The #11 Miami Redhawks erupted for 5 goals to open the home-and-home series against #17 Ohio State. The visitors took control early in Columbus with a pair of first period powerplay goals and never looked back. A suffocating Redhawk offense limited chances for the Buckeyes and keeping the home team off the scoreboard until the decision was already clear. The pro-Miami crowd of 5,391 was noisy and joyous throughout the night.
The man advantage was Miami’s greatest weapon early, finishing the game 3-for-5. The puck movement was quick, efficient, and lethal, setting up goals with relative ease. Ohio State had no answer on the penalty kill until far too late, only limiting their opponents when Miami had already established a lead. Initial chances weren’t minimized, and that was often enough for the Redhawks to find the net. Sean Kuraly (SJ 5th round) led the way for Miami, grabbing points on both first period goals (netting the second one).
Redhawk dominance wasn’t limited to the powerplay, as Miami finished with a 13-7 edge in even strength scoring chances. The second period was a clinic in puck control for the victors. Shift after shift, the game became a repeating script. 1) Miami players take the puck, enter the zone, cycle and take shots. Continue for 30-60 seconds. 2) Ohio State eventually knocks a puck loose, gains brief control. 3) OSU finally exits zone and must dump the puck to change for fresh skaters. 4) Repeat step 1.
Without sustained inroads, the Buckeyes fell victim to superior Miami speed and skill. Blake Coleman (NJ 3rd), Austin Czarnik, and Alex Wideman were especially dominant for the Redhawks. Their line picked up 7 even strength chances throughout the game (that alone equaling the total OSU output).
On the other side of the ice, the long night for Ohio State was made longer by significant penalty trouble. Midway through the second, Sam Jardine (CHI 6th) was tagged for a 5 minute major and game misconduct after driving a Redhawk into the glass (a clear head contact situation). Making matters worse? The Jardine major was on top of a prior OSU minor call. After a quick hooking call on Miami, Ohio State still faced a length 3-on-4. There was almost nothing the Buckeyes could do when Miami made quick work of the extra ice, setting up a glorious cross-crease pass. Alex Wideman merely had to tap it in for his goal.
In the 3rd, Justin DaSilva also picked up a 5 + game misconduct penalty. DaSilva’s call (checking from behind) was not as obviously deserving as Jardine’s action, and the OSU coaches were vocally displeased. The penalty time (16 minutes plus the 2 10s and the loss of the two d-men) disrupted both the flow of the game and the Buckeye bench depth, leaving Ohio State at a near-constant disadvantage for the final half. OSU only managed one goal late in the game and never seemed close to a breakout.
Buckeye goaltending was a mixed bag and not deserving of full blame. Matt Tompkins (CHI 7th) got the start and was hardly afforded a chance to succeed, facing dazzling passing on the Miami powerplay. That said, Tompkins’ late work did little to inspire. The goalie allowed 2 goals on 6 even strength shots in the 3rd. Miami’s Jay Williams went relatively untested and finished with a tidy .963 on the night.
The Redhawks and Buckeyes close out their series Saturday night in Oxford. The game starts at 7:05 pm.
BS Hockey’s 3 Stars
1. Blake Coleman (MU) // While Coleman only managed one point on the night, he led the most effective line of the game. Coleman-Czarnik-Wideman combined for 7 even strength scoring chances, and Coleman’s 6 shots led the way for both sides. If the New Jersey draft pick had found any extra luck, the decisive Miami victory would have been far greater.
2. Sean Kuraly (MU) // Kuraly was the top individual beneficiary of a dominant Miami powerplay. The Dublin native came away with 3 points on the night, 2 on the man advantage. He was one of the leading scorers for the Redhawks last year, and the Buckeyes did little to contain his offensive prowess. An even strength assist capped off a strong game for the San Jose prospect.
3. Tanner Fritz (OSU) // Miami did well to contain most of the Buckeye attack (thanks in large part to near-constant puck possession and powerplay situations). Fritz and Greco shined the most of any Ohio State players, Fritz coming away with a powerplay assist and a pair of even strength scoring chances. The OSU top line was good, but not good enough and unable to do the job alone.
10/17/2014 Scoring Chances
Team scoring chances by period, listed as (even strength / powerplay)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MU | 5 / 2 | 7 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 13 / 7 |
| OSU | 3 / 1 | 2 / 1 | 2 / 0 | 7 / 2 |
Scoring chances at even strength by player:
| Miami | Ohio State | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleman | 3 | Fritz | 2 |
| Czarnik | 3 | Greco | 1 |
| Morris | 2 | Jones | 1 |
| Barber | 1 | Lampasso | 1 |
| Caito | 1 | Oddo | 1 |
| Joyaux | 1 | Weis | 1 |
| Paulides | 1 | ||
| Wideman | 1 |
Scoring chances during powerplay by player
| Miami | Ohio State | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenberg | 2 | Angeli | 1 |
| Barber | 1 | Greco | 1 |
| Coleman | 1 | ||
| Czarnik | 1 | ||
| Kuraly | 1 | ||
| Wideman | 1 |
Chances were tracked real time at the game using the general scoring chance area as described at Defending Big D.
(Featured image: Miami Redhawks gather to celebrate victory as time expires in Columbus on October 17th. Photo by Matt Souva.)
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