Second line comes through in Michigan’s hour of need

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Playoff hockey is all gas, no brakes. When the chips are down, hard work and effort aren’t just encouraged, or expected of successful teams.

They’re mandatory traits.

So, in a 1-1 game headed into overtime that had been anything but smooth for the No. 1 seed Michigan hockey team, the Wolverines had to go all in. And when the stakes couldn’t be any higher, sophomore forward Mackie Samoskevich and his second line laid a royal flush.

“I knew Mackie was going to score, he’s so clutch,” freshman forward T.J. Hughes said. “… So happy for him that he was able to bury (it).”

Hughes, Samoskevich and their third musketeer — sophomore forward Dylan Duke — were never supposed to be together. With a mid-season shake-up brought about by returning players, a slumping lineup and coaching creativity, the three were united as a byproduct, not a feature.

While each player has exceptional individual talent, plus the added chemistry of Duke and Samoskevich’s previous time together last season, there were no guarantees that it would all manifest properly. Reassigned to the second line, Samoskevich and Duke were removed from their headlining trio with freshman phenom Adam Fantilli and instead sent to play with the then-unheralded Hughes.

From an outsider’s perspective, relegation to the second line may not seem like treatment expected of two high-caliber prospects. It had its risks. The three might not gel, potentially stalling a Michigan lineup formerly in desperate need of secondary scoring. Or worse, the shifts could have shut down the Wolverines’ scoring entirely. It was a gamble.

But on Sunday night, Samoskevich and the second line put their cards on the table and erased any doubts.

“We all trust each other,” Hughes said. “We just play the game. We don’t cheat. We just play the game, get pucks in and that’s how we feed our offense.”

Offense was hard to come by Sunday, but that didn’t matter. For a line that’s shown up throughout the postseason to the tune of six goals, the three are a realization of Michigan’s desired identity. With five-foot passes and connected play, the Wolverines’ second line does the little things — and does them right. 

Each member has the traits that make them potential show-stoppers: Samoskevich has the lightning shot, Hughes has the playmaking ability, and Duke has the skates that glue themselves to the netfront. But above all, what’s driven their success — on Sunday and before — has been their dedication to emphasizing a play style above their own. They bought in, even when it was easy to check out.

Receiving new and not necessarily glamorous roles could’ve derailed it all — yet it didn’t. Instead, by trusting themselves and one another, the three musketeers gained what might be the most important trait for a playoff hockey team, or a gambler: confidence.

“We said it right before our first (overtime) shift, we said ‘We’re going to win this one,’ ” Duke said. “… It’s crazy that we literally scored that shift because, I mean, (Mackie) looked at me and he said it right before he went out and scored.”

Whether Samoskevich called his shot or benefited from a little bettor’s luck, the confidence from clinching a Frozen Four bid remains all the same. 

In less than a minute of overtime, with the stakes raised, Samoskevich and the Wolverines’ second line played the hand they were dealt — and cashed out in a trip to Tampa Bay.