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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!

gopheritall said:
Offer 1 Frozen Four every 8 years to most teams and see how quickly they take that deal. The fact that we expect more means that so-so hockey is not the hallmark of this team. And since you said, "the last ten years," the Gophers won the NC ten years ago. I wouldn't call a NC so-so hockey.
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Considering some were ready to fire tDon after a couple near .500 seasons......

How many teams would LOVE a consistency like that?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

During that 10 years not many fanbases have been able to watch better college hockey than you have. And for fans, that's saying a great deal.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

gopheritall said:
Offer 1 Frozen Four every 8 years to most teams and see how quickly they take that deal. The fact that we expect more means that so-so hockey is not the hallmark of this team. And since you said, "the last ten years," the Gophers won the NC ten years ago. I wouldn't call a NC so-so hockey.
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OK, fine, two FF's since winning the last NCAA. My point is in the last eight seasons, Lucia's teams have been plagued by this inconsistent play where the first game of a weekend/playoff/whatever is flat and uninspired and going through the motions and seemingly regrouping for the rematch game...Tell me you have noticed this inconsistency as well. If not, you haven't been watching this team. This is the so-so hockey I am referring to. I don't know if Lucia is capable of correcting this plague of inconsistency. It can't be the players because he's cycled six or seven classes of players through here and the inconsistency remains. It's been going on for years and resulting in getting bounced early from the NCAA tournament. I don't hate Lucia and I was in St Paul and Buffalo when he won back-to-back titles. But, something has to change. Maybe it's time to let go Geuntzel. Maybe it's time for Lucia to go. There needs to be change in coaching philosophy. Give Lucia one more year and if he's still plagued by inconsistent play and another early exit from the tourney, then he needs to go and someone new needs to be brought in.

And, you know, we just lost to Yale. OK. Yale. We're not talking losing to BC or NoDak or Michigan. We lost to Yale, an average team from the ECAC. That's just flat out embarrassing.
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

burd said:
During that 10 years not many fanbases have been able to watch better college hockey than you have. And for fans, that's saying a great deal.
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burd, there is room opening up on the bandwagon if you want to sign up. :D
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

TheCapitalist said:
And, you know, we just lost to Yale. OK. Yale. We're not talking losing to BC or NoDak or Michigan. We lost to Yale, an average team from the ECAC. That's just flat out embarrassing.
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I like hating on the ECAC as much as anyone. But I think you're selling Yale short here. Yale has quietly gone about their business and stockpiled talent, doing well in recruiting the local prep circuits in the East. In 2010, Yale took down heavily favored North Dakota in the Worcester regional as you probably know. I saw Yale play at BC this year and they were not a bad team at all (though I was more impressed with Dartmouth actually, but there wasn't a huge difference).
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

burd said:
During that 10 years not many fanbases have been able to watch better college hockey than you have. And for fans, that's saying a great deal.
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They've also seen two teams that appeared to have all the pieces for a deep run get beat in the first round by a 15 seed. As a fan, you hate to see those opportunities squandered coz even the top programs don't get those every year.

Now in 06, they weren't gonna win anyway coz they couldn't beat us with Els. I'm not saying that to troll or be cute. That was our year. But I'm sure the fans (and the team) would have LOVED a shot at us in Milwaukee. I was thankful that they didn't get that shot. I was confident, but no need to play with fire.

This year though. This year they had it all and there wasn't/isn't another team this year with as many of the pieces. Yes, 06 was a better Gopher team, but this year was better relative to the competition.

The only thing missing this year was the drive and will to play to their ability for a full 60 on a consistent basis. Look at the 3rd period today. That's the potential that this team had and failed to live up to. Play like that right out of the gate today and Yale has no chance.

I understand why the fans are frustrated, but I think the people who want Lucia gone are misguided. Players play and coaches coach. I'm sure that the message from tDon was to come out firing, lay it all on the line, leave it all on the ice etc. Why the players failed to take that message to heart is on them.

It happens. It just means that the makeup of the room was flawed. Not every team with great assets is able to put them all together.

Burd - I don't often disagree with you, but the top programs want to see high quality hockey... that eventually leads to titles. Squandering chances to compete for titles is gonna chap people. Seeing high quality hockey is for the in-between years. This wasn't supposed to be an in-between year for the Gophers.


There's my outsider's take on Gopherdom. Maybe I'm off base, but that's how it looks from over here in deer-****ing country. :D
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

Carmine Scarpaglia said:
I like hating on the ECAC as much as anyone. But I think you're selling Yale short here. Yale has quietly gone about their business and stockpiled talent, doing well in recruiting the local prep circuits in the East. In 2010, Yale took down heavily favored North Dakota in the Worcester regional as you probably know. I saw Yale play at BC this year and they were not a bad team at all (though I was more impressed with Dartmouth actually, but there wasn't a huge difference).
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Not hating on Yale at all. They were 18-12 on the season and finished a distant third in their league. To me, that's an average team from the ECAC. I suppose it could have been worse...Minnesota could have lost to Cornell and that uber-pr**k of a coach Shafer... :p
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

Gurtholfin said:
This year though. This year they had it all and there wasn't/isn't another team this year with as many of the pieces. Yes, 06 was a better Gopher team, but this year was better relative to the competition.

The only thing missing this year was the drive and will to play to their ability for a full 60 on a consistent basis. Look at the 3rd period today. That's the potential that this team had and failed to live up to. Play like that right out of the gate today and Yale has no chance.
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Boom.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

TheCapitalist said:
OK, fine, two FF's since winning the last NCAA. My point is in the last eight seasons, Lucia's teams have been plagued by this inconsistent play where the first game of a weekend/playoff/whatever is flat and uninspired and going through the motions and seemingly regrouping for the rematch game...Tell me you have noticed this inconsistency as well. If not, you haven't been watching this team. This is the so-so hockey I am referring to. I don't know if Lucia is capable of correcting this plague of inconsistency. It can't be the players because he's cycled six or seven classes of players through here and the inconsistency remains. It's been going on for years and resulting in getting bounced early from the NCAA tournament. I don't hate Lucia and I was in St Paul and Buffalo when he won back-to-back titles. But, something has to change. Maybe it's time to let go Geuntzel. Maybe it's time for Lucia to go. There needs to be change in coaching philosophy. Give Lucia one more year and if he's still plagued by inconsistent play and another early exit from the tourney, then he needs to go and someone new needs to be brought in.

And, you know, we just lost to Yale. OK. Yale. We're not talking losing to BC or NoDak or Michigan. We lost to Yale, an average team from the ECAC. That's just flat out embarrassing.
Click to expand...
I agree that there is a problem with consistent effort but the fact remains, the Gophers are one of the elite college hockey programs. I think that is what burd was saying.

I will also say that the Gophers won the WCHA regular season, swept their non-conference games, finished #2 in the PWR, #2 in the USCHO poll, and tied for #1 in the USA Today poll. I don't think I am the only one that would argue that the Gophers did not have a so-so season regardless of the lousy finish today.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

TheCapitalist said:
Not hating on Yale at all. They were 18-12 on the season and finished a distant third in their league. To me, that's an average team from the ECAC. I suppose it could have been worse...Minnesota could have lost to Cornell and that uber-pr**k of a coach Shafer... :p
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I would say Yale was probably our 2nd best team from start to finish, conference standings be ****ed. RPI struggled until the turn of the new year, where they went on a roll with Kasdorf.

This Yale team isn't as dangerous offensively as the past couple seasons, however they are much more defensively sound, as evidenced in this afternoons game.

If you were to pick an "average" ECAC team, look to Brown or St. Lawrence. Yale was certainly above average.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

There was also that period where the NHL changed and there's a rookie max. That changes things. Now, you might not stay that extra year to increase your value. You bolt when you are offered the max, or near the max. That changed the whole game.

MN has recovered, going after players that are stars, and players that will stay a while. MUCH different than just "get the best players, period." Kyle Okposo, anyone?

Edit: I don't blame the players, in this case.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

gopheritall said:
I agree that there is a problem with consistent effort but the fact remains, the Gophers are one of the elite college hockey programs. I think that is what burd was saying.
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Um, OK. I don't think calling the Gophers an elite program would be considered a profound statement.

gopheritall said:
I will also say that the Gophers won the WCHA regular season, swept their non-conference games, finished #2 in the PWR, #2 in the USCHO poll, and tied for #1 in the USA Today poll. I don't think I am the only one that would argue that the Gophers did not have a so-so season regardless of the lousy finish today.
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Well, that is certainly worth praising. Participation ribbons for everyone! Apparently, however, those were overblown rankings. In the end when it mattered most, the Gophers didn't even finish in the top 8.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

hockeyplayer1015 said:
I would say Yale was probably our 2nd best team from start to finish, conference standings be ****ed. RPI struggled until the turn of the new year, where they went on a roll with Kasdorf.

This Yale team isn't as dangerous offensively as the past couple seasons, however they are much more defensively sound, as evidenced in this afternoons game.

If you were to pick an "average" ECAC team, look to Brown or St. Lawrence. Yale was certainly above average.
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Fair enough.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

4th youngest team in college hockey, if I heard announcers right (Minnesota).
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

Carmine Scarpaglia said:
I like hating on the ECAC as much as anyone. But I think you're selling Yale short here. Yale has quietly gone about their business and stockpiled talent, doing well in recruiting the local prep circuits in the East. In 2010, Yale took down heavily favored North Dakota in the Worcester regional as you probably know. I saw Yale play at BC this year and they were not a bad team at all (though I was more impressed with Dartmouth actually, but there wasn't a huge difference).
Click to expand...

That's great hating on a league that actually puts academics first and still can put out competitive hockey teams. Good for the ECAC. Truly what college sports should be all about!
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013 Part II: Mmmm, Iron City Beer!

TheCapitalist said:
Lucia's teams have been plagued by the inability to win the 'early' game of a weekend for years. As a result, his teams have made one Frozen Four in the last eight seasons because he just can't seem to motivate his team to win the first game of the weekend and when you translate that to the NCAA tournament, the results have been obvious. One Frozen Four every eight seasons might cut it at St Cloud, but not Minnesota. And his team - loaded with NHL talent - just lost to, and woefully outplayed by, a team with just four NHL draft picks. It's time for a new coach in Minnesota. Lucia doesn't have it any more...and he is no longer one of the best coaches in college hockey.
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Go pound sand!
 
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