Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

[Greyeagle]

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

Survived.

[HarleyMC]

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

B1G needs to find a way to improve. How pathetic it is has struck me in two ways;
1. I buy into the idea that a season title is tougher to win than a playoff of 2 -3 games, so I am usually pumped when they have won. This year it felt less satisfying, like instead of cranking out more wins than the opponents, they were just less hapless and manged to avoid more losses.
2. 21 wins puts UM at 14th in Power, but SCSU, with only 1 win over .500 is at 10th.

1) Maybe it felt "less satisfying" to you, but for me it had a complete opposite effect. Winning the B1G title was a HUGE morale booster for this team and its' fans in a season that saw them go from the guttermost of plummeting from a #1 ranking and out of the top 20 in two short months, to the uttermost by seeing them count the cost for success as a team, redeem their season with a solid end of season run and comeback to win the B1G Conference Title at home. I don't think you can script a better ending for this courageous team. It takes strong individual character to pull a team together out of the dungeon and out from under over the top criticism from a Gopher fanbase embedded in entitlement issues. I'm very proud of this Gopher team.

2) The B1G has little to do with SCSU's PWR. That's the direct result of a flawed NCAA scheduling system. Because of the NCHC logjam at the top of the PWR, SCSU was able to gather the second highest QWB points in the NCAA and the latent variables in adj. RPI, helped propel SCSU to where they are in the PWR despite their poor W/L record. The 21 wins (22 now) and the Gophers low PWR is also due to 1) college hockey parity, and 2) a systemic and improper scheduling structure in NCAA college hockey. Obviously the no-brainer is if we had won more games that would change our ranking, but that's not the core issue here at all. The NCAA committee must enact change asap because it's denying access to the NCAA tournament for teams that really should be in this thing.

[The Rube]

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

Next.

[5mn_Major]

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

Michigan was the team I wanted to see. With their wheels, I don't think they'll have the gas. Now to see if it works out that way.

[Koho]

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

Michigan was the team I wanted to see. With their wheels, I don't think they'll have the gas. Now to see if it works out that way.

I was hoping for quadruple overtime last night....

[Greyeagle]

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

For long stretches of the game MN didn't seem comfortable on the ice at the joe. The transition to the smaller sheet, with very tight corners, was not smooth and hopefully having a game under their belts will allow them to adjust tonight as they are facing a faster team with deeper talent. MN really needs to concentrate on short, quick, passes because the long ones aren't going to work against u-Mi. MN also needs to do a better job protecting the puck on the blue lines; get it deep and forecheck on offense and chip it out and regroup on D if there isn't a pass otherwise the U-Mi transition will kill them.

If they don't adjust from last night's game they will be in trouble.

[D2D]

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

EDIT:

With all games in and a Mich. win over MSU, we are not a lock for the NCAAs just yet. There is one scenario if we lose to Mich. that ends the Gophers season - if the following teams win their respective conferences: Mercyhurst, Colgate, Mass-Lowell and Miami.

So, in other words, should the Gophers lose tonight, we would need JUST ONE of RIT, Harvard, BU or St. Cloud State to win their game. If that happens, the Gophers are in for sure?
(Of course I hope the Gophers take the direct route by beating Michigan. Not only would that erase all doubt, it would help build good momentum heading into the NCAA's)

[Greyeagle]

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

Fantastic execution tonight. Seemed much more comfortable on the Joe's ice and really cut down on blue line turnovers. Never hurts when Wilcox is back in his happy place.

[D2D]

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

(Of course I hope the Gophers take the direct route by beating Michigan. Not only would that erase all doubt, it would help build good momentum heading into the NCAA's)

My hope came true!

So is Michigan our new No. 1 rival? If not this showdown sure helped make the case.

[purpleinnebraska]

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!

[William Blake]

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

My hope came true!

So is Michigan our new No. 1 rival? If not this showdown sure helped make the case.

They really should be. With their style of play these make for much more entertaining matchups than some of our other rivals.

[The Rube]

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

Next.

[SanTropez]

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

They really should be. With their style of play these make for much more entertaining matchups than some of our other rivals.

Other B1G teams should take note, hint hint becky, mich state etc.... This is how to play hockey, F that trap, slow it down, neutral zone trap crap, blah, that **** sucks.

As long as eaves is coaching that crappy red team to the east though, they will play that boring hockey. He won't be happy till they have less fans than denver, which will be soon.

[D2D]

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

Adam Woden of CHN has the Gophers in South Bend: http://www.collegehockeynews.com/new...projection.php

Final Projection (with lots of caveats)

Midwest Region, South Bend, Ind.
1. Minnesota State vs. 16. RIT
8. UNO vs. 10. Minnesota

West Region, Fargo, N.D.
2. North Dakota vs. 15. Providence
7. Michigan Tech vs. 12. St. Cloud State

Northeast Region, Manchester, N.H.
3. Boston University vs. 14. Quinnipiac
6. Duluth vs. 11. Boston College

East Region, Providence, R.I.
4. Miami vs. 13. Yale
5. Denver vs. 9. Harvard

Even though both UND and MSU are obviously great teams, there is no doubt that South Bend would be much more of a neutral site than Grand Forks, so I'm hoping Mr. Woden's projection turns out to be correct. That said, I have not seen UNO this year but I would certainly think they are beatable, if the Gophers do face them in the opener and play like they have recently.

[SanTropez]

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

That would be a gift bracket for the Gophers.

UNO - Cant even win at home in an important playoff over jan brady
Mankato State - yawn
RIT - WHO?

Frozen Four *****es