Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece from MLive.com reporter Ryan Zuke.
Michigan’s Owen Power and Matty Beniers could have turned pro this summer after going No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the NHL draft.
Both had standout freshman seasons for the Wolverines and proved they could compete against NHL talent at the World Championship last spring.
But while the opportunity to make the jump to pro hockey is enticing for many high draft picks, the chance to win a national championship with a star-studded Michigan roster was too attractive to pass up for Power and Beniers.
They didn’t get a shot to play in the NCAA Tournament last season after the team was forced to withdraw because of COVID-19 protocols just hours before its first-round game, but they will get an opportunity to redeem themselves this year.
Although Michigan (25-9-1) was swept by Notre Dame last weekend to miss out on winning a Big Ten title, it reached the 25-win mark during the regular season for the first time since 2009.
It currently sits at No. 2 in the Pairwise rankings, a statistical tool used by the NCAA selection committee to determine the participants of the NCAA Tournament, and is in a good position to earn a No. 1 seed when the field is announced March 20.
All eyes were on the Wolverines entering the season after they returned nine of their top 10 scorers from last year. They also boast 13 draft picks on their roster, including an NCAA-record seven first-round picks.
Michigan’s play during the regular season generated plenty of buzz around the sport, but the spotlight will be shining even brighter on head coach Mel Pearson’s team during the postseason.
It won’t face a season-ending scenario until the NCAA Tournament, but the Big Ten Tournament will be a vital tune-up ahead of the big dance.
The Wolverines are the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and open against No. 7 seed Michigan State in a best-of-three quarterfinal series beginning Friday at Yost Ice Arena.
“I think we all kind of talked throughout our decisions and kind of knew what everyone was thinking,” Power said Tuesday about returning for his sophomore year. “I think just for me, like I said, another chance to win a national championship. I knew how good the team was going to be and how many good players we have, so I didn’t want to kind of miss that opportunity.
“I think we got a really good chance. I think for us, as a team, we just got to come together and kind of play our game. We all know we got a good shot and are all real excited for it.”
Although Michigan is set to bring in another highly regarded recruiting class next year, the roster will look much different. It could lose more than a dozen players from this year’s team, creating added pressure on the team to win now. The program hasn’t won a national title since 1998 despite qualifying for the tournament 14 times since then.
Given the difficulty of winning the championship, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Wolverines fall short again this year, but anything less than a Frozen Four appearance would be a squandered season given the talent on the roster.
The team is rife with offensive firepower, ranking third nationally in scoring. Its top seven scorers – all top-40 draft picks – have at least 24 points this season, with Beniers leading the way with 37 points in 30 games.
Sophomore Brendan Brisson, a 2020 first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 33 points in 31 games.
Freshman Luke Hughes, drafted fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils last July, has emerged as one of the top players in the country the second half of the year and leads all NCAA defenseman with 32 points.
Power and sophomore Kent Johnson, another top-five pick, have each surpassed their points totals from their freshman seasons.
The biggest concern entering the year was the goaltending position after losing three-year starter Strauss Mann, but sophomore Erik Portillo has quelled any doubts about his ability to be a No. 1 netminder. The 2019 third-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres has started every game and ranks in the top 15 nationally in goals-against average (2.14) and save percentage (.926).
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“I think we have the team to do it,” Beniers said of winning a national title. “I think that’s what really puts more pressure on us. It’s because we know what we can do. We know we can be extremely good. And then at this point of the year it’s just how good can you be in those pressure moments and when the game’s really on the line? I think we’re all ready for it. I think we’re excited. The regular season’s fun and all, but this is really when it becomes fun. I think it’s more excitement and pressure, but we do know what’s on the line. It’s probably not gonna be the same team next year, so this is kind of our last shot with this group, and we’re all going to give it our all.”
The only key ingredient Michigan is missing for a deep tournament run is experience. Fifth-year senior Michael Pastujov is the only player on the team to appear in an NCAA Tournament game, which came back when the Wolverines reached the Frozen Four in 2018.
Last year’s champion, the University of Massachusetts, had several core players on its roster that were a part of its 2019 team that also reached the title game.
Meanwhile, Minnesota-Duluth has reached the Frozen Four each of the past four tournaments (2020′s was canceled because of COVID-19).
Experience can’t be understated in a single elimination setting, and for a program like Michigan that covets high draft picks who aren’t likely to stay all four years, that can be difficult to attain.
Only 11 other teams in NCAA history have had four or more first-round picks on their roster, and only two – North Dakota in 2006 and 2007 – have reached the Frozen Four. (Last year’s Michigan team had six but never had a chance to compete in the tournament).
Just like in the NCAA basketball tournament, upsets happen every year. But No. 1 seeds have fared pretty well over the past 10 tournaments. Outside of last year when zero No. 1 seeds advanced to the Frozen Four, at least two reached the semifinals in the previous eight tournaments. A No. 1 seed has won the title three times since 2016, so the opportunity is there for Michigan.
But talent isn’t always the chief indicator of success in hockey, especially at the college level when there is a large disparity in age between some programs.
Just ask Yale and Union, the national champions in 2013 and 2014 that had a combined one NHL draft pick on their teams. Without an exodus of draft picks leaving school early to turn pro, they were among the oldest teams in the nation as the players had years to develop chemistry.
Michigan, the eighth-youngest team in 2021-22, hasn’t been immune to a few hiccups this season, and most of them came against experienced teams that are largely successful because of their sound defensive structure while being opportunistic on offense.
The Wolverines thrive off the rush, where they are able to use their speed and skill to generate offense. But they were limited to just two goals last weekend against a disciplined Notre Dame team that doesn’t give up many odd-man rushes and limits opponents’ scoring chances from high-danger areas.
Of Michigan’s nine losses this season, four have come against the seventh-ranked Irish. Other teams will likely try and follow a similar blueprint to knock off the Wolverines.
Time will tell to see how they adjust.
“We all know it’s playoff hockey and can’t lose any more here on out,” Beniers said. “We’re focused on doing the same thing we’ve done all year: Playing hard, playing smart. We got a lot of skill, so we’re gonna use that but we just got to be cognizant of not turning pucks over and becoming that playoff team that we need to be to win at all.
“We have the skill and the talent. Now we just gotta do the things that every team can do. At that point, it’s just how bought in are you and how in sync as a team you are and it’s things like dumping pucks in, finishing hits, backchecking. Every team is going to be really good at that. You saw it this weekend with Notre Dame. They’re extremely good at those little things that really are important when you’re in playoff hockey.”
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