Coaches expect more from Cepis, White -- got it against Denver

What a difference one day makes. On Friday, Denver beat the Gophers 2-1 as freshman Sam Brittain ties a career-high with 36 saves. On Saturday, Brittain is lifted early in the second period as the Gophers rout the same Pioneers 7-3.

"Their goaltender wasn't as sharp as he was on Friday. We took advantage," Gophers coach Don Lucia said Monday on his weekly radio show on WCCO. "We played very well on Saturday and actually we played well all weekend long.

"The thing I told the guys in the game [Friday], they were playing with heart but they are not necessarily playing and executing the way we expect them to execute. And that is the mental part of the game. Saturday I thought we came out and did both.

"We were able to grab a lead, play with a lead, and had a lot of guys that played awfully well on Saturday night. It was nice to see some of them get rewarded. Because we are getting chances, but just the inability to finish becomes frustrating for coaches, the players, the fans and everybody."

Seven different players scored Saturday. The Gophers led 3-0 after one period, 6-0 after two.

Lucia said the Gophers had not given up more than two goals in regulation since the Thanksgiving weekend at home. "And yet, we were basically .500 by not giving up hardly any goals and that's the frustrating part," he said. "With our goaltender [Kent Patterson], with our team defense, we hadn't give up a lot, but yet we were not in a position to win games because of our inability to score enough."

Home results since Thanksgiving weekend:

Dec. 10 UMD, W 3-2

Dec. 12 UMD, T 2-2, OT

Dec. 31 Union L 2-3, OT

Jan. 1 Ferris State, T 2-2, OT

Jan. 28 Alaska Anchorage, W 5-1

Feb. 11 Denver, L 1-2

So the Gophers were 3-3-2 since Nov. 28, 2010 going into their Saturday rematch with Denver.

GOALS SOLVE PROBLEMS

"At times, when the pucks go in, you have a different view of how the game actually unfolds," Lucia said. "There is plenty of games, and we've played them, where we have had the same opportunities, the same chances. But when the goalie makes the save and you don't score therefore, 'Boy the team didn't do anything.'

"Saturday was a game where. we cashed in our chances. I am not sure we had that many more chances on Saturday than we had been getting most nights. Maybe luck goes your way. [Nick] Bjugstad comes out of the penalty box and we spring him for a breakaway and he scores. We have had other guys get breakaways and we don't score.

"We played pretty darn well on Friday night, too, but we only scored one goal. Their goaltender made a lot of big-time saves whereas Saturday a few of them went in where he normally saves [them]. So all of a sudden, you say, 'The team looked really good tonight.' I am not sure there was that much difference in how we played from how we played in a lot of games so far this year.

"The guys did make some good shots, We were in the middle of it more, we made some excapes, hit some second guys and made some hockey plays, like we like to call them. And hopefully it will continue and we did it bit shorthanded which is good to see, too."

Senior captain missed the Denver series with a knee injury, senior winger Nico Sacchetti was out with the flu. Both are expected to play at Wisconsin this weekend.

FRESHMEN STEP UP

Lucia said a couple of the team's freshmen have played more in the last month than they did previously. "A guy like Nick Bjugstad seems to be surging right now because of how he has played," Lucia said. "Most of his points have come since he has returned -- post-christmas since the World Junior tournament."

"When you look at some of the young guys. Erik Haula has 20 points now (five goals, 12 assists). Nate Condon has got 15 and Nick has got 11 or 12 now [actually 10], a lot of these freshmen are on pace to have pretty good freshmen seasons, which bodes well for the future."

But seniors had four of the seven goals on Saturday.

"Seniors kind of came through Saturday as well, they had four or five of the goals, and we had seven different goal-scorers," Lucia said. "And that is the type of team we have to be. We don't have a guy that is going to score 20. We have to have the type of team with a lot of guys chipping in.

"[Senior] Patrick White had his best weekend of this season, just how he competed and played from start to finish. He is a guy that can score. He has that ability. There is no reason why he can't go on a streak and score a goal a game for a while. For us, it is just continuing. to score. If we can do that, we can be a dangerous team.

"We got on a couple guys. [Senior Jacob] Cepis was a good example. When he plays his best, he can be a little pest. And he is physical and gets into people. Lately he has been playing passive, and waiting for the game come to him. If you are going to be an effective player, you have to be assertive. And go get involved in the game and he has not been doing that. He led the USHL in scoring a few years back. You have to be an awfully good player to lead that league in scoring.

Usually the Gophers roll out four lines.

"We did a much better job in the offensive zone [Saturday]," Lucia said. "We spent more time. We were forechecking and we were getting the second man in on the puck, and that is something we have talked about a great deal, too. You have to double the puck defensively, but you also have to double the puck offensively. Too often our first guy is making contact and the second guy is too late arriving. They are getting their second guy before we get ours and they are going to walk out with the puck.

"We were much better in moving our feet on those physical confrontations and that's whey he had much more offensive zone time which made for an exciting game. And the fans appreciated it."

"When you are scoring, it is easier for the fans to get into game as opposed to shooting the puck wide or over the net or the goaltender makes the save. When you only score one goal or two goals at home in a game, it is hard for a crowd to get into the game. I don't care where you are at. ... We brought that out, because we scored some goals. And certainly our fans are ready to resond and get in the game when we do."