Undoubtedly, most Gopher fans thought MN would run through the Colgate Raiders (7-9-3) like a buzz saw tonight and were looking for a big #1 vs. #2 matchup with Ferris State tomorrow night. Instead the Gophers got what they deserved tonight, a tie that feels like they crapped the bed.
The Gophers looked ok for the first 5-10 minutes and then it was all downhill from there. I can't recall a more pathetic effort by the Gophers this season. They showed little to no intensity in going to the net, committed unforced errors, were lazy on backchecking and generally looked out of sync offensively and sloppy for most of the game. The 2nd line, which has been a bright spot for the Gophers so far this season, was horrible tonight showing very little puck control and generated no scoring chances at all. Team captain Nate Condon took costly penalties (worst game for him this season), Kloos was non-existent and Cammarata never even got a SOG in the game.
Rau, Condon and Warning are all underperforming and in massive scoring slumps, which begs the question:
Who are the "go to" guys for the Gophers now? Ambroz? Not a goalscorer. Boyd? No. Cammarata...IMO a disappointment so far this season and a real pu$$y when it comes to digging the corners. I'd seriously think about benching the squirt until he learns to play with more grit. The 3rd and 4th lines showed a little offensive surge tonight and played hard...Boyd, Isackson, Connor Reilly, along with Dmen Brodzinski and Bischoff.
Credit Colgate who were gritty when needed, played good position hockey, took advantage of turnovers, kept the Gopher shots on the perimeter, and overall played more like they wanted to win tonight than the Gophers. Even in the shootout, the Gophers looked like a 2nd class team. Mike Guentzel summed it up when he said in postgame, "We think we can get away with not blocking shots or backchecking.
We get sloppy because we cheat". Time for a reality check.