The score wasn't 10-donut and the home team's play wasn't always as dominant as the night before, but the result was the same — 10 goals and a Gophers men's hockey blowout victory over Arizona State.
Gophers hockey caps dominant weekend with 10-2 rout over Arizona State
The Gophers swept the Sun Devils with back-to-back scoring outbursts.
January 23, 2021 at 5:24AM
Goals by Blake McLaughlin, Sampo Ranta and Carl Fish in the second period provided some separation, and the fourth-ranked Gophers blew the game open with six third-period markers in a 10-2 rout of the Sun Devils on Friday evening at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
McLaughlin and Jack Perbix each scored two goals, Brannon McManus added his fourth goal of the weekend, and backup goalie Jared Moe made 19 saves for the Gophers (13-3), who swept the four nonconference meetings against the Sun Devils. Eight players scored goals for the Gophers, who outshot the Sun Devils 47-21.
"It was obviously a feel-good weekend for some guys," said Gophers coach Bob Motzko, who saw six of his players collect five or more points in the sweep, led by McLaughlin's seven on four goals and three assists.
Arizona State (5-13-2) finished its eight-game, 23-day road trip with a 1-7 record.
"I just said, 'Let's get out of here and go home,' " Sun Devils coach Greg Powers said of his postgame message to his players. "At least tonight we had a handful of guys play hard and battle."
Friday's game started just as Thursday's — with the Gophers scoring quickly.
At 56 seconds, Minnesota had a 1-0 lead on a goal by McManus, who found a gaping cage and beat Sun Devils goalie Evan DeBrouwer.
Here we go again for the Sun Devils, right? Not exactly.
Chris Brando tied the score 1-1 at 7:11 of the first, beating Moe with a bar-down shot to complete a breakaway. Arizona State was pushing the Gophers — for a while.
Minnesota took a 2-1 lead at 4:12 of the second on a hardworking play by McLaughlin. The winger gathered the puck in the corner, maneuvered across the front with Sun Devils defenseman Tanner Hickey draped all over him and lifted a backhander past DeBrouwer. Sammy Walker, the center between McLaughlin and Scott Reedy on the top line, put in some yeoman's work on a penalty kill later in the period, playing keep-away with the puck in the ASU zone for a good 30 seconds.
"I thought Walker and McLaughlin took it to another level," Motzko said. "Sammy Walker [three goals Thursday, two assists Friday] this weekend was outstanding."
After Ranta scored his 10th goal of the season for a 3-1 lead, the Gophers got the first career goal from freshman defenseman Carl Fish, who whistled a shot from the point past DeBrouwer and drew cheers from Minnesota's bench.
"I can't really describe the feeling. Give me a day or two to figure it out, and I'll get back to you," the St. Paul Johnson graduate said.
The six-goal third started for the Gophers with McLaughlin converting a shorthanded rush that started when Walker hustled to clear the zone. Perbix scored the first of his two goals 18 seconds later, and Ben Meyers followed with the third goal in a 1:17 span.
Perbix, playing fourth-line center, was a key for the weekend, Motzko said, adding: "We're seeing Perbix establish himself at a higher level, which I think is going to make us a deeper team."
While Wisconsin was sacking its offensive coordinator, the Gophers used a bye week to get ready for Penn State next Saturday, followed by the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.
