Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

yep, there's that vaunted leadership etc that one poster kept harping on ("but wait those next two years when they're an upperclassmen team").

man, if this is what constitutes the highs under the Eaves regime we're in for a longer down period than I thought.

Yeah, Baghdad Bob's been strangely absent. Probably cleaning Eaves' house or something.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Ambroz had quite the weekend with 4 goals, nice to see upperclassmen step up.

This team is deep as far as goal scorers go, huge when it's late in a game and you can still put out your 3rd line.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

MN got outplayed for most of tonight, IMO. We just struck at the right times. And TWOCOX came up huge.

I hope our supposed "D-men" get a LOT of work in practice this week.

 

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Thanks for the six points.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Mersch made me so happy by knocking the puck in to tie it, but then that pass... I can't wait for next week - I'm in that mindset where I want to see them play as many games as possible because I know I'll see some wins in there.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

What the hell was that?

That was the first time either team swept the other since February of 2009, and it came in a year when BOTH teams are (supposed to be) good at the same time? Awful. Just awful.

well...remember who was telling us UW would be a frozen four contender...

From 04 into 05 then 06 you could feel and see something good was happening, the team was building and developing and getting much much stronger. Does anyone feel that or see something special happening right now for UW? Did 2011 build into 2012 that built into 2013?

somebody pass me a 6'er of some thinner

 

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Weird saying 6pts

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Yeah, Baghdad Bob's been strangely absent. Probably cleaning Eaves' house or something.

nice! Or he could be procuring the mountain climbing gear

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

If Serratore was any kind of a hitter, we'd have crushed you guys tonight.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

MN got outplayed for most of tonight, IMO. We just struck at the right times. And TWOCOX came up huge.

I hope our supposed "D-men" get a LOT of work in practice this week.

I don't know about that, from my seat it looked like both teams carried play for stretches. When the Gophers started applying pressure on their forecheck instead of letting Wisconsin carry the puck out virtually uncontested, they got some pretty good pressure on Rumpel.

Both teams made a few costly turnovers that ended up in the back of the net. Really great atmosphere.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Just think of poor Sam Gore from ESPNU --sitting at home crying in his beer at the thought he could have used the term "unforced error" twice tonight!

 

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

I don't know about that, from my seat it looked like both teams carried play for stretches. When the Gophers started applying pressure on their forecheck instead of letting Wisconsin carry the puck out virtually uncontested, they got some pretty good pressure on Rumpel.

Both teams made a few costly turnovers that ended up in the back of the net. Really great atmosphere.

I'd say for sure the first half of the game was WI, after that, it was 50/50 at best. *shrug* I was so disgusted by our D tonight and yet again our supposed "power play" that I may have some tilt to my view.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I'd say for sure the first half of the game was WI, after that, it was 50/50 at best. *shrug* I was so disgusted by our D tonight and yet again our supposed "power play" that I may have some tilt to my view.

Absolutely agree. First full period and start of the second they controlled play. We made it far too easy to escape their zone. I'd say turning point was Serratore and Ambroz getting physical on fore check. Led to turnovers as game went on.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Badgers showed a much higher compete level tonight, executed their game plan well and were the better team for 2 periods. But they weren't in the 3rd.

Way too many turnovers by MN tonight.
This team struggles when they are forced to dump the puck rather than carry it into the offensive zone. There is 1 line that can really handle it against a physical team, maybe 2 when Rau and Fasching get their motors going in overdrive.

On the plus side, the PP in the third was better than it's looked all year. Hopefully that was something to build off of. Overall the Gophers played a very good 3rd period. Luckily, when your opponent rarely scores goals in bunches, the 3rd is where the game is likely to be won or lost.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Much better game today, but man is it hard to be a good sport and congratulate the rodents on a sweep well earned when I'm so ready to instead rant about how disappointing our team is.

I guess all you gopher fans can better understand now why our fanbase is such a frustrated, lifeless lot these days.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

Much better game today, but man is it hard to be a good sport and congratulate the rodents on a sweep well earned when I'm so ready to instead rant about how disappointing our team is.

I guess all you gopher fans can better understand now why our fanbase is such a frustrated, lifeless lot these days.

Hard to congrats you all on a helluva game when I was hiding all the sharp objects during the 2nd period....

 

[state of hockey]

Hard to congrats you all on a helluva game when I was hiding all the sharp objects during the 2nd period....

Yeah, I was fully expecting Wisconsin to pot a couple quickly to make it 4-1 by the end of the second. Thankfully right when I was thinking that the Gophers leveled it out.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

that's the game I want to see; Badger's doing what they do best, Gopher's doing what they do best. Isn't that the game we all want to see? Not a whistlefest for a period and a half. Let 'em get out and play and may the best team win. Here's hoping.

Congratulations to the Gophers. I got my wish for the most part, and as I expected, it was a very good hockey game to watch. Like a heavy weight match up with lot's of momentum swings; each team coming back off the ropes and mounting charges throughout the game. Some big stops by both goalies at key moments; PP's were 1-5 and would have liked to have another one or two for Bucky just on principle, but no doubt that the Gophers created some of their chances, especially the one late where a Badger penalty in front definitely saved a goal. Hat's off to the Goph's for burying the Badger mistakes when they had to, we gave the puck away twice in ways that must never happen and you batted 1.000 on them. Tough lesson to learn there for the guys, hopefully it'll sink in... If it does and we can get on a bit of a roll here, (which I think we will) when we meet up again in the Kohl Center we'll all be treated to an epic showdown. Looking forward to it!

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I'd say for sure the first half of the game was WI, after that, it was 50/50 at best. *shrug* I was so disgusted by our D tonight and yet again our supposed "power play" that I may have some tilt to my view.

No arguments with the first half of the game. UW certainly controlled play for most of the first half. But biggest problem for me (and I'm just going by what I saw at the game as I haven't watched the recording yet) was our complete lack of a forecheck. We'd dump the puck in and they would just carry the puck right back out. We weren't hitting or battlling for pucks worth crap. Starting mid 2nd period the Serratore and Ambroz line started throwing their bodies around more and were playing much stronger on the puck in the offensive zone. Those shifts carried into other shifts and we had some good stretches with some great zone time. Can't wait until the game is half over against good teams though.

As for our defense, we were a little too cute or laxidasical with our passing on the break out at times. I'd like to see quicker decisions and crisper passes. Two of Wisconsin's goals came off turnovers on poor breakout passes, but first one was a pass by Warning, not a defenseman. The second goal was the result of Marshall falling down, leading to a failed breakout. Wisconsin kept the puck in the zone, and guys got tired out. Then, when we did get the puck moving up ice, guys had to get off because they were winded and we made a bad line change. That goal was the immediate result of a bad line change, but you can trace it all the way back to Marshall falling down on a breakout that led to extended zone time for UW.

Not a pretty game by the Gophers, but it is a good sign when a team can win when not playing their best. Plenty for this team to work on.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin: 11/29 & 11/30

But biggest problem for me (and I'm just going by what I saw at the game as I haven't watched the recording yet) was our complete lack of a forecheck. We'd dump the puck in and they would just carry the puck right back out. We weren't hitting or battlling for pucks worth crap.

Completely agree. If the game were decided by possession time in the offensive zone, Wisconsin would have won easily. This is a real concern and falls into that "plenty for this team to work on" category. I do have to admire the way the Gophers were able to come back and establish a much better forecheck in the 3rd, which I agree was triggered by the Boyd line that started to play much more physical later in the 2nd and continuing into and throughout the 3rd. That line was not only the best offensively but was also the most physical, which I suspect was not a coincidence.