Kent Patterson earned his record enhancing 7th shutout of the season.
After starting the season 4-8-1, the Bemidji State Beavers found their groove and had gone 10-4-2 in their last sixteen games prior to tonight’s contest. That is, before Minnesota derailed that train, beating the Beavers by a final score of 3-0 in front of 9,975 at Mariucci Arena for their twentieth win of the season. The #7 Gophers dismantled BSU, outshooting them 36-13 for the game, and never allowing them more than a couple of decent scoring chances. The Gophers are not only fighting for first place in the WCHA with Minnesota Duluth and Denver, but also for a spot in the NCAA tournament due to the logic of the pairwise rankings.
Zach Budish, who had two goals last weekend at Denver, kept his goal string going, scoring the first two goals of the game for Minnesota, not even ten minutes into the contest. Budish scored his ninth goal of the season a minute into the game when Mark Alt took a slapshot from the point, and Budish tipped it just inside the far post while being tied up in front of the Bemidji State net. Kyle Rau got the second assist on the play in his first shift since being suspended for last Saturday night’s game. Rau was involved in a scary moment part way through the first period , when he skated hard towards a Bemidji State player, bounced off that player, and flew awkwardly into the boards head first. The BSU player had turned away just before Rau was ready to throw the check, and Rau took the brunt of the impact to the crown of his head. He got up immediately, but was obviously in pain as he struggled to get to the bench.
Budish would get his second of the game, and tenth of the year, at the 9:13 mark of the first period when Nick Bjugstad dangled along the end line, and cut in front of Bemidji State Goalkeeper Dan Bakala, putting a shot off his extended right leg. Unfortunately for Bakala, he kicked the puck right to Budish who was trolling in the slot, and Budish shot it past Bakala as he lunged for the puck. Ben Marshall had the second assist on the goal.
Bjugstad (22) would score the third and final goal of the game for the Gophers at the seven minute mark of the second period with the Gophers on the power play, as he deposited the puck into the net after a beautiful passing display by the Minnesota special teams. Erik Haula, playing the point on the power play, whipped a pass down to Rau waiting near the end line, and Rau threw it across the net mouth to a waiting Bjugstad, who made no mistake in putting it into the back of the net.
Minnesota won handily tonight by getting back to good old fashioned team hockey, the kind of play that helped them to a 10-1 start to begin the year. They blocked shots and played physical, but most of all, they played smart. They stayed out of the penalty box, something that killed them at Denver last week, taking no penalties in the game, while Bemidji State took four. For Gopher Goaltender Kent Patterson, it was his seventh shutout of the season, and his first since November 19th.
By winning, the Gophers (20-11-1, 16-7-0 WCHA) get an elusive Friday night win, and give themselves a chance at a weekend sweep. They take on the Beavers (15-13-3, 9-11-3 WCHA) Saturday at 7:00 PM (Central). The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports North.