ARM
Fan of chipmunk-like mascots.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2017-18 Season Thread
As for skaters, Minnesota was hit harder than Wisconsin when it came to personnel losses. Pannek and Pankowski were very similar in terms of production, although Pankowski was a scorer while Pannek was a playmaker. Losing Pannek was a double whammy, because she was also the leader of the team. Potomak's career numbers aren't much less than Clark's, but Potomak put up her numbers in one fewer season. As scary as Nurse could be, her career numbers were much closer to those of Schipper than they were to Cameranesi; Wisconsin did not have a Cameranesi to graduate, even though Dani's senior year was compromised by injury. The Gophers also graduated their top two D, one being Stecklein; Wisconsin did not have a Stecklein last year to lose.
We can focus on who lost what, but Minnesota's real problem is that it didn't have much coming back in terms of proven offense. Its top returning forward had 15 points a year ago; the Badgers returned five forwards with more and added Kepler, who had more than that in all three of her seasons as a Buckeye. Offensively, the Gophers have done fairly well, as their offensive production has been very comparable to Wisconsin's. But they don't score enough to win games where the D breaks down, and as a six-player unit, the Gophers have not been consistent enough. Those who watch them saw that was going to be an issue after one game. It's gotten better, but after graduating three D, moving a veteran D to forward, and having another be injured for most of the season to date, a lot of the shifts are being skated by freshmen D. It isn't their fault; sometimes, they just aren't on the same page with teammates. That will come in time, but it is still a work in progress.
I'm surprised that Wisconsin has been as successful as it has been with what it lost. I didn't expect it to have a record similar to last year, although that is due in part to the WCHA not being very strong. Minnesota is weaker, BSU misses Mowat, UMD has gone from contender to middle of the pack, and UND is gone. I watched the Badgers against Minnesota and I was impressed; they weren't as impressive versus Mankato or St. Cloud. For that reason, I don't expect their second half to be as strong as the first, because eventually, some of the close games go the other way.
Through all of this, Minnesota isn't that much different than last year in terms of placement. I think the Gophers were sixth in the PairWise on selection Sunday, and that's where they are today. If Amy Potomak decides to start her career in January, they could move up, but I doubt that she will, and even if she does, they aren't likely to challenge the likes of UW, BC, and Clarkson in the rankings. With or without her, they'll still have a chance to knock someone out in the quarters if they get into the NCAAs -- even the Badgers. On the other hand, they've demonstrated that they are capable of losing to anyone on their schedule, so the national tournament may not happen for them this year. After a record-tying 10 straight appearances, one has to be philosophical about the possibility.
Other teams did experience it, but that doesn't make the holes less real. Looking only at the WCHA, UMD was decimated and went from a top-four program to a team that is sub .500. They would be even worse, but they got 2/3 of their top line via UND folding and picked up a transfer goalie. Wisconsin lost 274 points via Clark and Pankowski -- I think you used Nurse in your arithmetic -- and without Nurse as well, the Badgers aren't as formidable up front. They lost McKibbon, whom I got the sense was the skater many looked to for leadership. They also lost their two most-reliable D in Ryan and Channell. The biggest hit was supposed to be Desbiens graduating, but that was mitigated by getting a starting goalie when the Folding Hawks did their thing. IMO, the Badgers are weaker in goal, but teams have not yet been able to expose that; I could be wrong. Any impact of the loss of a player in goal is hard to quantify next to the loss of skaters, because it is very much comparing apples to oranges.
As for skaters, Minnesota was hit harder than Wisconsin when it came to personnel losses. Pannek and Pankowski were very similar in terms of production, although Pankowski was a scorer while Pannek was a playmaker. Losing Pannek was a double whammy, because she was also the leader of the team. Potomak's career numbers aren't much less than Clark's, but Potomak put up her numbers in one fewer season. As scary as Nurse could be, her career numbers were much closer to those of Schipper than they were to Cameranesi; Wisconsin did not have a Cameranesi to graduate, even though Dani's senior year was compromised by injury. The Gophers also graduated their top two D, one being Stecklein; Wisconsin did not have a Stecklein last year to lose.
We can focus on who lost what, but Minnesota's real problem is that it didn't have much coming back in terms of proven offense. Its top returning forward had 15 points a year ago; the Badgers returned five forwards with more and added Kepler, who had more than that in all three of her seasons as a Buckeye. Offensively, the Gophers have done fairly well, as their offensive production has been very comparable to Wisconsin's. But they don't score enough to win games where the D breaks down, and as a six-player unit, the Gophers have not been consistent enough. Those who watch them saw that was going to be an issue after one game. It's gotten better, but after graduating three D, moving a veteran D to forward, and having another be injured for most of the season to date, a lot of the shifts are being skated by freshmen D. It isn't their fault; sometimes, they just aren't on the same page with teammates. That will come in time, but it is still a work in progress.
I'm surprised that Wisconsin has been as successful as it has been with what it lost. I didn't expect it to have a record similar to last year, although that is due in part to the WCHA not being very strong. Minnesota is weaker, BSU misses Mowat, UMD has gone from contender to middle of the pack, and UND is gone. I watched the Badgers against Minnesota and I was impressed; they weren't as impressive versus Mankato or St. Cloud. For that reason, I don't expect their second half to be as strong as the first, because eventually, some of the close games go the other way.
Through all of this, Minnesota isn't that much different than last year in terms of placement. I think the Gophers were sixth in the PairWise on selection Sunday, and that's where they are today. If Amy Potomak decides to start her career in January, they could move up, but I doubt that she will, and even if she does, they aren't likely to challenge the likes of UW, BC, and Clarkson in the rankings. With or without her, they'll still have a chance to knock someone out in the quarters if they get into the NCAAs -- even the Badgers. On the other hand, they've demonstrated that they are capable of losing to anyone on their schedule, so the national tournament may not happen for them this year. After a record-tying 10 straight appearances, one has to be philosophical about the possibility.
Thanks for the link.