Feb. 5—DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Duluth was searching for a spark last weekend after losing the series opener at Denver.
So, head coach Scott Sandelin broke up the big line of Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay to start Saturday night's series finale.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat lasted about 10 minutes.
Sandelin quickly put back together a group that's dominated much of college hockey this season and he indicated they'll be together again for Minnesota Duluth's series against UND at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday in AmsOil Arena.
Max Plante is the second-leading scorer in the nation with 20 goals and 40 points, one back of Quinnipiac's Ethan Wyttenbach. Zam and Shaugabay, a former Warroad High star, are tied as the nation's seventh-leading scorers with 35 points.
"They're obviously outstanding players," UND coach Dane Jackson said. "They have a high level of skill and creativity, but also, they work. They're not just waiting for pucks to come to them. They handle pucks and create turnovers, so I've got a lot of respect for that whole line. They're excellent."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUND knows that firsthand.
UND (20-6) and Minnesota Duluth (17-11) played a series in Grand Forks earlier this season.
The Bulldogs won the series opener 4-3. Max and Zam each had four points. Shaugabay had two.
In the series finale, UND held that trio to a second assist (Max had it) and won 5-1.
"With any good players, it's important to try to take away time and space, especially on the rush," Jackson said. "They hurt us on the Friday night in Grand Forks, because they were entering and making lateral plays, delaying, using their vision and skill to make plays on the rush. On Saturday, we did a better job of really tracking hard and trying to defend the line well, to not give them time and space to make those entry plays."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLast weekend, Denver held that trio off the scoresheet in a two-game sweep of the Bulldogs.
It marked the first time all season they've been held without a point in consecutive games.
"You've got to keep them in front of you," UND forward Ben Strinden said. "Obviously, play smart. Have a good F3 (high third forward). They're obviously really, really skilled. They make plays. They can make plays with pretty much no time and space, so we've got to get back to the house and just protect it from there."
UND also will try to limit Bulldog power plays this weekend.
Minnesota Duluth is converting 32.3% of its advantages, ranking No. 1 in the nation. The top power-play unit of the Plante brothers, Shaugabay, Callum Arnott and Ty Hanson has scored 24 goals on the advantage — more than 50 teams in the country.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUND's penalty kill, after a brilliant two-month stretch (killing 32 of 34 opponent power plays), has allowed five goals in the last 11 opponent power plays.
"Discipline is huge this week," Strinden said. "We're trying to get better at that — not take many stick penalties. Obviously, we'll take some action penalties, a hit here and there. That's totally fine. But those stick ones, we're going to try to get rid of, for sure."
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