Brighton's Landon Whitlock learned playoff hockey from state final run

NOVI — Sometimes Landon Whitlock came back to the Brighton hockey bench in the celebration line after contributing to a goal.

Sometimes he came limping back after eating a puck for the team.

Whatever it takes, especially at playoff time.

Whitlock learned what the postseason is all about while playing as a sophomore forward on a veteran team that went to its third consecutive state Division 1 championship game two years ago.

It’s those lessons he’s applied to his own game as a senior leader on one of the hottest teams in Michigan.

Whitlock had a goal and two assists and blocked four shots in the playoff opener for sixth-ranked Brighton, which beat Ann Arbor Pioneer 7-1 in a regional semifinal on Thursday, Feb. 19 at Novi Ice Arena.

“It’s just a Brighton thing to be a dog,” Whitlock said. “It’s what we’re known for is blocked shots. It’s just what we do. It’s just what you do for the team.

“I’m fine with taking one off the leg. It stings for a second, but it’s better than one going in the back of the net and costing us the game.”

Whitlock’s teammates were as excited to greet him back at the bench followed his blocked shots as they were for his first-period goal. In hockey culture, sacrificing the body for the team is revered.

“He just works,” Brighton coach Kurt Kivisto said. “He’s an absolute dog. He does a tremendous job on the penalty kill blocking shots and just grinds. He’s a guy who goes and retrieves pucks and makes things happen on the forecheck. He’s just really, really valuable for our team.”

As a sophomore, he had two goals and three assists in 30 games playing on a team spearheaded by all-state forwards Cam Duffany and Lane Petit.

“He was more of a third-line type of role, go eat minutes and do that dirty work,” Kivisto said. “He’s taken that and elevated his game this year. It’s been awesome to see.”

Whitlock’s points Thursday came when they mattered most, as he contributed to Brighton’s first three goals while Pioneer was flirting with an upset.

It was a 1-1 game until Eddie Wheeler scored with 4:57 left in the second period. That began an onslaught of four goals in a span of 8 minutes and 13 seconds spanning the second and third periods.

Whitlock opened the scoring with 3:10 left in the first period. After Pioneer’s Sean Stone tied it on the power play with 12:47 left in the second, the game settled into a bit of a stalemate until Wheeler broke the tie and Max McKenzie made it 3-1 with 16.4 seconds left in the second.

The Bulldogs broke it open with goals by Connor Duffany and Nic Smith early in the third. McKenzie scored his second goal with 7:39 remaining and Tim Peterson capped the scoring with 1:17 left.

Whitlock was Brighton’s eighth-leading scorer during the regular season with five goals and eight assists in 26 games. He’s picked up the pace late in the season, scoring three goals and six assists in the last seven games.

He credits the uptick in production to being paired with McKenzie and Wheeler later in the season.

“It’s the people I’ve been playing with,” Whitlock said. “I’ve been playing with the right players. Being with them puts me in the right place and in the right spots. I can get the puck and get some points.”

Brighton (17-11) is 12-2 in its last 14 games after losing six in a row. The Bulldogs will seek their sixth consecutive regional championship at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25 against fifth-ranked Northville or Novi at Novi Ice Arena. Brighton beat Northville 1-0 on Dec. 6 and rallied to beat Novi 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 10.

Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton hockey maintains hot streaks, beats Pioneer in playoff opener