Michigan hockey blanks Notre Dame, setting up potential home-ice clincher on Saturday

Dylan Duke scored two first-period goals, including on Michigan’s first shot on target, as the Wolverines earned a 4-0 victory over Notre Dame on Friday night at Yost Ice Arena.

The result is critical for a U-M side fighting to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Wolverines entered the day at No. 16 in the PairWise rankings, on the wrong side of the bubble for a potential at-large bid. And the win also sets up a Saturday contest in which U-M can secure home ice in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Duke’s brace in the opening 20 minutes proved key against a Notre Dame team that prefers low-scoring, defensive games. His first came off a clean offensive zone face-off win by TJ Hughes; Duke’s wrister beat Ryan Bischel to his glove side.

While that moment demonstrated skill, Duke’s second tally of the night was a thing of beauty — and it came with Michigan on the penalty kill. The talented center created a defensive zone turnover, recovered the loose puck and went backhand-forehand to slot it past Bischel on a partial breakaway.

U-M increased its advantage in the second period on the strength of its nation-leading power play. Garrett Schifsky was the recipient of a crisp passing sequence that began at the blue line with Jacob Truscott then went through Nick Moldenhauer and Mark Estapa behind the net. He fed Schifsky in the slot for the finish from close range.

Jake Barczewski enjoyed his first shutout of the calendar year, making the most impressive of his 22 stops in the third period. He made a highlight-worthy glove save early, then stonewalled a penalty shot to preserve the blanking.

And Gavin Brindley applied the final touches of the victory with a goal near the tail end of a five-minute power play. That made it 4-0 and let U-M coast to the Friday night win.

The focus now shifts to Saturday, when a 6:30 p.m. puck drop at Yost Ice Arena (airing on Big Ten Network) could allow the Wolverines to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

A weekend sweep by Michigan — something that has proven elusive all year — would give them 34 points and secure another weekend of hockey in Ann Arbor come March.