Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

[captain beefheart]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

That’s spot on dude. The seniors clearly made a decision to dig deeper after some uninspired hockey in the NSCC. From that point on they’ve been the engine and the driver on this latest run. And as it turns out, the surge couldn’t have come at a better time heading into this weekend with some dominant winds in our sails.

It’s always been the senior leadership at playoff time that provides the spark and focus in the Gopher’s quest for the Holy Grail of D1 hockey…and this season is no different. The ONLY way the Gophers will get their hands on the sacred hardware is through the seniors who got them there. As the seniors go…so the Gophers go.

I mentioned before the Penn State series…if a six game winning streak started that weekend, the Gophers will be on a plane to Boston. Well, 4 down and 2 to go. I like our chances of getting out of the NE regional alive and the road to the FF seems doable if the Gophers continue to play focused, smart and aggressive. In the two losses to UMD/no senior scoring, but the win against UMD/50% scoring from the seniors. In all three games against UMD, the Gophers were atypically outshot. But I anticipate a much different story this weekend based upon what we’ve seen from the Gophers lately.

For those interested, I’ve thrown some stats together below to illustrate how critical the top scoring seniors have been down the stretch.

Ambroz has been a force around the net and redeemed himself from a very dismal start by increasing his goals scored on this run by a whopping 284%. The same would apply to Captain Kyle. Notice the drop in assists and the 108% increase in scoring to finally hit that magic 20 goal mark for the first time in his Gopher career. The most consistent forward, despite an early season injury that sidelined him for 7 games, has been Travis Boyd who netted 9 goals before and 10 goals post-NSCC, hence only an 11% increase, but his playmaking has been outstanding and reflected in his increase in assists by 53%. Sam Warning’s goal scoring increase is negligible, but he stepped up his playmaking skills as well increasing his assists post-NSCC by 87%. Bottom line, out of the 26% increase in total team scoring on this latest 12-3-1 run, 62% of it has come from the top seniors.

Current record: 23-12-3, W% = .645
Before Jan. 30: 22 games @ 11-9-2, W% = .545
Since Jan. 30: 16 games @ 12-3-1, W% = .781

1) Mean percentage increase in scoring before Jan. 30 compared to since Jan. 30 from top senior forwards (G/A/Pts):

......• Seth Ambroz: +284% / +14% / +97%
......• Kyle Rau: +108% / -45% / +18%
......• Travis Boyd (out 7 games before Jan. 30): +11% / +53% / +26%
......• Sam Warning: 0 / 87% / 35%

2) Mean percentage in team scoring and percentage of team scoring increase due to top seniors before Jan. 30 compared to since Jan. 30:

......• Total team goals increase: +26%
......• Total senior scoring increase: +78% / +33% / +54%
......• Percentage increase in goals by seniors: +42%
......• Percentage increase in total team goals due to senior scoring: +62%

Nice math work, Harley. However, my recurring wide awake nightmare has me seeing Brodzinski? ( #20 ) at the end of the first period on Saturday's game coasting and letting one of the Wolverines slide by him with about 2 seconds left and miss a nice tap in, and am reminded of our loss to Yale by just plain carelessness and I start to sweat. This team CANNOT expect to get away with that and win. We will lose to UMTC Duluth if we play that way. I sure hope the coaching staff points that out ( I don't doubt they will, but will the boys buy in? ) Go Gophers!

[UMICH]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

I picked you guys to win the National Championship...

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Congrats! This was a season that could have went south on you, but your guys pulled it together. To an outsider, that looks like senior leadership. Best of luck in the tourney!

That’s spot on dude. The seniors clearly made a decision to dig deeper after some uninspired hockey in the NSCC. From that point on they’ve been the engine and the driver on this latest run. And as it turns out, the surge couldn’t have come at a better time heading into this weekend with some dominant winds in our sails.

It’s always been the senior leadership at playoff time that provides the spark and focus in the Gopher’s quest for the Holy Grail of D1 hockey…and this season is no different. The ONLY way the Gophers will get their hands on the sacred hardware is through the seniors who got them there. As the seniors go…so the Gophers go.

I mentioned before the Penn State series…if a six game winning streak started that weekend, the Gophers will be on a plane to Boston. Well, 4 down and 2 to go. I like our chances of getting out of the NE regional alive and the road to the FF seems doable if the Gophers continue to play focused, smart and aggressive. In the two losses to UMD/no senior scoring, but the win against UMD/50% scoring from the seniors. In all three games against UMD, the Gophers were atypically outshot. But I anticipate a much different story this weekend based upon what we’ve seen from the Gophers lately.

For those interested, I’ve thrown some stats together below to illustrate how critical the top scoring seniors have been down the stretch.

Ambroz has been a force around the net and redeemed himself from a very dismal start by increasing his goals scored on this run by a whopping 284%. The same would apply to Captain Kyle. Notice the drop in assists and the 108% increase in scoring to finally hit that magic 20 goal mark for the first time in his Gopher career. The most consistent forward, despite an early season injury that sidelined him for 7 games, has been Travis Boyd who netted 9 goals before and 10 goals post-NSCC, hence only an 11% increase, but his playmaking has been outstanding and reflected in his increase in assists by 53%. Sam Warning’s goal scoring increase is negligible, but he stepped up his playmaking skills as well increasing his assists post-NSCC by 87%. Bottom line, out of the 26% increase in total team scoring on this latest 12-3-1 run, 62% of it has come from the top seniors.

Current record: 23-12-3, W% = .645
Before Jan. 30: 22 games @ 11-9-2, W% = .545
Since Jan. 30: 16 games @ 12-3-1, W% = .781

1) Mean percentage increase in scoring before Jan. 30 compared to since Jan. 30 from top senior forwards (G/A/Pts):

......• Seth Ambroz: +284% / +14% / +97%
......• Kyle Rau: +108% / -45% / +18%
......• Travis Boyd (out 7 games before Jan. 30): +11% / +53% / +26%
......• Sam Warning: 0 / 87% / 35%

2) Mean percentage in team scoring and percentage of team scoring increase due to top seniors before Jan. 30 compared to since Jan. 30:

......• Total team goals increase: +26%
......• Total senior scoring increase: +78% / +33% / +54%
......• Percentage increase in goals by seniors: +42%
......• Percentage increase in total team goals due to senior scoring: +62%

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Although there has been no official announcement, from what I've heard it's very doubtful that Kessel will be back, or ever play again, due to lingering concussion symptoms.

Otherwise, next year's team should be very strong again. Their starting goalie, their top four scorers, and all of their D except one (Ramsey) will return.

My understanding on Kessel as well. Ramsey will be missed as captain...and a couple of good forward role players. But the big guns are in fact returning...and we're picking up several hot recruits (and a couple of real aces in all Canada Sara Potomak and ms. hockey Taylor Williamson). Should be another run in store.

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Watched Fridays game with few problems. Now next year, isn't Kessel back and Brandt too? How do they look on D and G?

Although there has been no official announcement, from what I've heard it's very doubtful that Kessel will be back, or ever play again, due to lingering concussion symptoms.

Otherwise, next year's team should be very strong again. Their starting goalie, their top four scorers, and all of their D except one (Ramsey) will return.

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Watched Fridays game with few problems. Now next year, isn't Kessel back and Brandt too? How do they look on D and G?

Kind of above my pay grade, but Brandt's name was called out often. She's a beast. The goalie made some HUGE saves, and the one goal she let in, she knew it was a softie and you could tell she was very upset with herself.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

The stream was mostly good. There were a couple times it got really choppy (guessing overloaded servers). However, when it was good, it was REALLY good. No pixelation or anything.

Watched Fridays game with few problems. Now next year, isn't Kessel back and Brandt too? How do they look on D and G?

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

It sure was a great game for my wife to attend with me. She had a blast!

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Crap. Completely forgot to watch. Congrats for winning ladies. Two more Championships for MN hockey teams (not talking UMD, SCSU or MSU) and this could be an awesome year!

The stream was mostly good. There were a couple times it got really choppy (guessing overloaded servers). However, when it was good, it was REALLY good. No pixelation or anything.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

The Gopher women won 4-1 over Harvard for another Championship for them. I think they said 3 of the last 4.

Crap. Completely forgot to watch. Congrats for winning ladies. Two more Championships for MN hockey teams (not talking UMD, SCSU or MSU) and this could be an awesome year!

[Greyeagle]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Pressure shifts big time to the men in the quest to share a charter to DC.

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

The Gopher women won 4-1 over Harvard for another Championship for them. I think they said 3 of the last 4.

Yep. And they were runner up last year.

[William Blake]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

The Gopher women won 4-1 over Harvard for another Championship for them. I think they said 3 of the last 4.

[mnstate0fhockey]

http://www.bostonexpressbus.com/ Not all busses stop downtown.

That's it. It drops me off right at the Radisson, where I stay. Which is walking distance from the arena. They are nice buses (with free wifi), and it's pretty quick ride too. Pretty affordable too.

[Darius]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

would look to arrive in the a.m. with the 530p start time. (plus you would have to see bu first!)

You flying in? Or just out?