The Michigan hockey team has been a bewildering spectacle this season, boasting the nation’s top offense but a defense that hasn’t quite reached respectability.
There have been questions swirling as to why the Wolverines can’t buckle down in their own zone for consistent stretches. Even the coaching staff has shuffled defensive pairings and hopped on the goaltending carousel more than once.
But what if the nation’s top offense is feeding into the lackluster defensive effort? To Michigan coach Red Berenson, that has been the root of the recurring defensive concerns.
“No question,” he said. “You get overconfident. That’s all you’re thinking about is offense. Even if you’re not playing well, you start worrying about playing better with the puck.”
Saturday, Berenson called the team in for a meeting to watch film and to emphasize defensive details one day after suffering a 5-3 loss at Ohio State. The message was simple — be a better player without the puck.
“Sometimes when you’re a good player, all you do the whole game is you’re hoping to get the puck, and then you get it, and then you hope to get it (again),” Berenson said after the game. “During that hope time, we’ve been giving up too many scoring chances and too many goals.”
The potency that Michigan has enjoyed for much of this season has created a mindset that screams offense first and defense second. This perception goes against all Berenson stands for as a defensive guru.
In Saturday’s meeting, Berenson preached about being more aware in the defensive zone, and he encouraged his players to stop watching and waiting for the puck to come to their sticks. Instead, they needed to make a conscious effort to body up and help teammates tighten up their defensive-zone coverage. Offense can wait.
“We talked a lot about taking pride in defense, because Red hates getting scored on more than he likes scoring,” said junior forward Boo Nieves. “Getting scored on is one of his biggest pet peeves. If you get scored on, you might find yourself sitting on the bench.”
Man-on-man defense and being active in the defensive zone have been parts of the Wolverines’ game that have been lacking. At times, scoring nearly four goals each game can be enough to place defensive concerns on the back burner.
But this week, that back burner gets shut off. Michigan started Tuesday’s practice with consecutive drills that emphasized defensive-zone coverage. Another drill at the tail end of the session was designed to help players make quick decisions on transitioning between defense and offense at the snap of a finger.
“This week, and probably the past couple of weeks, we’ve been talking on detail, whether it’s our forecheck or our D-zone,” said sophomore forward Tyler Motte. “Whether you’re on the right side or the wrong side of the puck, at a certain time, you never know how a puck is going to bounce, but as long as you’re detailed and on the right side of the system, things should start going our way.”
All of that means that in Berenson’s mind, his players have too often jumped the gun offensively when the other team corrals the puck in a 50-50 battle. These mistakes have sprung the opposition toward odd-man rushes that magnify the Wolverines’ defensive lapses.
“When in doubt,” Motte said, “have a defensive mindset, and know that the offense will come with that.”
From the forwards down to the defense, improving defensively is a collective effort. Saturday’s meeting put an emphasis on showing that defense should be the priority heading forward. If it isn’t, Michigan’s chances at an NCAA Tournament berth will continue to fade.
With such a discrepancy between its offensive capabilities and its defensive shortcomings, Berenson deemed it time to shift focus. Defense, and defense alone, has held the Wolverines back from consistency and excellence.
At times, the offense and defense mesh well, and at those moments Michigan seems poised to compete with any team in the country. Other times, like Friday’s game at Ohio State, there are moments that leave this team asking what it could have done differently.
Just three weeks and six games remain before the Big Ten Tournament, and there’s no time for questions. The Wolverines can only settle for answers, and it appears they’re finally starting to grasp onto some.