Shots amount to U goals on Saturday for a change

Gophers coach Don Lucia said he is seeing good signs from his team and the return of Mike Hoeffel has helped, too. Hoeffel has played four games now since missing four games and three weeks of practice with mononucleosis.

Other good signs? Freshman winger Josh Birkholz had a goal in each game and on Saturday, the defensemen scoring four goals, Lucia said.

"We have been generating shots," Lucia said. "If you look early in the year to what we are now, [getting] 35 to 40 shots a night," Lucia said. "And [Saturday] a few of them went in. That's what has been lacking for us. The capability ro score some goals."

Offense generates excitment.

"Like tonight the crowd is into the game," Lucia said, referring to Saturday's afternoon matinee. There are some good hits. It was an entertaining hockey game."

Lucia said his players feel good after scoring 10 goals in the sweep over CC: "[And] they should."

It was welcome home weekend in a way, with a handful of NHL players at Mariucci because of the Olympic break and the 1969-70 team, which won a WCHA title, at Saturday's game. The players and Glen Sonmor, their coach were introduced between the first and second period.

"The good thing is, they are always around in the summertime and this is where they want to be when they get a little bit of a break. They are always a part of the program and that's what makes it fun."

The NHL players in the locker room for Saturday's game were defenseman Paul Martin and Alex Goligoski and forwards Blake Wheeler and Kyle Okposo.

"We were able to have a good game with Glen's team, that won the WCHA 40 years ago," Lucia said. "They were honored. It was a weekend that we needed because I thought we played pretty well last weekend and even the St. Cloud weekend when there was no reward. This weekend we had [the reward].

"Nothing changes. Monday you can't look back, you look forward and we will see what we can do up in Duluth."

The Gophers play at UMD on Friday and Saturday.

There are a number of scenarios which will get the Gophers home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Here is the simplest:

* Gophers sweep UMD on road and Wisconsin at home in final two series.

* Colorado College at home sweeps North Dakota next weekend.

* Denver sweeps Colorado College in a home and home series two weekends from now.

Those results would make what CC and North Dakota in their other games immaterial. Right now CC and NoDak are tied for fifth place, the last home-ice spot, with 25 points, the Gophers are three back with 22.

* Gophers sweeping Wisconsin. Badgers have a high-powered offense and big, skilled defensemen. Minnesota won one of two games at Kohl Center early this season but only because Alex Kangas was unreal.

* CC sweeping North Dakota. Tigers looked flat against Gophers. Power play, a strength all season, looked average. And Sioux is surging, coming off sweep of UMD.

* Gophers sweeping UMD. Minnesota blew two-goal leads in both losses to UMD at Mariucci. One Bulldogs' victory came on a shot off a skate. Breaks tend to even out. Yet to a more cozy rink and Dogs will be riled up after losing two at North Dakota.