A small-town hero, a college star who helped the Gophers to a NCAA crown, an Olympic champion and a long-time NHLer whose career culminated with a Stanley Cup, Neal Broten's pace is easy these days.
Limited to just 16 games last season in Arizona due to a serious injury, the former Minnesota Gophers standout is enjoy a chance to skate for the team he idolized as a Twin Cities kid.
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko liked his team's effort, top to bottom, but felt the Gophers deserved a better fate after two potential goals were disallowed before a huge crowd in Madison.
The recognition comes after the former Minnesota Gophers captain has eaten up significant minutes on the Wild blue line with team captain Jared Spurgeon out for the year.
Down by a goal just a minute into their outdoor game played a long way from home, the Panthers re-focused and scored the next three, then held on for their eighth consecutive win.
Taven James finished his first high school hat trick into an empty net as the latest chapter in this generations-old rivalry went the way of the Warriors to conclude Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad.
A back-and-forth battle before a huge crowd at Xcel Energy Center needed more than 60 minutes for a decision, as Minnesota came from behind to end St. Thomas hopes of a shocker.
