Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckcast (Episode 26)

On episode 26 of That Gopher Hockey Puckcast, we officially pay our respects to Don Lucia Era.

Minnesota's head coach stepped down after a 19-year run in charge of the Gophers. Drew Cove, Nate Wells and producer Tom Schreier discuss the ramifications of the coaching change, the challenges the next coach (this was recorded prior to the news of Bob Motzko's hiring) will face along with the team losing a pair of players to early departures in Ryan Lindgren and Casey Mittelstadt.

Plus: A giant mailbag that answers several questions, including the Frozen Four and what were Drew and Nate's favorite pieces to write this season.

Those reading their favorite Frank Serratore quotes can directly download here.


As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

Plugs and stuff:

-Drew can be found on Twitter @covedrew and covers Minnesota men's hockey, football and softball for the Minnesota Daily.

-Nate can be found here on this website and at The Athletic (as well as every other website if the various links here don't make clear). You can follow him on Twitter @gopherstate and like/subscribe to his Facebook page. His latest story comes from the West Regional and explores the parallels between the 2011 and 2018 UMD teams, right down to Jack Connolly coming in to speak with the latest Bulldogs team to make an St. Paul Frozen Four.

Casey Mittelstadt signs with Buffalo + his thoughts on the college experience

Casey Mittelstadt's time at the University of Minnesota has come to an end.

Mittelstadt signed an entry-level contract Monday (March 26, 2018) with the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted the Eden Prairie, MN native eighth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. The Gopher forward will forgo his final three years of college eligibility.

We've signed forward Casey Mittelstadt to a 3-year entry-level contract.

Welcome to Buffalo, @CMittelstadt! pic.twitter.com/kvLie4Bueu

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 26, 2018

Mittelstadt finishes his one college season second on the Gophers with 30 points (11G-19A) in 34 games. He missed three games this year to play in the 2018 WJC, leading the U-20 competition in points.

The first freshman to depart Minnesota for a professional contract since Nick Leddy in 2010, Mittelstadt joins WJC teammate Ryan Lindgren in departing the Gophers early after head coach Don Lucia stepped down last Tuesday following his 19th season. Whoever takes over as head coach in 2018-19 will have to replace the team's most dynamic forward and top defenseman.

In his short time in college, the 19 year-old Mittelstadt earned a new appreciation for the fans and students of the college hockey game.

"Definitely," Mittelstadt told The Gopher Hockey Blog before facing Penn State in the Big Ten quarterfinals. "Obviously, it's cool to see people go all out like that and have some fun. I think for me, it's always fun to see that stuff, it makes for some good laughs in the locker room, things like that. I always enjoy it and think it's pretty funny."

Roar Zone student section signs. All the small photos are Casey Mittelstadt at the NHL Draft combine.

1) Wonder if the "Ew" sign was reused from Wisconsin. 2) The Sabres are owned by this rink's namesake. pic.twitter.com/m8CvFUErnY

— Nate Wells (@gopherstate) February 23, 2018

As the second collegian drafted in 2017, Mittelstadt was the focus of every opposing student section. From Ann Arbor to Grand Forks to State College and everywhere in between, students chanted his name and posted pictures of him attempting to do a pull-up.

"It's definitely fun. (Penn State) has a very good fanbase. I didn't expect it to be that good," he said. "Their student section was great and it made for a very fun weekend."

Mittelstadt signing now means he can burn a year of his ELC. He is expected to play for the Sabres later this week.

-------
If you enjoyed this blog, you can follow Nate on Twitter and like/subscribe to my Facebook page. Thanks!

Feature: Questions facing the Gopher program...beyond finding a coach (The Athletic)

“Selfishly, we feel like we have the best hockey job in the country.”

University of Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle was frank during Tuesday’s press conference announcing head coach Don Lucia would be stepping down after 19 years. As questions turned to who would be Lucia’s successor — the third permanent head coach since 1985 — Coyle mentioned he wants someone who understands what the program means to the state.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished and our incredible tradition,” he said. “I look forward to having conversations with the right people and making sure we find the best fit for our student-athletes and our program.”

However, a new head coach is not the only question facing the Gopher program. Whoever gets the job will have some work to do in 2018-19 after a season that ended with a 19-17-2 record, four consecutive road losses to Penn State and the perfect storm of outcomes to knock the team out of the NCAA Tournament.

Here’s a look at some of the other questions facing Minnesota in 2018-19.

Click here to read the rest!

Game Story: Penn State holds on, knocks Gophers out of Big Ten Conference Tournament (Zone Coverage)

The Gophers, having likely done enough over the first 34 games to earn an at-large bid when the 16 team field is announced on March 18, will enter the NCAA Tournament on a four-game losing streak, all to the Nittany Lions and all at Pegula Arena.

The latest loss came Saturday when Penn State came out ahead 6-5 in a game which saw Minnesota (19-17-2) explode for four goals in the second period and four lead changes.

Evan Barratt scored twice Saturday, including the game-winning goal with 8:35 remaining in regulation.

“We were a little sluggish in the first and then after that I thought we played hard and fought right until the end. It’s just disappointing we didn’t get that final goal,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia told reporters after Saturday’s game. “The guys had a great push in the second and third period and showed a lot of who they are coming back from 3-1 on the road.”

Combined with Friday’s 5-3 victory, Penn State won the best-of-three quarterfinal series 2-0 and will advance to next week’s Big Ten semifinal.

Click here to read the rest!

After another top-five win, Gopher hockey eyes a consistent formula for the season (The Athletic)

At his end of the ice, playing in a scoreless game that had gone into overtime, Mat Robson had one thing in mind.

“Make the next save,” he said.

Matching Notre Dame’s Cale Morris save for save, the Gopher goaltender did just that Friday. Robson stopped all 25 and was rewarded when Casey Mittelstadt, on a point of emphasis from the last time the two teams met, crashed the net and tapped in a Rem Pitlick rebound for a 1-0 victory over a No. 1 Fighting Irish team that swept the Gophers (and every other Big Ten team) earlier this season.

“Don’t give up the first one. You can’t think about losing or winning, you just have to make the next save and keep yourself composed,” said Robson, who for the first time this season started both games in a weekend.

When that doesn’t happen, as was the case in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to snap a three-game winning streak, it leaves Minnesota searching.

3M Arena at Mariucci has seen its share of highs and lows during the month of January. The Gophers have now twice shut out the then-No. 1 team in the nation. Sandwiched between was a 15-minute postgame players-only meeting at home, necessitated by a lifeless 3-1 defeat to Michigan.

Click here to read the rest (subscription required)!

Facebook Live: Notre Dame at Minnesota 1/27/18 Postgame

From the Mariucci Arena press box I went on Facebook Live to discuss Casey Mittelstadt's OT winning goal, Mat Robson's 25 save performance that matched Cale Morris, Minnesota's standing in the Big Ten and nationally, beating the #1 team in the nation for the second time this month and much more.

Game Story: Mittelstadt magic gives No. 13 Minnesota OT win over No. 1 Notre Dame (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- There was nothing pretty about the goal Casey Mittelstadt scored other than it giving Minnesota its second shutout victory over a No. 1 ranked team this month.

Known for his highlight-reel plays that are replayed on television and internet, the freshman forward made one for himself Friday. Mittelstadt, just as he imagined himself as a kid growing up in Eden Prairie, scored his first-ever collegiate overtime winning goal.

Mittelstadt crashed the net in front of Fighting Irish goaltender Cale Morris. Being at the right place, he tapped in a Rem Pitlick shot that Morris could not quite control and sent the 3M at Mariucci crowd into celebration 3:35 into OT in a 1-0 win.

“That’s a pretty special moment,” he said. “Being a Gopher is something that I’ve always dreamed of. Now that I’m actually here I get to make plays out here and wear the jersey and it’s pretty special.”

The victory gives No. 13 Minnesota (16-12-1, 7-9-1-1 Big Ten) a three-game winning streak and breathing room in the Pairwise rankings, which mimic the criteria used to select the NCAA Tournament field. The team also earned three much-needed points in the Big Ten conference standings. One point separates third and sixth place in the Big Ten with the Gophers, Wisconsin and Penn State all tied for fourth with 23 points.

Click here to read the rest!

Game Story: Brent Gates Jr. makes it in New York, leading Gophers to Madison Square Garden win (Zone Coverage)

NEW YORK CITY- Start spreading the news. Minnesota is leaving New York, New York Saturday with a season sweep over Michigan State.

The Gophers went to Madison Square Garden as part of the third annual Big Ten “Super Saturday” hockey-hoops doubleheader. While the men’s basketball team fell 67-49 to Ohio State earlier in the day, the men’s hockey team bounced back to skate away with a 2-1 win over the Spartans.

“It was a great experience for our players and our staff to come out here and play at such a historic venue, but as we told our players it’s only fun when you win,” Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said. “We had to grind out a win tonight. It wasn’t easy. I kept talking to our players that sometimes when you don’t have your legs or your hands that you need to find a backup game and find a way to win.”

Minnesota (15-12-1, 6-9-1-1 Big Ten) junior forward Brent Gates Jr. proved he can make it both here in New York and anywhere, scoring the game-winning goal with 3:29 remaining in regulation. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native, who grew up going to Spartans games, continued a hot weekend that began with two assists in East Lansing Thursday.

His goal came off of a bouncing pass by teammate Jack Ramsey that was able to be batted past Michigan State (9-16-1, 3-12-1-1 Big Ten) goaltender John Lethemon, who made 20 saves.

Click here to read the rest!

That Gopher Hockey Puckcast Episode 15 (with Amy Moritz)

On episode 15 of That Gopher Hockey Puckcast we do talk Gopher hockey...eventually.

With Nate calling in from New York City, Drew, producer Tom Schreier and him spend the first 10-15 minutes on traveling, the Vikings and Minneapolis Miracle (which Nate covered in person).

They then turn attention to Minnesota being swept by Michigan and the resulting fallout. The players-only meeting, the lack of offense, lack of Big Ten success this season and lack of direction, among other topics. Where does the team go from here? They also preview the weekend's unique series against Michigan State and Minnesota's NCAA Tournament chances.

In between (33:00 mark) Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News comes on to give her perspective on the World Juniors, covering an outdoor game, Buffalo's fascination with Casey Mittelstadt and what it's like to write a book.

Gopher Hockey Notebook: Potomak plans, Lindgren speech, Novak status & more

Heralded freshman forward Amy Potomak has enrolled at the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately for Gopher fans, they will have to a while longer to see #16 skate in a game.

Potomak will take classes and practice with fifth-ranked Minnesota while continuing to redshirt, The Gopher Hockey Blog has learned. This allows her to keep a full four years of playing eligibility and get an extra semester of school. The 18 year-old will be a redshirt freshman in 2018-19 provided she doesn't skate in a game.

Potomak missed the first semester as one of 28 players centralized in Calgary with the Canadian Olympic team. Cut from the team in November, the Aldergrove, British Columbia native took her time with Gophers head coach Brad Frost making a decision. In the interim, she skated with teammate Lindsay Agnew on Canada's National Women's Development Team in the Nations Cup.

A side effect of the decision is that she will spend a semester with the team without older sister Sarah. The older Potomak, also cut from the Canadian Olympic team, will continue to redshirt by spending the semester in her native Canada.

Sarah will be a redshirt junior next season.

Game Story: Minnesota's road woes continue against St. Cloud State (Zone Coverage)

ST. CLOUD, Minn.- Missing equipment, missing players and missing opportunities against St. Cloud State, the road continues to plague Minnesota.

The Gophers fell to 1-8-1 in true road games this season, losing 5-2 to the top-ranked Huskies in St. Cloud and matching the number of games the team lost away from Mariucci Arena in 2016-17.

“Playing on the road you have to come out and really dominate the first ten minutes,” said Minnesota junior Brent Gates Jr., who finished with a goal and an assist. “If you come out and let the fans in the game — especially in an environment like this — the first 10 minutes, it’s going to be tough to battle back. You’re going to be chasing the game.”

Mikey Eyssimont twice scored Saturday for St. Cloud State (13-2-3, 7-2-1-0 NCHC) in the first two minutes of a period to help keep the Gophers at bay at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

“That was as good as our team has played,” Huskies head coach Bob Motzko said. “We were on top of pucks and our defenseman were real solid.”

Click here to read the rest!

BLOG: Tyler Nanne at forward, Mittelstadt/Lindgren status, playing MN teams & more

Before the blog begins, here's a reminder this weekend's series is Saturday/Sunday. Minnesota and St. Cloud State do not play tonight. This is due to Huskies head coach Bob Motzko also being the US World Juniors head coach and both teams having players in the tournament. 

Don't worry. I'll remind you again at the bottom. 

It wouldn't be another snap decision. According to head coach Don Lucia after Saturday's 3-1 win over Arrmy, the only way Tyler Nanne would be playing forward this weekend is if he spent the week practicing as a forward.

That's exactly what Nanne has been doing.

The sophomore defenseman has been practicing on the right wing in preparation for Minnesota's series against St. Cloud State. Known for his offense from the blue line, he had been a forward at Edina until his junior year of high school.

"We'll never know until the weekend, but wherever I end up come the weekend I'll play it and play hard," he said.

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckcast Episode 12 (with Chris Peters of ESPN)

On episode 12 of That Gopher Hockey Puckcast we discuss the World Juniors with our first ever repeat guest.

Chris Peters, now at ESPN, comes back on the show to help Nate, Drew and producer Tom Schreier break down the United States' 2018 preliminary World Juniors roster. He highlights the two Gophers on the squad, competition battles to follow, goaltenders, players to keep an eye on, what the US needs to do to repeat and his take on the US-Canada game. Plus: Chris breaks some United States of Hockey news.

Afterwards, Nate and Drew preview the Ohio State series.

Those wanting to skip the line at Raising Cane's can directly download here.


As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes. While you're at it, please leave a review and give us five stars. It helps out the podcast.

Plugs and stuff

-Chris Peters works for ESPN. Much of his work appears on ESPN Insider (subscription required) although you can find him daily on the main ESPN site. Did I mention ESPN? He'll be covering the World Juniors live in Buffalo and is a must-follow for the December 26-January 5 tournament on Twitter @chrismpeters.

-Drew can be found on Twitter @covedrew and covers Minnesota men's hockey and football for the Minnesota Daily. This week he wrote a feature on Tyler Nanne returning to Ohio State, a school he attended while not playing due to a heart condition.

-Nate can be found here on this website and at The Athletic (as well as every other website if the various links here don't make clear). You can follow him on Twitter @gopherstate and like/subscribe to his Facebook page.

Casey Mittelstadt and Ryan Lindgren named to US 2018 WJC Preliminary roster

Minnesota freshman forward Casey Mittelstadt and sophomore defenseman Ryan Lindgren are among the 28 players named Monday (December 5, 2017) to the United States' 2018 World Juniors preliminary roster.

Featuring the best players in the world under 20, the 2018 World Juniors take place December 26, 2017-January 5th, 2018 in Buffalo, New York.

Game Story: Jack Berry stops 40 shots, Gopher comeback attempt (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- One shot got saved.

Then another.

Then a third.

Minnesota’s final minute comeback came up a goal short. Making the start in place of Kyle Hayton, Jack Berry made a career-high 40 saves on Saturday. Berry stopped all 20 shots he faced in the third period to seal a 3-2 Wisconsin win and get the Badgers (10-7-2, 4-3-1-0 Big Ten) a series split.

“Last year (Berry) was a very confident, relaxed goaltender. Tonight even when things got crazy in front of the net, that’s his demeanor. He stepped up for us,” Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said about Berry. “You can’t ask any more out of a goalie that’s only played four games.”

Berry’s three biggest saves came late — when they were needed most.

Having already having stopped a Jack Ramsey penalty shot in the first period, the sophomore goaltender shut down a Gopher power play and an extra attacker on the ice scenario during the final three minutes. Minnesota had multiple opportunities to tie the game earlier in the period before the final flurry.

Click here to read the rest!

Radio: WCCO Sports Sunday with Steve Thomson (November 19, 2017)

Yesterday I made my regular WCCO radio appearance with Steve Thomson to discuss Gopher men's and women's hockey.

Topics include: The Gopher women getting a home sweep, play of the defense, how the team is coming together, the Gopher men getting a sweep of its own over Harvard, Casey Mittelstadt's electric play and the tough stretch to end the first half of the season.

You can listen below.

Direct: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/audio/steve-thomson-and-eric-nelson/11-19-17-steve-thompson-show-4-pm/#.WhN3eAbupGQ.blogger

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-thomson-and-eric-nelson/id403228796?mt=2

My segment begins around the 10 minute mark of the 4pm hour on Sunday November 19, 2017.

Game Story: Casey Mittelstadt, Minnesota Get Highlight-Reel Win Over #13 Harvard (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- Casey Mittelstadt bounced right back from a rough weekend. So did the Gophers.

Minnesota scored four times in the first two periods Friday, and held on for a 4-2 victory over No. 13 Harvard to get back in the win column. Mittelstadt, held off the scoresheet last weekend versus Michigan, finished with two points and a highlight-reel goal in the second period against Crimson goaltender Merrick Madsen.

“Obviously, there’s going to be times where you don’t play your best, and for us that might have been last weekend,” said Mittelstadt. “We came out and tried to play with pace, make plays and when we do that we play pretty well.”

Facing a Harvard team (2-4-0, 2-3-0 ECAC) that made the 2017 Frozen Four, the seventh-ranked Gophers (8-4-1, 3-2-1-1 Big Ten) put together one of its best performances of the season during the first two periods.

Minnesota’s defense was able to hold a speedy Crimson attack at bay while limiting turnovers. Eric Schierhorn made 26 saves in goal for the Gophers. Meanwhile, the team’s penalty kill went 4-4.

“I thought Eric played well tonight,” said head coach Don Lucia. “Our penalty kill has been good. They were dialed in and, if we had to make a save, Eric made it.”

Click here to read the rest!

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 7

On this week's extended That Gopher Hockey Puckast, Nate and Drew pat themselves on the back for talking college hockey.

First, they discuss Minnesota's sweep over Michigan State last weekend. Topics include Eric Schierhorn's play against the Spartans and throughout the first 10 games, quick starts, Tyler Sheehy getting his first goal, more offense from the blue line, and where the line can be drawn in celebrating a goal.

Then, Paula Weston comes on the show to lend her expertise on this week's opponent, Michigan. She gives the low down on the current state of the Wolverines, the transition from Red Berenson to Mel Pearson, potential 2018 first round pick Quinn Hughes, who is surprising and much more. Paula also discusses the rest of the Big Ten and what she thinks of Notre Dame joining the conference.

Finally, Nate and Drew, joined by producer Tom Schreier, dip into the mailbag and answer questions on the Pairwise, Minnesota continuing its four game win streak and which is weirder: kicking a player or scoring a goal from your butt?

Those trying to high-five their opponents can directly download here.



As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes. While you're at it, please leave a review and give us five stars.

Plugs and stuff

-Paula is a Michigan-based writer who covers the Big Ten for USCHO.com. She can be found on Twitter @paulacweston.

-Drew can be found on Twitter @covedrew and covers Minnesota men's hockey and football for the Minnesota Daily. His most recent feature, mentioned on the show, is on Casey Mittelstadt.

-Nate can be found here on this website and at The Athletic (as well as every other website if the various links here don't make clear). You can follow him on Twitter @gopherstate and like/subscribe to his Facebook page.

The two #weirdhockey plays mentioned on the show.

BC sophomore goaltender Joe Woll's kicking game DQ

So Joe Woll's game DQ was for "kicking." Doubt that gets reversed. You do indeed see him give a kick at a guy at about the 17 second mark. pic.twitter.com/8TyBCEJWlS

— BC Interruption (@bcinterruption) November 5, 2017

Northern Michigan's Robbie Payne scoring a butt goal.

Play until you hear the whistle, right @SportsCenter? Payne's score in a 4-1 @NMUHockey victory over #9 @msumavericks! #SCtop10 #ShareNMU pic.twitter.com/8M4QMj9Df3

— NMU Athletics (@NMU_Wildcats) November 5, 2017

Pregame Blog: Minnesota-Michigan State Friday line combinations, TV Schedule & More

Michigan State (4-2-0, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten) at #5 Minnesota (5-3-0, 1-1-0-0 Big Ten)

Date: November 3, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Place: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN
TV: Fox Sports North/Fox Sports Detroit Plus
Stream: BTN2Go/Fox Sports Go
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: Zone Coverage and The Athletic

Pregame Listening: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 6

Greetings once again from snowy Minneapolis, where fall, we hardly knew you.

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 6

The Gophers finally got a sweep this season and Nate Wells and Drew Cove are here to talk about it in this week's That Gopher Hockey Puckcast.

The two dive into Minnesota's performance in two wins against then-No. 9 Clarkson. They discuss the impact freshmen Casey Mittelstadt and Scott Reedy in their return from injuries, the power play breaking its drought, getting more scoring from seniors and the lineup, and the play of Eric Schierhorn. Wells and Cove also preview this weekend's series against Michigan State and first year head coach Danton Cole, along with what surprises them nationally after the first month of college hockey.

Those debating the ethics of cloning a team of Casey Mittelstadts can directly download here.


As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

Plugs and stuff

-Drew can be found on Twitter @covedrew and covers Minnesota men's hockey and football for the Minnesota Daily.

-Nate can be found here on this website and at The Athletic (as well as every other website if the various links here don't make clear). You can follow him on Twitter @gopherstate and like/subscribe to his Facebook page.