Ohio State capitalizes on 5-on-5 play in 6-2 rout of Gophers men’s hockey

The Gophers entered the Friday, Feb. 6, men’s hockey series opener against Ohio State on a ridiculously efficient roll on the power play, converting on 48.8% of their chances — 20-for-41 — since Nov. 15. And Minnesota stayed sizzling hot with the man advantage, scoring on both of its chances in the opener.

Problem is, a hockey team can’t live on the power play alone, a lesson the Buckeyes emphatically delivered with a 6-2 victory in front of a grumbling crowd of 9,381 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Ohio State built its triumph on five 5-on-5 goals while holding the Gophers scoreless at even strength.

Ryan Gordon, Riley Thompson, Max Montes, Ethan Straky and Nate McBrayer scored even-strength goals for Ohio State (9-15-1, 5-10 Big Ten, 16 points), which has won two of three games against the Gophers this season. Sam Hillebrandt made 19 saves. The Buckeyes outshot the Gophers 16-6 through one period, 33-11 through two and 46-21 for the game.

“From what we did a week ago, we were the exact opposite tonight from start to finish,” said Gophers coach Bob Motzko, whose team swept Wisconsin 4-1 and 8-4 the previous weekend. “It was a complete reversal in our play. … We couldn’t make a pass. We were losing 1-on-1 battles. We lost faceoffs."

Brodie Ziemer and Brody Lamb scored power-play goals for the Gophers (10-17-1, 6-11, 20 points). Luca Di Pasquo made 25 saves but got little defensive help and received a “mercy pull” from Motzko in the second period after Ohio State’s fourth goal. Nathan Airey made 15 saves in relief.

“Our guys were unplugged, and they couldn’t find a way to get plugged in,” Motzko said.

The Gophers started slowly, not getting a shot on goal until 4:45 had expired in the first period, but Minnesota still took a 1-0 lead on its first power play. Ziemer, operating along the goal line to Hillebrandt’s right, slid a shot on the ice between the goalie’s legs for a 1-0 lead at 12:43.

Ohio State increased the lead to 2-1 at 1:57 of the second. Gophers defenseman Finn McLaughlin couldn’t corral a pass behind the net, and the puck found the stick of Buckeyes forward Felix Caron, who fired a pass to Thompson for a tap-in past Di Pasquo.

Another defensive zone turnover by the Gophers led to Ohio State taking a 3-1 lead at 6:32 of the second. James Hong jumped on a weak clearing pass by Minnesota and fed Montes for the goal at 6:33.

The lead grew to 4-1 at 8:51 of the second when Straky gathered the puck, drove to the net and backhanded a shot past Di Pasquo. The boos rained down from the stands, and Gophers coach Bob Motzko pulled Di Pasquo in favor of Airey. By that point, Ohio State was outshooting the Gophers 29-8.

Minnesota got is second power play at 13:02 on a hooking call on Straky, and Lamb quickly trimmed the lead to 4-2 with a snipe from the right circle over Hillebrandt at 13:16.

McBrayer’s redirection of a Jake Karabela shot made it 5-2 1:07 into the third period. Karabela scored on a power play at 8:37.

BOXSCORE: Ohio State 6, Gophers 2

Big Ten standings

1. Riley Thompson, Ohio State: The forward put the Buckeyes ahead for good early in the second period and added an assist.

2. Max Montes, Ohio State: The center scored to put his team up 3-1 and won 12 of 16 faceoffs.

3. Brodie Ziemer, Gophers: The forward scored his 19th goal of the season and fifth in the past four games.