Statistically speaking, the Minnesota men’s hockey team is bound to score a shootout goal again someday. But Saturday was not the day.

The Gophers never trailed in forging a 2-2 tie at Michigan, with goals by Matthew Wood and Oliver Moore giving the visitors the lead in the first and third periods. But the post-overtime shootout again proved to be the Gophers’ undoing, as Michigan captured the game’s extra point.

Shootout attempts by Wood, Erik Pahlsson and Jimmy Snuggerud were unsuccessful, as the Gophers fell to a mind-numbing 0 for their last 28 shootout attempts.

Minnesota goalie Liam Souliere, making his fifth consecutive start, had 32 saves as Minnesota is now 21-7-4 with four regular season games to play. Michigan had won the series opener in overtime.

“Outside of about two minutes, we played a great weekend,” Gophers coach Bob Motzko said. “I loved how our compete was, we played good hockey, it was two classic games. It’s just unfortunate that we take two to overtime, lose the shootout tonight and lost in overtime last night. I just said to the guys, ‘Let’s go home. You left it all on the rink all weekend long.’ They played their tails off.”

The Gophers’ top power play unit is laden with first-round NHL draft picks but has had its trials recently, coming into Saturday’s game on a 1-for-13 streak. They took statistical improvement steps immediately, scoring the only goal of the opening period with a Wolverine in the penalty box, as Wood’s blast caught the inside of the left goalpost.

It was the 11th goal of the season for Wood, a junior who came to Minnesota last summer via the transfer portal after two seasons at UConn for the Nashville first-rounder. The Gophers were an inch away from doubling their lead on the second power play of the game, when defenseman Sam Rinzel split the Michigan resistance and came in alone on Wolverines goalie Logan Stein, only to have his scoring attempt thwarted.

The Gophers second power play came after co-captain Mike Koster took an elbow to the head from Michigan forward William Whitelaw behind the Gophers’ net. While Whitelaw sat for two minutes, Koster left the game and did not return.

Minnesota dominated the opening period, although Michigan made a late push on their initial power play of the game last in the first. Their momentum continued as the pro-Wolverine crowd got back involved in a big way just 14 seconds into the middle frame when T.J. Hughes got behind the Minnesota defense and beat Souliere with a high shot to tie the game. For Hughes, the goal extended his point streak to 15 games.

Minnesota needed just 13 seconds at the start of the third to again take the lead, as Moore tipped a shot past Stein after fighting through a Michigan check along the boards. But Michigan again pulled even when Wolverines rookie star Michael Hage weaved through Gopher traffic and scored his 13th of the season. Michigan appeared to take its first lead with 9:14 left in regulation as a puck off Jackson Hallum’s skate slipped over the line, but after review it was ruled no goal.

Stein finished with 33 saves for Michigan. The Gophers won the season series with the Wolverines 2-1-1.

Minnesota, which has clinched home ice for the first round of the Big Ten playoffs, will play its final regular season home games next weekend with Ohio State visiting for a pair.

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