November 26th, 2022: Gophers’ sloppy hockey continues as they fall to Arizona State in overtime 6-5. Minnesota did way too many things wrong and not a lot of things right in a series to flush down the toilet.
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Even though the Gophers won 3-2 yesterday they played flat. They didn’t create any chances down low and they didn’t forecheck the way they usually do. Justen Close kept them in the game time and time again making big saves. It wasn’t just one line or specific players, it was the whole team who played poorly.
Tonight was more of the same.
During the late second and early third period in yesterday’s win, Gophers head coach Bob Motzko sat the offensive trio of Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, and Jimmy Snuggerud. After the message was received the trio went back out there and produced the game-winning goal.
The message carried over as Knies, the product of Phoenix Arizona, got the Gophers on the board after Ryan Alexander tipped home Jack Judson’s shot from the point for the game’s first goal.
Knies’ goal was the exact copy of every goal he has scored this season, right in front of the net. It was his ninth goal of the year, assisted by Cooley and Snuggerud. It was Cooley’s tenth assist and 15th point and Snuggerud’s tenth assist and 19th point of the year.
Just over three minutes later Rhett Pitlick notched his fifth goal of the year and his fourth goal in his last three games. Pitlick entered the zone with speed and sent one over to Aaron Huglen in the high slot. Huglen put a toe drag on the ASU defender and sent one back over to Pitlick who beat TJ Semptimphelter.
Give. Go. Goal. @RhettPitlick pic.twitter.com/Uz4mDF7fmj
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 27, 2022
It wasn’t the start the Gopher wanted to start the second period, as the Sun Devils recorded five shot attempts in the opening six minutes and recorded two goals in one minute and 21 seconds. Demetrios Koumontzis recorded his fourth of the year from Ryan O’Reilly and Tim Lovell tying the game at 2-2.
Ty Jackson recorded his third of the year off Josh Doan’s feed. Doan recorded his 50th point in 50 career games for ASU. That was Arizona’s second goal on five shots to open the second period. They finished the second period with three goals on six shots.
But 47 seconds later Brock Faber walked in from the point and ripped one past Semptimphelter tying the game at 3-3. It was Faber’s second goal of the year and 11th point in 16 games. Jaxon Nelson set him up which tied his career-high with ten assists and 15 points.
Just about four minutes later Jackson beat Close after Robert Mastrosimone knocked Cal Thomas off the puck in the neutral zone. Thomas has been great this year on zone exits but carrying the puck from out of the zone all alone led to an ASU goal. Mastrosimone’s breakaway shot was banged home by Jackson.
Just 38 seconds later, Snuggerud picked up the loose puck in the slot and tied it again. Cooley controlled the puck behind the net and sent one to the slot of Knies, his shot was saved and Snuggerud notched his team-leading tenth goal of the year. Knies now has nine goals and 16 points in 16 games, Cooley has 11 assists and 16 points in 15 games, and Snuggerud now has ten goals and 20 points in 16 games.
It's JIIIMMMMMMMMMYYYY! pic.twitter.com/ZUcqqTa40W
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 27, 2022
Charlie Strobel has generated chances every game that he’s played in with his physical presence and tonight was yet another example of that. In the late stages of the first period, the forecheck of the Strobel-Mittelstadt-Lamb line led to a great scoring chance in the slot but Semptimphelter stood tall.
It took until the third period for that line to be rewarded, as Mittelstadt notched his second goal of the year after Lamb’s high slot shot kicked off the right pad of Semptimphelter to the stick of Mittelstadt. The goal proved to be a big one though as Mittlelstadt gave the Gophers a 5-4 lead.
But with 3:09 left Dylan Jackson tied it at 5-5. Jackson LaCombe got the puck behind Close and sent one to his defensive partner, Cal Thomas. The freshman defender went to clear it from his own end but failed and Matthew Kopperud picked it up and sent it to Jackson in the slot.
With ten total goals in three periods of play, overtime had to settle this back-and-forth game. Knies started overtime with Cooley and LaCombe, they got two quick shots just under 30 seconds in but Semptimphelter stopped them both. Later in overtime, Doan started a rush out of the defensive zone, with Mastrosimone streaking up the far left side, Doan stretched a pass to Mastrosimone who recorded his third point of the night ending the game.
Despite splitting the series, the Gophers will want to flush this series down the toilet as they did way too many things wrong and not a lot of things right. They will head back on the road to face Michigan State starting Friday at 5:30.