Minnesota Duluth routed Denver on Saturday night with a 6-1 win over the Pioneers at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Here are my thumbs up and thumbs down for the Bulldogs tonight, followed by my three stars.
Thumbs up to the Bulldogs’ Karson Kuhlman
UMD freshman forward Karson Kuhlman is proving to be pretty clutch early on this season at Amsoil Arena. A week ago, he capped a three-goal rally by the Bulldogs against Minnesota State to force overtime. Things unfortunately didn’t go UMD’s way that night with the Mavericks winning in OT, spoiling what could have been a great moment for Kuhlman.
On Saturday, his teammates made sure nothing ruined the superb shorthanded breakaway goal by the native of Esko who played for Cloquet High School.
Bulldogs sophomore defender Brenden Kotyk poked the puck away from the Denver power play to an open Kuhlman, who went on to beat DU sophomore goaltender Evan Cowley in a one-on-one breakaway by switching late to his backhand. He quickly slipped the puck inside the near post, to which Cowley was unable to get to in time, to ignite the 6,000-plus at Amsoil Arena, and his team.
“We’ve been having a tough time getting that first goal obviously in the first couple games,” Kuhlman said. “We had a good first period, didn’t let any in, didn’t score any. It felt good to get that first one and the floodgates opened after that.”
Thumbs down the Bulldogs taking major penalties
For the fourth game in a row, the Bulldogs were handed a five-minute major and for the fifth game in a row, a game misconduct (aka an ejection without a one-game suspension).
Here is how the rap sheet reads:
- 10/12 at Notre Dame: Austin Farley (game misconduct)
- 10/17 vs. Minnesota State: Kyle Osterberg (major and game misconduct for checking from behind)
- 10/18 at Minnesota State: Derik Johnson (major and game misconduct for kneeing)
- 10/24 vs. Denver: Sammy Spurrell (major and game misconduct for checking from behind)
- 10/25 vs. Denver: Austyn Young (major and game misconduct for facemasking)
The positive here is these majors and game misconducts aren’t all from the same player. If you rack up too many, you get suspended.
Still, the Bulldogs can’t afford to go down a man for five-minutes straight every night, plus lose a body on the bench for the rest of the game (UMD was already without Adam Krause when Young was tossed). It’s going to catch up with the Bulldogs sooner or later.
