Michi-gamer: Pride of the Mitten (Week of Feb. 23, 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.


FEBRUARY 26 – CHRIS KUNITZkunitz

Ferris State alum Chris Kunitz had as productive of a 14 minutes for the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night as one could hope for when going head-to-head with rival Washington Capitals. In exactly 14:38 of ice time, Kunitz recorded the game-winning goal, as well as an assist on Sidney Crosby’s 20th of the year to go along with three shots, three hits and two blocks. Kunitz’s 16th of the season was the result of pure determination, as he beat out Caps forward Evgeny Kuznetzov in a one-on-battle for position in front of the net. The 35-year-old veteran proved to the Washington rookie that it only takes a single second to expose poor positioning. The effort also ended a five-game pointless drought for the 35-year-old, something rather unfamiliar to him since first lining up alongside Crosby. Kunitz has 37 points in 53 contests this season.

Watch Kunitz tally the game-winner for the Pens:


FEBRUARY 25 – ANDREW MILLERandrew miller

Bloomfield Hills native Andrew Miller sparked the offense when his Oklahoma City Barons needed it most. A former Mr. Hockey winner with Cranbrook in 2007, Miller assisted on former Detroit Red Wings forward Jason Williams’ late third-period, powerplay goal to force overtime against the Texas Stars. And 3:33 into OT, Miller popped home the game-winner to give the Barons the 3-2 victory and first place in the entire AHL. The 26-year-old forward leads Oklahoma City in goals (20) and points (44) in 49 games this season, his second full professional campaign. His 44 points are good for ninth in the league, too. Last season, Miller compiled eight goals and 34 points in 52 games as a rookie. Dating back to his high school days, Miller has found a way to be productive at every level he has played at. Perhaps he’ll get the call to join the struggling Edmonton Oilers near the end of the season.


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FEBRUARY 24 – MIKE CAMMALLERI

University of Michigan alum Mike Cammalleri scored two big goals for his New Jersey Devils club last night, providing two knock-out punches in the third period en route to a 3-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Cammalleri increased the Devils’ lead from one to two with a big goal less than two minutes into the third period, when he won a race to the puck in the neutral zone, skated into the Arizona zone, and beat goaltender Mike Smith with a nifty backhander. Roughly 17 minutes of hockey action later, Cammalleri scored the empty-netter that officially secured the win for the Devils. They were Cammalleri’s 22nd and 23rd goals of the season, and they sure were big ones for the Wolverines alum – though he’s no stranger to scoring important goals for his team this season, as he leads the NHL with eight game-winners in 2014-15.

Here’s the goal that made the game 2-0 in favor of the Devils:


FEBRUARY 23 – ROB ZEPPzepp

Amidst a tight playoff push, former Plymouth Whalers netminder Rob Zepp led the Philadelphia Flyers to four huge points with back-to-back wins against playoff teams Saturday and Sunday. Against the NHL-leading Nashville Predators, Zepp turned aside 20 of 22 shots in regulation and both Predators in the shootout to earn his fourth win of the season. The next afternoon, Philly turned to Zepp again, and again he delivered, stopping 21 of 23 against an offensively-dynamic Washington Capitals team. Despite his .894 save percentage and 2.63 goals-against average on the year, Zepp still maintains a strong 5-1 record between the pipes for the Flyers. The 33-year-old has been quite the story this season in Philadelphia, making his NHL debut just this season after spending the last 14 in the ECHL, AHL, Finland and Germany.


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