The scene was different less than 24 hours ago.
“It’s unacceptable. It’s embarrassing honestly,” junior defenseman Jacob Truscott said Friday.
“We can’t play like that. Ever,” sophomore forward Mackie Samoskevich said Saturday.
“I just think we gotta be better all around,” graduate forward Nolan Moyle said Friday.
On Friday night, the Michigan hockey team suffered its first five-goal home loss since 1999 in a 7-2 trouncing to Ohio State. The Wolverines appeared asleep at the wheel, missing defensive assignments, skipping poorly timed breakout passes and ceding 52 shots directly onto the shoulders of junior goaltender Erik Portillo.
Though the final score was lopsided, Portillo’s efforts Friday nonetheless saved an ugly game from devolving into a crime scene. Nevertheless, his effort fell to the wayside.
Yet before the earth could complete a full rotation, the Wolverines walked away with a 4-2 victory — not just because of Portillo, but the guys in front of him.
In Friday’s postgame press conference, Naurato and his players spoke of “buy in” and the need to approach each and every game with a survivalist mentality. Evidently absent in game one, Saturday’s contest presented a flipped script.
Suddenly, missed assignments became finished checks, poor breakouts became opportunistic chances and Michigan’s defensive efforts allowed Portillo’s performance to resonate into a victory.
The Wolverines came to play with a new buy-in mentality.
“Kids get Christmas tickets to come watch us play,” freshman forward Rutger McGroarty said. “Christmas presents to come watch us play. We can’t take this for granted and we gotta do it for the guy next to us.”
The most important teammate may not be the ones next to McGroarty and Michigan though, but the one behind them. With this invigorated mentality came a style of play and support system that represented how important Portillo is to his team. Just like Friday, he came up with numerous meaningful saves. But this time, the team around him translated those into a win.
“We trust him in there,” Samoskevich said. “Whenever he makes a big, big save, we get up on the bench and it definitely gives us energy and he’s a rock back there. We trust him. We love him back there and (he’s) definitely a leader on the team too.”
The Wolverines came to play. Not only for the benefit of those who found tickets under their Christmas tree, but for Portillo. With a combined 18 blocked shots, Michigan’s buy-in resonated throughout the contest. Ohio State’s 52 shots Friday shrunk to a more manageable 39.
Portillo’s performance never wavered throughout the weekend. What changed was the five guys on the ice out in front of him. Portillo made the same big saves on Friday that came on Saturday, yet without the same resounding impact. This time though, those saves shine through and made all the difference.
A difference, that was only possible through the support of others. In critical moments, Michigan’s “buy-in” style of play alleviated Portillo and shifted the narrative.
“We have to survive and when your back is against the wall, it really shows true character when those guys step in,” Naurato said. “Luke Hughes, he flipped six pucks 20 feet in the air at the end of the game just to get it out versus going for the empty net — that’s winning hockey.”
Portillo played winning hockey all weekend. It only translated to the win column when the Wolverines decided to join him.