On Saturday, for the second time in four meetings this season, the Gophers and Michigan State men’s hockey teams went into overtime.
And for the second time the Spartans won a shootout to earn the extra point in the Big Ten standings.
After the teams skated to a 3-3 tie through three periods at Munn Arena in East Lansing, the No. 2 Spartans (20-3-3, 11-2-3 Big Ten) won the shootout 2-0 to increase their lead over the No. 4 Gophers (19-6-3, 10-4-2) in the conference standings to five points.
The teams also played to a 3-3 tie Dec. 13 at 3M Arena at Mariucci, and the Spartans won the shootout 2-0. They also won the next night 5-3.
The Gophers lost a shootout for the 10th consecutive time Saturday, and they are 2-17 in shootouts in Big Ten play since the league started in the 2013-14 season. The Gophers, who have lost three shootouts this season, have not scored on 25 consecutive shootout attempts. They are 4-22 all-time in shootouts.
“Unfortunately, we had to respond from last night, but fortunately we did,” Gophers coach Bob Motzko said. “In all that, that was an excellent hockey game. Those are two of the better teams in the country going at it, and it was a battle out there. We have to make that standard for us right now, and I think games like this are going to put us back into that frame, that mentality we have to be in.”
The Spartans’ Matt Basgall opened Saturday’s scoring with 3 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the first period.
The second period went back-and-forth, with the Gophers tying it 1-1 on a goal by Jimmy Snuggerud six minutes in. The Spartans regained the lead less than two minutes later on a goal by Joey Larson.
