It wasn’t the performance that Michigan coach Red Berenson had hoped for from his new top line.

Last November, as the Wolverines left Fairbanks following a two-game split with the Nanooks, then-sophomore and top scorer Louie Caporusso left as the only first-liner to score a goal all weekend.

Berenson’s comments about Caporusso’s single first-line goal spoke for themselves:

“Your best players have to be your best players in these games,” Berenson said after the game.

As No. 4 Michigan returns to Alaska this weekend to open regular season play, Berenson is breaking in another first line. Caporusso, sophomore David Wohlberg and junior Ben Winnett will have to redeem themselves for last year's performance. The Wolverines will face Alaska-Fairbanks tonight and non-conference foe Alaska-Anchorage on Saturday.

In that first series against the Nanooks last November, Wohlberg emerged as an offensive force, scoring two goals on the weekend, including one in a 3-2 victory that helped Michigan avoid a sweep.

This year may be a little easier for Wohlberg and Co. — they won’t have to deal with an All-American between the pipes for Alaska-Fairbanks.

Last year’s CCHA Player of the Year and Hobey Baker Award Finalist Chad Johnson, now a member of the New York Rangers, was a dominating force in the net for the Nanooks last year and allowed 1.66 goals per game.

Johnson is replaced by sophomore Scott Greenham, who registered three wins and a tie in five games of action last season.

“We don’t really know a lot about this guy,” Caporusso said of Greenham. “We obviously knew a lot about Chad Johnson. But at the end of the day, if we’re shooting well enough, we should beat any goaltender.”

The Nanooks play a style of offense that players and coaches agreed is dangerous because it can “lull a team to sleep” and force opposing teams to lose focus. By employing a neutral zone trap when Michigan crosses the blue line, Alaska-Fairbanks will try to limit the Wolverines’ opportunities near the net.

But senior captain Chris Summers thinks Michigan is more than capable of keeping its composure, even with the high number of young, inexperienced players that will likely see the ice this weekend.

“We need to implement our own style, that’s the most important thing,” Summers said. “We’re a fast offense and a shutdown defense, so if we can beat them, we’ll beat them with our speed.”

The weekend’s matchup also poses a challenge that Michigan won’t encounter the rest of the season – a 10-hour flight and a time difference of five hours. The Wolverines have expressed a range of feelings in anticipation of the road trip, but most of all, the team sees it as a bonding experience for its younger players.

“(Winning) makes the whole trip so much more positive when you go all the way up there,” Berenson said. “It’s not like a one-hour bus ride . . . and it’s a long 10 hours coming back. It’s so much more positive when you have a good weekend.”

After opening last season with a relatively disappointing 10-6 record before cruising to a CCHA Championship, the Wolverines know that starting off the conference season strong could make a huge difference come March.

“If you want to build any momentum for the rest of the year, it starts this weekend,” Summers said.