Boe's season still going

Minnesota State defenseman Channing Boe is still playing hockey. After playing 38 games for the Mavericks this past season — his senior year — Boe has played 19 games for the Wheeling Nailers, including 11 in the playoffs. The Nailers will try to keep their season going tonight when they play the Kalamzoo Wings in the Eastern Conference finals. The Wings lead the series 3-2.

I talked to Boe on Monday for a column that appeared in Tuesday's edition of The Free Press (read that story here). Boe missed a few playoff games in order to return to Mankato for final exams. He said that his new team and coaches were very supportive of his need to finish his course work, as were his professors at MSU of his opportunity to start his professional hockey career.

"I've been playing a lot," Boe said. "It's been fun. It's been a great experience, getting to the next step and seeing what pro hockey is all about. It's definitely different."

Boe was one of two MSU seniors to sign after the season. Rylan Galiardi played 10 games for the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. He had two assists.

As for the other seniors, little word on their professional future. I ran into Ben Youds the other day, and he said he was hoping to agree to a minor league deal with an NHL team. I know he and Kurt Davis are also considering Europe. Andrew Sackrison is a St. Louis Blues draft pick.

MSU 2, Bemidji St. 1, OT

Pat Christman photo

Freddy's three thoughts of the game:

1. Boe knows: Channing Boe, the Mavericks' Bemidji native was the hero of the night, blasting a blocked shot into the goal from the blue line with 2:28 remaining in overtime. It was the first-game-winning goal for the senior. While such a goal against his hometown team would have been a cool thing a few years ago, he instead put it in perspective of the end of his final season in Mankato. "It couldn't have come at a better time," he said. "We needed a goal. We needed these two points (for the WCHA standings)." Still, Beavers coach and Boe family friend Tom Serratore congratulated Boe as he was being interviewed outside the MSU locker room, saying, "Nice job Chan. I could tell (it was a goal) when it left your stick."

2. What are they doing in OT? Credit Bemidji goalie Dan Bakala for making a career-high 41 saves but it felt like a game that had no business going into extra time. The Mavericks outshot the Beavers 43-19, including a dominant 16-2 advantage in the first period period when they scored their first goal. They also had a five-minute major in the third to work with. On the major, the Mavs mustered just three shots on goal as they clung to their 1-0 lead. Jordan George made them pay for its goal-scoring shortcomings, taking advantage of a bad giveaway in the MSU end and putting a rebound behind Phil Cook (18 saves) with 2:25 left in regulation.

3. Doing it with the D: Minnesota State's forwards were held without a point on Saturday. Defenseman Ben Youds scored the game's first goal at 13:19 of the first period, getting a lone assist from Tyler Elbrecht. It was a nice play on a 4-on-2, with both D getting in deep and Elbrecht passing across the slot to Youds who scored from the inside of the left circle. It was Youds' sixth goal of the season. Boe's overtime goal, meanwhile, was unassisted. "Our forwards have to bear down," coach Troy Jutting said. "They have to."

Read the box score here.

Extra shout-out: Congrats to MSU equipment manager Scott Rideout and his wife, former MSU women's player and assistant coach Mandy, on the birth of their first child, a girl, Jaydee, on Thursday.