It didn’t mean anything. The goal only pushed the game further out of reach. But senior forward Carl Hagelin’s assist on the Michigan hockey team’s fifth goal of its 5-2 victory over Alaska-Fairbanks on Saturday may have been the most intriguing of the year.

With 1:37 remaining in the third period and the game already at 4-2, senior forward Louie Caporusso let go of a one-timer for his second goal of the game and his fourth this season. But it was the way the play developed that opened some eyes.

The goal started in the defensive zone. Hagelin picked up the puck on the left side boards and came out of the zone with speed. He beat the Nanook defenseman to the outside and cut hard towards the net, setting up the play that eventually resulted in Caporusso’s goal — the play which was a prime example of Hagelin’s leadership.

Hagelin skated in all alone, spotted Caporusso joining the rush to make it a two-on-zero and slid the puck over to his linemate and roommate. Caporusso , getting down on one knee to gain more leverage, uncorked a shot from the hashmarks — on the empty net.

“That’s what you do if you come down two-on-zero and no defenseman’s back and an empty net,” Hagelin said. “I would have done the same thing if the goalie was in there too. That’s just how you do it. He deserved that goal. He joined the rush — probably the fastest he’s skated all year.”

The Nanooks had pulled their goalie about a half-minute before the goal, when they first gained control in Michigan’s zone. Hagelin's final scoring opportunity could have ended with an easy tap-in goal. Instead he showed the team his selflessness in giving up the puck.

“It shows you’re a real team player when you do that,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “I think it’s a great move, I’ve done it myself. We’ve had other players I’ve seen do that. I don’t preach about it but I think it’s a real team player that does that, that would make a pass to a player and give them a goal. That’s a sign of a good team or a good leader, a good team player.”

Said Caporusso: “We’ve talked a little before so he kind of knew what I was going to do. He knew what to do I guess, pass me the puck. I tried to do the same thing for him against Ferris State … I would have done the same for him.”

As a captain this year and an alternate captain last season, Hagelin leads the team by example on the ice. But this particular play may have resonated more because of his struggles to open the season. Coming into this season, Caporusso and Hagelin were expected to carry the scoring for the team. But Hagelin has just three goals through 10 games while Caporusso has just four, including the empty netter.

Now, with the two playing on the same line for the past five games, it could be the spark both of them need to break out of their slumps.

“I can probably score a lot more goals with him on the line, just trying to get to the net and get open for him” Caporusso said. “As opposed to other lines that I’ve played on, I felt like I was trying myself to play-make. I feel like my play-making doesn’t have to be as prominent as scoring goals when I’m on his line.”