The Gophers men's hockey team overcame a 2-0 deficit with a six-goal flurry — three at the end of the first period and three to start the second — and then held on in the third for a 6-4 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday night before an announced 9,713 at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Wisconsin's Charlie Stramel received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for head butting at 15:54 of the first period, and that's when the fireworks began.
Rhett Pitlick, Jimmy Snuggerud and Luke Mittelstadt had goals in the final 2:23 of the first — with Mittelstadt's right before the buzzer — and Mason Nevers, Connor Kurth and Logan Cooley scored in the first 3:27 of the second. Three of the six goals were on the power play.
The Badgers (7-11-0, 1-9-0 Big Ten) scored twice in the third to make it interesting.
The Gophers (15-5-0, 10-2-0), who now enter their holiday break, have won eight of their past nine games and have scored at least five goals in seven of their past eight. They lead the Big Ten by eight points.
But as coach Bob Motzko said in his postgame radio interview, "We have another level we have to hit" in 2023.
The Gophers swept the weekend series and beat the Badgers for the sixth time in the past seven meetings.
Kyle McClellan started in goal for Wisconsin and gave up the first five goals on just 12 shots. Jared Moe fared better, stopping 13 of 14 shots.
