Jimmy Snuggerud’s big goals propel Gophers men’s hockey team past Wisconsin

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Jimmy Snuggerud scored the tying and winning goals, giving the third-ranked Gophers their seventh victory in a row.

By Joel Rippel

Jimmy Snuggerud scored the tying goal and the game-winning goal as the Gophers men’s hockey team rallied for a 3-2 victory over Wisconsin on Friday in Madison, Wis.

The victory was the seventh straight for the third-ranked Gophers (8-1, 3-0 Big Ten).

BOXSCORE: Gophers 3, Wisconsin 2

The Badgers led 2-0 early in the second period and skated off three consecutive Gophers power plays before Ryan Chesley got the Gophers within 2-1 with a short-handed goal midway through the second period.

Snuggerud, a first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues who returned to the Gophers for his junior season, scored a power-play goal with six minutes remaining in the second period to tie the game.

Snuggerud scored an even-strength goal with 7 minutes, 45 seconds remaining to break the tie.

Coach Bob Motzko saw room for improvement in the Gophers.

“We got the win tonight, but we did a lot of things in the game that were self-inflicted wounds and put ourselves on defense far too many times,” he said. “We have to be comfortable playing uncomfortable, and we’re not right now, but we got a win out of it and that’s the darn positive thing out of it.”

Gophers goalie Nathan Airey turned away the final 15 shots he faced Friday, 28 in total, and recorded his fifth win of the year to remain unbeaten at 5-0-0. The Gophers outshot the Badgers 31-30.

Quinn Farley, who leads the Badgers (2-7, 1-4) in goals scored, opened the scoring with a power-play goal with 6 minutes, 16 seconds remaining in the first period.

The goal, Farley’s sixth of the season, came just 25 seconds into the power play. The goal ended a streak of 13 consecutive penalty kills for the Gophers and was just the third power-play goal allowed in 20 penalty kills.

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Gophers

Kyle Kukkonen’s goal in the first 90 seconds of the second period extended the Badgers’ lead to 2-0.

The teams conclude the series Saturday night in Madison.

Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.

Gophers

Gophers

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Gophers

Gophers

The junior who delayed his NHL opportunity scored the tying and winning goals, giving the third-ranked Gophers their seventh victory in a row.

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Gophers

Gophers

Minnesota’s defense has been crucial to the team’s four-game winning streak, led by a coordinator with history on both sides of this rivalry, too.