OXFORD ― The Michigan hockey team struggled all weekend. It couldn't score, it floundered on defense and it got swept in the series. But one positive that came out of the weekend was Michigan's penalty kill.

The last time Michigan gave up a power-play goal was three weeks ago against Alaska. The Wolverines have killed off 23 straight penalties, including 12 against Miami last weekend.

The referees called many penalties against both teams, but both were able to respond. Although the calls by the officials chopped up games and disrupted the flow of the series, the power play goal by junior Chris Summers in the second period of Saturday's game was the only tally on special teams.

“Throw in commercials with penalties, and it really hurts the momentum of the game,” Berenson said.

Michigan surrendered two lengthy 5-on-3 chances over the weekend, both in the first period, giving the RedHawks seemingly easy scoring opportunities and a chance to strike first.

While Michigan didn't have the chances to clear the puck when down two men, it did an effective job keeping the puck at the perimeter of the defensive zone. And when the puck got through, senior goaltender Billy Sauer and sophomore Bryan Hogan stopped the RedHawks shots.

During Saturday's 5-on-3, which was part of a five-minute major, Hogan made two good saves on a shot that came directly in front of the crease and dived to save a deflection that was heading top-left.

That said, the Wolverines were lucky the RedHawks didn’t burn them. Michigan struggled clearing the puck on many occasions, giving the Miami snipers extra chances to capitalize against a tiring defense.

“Our (defense) and our forwards are struggling to get the pucks out,” sophomore forward Aaron Palushaj said. “You can only leave Billy (Sauer) out to dry so many times.”

While Michigan struggled to get the puck out of its own zone, the Wolverines also kept the RedHawks from registering any good looks.

Michigan forwards worked hard while shorthanded to stay in the passing and shooting lanes, tipping passes and blocking shots. The defense kept its position down low to keep the area in front of the crease clear, and the Wolverine goaltenders made great saves when things broke down.

After Michigan lost to Boston University in blowout fashion last month, giving up five power-play goals, the penalty kill has been a point of emphasis.

In practice, the Wolverine power-play matches up against the defense. With the team lined up on the blue-line to witness play, the penalty kill tries to clear the puck out of the zone, while working on its positioning. It is one facet of Michigan's practices, but with other areas of the team not performing at their best, Berenson likens the team to an old car.

"When you're coaching the team, its amazing. It's like driving an old car," Berenson said. "There's always something wrong with it. You just fix one thing and something else goes."

The penalty kill looked particularly good against Western Michigan last weekend, though the Broncos have just two wins on the season.

Michigan killed off 10 penalties in that series, giving the Broncos few good looks while clearing the puck with ease to render the power play moot.

The success killing off penalties was one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull weekend.

"When you lose, sometimes everything seems bleak,” Berenson said. “I thought our penalty killers did a great job. They had to kill that five-on-three and the five-minute major.”

While the penalty kill cannot win games, it can give the Wolverines the momentum they desperately need in close games. The question is whether Michigan can apply this momentum to the offense and end its current slump.