Season 8 Episode 3 of the Chasing MacNaughton Podast: The Tom Leppä Effect. Host Tim Braun is joined by Rob Gilreath and Nathan Cima, covering Michigan Tech's stunning season-opening sweep of Minnesota and previewing the upcoming St. Cloud series.
Ice issues & postponement
Friday night's game was postponed due to ice problems which caused the ice to be unplayable. A Zamboni gouged the ice (likely caused by a faulty heat exchanger softening the surface) which also took out part of the trapezoid line. It was the first game ever canceled at the Mac. The guys discussed the poor communication to fans watching at home on the broadcast, the impact on traveling Gopher fans who couldn't stay for Sunday's reschedule, and the overnight Zamboni crew's herculean effort to get the ice ready.
Michigan Tech sweeps Minnesota
The Huskies swept the Gophers in dominant fashion, looking like a mid-season team rather than a squad playing its first games. The guys talked about Tech’s relentless play and punch-for-punch hockey with actual zone entries instead of dump-and-chase. They also discussed how Tech pressured relentlessly after turnovers in the offensive zone.
Tom Leppä shutdown line: Bill Muckalt matched Tom Leppä's line against Minnesota's top Cullen/Ziemer line and won decisively with Leppä's line scoring four goals while holding Minnesota's stars scoreless.
Newcomers: The guys talked about Lucas Brenton looking like a pro defenseman, Giovanni Morneau bringing much-needed offensive depth down the middle, Conner Roulette growing into the pace after a slow first period, and Luke Shipley impressing with his defensive activation.
Other topics from the series the guys covered included:
· Matthew Van Blaricom’s breakout Saturday (2 goals, primary assist) from the fourth-line.
· Michigan Tech’s special teams play. They talked specifically about the strong penalty kill on the weekend and the Sunday power play goal was a beautiful tic-tac-toe sequence (Roulette → Reinhardt → Trembecki).
· Carson Birnie’s boarding major. A textbook boarding hit, with Tech killing nearly all five minutes before Minnesota scored with 11 seconds remaining.
CCHA conference check-in
The conference had a strong weekend overall, going 2-1 against NCHC opponents (Bemidji beat St. Cloud State in OT, Northern Michigan beat Miami Ohio).
St. Cloud series preview
Michigan Tech heads to St. Cloud State, now coached by Nick Oliver (former SCSU player, ex-Wisconsin assistant). The guys talked about their expectations that the game will be a slower, heavier one with St. Cloud trying to avoid a run-and-gun game with Tech. They talked about how St. Cloud took lots of penalties in their opening weekend, suggesting Tech could see power play opportunities. The key question is whether Tech can avoid a letdown after the emotional high of sweeping Minnesota.
Predictions: Rob and Tim both call a sweep; Nathan says at least a split (win one).
