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Penn State wins thriller of a game

UNIVERSITY PARK — Following Penn State’s sweep of Minnesota last weekend with all the scoring, physicality, taunting and a date with home-ice in the Big Ten tournament on the line, this weekend’s Big Ten quarterfinals matchup between the same two teams was expected to be intense.

Game 1 didn’t disappoint as the Nittany Lions were able to hold off the Golden Gophers, 5-3, taking a step forward in a best-of-three series.

Hours before the puck dropped, Penn State sophomore center Nikita Pavlychev was declared out for the game, causing a blow to the Nittany Lions’ plan of attack in neutralizing Casey Mittelstadt who last weekend saw his line score once. Brett Murray, who had played just one game since December 2nd, replaced Pavlychev on his line and earned the start.

Mittelstadt and the Golden Gophers took advantage of Pavlychev’s absence and an Eric Autio tripping penalty as Mittelstadt sniped the opening goal past Jones 11 minutes in.

It was first time Penn State trailed to Minnesota in their dating back to three games. However, the Lions dug deep and responded within five minutes as Murray and his line started to settle in.

After a scramble to the right of the net with Murray and Alex Limoges involved, Denis Smirnov got the puck and found a wide open Cole Hults, who beat Mat Robson to tie the game at one. It was Hults first goal since October 20, 2017 when Penn State hosted American International.

Murray’s play at the center position impressed Lions coach Guy Gadowsky, considering Murray plays winger.

“He won the first face-off and then I thought he played really well in his defensive zone,” Gadowsky said. “He’s a big tough guy, I think he fits there when Pav’s out. I thought he killed well, for him to come into a playoff game against a great team, I thought he played extremely well.”

The bad blood from the weekend before did boil over early as Minnesota center Darian Romanko got tossed from the game after checking Eric Autio from behind in the offensive zone and assessed a game misconduct. Andrew Sturtz was tossed last week in the first game for contact to the head.

With Romanko gone, the Lions had five minutes with an extra skater. With some beautiful passing around the Gophers defense, it was Kris Myllari who passed the puck across the front the net for a wide open Nate Sucese, who put it in the back of the net as it bounced off Robson’s pad for the 2-1 Penn State lead less than three minutes into the second.

Minnesota wouldn’t go down quietly as Hults turned the puck over in his own area and the Gophers were all over it. Rem Pitlick from behind the net was able to find a crashing Scott Reedy who tied the game at two with his one-timer beating Peyton Jones.

With the game looking as if it was going to be tied heading to the third, the Nittany Lions put their foot on the gas in the final 90 seconds.

Moscow native Denis Smirnov had a moment of magic as he skated through Minnesota’s defense and then beat Robson’s short side at what seemed to be a near-impossible angle to score, helping restore the Lions’ lead.

Seconds later — 56 to be exact — Andrew Sturtz one-upped his Russian teammate with a solo goal of his own.

Sturtz fooled Golden Gopher defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf and his shot went top shelf literally sending the net on its back side. The goal gave the Lions a 4-2 lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy heading into the final period.

Gadowsky referred to those two goals as ‘difference of the game’ and Sturtz agreed.

“It was a huge weight off my shoulder,” Sturtz said. “We’re finally starting to learn to play with two-goal leads. Going into that third period with a little extra cushion it was good. We knew we could keep pressing for another one, but at the end of the day we got the win.”

With neither team being able to score early in the third, the physicality of the game between the two teams became a talking point as both teams’ captains got involved with each other. Penn State captain James Robinson was handed a game misconduct and contact to the head leading to his ejection form the game.

Minnesota captain Tyler Sheehy was given an embellishment penalty, giving the crowd some 4-on-4 hockey for two minutes.

The ejection proved costly for Penn State as it was Mittelstadt getting on the scoresheet once again while having a one man advantage.

Mittelstadt, who was the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft, got his second power play goal as his shot went off the post and beat Jones’ shoulder at a tight angle to cut the lead to 4-3 with five minutes left.

With the Golden Gophers desperately chasing the crucial tying goal, the Nittany Lions held their ground as they killed off a penalty and put the game away with Evan Barratt scoring an open-net goal to give the game its final score.

Penn State will look to sweep Minnesota on back-to-back weekends, and advance to the Big Ten semifinals. Game 2 is set to begin at 7 p.m.

The team’s mentality has wavered any and is not getting ahead of itself.

“The only win that matters is the last one, that’s how we’re looking at it,” Gadowsky said.

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