Wolverines, No. 3 Gophers to Tangle in Minneapolis

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It is a top-10 battle this weekend as No. 7 Michigan (13-8-1, 10-8-0-1 Big Ten) visits No. 3 Minnesota (19-5-0, 15-5-0-0 Big Ten) on Friday and Saturday (March 5-6) in the final regular-season series before the Big Ten Tournament. Friday's game (March 5) is set to begin at 7 p.m. CST and will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit. Saturday's matchup (March 6) is scheduled for 4 p.m. CST and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

Hail From Home

Game days may look different this season, but the tradition of cheering on Michigan ice hockey continues. Hail From Home is our way to virtually bring the excitement of game day to fans. Throughout the season, fans can look forward to a variety of digital engagements including fan cutouts at Yost, game day playlists, Yost scoreboard messages, virtual Zamboni rides, a season ticket giveaway, and more. » Hail From Home

The Series

• Michigan trails, 143-127-19, in the all-time series with Minnesota. The Gophers hold an 81-49-9 advantage in Minneapolis, though Michigan had the upper hand last season, going 1-0-1 in the final weekend of the regular season to keep the Gophers from winning the regular-season title.
• The Golden Gophers won, 3-1 and 4-0, earlier this season.
• Michael Pastujov leads teh Wolverines in scoring against Minnesota with nine points (six goals, three assists).

Wolverine Bites

• Michigan went 1-0-1 last weekend against Arizona State in its final home games of the season.
• The Wolverines are ranked No. 7 in the latest edition of the USCHO poll (March 1) and are 8-3-1 since January with a scoring margin of +32.
• Freshman Thomas Bordeleau leads the team in scoring with 26 points on a team-high 19 assists and seven goals. He had a 10-game point streak from Jan. 8-Feb. 14 (three goals, 11 assists, 14 points). Kent Johnson adds 23 points (7G, 16A), Matty Beniers has 19 points and Brendan Brisson has 18.
• Following the four rookies in scoring are three defensemen, led by sophomore Cam York (16 points), while D-partner Owen Power has 15 points. Junior Nick Blankenburg follows with 12 points.
• Michigan has split goaltending duties the last four weekends, between Strauss Mann and Erik Portillo. Mann is 9-7-1 with a .929 save percentage and a 1.87 goals-against average, while Portillo is 4-1 with a .935 save percentage and a 1.67 GA.
• Michigan's high-flying offense averages 3.55 goals per game, ninth nationally, while the defense has limited opponents to just 1.91 gpg, fifth nationally.

Scouting the Golden Gophers

• No. 3 Minnesota is on a four-game win streak and is 19-5 overall. The Gophers were idle last weekend after their series with Penn State was postponed. With a .750 save percentage, Minnesota is first in the conference, while Wisconsin is nipping at its heels at .705 and Michigan State on tap.
• Junior Sampo Ranta leads the offense with 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points. Sophomore Ben Meyers is just one point back at 24, while Sammy Walker has 23 points. Seniors Brannon McManus and Scott Reedy add 22 points apiece.
• Senior Jack LaFontaine, a Michigan transfer, has started in all but two games this season in net and has a .941 save percentage and a 1.56 goals-against average, ranking in the top three nationally in both categories with a 17-5 mark.
• Minnesota ranks fourth in scoring offense, averaging 3.88 goals per game and is second nationally in scoring defense at 1.83 GPG.
• The penalty kill is strong, seventh in the country at 86.9 percent (53-for-61) while the power play converts 20.8 percent (16-for-77).

Up Next

• Wednesday, March 10 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.) -- Canceled
Sun-Tue., March 14-16 -- at Big Ten Tournament (South Bend, Ind.)

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Players Mentioned

Matty Beniers

Nick Blankenburg

Thomas Bordeleau

Brendan Brisson

Kent Johnson

Strauss Mann

Michael Pastujov

Erik Portillo

Owen Power

Cam York

University of Michigan Athletics