Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

[SanTropez]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

If mich state has D problems the big rink should expose that fairly quickly.

 

[UMICH]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

While I see the point about Hildebrand...the Gophs seem to get nailed from breakaway counterattacks (i.e., U MI and Harvard). If MSU is incapable of that, even a strong Hildebrand may not be enough to help.

Don't worry about sparty, they are horrible! You have nothing to worry about.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

You are welcome in advance for the six points, and we all thank you for your contribution in our quest for a new coaching staff.

Just my .02 worth, but Anastos has only been at it for 4 full seasons which is not a lot of time for a college coach given the high rate of student-athlete turnover and lengthy recruiting cycles. Granted the W/L record right now looks bleak and unless MSU starts stringing some wins together quick, this could be the absolute worst season in 25 years. But considering the shape Comley left the team in before Anastos came on board, I wonder whether a coaching change is really in the works with Hollis or if he'll decide to stay the course with him?

 

[UMICH]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Just my .02 worth, but Anastos has only been at it for 4 full seasons which is not a lot of time for a college coach given the high rate of student-athlete turnover and lengthy recruiting cycles. Granted the W/L record right now looks bleak and unless MSU starts stringing some wins together quick, this could be the absolute worst season in 25 years. But considering the shape Comley left the team in before Anastos came on board, I wonder whether a coaching change is really in the works with Hollis or if he'll decide to stay the course with him?

From an outsides perspective I think that Anastos will, at the very least, be given one more year. Hollis just gave him an extension, am I right? The thing that I see that supports a lot of the fans here though is I've only saw regression from sparty hockey over the last for years. There really hasn't been an ounce of improvement (granted I'm not an avid sparty hockey fan so I do no know for sure). sparty fans my not like this but Anastos is to hockey at sparty what Hoke was to Michigan football. Of course football is in a larger spot-light due to money and popularity nationally but you see my point.

 

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Just my .02 worth, but Anastos has only been at it for 4 full seasons which is not a lot of time for a college coach given the high rate of student-athlete turnover and lengthy recruiting cycles. Granted the W/L record right now looks bleak and unless MSU starts stringing some wins together quick, this could be the absolute worst season in 25 years. But considering the shape Comley left the team in before Anastos came on board, I wonder whether a coaching change is really in the works with Hollis or if he'll decide to stay the course with him?

Anastos, or as I call him, "tCHHCoMSU" (the Current Head Hockey Coach of MSU) is in his 5th year. His first year, he took Comley's team to the NCAA tourney. So I don't see that Rick left the team in such bad shape. That is a myth perpetrated by those that forced his ouster, in my opinion. Not in great shape, but not as bad as it was advertised. The MSU AD interviewed just one person for the job. tCHHCoMSU. Why Mark Hollis hired a guy whose head coaching experience was at, basically the club level, and put him in charge of this program is beyond me. He cannot develop players. They tend to regress instead of improve. This 2016 senior class, will be the first, four year class, in 35 years (1981) not to EVER make the NC tourney. As others have said, this is a "dumpster fire". A rather smelly one at that. This is in NO way, what Michigan State Hockey was, or should be.
He received a extension last year, so he is good until 2017.

 

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Hey thanks for that good overview Spartanforlife4. I know in the past Anastos has favored the NZ trap as a D strategy, has he worked it much this season? The trap has been one of the most effective strategies against the Gophers in recent years.

That's a negative on the NZ trap. They try it, but the D is so tired, they can't make it work. And the O isn't helping much.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Just my .02 worth, but Anastos has only been at it for 4 full seasons which is not a lot of time for a college coach given the high rate of student-athlete turnover and lengthy recruiting cycles. Granted the W/L record right now looks bleak and unless MSU starts stringing some wins together quick, this could be the absolute worst season in 25 years. But considering the shape Comley left the team in before Anastos came on board, I wonder whether a coaching change is really in the works with Hollis or if he'll decide to stay the course with him?

It's year 5 of his 5 year plan describing why we had to be patient in years 1-4 because he wanted to completely rebuild the program. We are simply holding him to his own standard.

UMich, I'm hoping he just got the extension for purposes of recruiting so it didn't look like a lame duck coach. But I guess we'll see.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Watch out, fellow Gopher fans - and especially any Gopher players who might be reading along - this is just one big Sparty setup, or "USCHO trap" if you want to call it that! All this negative talk is obviously designed to get everyone in Gopher Hockeyland feeling very overconfident, even invincible. Those of us who know better simply won't fall for it! And most of all I hope that includes the players, who might just be starting to feel pretty good about themselves. As they should well know by now, there's a fine line between confidence and over-confidence.

 

[UMICH]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Watch out, fellow Gopher fans - and especially any Gopher players who might be reading along - this is just one big Sparty setup, or "USCHO trap" if you want to call it that! All this negative talk is obviously designed to get everyone in Gopher Hockeyland feeling very overconfident, even invincible. Those of us who know better simply won't fall for it! And most of all I hope that includes the players, who might just be starting to feel pretty good about themselves. As they should well know by now, there's a fine line between confidence and over-confidence.

Relax, you're fine (unless Hildebrand stands on his head but even then sparty needs to score).

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Watch out, fellow Gopher fans - and especially any Gopher players who might be reading along - this is just one big Sparty setup, or "USCHO trap" if you want to call it that! All this negative talk is obviously designed to get everyone in Gopher Hockeyland feeling very overconfident, even invincible. Those of us who know better simply won't fall for it! And most of all I hope that includes the players, who might just be starting to feel pretty good about themselves. As they should well know by now, there's a fine line between confidence and over-confidence.

That's been my fear all along.

"it's a trap!!"

 

[John J. MacInnes]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Anastos, or as I call him, "tCHHCoMSU" (the Current Head Hockey Coach of MSU) is in his 5th year. His first year, he took Comley's team to the NCAA tourney. So I don't see that Rick left the team in such bad shape. That is a myth perpetrated by those that forced his ouster, in my opinion. Not in great shape, but not as bad as it was advertised. The MSU AD interviewed just one person for the job. tCHHCoMSU. Why Mark Hollis hired a guy whose head coaching experience was at, basically the club level, and put him in charge of this program is beyond me. He cannot develop players. They tend to regress instead of improve. This 2016 senior class, will be the first, four year class, in 35 years (1981) not to EVER make the NC tourney. As others have said, this is a "dumpster fire". A rather smelly one at that. This is in NO way, what Michigan State Hockey was, or should be.
He received a extension last year, so he is good until 2017.

It's not that the current Spartan team is bad.

It's that they're SO bad, you want to gouge out your own eyes so you don't have to watch them any more.

I do have to give "tCHHCoMSU" credit for solving what people thought was the biggest issue out of the GLI. After blowing a third period lead in two consecutive games, that wasn't an issue in the last series.

 

[captain beefheart]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

You are welcome in advance for the six points, and we all thank you for your contribution in our quest for a new coaching staff.

I think John Hill is available....

 

[owslachief]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Blah blah blah, blah BLAH blah! (blah blah, blah blah and blah). Blah, blah blah:
* Blah blah blah,
* Blah blah, and
* Blah

Blah? blah

 

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

blah = 6pts correct?

 

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

That's been my fear all along.

"it's a trap!!"

If that were only true....

 

[Decatur Spartan]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

It's not that the current Spartan team is bad.

It's that they're SO bad, you want to gouge out your own eyes so you don't have to watch them any more.

I do have to give "tCHHCoMSU" credit for solving what people thought was the biggest issue out of the GLI. After blowing a third period lead in two consecutive games, that wasn't an issue in the last series.

Your second sentence reminds me of Beatrix Kiddo, plucking Elle Drivers eye out of her head in 'Kill Bill 2". And I agree with that sentence.

 

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

blah = 6pts correct?

That's how I understood it. Let's go with it.

 

[Tiggsy]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Watch out, fellow Gopher fans - and especially any Gopher players who might be reading along - this is just one big Sparty setup, or "USCHO trap" if you want to call it that! All this negative talk is obviously designed to get everyone in Gopher Hockeyland feeling very overconfident, even invincible. Those of us who know better simply won't fall for it! And most of all I hope that includes the players, who might just be starting to feel pretty good about themselves. As they should well know by now, there's a fine line between confidence and over-confidence.

Maybe we will become arrogant little jerks too, so we can really feel like we can relate to our team of arrogant little jerks. Nice.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota hosts Michigan State: 1/15 & 1/16

Game news and notes from Gophersports

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/011316aaa.html

Against Michigan State
The Gophers enter this weekend’s series with the Spartans holding a 107-44-15 all-time record against Michigan State while the Maroon & Gold are 6-1-3 in the last 10 games with this weekend’s opponent. Justin Kloos is Minnesota’s active-leading scorer against the Spartans with seven points (two goals, five assists) followed by Hudson Fasching with five points (two goals, three assists -- both have played eight games against Michigan State. Connor Reilly leads all active Gophers with three goals against the Spartans in six career games.

Coming in Hot
Minnesota enters the weekend coming off a 7-1 win last Saturday at No. 14/15 Penn State. The performance marked the Gophers’ largest offensive output of the season (seven goals) as well as their largest margin of victory (+6). Eleven different skaters tallied points for the Maroon & Gold while Hudson Fasching (2-1--3), Justin Kloos (1-3--4) and Nick Seeler (0-2--2) notched multi-point games for the Gophers.

Kloos Set for Game #100
Junior forward Justin Kloos should be set to skate in his 100th career game for the Gophers in Friday’s series opener. Minnesota’s captain this year, Kloos is also the team’s active-leading scorer with 78 points (34 goals, 44 assists) in 99 career college games.

 

[Pirateasaur]

It's not that the current Spartan team is bad.

It's that they're SO bad, you want to gouge out your own eyes so you don't have to watch them any more.

I do have to give "tCHHCoMSU" credit for solving what people thought was the biggest issue out of the GLI. After blowing a third period lead in two consecutive games, that wasn't an issue in the last series.

There was a point earlier in the year where it looked like MSU was perhaps capable of a formidable turnaround. The offense really came to life for about a month and we almost mounted an epic comeback at Boston College. Then we choked away 2 games in a row against tech and ran into the NoDak buzz saw and it has all fallen apart since. Defense and goaltending was spotty all year but now everything is in the ditch and there is no sign of pulling it back together.

We've seen this team play excellent hockey on a few occasions but it has been a long time. The possibility is there for some life to resurface but I'd be confident if I were a gopher fan.