MADISON, Wis. – The nation’s highest-scoring offense had little problem putting shots on goal against one of the nation’s worst, and youngest, defensive units.
It just took them a good long while before they finally started going in.
Down 4-1 early into the second period, No. 16 Michigan stormed back to score the game’s final six goals to claim a 7-4 victory over struggling Wisconsin Friday.
Getting goals from four different players, including the first career hat trick from junior forward Justin Selman, and production from the top three lines, the Wolverines (14-7-0, 6-1-0-0 Big Ten) pushed their winning streak to six, outscoring opponents 32-20 over that stretch.
“We have so much talent,” said Selman, who had never scored multiple goals in 28 previous collegiate games. “All four lines can score every night. We’ve seen that over the past month. It’s an exciting team to play for.”
After what appeared to be an ugly dose of foreshadowing after the first period (Michigan was 0-4 this season when allowing three first-period goals), the Wolverines kept firing on net and locked up the Badgers’ defense.
The result was a 13-2 edge in shots in the second period to cut the deficit to 4-3 at the second intermission and scoring four goals in the final period, including three in a 2:03 span.
“We had to earn our goals and one by one we climbed back in the game,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “We were lucky. We shouldn’t have been able to get back in that game, giving up a lead like that on the road against a team like that.”
The nation’s highest scoring offense at 4.29 goals per game, the Wolverines climbed back in by executing with precision passing, creating miscommunication on the Badgers’ four-freshman defensive unit and deliver consistent pressure to go from a team sluggish at the start to one imposing its will at the finish.
“In the third period, I don’t think they could keep up with us in the offensive zone,” said Selman.
For the home team, it was another case of failing to finish. Outscoring 18-2 in the first period, Wisconsin (2-14-3, 0-4-1-1) led at the first intermission for the first time all season by riding the stick of red-hot Grant Besse.
The sophomore winger scored another goal, giving him four in the last three games, not including last Friday’s shootout winner at Minnesota. In the 16 games before that, the Anaheim Ducks’ fifth-round draft pick only had four tallies and nine points. He also assisted on Joseph LaBate’s second goal of the period, giving the Badgers some rare momentum heading into the locker room.
When Jedd Soleway connected on the power play at 2:21 in the second, UW enjoyed its biggest lead of the season and its first three power-play game in over three years.But just like that, the offense vanished, the defense lost focus and the usual post-game frustrations returned for the only team in the country without a conference win.
“It’s pretty disappointing,” said Besse. “Giving up six unanswered is pretty unacceptable … I think we kind of did it to ourselves. We didn’t get pucks out where we needed do, we didn’t get pucks in when we needed to, we lost guys in the defensive zone, I’d say as a team we cough that one up ourselves instead of them taking it.”
Even though it needed two goalies to get by, Michigan gladly took advantage, staying put as the hottest team in the Big Ten.
“Our players just played hard in their offensive zone,” said Berenson. “We found a couple of those plays and we made them. Give us some credit. If you’re going to play in the offensive zone, you’re going to get some chances, and we have some players who are playing pretty well right now.”
