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| Photo Credit: @CC_Hockey1 |
The Gophers began 2019-20 by splitting with Colorado College, falling 3-2 Friday before coming back to win 4-3 Saturday. Neither game featured a complete performance, which can be expected in early October for a team with 12 freshmen and two completely new goaltenders starting.
Minnesota won a game in which it struggled during the first period and lost one where the team held 1-0 and 2-1 leads. The Gophers went 14-1-1 last season when leading after two periods and matched that total on October 11th.
Six different players scored six goals. Jack LaFontaine played well during the first 40 minutes on Friday and would like a goal or two back during the third period. Jared Moe, making his first collegiate start, seemed to be more comfortable as the game continued. The power play came through when needed on Saturday while the penalty kill held Colorado College off the scoreboard during a five minute major in a tie game. (That the player called for the major and given a game misconduct was sophomore co-captain Sammy Walker is another story.)
In one weekend on the road against a team that served to be a good test - Colorado College got back some injured players but mostly was in a similar spot - it certainly was for Minnesota. Over a long enough timeline, the weekend will be helpful.
In the short term, small things work or are put in a more prominent position than should be. The Gophers couldn't get off to a better start to the season (something that could have been said last year too) given Tyler Nanne's opening goal, or that of the three freshmen defensemen, the player who scored was Matt Staudacher rather than the top-40 draft picks. That isn't to say Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe played poorly (honestly, I was surprised at how well Johnson seemed to fit in as a young D in his first two college games), but it's difficult to come up with long, overall trends. Same thing can be said about the goaltending platoon.
The weekend ends up being a baseline of where the Gophers, a young team without an All-American forward, most of its top power-play unit and its experienced goaltenders, improve upon. Minnesota was winning while being outshot (a theme continuing over from last season). Throughout much of the game, the Gophers were fortunate Friday to be in a winning position. Colorado College's top line should have tied or taken the lead earlier. There's room to grow given who Minnesota faces later in the season in the Big Ten.
While not sustainable in the long term, being able to come back from a 3-1 deficit on the road is a point of pride; especially coming after Friday's loss. A day after Minnesota gave up a tying goal on the ensuing shift, the Gophers scored tied the game themselves with two goals in 28 seconds. Sampo Ranta, after having opportunities on Friday, getting on the scoresheet Saturday was big. So was Blake McLaughlin getting the winner. Minnesota needs to get the most out of its sophomore forwards.
Like Colorado College's sweaters, there are a lot of good ideas that just didn't gel in one weekend. The white helmets and numbers difficult to read didn't work. Maybe the gray will grow on everyone as the season comes along, though.
It's only the beginning of the season. There's room for everyone to grow beyond first impressions.
Television
Friday's game also served as a good reminder of the excellent job BTN and Fox Sports North does covering Gophers games. It's not just being on TV. From the opening Instagram filter look to misspelling Minnesota, a team CC played over 200 times, AT&T Sportsnet Rocky Mountain remained in preseason form.But how’s their spelling https://t.co/NiwePgxHDi pic.twitter.com/NpqX4lZfNY— Kate Shefte (@KateShefte) October 12, 2019
Most places are happy to get any games on TV. At least the view from Broadmoor wasn't the old "camera shot from a top of the mountain" anymore, or the announcers were back in the Twin Cities calling off a monitor.
Gopher Women Sweep Robert Morris
Having started the season earlier than the men's team, we're getting a picture of who the Minnesota women's hockey team will be after its toughest test of the season. The second-ranked Gophers advanced to 6-0-0 on the season after sweeping Robert Morris, who cracked the top 10 by keeping it close.
Minnesota, having given up two goals in its opening four games, facing adversity shows how the Gophers respond. Several of the top teams faced similar challenges this past weekend. Not everyone passed.
For the Gophers, its challenge came when RMU tied the game with an extra attacker goal with under a minute left. Minnesota spent the game unable take advantage of Colonials penalties and get away. It caught up with Minnesota, but the team came through thanks to a Taylor Wente OT power-play goal.
The goal was Wente's first. However, the junior has helped spark her linemates Sarah and Amy Potomak, who had her first career multi-goal game in Saturday's 6-2 win. The line played its best hockey and showed Minnesota's strength in having the depth of multiple top lines. Right now four different forwards have four or more goals for the Gophers.
Sydney Scobee continues to make the most of her opportunity in goal as Alex Gulstene has not played since leaving Minnesota's season opener after one period. Gulstene did not make the trip to Pittsburgh last weekend. Minnesota returns home to face St. Cloud State before a gauntlet of tests begin with Ohio State, Wisconsin, UMD, Boston College and Harvard all before Thanksgiving.
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