after letting in a
goal with under 10 seconds to go
and ending Michigan’s season,
this wasn’t how Lavigne saw his
career winding down.
He attended the Nashville
Predators’ development camp
in the summer of 2018, and it
was easy to see a path to playing
NHL hockey.
Now, he’s not sure what comes
next. He’s been putting out
feelers, hoping for an amateur
tryout contract
after Michigan’s
season ends.
“It’s hard
though, when
you don’t play
any games all
year,” Lavigne
said. “There’s
definitely guys
that put up
numbers as
a senior with
more games played, like (Michi-
gan State goaltender John) Let-
hemon’s played 35 and is top in
the country. So he’s obviously
looking for a spot as well. So
(there’s) competition out there
that’s in a little bit better shape
than I am, but I’ll figure it out
and find somewhere to go.”
Lavigne’s career hit a low
point prior to coming to Michi-
gan. Playing in the USHL after
committing to
the Wolverines
in 2013, the
Tri-City Storm
and Waterloo
Blackhawks
cut him before
he eventually
stuck with the
Bloomington
Thunder. This,
though, is dif-
ferent. Lavigne
is older, which means he has
mental clarity he didn’t then. It
also means there’s no light at the
end of the tunnel in the form of a
scholarship waiting for him.
He can’t point to a moment in
the last two years when things
flipped. During the 2018-19
season, he and Mann split time
in net, and neither played par-
ticularly well. He worked with a
coach during the summer to get
better with the
mental side of the
game and came
back feeling good.
Before this sea-
son, Lavigne was
an All-Big Ten
honorable men-
tion. Competing
until one of the
two goaltenders
pulled ahead felt
the logical path.
It never happened.
When asked about it, Lavigne
laughed.
“There was the expectation
that we were gonna battle for
the starting position,” he said.
“That being said, I didn’t play my
first game until November. So …”
He trailed off.
The simple fact of the matter
is, Mann seized the job before
Lavigne ever had a chance to
compete for it. No one can say
it was the wrong decision on
Michigan coach Mel Pearson’s
end — yet it’s clear Lavigne
would’ve liked that chance. This
is the delicate position he finds
himself in as his college career
nears its end. Unable to blame
anyone, but frustrated nonethe-
less.
“I mean, it wasn’t even clear
by opening night,” Lavigne said.
“It was just weekend and week-
end at the start of the year, and
then eventually, I didn’t get to
play. So then it was the role that
I was in.”
He doesn’t tiptoe around the
fact that his career reached its
high point two years ago, nor
the reality that a chance to top
it isn’t in sight. He says it’s not a
big deal, though of course it is —
if not for the Michigan hockey
team, then certainly for him
personally.
“It was hard,” Lavigne said.
“I’m a competitive person, like
I want to play. I want to win. So
that was a tough thing to kinda
get used to. At the same time,
early in the year, I was preparing
thinking that I was gonna get
that opportunity. I was gonna
eventually get my share of those
games. And then that kept me
focused the first little bit.
“And then now it’s just the
idea that I’m playing for my next
year, or if anything does hap-
pen this year. So that keeps me
focused now.”
The cold, hard reality is that
all he can do is show up each
night and take his spot next to
Mayotte, staying ready in case
an opportunity comes.
Sears can be reached at
searseth@umich.edu or on
Twitter @ethan_sears.
The odd predicament of Hayden Lavigne
Blanked
It wasn’t supposed to be easy,
but Johnny Beecher made it look
effortless.
In the final minutes of the
second period on Saturday night,
the freshman forward got the
puck way back in the defensive
zone, then took the game into his
own hands. He raced down the
left side and perfectly weaved
through two opponents to get
to the slot. Beecher didn’t take
the one-on-one shot against
goaltender John Lethemon —
instead, he dashed wide past the
right post.
The offensive burst looked
like it might be over, and yet
the way he attacked the net was
enough to create awe by itself.
But after skating past the net,
Beecher went around the right
circle and fired a shot into the
bottom right corner of the net.
That goal put the Michigan
hockey team (18-14-4 overall,
12-10-3-2 Big Ten) up by two and
fueled the Wolverines to a 3-0
win over Michigan State (15-19-
2, 11-12-2), Saturday night at Yost
Ice Arena. And with the victory,
a Michigan team once left for
dead advanced to the semifinals
of the Big Ten Tournament.
“From where we were in
December to where we are now,
this team has shown tremendous
growth,” Michigan coach Mel
Pearson said. “They’ve hung in
there. We were 0-6-1 in the Big
Ten at one point. It’s been well
documented. … It’s a tremendous
credit to the young men that we
have in that locker room. Good
for them. I’m really proud of that
for them.”
The
Wolverines
knew
ahead of time it could be tough
playing an opponent who’s on
the brink of elimination. And
it was challenging at the start.
Following the Spartans’ limited
offensive
production
Friday
night, they showed more urgency
on the attack from the moment
Saturday’s game started.
“I don’t think we had a lot of
energy from the get-go,” Pearson
said. “It was a struggle to start.
We knew it would be. Anytime
you’re facing elimination, you’re
gonna get the other team’s best
effort. I thought they played
hard and we hung in there.”
After
a
tense,
scoreless
opening
period
Michigan
got on the board early in the
second while on the power play.
Sophomore defenseman Nick
Blankenburg and senior forward
Jake Slaker passed back and
forth from the high slot to the
right circle. Blankenburg finally
rifled a shot toward Lethemon,
and
senior
forward
Will
Lockwood tipped it on its way to
the back of the net.
That first goal was critical, but
it wasn’t until Beecher’s that the
Wolverines got breathing room.
“I think we just came out
strong and did the little things
right,” Beecher said of the
pivotal second period. “I think
we weren’t extremely happy
with our first period and we
knew the things that we needed
to work on. Obviously, getting
those two goals is massive and
that gave us the momentum for
the rest of the game.”
Michigan’s
defense
faced
increased pressure to start the
game, until just under four
minutes in when forward Brody
Stevens went to the box for
interference. The Wolverines
created solid chances with the
extra man.
At one point, Lockwood took a
shot from the left side. The shot
was blocked, but fell right by the
crease. Senior forward Jacob
Hayhurst immediately reached
out to try and swipe it into the
empty right side of the net. But
his stick met the defender’s
square on to keep the game
scoreless.
Michigan’s
special
teams
couldn’t convert on the rest of
the opening power play. The
Wolverines went on the penalty
kill twice in the first frame, too,
but defended them successfully.
Michigan
State
established
good puck movement on both
attempts, but Michigan’s players
managed to cut off the shooting
lanes.
The
Wolverines’
defense
stayed staunch the rest of the
game as well, killing a third, and
final, penalty. With the stellar
performance, the Spartans have
scored just two goals on Mann in
the last four meetings combined
— all of them Michigan wins.
“Defense
wins
championships,
they
say,”
Pearson said. “So if we don’t give
up any goals, we’ve got a pretty
good chance to win some hockey
games.”
Once the offense found its
groove in the second period it
was Michigan’s game to lose.
And in the final minute of the
game, Slaker wrapped it up with
an empty-net goal to send his
team cruising into a semifinal
at Ohio State. Such an outcome
would’ve seemed unfathomable
just a few months back.
“I think in the beginning of
the season guys were pretty
down,” Beecher said. “Obviously
nobody was happy with what
was going on. But I think the
biggest thing is guys kind of
realized that if we really buy in
and come together as a team then
we can do something special.”
Michigan sweeps Michigan State in Big Ten Tourney with a pair of 3-0 shutouts and a power play led by Nick Blankenburg
A little over three months
ago, Nick Blankenburg had the
primary assist on a power play
goal against Wisconsin.
Senior forward Jake Slaker
passed
the
puck
back
to
Blankenburg who waited at the
blueline. He hit a one-timer in
the direction of the net. Jacob
Hayhurst and Will Lockwood
were positioned in front of the
Badgers’ goaltender acting as
a
double
screen.
Lockwood
managed to get his stick on the
puck, and it connected with
twine. The goal gave Michigan a
2-0 lead in a game it went on to
eventually lose.
“Blanks did a great job just
shooting
the
puck
today,”
Lockwood said on Nov. 30
against Wisconsin. “Earlier in
the year, he would’ve shied away
from that. But he’s got a lot of
confidence right now, and he’s
got a great shot.”
Saturday night, an almost
identical play to the goal against
the Badgers happened.
Blankenburg had the puck at
the edge of the offensive zone.
The Wolverines were on the man
advantage, and he had options to
pass.
Slaker drifted near one of
the faceoff circles. Blankenburg
recognized his positioning was
perfect for a one-time shot off
a pass — a Slaker staple. But he
didn’t take the shot. Instead,
he dished the puck back to
Blankenburg who rifled a shot as
he slid on one knee.
In front of Michigan State
netminder
John
Lethemon
stood Hayhurst and Lockwood.
Once again, just like on Nov. 30,
Lockwood tipped Blankenburg’s
shot into the net. This time, the
goal broke a scoreless tie and put
Michigan ahead.
“I just tried putting it on net,”
Blankenburg said. “I know the
earlier powerplay had a similar
shot. Just try getting it to the net.
I’m confident in Hayhurst being
in front of the goalie. I know he’s
a smaller guy, but he does a good
job, and Will getting that double
screen is big, too.”
Being able to convert on
man advantage opportunities
is
critical,
especially
in
postseason play. Saturday night,
Blankenburg’s shot yielded a
goal that gave the Wolverines
crucial separation from the
Spartans in an eventual 3-0 win.
It gave them momentum. With
solid defensive play, it ended up
being all Michigan needed to
win.
Blankenburg’s been a key
component on the powerplay
all season for Michigan. At
the beginning of the season,
it wasn’t as apparent. The
powerplay struggled. A lot. But
Blankenburg and his teammates
believed in the system. They
bought in.
Now, they move the puck
much better. The movement
allows for much better scoring
opportunities.
And
recently,
Blankenburg
has
been
quarterbacking the whole thing.
He’s
one
of
the
more
offensive-minded
defenders
on the team. It’s likely because
for the majority of his hockey
career, he played forward.
And like Lockwood pointed
out
back
in
November,
Blankenburg’s
confidence
in
his shot is apparent. It’s not just
visible on power play goals like
the one Saturday night. He’s
tallied 68 shots and four goals
this season. The development of
his shot has been a point of focus
for him this year.
“Just working on it in practice
and just getting the opportunity
to be there,” Blankenburg said,
when asked about his shot. “I
think in the start of the year we
were kind of figuring out what
worked and what we liked (on
the powerplay). I think we kind
of found that out from trial and
error and whatnot.”
On
Saturday
night,
Blankenburg’s shot influenced
the game. It gave Michigan
enough to complete a Big Ten
Tournament
quarterfinal
sweep of the Spartans. As the
Wolverines move on to the
semifinals against Ohio State,
having a source of offense from
a defender and a confident player
running the power play unit
could be a difference maker.
And
that’s
exactly
what
Blankenburg provides them.
ETHAN
SEARS
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior goaltender Hayden Lavigne expected to battle for playing time this season, but instead has watched sophomore Strauss Mann take the reins in net.
There was the
expectation
that we were
gonna battle.
I didn’t get to
play. So then
that was the
role.
ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer
MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
The Michigan hockey team beat Michigan State 3-0 on consecutive nights to secure a trip to the Big Ten semifinals.