Michigan 2 - Windsor 0

Going into a CIS game there isn’t too much that can gained but there’s a whole lot that can be lost. Fortunately the Wolverines escaped this game against Windsor with more positives than negatives.

Forwards

The forwards didn’t really stand out in this game with the exception of Will Lockwood and Nick Pastujov. Both players were going full speed and made plays at both ends of the ice with Pastujov scoring the lone 5-on-5 goal of the game on a sneaky backhand that found the net with the goaltender hugging the post.

James Sanchez and Dexter Dancs made a few plays. Other than that no one really stood out today.

I wasn’t expecting to replace the production of the CCM line overnight. It’s going to take time to get in a rhythm and we’re going to have to be patient with this team while they work it out.

Defense

The pairings they used tonight on defense were a pretty good indication of how the blueline will look this season. You had Nolan De Jong and Nick Boka as the top pairing; Sam Piazza and Joe Cecconi as the second pairing, Griff Luce with Lohan and Cutler Martin skating with Luke Martin.

The defense was just alright. They were a bit reckless with the puck and had trouble with zone exits but it’s the first time they’ve played in a game together and everyone is playing with a new partner. It isn’t a problem.

Goaltenders

The Wolverines got the chance to give their three goaltenders a period each to work with.

Zach Nagelvoort faced 7 shots and saved them all. They were all routine saves, however, Nagelvoort looked great. He was much more confident, positioned himself well and handled what came to him.

Hayden Lavigne took over in the second period while Windsor was making a push and he saw action right away making two quick saves shorthanded. Outside of one big rebound Lavigne looked great in net; his reflexes were sharp and he used his positioning and his big frame to swallow the net. Windsor got 13 pucks on goal and Lavigne saved them all.

Finally, Jack LaFontaine took over in the third period and he looked fantastic shutting down a half dozen Grade-A scoring chances. LaFontaine faced the toughest amount of shots of the three goalies and never faltered in net.

It’s going to be a tough decision for Red Berenson picking from the three going into the Union series. My guess is that they start out with a 1a, 1b combination with Nagelvoort and LaFontaine while Hayden Lavigne is your third goaltender.

Unfortunately it wasn’t all great. Cooper Marody was an overlooked scratch from the lineup until Red Berenson announced the reason behind it.

Losing Marody hurts. They needed him in the offensive zone. Not only was he slotted in as the top line center, Marody was one of three players to return from last season who scored ten goals or more. First semester ends on December 13th; if his grades are in order and he returns for the GLI, Marody will have missed sixteen games.