Gophers men's hockey vs. Colorado College series preview: broadcast info and analysis

5 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday vs. Colorado College at 3M Arena at Mariucci

TV: Fox9+

Radio: 103.5-FM and 1130-AM

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Opening bell: The Gophers (9-5-4, 5-4-3, 17 points in the Big Ten) return to action Sunday after nearly a monthlong break from competitive play. The No. 9 Gophers begin the second half of their season after an injury-riddled first two months in which they struggled to finish games. Coach Bob Motzko attributed that to running out of gas toward the end of games, and said Friday the team's healthiness coming out of the break should make a huge difference.

Watch him: Motzko announced Friday that the four Gophers who played at the world junior championships in Sweden — Jimmy Snuggerud, Oliver Moore, Ryan Chesley and Sam Rinzel — would return Saturday. He is hoping they will be able to play against Colorado College on Sunday and Monday, fresh off winning the United States' first gold medal since 2021. Snuggerud notched two goals and an assist on Dec. 8 at Ohio State and carried that momentum into the world juniors, where he scored a hat trick against Switzerland and assisted on the final goal of the championship game against Sweden.

Forecast: Colorado College had been outscored 22-5 in six games against ranked opponents this season. Then the Tigers swept then-No. 1 North Dakota on the road with a pair of 3-2 overtime victories. Expect the Tigers to put up a fight, but the return to health and energy from the Gophers' gold medalists should power Minnesota to at least one victory. The team's ability to close out the third period will determine whether the Gophers can win both.

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