Gopher Hockey Notes at St. Cloud State Huskies – 2-9-2013

Can the Gopher hockey team and its players defeat the Huskies on back-to-back nights and get their 2nd series sweep of the season and move to within a point of the WCHA lead?

Line Chart – Minnesota Golden Gophers

Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
Kyle Rau-7 – Nick Bjugstad-27 – Nate Condon-16
Erik Haula-19 – Sam Warning-11 – Zach Budish-24
Tom Serratore-14 – Travis Boyd-22 – Justin Holl-12
Jake Parenteau-6 – Christian Isackson-26 – Seth Ambroz-17
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Brady Skjei-2 – Nate Schmidt-29
Ben Marshall-10 – Seth Helgeson-4
Mike Reilly-5 – Mark Alt-20
Goalie
Adam Wilcox-32
Mike Shibrowski-1

Scratches: G-Matt LaPrade-30, G-Ryan Coyne-31, D-Blake Thompson-3 (Transferred), F-Ryan Reilly-9, F-AJ Michaelson-15, F-Chirstian Horn-18, F-Jared Larson-23
Injured: F-Connor Reilly-21

Line Chart – St. Cloud State Huskies

Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
Ben Hanowksi-10 (C) – Drew LeBlanc-19 (C) – Kalle Kossila-11
Jimmy Murray-16 – Nic Dowd-26 – Jonny Brodzinski-22
Garrett Milan-18 – Joey Holka-17 – Joe Rehkamp-37
Joey Benik-9 – Brooks Bertsch-21 – Cory Thorson-8
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Andrew Prochno-28 – Nick Jensen-14 (A)
Kevin Gravel-7 – Tim Daly-40
Ethan Prow-12 – Taylor Johnson-4
Goalie
Ryan Faragher-29
Joseph Phillippi-33

Scratches/Injured: G-Rasmus Reijola-35, D-Jarrod Rabey-2, D-Brendon Burrell-20, F-David Morley-13, F-T.J. Belisle-23, F-Nick Oliver-27

It’s Friday night and we have another WCHA in-state rivalry! Two great teams with two great goalies and two great offenses. This should be fun! Are you in a State of Hockey, physically and mentally?

Let’s DROP THE CLUTTERPUCK!!!

All comments are from an offensive point of view unless otherwise noted.

1st Period

  • I checked and Nic Dowd is not related to former Minnesota Wild player Jim Dowd!
    • That might be why we haven’t seen him circle the offensive zone!
  • You are almost guaranteed to miss the face-off when FSN goes to some highlight after a whistle!
    • Like the one they just missed!
    • and another!
    • and another! UGHH!!!
  • PENALTIES – Ben Marshall for Roughing on Jimmy Murray & Jimmy Murray for Goaltender Interference on Adam Wilcox at 13:55 of the 1st period – Coincidental minors on Jimmy Murray’s mini-breakaway when Ben Marshall body checks Murray at the last second sending him into Adam Wilcox.
    • It’s easy to see that both coaches are not happy with either of these calls!
      • FSN shows Bob Motzko as he screams to the official, “That’s Bull#*&%!!!”
      • then they show Don Lucia as he is told the calls and he snaps, “That’s F#&$ING Bull#*&%!!!”
      • Ahhh….to be an official in the game of hockey!
        • “Hmm…nobody seems to like what I’m doing! Have I chosen the right career?”
          • HEY!!! Somebody has to do it!
          • Don’t be THAT GUY!!!
          • Mothers, DON’T let your babies grow up to be referees!!!
    • Hey, we do get some 4-on-4 hockey though!
      • That seemed to favor the Gophers last night as they scored the game-winning goal and an insurance goal while 4-on-4!
    • Apparently, if you body check a player and that player ends up running into your goalie, that’s roughing!
    • AND if you go to the net with the puck trying to score and you get “roughed” with a body check and that sends you into the goalie, that is goalie interference!
  • PENALTY – St. Cloud State for Too Many Men On The Ice at 16:42 of the 1st period – Oops!
  • and another missed face-off! Maybe FSN stands for Face-offs Suck Network!
    • That’s at least 4 of them!

2nd Period

  • The Don is really switching up the lines quite a bit.
    • Christian Isackson has gotten a shift on the top line. Seth Ambroz has played a shift on the second line. Is The Don trying to take advantage of a matchup or just switching it up for a different look every now and then?
  • GOAL! – Joey Holka from Garrett Milan & Ryan Faragher at 2:39 of the 2nd period – Garrett Milan receives a pass off the left boards from goalie Ryan Faragher and takes it all the way up the left side and takes a shot with Ben Marshall going down to block it. The puck hits Marshall’s left leg and pops up into the air. Joey Holka catches the puck, drops it to the ice and takes a swing at it and gets enough of it to have it go just over Adam Wilcox and into the net! HUSKIES 1-0!!!
    • Not much Wilcox can do about that. Hard to read a shot off a bouncing puck!
    • Jake Parenteau attempts to hit the puck in the air with his stick but never stops skating taking himself out of the play after he misses it.
      • STOP! IN THE NAME OF PUCK!!! BEFORE IT’S MINUS ONE!!!
      • In front of your own net, don’t just allow the opponent to have the better position on the ice. Body him up especially if the puck is in the air!
      • When the puck is in the air, that’s the perfect time to line up someone for a body check! Watch puck…as player touches it….BOOM! CLUTTER BROUGHT!!!
    • Not sure if Parenteau knew where the puck went until the last second. He may have thought the puck was blocked into the left corner so there’s that.
  • The Gophers appear to have been lulled to sleep by the Huskies taking the lead!
    • Move your feet! Where’s the sense of urgency? Let’s GO!!! Geez!
  • GOAL! – Nic Dowd from Jimmy Murray at 17:48 of the 2nd period – Kevin Gravel makes a pass to Nic Dowd through the neutral zone that Nate Schmidt tries to intercept but misses and gives up a 2-on-1. Dowd tips the pass to his left to Jimmy Murray and Murray makes a couple moves then passes to Dowd for a one-timer that Adam Wilcox gets a piece of but not enough to keep the puck out of the net. HUSKIES 2-0!!!
    • Brady Skjei has to take the pass away and let Adam Wilcox have the shooter. He lets the pass get under his stick and basically gives his goalie no chance to make a save!
    • Wilcox knew he got a piece of it and was surprised it went in the net by his reaction!
  • PENALTY – Drew LeBlanc for Checking From Behind on Nick Bjugstad & Nick Jensen for Checking From Behind on Kyle Rau at 18:06 of the 2nd period – Nick Bjugstad is in the left corner battling for the puck and Drew LeBlanc checks him from behind. Bjugstad loses the puck and Kyle Rau gets in there to battle for it and he’s checked from behind by Nick Jensen.
    • Is it 2 or 5? They are discussing it!
    • It’s both penalties at the same time so the Gophers will get a full two minutes of 5-on-3!
      • Unless of course they score!
    • Not very often you see two penalties called on the same play against the same team!
    • and two Checking From Behind penalties too! WOW!
  • GOAL! (POWER PLAY) – Nate Schmidt from Erik Haula & Zach Budish at 19:09 of the 2nd period – Erik Haula has the puck at the right-half wall and skates to the top of the slot then passes it to Zach Budish at the left face-off circle. Budish one-times a pass right back to Haula. Haula then passes it to Nate Schmidt at the right face-off dot for a one-time slap shot that beats Ryan Faragher low on the short side. GOPHERS 1-2!!!
    • That shows you how hard Nate Schmidt can shoot the puck if he can beat the goalie low on a one-timer.
      • You usually have to go high since the goalie’s leg pad is the first thing to get over when they move side to side.
        • Not sure Faragher saw the puck until it was too late because he didn’t get over there right away and he didn’t get his pads down until after the puck went by him!
  • PENALTY – Nate Condon for Interference on Andrew Prochno at 19:27 of the 2nd period – This is a brutal call!!! or should I say make-up call after the Gophers got the 5-on-3? Mike Reilly is coming up the center of the neutral zone and drops the puck to Nate Condon. Condon misses the puck and Andrew Prochno goes toward the loose puck. Condon gets in his way to get to the puck first and the official calls him for interference.
    • The main reason I don’t like this call is because the loose puck is within the reach of Nate Condon so a puck/position battle is initiated by both players and Nate Condon won and got the puck.
      • Nate Condon has a right to that ice just as much as Andrew Prochno does!
    • Is it a make-up call? Do the officials look for a penalty from Gophers to try to even up the call of two checking from behind penalties on the same play?
      • If they do, that’s wrong! The checking from behind calls were legit calls so there’s no reason to “even it up.”

3rd Period

  • Gophers kill off the Huskie power play to begin the period.
  • Gophers haven’t won when trailing after 2 and the Huskies haven’t lost when leading after 2 so I guess I should just stop watching the game then!
    • Stupid stats! Records were meant to be BROKEN…with a PUCK!!!
  • GOAL – Jonny Brodzinski from Nick Jensen at 3:50 of the 3rd period – After a Nick Bjugstad face-off win in the Huskie zone, Nick Jensen gets to the puck first and passes cross ice to Jonny Brodzinski coming up the right side and he takes a slap shot at the blue line that Adam Wilcox doesn’t see and its HUSKIES 3-1!!!
    • Jake Parenteau put his feet together to try to block the shot and the puck must’ve deflected off Parenteau’s skates or stick because Wilcox isn’t going to get beat from that far out very often.
    • Tough goal to give up when you’re only down one goal!
  • They say a 2-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey!
    • I disagree!
    • The worst lead in hockey is an opponent’s lead! BOOM!
  • GOAL! – Drew LeBlanc from Kalle Kosilla & Kevin Gravel at 6:40 of the 3rd period – Brady Skjei skates the puck into the offensive zone and then makes a change but he never looks to see who has or where the puck is so when Kevin Gravel has the puck behind his own net and passes to Kalle Kosilla at the right half-wall of the Huskie zone, Andrew LeBlanc has nothing but ice in front of him as that would be where Brady Skjei (or whoever’s covering for him) should be. LeBlanc skates in all alone on Adam Wilcox and beats him with a shot to the blocker side and its now HUSKIES 4-1!!!
    • Bad line change by Brady Skjei!
    • Not sure if anyone covered for Skjei when he took the puck on an offensive rush.
  • The Gophers are throwing away the win from last night with a bad stretch in the 3rd period!
  • A big hit by Tom Serratore gives the Gophers a little energy.
  • PENALTY – Taylor Johnson for Unsportsmanlike Conduct at 10:09 of the 3rd period – No idea what he did. I thought the penalty was going to be for enclosing the hand on the puck.
  • GOAL! (POWER PLAY) – Nick Bjugstad from Erik Haula & Kyle Rau at 10:53 of the 3rd period – A shot from the point leaves a rebound in front of the net and Kyle Rau battles for the puck and it squeaks out to Erik Haula at the right face-off dot. Haula waits and makes a pass through the slot to Nick Bjugstad  just above the left face-off dot and he corrals the puck and finally takes a slap shot that goes Bar Down over Faragher’s right shoulder. GOPHERS 2-4!!!
    • Someone should probably get to Bjugstad when he has the puck and isn’t moving!
    • or at least get in front of him. Even on the PK!
  • Will this get the Gophers back in the game?
  • GOAL! – Nate Condon from Mark Alt & Mike Reilly at 14:26 of the 3rd period – Mike Reilly takes the puck up the right boards into the Huskie zone, turns towards the net then makes a turnaround move on his backhand to get around Andrew Prochno. Prochno forces him to go behind the net but Reilly makes a centering pass that goes through everyone in front of the net and back to the point where Mark Alt gets it and takes a slap shot. Ryan Faragher makes the save but leaves a juicy rebound that comes right to Nate Condon at the right of the net (Faragher’s left) and Condon puts it into the open net and its GOPHERS 3-4!!!
    • Mark Alt didn’t take a full wind-up on his slap shot. He only went waist high to get the shot off quicker to get it to the net.
      • He shot it low to get a rebound or a tip.
      • He didn’t shoot high to try to score. He shot low to get an assist!
    • I’m not sure how long we’ll get to see Mike Reilly play for the Gophers but man, it’s going to be fun to watch him grow and progress into a great defenseman!
      • The kid can skate, handle the puck and make plays and we saw it all on that play! WOW!
  • We have ourselves a hockey game now!
  • Over 5 minutes to go! Can the Gophers tie the game?
    • Some Mo for the Gophers!
  • PENALTY – Zach Budish for Tripping on Drew LeBlanc at 19:25 of the 3rd period – Zach Budish loses a puck battle in the right corner of the Huskie zone and gets his stick between the legs of Drew LeBlanc tripping him up and getting a call from the official.
    • Probably the right call but that might kill most of the possibility for the Gophers to tie this game up.

This one ends with the Huskies winning 4-3 but having to stave off a comeback from the Gophers in the last 5 minutes.

The Gophers started the game out good but after the Huskies took the lead, they seemed to let up and it wasn’t until the got a 5-on-3 power play late in the 2nd period when they got some energy back. Then two quick goals from St. Cloud State looked to end any hope of a Gopher sweep until another power play goal gave them some more energy for a comeback that fell just short in the end.

The Huskies keep their 5-point lead in the WCHA over the Gophers with a series split making it tough for the Gophers to get back-to-back WCHA titles. Gopher hockey still has two games in hand on the Huskies with 8 games left to play to the Huskies 6 games left to play so they can still close the gap but needed a better overall effort tonight to get it done.

Next weekend the Gophers head to Wisconsin on Friday night and then head to Chicago for Sunday’s 1st annual Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. Friday night’s game is at 7pm on FSN and Sunday afternoon’s game is at 3:30pm on the Big Ten Network!!!

Gopher Hockey Recap from GopherSports.com – Gophers Settle for Split with No. 8/10 St. Cloud State
Gopher Hockey Box Score from GopherSports.com – Minnesota-St. Cloud State Stats
Gopher Hockey Recap from .com – SCSUHuskies.com – #8/10 St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey Upends #1 Gophers, 4-3

In other WCHA College Hockey action tonight,
Home=”vs”, Away=”@”
Colorado College won vs Denver 6-5 in OT,
Michigan Tech won vs Alaska-Anchorage 6-1,
Minnesota State won @ Minnesota-Duluth 5-1,
North Dakota won @ Nebraska-Omaha 5-2 – Played outdoors at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska as part of the Battles On Ice event – Recap,
and
Wisconsin won vs Bemidji State 3-2

In other College Hockey action,
Home=”vs”, Away=”@”
Notre Dame won vs Michigan 6-4 – Minnesota Wild Draft Pick Mario Lucia (or is it Thedonson (The Don’s Son! Get it? Nevermind!)) assisted on the 2nd Notre Dame goal
and
Penn State won vs Alabama-Huntsville 4-3 – Former Gopher Max Gardiner assisted on the 2nd Penn State goal

Bring The CLUTTER in the comments, on Twitter, on Facebook and on Google+.

You’ve Been ClutterPUCKED!!!

This entry was posted in College Hockey, Gopher Hockey, Hockey In Minnesota, Minnesota Wild, News/Transactions, Wild Prospects. Bookmark the permalink.

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