MINNEAPOLIS — In its first game as the nation’s No. 1 team since 2023, Wisconsin men’s hockey faced a stiff test against border rival No. 18 Minnesota. The Badgers came away with a 1-1 tie before winning the shootout to earn the extra point in the conference standings.
“To not let them get to two was really important,” Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings said in a postgame interview. “When we answered to get it to 1-1, I thought we found our legs a little bit and did a better job of possessing pucks and not helping them get into transition.”
The first period brought a major turning point when Wisconsin’s Grady Deering was ejected for a hit from behind on Minnesota’s John Whipple. The Gophers capitalized on the ensuing five-minute power play to take the lead.
But after killing off the remainder of the penalty, the Badgers (6-0-1, 2-0-1 Big Ten) settled in and began to look more like the team that opened the season 6-0.
“We do a great job of just being positive on the bench,” Wisconsin forward Zach Wooten said. “Like this was the first game this year we were down, and we just did a great job of picking each other up.”
Wisconsin couldn’t find a go-ahead goal despite dominating the shot count, outshooting Minnesota 42-17, including 32-7 over the final 45 minutes. Still, the Badgers remain undefeated after earning the extra point with a shootout victory.
Here are Badger Breakaway’s Three Stars of the Game:
3rd Star: Chase Jette
The Wisconsin freshman opened the game as the fourth-line center, but Deering’s early ejection pushed him into an expanded role. Jette moved up to the third line with Ryan Botterill and Brent Solomon, helping the Badgers maintain pressure as the game progressed.
“Got off to a little bit of a tough start, having to kill a five-minute major,” Hastings said. “Thought we did a pretty decent job of that. I think the first shot on net they had on that five-minute major went in the back of the net. Then we pushed a little bit, but it was probably a 50-50 first period. Then I liked our game in the second and third.”
That third line proved to be a big part of that, a key cog in Wisconsin’s relentless attack that didn’t stop when the bottom-six forwards were on the ice. Jette’s line strung together multiple shifts in the offensive zone, wreaking havoc on the forecheck, and creating multiple chances. They were unable to find the back of the net, but Jette came close on a couple of occasions.
He finished with two shots on goal, including a chance from right in front of the net off a setup from Botterill that Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo turned aside, plus a blocked shot.
2nd Star: Zach Wooten
The Wisconsin freshman has earned a spot on the Badgers’ top line alongside Gavin Morrissey and JJ Wiebusch, and he made the most of the opportunity Thursday night.
Wooten scored Wisconsin’s lone goal, finishing a pass from Wiebusch behind the net to tie the game in the second period.
“Gavin made a really good play, rimmed it down to Wiebusch, and then Wiebusch made a great pass to me, I kind of had no one on me, and just put a shot on net,” Wooten said. “We were talking about that earlier as a line, just getting to our ground game, we worked on that, and yeah, it worked out.”
The goal was Wooten’s third of the season. He’s proven to be more than just a passenger on the top line, establishing himself as a key part of the trio.
“He’s big. He can move. You can see the release that he has,” Hastings said. “He’s a young player, but he doesn’t play that way. He plays with a lot of poise. He’s got some bite to him. I know the other two guys really like playing with him.”
1st Star: Alexis Cournoyer
Cournoyer was nearly perfect in his first game on the road in the Big Ten. After allowing an early power-play goal to Mason Moe, the Wisconsin goaltender shut the door the rest of the way, stopping 16 of the 17 shots he faced in the game. That brings his save percentage up to .947 on the season.
“You saw how we battled, and we just dominated the game so I had to get my boys back at the end,” Cournoyer said. “I thought it was a great effort from everyone tonight, and everybody bought into the system, the details, and I’m super proud of the boys tonight.”
Minnesota generated relatively few shots, but Cournoyer still had to make several difficult saves, including on a partial breakaway by Gophers star LJ Mooney.
“He’s a confident kid, but most importantly, he just puts the work in,” Hastings said. “That’s why I think he has confidence as well. His attention to detail for everything that he gets to control is to the nth degree.”
Cournoyer’s impact extended beyond his 16 saves in regulation and overtime. In the shootout, after Bruno Idžan scored for Wisconsin, Cournoyer stopped Gophers captain Brodie Ziemer, Mooney and top-ten NHL Draft pick Wyatt Cullen to secure the extra point. He celebrated with a fist pump before embracing his teammates.
“I usually don’t celly. It was just bigger than me, I guess. I wanted to go ‘boom!” Cournoyer said as he reenacted the emphatic gesture.
Thank you for visiting BadgerBreakaway.com – With your support, we are quickly becoming a leading independent source for news, analysis, and intel on the Wisconsin Badgers hockey and basketball teams.
