Josh Fleming made 35 saves on Friday night, and Penn State needed every one of them in a 2-1 shootout win over No. 18 Minnesota on Friday night. The Nittany Lions struggled to find their footing until late in the second period, but a timely goal from Justin Poirier in the third period and incredible goaltending by Fleming was enough to secure two points in the Big Ten opener.
First Period
Penn State created a few great chances off the rush early in the first period but could not convert. Kale Dach had a shot stopped
on a 2-on-1 but his pass to Andrew Kuzma off the rebound just missed Kuzma’s stick. After a few minutes of end-to-end action, Javon Moore deflected a weak shot past Josh Fleming to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
The goal seemed to take the wind out of Penn State’s sails, as the Gophers’ pressure started to overwhelm the Lions’ defense. Josh Fleming had to make several huge saves to keep the deficit at just one. Late in the period, Andrew Kuzma hit the post and the rebound bounced off Luca DiPasquo’s back toward the goal line, but Minnesota cleared it away at the last minute. To top it off, Marco Mignosa took a bad tripping penalty in the offensive zone with Penn State finally sustaining zone time. Minnesota took a 1-0 lead to the locker room and had 1:55 of power play time to begin the second period.
Second Period
Penn State killed the penalty, but Minnesota continued to dominate offensive zone time and shot totals for the entire first half of the second period. The Nittany Lions struggled to break out of their own zone and were mostly one shot and out whenever they did make a clean entry into the offensive zone. Josh Fleming had to bail out a number of defensive gaffes to keep it 1-0.
The door opened in the final minutes of the second period when Tarin Smith was called for cross-checking. Penn State had two shots on goal on the power play but was unable to get any high-danger chances. The power play expired, and the game went to the second intermission with Minnesota still holding a 1-0 lead.
Third Period
Penn State started to slowly tilt the ice back in their favor after a penalty kill early in the third period. Midway through the third, Justin Larose found Justin Poirier breaking open in the high slot, and Poirier ripped a wrist shot glove side high past Luca DiPasquo to tie the game:
After Lev Katzin was called for hooking on a breakaway, the penalty kill came up clutch for a fourth time, holding Minnesota without a shot on goal. Kale Dach hit the post with five minutes left in regulation, but again Minnesota was able to clear it out of harm’s way. Some sloppy puck management in the closing minutes led to nervous moments in the defensive zone, but the game went to overtime tied at 1.
Overtime
Minnesota dominated possession in 3-on-3 overtime. Josh Fleming made five saves, including a pad save on a deflection by Evan Murr at the top of the crease. Neither team could score in overtime, and the game went to a shootout for the first time in series history.
Dane Dowiak scored the game-winner in the shootout on the backhand. The goal was initially waved off, but a review found that Luca DiPasquo did not contact the puck on the poke check, and Dowiak gave Penn State the advantage in the fifth round of the shootout. Josh Fleming made one final save on Christian Humphreys to secure the extra point in the Big Ten standings for Penn State.
Scoring Summary
First Period
- MINN: Javon Moore (1)- Christian Humphreys (1), Tarin Smith (1)- 5v5- 7:33
Third Period
- PSU: Justin Poirier (4)- Justin Larose (5)- 5v5- 9:03
Shots By Period
- PSU: 6-12-11-0-29
- MINN: 15-10-6-5-36
Random Observations
- Skating In Sand- Watching games at Minnesota is always a bit of an illusion with the larger playing surface, but it seemed like Penn State was a step behind for most of the game. Minnesota was faster through the neutral zone and it led to several breakaways and odd-man chances against.
- Puck Management- Penn State’s passing was very sloppy. Pucks jumping off of sticks, outlet passes not connecting, good passes bobbled by the receiver, and several turnovers in the defensive zone. Some of this is to be expected with a young team, but puck handling mistakes need to be cleaned up.
- Josh Fleming- There’s really not enough to say about how outstanding Josh Fleming was in this game. Minnesota could easily have won this game 5-1 or 4-1 if not for him. His rebound control was good and the only goal that got past him was a bit of a break for Minnesota. He stole two points for Penn State tonight.
- Justin Poirier- Poirier’s four goals and nine points lead Penn State through seven games. With all the issues this team has had jelling, Poirier has been sharp.
Standings & Such
Wisconsin blew away Notre Dame 7-1 in the only other conference game played tonight. The long sprint toward the Big Ten championship is underway. This was certainly not the prettiest game, but two points on the road is hardly anything to complain about.
What’s Next
The two teams will meet again tomorrow night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm on Big Ten Plus.
