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Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

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Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

It sounds like Lucia was fairly silent about Warning this week, I wouldn't doubt if he holds him out until the NCAA tourney, I do hope he can go though.

Our lineup is much stronger with him playing on the 2nd line with Haula.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

During Monday's show Coach Lucia indicated that Sam would be trying to skate on Tuesday. He said he wasn't too sure that Warning would be ready this weekend, but should be good for the first round of the NCAA's. He doesn't want to risk his availability later by rushing his return.
 
firstpusk said:
During Monday's show Coach Lucia indicated that Sam would be trying to skate on Tuesday. He said he wasn't too sure that Warning would be ready this weekend, but should be good for the first round of the NCAA's. He doesn't want to risk his availability later by rushing his return.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

firstpusk said:
During Monday's show Coach Lucia indicated that Sam would be trying to skate on Tuesday. He said he wasn't too sure that Warning would be ready this weekend, but should be good for the first round of the NCAA's. He doesn't want to risk his availability later by rushing his return.
Click to expand...

So does anyone know what the problem is? Did he catch a puck below a pad, on the foot?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

Q & A with coach Lucia from today's PP.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22833192/gophers-hockey-will-don-lucia-miss-wcha-final


This is the final WCHA Final Five for the University of Minnesota men's hockey team, which will move into the Big Ten Conference next season.

The Gophers, who shared the MacNaughton Cup with St. Cloud State as WCHA regular-season co-champions, will play Friday, March 22, against the winner of the Thursday quarterfinal between Colorado College and North Dakota.

The top-ranked Gophers already are assured of playing in the NCAA postseason, so while coach Don Lucia says he would like to win the Broadmoor Trophy as the conference playoff champion, there is no pressure to be the last team standing at the Final Five.

I talked to Lucia on Wednesday about the Gophers playing for the last time in the Final Five, which will be held at the Xcel Energy Center.

BS: Will you miss the Final Five?

DL: There's no question we'll miss it. It's a special tournament. The venue is terrific, and there's the proximity to so many of our fans. For nine of the 12 teams, it's within easy driving distance, and I think that's what made it great. It became a destination. Even if your team wasn't in it, I think you have a lot of fans that just want to come down because it's a fun weekend and outstanding hockey.

BS: What made it so much fun for you?

DL: You get to play in a great facility with good locker rooms. You're right downtown. You have a feel that it's a tournament setting with fans around the rink and staying downtown. And there are the
rivalries within the teams and the passion within the fans. There's the atmosphere when you go on the bench for warm-ups and introductions. There's a buzz in the building. The atmosphere is what made it so special.

BS: Was there a best Final Five for you?

DL: As I look back, I think it was the '04 Final Five against North Dakota. It was just an unbelievable game. North Dakota had (Zach) Parise and (Brandon) Bochenski, and we had (Thomas) Vanek. There were a lot of NHL players. I think there were 19,000-plus people. You couldn't get a ticket to that game. There was the level of play, the physical play, nine goals were scored. I think that might rank as one of the best games sitting on the bench that, all the years I've coached, I've been in. There were so many good players on the ice. It was a one-goal game. Each team had 40-plus shots. It wasn't a boring game. It was up and down and back and forth. It was a classic game (won by Minnesota 5-4).

BS: Can the Big Ten playoffs rival what the Final Five has been, or does it need years to become established?

DL: I think it will take some time. We'll be going back and forth between Detroit and St. Paul the first four years (for the conference tournament). The big question will be how many fans come from Michigan or Ohio State or Penn State (to the Xcel Energy Center). Obviously, when it's here, Wisconsin and ourselves are going to be asked to carry it. When it goes to Michigan, it's going to be those schools (Michigan and Michigan State) that are going to have to carry it.

BS: Is your approach any different going into this final Final Five because you already know you're going to be playing in the NCAA tournament?

DL: I'm just more relaxed and looking forward to this last one. I want to enjoy it. I want the players to enjoy it. I look at it as our last kind of dry run before (the NCAA tournament) next week. Just like we wanted to get a piece of the MacNaughton Cup in our last year, we want to get the Broadmoor the last year -- just like everybody who's here.

BS: If you could change one thing about your team, what would you do?

DL: We've got a couple of guys nicked. My big thing is, when we get to Monday, we're 100 percent with every guy.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

Helgy: "It's just a bump in the road". I think it's more like a "wall" now when you have an embarrassing early exit two years in a row.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8TAzXR7g8y0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
HarleyMC said:
Helgy: "It's just a bump in the road". I think it's more like a "wall" now when you have an embarrassing early exit two years in a row.>
Click to expand...

This team and its NC aspirations are doomed.

These guys really think they can just play high caliber, championship hockey, when they feel like it.

They're in for a rude awakening next week.
 
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