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Minnesota Gophers 2024-25

MBTC, thanks for providing your insight! The goal that put UConn up 2-1, per Dan, seemed to be the result of poor/nonexistent defense. Did you get a look at what broke down there?

On paper, the blue line would look to be the strength of this team. From listening, they generally were until they glaringly weren't. How did they seem to you overall? One potential problem is that outside of Nicholson and Laitinen, they haven't played together much in college. There figures to be shared history for Laitinen and Parkkonen plus Graham and Primerano, just not in the Gophers' system.
 
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ManBehindTheCurtain said:
I think we are all going to like Primerano.
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No doubt. Fantastic skater, very skilled, and the goal showed the fantastic offensive instincts. The only problem with her game is the hype. She has some resemblance to Harvey as a skater, but has a long way to go before she proves to be capable of that level of impact, though the noise-journalists are already putting Harvey in her rear-view by comparison, which is ridiculous.
 
ARM said:
The goal that put UConn up 2-1, per Dan, seemed to be the result of poor/nonexistent defense. Did you get a look at what broke down there?
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I did not have a strong reaction at the moment of the goal. I am going to agree with Dan and with PuckLover's analysis. The SOG were quite indicative of the game play. Minnesota was absolutely dominant. But after scoring the goal to tie the game they had a lapse and UConn was good enough to make them pay. A good play by Connecticut, and weak play by the Gopher top two D pairing.
ARM said:
On paper, the blue line would look to be the strength of this team. From listening, they generally were until they glaringly weren't. How did they seem to you overall? One potential problem is that outside of Nicholson and Laitinen, they haven't played together much in college. There figures to be shared history for Laitinen and Parkkonen plus Graham and Primerano, just not in the Gophers' system.
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On D I think they have a couple of veteran elites, a couple of veteran very solids, and two very good frosh, one of whom may end up being the best of them all. It was the first weekend of the season and there were some bumps but the raw material looks promising. They could end up being very good on the blue line. Plenty to be optimistic about.
 
PuckLover said:
The only problem with her game is the hype. She has some resemblance to Harvey as a skater, but has a long way to go before she proves to be capable of that level of impact...
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Good points. For whatever reason, fans and media tend to evaluate elite D based on their offensive abilities. When coaches are the people picking all-tournament teams and the like, they are far more likely to favor those who control the game and make it much more difficult to score when they're defending. Canada seems to place more emphasis on D who prevent goals, and I think that's one reason why Team Canada has had more success in the biggest events.
 
Big East hockey has established a path for trying to beat Minnesota. Play a physically imposing goalie and have her have an outstanding game. If you do that you can hang with the Gophers.

Short review of the first three games SOG: 38-10, 48-13, 41-11.

So that part is good for Minnesota.

What is not good and what must be addressed going forward is goals. So far they haven't scored enough.

Great to be back at Ridder tonight, it ended up being a nail biter ending up in a win.
 
Some of it was bad shooting by the Gophers. Some of it was BU parking the bus. They were playing for a 0-0 tie, and hoping to maybe score one against the run of play. If teams have to sell out like that on defense, Minnesota will be okay.
 
Still Eeyore said:
Some of it was bad shooting by the Gophers. Some of it was BU parking the bus. They were playing for a 0-0 tie, and hoping to maybe score one against the run of play. If teams have to sell out like that on defense, Minnesota will be okay.
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Agreed...Tunneler shooting often wasn't even on net. BU didn't have the speed to keep up with the tunnelers so they played the Bemidji game and as Still Eeyore says...They were playing to keep the game tied and hoping for a tunneler mistake, which they got a few of.

The hype is on #8 but #47 is also very good...Seemed like #14 was playing early on but not as the game went along. Did she get hurt? Liked what I saw of the freshman #6.
 
Somehow the tunnelers are 4-0. That is the good news. It is tempered by the fact that those 4 wins are against Hockey Least teams.

On a different note, It has been nice to see the braintrust have played most all on the roster. #56 in net and #20, #17, #22, and #5 with some playing time today.
 
Yesterday, I got my first look at 24-25 GWH; the previous 3 games were just "listens" for me.

On the positive side, they got better after period one. Not a big fan of all the blind/weak backhand passes through the middle of the ice in the 1st. Early in the second, a lot of quality chances went begging because they couldn't hit the net. That they ultimately wound up with their season high for goals scored is likely attributable to the quality of play of the opposing goalie than any real improvement by the Gophs.

BU had a younger version of TTT from an evil parallel universe in their cheering section, and he wanted a penalty called on UM every 20 seconds or so. I did think that the home team benefited from some calls in the second (four straight BU penalties, culminating in the penalty shot that put UM ahead to stay), but by the end, he wanted slashing called when players' stick blades clashed on the ice with the puck between them. Entertaining.

I expect that it will be difficult to remain as the No. 2 team in the country in the voting, particularly after series with the teams finishing first and second in March. The key stretches will likely come in the second half of Nov. and Feb. when we get back-to-back series with the WCHA's dog teams. The question isn't if UM is second, but if they land in the top four at all.
 
ARM said:
I expect that it will be difficult to remain as the No. 2 team in the country in the voting, particularly after series with the teams finishing first and second in March. The key stretches will likely come in the second half of Nov. and Feb. when we get back-to-back series with the WCHA's dog teams. The question isn't if UM is second, but if they land in the top four at all.
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I think that is true. They certainly aren't as good as the sinners (who is?) and fighting nurses, or maybe not as good as the yuckeyes, or their sisters to the north. Even toothpaste might be better.
 
The Gophers have clearly closed the gap but denying that the gap still exists is fruitless. The game 1 result is probably an accurate reflection of where these two teams stand at this point in the season.
 
ManBehindTheCurtain said:
The Gophers have clearly closed the gap but denying that the gap still exists is fruitless. The game 1 result is probably an accurate reflection of where these two teams stand at this point in the season.
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The tunneler women should take note of the tunneler men's team more disciplined approach to staying out of the penalty box. It doesn't help when you are shorthanded more than your opponent.
 
Maybe another moral victory today, as the tunnelers scored a goal and only gave up 1 goal in regulation and OT. Of course the down side is that outside of #18, evidently nobody can score a shootout goal.
 
Wasn't a great result in terms of WCHA standings, but better in the PairWise.

I've felt sorry for the UM goalies over the years once we arrive at a shootout. We had very good teams where Hannah Brandt was the only one who had a chance to score, so once the other team got one, it was a lost cause. Plus, if these are the moves they see in practice, how ready can they be in games? It seems like 9 out of 10 Gophers try to deke, when just as many S.O. goals tend to come on the shot. The problems start earlier; possession is everything in 3-on-3, but UM always seems outnumbered, and loses the puck battles. I also don't think the optimal approach is trying to get through five minutes using just six skaters.

Positives? They won the third period both days, so maybe there were benefits to skating four lines, even though the top line plays too many minutes. Not that there are many options when there is little offense to be found elsewhere. The Gophers were better on Saturday than Friday.

Anyone care to set an over/under for total goals by both teams combined in the season series when SCSU and UM meet? Not sure it gets out of single digits.
 
ARM said:
Wasn't a great result in terms of WCHA standings, but better in the PairWise.

Anyone care to set an over/under for total goals by both teams combined in the season series when SCSU and UM meet? Not sure it gets out of single digits.
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Okay, I'll play.

Last season in 4 games 12 goals were scored but it is interesting to note that through the first 3 games the total was 6. Gophers win game 4 by 5-1 making projections more difficult.

Gophers are marginally better than last year but maybe not so much offensively, they definitely look goal challenged. Saint Cloud looks like they are going to be this season what they were last season.

I think at 11.5 I will take the over which means that I think that for the 4 games the teams will at least equal the number of goals that they scored in 4 games last season.

Is that an under you would take?
 
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