Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

[mnstate0fhockey]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

From Russo's Blog:

Lucia said today that second-line left wing Sam Warning is week to week with an undisclosed injury. For the time being, Lucia said defenseman Ben Marshall will stay at wing on that line alongside Erik Haula and Zach Budish.

Lucia wouldn’t say which goalie is starting this weekend (more below), but again, my guess is freshman Adam Wilcox starts Friday (coming off a 20-save shutout over Canisius, one in which he secured with a monstrous save with 30 seconds left). And then if Wilcox plays great Friday or isn’t overly peppered, my guess is he plays Saturday in Mankato over Mike Shibrowski. Again, just my guess.

Lucia also confirmed that freshman defenseman Brady Skjei, who didn’t play last weekend due to injury, will return this weekend.

Goalie decision: It’s an evaluation. What we decision to do Friday night, I think right now we’re more day-to-day than anything else. Both guys have a long ways to go to prove themselves that they’re the guy, but we’ll look at who plays Friday, and depending on how they play, they may play Saturday, too. (Russo note: Because of that last line, I think it’s Wilcox. If he’s saying the Friday goalie has a chance to play Saturday, too, no chance Wilcox doesn’t get to play this weekend after shutting out Canisius. My money’s on Wilcox for Friday at least). We’ll continue to evaluate today and evaluate tomorrow, and then after practice tomorrow, we’ll let the guys know who’s going to play Friday.

Feel you’ve corrected as a team the defensive breakdowns at Tech?: Process of correcting, I would say (laughing). I don’t think we could fix everything in one weekend or one week of practice. But we are consistently working, especially this week as defensemen, we are getting a little bit more time with Coach [Mike] Guentzel (laughing), which is good in a lot of ways and scary in a lot of ways as well. We’ve broken down a lot more film as defensemen in individual meetings, talking about individual things that we’ve got to work on or even supporting our other partner. There were a lot of times where we gave up a lot of odd-man rushes, even last weekend getting too far up into the play. Just letting the game come to us is probably our most important thing going forward.

On lack of offense last weekend: I don’t think it’s a problem. Things just aren’t falling. You saw last weekend, Kyle Rau couple times on the back door hitting a skate blade or hitting a shin pad, like those things, they’re going to correct themselves. But we’ve got to get more traffic in front of the net and bang home some rebounds. We got a couple tip goals this last weekend, which is showing signs that we’re getting to those dirty areas, but it’s an ongoing battle. You can’t be complacent in those hard areas.

[cross cheque]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

So that wasn't the first weekend?

I don't believe so, no. Especially after the Tech series and the Canisius/U-18 weekend I think the Urineversity of Minnesota's best hockey is yet to come.

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

“@Russostrib: #gophers LW Sam Warning (undisclosed injury) is week to week; D Brady Skjei returns this weekend vs Minnesota State; Will blog soon on gophs”

Did Warning get hurt up in Houghton? I guess I don't remember him ever being hurt up there, must have though.

Marshall playing 2nd line wing is ok I guess, I personally think he is more of an asset back on D.

[mnstate0fhockey]

Did Warning get hurt up in Houghton? I guess I don't remember him ever being hurt up there, must have though.

Marshall playing 2nd line wing is ok I guess, I personally think he is more of an asset back on D.

Me too.

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

Me too.

I will have a talk with Don.

[mnstate0fhockey]

I will have a talk with Don.

Haha... Sounds good

[state of hockey]

You going down for the game on Saturday?

Thinking about it.

[Dude Love]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

How is that not classy? After the cheap **** your team pulled I hope they get beat by 8 goals per night and get the snot pounded out of them physically.

After Minny scored two total goals against Canisius and a bunch of high schoolers? I predict a couple 1-1 ties.

[state of hockey]

After Minny scored two total goals against Canisius and a bunch of high schoolers? I predict a couple 1-1 ties.

Three goals. Geez...

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

I wouldn't be shocked if Hastings though they were dirty as well.

I would. Keep in mind, Mike Hasting's pedigree and extraordinary success as a head coach was birthed in an USHL more aggressive style hockey. Moreover, nothing at all was said by Mike Hastings about any specific hits in his post game interview after the final game with SCSU, except this:

"You know, people say hockey is a contact sport. It's not a contact sport, it's a collision sport..."

I suspect, the WCHA will see a slight upgrade in MSUM to a more aggressive style of hockey than in previous years thanks to Hastings head coaching style:

"For me, I'm still learning about the team, and they're still learning about how things are going to be done, he said. Hastings said he wants the Mavericks to play an aggressive brand of hockey, both offensively and defensively, and much of Monday's practice seemed focused on that. We've got a long way to go to play that type of style," he said. "You have to be in elite shape, and we're not there yet. ... But I like the group; I like what I see."

Plan on some potential bloodletting this weekend as the Purple Cows have not only been relentlessly physical against the Gophers in the past, but coming off back to back losses, they'll be especially primed to notch a W. This will not be an easy series for the Gophers...beware.

[Dude Love]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

Three goals. Geez...

Crap! Undersold again!

[First Time, Long Time]

I would. Keep in mind, Mike Hasting's pedigree and extraordinary success as a head coach was birthed in an USHL more aggressive style hockey. Moreover, nothing at all was said by Mike Hastings about any specific hits in his post game interview after the final game with SCSU, except this:



I suspect, the WCHA will see a slight upgrade in MSUM to a more aggressive style of hockey than in previous years thanks to Hastings head coaching style:



Plan on some potential bloodletting this weekend as the Purple Cows have not only been relentlessly physical against the Gophers in the past, but coming off back to back losses, they'll be especially primed to notch a W. This will not be an easy series for the Gophers...beware.

You expect him to say publically he thought they were dirty hits?
Yeah, not going to happen.

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

Whether or not Warning is in the line-up, I really hope Marshall is at D this weekend.

[Dude Love]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

Stuff happens during the course of a game. There is a chance this big gorilla got frustrated and hit Hano a little less than clean because the Mavericks were getting butt-hammered so bad. That's all.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota vs Minnesota State: Home and Home 11/2-11/3

You expect him to say publically he thought they were dirty hits?
Yeah, not going to happen.

Not the point at all. You stated in your previous remark that "I wouldn't be shocked if Hastings though [sic] they were dirty as well". He made absolutely NO comments whatsoever about any specific hits in the game, and his comments that I cited in my post indicate a greater propensity towards a more aggressive style of play. So most likely he's not as concerned as you suspected...that's the point.

It's unfortunate Hanowski got hurt. But in regards to whether hits can be judged as "dirty" or "intent to injure", it's very difficult to judge implicit motivations unless there is demonstratively clear, indisputable visual evidence of a player showing intent to injure. I'm not taking sides here, but from a quantitative perspective, have the refs nor anyone else produced valid evidence to substantiate the hits as "intent to injure"? So your argument is unsubstantiated. It's best it let it go and move on.