Gopher hockey already in playoff mode with 4 games left
Gopher hockey already in playoff mode with 4 games left
Gophers hockey coach Bob Motzko and players Cal Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud spoke after practice Tuesday as they host Ohio State this weekend to close out their regular season home schedule. They also head to Penn State before the Big Ten Tournament.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team left Michigan without a regulation victory lats weekend, but Bob Motzko was surprisingly upbeat about his squad after practice Tuesday.
The Gophers lost in overtime Friday night, then went to a shootout Saturday before losing. They stayed at No. 3 in the weekly PairWise Rankings, and are still very much in the Big Ten regular season title race with two regular season series remaining. The league’s regular season champion earns a first round bye, and avoids a three-game series.
"I had zero issue with how we played all weekend. We needed to make one more play each night and we come out of there in lot better spot. If we continue to play like that, we’re going to be in a good spot," Motzko said.
Showdown with No. 7 Ohio State
Why you should care:
This weekend marks Minnesota’s final regular season home series, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Ohio State. The Gophers and Buckeyes are tied at 40 points, three behind Michigan State for the Big Ten lead.
The Gophers are 12-2-2 at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season. In early January, the Gophers lost 5-1 at Ohio State and then bounced back with a 6-1 victory. There’s a lot on the line for both teams, and Motzko loves it.
"I think it’s great. Our biggest thing for us is embrace the grind right now. This is happening all over college hockey, you have so many battles inside the battles," Motzko said. "It’s the fun time in college hockey. I don’t think there are many leagues where you look at your schedule and ‘Oh boy, we got an easy one this weekend.’ It ain’t there. It’s an exciting time."
What the players are saying
From the Locker Room::
Gophers players Cal Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerd, a Hobey Baker candidate, spoke after practice Tuesday. They say the team is already in playoff mode with four regular season games remaining.
They’re jockeying for Big Ten seeding, and getting a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"They’re going to be big the rest of the way. It’s good practice for playoffs, every game the rest of the season is going to feel like a playoff game and they basically are," Thomas said.
"I think it just brings energy to the room. It’s that point of the year in the season where every single shift, every single shot, every single game matters so much," Snuggerud said. "Just the mentality in the locker room is this is playoff hockey."
The schedule
What's next:
This weekend marks the final regular season home series for five seniors, and Snuggerud will turn professional after the season. The Gophers then head to Penn State, which is fighting for a playoff spot.