In an important series against Northern Michigan at the end of January, Michigan senior Jason Ryznar crouched to block a shot from the point. He was successful. The shot ricocheted off Ryznar’s right hand and didn’t make it to the net. Ryznar played the final few minutes of that game, a Michigan victory, but found out afterwards that his finger was broken. He would have to sit out for at least a month.

So Ryznar sat in the stands for the next four weeks while his team went 4-0-2 in that period. Ryznar practiced with the team but couldn’t shoot or pass at full strength. Until this weekend.

He returned on Friday at Bowling Green — a game that ended up clinching the CCHA title for the Wolverines. Michigan coach Red Berenson and senior captain Eric Nystrom both had nothing but praise for Ryznar’s play following Friday’s win.

“He just a great physical presence for our team,” Nystrom said. “He has a lot of energy out there, and he really helps us.”

The most impressive part of Ryznar’s game wasn’t his play in the corners, which is usually his forte. And it certainly wasn’t the penalty that he was called for in his first shift. Ryznar said the call was “a joke” and also thought he could have played better in the corners.

The most impressive play of the night happened nowhere near the corners, and it had nothing to do with Ryznar’s physical play. Six minutes into the second period, the Falcons were on a power play in the Michigan zone. When Falcons’ defenseman Jonathan Sigalet fired a shot from the high slot, Ryznar didn’t hesitate to block it. Down on one knee with his hands out, Ryznar blocked the shot the same way he did one month ago.

“I didn’t even think about it; I just did it,” Ryznar said. “It was just instinct. You just react. You block shots for so long.”

The shot bounced uneventfully off Ryznar’s thigh, and Berenson said that he was impressed with Ryznar’s play on that penalty kill.

“He knows that he’s got to block shots to be an effective player, and he knows that he has to play physical to be an effective player,” Berenson said. “He couldn’t wait to do that and prove it to himself and everyone else that he’s back.”

The last defenseman: In preparation for the playoffs, when anything is possible, Berenson moved sophomore David Rohlfs to defense for Friday’s game against Bowling Green. Rohlfs played on defense earlier this season, and Berenson was pleased with the sophomore’s play. He mentioned Rohlfs’s strength, patience, positioning and decision-making as areas where Rohlfs impressed against Bowling Green.

But playing defense well is something that Rohlfs has had to work at. Last week, Rohlfs spent a great deal of time with defenseman Nick Martens after practice, working on defensive skills such as communication.

“I feel pretty comfortable after last week, working with Nick,” Rohlfs said. “He was helping me out during the week, and, as the week progressed, I got more and more comfortable. And as the game progressed, I got more and more comfortable.”

Notes: Senior Eric Werner took home CCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors. The defenseman had five assists over the weekend and recorded a plus-minus rating of plus-three. His three assists on Saturday matched a career-high … Freshman Chad Kolarik matched his career-high on Saturday with his two goals. It was his 10th multi-point game of the year … Junior Andrew Ebbett’s shorthanded goal on Friday night was the first of his career.