Gophers coach Don Lucia shuffled all his lines on Saturday after his team lost 5-3 to Denver on Friday.

"We wanted to get some balance to our lineup," he said, "and we had practiced that way a majority in the two-week interim heading up to Denver.

"I thought the lines looked pretty good that way. We will make some decisions. We talked [Monday] as a staff and [Tuesday about] what we want to do. If we want to keep that look? We have really liked when we have Condon and Matson together and Haula and Hansen and obviously Rau and Bjugstad. Those pairs."

Here is the lineup the Gophers used on Saturday when they lost 4-3 in overtime and leading most of the game:

Erik Haula-Nick Bjugstad-Nico Sacchetti ... Haula had the Gophers first goal, Sacchetti their third goal. This line had 11 shots combined and was a plus-4 ... before Bjugstad always had Kyle Rau and Zach Budish on his wings

Sam Warning-Taylor Matson-Zach Budish ... Budish scored the Gophers second goal. ... This line had 11 shots -- Matson and Budish had five apiece -- and was a plus-2. ... This line has one player from each of the Gophers top three lines usually

Joey Miller-Nate Condon-Jake Hansen ... Only two shots on goal and a minus-3. Again three players from three different lines, although Miller normally doesn't play at all.

Tom Serratore-Christian Isackson-Seth Ambroz ... Four shots on goal, minus-3.

"Nico I thought played very well this weekend," Lucia said. "Should he be in the mix now to be in the top nine heading into this weekend? That's something we have talked about. Certainly, I thought he did a lot of good things this weekend.

"[Freshman forward] Travis Boyd didn't play last weekend and we didn't bring him on the trip," Lucia said. "We missed him at times. He is a good penalty killer. And that gives us more flexibility with out fourth lines when we have guys that are better penalty killers. And that is something we have to look at.

"We want to look at, who today deserves to play."

Last weekend in Denver, he said Sacchetti, Isackson and Miller deserved to play based on their previous game in St. Cloud.

"We have some good competition coming," Lucia said. "Nick Larson is probably two weeks away to being back. Hopefully, he can start skating next Monday. That puts him in the lineup next week or the week after."

Larson, a senior forward, is recovering from a broken wrist. He also kills penalties.

Lucia said he does not expect a lot of penalties on either team this weekend when the Gophers host Bemidji State.

He said one problem Saturday was having Condon and Matson on different lines, which prevented him from using them together on the penalty kill. "And they are probably are two best penalty killers," Lucia said.

BEMIDJI NOT A PUSHOVER

Bemidji State is in eighth place in the WCHA standings, but the Beavers are 11-4-2 since beating North Dakota 1-0 on Nov. 20.

"Their goaltending is very good," Lucia said. "Their specialty teams are very good and they are a very deliberate team. They don't beat themselves. They very rarely turn the puck over. They get to the red line and they are going to make sure they force you to play a 200-foot game. They are going to wait for you to make turnovers."

Last season the Gophers played Bemidji State at their rink on the last weekend of the regular season. The first game ended in a 3-3 tie after Beavers defenseman Brad Hunt scored with 19 seconds left and his goalie pulled for an extra attacker.

The next night, the Gophers won 3-2 in overtime on Nick Bjugstad's goal 20 seconds into the extra period. It was the Gophers' first victory in 13 overtime games and improved their record against BSU to 8-1-1.

"The games are going to be tight," Lucia said, "the games are coming to be close and they will come down to the end. Bemidji State is very well coached, they have a great tradition in their program. They have been a great asset to our league. It should be a very good, a very tight series coming up this weekend."

THE DON SAYS

* On whether team is scoring enough goals: "We scored three on the road each night and this time of the year, three has to be enough to win."

* On how hard he took Saturday's loss: "That was as difficult a game for me this year that we have lost. Not even close. Even though the CC game was frustrating, losing in the last minute. We had battled back to tie that game. We were ahead the whole way on Saturday night."

ZUCKER RECOVERING

Denver coach George Gwozdecky said Tuesday on his radio show that Jason Zucker is recovering well. He took a hard hit in the second period of Friday's game from Kyle Rau of the Gophers.

"He took a very dangerous hit on Friday," Gwozdecky said. "He is doing well right now. He practiced lightly [Monday]. He was involved in full practice today. He hasn't been cleared yet for any contact. But we are hoping that by Friday night he will be cleared."

Zucker is a Wild prospect, who was hit by Rau in front of the team benches after he passed the puck. He did not see Rau coming.

"[Zucker] is feeling better and better," Gwozdecky said. "The good thing is there is no issues with -- no trauma to the skull, no trauma to the brain. I'm watching and he is lying there out cold on the ice. Not even a year ago -- I am thinking Jesse Martin, oh my God. [Martin is out of hockey now, recovering from several fractured vertebrae in his neck.] The good thing is with this, there is nothing like that.

"He is really banged up, and he is really bruised and he is hurting, but he is getting better every day. There is a pretty good chance he will be cleared to play on Friday night. Certainly, prayers were answered because it was a very dangerous hit."

The Pioneers play at Wisconsin this weekend.

GEORGE SAYS

* On Denver' goaltending: It is as deep as he has ever had even though sophomore Sam Brittain played both games against the Gophers. "We've got three guys. And certainly Sam has a name based on what he did as a freshman. ... Sam was good as the games wore on" last weekend.

* On his team's attitude: "Yesterday, when everyone was feeling great over sweeping the Gophers, it was business as usual. Let's get back to work and see if we can get ready because we have another big series coming up against Wisconsin. The sign of maturity on that team is so important. That group of 28 guys has slowly evolved as becoming a team and that's obviously a very powerful thing to have."

* On his team's 15-3-3 record at the Kohl Center: "In hockey, if you go on the road, your goaltending has to be very good. And we have fortunate to have people like Marc Cheverie, Peter Mannino who have gone in there and have been really game-changers for us."

* On Wisconsin, the team the Gophers play on last weekend of regular season: "Wisconsin has not had the kind of year that a lot of people expected but they are still Wisconsin, they are still the Badgers. They've got arguably maybe the best player in college hockey right now, [defenseman] Justin Schultz who is a junior. Probably will be, as soon as Wisconsin's season is all done, he will be signing a professional contract with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and will be playing in the National Hockey League sometime this spring."

* Why Kohl Center is tough on away teams: "Mark Zengerle who is a [sophomore] is having an outstanding year for Wisconsin. They have talent. They have arguably the best hockey fans in the country. It is a tough place to play, it is a fun place to play. They have a talented team, but they haven't been able to put it together."

* On the stretch run: "We've got to keep the foot on the gas. We have six games left in the regular season. We want to be able to keep doing the things that will allow us to be successful."

*On his team's health: Two of DU's top offensive players won't play against the Badgers. Forward Beau Bennett is expected back at the end of this month or in early March. There is no time set for defenseman Dave Makowski's return. "We are making progress."