Minnesota travels to Madison to take on the Badgers Friday night at 7pm (FSN) and Saturday at 5pm (FSN). Wisconsin is coming off a bye week while Minnesota swept Michigan at Mariucci.
Go
Originally posted by CavalryNate
Disrespecting the Gophers is like disowning your mother the first time you get a girlfriend.
Minnesota travels to Madison to take on the Badgers Friday night at 7pm (FSN) and Saturday at 5pm (FSN). Wisconsin is coming off a bye week while Minnesota swept Michigan at Mariucci.
So the rodents had a bye week too last week eh?
Wisconsin Hockey: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 WE WANT MORE!
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Originally Posted by Wisko McBadgerton:
"Baggot says Hughes and Rockwood are centering the top two lines...
Timothy A --> Great hockey mind... Or Greatest hockey mind?!?"
I have no problem admitting the Gophers had several bye weeks recently - Michigan, Mass, Mercyhurst...including 6 of the last 8 games at home with the other two being at MSU.
The Gophers received some terrible news following Saturday's game against Michigan: center Tommy Novak will miss the rest of the season due to injury. While there are bodies available to fill the hole I'm concerned that his absence will have a negative impact on the chemistry we've seen develop since just before the winter break. After a lot of early season line-juggling Minnesota's coaches have settled in with a top line of Pitlick/Kloos/Sheehy with Novak anchoring the second line. Although I would expect the first line to remain intact it remains to be seen how lines 2-4 will be put together. Coming off a hat trick on Saturday, Vinni Lettieri has been very effective at his right wing position on Novak's line, but I wonder if the coaches will now decide to move him to center where he's had some previous experience? If I recall correctly the last time he played center was back in early November against North Dakota. Another option would be to slide current third line center Mike Szmatula up to the second and then patching up lines three and four with whatever works best in practice this week.
Of course injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and teams have to adjust. It's just too bad this one is serious enough to cause such a good player like Novak to miss almost a half season, coming at a time right before the Gophers play a much-improved opponent in Wisconsin, a team that's coming off a series sweep over Michigan State and will again have home ice advantage vs. the Gophers.
Given the circumstances I'd be OK with a split in this one.
The Gophers received some terrible news following Saturday's game against Michigan: center Tommy Novak will miss the rest of the season due to injury. While there are bodies available to fill the hole I'm concerned that his absence will have a negative impact on the chemistry we've seen develop since just before the winter break. After a lot of early season line-juggling Minnesota's coaches have settled in with a top line of Pitlick/Kloos/Sheehy with Novak anchoring the second line. Although I would expect the first line to remain intact it remains to be seen how lines 2-4 will be put together. Coming off a hat trick on Saturday, Vinni Lettieri has been very effective at his right wing position on Novak's line, but I wonder if the coaches will now decide to move him to center where he's had some previous experience? If I recall correctly the last time he played center was back in early November against North Dakota. Another option would be to slide current third line center Mike Szmatula up to the second and then patching up lines three and four with whatever works best in practice this week.
Of course injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and teams have to adjust. It's just too bad this one is serious enough to cause such a good player like Novak to miss almost a half season, coming at a time right before the Gophers play a much-improved opponent in Wisconsin, a team that's coming off a series sweep over Michigan State and will again have home ice advantage vs. the Gophers.
Given the circumstances I'd be OK with a split in this one.
I was wondring if this might be the case as soon as I saw the replay and how he left the ice. Sucks.
I can't necessarily argue with that one. I don't know anything about the rodent goaltending situation other than they always suck. I think G2O will have Berry and Jurusik each start a game. Jurusik makes me very nervous but he's more athletic than Berry, who is more consistent. I'd go with Berry for both.
Wisconsin Hockey: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 WE WANT MORE!
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Come to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
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Originally Posted by Wisko McBadgerton:
"Baggot says Hughes and Rockwood are centering the top two lines...
Timothy A --> Great hockey mind... Or Greatest hockey mind?!?"
FYP...and not losing on your bye weeks is an improvement. I'd really like nothing more than for UW and UM to sweep the ccha imports under the rug and cast the adopted stepchild in front of a train. Let's make it happen.
Wisconsin Hockey: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 WE WANT MORE!
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Come to the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
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Originally Posted by Wisko McBadgerton:
"Baggot says Hughes and Rockwood are centering the top two lines...
Timothy A --> Great hockey mind... Or Greatest hockey mind?!?"
6er's of Alaskan err thinner: check. Hate: check. Tickets for Saturday night: check.
Wisconsin may give up 10 goals this weekend but they could also score 12 and make us very happy.
What was it the D used to tell Jim Carey? "Hold em' to three and we'll win"...I'd love to see some of that swagger emerge with G2O's squads.
Maybe Duane Derksen and say Kelly Fairchild, Paul Ranheim or Steve Tuttle could come back and give the boys a quick pep talk. Fly in Mellanby and CUJO as well. This series will be a great barometer of uw's progress.
Everything in its right place, Wisconsin Hockey National Champs!
"but you're not as confused as him are you. it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel". Tap pt 1.
"I think it's ****ing stock. What--? Which part of that is unclear to you? I think it sounds stock to my ears. I mean, do you want me to write it down?" Tap Pt. 2
Might have to get me some Premo this weekend, for old time's sake. And then watch the beatdown that MN gives WI.
Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens
Is there any way we can get Frank Mazzocco and Bill Howard together to call these games - just for old times sake? At least each team would have one guy pulling for them in the booth that way.
Is there any way we can get Frank Mazzocco and Bill Howard together to call these games - just for old times sake? At least each team would have one guy pulling for them in the booth that way.
I might be in the minority of Gopher fans but I liked it when FSN brought in Sagissor to tag team with the hometown broadcast crew. I enjoyed his enthusiasm and never felt it was an over the top homer.
I might be in the minority of Gopher fans but I liked it when FSN brought in Sagissor to tag team with the hometown broadcast crew. I enjoyed his enthusiasm and never felt it was an over the top homer.
I always thought a "mixed" booth was always a nice way to watch a game - both perspectives presented. No one was overly homer - it was a sports equivalent of "checks and balances". They should try to do it more often.
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