Put simply: tonight’s game was brutal. The Gophers took a 5-2 advantage in the third period against rival St. Cloud, but blew the lead and lost it in OT, 6-5. In a game where Minnesota looked in control throughout, the ending was gut-wrenching, to say the least.
What I Saw
The Gophers offense certainly wasn’t the problem. The Maroon and Gold got out to a 2-0 lead and made it look easy. Powerplay goals, even strength goals; pretty snipes and hustle plays, the Gophers were clicking on offense. It was the final 10 minutes that could haunt Minnesota for weeks, and captain Justin Kloos put it well.
“We didn’t finish the game out,” said Kloos. “We just played like [expletive].”
Minnesota extended their lead in the third on a Tommy Novak snipe just 2:34 in to make it 5-2. The Gophers were rolling at that point, and all signs pointed to an easy win. The only problem was Minnesota stopped skating. They looked tentative trying to waste out the clock while the Huskies still had legs. Even when their net was empty, you could feel the Huskies had the momentum and were pushing the action.
“All of a sudden we got on our heels and we couldn’t get the momentum back,” said Don Lucia. “We gave them too much room. We had some breakdowns and it’s going to cost you.”
Looking through the stat sheet, I’m not seeing anything that really sticks out. Minnesota was clearly the better team, but St. Cloud was the squad who played the whole game. And that was difference. If the Gophers played with urgency in the last 10 (even five) minutes, it wouldn’t have been close. You just have to hope a loss like that doesn’t haunt them at the end of the year in their pairwise ranking.
By The Numbers
11 Shot advantage by St. Cloud in the third period. Minnesota was dominating 29-18 through two periods, but the Huskies continued to press and put shots on net. It paid off, obviously.
5 Powerplay goals between the two teams. The Huskies were 3/6 with the man advantage while the Gophers were 2/5.
+3 For sophomore defenseman Jack Sadek. In a game with 11 combined goals, it’s impressive Sadek was a +3 for Minnesota.
What’s Next
The Gophers head to St. Cloud for a rematch at 7pm tomorrow. It’s always a tough place to play, but a Saturday night after a brutal loss will have the Husky crowd in a frenzy. Minnesota is hungry for revenge, but it’s a tough task in that environment. The game can be seen on FSN+ and heard on ESPN1500.