Kevin Lynch has never lacked confidence.

But to see him a year ago was to see a player struggling to find his place with the Michigan hockey team. He was the new kid, thrown into a mix with a collection of experienced teammates who knew the tendencies of everyone around them.

It wasn't always easy. He often skated without an identity, doing the little things often expected of first-year players. Over time, he began to slowly establish himself, first as a gritty skater not afraid to mix it up and then as a capable scorer who had a knack for putting himself in the right place at the right time.

For Lynch, this season was all about picking up where he left off.

Unlike last season, when he struggled to produce points, Lynch has gotten off to a quick start. Heading into this weekend's College Hockey Showcase, the sophomore forward has scored a team-high six goals and has handed out three assists, skating with the confidence he always knew he had.

"Last year I didn't have a great start and everyone was wondering, 'We brought this kid in for some reason but what type of player is he?' I think toward the end of the season, I showed what kind of player I can be," Lynch said.

The second half of Lynch's freshman year was critical. He tallied 15 of his 16 points after Dec. 28. After Lynch was moved to a line that included veterans Carl Hagelin and Matt Rust, his natural abilities were enhanced by who was playing around him.

After tallying his first career goal in the Great Lakes Invitational, Lynch registered a career-high three points in Michigan's upset of Miami in the CCHA Tournament semifinals.

But he knew more would be expected of him. In the off-season, he met with coach Red Berenson. Having seen what Lynch is capable of, Berenson pushed for even more.

"We expected him to take a step," Berenson said. "I thought he would just take off where he left off and he pretty much has. He plays better when he plays gritty and when he plays simple and I've seen better hockey from him in the last two weekends than I did the first month.

"He was playing, but he wasn't playing with as much of an edge."

Lynch is now playing with more focus, blending confidence with mental sharpness. The results have come in how fast he's skating and the way he puts himself in position to make plays.

Lynch delivered again last weekend, helping the No. 8-ranked Wolverines secure a sweep of Lake Superior State. Lynch scored two of Michigan's three goals in a 3-2 win, including what proved to be the game-winner in the second period.

The sweep gave Michigan (8-3-3, 7-2-1 CCHA) a boost of confidence heading into this weekend's pair of road games. The Wolverines will face No. 16 Wisconsin (6-6-2) Friday night (8:05 p.m.) before traveling to No. 15 Minnesota (7-4-1) on Sunday (5:35 p.m., Big Ten Network).

For Lynch, the fast start has provided the confidence he can be a key contributor to Michigan's success. But knowing the bulk of the season still remains, he realizes he still has a lot of work to do.

"I'm not satisfied - I'm always pulling for higher marks," Lynch said. "Red sometimes says that maybe he expects a little too much out of us, but that's the beauty of it. When your coach expects a lot out of you, all you try to do is work as hard as you can every day in practice and in every game to try and live up to that."

Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.