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Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

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  • Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

    With the sweep last weekend, the Gophers have now lost 6 straight to Penn St. and feasibly could see them again in the B1G tourney. Surprised by the comment on the D by Sheehy after a 7-2 loss last Friday night:

    “If we were to look back at it, I don’t think it’s as bad as the score shows,” Sheehy said. “Our execution wasn’t there. Our effort was fine. We beat ourselves. We’ve been a pretty good defensive team all year and able to shut down some really good offenses. We weren’t there tonight as far as getting pucks out. We weren’t able to stop their attack.”
    The Gophers battle @ #2 Buckeyes who are riding a 7 game winning streak.

    OSU is getting some amazing goaltending from SO Tommy Nappier who has the #1 W% in the nation at .857 (11-1-2), GAA 1.60 and SV% .946.

    Can the Gophers get at least a split?

  • #2
    Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

    Given the difference in how the two teams have played all season I think coming out of Columbus with a split would be a huge achievement for the Gophers. Anything's possible, but in this case, just barely.
    Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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    • #3
      Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

      Originally posted by D2D View Post
      Given the difference in how the two teams have played all season I think coming out of Columbus with a split would be a huge achievement for the Gophers. Anything's possible, but in this case, just barely.
      Send the Women's team instead?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

        We have two Gopher threads now?

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        • #5
          Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

          Originally posted by SteveO View Post
          Send the Women's team instead?
          https://www.uscho.com/rankings/d-i-womens-poll/
          Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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          • #6
            Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

            Originally posted by trixR4kids View Post
            We have two Gopher threads now?
            If things don't workout for Bob, the other one will be relevant in about 3-5 years.

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            • #7
              Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

              Originally posted by trixR4kids View Post
              It used to be, it certainly wasn’t last year other than when Mittlestadt was on the ice. The team clearly got slower the last few years of his tenure and the D weren’t capable of making the types of stretch passes Reilly, Skjei, and other better dmen of gopher yesteryear used to make.

              Motzko no longer has CM and his best player is playing a position he didn’t play during his first two years, not exactly shocking that the team took a step back this year, they’re simply not as talented as a year ago.
              I was talking about the playbook, not execution. IMO CM's numbers overall fell short of the hype. This years squad will most likely pass last years in total goals scored. FR line and top line have been better in transition lately.

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              • #8
                Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                Even in terms of the playbook I feel like last year's team and even the year before just relied on the forwards getting super deep in their own D zone and breaking it out themselves. Whereas previous better Lucia teams with a more functional blue line would thread more stretch passes and transition quicker catching the opposition in more odd man situations.

                This years squad will most likely pass last years in total goals scored.
                Having a top 5 PP (or whatever it is now) vs a horrific one probably accounts for most of the difference.

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                • #9
                  Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                  Originally posted by SteveO View Post
                  IMO CM's numbers overall fell short of the hype.
                  Probably a little true, although hard to compare. His post-draft season's PPG was considerably less than Keller, drafted one spot higher the year before, but were better than Norris or Bowers, 1st round picks taken after Mittelstadt, and essentially equal to Poehling's numbers from his post-draft season. Still, I'd consider Mittelstadt's year to have been a good one, even if it fell short of epic.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                    Yes expectations were high, yes his surrounding cast was weak, and yes the last few series he dominated, but CM's one season with us was not great overall. Still we have to support him now in the show even though he should have played one more year with us.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                      Originally posted by trixR4kids View Post
                      Even in terms of the playbook I feel like last year's team and even the year before just relied on the forwards getting super deep in their own D zone and breaking it out themselves. Whereas previous better Lucia teams with a more functional blue line would thread more stretch passes and transition quicker catching the opposition in more odd man situations.
                      I did think as the last season progressed, and especially in the 2nd half, that Ryan Lindgren began to really excel at breaking the puck out of the D zone. He often made that short, quick pass to an open forward who was in the open, away from the boards. The usual play for this year's D is to either throw it up the wall to a covered wing or to flip the puck high and hope for the best.
                      Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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                      • #12
                        Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                        Originally posted by trixR4kids View Post
                        Even in terms of the playbook I feel like last year's team and even the year before just relied on the forwards getting super deep in their own D zone and breaking it out themselves. Whereas previous better Lucia teams with a more functional blue line would thread more stretch passes and transition quicker catching the opposition in more odd man situations.

                        Having a top 5 PP (or whatever it is now) vs a horrific one probably accounts for most of the difference.
                        Agreed, the D & C early last season was getting really old. Tapered off a bit as the season progressed, but a more heavier dose of it was inserted early into the playbook. PP differential is +5, ES is -21 compared to last season.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by D2D View Post
                          I did think as the last season progressed, and especially in the 2nd half, that Ryan Lindgren began to really excel at breaking the puck out of the D zone. He often made that short, quick pass to an open forward who was in the open, away from the boards. The usual play for this year's D is to either throw it up the wall to a covered wing or to flip the puck high and hope for the best.
                          And Lindgren is a mostly defensive defenseman. There should be at least three guys on the roster at a time with the breakout skill he had. What we have is pathetic.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                            Originally posted by Bonin21 View Post
                            Yes expectations were high, yes his surrounding cast was weak, and yes the last few series he dominated, but CM's one season with us was not great overall. Still we have to support him now in the show even though he should have played one more year with us.
                            It would've been far more fun to watch him on one of the better gopher teams.
                            Last edited by trixR4kids; 02-14-2019, 01:17 AM.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins! Pt. 2

                              https://www.grandforksherald.com/spo...iting-strategy

                              (See if that works, since I can't recall how to add a link.) If you haven't seen in other threads. Some interesting observations about programs age and performance this year.

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