3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

[ARM]

While elsewhere in the state teams will be fighting like 'Cats and 'Dogs, the Golden Knights and Golden Gophers meet at 4 to fill what is likely to be the final spot in the Frozen Four.

[dave1381]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

While elsewhere in the state teams will be fighting like 'Cats and 'Dogs, the Golden Knights and Golden Gophers meet at 4 to fill what is likely to be the final spot in the Frozen Four.

How many overtimes would it take for Harvard-Cornell to be the last spot?

[ARM]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

How many overtimes would it take for Harvard-Cornell to be the last spot?

I'd try to calculate it, but the Gophs like to play OT as of late, so it might be a moving target. I do recall a Zamboni issue in Harvard's history, so I'm not ruling it out.

[brookyone]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Looked back at the schedule as I thought I recalled two rather close, hard fought and by the skin on your teeth wins over Clarkson in that NC series this season. The margins were bigger than I remember but I'm still confident in my memory of the Golden Knights being an excellent team that pushed the Gophers hard in those games and games were probably closer still than the scores would indicate.

I know the Gophers are happy to be among the eight playing for a title and also happy to play anyone. For the last few weeks I was secretly hoping it wouldn't be Clarkson. I'm pretty sure the Knights gained a lot of confidence in coming to Ridder earlier and challenging Minnesota as strongly as they did. They should be loose, confident and free of any butterflies I'd guess. It's a dangerous situation for the home team when we're talking one and done.

So where are we? We can look at yesterday's game, claim the Gophers didn't get the bounces or the calls, and say that we'll be just fine going forward. But it's hard to get much in the way of friendly bounces when you play most of the first period in your own zone, and calls could as easily get more hurtful than helpful. Of the things they can control, what needs to improve for Minnesota to be a factor in the NCAA tournament?

Play 60 minutes -- we've struggled with this for a long time. In a win-or-go-home scenario against good opponents, bad periods prove fatal. We can't start slow, disappear in the second period, or take a run of penalties and lose all momentum. We have to keep coming, putting on pressure, and play the majority of the game in the other team's end, because we aren't solid enough in our own D-zone to live there.

Value puck possession -- particularly yesterday, we'd work to get the puck, then give it away once we did.

Greatly reduce undisciplined plays -- if you know everything that is going on in Dorene's life, this probably means you.

No horrific turnovers -- several prime examples from the weekend are burned into my memory, only one of which resulted in a goal against. All involved mishandles toward our own slot or weak passes near the offensive blue line. I doubt that these plays are being made in practice; don't make them in games.

Superhuman effort in net -- is this fair? No. But pre-Olympics, teams scored more than two goals against Noora once. In the four games since her return, they've done so each time. Are those goals her fault? In almost all cases, no. But before she left, she stopped all kinds of pucks that she had zero business stopping, and we became a contender in large part based on that. Some dropoff is certainly understandable, predictable even, but probably not survivable unless her teammates do a lot more to help her.

Fan support -- not enough Gopher faithful, and those who find their way into Ridder are pretty quiet. It's okay to cheer at times other than when we've scored a goal. Dave, you're off the hook on this one, given we've been provided with visual evidence of your involvement.

I yanked ARM's post over from the Gopher thread because it spells out rather accurately key aspects that will require improvement in the Q'final.

The turnovers are the killer for me. Too many passes off the mark that are picked and turn into quick transitions headed the other way.

Playing with intensity for 60 minutes and staying out of the box are also key points. You don't play any overmatched teams from here on out...you just can't be playing shorthanded too **** often and expect to advance.

And if Lick would stay the hell out of the building, that would help everyone concerned I think.

GO GOPHERS!

[CrazyDave]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Preview link from the Minnesota Daily and reporter John Hageman:

Win or go home: No. 3 Minnesota hosts Clarkson for only 2nd time

Neither school has published official game notes on their respective web sites yet.

[taz91]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Frosty needs to file for a restraining order against Mr. Lick. I'm hoping Sunday was enough to move him to MIAC games.

As for the game, if I see another drop pass at the offensive blue line I may get sick. How many more of those need to turn into odd man rushes the other way before they figure it out.

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

if I see another drop pass at the offensive blue line I may get sick. How many more of those need to turn into odd man rushes the other way before they figure it out.

How about the after the puck comes up to the defensive half wall on the attempted break out only to be dumped softly by a Maroon and Gold forward out into the slot where there are no teammates to be found? Seen enough of that?

[ARM]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

The difference on the most recent case was that it wasn't the player's intent to put the puck there, she just fumbled it. Physical mistakes are going to happen; it's the mental ones that it would be nice to eliminate.

[taz91]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

How about the after the puck comes up to the defensive half wall on the attempted break out only to be dumped softly by a Maroon and Gold forward out into the slot where there are no teammates to be found? Seen enough of that?

Actually I was thinking about both D pinching and a forward not getting back quick enough to cover. I'm sure both Noora and Grogan would agree with all three points.

[brookyone]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

The difference on the most recent case was that it wasn't the player's intent to put the puck there, she just fumbled it. Physical mistakes are going to happen; it's the mental ones that it would be nice to eliminate.

It would be great to eliminate the mental miscues...go a long way towards helping the teams fortunes. Physical mistakes, failure to execute will happen but they are as costly as mental mistakes and will cost you games as well. They're both killers. Let's eliminate both on Saturday.

[CrazyDave]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Another couple of llinks...

Clarkson pre-game notes

Minnesota pre-game notes

[ARM]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Let's eliminate both on Saturday.

So we're going to play a perfect game? Great -- I like it. Make sure the Gophs know.

Tomorrow's game worries me. I think we played our best weekend of the season when we last played Clarkson, and even then, the scoreboard was deceiving. If I were one of the Golden Knights, I wouldn't feel too bad about the assignment. Noora was unreal in those games. I think she has to be again for us to advance. But I guess if we don't make any mistakes, everybody will be.

[brookyone]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

So we're going to play a perfect game? Great -- I like it. Make sure the Gophs know.

Tomorrow's game worries me. I think we played our best weekend of the season when we last played Clarkson, and even then, the scoreboard was deceiving. If I were one of the Golden Knights, I wouldn't feel too bad about the assignment. Noora was unreal in those games. I think she has to be again for us to advance. But I guess if we don't make any mistakes, everybody will be.

Well, I wasn't going to say it...but since you did, I have the same foreboding. Both those games were very tough, and Clarkson was impressive in the series. The scores were no way indicative of how close the games were. Any Gopher fan had to be impressed with the Golden Knights and now be well aware of how dangerous they are...and will be on Saturday.

As I was yakking about earlier in the thread, you know Clarkson came out of that series knowing they're on a level ice sheet with the then #2 Minnesota...if they had any doubt. They should be loose, they will be hungry. I wouldn't count on zero mistakes...but Minnesota better execute and match Clarkson's intensity every shift.

Please, no early parade to the box either.

[CrazyDave]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Noora was unreal in those games. I think she has to be again for us to advance.

I wouldn't mind another highlight reel save (I'll skip reposting it here so to not antagonize our opponents too much ) early in the game to set the tone.

[D2D]

Re: 3/13/2010 Clarkson@Minnesota -- the Golden Quarter

Actually I was thinking about both D pinching and a forward not getting back quick enough to cover. I'm sure both Noora and Grogan would agree with all three points.

Not rocket science, but if puck possession is in doubt, the D need to be aware of who's back to cover BEFORE they decide to pinch! And the D on the other side should be aware and ALWAYS assume that the puck will get by the pinching D.