The Minnesota Gophers opened their season Oct. 10 like most of college hockey. They were coming off a season that saw a Big Ten championship and an NCAA tournament appearance, just a couple seasons removed from the Frozen Four.
But Minnesota's season-opening results were less than expected. And they continued, as Minnesota lost its first three games by a combined score of 9-1. The losses included a sweep by in-state rival Minnesota-Duluth.
"You never expect to score one goal in the first few games and then be on pace for 12 goals on the year," Minnesota's Justin Kloos said.