Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I asked about the two of them collectively last night, and the answer was that they're not close. If 28 is indeed done for the year, then I hope that 3 is at least a less severe version of not close.

Wente on crutches standing on the bench during warm ups.

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

On the bright side, I'm happy for Keller and Robinson getting lots of ice time at the end of their careers.

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Gophers facing loaded field for women's WCHA Final Faceoff
“More than anything, we have to be ready to go,” said Frost. “Our 4-1 loss to them here was our worst game of the year, and their best.”

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-f...off/568555482/

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I don't wish to get into a ****ing contest with any other Gophers fans over whose personal scapegoat was more to blame for tonight's loss. There are a lot of factors at which one can point.

None of these players are perfect; that's not the nature of the game. One can blame the goalie, but with how our expected starter's career was cut short, we're lucky to have Scobee. I saw what happened in 2006-07 when we ran out of healthy goalies, and it wasn't pretty.

Meanwhile, another longtime fan is hanging on every mistake made by a freshman D. Freshmen D in the WCHA make mistakes. Ramsey, McMillen, Gillanders, Jalusuo, Stecklein ... well, maybe not Stecklein. Quit acting like you've found a golden nugget every time she does something that isn't above reproach. It's a bad look to be constantly harping on the youngest player on the team that plays regularly. I'm going to start stalking your every post and expect the same perfection that you demand of the players. (e.g., It's "Brodt", not "Brody"; learn to type!!!)

Where were the Minnesota fans? Many couldn't be bothered to show up, and I had to listen to too many unanswered, "Let's go Bucks!" chants for my liking. Maybe the fans that were there are too busy texting a complaint about a member of the home team to actually offer any vocal support.

IMO, the worst defensive play of the night was the no look, behind-the-back pass into our own slot that led to OSU goal #2. That's a mental error that can't be made. Coaches always say that when players get tired, the head goes as much as the legs do, and that came at the end of a prolonged shift. Scobee did keep that play alive for awhile, but eventually, OSU had too many kicks at that can.

I'm sure our goalie will replay OSU goal #3 in her mind a few times in the coming week. Stuff happens. Lev played great in 2015, yet gave up that impossible-angle goal to Harvard that would have haunted her had we lost. As a team, you want to make the other team go 200 feet to score, and the Buckeyes basically did on a play that looked like no big deal. Live and learn.

Things that concern me in general moving forward ... First, for a team that looked so in control for the first 23 minutes, we looked much more vulnerable from that point. Was that all OSU getting more jump, or did we get back on our heels and never really regain control? I'm not smart enough to say, but it was likely a combination of both.

It was great to have #3 back, and she brought much-needed energy. Even with that, the third line got victimized twice. We complained about #28 plenty this season, and it definitely wasn't her best, but we sure miss her now. Remember that. Much as we get in ruts of finding flaws in a certain player's game, they are all important to the team's success. I'm not blaming the kids on the third, because it isn't like last year when we had players like Heise and Woken skating there. These are all of the pieces we have, and the team has to learn to win them.

In the NCAAs, this team will go as the first line goes, and they were all minus. We haven't won many trophies over the years when our top line gets outplayed. If they aren't going to score, then at a minimum, they have to be able to regain momentum when things get iffy, and they struggled with that over the last couple of periods. More often that not, it was the 2nd line in general, and AP in particular, that was making positive things happen. The first had a lot of shots, but not that many that looked like they had a chance to go in.

As a six-player unit, I thought that the D corps was great for much of the night. It just seems like they are in a stretch where every time they make an error it snowballs and something bad happens. I think they are the strength of this team, and given what else is out there on the national landscape, we can't afford to be making the errors, because some of those teams won't be giving us offense that we're used to getting.

Next up: more OSU? That seems likely. I still like our chances, but it is concerning that we got the better of the calls tonight, we got the great start, and we still wound up on the wrong end of the score. Usually, the losing team brings more jump into the rematch, but we had the jump tonight and couldn't make it hold up. We likely need every single member of the team to just be a tiny bit better and keep moving forward.

Come what may, Gophers, I'm with you to the end. Win your next three games, and nobody will remember those few times this season when something didn't go right. Well, I guess Eeyore and 'Frenzy will.

Go Gophers!

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I don't wish to get into a ****ing contest with any other Gophers fans over whose personal scapegoat was more to blame for tonight's loss. There are a lot of factors at which one can point.

None of these players are perfect; that's not the nature of the game. One can blame the goalie, but with how our expected starter's career was cut short, we're lucky to have Scobee. I saw what happened in 2006-07 when we ran out of healthy goalies, and it wasn't pretty.

Meanwhile, another longtime fan is hanging on every mistake made by a freshman D. Freshmen D in the WCHA make mistakes. Ramsey, McMillen, Gillanders, Jalusuo, Stecklein ... well, maybe not Stecklein. Quit acting like you've found a golden nugget every time she does something that isn't above reproach. It's a bad look to be constantly harping on the youngest player on the team that plays regularly. I'm going to start stalking your every post and expect the same perfection that you demand of the players. (e.g., It's "Brodt", not "Brody"; learn to type!!!)

Where were the Minnesota fans? Many couldn't be bothered to show up, and I had to listen to too many unanswered, "Let's go Bucks!" chants for my liking. Maybe the fans that were there are too busy texting a complaint about a member of the home team to actually offer any vocal support.

IMO, the worst defensive play of the night was the no look, behind-the-back pass into our own slot that led to OSU goal #2. That's a mental error that can't be made. Coaches always say that when players get tired, the head goes as much as the legs do, and that came at the end of a prolonged shift. Scobee did keep that play alive for awhile, but eventually, OSU had too many kicks at that can.

I'm sure our goalie will replay OSU goal #3 in her mind a few times in the coming week. Stuff happens. Lev played great in 2015, yet gave up that impossible-angle goal to Harvard that would have haunted her had we lost. As a team, you want to make the other team go 200 feet to score, and the Buckeyes basically did on a play that looked like no big deal. Live and learn.

Things that concern me in general moving forward ... First, for a team that looked so in control for the first 23 minutes, we looked much more vulnerable from that point. Was that all OSU getting more jump, or did we get back on our heels and never really regain control? I'm not smart enough to say, but it was likely a combination of both.

It was great to have #3 back, and she brought much-needed energy. Even with that, the third line got victimized twice. We complained about #28 plenty this season, and it definitely wasn't her best, but we sure miss her now. Remember that. Much as we get in ruts of finding flaws in a certain player's game, they are all important to the team's success. I'm not blaming the kids on the third, because it isn't like last year when we had players like Heise and Woken skating there. These are all of the pieces we have, and the team has to learn to win them.

In the NCAAs, this team will go as the first line goes, and they were all minus. We haven't won many trophies over the years when our top line gets outplayed. If they aren't going to score, then at a minimum, they have to be able to regain momentum when things get iffy, and they struggled with that over the last couple of periods. More often that not, it was the 2nd line in general, and AP in particular, that was making positive things happen. The first had a lot of shots, but not that many that looked like they had a chance to go in.

As a six-player unit, I thought that the D corps was great for much of the night. It just seems like they are in a stretch where every time they make an error it snowballs and something bad happens. I think they are the strength of this team, and given what else is out there on the national landscape, we can't afford to be making the errors, because some of those teams won't be giving us offense that we're used to getting.

Next up: more OSU? That seems likely. I still like our chances, but it is concerning that we got the better of the calls tonight, we got the great start, and we still wound up on the wrong end of the score. Usually, the losing team brings more jump into the rematch, but we had the jump tonight and couldn't make it hold up. We likely need every single member of the team to just be a tiny bit better and keep moving forward.

Come what may, Gophers, I'm with you to the end. Win your next three games, and nobody will remember those few times this season when something didn't go right. Well, I guess Eeyore and 'Frenzy will.

Go Gophers!

Nice write up, ARM, and as usual I agree with most, if not all, what you've opined.
BUT, in my opinion, it was totally inexcusable how the home team lost this game. The Gophers COMPLETELY dominated the first period, showing skill, effort and poise, in all three zones, outshooting the visitors 33-15 while missing on several great close-in chances to build on their 2-0 lead at that point. Passes were crisp and accurate offensively, while limiting most everything the Buckeyes were trying to do to generate any offense during the beginning of that game.

But give Ohio State credit; they by no no means gave up. As the last half of the game wore on, they were able to build momentum, and in the end were rewarded with what seemed to me, from my angle at least, was a very soft winning overtime goal.

Everyone's human, even Rooney, just wish my Gophers had more success against her earlier.

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

As the last half of the game wore on, they were able to build momentum, and in the end were rewarded with what seemed to me, from my angle at least, was a very soft winning overtime goal.

It was a great play by Ohio State. The Buckeyes did exactly what teams try to do against a goalie: force her to move side to side and get someone to the net for a screen, rebound, or tip. It was a beautiful tip, by a player who has proven to the Gophers over her career that she knows how to finish. Could a goalie have stopped it? Sure, because goalies stop such a high percentage of shots, even when it looks like they don't have a chance. But that was exactly the kind of attack that OSU was hoping to generate, and no matter how Scobee had decided to play it, she was going to be vulnerable. There isn't a way for her to stop that shot, deny a rebound, and cover the top of the net at the same time. It developed quickly, but the Buckeyes had more skaters going to our net than we had people in position to defend their rush.

The ultimate problem last night wasn't that OSU scored in OT, but that the teams were playing OT. You're right; we dominated early, just like we dominated UMD in the same round a year ago, but weren't able to put the Buckeyes away. I've shared with you in person that I think that Taylor Heise is the best overall player on our roster, and she's a beast on the forecheck. It seemed that early on, OSU was constantly coughing up pucks in front of her and making turnovers that would have all of us fuming if it was the Gophers that were turning it over. Heise wasn't able to bury any of those glorious chances. There were reasons in each case, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. She had a bunch of chances, and I know that she's constantly trying to walk that fine line between involving her teammates and being aggressive herself. She just wasn't able to make any of those terrible gaffs by OSU hurt. The game's final turnover was far less of an egregious sin defensively, but credit to the Ohio State players on the ice, as they made it hurt anyway.

[Offsides Guy]

The ultimate problem last night wasn't that OSU scored in OT, but that the teams were playing OT. You're right; we dominated early, just like we dominated UMD in the same round a year ago, but weren't able to put the Buckeyes away. I've shared with you in person that I think that Taylor Heise is the best overall player on our roster, and she's a beast on the forecheck. It seemed that early on, OSU was constantly coughing up pucks in front of her and making turnovers that would have all of us fuming if it was the Gophers that were turning it over. Heise wasn't able to bury any of those glorious chances. There were reasons in each case, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. She had a bunch of chances, and I know that she's constantly trying to walk that fine line between involving her teammates and being aggressive herself. She just wasn't able to make any of those terrible gaffs by OSU hurt. The game's final turnover was far less of an egregious sin defensively, but credit to the Ohio State players on the ice, as they made it hurt anyway.

The broadcast announcers were saying in the first period OSU was letting the Gophers break the puck out way too easily, that the Buckeyes needed to start forechecking hard or the Gophers could run away with it. It was impressive how OSU did exactly that starting in the second. I thought they raised their compete level a ton after the first.

[Offsides Guy]

Where were the Minnesota fans? Many couldn't be bothered to show up, and I had to listen to too many unanswered, "Let's go Bucks!" chants for my liking.

Watching on TV I was very surprised at the small crowd too. I figured there’d be at least as many there as for a regular season game. Maybe the MN State Boys HS Championship games siphoned off some of the fans?

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Watching on TV I was very surprised at the small crowd too. I figured there’d be at least as many there as for a regular season game. Maybe the MN State Boys HS Championship games siphoned off some of the fans?

The announced crowd 2,693, is larger than the men's crowd next door, 2,281. It didn't look like anywhere near that, but I suppose it is for all day. Are coronavirus fears having an impact, or do we no longer care about college hockey? I hope that some fans show up today.

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

The announced crowd 2,693, is larger than the men's crowd next door, 2,281. It didn't look like anywhere near that, but I suppose it is for all day. Are coronavirus fears having an impact, or do we no longer care about college hockey? I hope that some fans show up today.

Are you guys on Spring Break? OSU is.

Our Men's team had a home playoff series with Wisconsin this weekend. Crowds were noticeably down. To me, it seemed like just another instance of two long standing trends. First, if the games aren't on the season ticket, crowds usually suffer a bit. Second, people don't cancel Spring Break plans to attend sporting events. The Schottenstein Center crowd took both hits this weekend. Perhaps the Final Face-Off did as well.

As for today, I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for a large crowd. Those of us who attend games as neutral fans seem to be a vanishing breed. I believe that those fans able to attend today will bring quality support. But quantity? Probably not.

[Offsides Guy]

Are you guys on Spring Break? OSU is.

Our Men's team had a home playoff series with Wisconsin this weekend. Crowds were noticeably down. To me, it seemed like just another instance of two long standing trends. First, if the games aren't on the season ticket, crowds usually suffer a bit. Second, people don't cancel Spring Break plans to attend sporting events. The Schottenstein Center crowd took both hits this weekend. Perhaps the Final Face-Off did as well.

As for today, I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for a large crowd. Those of us who attend games as neutral fans seem to be a vanishing breed. I believe that those fans able to attend today will bring quality support. But quantity? Probably not.

Good point. MN’s spring break started yesterday.

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Are you guys on Spring Break? OSU is.

College students are a very small piece of Minnesota's crowds. During the season, youth groups are very key, and families always are. The weather may be too nice this weekend, and people are finding outdoor activities to keep them away. Or they just don't care, which has always been an ongoing problem for women's hockey.

[Hockeynation]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

It was a great play by Ohio State. The Buckeyes did exactly what teams try to do against a goalie: force her to move side to side and get someone to the net for a screen, rebound, or tip. It was a beautiful tip, by a player who has proven to the Gophers over her career that she knows how to finish. Could a goalie have stopped it? Sure, because goalies stop such a high percentage of shots, even when it looks like they don't have a chance. But that was exactly the kind of attack that OSU was hoping to generate, and no matter how Scobee had decided to play it, she was going to be vulnerable. There isn't a way for her to stop that shot, deny a rebound, and cover the top of the net at the same time. It developed quickly, but the Buckeyes had more skaters going to our net than we had people in position to defend their rush.

The ultimate problem last night wasn't that OSU scored in OT, but that the teams were playing OT. You're right; we dominated early, just like we dominated UMD in the same round a year ago, but weren't able to put the Buckeyes away. I've shared with you in person that I think that Taylor Heise is the best overall player on our roster, and she's a beast on the forecheck. It seemed that early on, OSU was constantly coughing up pucks in front of her and making turnovers that would have all of us fuming if it was the Gophers that were turning it over. Heise wasn't able to bury any of those glorious chances. There were reasons in each case, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. She had a bunch of chances, and I know that she's constantly trying to walk that fine line between involving her teammates and being aggressive herself. She just wasn't able to make any of those terrible gaffs by OSU hurt. The game's final turnover was far less of an egregious sin defensively, but credit to the Ohio State players on the ice, as they made it hurt anyway.

Could not agree more with your analysis of the OT goal. It was textbook for generating offence, pucks to the net, traffic and numbers waiting to do damage. Your not far off regarding #9 she has a fantastic motor, skill and can be hard to handle with her size and skill set. Tough loss, but the Gophers are a dangerous team and has the potential to do major damage when it really counts.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

It was said that "Minnesota is lucky to have Scobee". Drop three words and change have to has, then you get "Minnesota has Scobee". They also have Mikayla Pahl and Olivia King. One or both of them could have proven to be capable of doing the job and that is the scenario for next year.

It's also true, wether you believe it or not, that Minnesota has not had the goaltending since Leveille, needed to be a championship team. And Leveille had a poor performance against Clarkson in the championship game but redeemed herself, specifically against bc in a championship. I guess we will see if Scobee get a championship game chance to redeem herself.

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

It's also true, wether you believe it or not, that Minnesota has not had the goaltending since Leveille, needed to be a championship team.

I don't see the point in carving out the goaltending, such that there is a) the goalie, and b) the team. All six on the ice have to work together, or it won't work. I believe that Minnesota as a whole hasn't been good enough to win a title since 2016.

In 2017, Peters wasn't stellar in the semifinal, but she shut out UMD to reach the FF in a 1-0 game. She held a powerful UW team to a single goal over 130 minutes during the final weekend of the regular season. Peters was inconsistent at times that year, but what I remember is the team as a whole became wonky after Cameranesi was hurt, because it wasn't very deep offensively.

In 2018, I didn't think the team as a whole was good enough to contend for NCAAs. Winning the WCHA Championship was a nice result for that young roster.

In 2019, Gulstene allowed two goals at the FF, the same total that her offense scored (one into an empty net). Wisconsin was better, in net, and elsewhere too.

The best thing that any goalie can do is graduate. Then they quit turning on the red light behind them, and we aren't constantly reminded of their human failings. Once Lev was gone, we started to realize that she was a great goalie. Until then, all I heard was that she wasn't Noora.

I hope all of the Gophers get a championship chance to redeem themselves. I remember the skaters getting blanked the last time.