Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

[Timothy A]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Both teams played better today than yesterday. And Minnesota did it with only five defensemen. I hope Knowles isn't out long.

I think both team did play better today, but my eyes say UW was better in the first period, way better in the second period and better in the 3rd as well. I'd say UW won 6 of 7 periods this weekend. It was fun even though neither team had very many SOG. I think it would be neat to play UM every weekend. When 2 top team play it's "real" hockey with up and down action. Hemming an opponent in their own zone for long periods of time isn't the most exciting rendition of hockey. Hopefully the rest of the wwcha will continue to get better and close the gap.

 

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Now that I'm home, I'll go into why I think yesterday's game was so close despite the final score. Both teams tightened up their defense and good scoring chances were hard to come by. Indeed, neither of Norby's goals was a particularly good chance until it went in.

On the first, Wethington had Norby tied up in front of the net. Norby reached through her to just get a stick on a deflection that hit the inside of the far post and in. Any further to the outside, and it bounces off the post and out. Any further to the inside, and Scobee makes a skate save.

On the second, Norby realized as she was getting the puck that Brown was screening Scobee, and instantly fired a shot that hit the far top corner. Again, a couple of inches in either direction and it goes wide or Brown blocks it. I wish more players would make that kind of play without having to stop and think about it.

Both goals involved great recognition, great effort, good physical skills, and more than a little bit of luck. And Wisconsin didn't dominate the period; those were two of only four shots they had.

Minnesota had as many decent chances to score first and second as Wisconsin. And if that's the way it had gone, it's a different game. Unlike Friday, or the two games in Minneapolis, this was a classic Gopher/Badger game. Wisconsin, when things are going right, plays completely differently with a lead than when they're behind.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I can accept when a team like Minnesota has a stretch like the last two weekends going 1-3 when they are playing more talented teams (mainly Wisconsin) like what has occurred in some previous years. But I don't think (my opionion, you are free to disagree) that that is the case this year. Minnesota has the talent to be the best team in Women's College Hockey. But it's disappointing to see this team struggle to have consistency in play starting games, from period to period, and even game to game.

Given that, the team still has a record 0f 20-4-3 and I'll continue to hold out hope that they can become more consistent until they can't.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I'm sitting right behind the net the Gophers shot at twice. It was a better game.

Were you on the glass on the bench side of the tunnel? I saw a person sitting there with a blazing yellow jersey on.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Were you on the glass on the bench side of the tunnel? I saw a person sitting there with a blazing yellow jersey on.

On Saturday, he was sitting in Section 10 (away from the benches), just across the aisle and maybe a row or two away from the guys who put up the signs directly behind the goal and above the tunnel, and chant stuff, etc.

 

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

On Saturday, he was sitting in Section 10 (away from the benches), just across the aisle and maybe a row or two away from the guys who put up the signs directly behind the goal and above the tunnel, and chant stuff, etc.

And on Friday, I was across the ice from the benches, almost on the red line.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

And on Friday, I was across the ice from the benches, almost on the red line.

I thought being that close to the "cheering section" on Saturday was a curious choice. Yours or your host's? And how did you enjoy their cheerleading?

 

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I thought being that close to the "cheering section" was a curious choice. Yours or your host's? And how did you enjoy their cheerleading?

I think that they think they are a lot cleverer than they actually are. I chose it, because I wanted to watch from the end of the rink, which is my preferred viewing angle, though I like being higher than is possible in LaBahn.

Also, if you see someone in the #29 Rose jersey I wore on Saturday, you can pretty much guarantee that that's me. I was once asked if that was my daughter, and I wasn't sure how to answer.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

I think that they think they are a lot cleverer than they actually are. I chose it, because I wanted to watch from the end of the rink, which is my preferred viewing angle, though I like being higher than is possible in LaBahn.

Much of what they do, obviously, is brought over from men's games. And it somehow "works" better there with a full student section doing it than when it is four guys alone doing it. I appreciate their 'lack of shame', so to speak, and I really appreciate the more spontaneous "let's go red" stuff at critical times in a competitive game. But if I were an 'opposing' fan, I think I'd choose to be farther away than you were.

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

extending the home streak without a hat trick.

That first period was fun. The streak is finally over.

I threw my hat on the ice after APot went 1, 2, 3 to give the team a nice 3-0 jump start.

The major drama for the rest of the game was whether nekowxela would also get three.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Offhand I don't recall the Gophers dominating another Top 10 team this season like they did tonight. Final shots were 50-17, and through two periods they were 37-9. A great "bounce back" win after last weekend in Madison, thanks in large measure to sophomore Amy Potomak, who had what was probably the best game of her Gopher career - and that's saying something. A pure hat trick in the first period, then adding an assist in the second. Wow.

Congrats to her and to the entire team on a great effort tonight! Good crowd, with 2,627 in attendance, got to see the Gophers play one of their best games of the season, maybe THE best.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Had other plans tonight but was just able to run through the replay on Flo after I got home. Certainly well played by Minnesota but I think UMD fans would say their team stunk. They would be correct in that assessment.

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

First time in my memory losing four of six.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

First time in my memory losing four of six.

We lost five of the first six games of January 2007, the season when many program lows were reached.

I didn't think we were bad yesterday, but that is a small moral victory. I think it is time for the coaches to try to discover some ways to improve. The top line has been shut out for three straight games, and was rather inconsistent even before that. I would make a change just to keep it fresh; you can always go back to these line combos later. They keep getting sent out their for the PP as though they are the top unit, and that hasn't been the case for a while now. It hurt to fall behind so early. Rooney was up to the task on what they could muster from there. Nice shot by Brodt for the second goal, but I thought that she spent too much of the weekend trying to be an enforcer and not enough playing hockey. Gophers have some things to clean up and not many weeks left in which to do it.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

It's getting to the point where saying they have some things to clean up just doesn't seem like it's going to happen. Or if it does, maybe it's for a period, or maybe even a game but then they revert back to having struggles.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

It's getting to the point where saying they have some things to clean up just doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

That seems to be the direction in which they're trending. There are a couple of reasons for hope, though. One is that I think that they have the pieces that can be competitive. It's not like a couple of years ago where they were at a talent deficit to some teams. The other positive is that I don't think that there is a super team out there that is unbeatable.

Realistically, when you look at their failure to sweep ranked opponents, it doesn't bode well for suddenly being able to win three straight against such teams.

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Weekend attendance 5,594 which I believe is a Ridder Arena record for the Gophers in a series in which Wisconsin was not the opponent.

 

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Realistically, when you look at their failure to sweep ranked opponents, it doesn't bode well for suddenly being able to win three straight against such teams.

Which doesn't differentiate them at all from anyone except Wisconsin. Since the end of November, Northeastern is 1-1 against teams in the top ten in KRACH. Cornell is 1-0-1, going to 2-0-1 if you go by RPI. Ohio State is 2-2.

So, either Wisconsin is going to win again, or some team that can't manage to sweep ranked opponents will manage three straight against such teams. I don't think that Minnesota is the favorite at this point, but even Wisconsin has some problems.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

So, either Wisconsin is going to win again, or some team that can't manage to sweep ranked opponents will manage three straight against such teams. I don't think that Minnesota is the favorite at this point, but even Wisconsin has some problems.

Yes, if no team separates from the rest in the coming weeks, then it could be like 2018 or 2010, when somebody wins three straight because it is a mathematical requirement of the bracket.

 

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2019/2020 Season Thread

Realistically, when you look at their failure to sweep ranked opponents, it doesn't bode well for suddenly being able to win three straight against such teams.

The Gophers can't seem to sweep top ten teams. Wisconsin is struggling to sweep teams that aren't top ten. If you're focused on the NCAA tournament, the latter doesn't seem like a big problem to have. Unless you get the #1 seed. Which, right now, is Wisconsin.