Driftryder
Gopher Hockey
Minnesota travels to Madison to take on the Badgers Friday night at 7pm (FSN) and Saturday at 5pm (FSN). Wisconsin is coming off a bye week while Minnesota swept Michigan at Mariucci.
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Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
- Thread starter Driftryder
- Start date
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
So the rodents had a bye week too last week eh?
So the rodents had a bye week too last week eh?
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
I have no problem admitting the Gophers had several bye weeks recently - Michigan, Mass, Mercyhurst...including 6 of the last 8 games at home with the other two being at MSU.
I would also add we don't lose on our bye weeks.
I have no problem admitting the Gophers had several bye weeks recently - Michigan, Mass, Mercyhurst...including 6 of the last 8 games at home with the other two being at MSU.
I would also add we don't lose on our bye weeks.
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
The Gophers received some terrible news following Saturday's game against Michigan: center Tommy Novak will miss the rest of the season due to injury. While there are bodies available to fill the hole I'm concerned that his absence will have a negative impact on the chemistry we've seen develop since just before the winter break. After a lot of early season line-juggling Minnesota's coaches have settled in with a top line of Pitlick/Kloos/Sheehy with Novak anchoring the second line. Although I would expect the first line to remain intact it remains to be seen how lines 2-4 will be put together. Coming off a hat trick on Saturday, Vinni Lettieri has been very effective at his right wing position on Novak's line, but I wonder if the coaches will now decide to move him to center where he's had some previous experience? If I recall correctly the last time he played center was back in early November against North Dakota. Another option would be to slide current third line center Mike Szmatula up to the second and then patching up lines three and four with whatever works best in practice this week.
Of course injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and teams have to adjust. It's just too bad this one is serious enough to cause such a good player like Novak to miss almost a half season, coming at a time right before the Gophers play a much-improved opponent in Wisconsin, a team that's coming off a series sweep over Michigan State and will again have home ice advantage vs. the Gophers.
Given the circumstances I'd be OK with a split in this one.
The Gophers received some terrible news following Saturday's game against Michigan: center Tommy Novak will miss the rest of the season due to injury. While there are bodies available to fill the hole I'm concerned that his absence will have a negative impact on the chemistry we've seen develop since just before the winter break. After a lot of early season line-juggling Minnesota's coaches have settled in with a top line of Pitlick/Kloos/Sheehy with Novak anchoring the second line. Although I would expect the first line to remain intact it remains to be seen how lines 2-4 will be put together. Coming off a hat trick on Saturday, Vinni Lettieri has been very effective at his right wing position on Novak's line, but I wonder if the coaches will now decide to move him to center where he's had some previous experience? If I recall correctly the last time he played center was back in early November against North Dakota. Another option would be to slide current third line center Mike Szmatula up to the second and then patching up lines three and four with whatever works best in practice this week.
Of course injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and teams have to adjust. It's just too bad this one is serious enough to cause such a good player like Novak to miss almost a half season, coming at a time right before the Gophers play a much-improved opponent in Wisconsin, a team that's coming off a series sweep over Michigan State and will again have home ice advantage vs. the Gophers.
Given the circumstances I'd be OK with a split in this one.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
I can't necessarily argue with that one. I don't know anything about the rodent goaltending situation other than they always suck. I think G2O will have Berry and Jurusik each start a game. Jurusik makes me very nervous but he's more athletic than Berry, who is more consistent. I'd go with Berry for both.
I can't necessarily argue with that one. I don't know anything about the rodent goaltending situation other than they always suck. I think G2O will have Berry and Jurusik each start a game. Jurusik makes me very nervous but he's more athletic than Berry, who is more consistent. I'd go with Berry for both.
Timothy A
Let's go RED!
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
FYP...and not losing on your bye weeks is an improvement. I'd really like nothing more than for UW and UM to sweep the ccha imports under the rug and cast the adopted stepchild in front of a train. Let's make it happen.
FYP...and not losing on your bye weeks is an improvement. I'd really like nothing more than for UW and UM to sweep the ccha imports under the rug and cast the adopted stepchild in front of a train. Let's make it happen.
solovsfett
Registered User
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
6er's of Alaskan err thinner: check. Hate: check. Tickets for Saturday night: check.
Wisconsin may give up 10 goals this weekend but they could also score 12 and make us very happy.
What was it the D used to tell Jim Carey? "Hold em' to three and we'll win"...I'd love to see some of that swagger emerge with G2O's squads.
Maybe Duane Derksen and say Kelly Fairchild, Paul Ranheim or Steve Tuttle could come back and give the boys a quick pep talk. Fly in Mellanby and CUJO as well. This series will be a great barometer of uw's progress.
6er's of Alaskan err thinner: check. Hate: check. Tickets for Saturday night: check.
Wisconsin may give up 10 goals this weekend but they could also score 12 and make us very happy.
What was it the D used to tell Jim Carey? "Hold em' to three and we'll win"...I'd love to see some of that swagger emerge with G2O's squads.
Maybe Duane Derksen and say Kelly Fairchild, Paul Ranheim or Steve Tuttle could come back and give the boys a quick pep talk. Fly in Mellanby and CUJO as well. This series will be a great barometer of uw's progress.
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Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
I always thought a "mixed" booth was always a nice way to watch a game - both perspectives presented. No one was overly homer - it was a sports equivalent of "checks and balances". They should try to do it more often.
I always thought a "mixed" booth was always a nice way to watch a game - both perspectives presented. No one was overly homer - it was a sports equivalent of "checks and balances". They should try to do it more often.
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
Looks like we're heading into a border battle weekend. I'd be remiss if I didn't remind people the Gophers have a better athletics program than Wisconsin. We've won the border battle 7 of the last 8 years http://www.gophersports.com/ot/border-battle.html and won 9 straight border battle games this year http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/010717aac.html heading into this weekend.
Looks like we're heading into a border battle weekend. I'd be remiss if I didn't remind people the Gophers have a better athletics program than Wisconsin. We've won the border battle 7 of the last 8 years http://www.gophersports.com/ot/border-battle.html and won 9 straight border battle games this year http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-baskbl/recaps/010717aac.html heading into this weekend.
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
I always thought Sagissor had one of the cheesiest broadcasting voices when watching the Badgers games on satellite, like he belonged on an FM morning radio show.
Gooooooooood Morningggggggggggg Madison.
It appears he is a very successful professional businessman now.
I always thought Sagissor had one of the cheesiest broadcasting voices when watching the Badgers games on satellite, like he belonged on an FM morning radio show.
Gooooooooood Morningggggggggggg Madison.
It appears he is a very successful professional businessman now.
gopher wes
Dammit, Gorilla!!
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
Wilcox: '13-'14 B1G First Team, B1G Player of the Year, and a Hobey Baker Award finalist. Was a top 6 goaltender in the country his freshman season('12-'13) back in those WCHA days that everyone seems to pine for.
Schierhorn: '15-'16 B1G First Team & Goaltender of the Year
Schierhorn has struggled this year(thankfully not as much of late) for sure but he was their best player a year ago. I'd agree with you that the Gophers had their fair share of goaltending issues before Wilcox, but you're selling these two guys short in saying that the goaltending situation "always sucks".....
Yep, they always suck.....
Wilcox: '13-'14 B1G First Team, B1G Player of the Year, and a Hobey Baker Award finalist. Was a top 6 goaltender in the country his freshman season('12-'13) back in those WCHA days that everyone seems to pine for.
Schierhorn: '15-'16 B1G First Team & Goaltender of the Year
Schierhorn has struggled this year(thankfully not as much of late) for sure but he was their best player a year ago. I'd agree with you that the Gophers had their fair share of goaltending issues before Wilcox, but you're selling these two guys short in saying that the goaltending situation "always sucks".....
Re: Minnesota @ Wisconsin: 1/20 & 1/21
If you take hockey out of the picture, I would rather win the football game and lose every single other matchup than win the scored Border Battle.