Minnesota Gophers 2021-2022

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

27 rostered players, 9 of them newcomers. 14 forwards, 9 Defensemen, 4 goalies. Two of their best players centralized on the USA roster. Major changes on the coaching staff.

I can't remember approaching a season (a little more than 2 weeks away) with less "buzz" than this year. Seems like they are maybe the 3rd or possibly the 4th best team in the WCHA and could very well be a lower half of the top ten teams in the country. Very unfamiliar territory for them and quite frankly, I don't find much about them to dispute that. They have question marks in net and questions about how well their defensemen hold up against a relentless forecheck. Their forward group should be pretty good but they were out-worked in a number of games last year.

I guess we will find out pretty quickly in that first series 10/1 and 10/2 about what this squad will look like this year.

[ARM]

Add the coaching staff to the list of unknowns, at least in terms of how this trio functions as a unit. I agree with previous comments that the dynamic of the previous staff had seemingly gotten stale, so I view this change as the positive.

In net, it is hard to be a contender w/o a goalie who is at least in the conversation for All-WCHA and above. Peters and Gulstene were at times, but UM really hasn't consistently been there since Lev's era. Hopefully, Vetter can perform to her pedigree.

The D should be a strength, but for whatever reason, they weren't last year. Will another year, new names on the depth chart, a healthier #6, and new coaching help? I hope so.

Forwards, yes, we're missing people due to centralization. However, there is still a lot of talent/upside to this group. From seniors on down, there is promise that needs to be fulfilled.

This group could win it all or not make the tournament, and I wouldn't be shocked by either outcome. I don't remember being all that optimistic in advance of the 2011-12 season after the meltdowns in the postseason in 2011, so one never knows.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Even with the unknowns with Minnesota's team this season I don't feel comfortable making any predictions for their opening series with Ohio State. Hockey is hockey and the Gophers will have home ice and if Ohio State wants any wins this series they'll have to work hard to earn it. Minnesota isn't going to give anyone anything.

[Offsides Guy]

Even with the unknowns with Minnesota's team this season I don't feel comfortable making any predictions for their opening series with Ohio State. Hockey is hockey and the Gophers will have home ice and if Ohio State wants any wins this series they'll have to work hard to earn it. Minnesota isn't going to give anyone anything.

I am comfortable predicting a Buckeye sweep.

[D2D]

I'm somewhere in the middle of the above predictions. Really too many unknowns to predict the outcome with any degree of accuracy. But I would agree that on balance the Buckeyes should be considered the favorites to sweep this series so early in the season. Hoping for a split...

[Offsides Guy]

I'm somewhere in the middle of the above predictions. Really too many unknowns to predict the outcome with any degree of accuracy. But I would agree that on balance the Buckeyes should be considered the favorites to sweep this series so early in the season. Hoping for a split...

The way I see it - until proven otherwise - OSU has a considerable edge in coaching, goaltending, and defense, and a slight edge at the forward position due to their depth.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

The Gopher's should probably just forfeit. Save themselves the pain and misery.

[Offsides Guy]

The Gopher's should probably just forfeit. Save themselves the pain and misery.

We’ll, full disclosure, I also picked the Packers to lose to San Francisco last night so there’s that… (laughing emoji)

[Offsides Guy]

The Gopher's should probably just forfeit. Save themselves the pain and misery.

We’ll, full disclosure, I also picked the Packers to lose to San Francisco last night so there’s that… (laughing emoji)

[Hockeybuckeye]

The way I see it - until proven otherwise - OSU has a considerable edge in coaching, goaltending, and defense, and a slight edge at the forward position due to their depth.

I will say our graduate transfer DeGeorge was definitely a force on the ice for us last weekend.

[ARM]

I will say our graduate transfer DeGeorge was definitely a force on the ice for us last weekend.

It is not a surprise that Claire DeGeorge is better than anyone that St. Thomas has.

OSU is likely the favorite, but I'm not sure why they should be. I think that if Muzzy had the option of trading her roster for Minnesota's roster, she would make that trade, and I'm sure that Frost would not. The edge in the last couple of years has largely come down to a) OSU has outcoached Minnesota; b) OSU's top line has been the best line on the ice; c) OSU's goaltending has been more consistent than UM's has been. We'll have to see about a) this season, but OSU doesn't have the same top line, and there is reason to hope that UM's goaltending will be improved.

I'll go with a split.

[Steamboat]

We will see what kind of home support shows up for Minnesota. Total foulup on tickets out to supporters. Phone lines jammed, so no way to contact a real person to sort out the mess. Pretty disappointing.

[robertearle]

We will see what kind of home support shows up for Minnesota. Total foulup on tickets out to supporters. Phone lines jammed, so no way to contact a real person to sort out the mess. Pretty disappointing.

There were similar things being said/reported by Minnesota volleyball season ticket holders about ten days or so (at the "volleytalk" web site), and then later the same day it all started working. It would be odd for the fix to happen on a sport-by-sport or team-by-team basis, but...

[Lindsay]

Any of you making it back to ridder for the first time in forever tonight? Have fun! Very curious to see what the crowds look like.

[Steamboat]

Any of you making it back to ridder for the first time in forever tonight? Have fun! Very curious to see what the crowds look like.

I will be there if my phone allows it! There is an option to have the ticket office print the season out for you. We will see how this goes tonight.