All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

[thedunker]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Goddard: Great meeting you yesterday. You are truely the best DU fan and a great fan of college hockey in general. The "Man named Goddard" stayed for the 2nd game even though we were all very bummed out by our loss. He gets it. We applauded R.I.T.'s effort and victory.
So people are knocking you on your blog. Jealousy. You apparently had lots of TV time yesterday. I asked a few of the girls in NJ who I know who watched the game and what there reaction was. They all said "Goddard is Hot".
See you down the road Goddard.

 

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

The hockey world is a small one. Before coming to DU, Brian Gifford played two years for the Indiana Ice. One of his teammates was goalie Jared DeMichiel, who did a splendid job for RIT yesterday. [Another teammate was goalie Cody Reichard, now of Miami].

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Jeebus! The Sioux lose to Yale? Unfreakinbelievable. Another bad day by the WCHA. Oops. RIT scores two in about :13 to take a 3-1 lead with 6:00 in the 2nd. My, my.

I've got a suggestion: (it's too late, I know) but from now on any jerk making any reference to "motown" or the "motorcity" gets neutered, on the red line! Shut up.

 

[Jori_DSF]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Make it 4-1 RIT

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Holy moly! RIT 6 UNH 2. We lost, but at least we didn't get smoked.

 

[Dmann]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy

OK, I feel better after reading the various posts!! I also feel better because:

1- RIT just smoked a really god UNH team!! That must make all of us feel better.
2- All Maine fans have an inherent obligation to hate UNH. I feel good for my Maine friends!!
3- But I really feel good about the Yale/ UND game and I'll tell you why. Yes, I hate UND like we all do, yes, I don't want them to surpass us in national champ. games, but the real reason I am so happy is because it was Yale that did it. I grew up in CT, my father was a Doctor who worked in New Haven and taught a few classes at Yale medical school. He, my father, was also a huge college hockey fan (he actually played for Bates when they had a team). Because he worked for the University, we got great seats at Ingalls' Rink, "The Whale". Long story short, I grew up watching a very mediocre Yale team, always losing to Harvard and Cornell, but, wow, what a blast! When my dad found out that I chose DU, one of the first things he said was, "make sure you go to the hockey games, they have a great tradition" I did and that is the reason I obsess over our team and post random thoughts on this board!!!

So, now I have a team to rout for!! Yeah!!!

 

[du78]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

So far 4 of the top 8 seeds have been knocked out. DU is the only #1 seed out and three #2 seeds are out; UND, BSU and Cornell. SCSU, the last #2 seed is on the ropes against #1 Wisconsin, so by the end of tonight 5 of the top 8 seeds may have packed their bags for home.

 

[co14ers]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

So far 4 of the top 8 seeds have been knocked out. DU is the only #1 seed out and three #2 seeds are out; UND, BSU and Cornell. SCSU, the last #2 seed is on the ropes against #1 Wisconsin, so by the end of tonight 5 of the top 8 seeds may have packed their bags for home.

SCSU is D-U-N.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

So I'm left wanting Wisconsin to win the NC. In psychology that's known as an approach/avoidance conflict. Meh.

 

[4four4]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Several times late in the season I listened to George Gwozdecky's comments in the weekly DU press conferences available online. In each of the press conferences, Gwozdecky referred to the MacNaughton Trophy as the most difficult [regular season] trophy to win in college hockey.

For the sake of discussion let's say he's right: it is the toughest trophy to win in the regular season. Perhaps winning the trophy is, in essence, a Pyrrhic Victory: Denver wins the battle, but loses the war. Specifically, Denver expends too much energy in winning the trophy rather than perhaps saving some emotional and physical energy for the post-season.

Gwoz has never spewed mindless platitudes by saying "if we beat so and so we've had a successful season and nothing else matters." Sure it's nice to win a WCHA title. It's nice to win the Gold Pan. It's nice to place players on the all-conference team and win individual conference accolades. Speaking only for myself, all these accomplishments represent "winning the battle." They are milestones rather than objectives. Denver's program is such that winning a national title on a periodic basis should be its primary, on-ice objective, because in seasons the team is good enough to do that other accomplishments will be achieved.

Gwozdecky and his staff have built the Denver program into one which is competitive every season in the WCHA. Denver's program is strong enough that more years than not the Pioneers will earn a berth in the NCAA tournament. Gwozdecky has been at DU for sixteen full seasons. I hope he stays for many more seasons. I also hope he examines his own, oft-repeated contention that the MacNaughton Trophy is the most difficult regular season trophy to win and assesses the option of refocusing on the 'bigger' picture===> preparing the team for post-season success rather than expending too much energy to win a regualr season trophy.

I disagree. We all want to win national championships but a bounce here or there in the NCAA playoffs can send a team packing. There is so much luck involved, I would hate to not play my best during the regular season. DU down the stretch looked spotty and UND looked great now neither one of them has a chance to play for a national championship. Which team had a better year? DU or UND? They both won a little hardware but I would say DU did because the regular season trophy is difficult to win.

 

[Chris]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy

I am still a bit in shock, however this improvised bit of logic strikes me:

coll-ege hock-ey is like a box of cho-co-lates:
You ne-ver know whaaat to ex-pect....
{that's the best Gump drawl I can type... }

 

[vizoroo]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

So I'm left wanting Wisconsin to win the NC. In psychology that's known as an approach/avoidance conflict. Meh.

I am avoiding the approaching conflict, correct?

 

[Old Pio]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

I am avoiding the approaching conflict, correct?

Yup.

And on this question of focusing on "the big picture" as opposed to winning the MacNaughton, how would Gwoz go about doing that? We take the games as they are scheduled. And presumably we try to win them all. And we're aware as the season unfolds about the implications for the PWR. Are we talking about benching stars? Or suggesting that certain opponants aren't worth a maximum effort? What I'm suggesting is it's easy to CLAIM we're emphasizing the MacNaughton at the expense of the post season. But what, specifically, should we do or stop doing to make us a better playoff team? I'll admit I'm stumped.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

With North Dakota bowing to Yale, and RIT ripping UNH, DU fans should be feeling a little better about yesterday's perfomance and for how tight NCAA hockey can be in a 1 game single elimination format.


To win single elimination NCAA game, you need a few good things to happen:

1) Score first and early. It changes everything when you force your opponent to open up.

2) Your goalie usually needs to be great. Chevy was good, but not great.

3) You need your seniors to produce. Ours didn't produce enough. They are the tone-setters, too.

4) You need to do the little things -puck battles, faceoffs, shot blocking, finishing checks and moving your feet.

 

[ScottA]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

With North Dakota bowing to Yale, and RIT ripping UNH, DU fans should be feeling a little better about yesterday's perfomance and for how tight NCAA hockey can be in a 1 game single elimination format.

Let me check.....hmmm.....nope, not feeling any better.

 

[Dmann]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy

With North Dakota bowing to Yale, and RIT ripping UNH, DU fans should be feeling a little better about yesterday's perfomance and for how tight NCAA hockey can be in a 1 game single elimination format.

I am feeling a little better because of this, yes!

 

[vizoroo]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Here's what I want:

Today:
Miami to beat Michigan
Yale to beat BC

Frozen Four:
Wisconsin to beat RIT
Miami to beat Yale
Assuming all this happens I will make the fearless prediction that a team with red on their Jerseys will win the National Championship.

(otherwise I would have to cheer for RIT)

 

[vizoroo]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Came out slow, flat footed, injuries, didn't play a full 60 minutes, out in the regionals again.

That's what sioux fans are saying!​

We are not alone.

 

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Which team had a better year? DU or UND? They both won a little hardware but I would say DU did because the regular season trophy is difficult to win.

Agreed. MacNaughton >>>>>>> Broadmoor.

They are both nice trophies to win, but we only raise banners for MacNaughton's and National Titles. There is a reason for that

 

[MagnessMan]

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Re: All things Denver XXVII: From Boonetown to Motown - It's not a Ford, it's a Chevy!

Been an excellent tourney so far. I'm on my way back from Albany sitting in a bar in the KC airport. I was one of the very few that made the trip from Denver. I have to say I was more shocked by RIT's second win. The way UNH rolled Cornell Friday night, I expected them to to do the same to RIT last night.

The psychology of one and done hockey on neutral ice with refs from a different conference at the end of a long, long season is fascinating to say the least.


I could sit here and moan about what DU didn't do but having watched RIT win again last night against a more talented team once again minus the emotional attachment for me, I saw that it was much more about them and what they did versus being about what DU didn't do.

It was an earth shattering weekend for the Rochester program. It's positive for all of the college hockey world. The fact that a program in it's fifth year of D-1 can make it to the FF is amazing. Those kids were loose as can be and they stuck to their coaches game plans to the letter. They did it for 120 minutes and they worked their tales off.

Forget about the self serving poor me crap---give this young program credit and move on. I'm sure that the DU kids will learn a lot from the experience. Right now, I'm sure it hurts too much to see the lesson--but clarity will come. Talent is good but hard work, guts and determination can trump talent when it lacks those vital ingredients. RIT is living proof, irregardless of what happens on Thursday April 8th.

One other point, RIT has the most amazing student section I've ever seen. They are organized and syncopated. Smart kids showing phenomenal school spirit and having a blast while they do it. DU's smart kids should study them--the school and the program would benefit.