MINNEAPOLIS — If you need to reach Jimmy Snuggerud at all this week, just…don’t. If you need to call or text him, don’t bother. His phone will be off. If you look for him at the rink, he won’t be there. The Minnesota Gophers star will be getting some much-needed and well-earned rest after putting an amazing week of hockey in his rear-view mirror.

On Monday evening, Snuggerud scored a trio of goals as his team rallied for a 6-2 win over Colorado College and a split of their two-game set. That performance followed his Sunday two-goal effort in a loss to the Tigers, and that followed his key offensive role for Team USA, winning World Juniors gold in Sweden just a few days earlier.

They also got a pair of goals from Rhett Pitlick — both of them assisted by Snuggerud — and Justen Close had 28 saves for Minnesota, which improved to 10-6-4 after giving up a goal just 80 seconds into the game, but rallying for the next three unanswered.

Gophers coach Bob Motzko joked that he didn’t want to give Snuggerud any time off this week for fear of his red-hot streak cooling off.

“You see that sometimes. Guys come back (from World Juniors) with a little adrenaline,” Motzko said. “When he gets open, dangerous things can happen. It’s crazy.”

Logan Will and Ryan Beck scored for the Tigers (10-7-1), who started Kaidan Mbereko in goal. He had 29 saves but was lifted after Snuggerud’s third goal. Henry Wilder came on in relief for CC and stopped all nine shots he faced.

“They have a game-changer in their lineup, to say the least,” Tigers coach Kris Mayotte said of Snuggerud, who now has the lead among goal scorers in the Big Ten with 16. “They can score on any shot. Especially that kid.”

The Tigers looked, briefly, to have taken a 2-1 lead on their first power play of the game, but Minnesota challenged and replays confirmed that the Tigers entered the zone offside. Then Snuggerud went to work, giving Minnesota a lead, and helping lock things down in the final 20 minutes for a team that saw a few third period leads slip away in the first half of the season.

It was the 50th career win for Close, who has done all of that in the equivalent of two seasons as their every-night starter in goal.

Charlie Strobel’s second goal of the season got things started for Minnesota after the Tigers’ early lead. They were deadlocked 1-1 after 20 minutes, but the Gophers dominated the middle frame.

“The second period is when we took over,” Motzko said. “They only had one shot in the first 15 minutes of the period.”

Gophers defenseman Sam Rinzel, one of the quartet of gold medalists who made the trek back from Sweden, had three assists in the game, and joked that they’ve been waking up at 3 a.m. as their bodies try to readjust to Minnesota time.

“We’re working on it,” he said. “It’s good to leave it all out there though.”

Extra pucks

The Gophers continue their six-game homestand next weekend with Robert Morris coming to town for a nonconference series.

This game was the first that the Gophers have played on a Monday since a 3-2 overtime win over Michigan in the Big Ten tournament on March 15, 2021 at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana. Sammy Walker, now back with the Wild’s AHL team in Iowa, scored the winning goal that night.

Minnesota wore its new gold third sweaters featuring the iconic “skating Goldy” logo for the first time in Monday’s game.

Colorado College, with an NCHC series at Minnesota Duluth next weekend and the school currently on their holiday break, will spend the week in Minnesota. Players will tour U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Tuesday and skate at the U of M on Wednesday before heading to the Twin Ports later in the week.

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