Game Gab - Nightly Post-Game Analysis
Come here after the games for analysis and insights from CHN Staff members.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Miami 4, Michigan State 1 - Saturday, March 16, 2013
Miami was sparked by a shorthanded goal from Austin Czarnik in the first period to force a Game 3. Czarnik scored another in the third period to seal it. It was quite interesting that Miami coach Rico Blasi went back to Ryan McKay to start Game 2 after he started Game 1. He'd been alternating most of the season with fellow freshman Jay Williams. McKay had the better numbers, but Williams' numbers were pretty good too, so it was unclear what Blasi would do. But this was McKay's fourth straight start now, so it appears the job is his. Still, Miami could go to a fresh Williams in Game 3. "I thought we came out with some intensity (in the second period)," Blasi said. "When they made it one nothing, for us to tie the game and then to go up with a short-handed goal, that was huge."
"We had no effort (Friday) night. That was the message," Czarnik said. "We started battling in the pregame skate. That really got us going there and it just carried over into the game. ... We did a good job of attacking the net today. We got pucks to the net and won battles in front of the net. That was our key focus for today and we were successful with it."
Friday, March 15, 2013
Michigan State 3, Miami 0 - Friday, March 15, 2013
Coming off a first-round bye, top-seeded Miami was shut out by last-place Michigan State. Miami is comfortably in the NCAAs at this point, but this is not what coach Enrico Blasi wanted to see. "They out played us from the beginning," Blasi said. "They won a lot of key battles and they got a couple goals up. They did a good job blocking shots and weren't giving us second opportunities. (Jake) Hildebrand played well (in goal). They did a great job. They were aggressive." The RedHawks were held scoreless for the seventh time this season, tying a dubious single-season school record set in 2000-01 -- interesting for a team that is so good generally. Ryan McKay actually looked human in net, something that has been rare for the Miami freshman. But there was nothing he could've done is his team scored no goals.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Miami 2, Lake Superior 1 - Saturday, February 23, 2013
After giving up 4 goals in a 5-4 win Friday, Miami allowed a season-high 45 shots to the Lakers on Saturday. The difference Saturday, however, was that phenom Ryan McKay was between the pipes. This kid keeps splitting time with Jay Williams, but it's getting harder and harder to find the superlatives for McKay. Williams has been pretty good -- McKay has been from another planet. After stopping 44 of 45 shots on Saturday, McKay's save percentage is now .962 with a goals against of 1.02. Those numbers are ridiculous, and if it wasn't for the fact that he missed some time with an injury, we may be talking about him in the Hobey race by now.
In any event, Riley Barber's 14th spurred Saturday's win, and the sweep kept Miami comfortably in first place and at No. 3 in the Pairwise. We've said it before, but this may be the best coaching job Rico Blasi has done yet. But he can thank McKay too.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Notre Dame 2, Miami 1 - Sunday, February 17, 2013
Notre Dame gets the weekend split, with the back end coming in Soldier Field in Chicago, outdoors. See our complete story.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Miami 4, Western Michigan 0 - Saturday, February 9, 2013
The top two teams in the CCHA went at it, and they traded shutouts, leaving them right back where they started. But that place is still thrilling -- just one point separating the two, with Miami in first place just ahead of the Broncs. Western Michigan goaltender Frank Slubowski was the hero Friday, stopping all 32 Miami shots to thrill the Lawson Lunatics in Kalamazoo. But Slubowski had to leave Saturday's game in the second period with what the team labeled as exhaustion, after getting behind 3-0. "Frank wasn't feeling well tonight, and it was a 3-0 hockey game at that point. He just wasn't feeling well," WMU coach Andy Murray said about pulling Slubowski. "We felt that in that situation from a health perspective that it was the best thing to do. He just wasn't himself."
And Miami freshman Ryan McKay, who is having a remarkable season in net for the Red Hawks, returned the favor by stopping all 29 shots he faced for the win. Riley Barber scored his 12th of the season en route to the win for Miami. McKay is now 7-2-2 with a 0.98 goals against average and .964 save percentage.
Murray was philosophical on the weekend as a whole ... "As I was shaking the hands of the opposing coaches I complemented them on having their team ready to play; they started very strong. To me, what cost us the hockey game was the way we played in the first seven to eight minutes of the game. They're a great team obviously. They're sitting where they are for a reason. ... I always take responsibility, and that's my job. I'm not going to let this loss deter from what this team has been doing all year. We are going to come to practice on Monday and get ready to go for our weekend against Ohio State. ... I am disappointed we didn't play better, but I am proud of what our team has done all year. If you look at the hockey game, there were a couple of strange goals, and players who made individual mistakes that we would like to have back. ... They haven't had to suffer many lessons this year. You have to be ready to go from the drop of the puck and we just couldn't match their intensity level at the start of the game."
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Miami 6, Alaska-Fairbanks 2 - Saturday, February 2, 2013
Miami is in first place in the CCHA, and has quietly moved up to No. 3 in the Pairwise. It's pretty remarkable given the key losses the team has faced in the last couple of years. Most people expected a year or two to re-tool. But Miami is doing it thanks to contributions from the whole lineup on a nightly basis, and the continued success of its freshman goaltending tandem. ... The two losses this weekend cools off Alaska, which had won six in a row.
Fellow freshmen Riley Barber and Kevin Morris each scored twice for Miami.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Miami 3, Bowling Green 1 - Saturday, January 26, 2013
Dan DeSalvo of BG battles Miami's Blake Coleman. (photo: Todd Pavlack)
Bowling Green dropped its third straight, getting swept in two tight games, following a six-game unbeaten streak. Miami wins its third in a row and, lo and behold, is up to No. 4 in the Pairwise. The win was No. 300 for coach Enrico Blasi, all at his alma mater. Jimmy Mullin scored twice in Saturday's win for the RedHawks.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Miami 2, Wisconsin 1 - Saturday, January 19, 2013
The Badgers' 11-game unbeaten streak came to an end Saturday night at the Kohl Center, but the team was left with a lot of good feelings after getting a chance to reflect on it all. This streak started out as something to be unsure of, coming against a lot of lesser teams. But as it went on, and the wins started coming against better and better teams, culminating with the shutout of Miami on Friday, the Badgers felt they were back. "We can play at a higher pace now," forward Mark Zengerle, whose return from injury helped spark the streak, said. "This weekend brought our team to a new level." ... "It's time to start a new streak," defenseman Jake McCabe said. Joel Rumpel, coming off a 26-save shutout on Friday, got the start again in lieu of Landon Peterson. But Miami came out with something to prove, and in dire need of a win after going winless in the previous four. "They were a team that lost last night and they came out with a little burr in their fanny," Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said. "But, I thought it evened out after that."
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Lake Superior 1, Miami 0 - Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, freshmen Riley Barber and Sean Kuraly teamed up for goals, helping Miami to a 3-2 win. Saturday, despite 46 shots, Miami couldn't get one past Kevin Murdock. Ryan McKay, who has been easing himself back into the goaltender rotation after missing a big chunk of time to injury, was the hard-luck loser. In four complete games this season, McKay hasn't allowed more than one goal in any of them, but is just 2-1-1. He started the year alternating time with fellow freshman Jay Williams, but got hurt in his third game, and just returned last week.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Miami 2, Michigan State 0 - Saturday, November 17, 2012
Jay Williams is turning into a force for Miami in net, but he's getting help from a great defense. The freshman matched fellow freshman Jake Hildebrand on Friday, ultimately getting a shootout win. Saturday, he was a step better, getting the shutout, but needing only 13 saves to do it, while Hildebrand made 34 stops in a 2-0 defeat. Miami remains atop the CCHA early on, which is a mild surprise given its youth movement -- but Miami has proven by now its ability to reload talent, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Northern Michigan 2, Miami 2 - Saturday, November 10, 2012
Friday, Riley Barber helped Miami stay hot, and Austin Czarnik scored another shorthanded goal. Czarnik has six goals overall, three shorthanded. Miami then followed up, winning the shootout to take five points. Alex Wideman scored late to tie it, and scored in the shootout as well. It was also good for Miami to see freshman Sean Kuraly follow up his first career goal last week with another in this game.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Miami 4, Ferris State 2 - Saturday, November 3, 2012
With Ferris State still "Buzzing" from Friday's highlight-reel goal from Justin Buzzeo in a 3-0 win, Miami was able to respond to earn the split. Friday, C.J. Motte earned the shutout for the Bulldogs, but he wasn't as fortunate on Saturday. Jay Williams, likewise, played both games for Miami with fellow freshman Ryan McKay still injured. Buzzeo got another goal Saturday -- not quite as picturesque -- to tie the game after one period. But Sean Kuraly's first career goal gave Miami the lead for good. Kuraly, a 6-foot-2 freshman, was a fifth-round pick of San Jose last June, and came in highly-touted, and trying to earn a spot on the U.S. World Junior team. But he's been overshadowed so far by fellow freshman Riley Barber, who earned national Rookie of the Month honors for October. So it was good to see Kuraly notch one. ... Ferris State had a late power play with a chance to tie, but Austin Czarnik's second of the game for Miami, with the empty net, sealed it.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Miami 4, Michigan 3 - Saturday, October 27, 2012
Three goals in a 2:41 span of the third period rallied Miami back from down 2-1, and it held on for the win and weekend split in Ann Arbor. The win left Miami feeling quite satisfied, off to a 4-1-1 start that's been a bit more smooth than many might have expected. On the other hand, it left a bad taste in the mouths of Michigan. “We’re in the CCHA right now. We’re playing for first place,” Wolverines coach Red Berenson told the Michigan Daily. “We’re trying to be as high as we can, and Miami is too. These games are huge. We split these games at home. You can’t do that. You’ve got to win your home games. ... It’s not acceptable.”
Miami freshmen Ryan McKay and Jay Williams split the first four games in net, and that was the plan again this weekend for coach Enrico Blasi. But McKay got hurt early in Friday's game and Williams was solid the rest of the weekend.
Of course, Michigan is also doing the freshman goaltender tango, between Steve Racine and Jared Rutledge. Racine played well in Friday's win, but Berenson is sticking with a rotation for the time being, giving both a chance, even though Rutledge has struggled, including a rough loss to RIT a couple of weeks ago.
Miami 4, Michigan State 1 - Sunday, March 17, 2013
Miami freshman Sean Kuraly recorded the first multi-goal game of his career, while classmate Kevin Morris and sophomore forward Austin Czarnik added goals, giving their team the series win in three games. Miami was the better team, clearly, after Friday's Game 1 loss. The RedHawks will face No. 7-seed Michigan in the semifinals on Saturday in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena. "This is the first senior class to go (to the CCHA Semifinals) all four years," Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "It's not an easy place to get to and for them to be there all four years is quite an accomplishment."
Kuraly put the 'Hawks up 2-0 with 2:07 left in the first; he swooped through the right circle and ripped a hard wrist shot. Kuraly ended a scoring slump dating back to Dec. 7. "Michigan State played a great game tonight," Blasi said. "They came at us and we got a lucky bounce on the first goal. I thought the second was a great effort by Kuraly."
Miami went with Ryan McKay for the fifth straight game, clearly establishing himself as the No. 1 starter for the playoffs. He helped Miami get through a stretch in the second period when it had to kill a number of penalties. "We got into penalty trouble in the second," Blasi said. "They came back and made a push. We got a huge power-play goal in the third. I thought we did a really good job in the third not giving them anything."
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