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Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Well, *someone* put them #1 in the USCHO poll, so they can't be better than anyone thinks :p

I won't be surprised if they earn a top-10 ranking by some point mid season (we are Minnesota after all ;)), but given the number of key guys lost and the number of new faces on campus that will have to step in and contribute right away, I think somewhere around 15 probably makes more sense at this point.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Slap Shot said:
Scooby has it right.
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It would indeed be real fun to have a team that surprises on the upside by totally exceeding expectations. For those who are expecting this to actually happen, I would love to hear WHY they believe it will happen.
 
HarleyMC said:
Lucia is in the elite class of winningest active coaches along with Red and Jerry York and he's the winningest coach in Gopher history, so it's doubtful he will EVER be fired...period. Like every season, preseason polls mean very little in terms of season outcomes and NCs.
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I personally believe he's earned the right to decide when he retires, then again I know the Lucia family on a personal level, so maybe I'm biased.

It wasn't too long ago after the departure of Haula, Schmidt and Bjugstad, that a young team that wasn't expected to do much surprised a lot of people. Why isn't it possible to do that again?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

ShotFromThePoint said:
I personally believe he's earned the right to decide when he retires, then again I know the Lucia family on a personal level, so maybe I'm biased.

It wasn't too long ago after the departure of Haula, Schmidt and Bjugstad, that a young team that wasn't expected to do much surprised a lot of people. Why isn't it possible to do that again?
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Worst case scenario, he'll be "asked" to retire, much like the Berenson speculation over the past season or so, and that doesn't bother me one bit. They both have punched their own ticket, as far as I am concerned.
 
D2D said:
It would indeed be real fun to have a team that surprises on the upside by totally exceeding expectations. For those who are expecting this to actually happen, I would love to hear WHY they believe it will happen.
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This program rarely reloads. They don't return the little sisters of the poor talent and have an extremely strong class of kids coming in. The returning players are going to be motivated to avoid the locker room crap that went on last year. The coaches ate a ton of humble pie over their own mistakes and will be motivated. I think they're too young to peg for a FF but I will be surprised if they miss the tourney if the play in net is a bit better than last year. To be honest I'm far more surprised my the pessimism over the squad especially what the program did the year after they had their last major talent exodus just a few short years ago.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

D2D said:
It would indeed be real fun to have a team that surprises on the upside by totally exceeding expectations. For those who are expecting this to actually happen, I would love to hear WHY they believe it will happen.
Click to expand...
I just like the feel of it coming in. Little to no expectations and a young team that will have to earn everything they get.

Maybe I've already been hitting the maroon and gold koolaid while wearing my maroon and gold glasses, but I just have a good feeling about this squad. Not national championship potential necessarily, but there is no reason in the (probably weak) B1G that this team can't challenge for there fifth straight conference title, win the B1G tourney which is back at the X this year, and maybe make a run in the West Regional which is also at the X.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

ShotFromThePoint said:
Why isn't it possible to do that again?
Click to expand...

My guess isn't that most expect a poor season or don't believe it is possible for this team to do very well. They always have good talent coming in and it is never possible to predict how well players will adapt. I don't know that this incoming class has as high of expectations as the one a couple years ago, but on the other hand, they could exceed expectations. But more often than not, when a lot of upper class talent is lost and a team has to count on some players taking big steps and some freshman contributing at a high level, including goaltending, then there are more chances they will come up short in an area. Many of the recent Champions weren't picked to win it all before the season, but things fell into place for those teams with chemistry, and players exceeding expectations. So I am guessing most accept that there are the basic building blocks of a good team, the odds of them ending near the top just aren't as good as if this team had more returning goals scoring, top end defense and a proven goalie. I would guess that the pessimism is just based on knowing the Gophs have some gaps to fill and the uncertainty in that.

As for Scoobs being optimistic, the sky hasn't fallen, YET, but I am keeping an eye turned up.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Brenthoven said:
Worst case scenario, he'll be "asked" to retire, much like the Berenson speculation over the past season or so, and that doesn't bother me one bit. They both have punched their own ticket, as far as I am concerned.
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I don't see Lucia being asked to retire or fired. One season where they under-performed (with some of the issues reportedly student leadership related) following a year of exceeding expectations and some people want to see him gone. I just don't get it. Yes it has been awhile, but he does have 2 NC's and he's had teams that have performed well in a lot of those years. He has elevated himself to the level of a lot of well respected coaches in D1 history. I don't see an AD getting rid of him anytime soon. The program would have to crash for a number of seasons, which I don't see happening. I don't see how people can say there is a clear choice to replace Lucia with a coach who has a better track record. And I can't understand why it is discussed before the season even starts. Let's wait for a couple losing seasons and then revisit it.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Of course the national tournament is what matters. But it would be sweet music to pull off the threepeat in the B1G.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Let's face it. The locker room for whatever reason was toxic last year. That's what cost them. I'm guessing it won't continue. They have a lot of talent. If the goalies are serviceable (which is all Wilcox was last year anyway) they'll be fine.

I personally still do not understand the toxicity that occurred but that's been one of my blindspots for years.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Who will play between the pipes this year? That will be the biggest question.

Goalie by committee?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Koho - this program has often done the most when expected to do the least under tDon. Like I said they have the talent and I have a good feeling the chemistry issues won't repeat themselves.

Expect Schierhorn to get the bulk of the work in net by year's end.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Off Season Thread 2015

Yeah, at the women's game I heard someone connected with the program say it was looking like Schierhorn.
 
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