Friday night's events at 3M Arena at Mariucci were completely premeditated.
The Gophers had scripted out exactly what Notre Dame would do — keep the shots low, protect a slim lead at all costs, incite exasperation. And it played out exactly as written.
Except for the Gophers' own execution. That took a shocking turn for the worse.
The Gophers lost 1-0 in the first game of the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals, setting up a must-win rematch Saturday. The Gophers need to win Saturday and Sunday's best-of-three decider to move on in the postseason and have any hope for an NCAA tournament berth.
"One team that couldn't score, and one team that didn't want to," coach Bob Motzko said. "That was not a fun game to watch, I'm sure."
At least not many did. For the second year in a row, the Gophers drew a small playoff crowd — "Small? I don't think there was anyone here," as goalie Jack LaFontaine put it — after earning home-ice advantage, with Friday's announced attendance at 2,012.
But the team didn't pin that as an excuse for why the first-period effort was so sleepy, with a lack of energy and plenty of turnovers. The Gophers posted only two shots in the first 20 minutes, totaling only 12 by the end of the game compared to Notre Dame's 26. Notre Dame did block 16 shots, but the Gophers really had only about three quality scoring chances.
"We just have to bring a better effort," defenseman Ben Brinkman said, adding he's not sure why the team seems to have lost its midseason fire on its current five-game winless streak. "… We're just not working hard enough, which is tough to say at this point of the year."
For example, both teams had lengthy power-play opportunities. Gophers defenseman Matt Staudacher left the game in the second period for a contact-to-the-head penalty, while Irish defenseman Spencer Stastney left in the third after checking center Jack Perbix from behind. Perbix limped off the ice, not putting any weight on his left leg after an apparent knee injury.
On Notre Dame's five-minute power play, the team managed five shots. The Gophers, already trailing at that point, took two.
The only goal of the game came later in the second period, when Notre Dame's Colin Theisen took a shot after a faceoff that LaFontaine couldn't contain, allowing winger Trevor Janicke of Maple Grove to flick home the rebound.
Motzko pointed out how both LaFontaine and Notre Dame's Cale Morris made some clutch saves. The real disparity was in the forwards, their ability to handle adversity and stick to the game plan.
"When we don't score, and we go minutes, our team has a hard time handling that," Motzko said. "And [Notre Dame] can play all night, and they don't get a shot, and they don't even care. And we get frustrated."
The coach vowed his players know the stakes for Saturday's game, and they won't repeat the same mistakes. LaFontaine said he and his teammates are so aware, they don't even need their coach's provocation.
"This is do or die for us. This is it for us. If we don't win, that's it," LaFontaine said. "So I hope the boys know how urgent and dire the circumstances are for [Saturday]. We've got to, as a man, come and dial it in and fight for our lives.
"Because everything's on the line."
