On the heels of their fifth loss in eight games, the Gophers' are hoping the early return of Hudson Fasching and Ryan Collins will infuse some life into the team.
Fasching and Collins returned to Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon after the U.S. National Junior Team was eliminated at from the World Junior Championships on Friday in Montreal, Canada. They won't require any time to rest with Fasching returning to the second line and Collins skating as the extra defenseman.
Though the Gophers are still without Sweden national standout Leon Bristedt and injured junior defenseman Brady Skjei, the addition of Fasching and Collins will help create more stability up and down the lineup.
Sophomore forward Connor Reilly said the Gophers were able to build good chemistry without the missing players, but their absence was noticeable in the Gophers' power play on Friday night. They were 0-for-4 on power-play chances and were unable to capitalize on three straight Merrimack penalties midway through the second period.
"We had a week-and-a-half of practice together, so just with practice reps and repetition and certain drills you can build that chemistry in four days for sure," Reilly said.
The chemistry should be even better on Saturday night with Fasching and Collins back in familiar roles.
Friday replay: Gophers return from break with another Mariucci Classic letdown, 3-2 loss to Merrimack. Read Friday night's game story and postgame blog. Watch postgame video of sophomore forward Connor Reilly, senior forward Seth Ambroz and coach Don Lucia.
My feature this week takes a look at Adam Wilcox's record-breaking first half of the season and how the goaltender plans to handle the pressure of carrying the team through the second half. Check out video of Don Lucia and Seth Ambroz previewing the tournament.
