Minnesota Gophers 2021-2022

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

The Gopher fans on this board are embarrassing.

What's embarrassing is getting swept at home to start the year by the Muzzinator's squad.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Wasn't pretty and the penalty kill and power play continue to struggle. Bench gave up a goal that she shouldn't have but that is just how it goes with her. It's a win and a sweep.

[Steamboat]

The Gopher fans on this board are embarrassing. I'm the one that goes by "Eeyore," and I resent the way that ya'll have appropriated my schtick and turned it into something ridiculously unseemly and out of touch with reality. This is the third best team in the country, and all you can do is whine.

Watching the second game against Bemidji, that should make Bemidji the 4th best team in the country.
How about it Beaver fans?

[Steamboat]

What's embarrassing is getting swept at home to start the year by the Muzzinator's squad.

This can be remedied by sweeping the Ohio State in their arena. Turnabout and all that.

[Offsides Guy]

Watching the second game against Bemidji, that should make Bemidji the 4th best team in the country.
How about it Beaver fans?

Obviously not but the score & SOG does suggest the Beavs played tougher on Saturday than Friday. They did that at OSU as well making me wish they could bring that level of effort both nights to each series. They are definitely doing better than last year but it’s still tough when 5 of 6 defenseman you start against the Gophers are freshmen.

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Shearen no longer listed on the gophersports.com roster.

[D2D]

Belated congratulations to Gopher freshman (and 2021 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award winner) Peyton Hemp on being named the WCHA's "Rookie of the Month." Having watched each of the Gophers' games this young season, either in person or online, her game-to-game improvement has been obvious as she has acclimated herself to D1 play.

https://gophersports.com/news/2021/1...the-month.aspx

Congratulations on such a great start, Peyton, and best of luck to you the rest of the way!

[KTDC]

I’m going to give some credit to Skaja for a nice move on the 3rd goal today!

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

I’m going to give some credit to Skaja for a nice move on the 3rd goal today!

That was nifty...Those two Heise goals yesterday plus today's goals by Hemp and Oden were just such good shots. Oden has an amazing slap shot that she doesn't use very often. Would love to see her use it more.

Cool to see Conner get her first goal as well off a nice feed from Heise.

[ARM]

Heise has taken some strides this season. I felt that at times when playing with Zum, she got too caught up in trying to set her up and didn't look for her own offense enough. There has been better balance now that she's playing with Skaja and Boreen (shades of their rookie days on the 4th line). You could tell that she was conscious of looking for her linemates (e.g. Conner's goal), but when the team needed a goal early in both games, Heise took over.

[ARM]

In the WCHA thread, there was discussion about #5's tendency to hold the puck too long, and whether she would be better at forward. We already have #16 making that mistake up front with better hands, and it doesn't work that well there either. At least when #16 turns it over, there is likely to be an extra player or two in position to defend the transition rush that results, but otherwise, bad hockey is still bad hockey.

Move the puck. This isn't a new concept. Those two players have been doing this since they stepped on the ice with an "M" and are still getting shifts. The coaches watch film; they see what we do. What is their message? "Forget that old saying that the puck moves faster than the player; just skate around with it and see if you can create an opening." Near the end of the 2nd (?) period of Saturday's game, Hemp is alone on the back door while Pots tries to put it through the goalie from in close. It is too late in the season for a player of her ability to have only one assist, which is what she came into the series with, although it looks like she's up to four now. Those 17 goals make everything look better.

Unfortunately, against RIT, skating around with the puck worked all too often for everyone. I hope the series didn't just reinforce bad habits.

[Steamboat]

Since the Wisconsin thread mentioned an early January exhibition game, I will pass on that the Gophers will be playing the Whitecaps at Ridder, on January 4, 7:00. Admission is listed as free.

[KTDC]

In the WCHA thread, there was discussion about #5's tendency to hold the puck too long, and whether she would be better at forward. We already have #16 making that mistake up front with better hands, and it doesn't work that well there either. At least when #16 turns it over, there is likely to be an extra player or two in position to defend the transition rush that results, but otherwise, bad hockey is still bad hockey.

Move the puck. This isn't a new concept. Those two players have been doing this since they stepped on the ice with an "M" and are still getting shifts.

Sigh…#16……sigh. Those two could be so good.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Sigh…#16……sigh. Those two could be so good.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...

On a different note...#9 is playing at so well right now. How was she not picked for centralization?

[KTDC]

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...

On a different note...#9 is playing at so well right now. How was she not picked for centralization?

Yes, she looks great. I think she may be ready to start doing it against Wisconsin! I believe she has one goal and five assists in her career v the Badgers. Her getting over that hump could be the thing we need to make some noise at the end!