Is there any slowing down Minnesota Duluth's Plante brothers?
· Yahoo Sports
Mar. 13—GRAND FORKS — Minnesota Duluth has scored nine goals in four games against UND this season.
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The Plante brothers have factored in on eight.
As UND and Minnesota Duluth prepare to play in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference semifinals at 6:07 p.m. Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Fighting Hawks are well aware of how important Max and Zam Plante are to the Bulldogs' success.
"They're special players," UND coach Dane Jackson said. "Their vision, playmaking ability and ability to score is special."
Their line, along with
Warroad's Jayson Shaugabay,
is perhaps the most dynamic unit in the country.
Max, a sophomore and finalist for NCHC Player of the Year, has 47 points in 36 games this season. Zam, also a sophomore, has 45 points in 36 games.
They both rank in the top 10 nationally in scoring.
"They've got that first line that's one of the best lines in the country," UND freshman forward Will Zellers said. "So, we've got to make sure we're smart out there against them, make sure that we're not producing any of their offense, not making any dumb turnovers, dumb mistakes that they'll capitalize on, because we know in the past, they've done that and they made us pay."
Both Plantes have been held off the scoresheet in eight games this season. Minnesota Duluth is 0-8 in those games. When one of the Plantes get a point, the Bulldogs are 22-5-1.
In four games between UND and Minnesota Duluth, the Plantes have combined for six goals and 13 points. The Fighting Hawks have not shut them out in any game.
"I thought their ability to spread the zone. . . they're always looking laterally," Jackson said. "I thought on their entries, they delayed really well and hit plays late. You try to squeeze them off early to try to not give them time and space to do that. I think that was the biggest thing we picked up the first night was their lateral plays for one-timers. You can't overplay them, because it seems they always look for the extra pass, and they're really creative and really good at doing that."
The NCHC champion Fighting Hawks (27-8-1) and fourth-seeded Bulldogs (22-13-1) split their four regular-season games.
Minnesota Duluth won two overtime games. The Plantes combined for five goals and 10 points in the wins, including an overtime winner by Zam.
UND won two regulation games. The Plantes combined for one goal and three points in the losses.
"They're obviously going to make some plays, get their chances," Jackson said. "You've got to try to limit those and that's a five-man job by everybody that's on the ice against them."
The other key for UND is discipline.
The Plantes, sons of former Minnesota Duluth star Derek Plante, are especially dangerous on the power play. They join with a dynamic passer in Shaugabay, a shifty defenseman in Ty Hanson and an effective net-front man in Callum Arnott to form a potent top unit.
Minnesota Duluth is converting 29.5% of its power plays, the second-best mark in the country.
"(It's about) making sure we're disciplined, making sure we're not giving them too much and playing that fast hockey out there," Zellers said. "(We need to) turn it into a dogfight, a physical game. No top guys like to be hit. It's kind of wear and tear on them. So, it's making sure we're playing a physical game and not giving them any room."