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Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

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Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

5mn_Major said:
I'll jump in on last weekend. I made the trip to South Bend...and the arena is like a very cold Ridder. As the arena was so small, the sight line from the SRO area is great.

There are thoughts that the guys looked soft on Friday. I can tell you that that was not the case. The third period was not that the Gophers fell apart...it was that the Bulldogs found their legs. They are a very good team. That Toninato, Iafallo line is awesome and might have completed the comeback. Indeed, I figured they would dispatch ND on their home ice...and indeed they dominated and dispatched ND.

Again, I'd say the Gophers looked equivalent on both Friday and Sunday...RPI is not UMD.
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Hard to tell what was happening with less than great angles, poor editing and almost no replays. But what I remember from the Gophs last year when they were playing at their best (games like BC) was that they would have long extended periods of puck possession in the offensive end, where the other team was just frustrated trying to get out. And when they did, the relentless pursuit often turns things back around on a quick transition. Didn't see a lot of that in South Bend nor loads of scoring chances. Maybe I just remember them at absolute best last year, but I expect this team to have more games like that than last year.

Didn't think they looked sub-par, just not as effective as they should be capable with this year's roster. And I would rather see them build up their intensity through the year than come hot out of gates and not be on upswing at the end.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Koho said:
Hard to tell what was happening with less than great angles, poor editing and almost no replays. But what I remember from the Gophs last year when they were playing at their best (games like BC) was that they would have long extended periods of puck possession in the offensive end, where the other team was just frustrated trying to get out. And when they did, the relentless pursuit often turns things back around on a quick transition. Didn't see a lot of that in South Bend nor loads of scoring chances. Maybe I just remember them at absolute best last year, but I expect this team to have more games like that than last year.

Didn't think they looked sub-par, just not as effective as they should be capable with this year's roster. And I would rather see them build up their intensity through the year than come hot out of gates and not be on upswing at the end.
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Boy, I don't remember them having long periods of possession to start the year last year. Especially in the early part of the season (including against BC), they really were a transition team. At least that's how I recall it.
 
Koho said:
Hard to tell what was happening with less than great angles, poor editing and almost no replays. But what I remember from the Gophs last year when they were playing at their best (games like BC) was that they would have long extended periods of puck possession in the offensive end, where the other team was just frustrated trying to get out. And when they did, the relentless pursuit often turns things back around on a quick transition. Didn't see a lot of that in South Bend nor loads of scoring chances. Maybe I just remember them at absolute best last year, but I expect this team to have more games like that than last year.

Didn't think they looked sub-par, just not as effective as they should be capable with this year's roster. And I would rather see them build up their intensity through the year than come hot out of gates and not be on upswing at the end.
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It's October, have a beer and a cigar and just enjoy watching. tDon will have them firing on all cylinders soon enough.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

SanTropez said:
It's October, have a beer and a cigar and just enjoy watching. tDon will have them firing on all cylinders soon enough.
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Not a cigar fan. have to make it 2 beers. Not worried, either, just trying to get a little hockey talk going. Not like I'm insiting they have to move a D to F this year....
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Stauber1 said:
Boy, I don't remember them having long periods of possession to start the year last year. Especially in the early part of the season (including against BC), they really were a transition team. At least that's how I recall it.
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I think this is more accurate. I felt they played well for where they're at...and the great players did make great plays. Lucia usually has these guys a bit sharper than other teams early in the year...but total spot on passing will take a bit more time. I think by the time we played BC we were pretty much on our way...I'm figuring the same will be the case this year. Again UMD is good.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Koho said:
Not a cigar fan. have to make it 2 beers. Not worried, either, just trying to get a little hockey talk going. Not like I'm insiting they have to move a D to F this year....
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Not a fan of cigars? What are you smoking, Swishers? :p;)
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Collins was pretty rocky this weekend even with Skjei working with him on ice. He called for quite a few pucks and mishandled them or missed passes. He'll take some time to get up to speed.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

How did Johnson look in person? On the feed at least what I could see, he looked pretty calm for a freshmen. He may quietly turn into a solid D man.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Driftryder said:
How did Johnson look in person? On the feed at least what I could see, he looked pretty calm for a freshmen. He may quietly turn into a solid D man.
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He was pretty decent. Glover was probably a hair better...but they were close and about what one would expect.

My expectations were highest for Reilly. And sure enough he was absolutely lights out fantastic. Next was for Kloos. Outside of a few blazing rushes, I didn't see as much from him. Rau has always had a nose for the net...but I actually feel that he has taken it up a notch and turned into both a serious playmaker as well as most determined when on the ice (not the flash of Reilly but very close in terms of level of play). And of course Fasching as MVP had a very good weekend.
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Because line speculation is so much fun, :) here is last weeks lineup against RPI, where do we think Bristedt will fit in? What would be the lineup you would like to see happen?

C Reilly - Rau - Fasching
Warning - Kloos - Cammarata
Lettieri - Boyd - Ambroz
Michaelson - Isackson - Hoglund

Maybe Warning up with Rau and Fasching, then Bristedt with Kloos and Cammarata? C Reilly on the 3rd line. Seems to be quite a few options tDon could go with early in the season.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Hard to say. I think the staff is going to give Bristedt every chance (and more) to be a superstar. I wouldn't be surprised if they put him on line 1 with Rau and Fasching. Kept Kloos, Cammarata, and Warning together. Moved C Reilly to line 3 with Vinnie moving back down to 4.

And that appears to fit as he's a leftie.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

How big is Bristedt? The Warning-Kloos-Cammy line is pretty small, that's why I ask.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

That's the challenge by moving Bristedt up is that he adds small to small. But I wouldn't be surprised if they do it anyways. They always try to put freshmen with potential with the team studs. Last weekend, they coupled Glover with Reilly, Collins with Skjei and Johnson with...maybe Marshall?
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Well, I was searching for a UMD or a UMD v MSU thread to say Duluth got jobbed on that major but all I could find was last year's Duluth season thread
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

dxmnkd316 said:
Well, I was searching for a UMD or a UMD v MSU thread to say Duluth got jobbed on that major but all I could find was last year's Duluth season thread
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Watching this UMD-MSU game reminds me that the one positive about the Big10 was losing that Shepherd infested officiating culture.
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Yeah I have been watching this game, holy **** do the refs want to be part of the game, it's terrible.

That major against UMD was bad, wow just some crappy reffing..
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Calling it contact to the head was absolutely horrible.
I could see the argument for a major boarding, due to the point of emphasis on eliminating blind side hits (which I think it qualified as). But contact to the head? No.

This is the 2nd week in a row now where WCHA officials have made erroneous contact to the head calls. I think both could have been argued as hits to unsuspecting/vulnerable players (tonight's more so than last weeks), but the league needs to make sure they are giving the correct reason for making the call (especially when additional disciplinary action is taken). Otherwise it just fosters resentment and anger among member schools within the league and makes the necessary task of eliminating dangerous hits even more difficult.

EDIT: My mistake, I see Shepherd and think WCHA officials, but this could well be an NCHC crew seeing as the game is in Duluth? Not sure but that would make sense. Either way, the Shepherds do games for both leagues and I think the point remains to some extent.
 
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Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

No. 2 Gopher women soundly defeat No. 1-rated Wisconsin tonight 4-1. :cool:
 
Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

I feel that while Brodzinski brings more offensively, but Bischoff brings more defensively. (Many people seem to think Brodzinski is better from posts, but offensive skill is more obvious to people who haven't played the game or watched as much.) Thoughts?
 
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