Jutzi inks AHL deal

With his college career wrapped up, Minnesota State defenseman Jon Jutzi signed a professional deal to finish the season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

The Moose are an affiliate of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets.

Jutzi had nine goals and 35 assists for 44 points in 144 games during his Mavericks career. He also blocked 166 shots and was plus-26 in his four seasons. He was also a three-time WCHA scholar-athlete and all-academic selection. Jutzi was an assistant captain this season and finished his senior campaign with five goals and 15 assists.

Jutzi is the fourth MSU player to turn pro following the season, joining junior defensmeman Casey Nelson and fellow seniors Teddy Blueger and Bryce Gervais.

Nelson has four points in three games for the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Blueger and Gervais are also in the AHL, although Blueger has a deal with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins starting next season.

Jutting out at Omaha

Omaha went to the Frozen Four last season and was 14-3-1 at Christmas break this year. However, the Mavericks lost 14 of their next 18 games, including their final eight, and didn't make the NCAA tournament.

That prompted on Wednesday coach Dean Blais' announcement that he was making changes to his coaching staff, firing both of his assistants. One of those was former Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting. Jutting was on the Omaha for the last four seasons, following his 12-year head-coaching stint (and 22 years total on the coaching staff) at MSU. Alex Todd, who was part of the UNO staff for the last three years, was also let go.

“Given the difficult end to our season, we took a hard look at our team and how we support the players as a staff,” Blais said in the press release linked above.“In the end, I decided that this was one area where we needed to improve to stay competitive in the NCHC.

“I want to thank Troy and Alex for their work on behalf of Maverick hockey. We’ll immediately begin to look for the best candidates to fill the assistant coach positions.”

It will be interesting to see where Jutting ends up in the hockey world after this.

Nelson starts strong

The Associated Press

Got a chance to check out Casey Nelson (34 in the photo) playing on national television last night as his Buffalo Sabres played at the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit won 3-2 and was up 3-0 before a furious rally by Buffalo. Nelson was involved in much of that rally, assisting on both goals one of the goals (he was originally awarded an assist on the first goal) and being put on the ice in the Sabres' attempt to tie the game in the final minute. He looked comfortable and poised (especially on the pass that set up Buffalo's second goal) and ended up playing nearly 14 minutes and was plus-2.

For more on Nelson, read my column in today's Free Press.

The rule of thumb for players leaving college early is: Are they ready to play in the NHL, as opposed to the minor leagues. If so, go. If you're AHL-bound then stay in school. Two games is a small sample size, but Nelson appears to have made the right choice.

What did I miss?

I've been off the grid (sort of) for the last few days, so here's a little college hockey housekeeping from a long weekend away ...

Frozen Four set
The Frozen Four field was decided over the weekend, with North Dakota, Boston College, Denver and Quinnipiac advancing out of the regionals. The biggest surprise of the tournament was the WCHA's Ferris State knocking off St. Cloud State in overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center. The Bulldogs proved their last-season run, which included Final Five victories over WCHA co-champs Michigan Tech and Minnesota State, were not flukes. They hung with Denver until the third period before bowing out. On April 7 in Tampa, Fla., NCHC rivals North Dakota and Denver will play each other in one semifinal, and Quinnipiac and Boston College will play in the other. The championship will take place on April 9.

Nelson makes NHL debut
Who would have guessed at the beginning of the college hockey season that the next banner to go up honoring an MSU hockey alum playing in the NHL would be that of Casey Nelson? But there will be one next year. Nelson was in the lineup for the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and got his first NHL point, assisting on a goal by former Minnesota player Hudson Fasching, who also signed with Buffalo last week. The Sabres play again tonight (Monday) on NBC Sports Network, if you're interested in watching him play.

Blueger, Gervais turn pro
Teddy Blueger and Bryce Gervais made their professional debuts this weekend, too. Blueger, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins but is starting out with that team's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He played two games over the weekend. Gervais signed with the AHL's Chicago Wolves and played in his first two games, assisting on a goal in the first game and scoring one in the second.

Reports: Wisconsin lands a coach
USCHO and other outlets reported on Sunday that Wisconsin is set to hire alum Tony Granato as its new coach, replacing Mike Eaves, who was fired after 14 seasons. Granato, who played for the Badgers from 1983 to 1987, is currently an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings (he did have a head-coaching stint with the Colorado Avalanche). USCHO reported that Granato could be hiring his brother, Don Granato, and former Ohio State coach Mark Osiecki, both Wisconsin alumni and both mentioned as head-coaching candidates, as his assistants.

Referee dies
Finally, in the saddest news of the weekend, referee Oliver "Butch" Mousseau died on Friday, a week after suffering a critical head injury after falling to the ice during the WCHA Final Five in Grand Rapids, Mich. He was 48. Mousseau died at Mercy Health St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids. The WCHA issued a statement following his death. But I'll quite a bit of his bio from the statement: Mousseau was a full-time WCHA referee for 16 seasons, beginning with the 2003-04 campaign, and a part-time official in the NCHC since the league's inception in 2013-14. He was also a USA Hockey official since 1998 and had pro assignments in the ECHL, AHL and CHL. As the first Native American to work a game at the top level of the sport, Mousseau's National Hockey League officials' sweater and skates are in the league's Hall of Fame in Toronto. Mousseau is survived by his wife, Macaire; their three children Sam, Abbie and Olivia; his parents and four siblings. In a College Hockey News story, Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said, "How many guys do you know that can put a smile on your face for so many different reasons? Every time I was around him, when I walked away, I always thought 'I need to be better.' I'm going to miss him."

Re-realignment begins?

Several media outlets on Tuesday reported that Notre Dame will be leaving Hockey East and joining the Big Ten for hockey in 2017, perhaps starting another seismic shift in conference realignment. Many folks have been predicting more changes coming down the road, but, other than Arizona State making a decision on where it was going to play, I'm not sure people expected it to start happening this quickly.

Now there's speculation about another team, perhaps Arizona State, also joining the Big Ten, so it can be an eight-team conference, and the Sun Devils' coach says the school is close to making a decision.

Geographically, Notre Dame's move makes sense, as it practically sits smack-dab in the middle of Big Ten hockey country, with Minnesota and Wisconsin to the west, Michigan State and Michigan to the north and Ohio State and Penn State to the east. The Irish should improve the competitive balance of the league, too.

Prior to the last round of realignment, Notre Dame was kind of the X-factor. After it was announced that the Big Ten was starting a hockey league, the WCHA had given then-commissioner Bruce McLeod to talk to Notre Dame about leaving the CCHA for the WCHA. At the same time, plans for the NCHC were quietly under way. The Big Ten didn't have precedent for pulling in an affiliate member at the time (although has since brought aboard Johns Hopkins lacrosse).

Notre Dame seemed to be and should have been the big get for the NCHC, but the upstart group ironically decided to turn down the Irish because they would be coming in with their own TV contract. That's when the NCHC went after St. Cloud State. Notre Dame didn't want to be part of the leftovers in the WCHA, so it went to Hockey East, and we have the current college hockey setup.

What domino rally takes place after Notre Dame makes the move to the Big Ten official indeed will be interesting. Hockey East might be looking for a new 12th member, so there could be some shuffling out east, and there continue to be rumblings about the stability of the NCHC and WCHA in their current states.

Could the addition of Notre Dame (and Arizona State?) to the Big Ten also foul up any hopes of a single-city, multi-tournament conference championship weekend, which the WCHA is starting to shop? Perhaps.

Nelson signs with Sabres

Minnesota State junior defenseman Casey Nelson has signed an entry-level deal with the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, forgoing his final season of college hockey.

Nelson was the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-WCHA pick after scoring 22 points in 40 games and leading MSU win plus-minus at +15.

“We’ve been consistently impressed with Casey’s play for the last two years,” Buffalo general manager Tim Murray said in a press release. “We identified him as one of the top college free agents available and we’re excited to have him join the organization.”

It's been quite a three-year run for Nelson, who was recruited late out of the North American Hockey League, accepting a scholarship from Minnesota State when he was 20 years old. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., native played sparingly as a freshman, scoring six points in 19 games, but he exploded as a sophomore with a career-high 33 points in 40 games.

He finishes his MSU career with 60 points in 99 games, ranking 10th in scoring among the school's Division I defensemen. He was also +29 with 227 shots on goal and 127 blocked shots.

"He's shown where a young man can go when he puts his mind to it," MSU coach Mike Hastings said.

Blueger signs, Nelson next?

Pittsburgh Penguins photo

As expected, Minnesota State's Teddy Blueger, who just finished his final college season, has signed a professional deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that drafted him in the second round (52nd overall) in 2012.

Blueger's two-year, entry-level contract begins next season, according to the Penguins' press release, and will finish this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, with whom he signed an amateur tryout contract for the rest of the season.

A Riga, Latvia, native who played at Faribault's Shattuck-St. Mary's before coming to Minnesota State, Blueger , 21, led MSU in scoring with 35 points and in assists with 24 helpers. Seven of his 11 goals were game-winners. He was a first-team All-WCHA pick. Blueger finished his MSU career with 108 points in 155 games. Thirteen of his 31 goals were game-winners.

Meanwhile, Blueger's teammate Casey Nelson could be the next MSU player to sign. The junior defenseman is planning on forgoing his senior season to sign with an NHL team. After the Mavericks' season ended on Saturday, there were rumblings that Nelson was listening to multiple NHL offers, and he confirmed Monday that was indeed true and that a signing could be imminent. Stay tuned.

For more on the end of MSU's season and a peek at next year, check out my Free Press story here. I also have a column on the WCHA Final Five and the future of conference tournaments.

Bulldogs 2, Mavericks 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Season's over: Did the Mavericks run out of gas after playing a fifth game in nine games? Or, as Ferris State coach Bob Daniels suggested, did they expend extra energy on their grueling chase of the MacNaughton Cup with Michigan Tech and Bowling Green? Or was just a great gameplan by the Bulldogs to keep the puck away from Minnesota State for three periods? Either way, Ferris State ended MSU's season by outshooting them 29-14 (a season-low total by the Mavericks) and by getting a penalty shot in the final minute of the second period (another unusual game-winning goal in Minnesota State's final game of the season). The Mavericks certainly have had their issues scoring goals this season, but possessing pucks and getting shots on were not a problem during the season as they were on Saturday night.

2. Year of the goalie: In an odd twist, the Final Five's MVP award went to Ferris State goalie Darren Smith, who shut out Michigan Tech on Friday and stopped 13 of 14 shots against MSU. Meanwhile, the Mavericks' Cole Huggins, who allowed three goals and made 50 saves in the tournament, was named to the All-Tournament Team. The best goaltending performance of the weekend might have been Jamie Phillips' in Tech's 1-0 loss to Ferris State on Friday. Only seven goals were scored in the three Final Five games. It's good to see quality goaltending, but WCHA teams next season hopefully will find ways to score more goals. Of Ferris State's defensive style of play Saturday, MSU coach Mike Hastings said, "They decided they weren’t going to allow us to forecheck. They were going to get it, rip it off the glass, get it out in the neutral zone. The difference with that and some other teams that have played style (is) they were really hard. They were strong. When they got pucks on the wall, they had support through the middle of the rink. They possessed it and to me we were in between a lot."

3. So long, seniors: It's been quite a run for Minnesota State's senior class of Bryce Gervais, Teddy Blueger, Dylan Margonari, Brett Knowles, Jon Jutzi and Jimmy Mullin. I've written plenty about their accomplishments over time, but here's one more comment from Hastings: "I’m going to miss this group of seniors for obvious reasons. They won 100 games in their four-year career since they’ve been here. That’s on ice. The things that you don’t get to see are off ice, in the classroom, how they did it over their four-year career. We’re going to miss them for a lot of different reasons." Yep, this team will have a very different look to it next season with that group moving on. The 2016-17 season is less than six months away!

Read my game story here.

MSU vs. Ferris State — live chat

It's the Mavericks vs. the Bulldogs in the WCHA Final Five championship game. The live blog can be found below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE
9-Gervais, 23-Blueger, 19-McClure
25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 10-Knutson
26-Margonari, 17-Huntebrinker, 14-Mullin
24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 12-Coatta

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson
8-Brickley, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Vanko

FERRIS STATE
17-VanWormer, 6-Schempp, 20-Mayhew
15-Maloney, 22-Robertson, 11-Babinski
21-Mackin, 8-Dorantes, 16-Andrew
28-Hetz, 12-Recktenwald, 7-Killins

25-O'Rourke, 26-Denis
23-Anselmini, 10-Lowney
4-Dorer, 5-Dorantes

1-Smith
29-Williams
35-Medrano

Referee in critical condition

WCHA referee Butch Mousseaux remained in critical condition at a Grand Rapids, Mich., hospital on Saturday after suffering head injuries in a fall during pregame warmups prior to Friday's second semifinal game at the Final Five.

Here is the release from the WCHA:

Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) referee Oliver “Butch” Mousseaux sustained head injuries stemming from a fall to the ice during warm-ups prior to the second WCHA Final Five semifinal game of Friday, March 18 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. He was transported to Mercy Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, where he remains in critical condition.

Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with Butch, his wife, children and family during this difficult time.

We thank the staff and on-site medical personnel at the Van Andel Arena for their immediate response and action.

The WCHA will have no further comment at this time.

There have been mixed reports about what caused Mousseaux to fall. However, there was blood on the ice and emergency personnel hurried to the ice to help him. He was taken off the rink on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. The injury delayed the start of the game between Ferris State and Michigan Tech by about 15 minutes.

St. Broadmoor's Day

It's Broadmoor Trophy Day in Grand Rapids, and, just like two years ago, Minnesota State and Ferris State will play each other for the WCHA tournament championship at 5:07 p.m. CDT at Van Andel Arena.

The winner not only gets the title but also the league's lone NCAA tournament bid.

Michigan Tech coach Mel Pearson, whose team was upset 1-0 by Ferris State on Saturday night, said it's "extremely" disappointing that the league will only get one team in the tourney. His Huskies are out despite a 23-9-5 record and the MacNaughton Cup co-championship.

"I think the quality of the teams you see here (at the Final Five) says a lot about the league," Pearson said. "I'd invite any team to come play in this league. ... It's a healthy league with great coaches and outstanding players."

The two teams left standing are playing a rematch of the 2014 Broadmoor Trophy game, which the Mavericks won 4-1. Both teams have a lot of players back from that game. Minnesota State's Michael Huntebrinker, Brett Knowles and Teddy Blueger scored goals that night, and Cole Huggins was in goal. Gerald Mayhew scored the Bulldogs' goal.

In the three years they've been in the league together, Minnesota State and Ferris State have been two of the top teams in the WCHA, and they've played some great games. The Mavericks have come out on top in most of those contests, however, going 9-1-0. The lone loss came this season when the teams split a series in early November in Grand Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris State won 7-4 the first game, and MSU bounced back to win 3-2.

Other notes from Friday: Attendance for the two-game single session was 5,044, which topped the last time the Final Five was played in Grand Rapids. ... No update yet today on the condition of referee Butch Mousseaux, who fell to the ice during second-game warmups and hit his head on the ice. Very scary moment.

Mavericks 2, Falcons 1

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Mr. March: He was known as Captain Clutch while playing hockey in the BCHL due to his postseason prowess, and Brad McClure has continued that for the Mavericks. Coming off a four-point weekend against Lake Superior State in last weekend's first-round playoff series, McClure got things started right for MSU on Friday, scoring the first goal of the game to help them move on to the Broadmoor Trophy game. McClure, the the MVP of last year's Final Final Five, sophomore-slumped his way to seven points in the regular season but now has five in the postseason. "He’s gone through a trying season," coach Mike Hastings said. "But when you look at the history that Brett has, I trust history, and he’s got a history of scoring and he’s got history of scoring big goals."

2. MVPs unite: While McClure was the 2015 Final Five MVP, goaltender Cole Huggins was the 2014 MVP. Huggins was also rock solid on Friday, stopping 23 of 24 shots, including some huge saves of his 10 in the second period."It seems like the higher the bar, the more calm he is," McClure said of Huggins. In a funny moment in the postgame press conference, Casey Nelson (who scored MSU's other goal) said of Huggins, "He's very chill," to which Hastings said, "I don't know what that means." The Mavericks weathered the storm late in the game, even though they took a pair of penalties in the final 7 1/2 minutes (allowing one power-play goal, a 6-on-4 one with an extra attacker) and closed things out from there.

3. Starting fast: How important is the first goal for the Mavericks? When they've scored first this season, they're 14-1-5. When they have the lead after one period they're 11-0-1. When they have a lead after two periods, they're 15-0-3. "They're a difficult team to chase down," Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron said. "We were chasing them the whole game, and that makes it hard." The Mavericks' two goals came 1:42 apart in the first period, starting with McClure's goal at 5:18. "That was a very important start to the game," Hastings said. "I thought we started with good energy. It helps you get off to a confident start, and I thought the guys played quick, played fast early."

Deep thought: Minnesota State notched victory No. 100 in the four-year Mike Hastings era. That's quite a run in a short amount of time.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: In the other semifinal, Ferris State's Kenny Babinski broke a scoreless tie at 11:15 of the third period to help his team pull off a 1-0 upset of Michigan Tech. Bulldogs goalie Darren Smith made 30 saves, and the Huskies' Jamie Phillips stopped 32 of 33 shots.

The Broadmoor Trophy championship game between the Mavericks and Bulldogs will be played at 5:07 p.m. Saturday. They split a series in Nov. 6-7 in Big Rapids, Mich., with Ferris State winning 7-4 and MSU winning 3-2.

MSU vs. Bowling Green — Live chat

The Mavericks and the Falcons square off in the first game of the WCHA Final Five at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. Their semifinal game begins at 3:07 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast on Fox Sports North. Follow along in the live chat below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE

9-Gervais, 23-Blueger, 19-McClure

25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 10-Knutson

26-Margonari, 17-Huntebrinker, 12-Coatta

24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 14-Mullin

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson

8-Brickley, 5-Foguth

11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins

29-Pawloski

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Manko

BOWLING GREEN

13-Baylis, 26-Cooper, 16-Hawkins

10-Dufour, 2-Mercier, 20-M. Pohlkamp

7-Spezia, 6-McLain, 29-Schilling

23-Tate, 18-D'Andrea, 17-Murphy

28-Walker, 4-McDonald

5-Smith, 14-Friedman

8-Delgadillo, 12-C. Pohlkamp

33-Nell

32-Sholl

31-Burke

Friday Morning Skate, Final Five edition

Good day from Grand Rapids, everyone!

It's gameday, and Minnesota State will square off with Bowling Green in the WCHA semifinals this afternoon, with Michigan Tech and Ferris State playing after that.

For the Mavericks, today's game will be No. 162 for Bryce Gervais, who has been a real ironman for MSU over his career. Of course, he'd like to get to 163, 164 and beyond. That has to start with a win today. "We know it's coming down to the nit and grit here, and our team's ready for it," Gervais said. "We want to go and get another Broadmoor."

Gervais is one of five seniors who have helped coach Mike Hastings make the Mavericks what they are today, winning 99 games since Hastings' arrival. Minnesota State is hoping that, because it's the two-time defending champion, it can rely on that experience to put it over the top this weekend.

The Final Five field features the top four teams in the WCHA this season, but it seems like all four of them have a chance to win. Read more in the Free Press' Gameday package (has video).

For the Falcons, junior defenseman Sean Walker might finally be getting his due, as the folks at BGSUHockey.com write, as one of the top blueliners in the WCHA. One person who really believes that is Hastings, who has been scouting Bowling Green carefully this week. Here's more from them, breaking down today's game by the numbers. According to the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune, the Falcons are using the pressure put on them this week as motivation, while the Toldeo Blade says it's time for BGSU to take the next step.

The other game today features the two Michigan teams, who should have the crowds behind them, especially Ferris State, which is located just up the road in Big Rapids. Ferris State faces a big challenge, playing the red-hot Huskies. The Bulldogs do boast one the top freshman in the WCHA, Corey Mackin, who is profiled here. Tech, meanwhile, which won its first MacNaughton Cup in 40 years two weeks ago, is seeking its first Broadmoor Trophy.

Read more about the WCHA in my and Jack Hittinger's USCHO column here and check out our weekend picks here.

5 things I learned from the Final 5 call

Coaches for the four teams participating in this year's three-game, two-day WCHA Final Five (#fourteamsandadream ©) were on a media conference call over the lunch hour on Tuesday to talk about their teams and preview this week's tournament at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Since there has to be five of something this weekend, here are five things I learned from today's call.

1. Commissioner Bill Robertson hopes to have the lower bowl of the Van Andel filled for the tournament, about 4,000-5,000 people. "I'm so excited about that potential," he said. Friday's two semifinal games are a one-session item, but the hope is that the arena fills for the evening game between the two Michigan schools in the tournament, top-seeded Michigan Tech and Ferris State, which is located about 50 miles away. Tech coach Mel Pearson expects the game to feel like a road game for his team, even though the Huskies will be the home team.

2. Pearson said his Huskies, who have lost just one game in 2016 is "as dialed in as any team I've been with," and he included his entire 33-year-coaching career, much of which was as an assistant at Michigan where he was part of two national-championship teams. Pearson said he was not worried about Tech's focus even as it celebrated with the MacNaughton Cup last weekend, bringing it into the locker room before their playoff series against Alaska and having it out on the ice for fans to see after closing out the series. "This team has great focus," he said. "So instead of hiding (the trophy), I wanted to make sure it was out in the open and enjoy it."

3. Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings hopes his team can rely on its experience of winning the last two Final Fives this weekend in order to get through a tough field. "We're going to lean on guys who have been there before. ... Now here comes the work. There are three teams we're talking about, and we have to worry bout one right now, Bowling Green, and they're a tough out." In talking about his veteran players, including the seniors who are playing in their fourth Final Five, he said, "The best thing we can do as a coaching staff is get out of their way." (For more MSU coverage from today's Free Press, go here and here.)

4. Three teams in the field have junior captains. Minnesota State has defenseman Carter Foguth, Bowling Green has defenseman Sean Walker and Ferris State forward Kyle Schempp. Walker got a lot of praise from Hastings, who said he's a player "who has emerged" this season, and Falcons coach Chris Bergeron agreed, saying he's "just now getting a little more league-wide recognition, which he deserves." Walker, perhaps, has stepped out of the shadow of teammate Mark Friedman, who came into the league with a lot of hype. Friedman was first-team All-WCHA pick and Walker made the second team. Hastings called them both "dynamic."

5. Ferris State knows how to find goaltenders, associate head coach Drew Famulak said. Everyone wondered what the Bulldogs would do without C.J. Motte in goal this year, and freshman Darren Smith has barely missed a beat with his 10 wins, .921 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average. Famulak remind listeners that people were saying the same thing before Motte took over for Taylor Nelson, who got Ferris State to the national championship game in 2012. Smith had some and the rest of the team had some help getting their feet wet, Famulak said, thanks to the team's four senior defensemen (Brandon Anselmini, Simon Denis, Sean O'Rourke and Zach Doer).

Mavericks 3, Lakers 0

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Need a Hug? Cole Huggins helped the Mavericks bounce back from their Game 2 loss to the Lakers and launch his team back to the Final Five with a 22-save shutout in Game 3. The shutout was the 10th of his career, tying the school record set by his old teammate Stephon Williams. It was also his 37th career victory. The 22 shots were the most Huggins has faced in nine games but didn't come near the 57 Lakers goalie Gordon Defiel made on Saturday. “We haven’t put a lot of workload on (Huggins) as far as being busy,” coach Mike Hastings said. “And tonight he was busy early. They had some opportunities. He made some big saves. To win at this time of the year — in games like this, in games like we’re going to have next Friday — you need your goaltender to be one of your best players, if not your best player, and tonight he was very good.”

2. First goal was big: After Saturday's blanking, the Mavericks needed to score quickly and grab an early lead, and they did just that with a power-play goal at 9:38 of the first period by — who else? — playoff hero Brad McClure, who got behind Defiel to put a loose-puck rebound into the net. (By the way, that's McClure pictured above; does anyone have any more joyous cellys than he does?) "They have a heck of a goalie over there," said MSU senior Bryce Gervais. "We knew the first one was not going to be pretty. (McClure) ... got a dirty one." The Mavericks put 32 shots on net and added a Casey Nelson power-play goal midway through the second period and an even-strength goal by Teddy Blueger just 38 seconds into the third, which was the backbreaker against the young-but-improved Lakers.

3. More milestones: With his two assists on Sunday, Gervais reached 100 points for his career, joining Blueger in the Century Club. He also played in his 161st career game, which broke MSU school record for games played and consecutive games played. Quite a career for him. It's just too bad there wasn't a bigger crowd on hand (2,026) to see him do that and play his final game in Mankato — same for Blueger, Jon Jutzi, Dylan Margonari, Brett Knowles and Jimmy Mullin. Gervais ranks 12th on MSU's Division I era scoring list now. Blueger is tied for ninth with 108 points. The Mavericks reached 20 victories for the fourth year in a row under Hastings, who now has 99 career victories at MSU. Win No. 100 would put his team back in the Broadmoor Trophy championship game.

Read my game story here.

Around the WCHA: Bowling Green 3, Bemidji State 1 (Falcons win series 2-1)

Up next: WCHA Final Five semifinals — Minnesota State vs. Bowling Green, Michigan Tech vs. Ferris State — at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.

MSU vs. LSSU — Game 3 live chat

It's survive-and-advance time for the Mavericks and the Lakers. Join the conversation or follow along below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE
9-Gervais, 23-Blueger, 19-McClure
25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 10-Knutson
26-Margonari, 17-Huntebrinker, 14-Mullin
24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 12-Coatta

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson
8-Brickley, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-A. Nelson

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Vanko

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
13-Correale, 26-Nenadal, 14-Hayes
29-Torrel, 8-Cuglietta, 15-Hand
25-Nellis, 16-Hults, 7-Henke
21-Schmitt, 9-McKay, 10-Johnson

22-Wright, 12-Chatham
6-Roll, 28-Headrick
20-Drapluk, 3-Spratte

31-Defiel
30-Kossoff

Lakers 2, Mavericks 0

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Defiel defies: You can read more about Lakers goalie Gordon Defiel in my Free Press game story here, including how he finally overcame some pretty horrific starts in the Verizon Wireless Center, both this season and last, but he was the star of the show on Saturday, stopping 57 shots for the shutout win. Clearly, the Mavericks were frustrated, not only to lose the game, but to have gotten shut out two Saturdays in a row, as well as six times this season and four times at home. But those weren't 57 shots from the perimeter. "We came in and stole a game," said Lakers coach Damon Whitten, whose team scored its first-ever win over MSU. "We gave ourselves a chance." The Mavericks' Cole Huggins may have won the WCHA's goaltending championship with his league-best goals-against average, but Defiel led the conference in save percentage at .934 in WCHA play.

2. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: For the first time since 2013, the Mavericks will play a Game 3 of a first-round series. In 2013, coach Mike Hastings' first season, the Mavericks defeated Omaha in Mankato in the third game of their series to advance to the Final Five. Their previous five Game 3s were losses. "I don't know if any shutout feels different," Mavericks coach Mike Hastings said. "We need to get one by him. I thought we had some really good looks, but we just have to find a way to get it done tomorrow." All that's on the line is a trip to Grand Rapids for fourth straight Final Five appearance and a chance to keep the season going beyond that.

3. What's it going to take? Defiel said he expects the Mavericks to come at him hard in Game 3. Can they finish like they did on Friday when the made some pretty plays and picked their spots above the goalie's shoulder? Or will they have to get grittier and greasier? It might be the latter, according to Hastings. "When we’re unsuccessful, it’s not lack of possession," He said. "In between the dots, it’s hard to score, so what are you going to do? What’s the price you’re going to pay?" There seemed to be some of that effort on Saturday, but that's also part of a mantra we've heard at other times this season when the Mavericks have struggled to beat a good goalie or a defensive-minded team. Does this team have it in them? We'll find out Sunday night.

Deep thought: What's up with the crowds? Under 3,000 again on Saturday. I know traditionally there are smaller crowds for the league playoffs, especially because the students are on spring break. But come on! This is the fourth year in a row that the Mavericks have had home ice. Before that they were at home just once in nine years. Anyway, classes start up Monday, so I assume a lot of students return to town on Sunday night. What's it going to take for Minnesota State to lure those kids to the rink tomorrow? Hopefully, there's a plan in the works.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 5, Alaska 3 (Huskies win series 2-0) ... Ferris State 5, Northern Michigan 2 (Bulldogs win series 2-0) ... Bowling Green 7, Bemidji State 2 (series tied 1-1)

MSU vs. Lake Superior State, Game 2

Minnesota State looks to close out Lake Superior State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and advance to next week's Final Five. Follow along with the action in the live chat below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE
26-Margonari, 23-Blueger, 14-Mullin
25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
9-Gervais, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 12-Coatta

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson
8-Brickley, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-A. Nelson

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Manko

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
13-Correale, 26-Nenadal, 14-Hayes
29-Torrel, 8-Cuglietta, 15-Hand
25-Nellis, 16-Hults, 7-Henke
21-Schmitt, 9-McKay, 10-Johnson

22-Wright, 12-Chatham
6-Roll, 28-Headrick
20-Drapluk, 3-Spratte

31-Defiel
30-Kossoff

Mavericks 5, Lakers 2

Trevor Cokley/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. His time to shine: If it's the postseason, it must be Brad McClure Time. You can read much more about the sophomore forward's breakout performance in my Free Press game story, but, as he did in last year's playoffs, McClure came through big-time on Friday. He had three points — a goal and two assists — in the first period to get MSU off to a good start. His goal — his first since Nov. 20 — came 38 seconds after Lake Superior State tied the game at 2-2 late in the frame. After his fantastic run a year ago in Final Five when he had five goals and an assist to earn MVP honors (he had six goals and two assists in four WCHA tournament games), a lot was expected on him this year. But he had just seven points in the regular season, playing in all 36 games. "I just tried to put in my work every day," he said. "That's the only thing I can control, so I try to come to the rink and do that."

2. Power surge: The Mavericks finished 3 for 5 on the power play, breaking a four-game drought with the man advantage. Jon Jutzi, Dylan Margonari and Daniel Brickley had the power-play goals. McClure set up the first two. Special teams could be a big key to MSU's success in the postseason, so it's off to a good start. The Mavericks also blanked the Lakers on four power-play opportunities, limiting them to just four shots on goal. Minnesota State had nine of its 41 shots during the power play. Asked about what made the power play effective on Friday, coach Mike Hastings said, "Puck movement, support, good decisions by the guys that were down low, winning some faceoffs and having some significant in-zone time."

3. Future's bright in the Soo: Lake Superior State has improved greatly from a year ago when the Mavericks blew them out of the playoffs 9-2 and 4-2, as well as from January when MSU swept the Lakers in Mankato pretty handily 8-0  and 5-1. The Lakers had eight freshmen — seven forwards, including Gage Torrel, an all-rookie team snub — and five sophomores in the lineup on Friday. One of the sophomores is third-team All-WCHA goaltender Gordon Defiel, who made some outstanding saves throughout the game. The Mavericks should close things out on Saturday night, but coach Damon Whitten has a team to be reckoned with in the future, that's for certain.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 7, Alaska 1 ... Bemidji State 3, Bowling Green 1 ... Ferris State 3, Northern Michigan 2

MSU vs. Lake Superior State — Live blog

The WCHA playoffs begin tonight as Minnesota State hosts Lake Superior State in the first game of a best-of three series. Join the conversation below tonight's lines.

MINNESOTA STATE
26-Margonari, 23-Blueger, 14-Mullin
25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
9-Gervais, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 12-Coatta

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson
8-Brickley, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-A. Nelson

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Manko

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE
13-Correale, 26-Nenadal, 14-Hayes
29-Torrel, 8-Cuglietta, 15-Hand
25-Nellis, 16-Hults, 7-Henke
21-Schmitt, 9-McKay, 10-Johnson

22-Wright, 12-Chatham
6-Roll, 28-Headrick
20-Drapluk, 3-Spratte

31-Defiel
30-Kossoff

Friday Morning Skate

Minnesota State opens WCHA postseason play today when it hosts Lake Superior State in the first game of a best-of-three series. The Mavericks are the No. 2 seed and are facing the seventh-place Lakers. For MSU, this weekend marks the last games in Mankato for six seniors. Five of them have been four-year players, while the other, Jimmy Mullin, is in his first and only season with the team. Mullin has fit right in, however, and is playing his best hockey of the season down the stretch.

"We can’t get shutout anymore going into the playoffs," Mullin said. "We get so many opportunities. This is the time of year when you have to capitalize. We've got to play all four lines. Goalies have to be great. It’s just got to be a crisp, 60-minute or plus game, and I think we have that. We just have to piece it together."

Minnesota State enters the weekend with five WCHA award winners. The Lakers have one, third-team goaltender Gordon Defiel, who could certainly be an X-factor this weekend.

Read more about the series in The Free Press' gameday preview.

The other WCHA playoff series are:

Alaska at Michigan Tech: The top-seeded Huskies host a potentially dangerous team that played them tough two weeks ago. Tech is also enjoying some time with the MacNaughton Cup, which it won for the first time in 40 years. Minnesota State shipped the trophy up to Houghton earlier this week.

Bemidji State at Bowling Green: The Falcons missed out on the MacNaughton but now have their eyes on the Broadmoor Trophy. They're not looking past the Beavers, though. They're also hoping players such as Tyler Spezia are ready to make an impact in the tournament. As for Bemidji State, it's all packed and prepped to win and then stay on the road for the rest of the playoffs.

Northern Michigan at Ferris State: The Wildcats and the host Bulldogs are squaring off in the 4-5 series, one that is expected to be as close as those two teams were in the standings, separated by one point.

Read more about the weekend in Jack Hittinger's and my USCHO column and check out our weekend picks here.

Nelson is WCHA's top defensive player

Minnesota State junior defenseman Casey Nelson was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday when the league’s postseason awards were released.

Nelson led the Mavericks’ defense, which allowed the fewest shots on goal of any team in the country and ranked eighth in the nation allowing 2.03 goals per game. Nelson led all WCHA defensemen with a plus-16 plus-minus in his 27 league games and also lead league blueliners with 71 shots on goal. He has 20 points this season, 15 in conference play, which ranks fourth in the WCHA.

Nelson and senior forward Teddy Blueger were named first-team All-WCHA, and senior Bryce Gervais was named to the third team. Freshmen Max Coatta, a forward, and Daniel Brickley, a defenseman, were named to the rookie team.

Read more, including some comments from Nelson and coach Mike Hastings here.

Other WCHA awards:

Player of the Year: Alex Petan, sr. F, Michigan Tech

Coach of the Year: Mel Pearson, Michigan Tech

Rookie of the Year: Corey Mackin, fr., F, Ferris State

Student-Athlete of the Year: Jamie Phillips, sr. G, Michigan Tech

All-WCHA

First team: Forwards—Petan; Blueger; Tyler Morley, Alaska. Defensemen—Nelson, Mark Friedman, Bowling Green; Goaltender—Chris Nell, Bowling Green

Second team: Forwards—Gerald Mayhew, Ferris State; Darren Nowick, Northern Michigan; Dominik Shine, Northern Michigan. Defensemen—Matt Roy, Michigan Tech; Sean Walker, Bowling Green. Goaltender—Phillips

Third team: Forwards—Mark Cooper, Bowling Green; Gervais; Malcolm Gould, Michigan Tech; Tyler Heinonen, Michigan Tech. Defensemen—Brandon Anselmini, Ferris State; Shane Hanna, Michigan Tech. Goaltender—Gordon Defiel, Lake Superior State.

Rookie team: Forwards—Mackin; Coatta; Jake Lucchini, Michigan Tech. Defensemen: Wyatt Ege, Alaska Anchorage; Brickley. Goaltender—Atte Tolvanen, Northern Michigan.

MSU players on the All-Academic Team included: Sean Flanagan, Carter Foguth, Cole Huggins, Michael Huntebrinker, Jon Jutzi, Dylan Margonari, Aaron Nelson, Casey Nelson and Jordan Nelson.

Mavericks stay at 16

Despite splitting at home with Bemidji State on the final weekend of the regular season, Minnesota State stayed at No. 16 in the newest USCHO rankings released on Monday. Ranking the final five teams is no easy task, and I say that as a voter, and also as one whose list, while independent, probably more closely resembles the Pairwise Rankings. In other words, I don't have MSU (24th in the PWR) in my top 20.

Anyway, those rankings are the least of the Mavericks' concerns going into the postseason. The likely have to win the WCHA tournament to get into the national tournament, which, you'll be able to read in my Tuesday morning column (link to come), they certainly have the experience to do, given how integral so many players on the current roster were on the last two Broadmoor Trophy victories and the run up to those titles.

The first task is getting by Lake Superior State, which MSU will play on Friday, Saturday and (if necessary) Sunday in Mankato. Winner goes to the Final Five the following week in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Other first-round matchups include: Alaska at No. 13 Michigan Tech, Bemidji State at Bowling Green and Northern Michigan at Ferris State.

Who you got?

Beavers 1, Mavericks 0

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. Let the players decide: Ah, you gotta love that old chestnut, don't you? Swallow the whistles. Let them play. The problem is that when you decide to let the player decide the game, you're essentially letting the players break the rules. And then it's not hockey. That's what Saturday night looked like from my perch. Call it football, wrestling, rugby ... it wasn't hockey. It was ugly. And there couldn't have been too many people amid the 5,000-plus crowd at the Verizon Wireless Center who enjoyed that (and paying for that) — and not because the Mavericks lost. There's been way, way too much of that in the WCHA this season and it's big, big problem for a league that's trying to hang with the power conferences, or a least the teams that are trying to hang with the power programs. Saturday's game went beyond interference and clutching and grabbing. Teddy Blueger took a high stick to the neck and head and got cut. No call. The Beavers appeared to intentionally knock their own net off the moorings in the game's final minute — a la Stephon Williams in last year's North Star Cup. No penalty shot. No call. Going the other way, Carter Foguth practically tackled a Beavers player on a partial breakaway and got away with it. No call. It would be funny if it wasn't so hard to watch.

2. Get on the board: Even with all of that above, the Mavericks needed to find a way to score one measly goal. "For us, if it’s going to be that way, you still gotta find a way to get through," coach Mike Hastings said. "That’s all.” One goal — a tie game — would have given MSU the outright WCHA title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs. They couldn't do it. A lot of credit has to go to Beavers goalie Michael Bitzer, who made 38 saves, 21 in the third period alone, even as his team iced the puck countless times over the game's final 20 minutes. As well as the Mavericks have played recently, the scoring slumps that continue to pop up should be a concern heading into the postseason. Saturday's game was the fifth time they've been shut out this season, the third time at home. They've been held under two goals 10 times and under three goals 19 times this season.

3. Goaltender U: Mavericks goalie Cole Huggins stopped 22 shots in the loss, but he ended up clinching the WCHA's goaltending championship with a 1.46 goals-against average in conference play. It's the second time in three years that Huggins, a junior, has taken the league title and the fourth year in a row that a Minnesota State player has won it, as Williams won it the other two years. Huggins has allowed four goals in the Mavericks' last five games. Overall, Huggins is 10-9-2 with a .912 save percentage and a 1.94 goals-against average.

Deep thought: Now it's on to the postseason. The Mavericks get the No. 2 seed, losing the tiebreaker to Michigan Tech, and will host Lake Superior State in the best-of-three first round of the WCHA tournament starting Friday night. Michigan Tech will get Alaska Anchorage or Alaska, pending the results of Saturday's game. Bemidji State will go to Bowling Green, and Northern Michigan will go to Ferris State.

Read much more about tonight's game in my Free Press gamer here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 5, Northern Michigan 1 ... Lake Superior State 3, Ferris State 2 ... Bowling Green 5, Alabama Huntsville 0 ... Alaska Anchorage at Alaska (late)

Live blog — MSU vs. Bemidji State, Game 2

The chat can be found below tonight's lines:

MINNESOTA STATE
26-Margonari, 23-Blueger, 14-Mullin
25-Stepan, 15-Franklin, 19-McClure
9-Gervais, 17-Huntebrinker, 10-Knutson
24-Knowles, 16-J. Nelson, 12-Coatta

28-Jutzi, 6-C. Nelson
8-Brickley, 5-Foguth
11-Flanagan, 22-Schmeisser

34-Huggins
39-Pawloski
29-A. Nelson

Scratches: Cooper, Lewis, Madry, Schwalbe, Vanko

BEMIDJI STATE
22-O'Connor, 13-Ward, 18-Harms
23-Gerbrandt, 14-Bauman, 8-Parker
19-L. Fitzgerald, 21-G. Fitzgerald, 26-M. Fitzgerald
6-Dickman, 9-Marinaccio, 15-Heller

28-Beauvais, 2-Billet
25-Pedan, 20-Eichstadt
29-Baudry, 5-Janco

1-Bitzer
33-Mimmack

Mavericks 6, Beavers 1

Pat Christman/The Free Press

Freddy's three thoughts of the game ...

1. MacNaughton stays put: The defending-champion Mavericks clinched a share of the WCHA regular-season title on Friday night with a lopsided win over the Beavers. A win or a tie on Saturday and MSU will keep the trophy for another year. If they end up tied with Michigan Tech, they'll have to split time with it — and Tech would get the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed for the conference playoffs. If MSU's celebration after the game seemed somewhat subdued, that was probably why. There's work left to be done. For those wondering why they brought out the Cup on Friday, it's simple: They won the championship. Saturday's game will be for a top seed. "We've still got to play a very good hockey team tomorrow; today will go away," coach Mike Hastings said. "But those are things the guys can remember forever. Nobody can take that away from them."

2. Seniors shine: Saturday's game will be Senior Night for the Mavericks, but their old guys got he job done on Friday. The No. 1 line was made up of all seniors — Teddy Blueger, Dylan Margonari and Jimmy Mullin — and it had seven points. Blueger and Margonari each had a goal and two assists, and Mullin scored his first goal since MSU's first game of the season. "I think we had some jam playing together," Margonari said. "Jimmy and Teddy played well. We created a lot and possessed the puck. That's what we talked about all week." Blueger moved into WCHA scoring lead in both overall and conference games (33 points and 28 points). Seven of his 10 goals this season, including his goal against the Beavers, have been game-winners. Hastings continued to shower praise on Blueger, calling him the team's most consistent player offensively, defensively and on faceoffs. He was 9-5 in the circle on Friday.

3. All hands on deck: The Mavericks showed some signs of what made them so successful last season. Besides the Blueger line, they got coring from the three other lines as well, starting with third-liner Zeb Knutson's goal — a hard-working play that started with Bryce Gervais' forecheck and a good pass from Michael Huntebrinker — just 1:48 into the game. For some reason defenseman Carter Foguth wandered down to the net and took a pass from second-line center C.J. Franklin for the game's fourth goal, and fourth-liner Jordan Nelson also scored with seniors Brett Knowles and Jon Jutzi assisting. “One reason we’ve had some success recently is we’ve been able to roll four lines,” Hastings said. “When you can do that, you’re not stressing a group of three, a group of six. You’re sharing a lot of the load, and I think we’re a better hockey team when we do that.”

Read my game story, which has more reaction to the MacNaughton win, here.

Around the WCHA: Michigan Tech 4, Northern Michigan 0 ... Alabama Huntsville 7, Bowling Green 5 ... Ferris State 3, Lake Superior State 1 ... Alaska Anchorage at Alaska (late)