Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

[Dirty]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I would like to thank Minnesota fans for this entertainment. In the last few years when UND started off like crap and all the Sioux fans were constantly whining, it was annoying. It's hilarious to read when it's a different team's fans though.

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I would like to thank Minnesota fans for this entertainment. In the last few years when UND started off like crap and all the Sioux fans were constantly whining, it was annoying. It's hilarious to read when it's a different team's fans though.

Were here to help.

[61ache]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

The only thing Carman does consistently is take boneheaded penalties.

I agree the blame can't be placed completely on the coach, but the individualistic, selfish play that is going on is his burden to bear. I realize when you recruit top of the line players, many of them have their eyes on bigger things, but if you decide to be a Gopher, you better **** well play the system while you are here.
Schroeder has played well the past two games, but for a player who was picked in the preseason as the WCHA play of the year to be completely invisible for the first FOUR WEEKS of the year is inexplicable. I still don't think he's 100% mentally invested in this team, and that's a shame.
I do agree with you on Ness. His improvement is noticeable. The only other player who I think has shown more improvement is of course Tony Lucia. If just a few more players would follow his lead, this team would be in good shape. I'll believe it when I see it.

I don't really get the shelfish play angle. Like the player's haven't boght into the system?

The one thing I keep noticing is just a team that's trying to do too much, playing over their heads, compounded by serious fundamental mistakes. Maybe they're just gripping the stick a bit too tight? Lucia does need to figure it out, though, and fast...

The announcers kept commenting (Arggg I hate Frank, here's a rule book, read it. I always laugh when he's confused and questions what's going on..."should the face off be here, Doug?") about BSU pouncing on UofM mistakes. Is pouncing the right word when the defense is already at the box for a change, before you've even brought the puck out of the zone, and you're a BSU player who's suddenly found the puck on your stick with no one between you and net? Just play's that make you scratch your head and try and figure out what's going on.

It seems Ness's game is getting better and better as the year goes on--making strides each sereis...He keeps it up, and he might just have that yr. 20 breakout season.

[brianvf]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Attn: Scooby

Please check the UW/SCSU series thread. You'll like it.

[4four4]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Congratulations on the split with the Beavers. It's quite an accomplishment to split with a nationally ranked team.

You are really running out of material. Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

You are really running out of material. Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

It's early...Skeeter is still getting warmed up. I would guess the colon cleansing stuff will start in a couple weeks, only then can we till if he truly is running out of material...

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

IMO one of the major problems with the Gophers so far is that the senior leadership, which was expected to lead the team this season, is not performing well. Lucia stated prior to the start of the season that as the seniors go, so the team will go. Although there are various aspects to leadership on a team, scoring is a big part of it. Tony Lucia has gotten off to a good start, but consistency is needed. Other seniors: (minus Barriball) Flynn, Carman, Fischer and Schack have a total of 2 goals and 6 assists.

[kdilks]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

My irony detector just exploded.

[HoosierBBall_GopherHockey]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

While they played a little more sloppily yesterday, it is hard for me to put all the blame on the coach when the goalies give up 6 goals on 19 shots (including a couple week ones). Some of these shouldn't have been opportunities if the team had defended better. But, there were also a few key mistakes/penalties by individuals. The goal on the CFB penalty gave Bemidji a lot of confidence when MN was buzzing and gaining momentum. (It looked like it was just a matter of time before MN took over before that.) Then, MN again started buzzing and Bemidji was having trouble keeping up towards the end of the 2nd. Then Schroeder took an unnecessary (undisciplined) cross-check. That PP started the flurry in the 3rd that ended the game. MN still outshot them 27-19 and had some great scoring chances (how many posts?). Bemidji just finished their chances and had better goaltending last night. If they were to meet again, I would still expect a MN win 75% of the time.

On the bright side, Schroeder and Carman scored this weekend, so hopefully we'll see their production increase. If they can work on consistency, they should still be able to work their way up through the year to put themselves in a position to make the NCAA's. I know in the offseason we had hoped to see more by now. To me, Schroeder and Fairchild aren't controlling play as much as I had expected. This is probably partly because teams can key on them more since players like Carman and Flynn (and a few others) haven't made as much of a step as I had hoped. And of course losing a top player for a season doesn't help. Hopefully Cepis will be able to replace what we lost with Jay. I do like the way Ness has been playing. White also seems to be getting it this year (other than an occasional miscue - Was he the one that dropped the puck back and set up the break-away goal?) Even with some players falling short, so far, of what I had hoped, when they are clicking, they are still a pretty good team. If they can do that consistently, they can still have a pretty good season. Let's hope they can make us forget the beginning of the season with their play in the second.

My thoughts exactly.

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

IMO one of the major problems with the Gophers so far is that the senior leadership, which was expected to lead the team this season, is not performing well. Lucia stated prior to the start of the season that as the seniors go, so the team will go. Although there are various aspects to leadership on a team, scoring is a big part of it. Tony Lucia has gotten off to a good start, but consistency is needed. Other seniors: (minus Barriball) Flynn, Carman, Fischer and Schack have a total of 2 goals and 6 assists.

I really don't think that. Which out of those 4 guys did you expect to lead the team offensively? None of them have ever put up offensive numbers that you could even consider average (except maybe Carman his freshman year).
I think the biggest problem has just simply been consistency, in all facets of the game. While that may be a lack of leadership, you can't quantify it with offensive statistics.

[Greyeagle]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

You are really running out of material. Wow, how the mighty have fallen.

Give Skeeter credit, ~10 years with the same schtick is an impressive run.

[brianvf]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Give Skeeter credit, ~10 years with the same schtick is an impressive run.

Happy belongs in that same boat as well.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I really don't think that. Which out of those 4 guys did you expect to lead the team offensively? None of them have ever put up offensive numbers that you could even consider average (except maybe Carman his freshman year).
I think the biggest problem has just simply been consistency, in all facets of the game. While that may be a lack of leadership, you can't quantify it with offensive statistics.

I've always had my doubts regarding these particular seniors breaking their patterns of scoring ineptitude that they've consistently demonstrated in the past. The irony of the situation is without them breaking these established patterns, there really aren't enough strong scoring underclassmen capable of carrying the team. Only Hoeffel, Fairchild and Schroeder have the potential to score with some consistently. But that hasn't been that strongly apparent either.

Which is why Lucia set the bar high on media day for those with the most experience, the seniors, to step up to another level of play and score.

My view is it's permissible to operationalize leadership in many forms including scoring. In fact, it was Lucia himself who connected the dots and correlated senior leadership with scoring this season. As I stated, it's possible to "lead by example" in various areas on the team. However, seniors are to represent the cumulative development of years of training and they are reasonably expected to consistently demonstrate statistically correlating outcomes to lead the team.

That is the expectation that was communicated by Lucia before the season began and agreed upon by the senior leadership. I think everyone understood that the loss of Stoa and consistent scoring from only one line last year was ineffective and needed to be rectified.

Like I said, I had my doubts at the beginning of the season, but I wanted to see what the results would be. Based upon what Lucia saw in terms of team preparation before the season began, I think he felt he could personally justify those expectations. So far, Lucia's plan has not transpired as expected.

Lucia's comments on Media Day:

"We lost one player early. Ryan Stoa could've come back for another year of eligibility, but I think we knew before the season that he wouldn't be coming back for that fifth year. So, we have a pretty veteran team coming back for the first time in a while, and we only have four freshmen this year instead of what seems like ten or more the last few years.

I think the big thing for us is that we need guys to take a step. Offensively Jordan (Schroeder) and Jay (Barriball) are going to lead the way for us, but we need other guys to step up. We don't need guys to go from seven or eight goals to 20, but have those guys go from seven or eight goals to a dozen.

We need our five returning defensemen to take that next step. At times we are a little vulnerable in front of our own net and got overpowered, but we have had a good year in the weight room and some of that has been remedied.

We like some of the kids we got in as freshmen, as always, but we have six seniors and I feel very strongly that as our seniors play this year our team's going to go. I feel that if our seniors have a great year, our team will have a great year."

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Anyone else having troubles logging onto GPL? I need relief from work...

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Happy belongs in that same boat as well.

But Skeeter's was funny when it started....