2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

[JDUBBS1280]

First off, you're slightly off base - it's "anybody" not "anyone". Just out of curiosity, how far back does the "you haven't played Anybody" schtick go? I *think* I first remembered it making an appearance in the '01-'02(?) season when MN was atop the USCHO poll fairly early in the season, and that refrain was uttered by just about every opposing fan on here. It then morphed into a sarcastic remark to be uttered about every top-rated team, no matter what point in the season it was or who they played.

Also, for the time being, it's *somewhat* true. Vermont, Sacred Heart, and UAA aren't exactly a murderer's row of teams. UND is struggling, and UMD is mediocre (so far). Next up is wisconsin, and they too are off to a mediocre-to-bad start. By the looks of it, MN won't face a real opponent until Notre Dame in January.

Actually, UMD has been on a tear since being swept by us. They just took 3/4 points from Denver, in Denver, this weekend, and shut them out 4-0 tonight. And no one has swept Anchorage, in Anchorage, since SCSU did it in 2009.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

First off, you're slightly off base - it's "anybody" not "anyone". Just out of curiosity, how far back does the "you haven't played Anybody" schtick go? I *think* I first remembered it making an appearance in the '01-'02(?) season when MN was atop the USCHO poll fairly early in the season, and that refrain was uttered by just about every opposing fan on here. It then morphed into a sarcastic remark to be uttered about every top-rated team, no matter what point in the season it was or who they played.

Also, for the time being, it's *somewhat* true. Vermont, Sacred Heart, and UAA aren't exactly a murderer's row of teams. UND is struggling, and UMD is mediocre (so far). Next up is wisconsin, and they too are off to a mediocre-to-bad start. By the looks of it, MN won't face a real opponent until Notre Dame in January.

01-02. When I first appeared on the board it was here.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

pardone - "anyone"

 

[Bakunin]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Actually, UMD has been on a tear since being swept by us. They just took 3/4 points from Denver, in Denver, this weekend, and shut them out 4-0 tonight.

Denver took 1 point at Tech, so they're nobodies.

And no one has swept Anchorage, in Anchorage, since SCSU did it in 2009.

The '09-'10 SCSU team wasn't exactly great (though in their fans eyes they might have been since that was the season they won their first NCAA tournament game).

 

[Go4PuckFan2.0]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Great effort by the Gophers this weekend. How refreshing it is to watch this team. Here's to staying healthy - I keep waiting for the annual Season Ending Injury To A Key Player - and working with a young Ben Marshall on his propensity for creating what was he thinking passes.

On to Madison...

 

[The Rube]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

*wakes up, rubs eyes....walks over to check scoreboard again....*

Awesome. It wasn't a dream. We swept the stinkin' Sue.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I'm embarrassed that I lost faith during that game. The last 3 years have really done a number on me. I think from now on I'll believe that this team can win from behind.

 

[Bakunin]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I'm embarrassed that I lost faith during that game. The last 3 years have really done a number on me. I think from now on I'll believe that this team can win from behind.

While I recognize anything is possible with varying degrees of probability, I strongly felt it was unlikely MN would win that game as late as several minutes into the third period. I just didn't expect MN to solve Dell before UND capitalized on one of the inevitable oddman rushes caused by our defensemen gambling in the push for the tying goal.

 

[The Rube]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

While I recognize anything is possible with varying degrees of probability, I strongly felt it was unlikely MN would win that game as late as several minutes into the third period. I just didn't expect MN to solve Dell before UND capitalized on one of the inevitable oddman rushes caused by our defensemen gambling in the push for the tying goal.

Same here. Scooby, don't feel ashamed. We were all thinking it. We had been Pavlov'd the last couple years. Time to re-train ourselves.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Yeah I'm with you, although after we tied it up I felt we had all the momentum and we had a great shot at winning either in regulation or OT. The Sioux may have been wearing down towards the end of the game, Blood was out on the ice the whole game and they were mainly rolling 3 lines to our 4.

Great wins, on to Becky.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Yeah I'm with you, although after we tied it up I felt we had all the momentum and we had a great shot at winning either in regulation or OT. The Sioux may have been wearing down towards the end of the game, Blood was out on the ice the whole game and they were mainly rolling 3 lines to our 4.

Great wins, on to Becky.

First, FWIW, it was the fourth line that was out there on the game tying goal, but like you implied, North Dakota only used that line maybe 2 or 3 times in the third.

Second, I thought some of you may appreciate my comments on Minnesota at this point in time, and I will try to be as unbiased as I can be . Minnesota is a very good team. You fans should try to enjoy this ride as much as possible. The Gophers have a good mix of leadership, scoring and great goaltending. That can get you very far in college hockey. Right now, there isn't another team that I have seen that is as good as Minnesota is playing. That being said, the Gophers do have some issues, at least from what I saw this weekend. I don't think Minnesota would fair well against a team with good speed up and down the lineup (like a CC or Boston College). Rocco Grimaldi showed this on a few occasions this weekend, but unfortunately we don't have speed throughout our lineup. That's not to say that this issue cannot be fixed. Also, Minnesota takes too many stupid penalties. If North Dakota had a mediocre powerplay we would have come away with 2 or more points this weekend. When you outplay a team for 120 minutes, you can't let stupid penalties eat into the four points that you deserve. Overall though, the Gophers are very good. Who knows what is going to happen over the next five months, but my advice would be to relax, and enjoy some great hockey. Minnesota will be in the thick of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if they came away with several pieces of hardware this season. We'll see you again in January, and I hope that we can give you a better series. It will be a good barometer for North Dakota to see how much we've improved. Until then, good luck, and enjoy your team.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Loved that all 3 goals last night were gritty goals.

Loved the improved play from Boyd and Holl.

I said on chat midway through the 3rd I thought the Gophers were going to pull out at least a tie - they were dominating possession at the time.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

First, FWIW, it was the fourth line that was out there on the game tying goal, but like you implied, North Dakota only used that line maybe 2 or 3 times in the third.

Second, I thought some of you may appreciate my comments on Minnesota at this point in time, and I will try to be as unbiased as I can be . Minnesota is a very good team. You fans should try to enjoy this ride as much as possible. The Gophers have a good mix of leadership, scoring and great goaltending. That can get you very far in college hockey. Right now, there isn't another team that I have seen that is as good as Minnesota is playing. That being said, the Gophers do have some issues, at least from what I saw this weekend. I don't think Minnesota would fair well against a team with good speed up and down the lineup (like a CC or Boston College). Rocco Grimaldi showed this on a few occasions this weekend, but unfortunately we don't have speed throughout our lineup. That's not to say that this issue cannot be fixed. Also, Minnesota takes too many stupid penalties. If North Dakota had a mediocre powerplay we would have come away with 2 or more points this weekend. When you outplay a team for 120 minutes, you can't let stupid penalties eat into the four points that you deserve. Overall though, the Gophers are very good. Who knows what is going to happen over the next five months, but my advice would be to relax, and enjoy some great hockey. Minnesota will be in the thick of it, and I wouldn't be surprised if they came away with several pieces of hardware this season. We'll see you again in January, and I hope that we can give you a better series. It will be a good barometer for North Dakota to see how much we've improved. Until then, good luck, and enjoy your team.

Agree with your recap, once again classy as always FS23.

The series in Grand Forks should be a real barn burner.

 

[The Rube]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

Yes, FS23 makes up for at least 2-3 of the usual moron UND fans.

I expect a similar close series in January, and I'd be surprised if the result is the same.

 

[Hammy]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I don't think Minnesota would fair well against a team with good speed up and down the lineup (like a CC or Boston College). Rocco Grimaldi showed this on a few occasions this weekend, but unfortunately we don't have speed throughout our lineup.

I find this a bit of a broad statement to make given ANY team is going to have some issues with an opponent with speed all over. Its not like either of the teams you mentioned don't have flaws (quite frankly, I think your comment including CC is odd as they are just as top heavy from a scoring depth standpoint as UND is). I think UMD is the best group of forwards we've played and we handled it relatively well on the road (UMD's shots on goal were misleading as they threw a lot of pucks on net from pretty harmless areas).

Also, Minnesota takes too many stupid penalties. If North Dakota had a mediocre powerplay we would have come away with 2 or more points this weekend. When you outplay a team for 120 minutes, you can't let stupid penalties eat into the four points that you deserve

No doubt there have been a few games where they've taken too many penalties. But I think it is going to be expected to take more penalties in a rivalry series like the one they just had. The Gophers were at an almost 88% clip on the PK before they even played UND so I am not sure it was about UND's ineptitude as it was good PK and Patterson doing a good job. PK is not exactly a weakness of the Gophers. My main concern is the occasions where they have taken two or three penalties in a row and it kills momentum.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

No doubt there have been a few games where they've taken too many penalties. But I think it is going to be expected to take more penalties in a rivalry series like the one they just had. The Gophers were at an almost 88% clip on the PK before they even played UND so I am not sure it was about UND's ineptitude as it was good PK and Patterson doing a good job. PK is not exactly a weakness of the Gophers. My main concern is the occasions where they have taken two or three penalties in a row and it kills momentum.

I was pretty upset when Hansen took a penalty on the Power Play and negated the advantage. Grimaldi scored 4 on 4 soon after.

 

[jerryj]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

that hansen penalty was one of those "roll your eyes and say whatever" type calls. there werent a lot of stupid penalties taken outside of ambroz again.

as for grimaldi/BC- IF grimaldi was close to 100% (which- say what you want- he didnt look injured to me) i think the gophers actually have optimism for their D.. grimaldi is about as slick as they get in college hockey and they gave up some chances to him (and to jt brown in duluth) but thats going to happen. it will happen with schwartz in CC and zucker in denver.. come tournament time it will happen with BC. but they can beat anyone in the country if they come out hard.. and BC could just as easily struggle against the bjugstads.. raus.. hansens etc etc. just hope they get hot come tournament time. having patterson wont hurt.

nice to have the gophers back in the mix.

 

[HoosierBBall_GopherHockey]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

that hansen penalty was one of those "roll your eyes and say whatever" type calls. there werent a lot of stupid penalties taken outside of ambroz again.

as for grimaldi/BC- IF grimaldi was close to 100% (which- say what you want- he didnt look injured to me) i think the gophers actually have optimism for their D.. grimaldi is about as slick as they get in college hockey and they gave up some chances to him (and to jt brown in duluth) but thats going to happen. it will happen with schwartz in CC and zucker in denver.. come tournament time it will happen with BC. but they can beat anyone in the country if they come out hard.. and BC could just as easily struggle against the bjugstads.. raus.. hansens etc etc. just hope they get hot come tournament time. having patterson wont hurt.

nice to have the gophers back in the mix.

I just want them to make the tournament this year. So far, so good. Still very early.

 

[jerryj]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

haha yeah I guess im just past the idea of hoping for a tournament bid now. its just about mid november and they have 9 wins. they need maybe 11 more wins on the season to most likely qualify for a bid.. i have to say im leaning more towards expecting an ncaa appearance than I am still hoping for one.

*knocks on wood anyway*

 

[goldy_331]

Re: 2011-12 Minnesota Season Thread (Pride On Ice Returns!)

I was pretty upset when Hansen took a penalty on the Power Play and negated the advantage. Grimaldi scored 4 on 4 soon after.

I was upset with the refs on that because I felt they bought an acting job by Blood. Hansen is in the slot on the PP trying to back in on Blood, Blood gives him two or three serious big time cross checks and then Hansen pushes back, Blood goes flying backwards like Hansen had run him from 20 feet out. Sorry, I'm not buying it. If you're going to let the hacking, chopping, pushing go in the slot, then let it go both ways. Just cause Blood loses his balance doesn't make it a penalty when the cross checks are not a penalty.