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Seniors hope to end careers with a win -- in the NCAA title game

He finished his illustrious career with 103 goals -- good for fifth-place on Michigan's all-time list. Knuble was admired by fans and teammates alike. Kids want to be like Mike.

But you can bet Kevin Hilton has no aspirations to follow in his footsteps.

Mike Knuble left Michigan with a heartache. His Wolverines -- and make no mistake, they were his -- lost to Maine last season in what is regarded as one of the best tournament games in NCAA history.

Michigan bowed out in the semifinals in triple-overtime after it had numerous chances to earn a berth in the finals. Knuble's senior season ended abruptly.

"It's like when somebody dies," he said last summer. "If you keep busy and don't really think about it, it isn't as bad."

Hilton, Steven Halko, John Arnold and Mark Sakala don't want their college careers to end that way.

None of them want to be like Mike.

And the Wolverines certainly don't want to see their season end in the same fashion as last year's. But only one team can go home with a win in its last game. The other 11 fortunate and successful enough to make the NCAA tournament have to deal with something they are not used to -- losing.

"Nobody likes to lose," Michigan forward John Madden said after the Wolverines slipped by Lake Superior State, 4-3, in the CCHA championship game last weekend. "I'm just glad it wasn't us."

Now every game could be Michigan's last. Playoff hockey is something different; something special.

But the trick to winning those postseason games isn't.

There's no one mystic strategy, no pep talk, no system to point to that guarantees a playoff win.

Sure, offense wins games, and defense wins championships. But a high-octane offense will only win you games against poor clubs, but a solid defense is just as valuable against the country's top teams during the regular season as it is in postseason play.

Look at the numbers:

Minnesota -- Michigan's likely opponent Sunday -- downed the Wolverines, 3-2, in the College Hockey Showcase in November. Michigan's win over the Lake State last Saturday was also a one-goal affair.

Three weekends ago, the Lakers won 5-4 in overtime against Michigan in Sault Ste. Marie. The other two matchups between the CCHA's top two squads were blowouts. The winning margins were four goals or more.

Defense is an integral factor in tournament success, but it's also an integral part of a good team.

As far as the other cliches, goaltending and special teams fall into the same category: essential in both regular and postseason.

"We just want to improve from last weekend," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We had a big win over Lake State, but we have to play our best hockey from here on out."

That's really the key if you need to single something out. Mistake-free hockey wins championships.

By the time Michigan takes the ice at 2 p.m. Sunday in East Lansing, only six teams will still have ice to skate on. And you can bet all will be excellent teams led by experienced coaches and talented players.

Just like last year and the years before, it will be the team that makes the fewest mistakes that will win out.

-- John Leroi can be reached over e-mail at jrleroi@umich.edu.