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

[Priceless]

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

Maturi out as Gophers athletic director

Joel Maturi said Thursday that he is retiring as the University of Minnesota’s athletics director as of June 30 and will remain with the school as an assistant to President Eric Kaler.

Maturi and the school’s president have a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at TCF Bank Stadium.

Maturi made his intentions known in an e-mail addressed to student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters.

“It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that ... I will announce my retirement as the director of athletics at the University of Minnesota effective June 30th,” Maturi said in his e-mail. “There is sadness because I have enjoyed every day of this 10-year journey. There is excitement because President Kaler has asked me to remain next year as a special assistant to the president.”

 

[5mn_Major]

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

Maturi out as Gophers athletic director

Ohh...that's a big deal. Too many L's on the gridiron.

 

[Hammy]

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

2 things.

1. Minnesota didn't start the Big 10 hockey conference.
2. Minnesota doesn't need UND, UMD, or SCSU to survive to keep itself a power in college hockey.

Why these two universal truths are forgotten on this board much like Simple Math is forgotten is beyond me.

Mainly because most people come to this board with their views pretty entrenched and they tend to skim over anything that doesn't solidify what they want to think.

The Gophers have had a pretty sweet existence in the WCHA and I'm not sure why anybody would think we really wanted to change. The issue is we have one conference for all of our other sports and we make a boatload of money from that relationship. It's not a relationship you are going to screw around with just for the sake of one sports team. That's just common sense and smart business.

Of course, the BTHC is going to provide some real good things for us too so its not like we are really losing out with the changes. But there was really no reason for us to want to change.

As for point #2, conference affiliations are what's most important in college athletics. That's why we've seen changes in some Gopher rivalries over the years. It often revolved around fighting for conference titles, etc. Although I will say I think our rivalry with Michigan over the years has superseded the conference stuff.

 

[Koho]

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

My point about the 3rd period on Saturday against CC wasn't to contrast that effort level with the effort level of other games this season. Rather, it was to say that the effort and determination displayed by the squad that particular period was exceptionally fantastic. The way they defended that 1 goal lead to earn the split was downright inspirational.
But again, in the effort department that entire weekend was pretty darn good. They outplayed CC all week. If the PP hadn't failed them, they easily would have gotten 3pts there.
The same thing can be said for their trip to Grand Forks. The effort was pretty darn good, and if the PP could have chipped in 1 goal on Friday (when they had a full 5min major to work with) they would have easily come out of that series with 3pts as well. So, I don't buy that effort or intensity is what has been the cause of their modest recent record. Had the PP scored just 1 goal on both of those Fridays they would be 7 pts away in 1st place and a firm #2 seed in the current PWR rankings.

I don't think the Gophers have had the effort let them down for a 60-minute span all season. It often seems like people think that if a good team just plays hard they won't ever lose; so when a good team does lose then that team just must not have been trying very hard. My point was simply that even for really good teams it is difficult to play at the pinnacle of their ability for 60 minutes, twice a week all season long.

Lets put it this way. Last season Duluth cruised until Christmas being ranked #1 pretty much perpetually from Nov. - mid Jan. They couldn't keep that up and ended the regular season 4th in the conference, and for the last 4 weeks of the season leading into the NCAAs they were anxiously eying that PWR cutoff line. We all know how the year ended for them.

If MN can get either its PP rolling at over 20% again, its 2nd line consistently scoring, or both, then they will be extremely difficult to beat for any team in the country.

I agree completely that the last two weekends they played very good hockey. Even Friday against CC, they were the better team. (Even one of the CC fans admitted this in the thread, that they were lucky to win.) I don't know if I put Fri at UND at the same level. Granted, if they had their PP working, things likely would have been different, but I thought they could have played better. But that is still 5 games in a row with as good of an effort as you can expect over that span. I don't agree with 5mn that it was only in the last weekend we saw this effort.

They have the talent and are playing well. Anything can happen. They are good enough to win it all, but so are several other teams. Once you hit one-and-done, it is about momentum, and even that can't always overcome luck. It should be a fun rest of the season if everyone stays healthy. I can't wait.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

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

“@RomanStrib: Gophers men practicing at Ridder this week, letting women's team use Mariucci to get ready for *big ice at St. Cloud State this weekend”

“@RomanStrib: Reports are Gophers men working as hard as ever this week even though they don't play this weekend.”

 

[gopher wes]

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

I agree with you guys, Koho and Stauber. I feel like the effort has been there all year. I have never questioned their effort, except for that Friday sconnie game. They have gotten better and better defensively all year and Patterson has, for the most part, been rock solid in net which makes the D look good. The D isn't perfect but the improvement over the course of the season has been great to see. If they can just get the offense and PP clicking like it was early in the year, they will be just fine down the stretch. Otherwise they will have to rely on winning more close games like they did against SCSU.

 

[Koho]

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

I agree with you guys, Koho and Stauber. I feel like the effort has been there all year. I have never questioned their effort, except for that Friday sconnie game. They have gotten better and better defensively all year and Patterson has, for the most part, been rock solid in net which makes the D look good. The D isn't perfect but the improvement over the course of the season has been great to see. If they can just get the offense and PP clicking like it was early in the year, they will be just fine down the stretch. Otherwise they will have to rely on winning more close games like they did against SCSU.

I didn't go that far. There were some games where they didn't perform as well as could have been expected. I was just countering someone who said it was in the last couple games only, out of the last several where they played well. Their stretch of poor friday outcomes were often the result of longer stretches of lacidaisical play. They weren't horrible, just weren't winning the battles they should have, and had stretches where they often seemed to wait to react to the other team, rather to control the play. That wasn't the case very often at the beginning of the season and hasn't been over the last couple weekends, so hopefully it is a sign they are building back momentum for the end of the year run.

 

[Bakunin]

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

3 points up (essentially 4 with the tie-breaker) with 8 games remaining - MN is in control of its destiny.

7th in a bunched up pairwise isn't a bad place to be, either; hopefully the helmet kids remain a TUC as that 3-1 record helps enormously.

 

[Greyeagle]

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

3 points up (essentially 4 with the tie-breaker) with 8 games remaining - MN is in control of its destiny.

7th in a bunched up pairwise isn't a bad place to be, either; hopefully the helmet kids remain a TUC as that 3-1 record helps enormously.

Seems to be stacking up nicely for MN, which makes me nervous.
/scooby voice

 

[Driftryder]

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

3 points up (essentially 4 with the tie-breaker) with 8 games remaining - MN is in control of its destiny.

7th in a bunched up pairwise isn't a bad place to be, either; hopefully the helmet kids remain a TUC as that 3-1 record helps enormously.

Yeah, split on the road (Denver, UNO) and sweep at home (Bemidji, Bucky) and we end up with 42pts, that would be more than enough to wrap up the MacNaughton. 40pts would probably do it.

 

[burd]

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

I come to your dark little rodent hole in peace. If you don't believe that, you can pat me down for dead gophers.

It's just that something seems way out of whack. This week UND fans are wishing gopher fans good luck against Denver. Meanwhile, Gopher fans, some of them sane, are wishing UND fans good luck against the Dogs. No eruptions over Mariucci legacy or overage Canadians. Nothing even approaching dislike, much less hate.

It's just seems so wrong, and I'm worried.

 

[Greyeagle]

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

I come to your dark little rodent hole in peace. If you don't believe that, you can pat me down for dead gophers.

It's just that something seems way out of whack. This week UND fans are wishing gopher fans good luck against Denver. Meanwhile, Gopher fans, some of them sane, are wishing UND fans good luck against the Dogs. No eruptions over Mariucci legacy or overage Canadians. Nothing even approaching dislike, much less hate.

It's just seems so wrong, and I'm worried.

We welcome visitors from the basement.

 

[Gophernation]

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

8 games left

the gophers will finish 5-3 at the worst!

split with denver

sweep bemidji

split uno

split with becky

How are things going to shake up if this happens just curious cause I think this is the worst we will finish these last 8 games!

 

[goldy_331]

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

We welcome visitors from the basement.

Speak for yourself, Sconny lover!

 

[Bakunin]

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

If MN goes 5-3 down the stretch, Duluth would need 13 of 16 to tie for the MacNaughton (and get the 2nd seed). That's no easy task, given that they host UND, travel to Mankato, host CC, and visit St. Cloud to end the season. I figure a best case scenario for them is 6-2 - mayyyybe 6-1-1 (assuming they reverse course and play better than they have the past couple weeks).

 

[gopher wes]

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

If MN goes 5-3 down the stretch, Duluth would need 13 of 16 to tie for the MacNaughton (and get the 2nd seed). That's no easy task, given that they host UND, travel to Mankato, host CC, and visit St. Cloud to end the season. I figure a best case scenario for them is 6-2 - mayyyybe 6-1-1 (assuming they reverse course and play better than they have the past couple weeks).

Right, UND is playing well right now, Kato and Cloud are in-state rivals that could give UMD trouble, and CC technically still has MacNaughton hope and are definitely still in the race for the all important 2 seed in the WCHAs. Gophers obviously have to take care of themselves, but I think UMD may have it tougher down the stretch here than some people thought.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

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

The key is the Gophers can't let up. It looks like they are beginning to turn around some of the things that were causing their mid-season inconsistency. The defense is playing much better and they aren't committing as many stupid penalties. If the Haula line heats up, and their power play starts to click, they'll be really tough in the playoffs. The McNaughton would be nice, but I'd like to make some noise in the playoffs.

 

[gopher wes]

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

The key is the Gophers can't let up. It looks like they are beginning to turn around some of the things that were causing their mid-season inconsistency. The defense is playing much better and they aren't committing as many stupid penalties. If the Haula line heats up, and their power play starts to click, they'll be really tough in the playoffs. The McNaughton would be nice, but I'd like to make some noise in the playoffs.

I'm selfish! I want both!

 

[Driftryder]

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

The MacNaughton,a Saturday Final Five appearance and the Frozen Four would work.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I'm selfish! I want both!

I won't complain about that