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| Pat Christman photo |
1. Cookie Monster: Mavericks goaltender Phil Cook (pictured from Friday's game) was the star of the show, stopping 49 of 50 shots in Saturday's victory. He stopped 82 of 85 shots in the series sweep (.965 save percentage). Cook stopped 22 of 23 shots in the third period alone and also stoned Gophers leading scorer Jay Barriball on a pair of breakaways. "I think we know who the player of the week is," Gophers coach Don Lucia said.
2. Who's your daddy? The Mavericks are 7-28-6 all-time against Minnesota, but they have now won five of the last six meetings. All of those games came after the epic three-game playoff series in Mankato in 2008. The current senior class has a record of 6-6-1 against Minnesota. Senior defenseman Kurt Davis scored Saturday's game-winning goal on a rocket shot from the high slot midway through the third period. Another senior, Rylan Galiardi also scored. "(Galiardi) was a senior captain all weekend long," MSU coach Troy Jutting said.
3. Get your hard hat: Minnesota State has a hard-hat award that it gives players who exhibit blue-collar, lunch-bucket play -- the kind of play the Mavericks are known for. While Galiardi said the team keeps its list of winners under wraps (although some players have slipped out of the locker room with the hat on), everybody could have worn a hard hat after Saturday's game. "It's the kind of hockey we normally play and hadn't been playing this year," Jutting said. "I'm pleased with the effort, especially in the third period."
See the box score here. Read the MSU recap here. Read The Free Press story here.
9 comments:
Great weekend! a little worried about the lack of offensive pressure this weekend. But very happy with the sweep. Any idea what happened to Elbrecht at the end of the game? He was helped off the ice while the rest of the team was celebrating the win.
After years of frustrating losses to UM, I am thrilled to see them sweep the dreaded Gophs. Like the sweep two years ago, I think this is further evidence that the Mavs now believe they can compete against the Big Boys of the WCHA. If they can somehow play that well against North Dakota next weekend, that could build some huge momentum for the rest of the season. Congrats Mav!
word was he took a puck to the family jewels which deflected off his own stick.
There was a pretty big cheer from the crowd Saturday night in Duluth when they announced the score.
From where I was sitting, it appeared that #19 for the Gophers cheap shotted Elbrecht in the knee and that's why he went down. Can't say 100% but that's what it looked like from our angle. Perhaps #19 skated by with his stick out by Elbrecht's knee at the same time as the puck deflection if that is what happened? Not sure, it was quick but rows of people in my section were mad and saying that's what they saw.
No cheap shot ... I also heard what BIGhkyfan heard ... OUCH!
#19 must have been by him right as it happened (which would make sense if they were both going for the puck) then and the view wasn't clear. Everyone was sure it was a cheap shot (which wouldn't be surprising!). Either way, ouch. At least it was the jewels and not the knee like everyone was thinking. Jewels will be fine by this weekend, a knee maybe wouldn't have been.
I also think that if there was a cheap shot involved that we wouldn't have seen a nice post-series handshake -- at least not until after some other unpleasantries were exchanged!
Elbrecht stepped up and the puck was deflected right under the cup. Nothing dirty. But given all the shots he blocked in both games I hope he spends the week in the hot tub and ice bathing. Great win for the Mav's . Best team effort we have seen in a long time. It shows what they are capable of. Hats off to the Cookie monster for eating up all those shots. Great penalty kill and better on the powerplay. All around fun and good to send the Gophers home with their tail between their legs.
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