This should be quite interesting.
If you listened to the broadcast on Friday, Gophers coach Bob Motzko said he believes it’s easier to go from playing on the Olympic ice to the NHL ice than vice versa. Ultimately, he’s got good points, but man alive did UMD make the opposite transition look easy on Friday. Perhaps, Motzko ultimately believes his team played a role in how easy it looked at times for the Bulldogs to play their game. Either way, the job for Minnesota is a simple one now that the series shifts to Amsoil Arena.
The Gophers either need to play their game better than UMD plays its game, or Minnesota has to play UMD’s game better than UMD does.
It’s happened before. In this building. Eight days ago. Part of Michigan’s success against UMD was the ability to win races, win battles, and get UMD to play on its heels instead of its toes. Those were things Minnesota did not do at home on Friday. The Gophers got nothing going in transition, turned pucks over all over the ice, and didn’t engage enough in battles to win them on even a semi-consistent basis.
It’s a test of wills. And we’re here for it.
6:30pm pregame on KDAL.
One lineup change for UMD, as Jarrett Lee draws in on the fourth line for Luke Loheit. Given Loheit’s status as one of the main penalty-killing forwards and the fact coach Scott Sandelin called him out as playing some of his best hockey to date at UMD to start this season, it’s safe to assume Loheit is injured. Watch my Twitter @BruceCiskie for updates. Injuries suck.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Cates – Gilling – Laderoute
Roth – Jacques – Bender
Olson – James – Biondi
Kleven – Loney – Lee
UMD defense
Kaiser – Roehl
Anderson – Kelley
Gallatin – Lellig
Gotz
UMD goalies
Fanti – Patt
Minnesota forwards
McLaughlin – Walker – Brodzinski
Knies – Meyers – Nevers
Broz – Huglen – Lucius
Cruikshank – Nelson – Pitlick
Sorensen
Minnesota defense
Johnson – Faber
Staudacher – LaCombe
Fish – Brinkman
Minnesota goalies
LaFontaine – Close
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