Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of March 30, 2015)

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Welcome to another season of MiHockey’s Michi-gamer!

We take great pride in our homegrown talent. Whether they grew up in the Mitten or we welcomed them here for college or juniors, they are our own. They represent the best place in the world for hockey.

Every morning, we pick one Michi-gamer from the previous night’s slate of games across all professional levels of hockey – one Michigan player who stood out above the rest.


trocheckAPRIL 3 – VINCENT TROCHECK

Little Caesars, Saginaw Spirit and Plymouth Whalers alum Vincent Trocheck had an impressive outing for the Florida Panthers last night. The Pittsburgh native, who spent seven years in the Mitten, racked up two goals and an assist in the Panthers’ 6-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Trocheck helped set up the game’s first goal, then he added two in the third period – first firing a shot home from the slot then minutes later driving to the net, swatting down a loose puck with his hand, and whacking the puck in for his seventh goal of the year. Trocheck has played in 46 games with the Panthers this season, and he’s found the scoresheet 22 times. Not bad for a 21-year-old player.

Video highlights:


APRIL 2 – ANDREW COGLIANO cogliano headshot

Believe it or not, Andrew Cogliano has never missed a game in his NHL career since entering the league in 2007. The former University of Michigan standout skated in his 619th consecutive game Wednesday night, a 5-1 victory in Anaheim over his former team, the Edmonton Oilers. Cogliano chipped in with some offense, too, as he first assisted on Simon Despres’ goal at 12:06 of the second period to put the Ducks up 4-0. Then, after being hauled down on a breakaway 5:14 into the third period, he was awarded with a penalty shot, which he converted for his 15th goal of the season. Cogliano also has 13 assists for 28 points in 79 games this season. Only two players have played in more consecutive games from the start of their career than Cogliano (Andy Hebenton, 630; Doug Jarvis, 964), and the 27-year-old former first-round pick sits in eighth place all-time for the longest streak of consecutive games played.

Watch Cogliano’s penalty shot here:


jack johnson

APRIL 1 – JACK JOHNSON

Jack Johnson may only have seven goals on the season, but last night’s was a big one for his Columbus Blue Jackets club. The Ann Arbor native and University of Michigan alum sent a backhander through a little bit of traffic and past goaltender Cory Schneider 56 seconds into the extra period to give the Jackets a 3-2 overtime victory. It was Columbus’ seventh victory in a row, as they make a final push towards a playoff spot (right now, they’re 13 points behind the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference). The goal also gives Johnson 35 points on the season – the most points he has recorded since 2010-11 with the Los Angeles Kings.

Watch the goal here:


MARCH 31 – JEFF PETRYpetry headshot

With his Montreal Canadiens down 3-1 after 40 minutes, Jeff Petry’s goal 23 seconds into the final frame was as good a time as ever to record his first in a Habs jersey. The marker was the Ann Arbor native’s fifth of the season. With a face-off to the right of Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop, Lars Eller won the draw back cleanly to Petry at the right point. The former Michigan State Spartan wound up a wrist shot, cranked it off the stick of Steven Stamkos and it deflected high over Bishop’s glove. Montreal ultimately fell 5-3 at the end of the night in a battle of the Atlantic Division’s top teams.

Watch Petry’s goal here:


MARCH 30 – MATT TAORMINA2taormina

Matt Taormina is a defenseman by trade, but this past weekend he produced like a forward for his Worcester Sharks in AHL action. In Friday’s 6-3 victory over Springfield, the Warren native recorded a pair of assists, including a helper on the game-winning powerplay goal. He followed that up the next night by scoring the game-winner himself, but this one came in dramatic fashion. At 2:38 of the overtime period in a 2-2 game with St. John’s, Taormina scored his ninth of the season to clinch the 3-2 victory for his Sharks. The 28-year-old has 23 assists to complement his nine goals for 32 points in 66 games this season from the Worcester blue line.

 


Michi-gamer features compiled by MiHockey’s Stefan Kubus and Michael Caples. Click here to see last week’s Michi-gamer picks.