The plan, in Bob Motzko's mind, was straightforward. The Gophers men's hockey coach would rely on his deep and veteran defensive corps, plus goalie Justen Close, to "hold down the fort'' while a group of 10 talented freshman skaters rounded into form.
More than halfway through the season, the Gophers for the most part have performed like troops guarding Fort Knox. Whether that results in Minnesota collecting NCAA tournament gold will play out from early January through mid-April. So far, the results are intriguing.
"We had a very good first half,'' Motzko said. "… It's showing signs that it's coming together.''
The signs include a 15-5 overall record and a 10-2 Big Ten mark that has the Gophers atop the conference standings by eight points. Minnesota has won eight of its past 10 games and is No. 1 in the PairWise Ratings, the mathematical formula that the NCAA uses to pick and seed its tournament.
The Gophers knew they would be solid along the blue line, with junior captain Brock Faber returning to lead a unit that also includes seniors Jackson LaCombe and Ryan Johnson, plus junior Mike Koster. Faber, a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings who traded his rights to the Wild, already has surpassed his previous career high for points with 15 on three goals and 12 assists.
LaCombe, a second-round pick by Anaheim, has a team-high 16 assists along with four goals. Johnson, a first-round pick by Buffalo, and Koster, a fifth-round pick by Toronto, have been solid, with nine and 11 points, respectively.
"That's tremendous leadership," Motzko said. "They've been a steady, calming force for our group."
That even-keel approach has worked well for a team that lost three of its top five scorers from last season's NCAA Frozen Four team in Hobey Baker Award finalist Ben Meyers plus four-year stalwarts Blake McLaughlin and Sammy Walker. In addition, Chaz Lucius signed with the Winnipeg Jets organization, and fellow freshman Tristan Broz transferred to Denver.
