Gophers

[D2D]

Sure hope they can live up to their advance billing. Go Gophers!

https://replica.startribune.com/inf...spx?guid=0800952f-555e-4045-bdf9-d72e03ff7253

 

[Hockeyhub]

With the B1G, there's still something missing that we enjoyed in the past. The old WCHA was awesome with conference rivalries in North Dakota and UMD. I miss those days. The only in-conference team the Gophers play these days where you get an arena with mixed attendance is against Wisconsin. I'm still not getting that "rivalry" feeling when we play Michigan or Ohio State.

 

[Slap Shot]

I couldn't disagree more. The last series vs Michigan had the most attendance in Marriucci history and this year only UW was a doormat. Plus UMi, OSU and PSU play up-tempo hockey that's fun to watch. I was never excited when the Gophers played AA, MTU, UNO or BSU.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

With the B1G, there's still something missing that we enjoyed in the past. The old WCHA was awesome with conference rivalries in North Dakota and UMD. I miss those days. The only in-conference team the Gophers play these days where you get an arena with mixed attendance is against Wisconsin. I'm still not getting that "rivalry" feeling when we play Michigan or Ohio State.

I didn't so much predict the breakup of the WCHA before the B1G was created, and it's taken a long time for the Gophers to recover from the departure from the WCHA, but I remember expressing the opinion that it would be best for the teams in the WCHA, and I was most concerned about the Minnesota teams, if the WCHA broke up and spread out the talent. There were years where good WCHA teams were excluded from the NCAA tourney because they got beat up by better WCHA teams. Only so many WCHA teams could get into a 12 team tourney, and the expansion to 16 teams was mostly to allow in automatic bids from every conference with the expectation that at least one more conference would be created.

And what has happened since the breakup? Mankato has thrived, SCSU has thrived and UMD has been dominant and Minnesota would have been worse off if there hadn't been a B1G conf. NoDak, UMD, Kato & SCSU would have still beat up on the Gophers, but 4 times a year, not just 1-2 games every other year like we were doing. Gophers needed OSU and the new team, PSU and slumping Wisconsin and MSU and a not so formidable Notre Dame to help them get through the last several Lucia years and the first couple years under a new coach.

The other benefit for Minnesotans in general is more success in general for Minnesota based teams. As die-hard Gopher fans it can be hard to cheer for or be happy for our hated rivals, but I had high school friends and ex-gfs who went to Mankato and SCSU and UMD and as a proud Minnesotan, I'd much rather see those teams in the Frozen Four than eastern teams. And back in the day I saw more Minnesota natives going out east to play for Wisconsin and BC, among others. Most wanted to play for the Gophers and if they couldn't get recruited by the Gophers, they preferred teams with a chance to make the NCAA tourney like BC or Wisconsin than lowly teams like SCSU or UMD or Mankato. But once those teams moved into other conferences, staying home in Minnesota and playing for those teams was preferable to leaving the state to play for Wisc or BC.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Congrats to the TWO Gophers making the Hobey Baker Final 3. Both deserving of it.

I don't think it will happen, but sure hope one of them wins it.

Maybe they will be wary of giving it to a Frosh? How many Hobey winners have been Frosh?

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

With the B1G, there's still something missing that we enjoyed in the past. The old WCHA was awesome with conference rivalries in North Dakota and UMD. I miss those days. The only in-conference team the Gophers play these days where you get an arena with mixed attendance is against Wisconsin. I'm still not getting that "rivalry" feeling when we play Michigan or Ohio State.

I was at the conference championship game and there were Michigan fans there.

 

[J.D.]

Congrats to the TWO Gophers making the Hobey Baker Final 3. Both deserving of it.

I don't think it will happen, but sure hope one of them wins it.

Maybe they will be wary of giving it to a Frosh? How many Hobey winners have been Frosh?

I mean give me a break. Matthew Knies is most certainly not deserving of being a Hat Trick finalist. And while the voting is already done, Fantilli should win this easily.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

I mean give me a break. Matthew Knies is most certainly not deserving of being a Hat Trick finalist. And while the voting is already done, Fantilli should win this easily.

Why? Why is Matthew Knies not deserving? He was a 1st Team All-Conf in the best conference in the country. His getting into the Top 3 didn't keep Fantilli out, so arguing Fantilli deserves it more isn't a legit argument, neither is arguing Cooley deserved it more, as he got in, too.

So who not among the Top 3 deserved it more than Knies? I'm not saying you are wrong, just feel you should back up your negative talk with something of substance.

 

[J.D.]

Lane Hutson. Slam dunk decision for Hat Trick over Knies. Not even close.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I mean give me a break. Matthew Knies is most certainly not deserving of being a Hat Trick finalist. And while the voting is already done, Fantilli should win this easily.

If we’re looking at all-around player, I think Knies is deserving. Does a lot without the puck to allow his line mates to put up the numbers they do (creates space, creates turnovers, etc). He also leads the country in game winning goals and has really taken over games and stepped up when the team needs him most.

However, from a pure stat standpoint, I can see your point. Someone like Hutson is probably more deserving if we are just looking at the stat sheet. And to be honest, I haven’t watched a lot of Hutson, so an argument that he may have been more deserving regardless may or may not have merit as well.

I am guessing that Knies got the nod because he is maybe the most complete player on what was arguably the best team this season. That point is certainly debatable though.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Lane Hutson. Slam dunk decision for Hat Trick over Knies. Not even close.

"Not even close"??? The people who voted or picked the 3 disagree with you and you are just some nobody online, so if you aren't going to put in the effort to make the case for your guy, I'm not going to make the effort, I've got TWO of my faves in the running for the Hobey, still, I'm just going to rest on those laurels until someone convinces me otherwise.

I follow the NHL some, mostly I follow how former Gophers are doing in the NHL and there is at least one guy who almost never scores goals or gets assists, yet he's still getting put out there on the ice, so apparently that NHL team thinks he has some sort of value, I'm guessing he's one of those defense focused defenseman who is good at defense. So I'll assume Knies is appreciated for things other than scoring goals and dishing out assists as I've NEVER known the Gophers to be given any favors when it comes time to award them with All-American honors or the Hobey Baker Award. Only time I ever saw the Gophers being given some supposedly undue credit was when Herb picked so many to be on the 1980 US Hockey Team, but we all know how that turned out, so not many out there willing to public criticize his judgement AFTER the fact. Before the games there were plenty willing to criticize him and most of the players he chose.

 

[J.D.]

Dude I don't give a flying f that the committee picked two of your "faves". Lane Hutson is a much more deserving candidate than Matthew Knies. I can't control who is on the committee or where they are from. You're in the bag for the Gophers. I am a BC fan propping up Lane Hutson.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Dude I don't give a flying f that the committee picked two of your "faves". Lane Hutson is a much more deserving candidate than Matthew Knies.










PROVE IT!!!











I can't control who is on the committee or where they are from. You're in the bag for the Gophers. I am a BC fan propping up Lane Hutson.

I think you are a dumbash who doesn't have a clue what you are talking about because you can't back up your opinion, or that is the picture you have painted so far. Your canvas is blank, I'm waiting for you to paint a picture that can convince me of your opinion, but you seem unwilling to pick up a brush? So... as of now, your opinion, It's WORTHLESS to me. You come across as a nobody blowhard with a worthless opinion that no one gives a sh1t about.

Now if you backed it up with some substance, then maybe it would earn some value?


You aren't Hunter Biden, no one's going to buy your paintings regardless of their quality. At least Biden blew some paint on a canvas, you are presenting us with a blank canvas and yelling at us that we have to accept that it's a brilliant masterpiece of art.

 

[J.D.]

There's no proving to be done. It's an opinion, numbnuts. Hutson is the single biggest reason BU won Hockey East and is in the FF. He outscored Knies and he's a dman. So yes I think the most dominant dman in the country should make it over the 3rd best forward to be selected for the award. Hell, Jason Polin was more deserving than Knies. Now let me go search for a mythical stat that will prove to you who was more deserving. JFC. In your eyes Snuggerud probably should have made it over Fantilli. You are capable of doing research. Suggesting Hutson was more deserving than Knies is not some hot take.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

There's no proving to be done. It's an opinion, numbnuts. Hutson is the single biggest reason BU won Hockey East and is in the FF. He outscored Knies and he's a dman. So yes I think the most dominant dman in the country should make it over the 3rd best forward to be selected for the award. Hell, Jason Polin was more deserving than Knies. Now let me go search for a mythical stat that will prove to you who was more deserving. JFC. In your eyes Snuggerud probably should have made it over Fantilli. You are capable of doing research. Suggesting Hutson was more deserving than Knies is not some hot take.

You have a point with Hutson, but 100% disagree with you on Polin. The award is for best overall player and Knies is definitely more impactful than Polin. Without Knies, doubtful Cooley and Snuggerud put up the numbers they did and doubtful the Gophers even win the Big Ten, let alone by 19 points.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

There's no proving to be done. It's an opinion, numbnuts. Hutson is the single biggest reason BU won Hockey East and is in the FF. He outscored Knies and he's a dman. So yes I think the most dominant dman in the country should make it over the 3rd best forward to be selected for the award. Hell, Jason Polin was more deserving than Knies. Now let me go search for a mythical stat that will prove to you who was more deserving. JFC. In your eyes Snuggerud probably should have made it over Fantilli. You are capable of doing research. Suggesting Hutson was more deserving than Knies is not some hot take.

Not as if it was much of a task winning the Hockey East. Was this the worst season in it's history??? Merrimack BARELY got in, then got pummeled.

"Suggesting Hutson was more deserving than Knies is not some hot take"??? Well, those deciding who the final 3 candidates were disagree.

And no, I don't think Snuggerud should made it over the guy who is most likely going to win it. Just goes to prove your brain doesn't work well.



Best thing is he'll be able to be compared face to face vs Knies on Apr 6.

 

[J.D.]

you have a point with hutson, but 100% disagree with you on polin. The award is for best overall player and knies is definitely more impactful than polin. Without knies, doubtful cooley and snuggerud put up the numbers they did and doubtful the gophers even win the big ten, let alone by 19 points.

prove it!!!!!

 

[J.D.]

"Suggesting Hutson was more deserving than Knies is not some hot take"??? Well, those deciding who the final 3 candidates were disagree.

Ya, voters never get anything wrong. Ever. So there has never been a time where you disagreed on Hobey Hat Trick or winner? You just regurgitate "well the voters thought differently"? It's still not a hot take to suggest Hutson over Knies.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

prove it!!!!!

The guy had SEVEN game winning goals this season and if you watched any Gopher hockey games this season you’d know he is a turnover creating machine and one man forechecking monster.

ZERO chance Minnesota wins the Big Ten by that wide of a margin, if at all, without Knies.

Watched PLENTY of Knies and Polin (not much Hutson) this season and I would take Knies 10/10 times over Polin. The limited viewing I have had of Hutson, he seems like a rare talent. I can see the argument of Hutson over Knies, but no way on Polin over Knies.

 

[Slap Shot]

Jeezuz JD you sound like a toddler. You make absolute statements that are actually nothing more than opinions. My opinion is that Hutson is nowhere close to being as a complete of a player as Knies and most of Hutson's points came while playing against traffic cones in that weak-ass conference.




Yes I'm trolling you somewhat - because you're way out of your mind in dismissing Knies the way you have.