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262 minutes, 5 overtimes and 1 goaltending duel

Brian Peterson, Star Tribune

The Gophers might have been tired after playing 262 minutes of hockey over three nights, but they weren’t so tired that they couldn’t celebrate when Tony Lucia’s goal was confirmed after replay Sunday night, ending their WCHA playoff series in Mankato.

Goalie Alex Kangas -- who's played in all 15 of the Gophers' overtimes -- says he doesn't want to see another one for a while.

By ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ, Star Tribune

Last update: March 17, 2008 - 11:50 PM

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WCHA FINAL FIVE

All games at Xcel Energy Center and televised on FSN

Thursday

St. Cloud State vs. Gophers, 7:07 p.m.

Friday

North Dakota vs. Denver, 2:07 p.m.

Colorado College vs. Thursday winner, 7:07 p.m.

Saturday

Third-place game, 2:07 p.m.

Championship game, 7:07 p.m.

More from Gophers

The Gophers and Minnesota State Mankato played 262 minutes, or the equivalent of almost 41/2 college hockey games, this past weekend. Each game in their best-of-three, first-round WCHA series at the Alltel Center in Mankato went into overtime. That has happened only once before in the conference playoffs.

"I've been coaching a long time," said the Gophers' Don Lucia, in his 21st season as a head coach. "I've never been part of a weekend like this. I guess when you coach long enough, you get to see a little bit of everything."

What he saw Sunday was a goaltending duel for the third consecutive night between freshman Alex Kangas of the Gophers and junior Mike Zacharias of the Mavericks. Minnesota's third line -- Evan Kaufmann, Ryan Flynn and Tony Lucia -- ended it. Lucia, a sophomore left wing and the coach's son, scored the game-winner on a rebound at 16 minutes, 59 seconds of the second OT.

Minnesota (17-15-9) will play St. Cloud State (19-14-5) Thursday at Xcel Energy Center in the play-in game of the WCHA Final Five. In mid-January, the Huskies beat the Gophers 2-1 and overcame a three-goal deficit to tie them 4-4 in overtime in a home-and-home series.

To advance to a 10th consecutive Final Five, the Gophers had to score an overtime goal for the second night in a row after being unable to do so in their first 13 overtimes this season when they were 0-4-9.

"We won them at the right time," said Don Lucia, who had a hunch Kaufmann might be Sunday's hero and how the goal would be scored. Kaufmann took the first shot from near the right point.

"I really felt it was going to be a rebound or a tip, a deflection-type goal because both goaltenders were unbelievable," Lucia said. "There were periods in the overtime where I thought, 'Oh, they are going to win it here.' And there were times when, 'OK, we are going to win it.' "

In the five overtimes played, each team had 42 shots. So there were a lot of chances.

Kangas had 44 saves Sunday, Zacharais 47.

"I'm getting used to these," Alex Kangas said, "but I don't want to see another overtime for a while."

Kangas has played in all of the Gophers' 15 overtimes -- two more than the previous school record.

"I found myself in a zone the last few weeks," Kangas said. "Just playing consistent is what I have been aiming for. When you got Zacharias on the other end matching me save for save, it just pushes you that much more. It was a great weekend. It was fun. He played lights out. [But] we got one by him, and it was big."

Kangas stopped 115 of 119 shots in the three games and gave up just one even-strength goal. The Mavericks scored one shorthanded goal and two power-play goals.

His efforts lowered his goals-against average to 1.95 and his save percentage to .930. Kangas is on pace to set school records in both those categories. He ranks seventh nationally in each.

The Gophers had Monday off except for a light stretching session with the team's strength and conditioning coach.

"We have an exhausted team," Don Lucia said late Sunday. "I'm sure [the Mavericks] are, too. You are almost too exhausted to celebrate."

The other WCHA series that saw three OT games came in 1992, when Colorado College beat Minnesota Duluth. That came two seasons before Lucia took over as coach of the Tigers.

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