Wisconsin hockey sweeps Minnesota, off to best start in 44 years
A historic Border Battle continued a historic start for Wisconsin hockey
Madison, WI — The Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-7-1, 0-2-0 Big Ten) are experiencing one of their worst seasons in years, but you will not hear many sympathetic cries for the Gophers inside the state of Wisconsin. On the other side of the Border Battle, Wisconsin hockey fans are celebrating a 4-0 victory, the Wisconsin Badgers’ first sweep of the Gophers in Madison in over a decade, and the best UW men’s hockey start since long before anyone in the Kohl Center student section was alive.
Wisconsin (6-0-2, 2-0-0 Big Ten) is undefeated through eight games, a feat unmatched by a Badgers men’s hockey team since 1981. Head coach Mike Hastings knows he’s building something positive in Madison.
“Where we’re at in Madison, when you’re during football season, basketball season, there’s a lot — we had Halloween going on,” Hastings said, painting the picture of a fan base that could occupy itself with many pastimes other than hockey. “You know, for us to get 10,000 in the building tonight and to have our student section be what they were? Yeah, we’re building momentum.”
Those fans, who Hastings repeatedly mentioned are “such a big part” in getting “this place to be special,” were rewarded for showing up inside the Kohl Center on Saturday night by a historic performance in the Border Battle, kicked off by a Wisconsin native.
Quinn Finley leads the way for Wisconsin hockey
An offensive possession extended by Wisconsin defender Jack Phelan eventually turned into a Quinn Finley first-period goal. Phelan won a race to a loose puck at the Minnesota blue line, holding the zone. He sent it deep, but wound up with the puck back on his stick. The sophomore’s initial shot was blocked, but it flipped through the air and landed in Finley’s possession.
The junior winger settled the puck down on the ice before firing a wrist shot. The high blocker-side snipe gave Wisconsin its wire-to-wire lead just before the midway point of the first period.
It took an intermission break, but not long after, Finley found the net again. On a power play, Badgers alternate captain Gavin Morrissey collected the puck along the half boards. The sophomore skated into the corner, finding the perfect angle for a cross-ice pass.
“[Morrissey] put that one on a silver platter for Finn,” Hastings said of the sophomore’s assist.
Threading the needle between a trio of Gophers, Morrissey delivered a tape-to-tape pass to Finley waiting on the faceoff dot to Minnesota goaltender Nathan Airey’s left. The Suamico native hammered a one-timer, giving Wisconsin a 2-0 lead in the Border Battle series finale.
“It means a lot, obviously, getting a sweep here,” the Wisconsinite said of winning back-to-back games against Minnesota. “I’m not really sure when the last time we were able to do that here at home against the Gophs, so, obviously, a lot of guys, we wanted to get it done tonight. Yeah, it means the world.”
It was the first time the Badgers swept the Gophers inside the Kohl Center since 2014, and the first time Wisconsin shut out Minnesota in Madison since 1983.
“Wow. Feels good!” Finley reacted.
Blake Montgomery doubles the lead in 21 seconds
When Blake Montgomery is on the ice, do not blink. You might miss something amazing. In a matter of seconds, he doubled a 2-0 lead to a 4-0 lead for Wisconsin.
One week after showcasing his blazing speed on a breakaway goal against the Alaska Nanooks, Montgomery followed it up with not one, but two early third-period goals to put the idea of a Gopher comeback bid to rest before it could get out of bed.
The Gophers won the only faceoff taken from the dot closest to the Minnesota bench. Montgomery’s effort along the boards on the right wing made it a Gopher win in name only. Nashville Predators draft pick Erik Påhlsson pulled the puck back to his Minnesota teammates on the draw, giving promise to a Gophers team trying to kill the final 15 seconds of the penalty. Montgomery, however, interrupted the play, poking it free.
The Senators’ draft pick used his trademark speed, forcing the puck behind the Minnesota blue-liners. With a one-deke move, the Maryland native converted the Badgers’ opportunity on the man-advantage.
“One of the goals in our group is to score a faceoff goal every night,” Hastings said. “You don’t draw that one up for Monty the way it happened, but he’s a guy that can get on you in a hurry.”
Montgomery remained on the ice as play resumed at five-on-five. This time, it was not his speed but his innate hockey instinct to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a Minnesota turnover.
Gophers winger Tate Pritchard misplayed a puck at the half board on a breakout, giving Badgers defenseman Joe Palodichuk a wide-open lane to shoot. It would have reached the net for a likely save by Airey, but Montgomery deflected a slow-moving puck to score his second goal in 21 seconds, and his fourth in three games.
“It feels good. It feels good,” Montgomery said of his freshman-year ascent. “It’s just a matter of buildup to it from the game. Just working hard my other linemates making good plays that lead to it.”
Having concluded a six-game homestand, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team now begins a four-week road trip, beginning with a series at the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines.
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