Before the game the Roar Zone, Penn State’s student section, unveiled a giant banner that showed a Nittany Lion chasing a Gopher and said “Ski-U-Meh.”
“Meh” might be kind.
Alex Limoges was able to tap a Roar Zone poster of an “easy” button against the glass when he scored his team’s fifth goal in a move which summed up the night for Penn State.
Facing a desperate Penn State team needing wins to keep its NCAA Tournament chances alive, the Gophers were anything but Friday night. The Nittany Lions defeated Minnesota 5-1 in front of 6,171 fans, leaving an embarrassed Gopher squad angry at their own effort.
“It’s really disappointing. When you lose a game because you didn’t bring your effort, that’s on you,” sophomore defenseman Ryan Lindgren said. “When you get outshot (61-15) it’s flat out embarrassing. When you don’t bring the effort that’s on us.”
Players felt good about their week of practice and their game entering Pegula Arena, having gone 6-1-1 in their last 8 games.
They didn’t see Friday coming.
Officially outshot 61-15 by the Nittany Lions, including 12-0 over the first 10 minutes, Minnesota spent the majority of the game in its own zone. Passes were broken up. Penn State (15-13-5, 8-10-5-2 Big Ten) was the better team at every fundamental, according to Minnesota head coach Don Lucia.
Odd man rushes came and went without testing Nittany Lions goaltender Peyton Jones, who finished with 14 saves.
Mat Robson was credited with a career-high 55 saves to keep Minnesota (19-14-2, 10-11-2-1 Big Ten) within a goal after two periods.
“He’s been playing really well, including tonight,” said Lucia, who pulled Robson with 8:30 remaining in regulation after Penn State scored its fourth goal. “We could get Jacques Plante in there and if we don’t play better it won’t matter.”
Leon Bristedt matched James Robinson’s tipped goal in front of the net when he tipped a Jack Sadek shot off the faceoff 12:22 into the game to tie Penn State at one.
Trevor Hamilton gave Penn State the lead for good midway through the second period. The Gophers caught a break when a potential Nate Sucese goal was waved off due to him redirecting the puck with his skate.
Minnesota had another opportunity to begin the third period when Andrew Sturtz was given a game misconduct and five minute major for contact to the head on Lindgren, but the Gophers mustered one shot and spent much of the time in its own zone.
“When you shorten the rink against them and everything is coming back into our own zone, they had the play tonight,” Lucia said. “They had the puck and the pace tonight.”
After the major ended, Liam Folkes beat Robson short side to make it 3-1. Lindgren and PSU freshman Evan Barratt spent time in the third period yapping at one another in the penalty box, continuing bad blood between the two that Lindgren says goes back to when the two scrimmaged against one another in juniors.
“I don’t like (Barratt). He doesn’t like me. We always have some words for one another when we play each other,” he said. “I’m sure it will be the same tomorrow.”
Barratt got the last laugh Friday, scoring afterward his eighth goal of the season with Lindgren on the ice.
Minnesota looks to get the next one Saturday. With Wisconsin losing to Ohio State on Friday, Saturday’s game will determine who hosts next weekend’s best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinal between the Gophers and Penn State. Minnesota will host if the Gophers win or tie.
“It’s such an embarrassing effort by our whole team (Friday),” said Lindgren. “We’re lucky we still have tomorrow. We have to come together as a team here and put together a much better game tomorrow. I think we will.”
Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Saturday.
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