Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

We very infrequently put the puck in the net. If we have set up plays (including crashing the net), we need to teach them better.

Maybe they could learn a thing or two from the ladies' team, who beat St. Lawrence 10-0 today. The No. 1 Star of the Game, Kelly Pannek, scored three and all of them came from within 5 feet of the goalie.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Maybe they could learn a thing or two from the ladies' team, who beat St. Lawrence 10-0 today. The No. 1 Star of the Game, Kelly Pannek, scored three and all of them came from within 5 feet of the goalie.

Two hat tricks for the women today, per their tweeter feed.

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

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[JoeGopher]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

I can only echo what others have said regarding shot selection - too many shots to the gut and many easy saves that went off of the leg pads and the goalie's did not have to make a move. I certainly can't do better, but it is a little frustrating.

As for individual players, I think Fasching played one of his best games of the year Saturday. Until the Goal, Rau has been silent. Warning has been lagging for the last 6-8 games and I continually see him dragging up the ice to try and catch up. C. Reilly has been a beast and potentially the best player over the same time period. And Isackson has been terrible this year. Always looks lost and creates more problems than chances.

Hopefully they can get their heads and game straight by this weekend in Ann Arbor.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

And Isackson has been terrible this year

Pretty much every year, he has been a bust imo. I would rather play R Reilly or Hogland on the 4th line and have him sit in the stands.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Maybe they could learn a thing or two from the ladies' team, who beat St. Lawrence 10-0 today. The No. 1 Star of the Game, Kelly Pannek, scored three and all of them came from within 5 feet of the goalie.

It was St. Lawrence's second game of the weekend...and the ladies teams' first. That was the same scenario under which the men's team lost to Northeastern. Still must have been a solid effort and St. Lawrence is a good team.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Pretty much every year, he has been a bust imo. I would rather play R Reilly or Hogland on the 4th line and have him sit in the stands.

Agreed. R Reilly plays crazy hard and it would be nice to give a freshman Hogland a chance to see if he can escape the 4th line.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Hoglund* is a big kid too, maybe a physical presence can add some spark to the lineup...?

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Hoglund has had a few chances. The fact he was a healthy scratch to roll 11 forwards is probably not a good sign for him at this point.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Hoglund has had a few chances. The fact he was a healthy scratch to roll 11 forwards is probably not a good sign for him at this point.

Probably true but Hoglund can't be any worse than Isackson is at times IMO.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Probably true but Hoglund can't be any worse than Isackson is at times IMO.

They're both bad but Isackson is a senior and can pretend to be a center so he gets in there.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

It was St. Lawrence's second game of the weekend...and the ladies teams' first. That was the same scenario under which the men's team lost to Northeastern. Still must have been a solid effort and St. Lawrence is a good team.

ANY team should be able to play two games in two successive days! And if it had gone the other way, say the Gophers would have lost, I suppose the team could blame it on "rust" as that was their first game after a month of inactivity. I don't think it was a case of St. Lawrence being tired (after their light tuneup the day before in Mankato) because the Gophers jumped all over them from the opening faceoff, scoring three goals in the first period. But regardless my original point was that the women found ways to score from in close, whether it be rebounds, tip-ins or quick passes to players fighting for position in and around the paint. For the most part men's team is not doing those things, and instead is mostly relying on perfectly timed and placed one-timers from the perimeter. Having seen both teams play - and generating very similar numbers of shots on goal - I found the contrast in styles to be very telling, and it showed up on the scoreboard.

 

[JoeGopher]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Pretty much every year, he has been a bust imo. I would rather play R Reilly or Hogland on the 4th line and have him sit in the stands.

Yeah, I commented to the guy sitting next to me that not only should he lose his scholarship (if applicable), but should be kicked out of school and black-balled from campus. A little extreme I know, since he may be a really good kid and great student, but his playing days should be over.

I like R. Reilly when he is out there. I think Hoglund has at least looked like he was giving effort when on the ice. A lot of players on this team could take a lesson from that.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Again, I really have to shake my head when I see so much vitriol for Isackson and the guys waffling between the 3rd/4th lines. Those bottom 3-4 forwards are not what is causing this team to struggle.

When looking at guys like Isackson your assessment has to be tempered against expectations. He is not a "go-to" type player, he is a role player. And he has been playing his role fairly well. His passing has been better this year than any year previously. His positional and defensive play has been better than any year previously. He is even in +/-, one behind Rau, Marshall and Ambroz and better than C Reilly.

Similar to after the MSU series...Isackson was a +1 this past weekend and involved on an important goal at the start of the game on Saturday. At the same time, Cammarata had 1 assist on the weekend and was a -2; Kloos had no points and was a -3; Marshall was a -2 and M Reilly was on the ice for 3 of the 5 goals against.

I realize I come off as a total Isackson apologist. That's really not the case, as I agree he has never lived up to his potential. But to point the finger at him, or other 3rd/4th line guys, when week after week there are poor performances from guys that get a lot more ice time and that the team expects much more from....it just seems crazy.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Again, I really have to shake my head when I see so much vitriol for Isackson and the guys waffling between the 3rd/4th lines. Those bottom 3-4 forwards are not what is causing this team to struggle.

When looking at guys like Isackson your assessment has to be tempered against expectations. He is not a "go-to" type player, he is a role player. And he has been playing his role fairly well. His passing has been better this year than any year previously. His positional and defensive play has been better than any year previously. He is even in +/-, one behind Rau, Marshall and Ambroz and better than C Reilly.

Similar to after the MSU series...Isackson was a +1 this past weekend and involved on an important goal at the start of the game on Saturday. At the same time, Cammarata had 1 assist on the weekend and was a -2; Kloos had no points and was a -3; Marshall was a -2 and M Reilly was on the ice for 3 of the 5 goals against.

I realize I come off as a total Isackson apologist. That's really not the case, as I agree he has never lived up to his potential. But to point the finger at him, or other 3rd/4th line guys, when week after week there are poor performances from guys that get a lot more ice time and that the team expects much more from....it just seems crazy.

Well said. I was pretty critical of Mike Reilly on Twitter Friday. Didn't think he had a good game at all. He's a big piece to this team (as are some of the others you mentioned). Can't imagine some of these guys came back just to let this season slip away. It takes commitment and attention to detail to win at this level. Talent isn't enough. Hope they figure that out.

 

[JoeGopher]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Agreed on Cammarata. Also made points about Sam "Houdini" Warning as well as Rau being silent.

I get your point about Isackson, and I will stop harping. There are a lot of 1st and 2nd line guys that need to decide what they want to do with this season, and do it in a hurry before it slips away. Maybe the high expectations at the beginning were way off, or they are feeling the pressure?

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Again, I really have to shake my head when I see so much vitriol for Isackson and the guys waffling between the 3rd/4th lines. Those bottom 3-4 forwards are not what is causing this team to struggle.

When looking at guys like Isackson your assessment has to be tempered against expectations. He is not a "go-to" type player, he is a role player.

I tend to agree Stauber, it was only a couple seasons ago when he was skating with Bjugs, Rau and Haula at times on the first line (2012-13) and that was his best season so far. But you're exactly right, he's a role player with some decent stick handling skills who seems to thrive with a strong supporting cast that taps into his potential. But being where he's at now on the 4th he's never going to come close to putting up those 2012-13 numbers again. But I don't see him improving his game enough this season to land anywhere else.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

I'm not sure he ever thrived power see, but the right he was the lucky recipient of sine quantity talent on the ice. However, I think he was eventually relegated because he wasn't able to sufficiently reciprocate. Dazzling stick handling at times that far too often resulted with him losing possession before either he or his linemates could benefit. But I'll never foo SO far as to bash him, he is what he is.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

Agreed on Cammarata. Also made points about Sam "Houdini" Warning as well as Rau being silent.

I get your point about Isackson, and I will stop harping. There are a lot of 1st and 2nd line guys that need to decide what they want to do with this season, and do it in a hurry before it slips away. Maybe the high expectations at the beginning were way off, or they are feeling the pressure?

Agree with you on #11. He has always kinda been that way IMO. More consistency out of him would definitely be desirable.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: 2014-2015

I'm not sure he ever thrived power see, but the right he was the lucky recipient of sine quantity talent on the ice. However, I think he was eventually relegated because he wasn't able to sufficiently reciprocate. Dazzling stick handling at times that far too often resulted with him losing possession before either he or his linemates could benefit. But I'll never foo SO far as to bash him, he is what he is.

Agree, I didn't think he thrived with the big boys and still think back to how the heck he ended up skating with that line. I don't bash him I guess, but I get a little frustrated with him at times and mixing up the lineup isn't a bad thing.

Never said that Isackson (or anyone on the 3rd or 4th lines) is necessarily the reason for the team's struggles as others have said though.