Gophers men's hockey routs Michigan 6-2 to secure third in the Big Ten

One of the items on coach Bob Motzko's wish list for the Gophers men's hockey team for its final series of the regular season against Michigan was to get Minnesota's power play going. After all, the Gophers entered Friday's series opener with a drought of six consecutive games without a power-play goal, going 0-for-11 in those contests.

Consider that itch scratched after the Gophers scored three times with the man advantage in the second period of a 6-2 victory over the Wolverines at 3M Arena at Mariucci. In the process, Minnesota clinched third place in the Big Ten and will be host to sixth-place Penn State in the best-of-three first round of the conference playoffs next weekend.

Jaxon Nelson notched a hat trick and Oliver Moore scored two goals, both on the power play, for the Gophers (20-8-5, 13-6-4 Big Ten, 40 points). Bryce Brodzinski contributed three assists, and goalie Justen Close made 19 saves. The series concludes with Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game.

Rutger McGroarty and Garrett Schifsky scored for Michigan (17-13-3, 10-11-2, 34 points). Wolverines goalie Jake Barczewski gave up five goals on 18 shots before being pulled after the second period.

Michigan, fighting for its NCAA tournament life, scored first. McGroarty gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead at 4:11 of the first period, ripping a shot past Close after a Gophers turnover.

The Gophers got the game's first power play at 7:11 of the first when Wolverines defenseman Steven Holtz slashed Jimmy Snuggerud in the groin. Minnesota couldn't keep the puck in its zone, and with 21 seconds left in the penalty, Mittelstadt took a tripping minor.

The Wolverines, whose power play entered the game operating at a nation-best 35%, got one shot on Close during its only man advantage.

Sign up for our Gophers Update newsletter

The Gophers tied the score 1-1 at 12:28 of the first when Mittelstadt took a pass from Brodzinski and beat Barczewski from the left circle for his first goal of the season. During the play, Nelson was pushed by Michigan defenseman Tyler Duke into Wolverines defenseman Seamus Casey, who tumbled into goal. Michigan challenged for goalie interference, but the call on the ice stood after a video review.

At 15:23, Nelson gave the Gophers a 2-1 lead. Mason Nevers partially fanned on a shot, and Nelson pounced on the puck, backhanding it past Barczewski for his 10th goal of the season.

Michigan tied the score 2-2 with 45 seconds left in the first period when Schifsky scored after a Gophers turnover.

The Gophers went back on the power play at 7:02 of the second when Casey tripped Nevers at the Michigan blue line. Moore gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead at 8:16, firing a sharp-angle shot from just above the goal line between Barczewski's legs.

The Gophers went on their third power play at 14:01 when Casey hooked Snuggerud. Nelson stretched the lead to 4-2 at 14:30. Defenseman Sam Rinzel saw Nelson in the right corner and fed him a pass off the end boards. With Barczewski out of position, Nelson hammered the puck home.

Minnesota boosted the lead to 5-2 with its third power-play goal of the night on Moore's second goal at 17:07. Barczewski stopped a shot by Mike Koster, but Moore poked it past the goalie at the right post.

Nelson completed his hat trick on a breakaway at 10:51 of the third period.