Gophers back on track, but a bit flat

The Gophers kept two positive streaks alive Friday night against Michigan Tech, the WCHA's cellar-dweller.

They beat the Huskies for the sixth time in a row. The first five victories were all in Houghton, the latest at Mariucci Arena, a 5-2 win before an announced crowd of 9,672.

The rout extended the Gophers' unbeaten streak to a season-high four games. It also enabled Minnesota (14-12-5, 11-10-4) to climb into fifth place in the conference with 26 points, one point ahead of Wisconsin, which lost 4-2 at St. Cloud State.

"It was a good workmanlike win for us," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "The key play of the game was Taylor [Matson] answering when they scored that first goal -- the very next shift. And then we were able to get a couple goal lead."

Tech's Daniel Holmberg got that first goal of the game on a 2-on-1 rush 6 minutes, 30 seconds into the second period.

But only 23 seconds later, Matson scored from the right point on a slapshot that goalie Kevin Genoe appeared screened on.

"It was kind of one of those dull games, kind of boring," said Jacob Cepis, typically the most outspoken Gopher. "That's what Don [coach Lucia] said. Some of those games you just have to gut out."

Cepis' game-winner, on a rebound, gave him 11 goals for the season and one in each of the past four games.

"[Goals] are going in for everybody now," said Cepis, a senior left winger from Parma, Ohio. "I'm pretty happy for everyone. Guys are starting to get goals and getting them in different ways."

In their 3-0-1 unbeaten streak, the U has scored 20 goals, an average of five per game.

Cepis had a wide-open net to find. "I had to score, my dad [Ed] would have killed me," Cepis joked. "[He was] in the stands. He loves hockey, and he is proud of me."

Freshman Nick Bjugstad joined the Gophers' scoring party in the third period with two shorthanded goals. The second was an empty-netter with one second left. He also had an assist.

The Huskies (4-25-4, 2-21-2) know a little bit about streaks. They went winless for 26 games (0-23-3) until beating then-No. 4 Denver 3-2 a week ago Friday in Colorado. The Huskies had two shorthanded goals in that game.

All week the Gophers kept saying they would not take the Huskies lightly but ...

"There wasn't a lot of emotion to our game," Lucia said. "Hopefully we will have a little more [Saturday] night."

There ought to be. Cepis and six other seniors and their parents will be recognized in pregame ceremonies.