After a week filled with noise and potential off-ice distractions, the Minnesota Gophers elected to put all of that aside and play dominant hockey. In workmanlike fashion, they built an early lead versus in-state rival Minnesota Duluth and kept the Bulldogs from barking, winning 5-1 to snap a three-game losing streak.

Bryce Brodzinski scored twice — including the 50th goal of his Gophers career — while Cal Thomas, Oliver Moore and Rhett Pitlick also scored for Minnesota (4-3-0), which also snapped a four-game losing streak in their head-to-head series with the Bulldogs, which dates back to the 1950s. Justen Close had 14 saves for Minnesota in the win, but lost his bid for a third shutout of the season late in the game.

“It wasn’t perfect, but all four lines contributed to an attack in the zone, and that led to tonight,” said Gophers coach Bob Motzko, who noted that players getting their first goals of the season naturally gets them going. “These are young guys and we’ve had a tough schedule. Goals are hard to come by, and it gets in their brain. It does. They can breathe now, when they get that first goal.”

It was the third consecutive loss for the Bulldogs (3-3-2), who got a breakaway goal from Carter Loney and 17 saves from starting goalie Zach Stejskal in the loss. Stejskal was injured after Pitlick scored midway through the third period and was replaced by Matthew Thiessen, a transfer from Maine, who finished the game with eight saves on the nine shots he faced.

“We got behind, we had some opportunities on the power play, we didn’t score, which, early in the year gives you some momentum and gives you some energy,” Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said. “We made a couple mistakes and good teams will make you pay. They did.”

Thomas got his first collegiate goal in his 53rd game as a Gopher with a classic “go hard to the net” play, popping a rebound over Stejskal after the goalie had stopped Jaxon Nelson’s initial shot.

“It felt amazing to get that one off my back,” said the soft-spoken Thomas. “I saw a lot of Duluth guys in front of me, so it allowed me to go down low. If they’re in front of me I can squeeze the zone … the puck just came right to me, which was fortunate.”

The Gophers kept Minnesota Duluth at bay during a pair of Bulldogs power plays in the opening period, then doubled their lead in the closing seconds when Brodzinski got loose for a breakaway and netted his third goal of the season. It was a special moment for the Brodzinski family, as older brother Jonny, who plays for the New York Rangers, was in attendance prior to his NHL team visiting the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Moore made it 3-0 just 74 seconds into the middle period with the second goal of his career before Pitlick added an insurance goal, his first of the season, late. After Loney’s breakaway goal pulled the Bulldogs back within three, Brodzinski hit an empty net for the final margin.

Extra pucks

Adam Johnson, the former Minnesota Duluth player killed in an on-ice accident in England last week, was honored before the game with a moment of silence. His No. 7 jersey was displayed on the Bulldogs bench during the game. Former Mr. Hockey winner Blake Biondi, who previously wore 7 for the Bulldogs, has switched to 27 for the remainder of the season.

In the wake of Johnson’s death from a cut to the neck, the Gophers ordered neck protective gear for all of their players this week. Due to a massive demand for such gear, only one neck protector arrived prior to Friday’s game. It was worn by Gophers co-captain Mike Koster, who was making his season debut after missing the season’s first month with a lower-body injury.

“It was a pretty easy decision for me,” Koster said. “Life’s short. Hockey isn’t everything in life, that’s the biggest thing. And I owe it to my family and my loved ones to wear one.”

While the Gophers had their full roster healthy for the first time this season, assistant coach Steve Miller missed the game due to an illness.

The weekend nonconference series concludes with a Saturday night game at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. The opening faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT.

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