Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I have seen hundreds of GWH games but I have never seen them play as poorly as they did this afternoon.

While that may be true in the first half of the first period, when the Gophers couldn't seem to do anything right, I was pleased with the way they came back and played the rest of the way. They outshot the Badgers 27-12 in the 2nd and 3rd but no one was able to bury the puck despite having several chances that looked like sure goals as well as some other great opportunities. That happens sometimes. Still, for the weekend scoring just two goals in two games has to be a concern for the coaches.

It's always easy to point to the defense for a team's shortcomings, but in this case I don't think it's deserved. Coming into the tournament, if you would have told me that the Gophers would allow just a single goal in games against the likes of UND and Wisconsin I would have taken it in a heartbeat. Much of the credit goes to Leveille, who played extremely well in both games, as she has for the entire second half for that matter.

Hopefully the lack of offense this weekend will prove to be just an anomaly and the Gophers will get it back on track in their final three games!

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I thought it was an exciting game even with a couple of unforced errors around the Gopher net. Two great teams going all out for the win with the wrong one coming out on top.

I'm looking forward to seeing Kendall Coyne play again. Haven't seen her play since the US - Canada game at the Xcel in St Paul on 12/28/13. I think the ice may have melted a bit that afternoon from her and Kelli Stack. I imagine she's still fast? The Gophers had better be ready and I'm sure they will be.

I thought the second period was crazy good, a great example of primo, fantastic women's hockey. Right up until our blooper in front of the net that UW made us pay for. It seemed to take us a few minutes to recover from that but I thought we finished the second period strong. That blooper really got me down. I think the team recovered from it better than I did

Wisconsin played the third period like they had the lead, and we worked hard but couldn't get it done. It's always interesting to me to watch our players play Wisconsin and see all the things that normally work, that do not work against the Badgers, esp when UW is playing so well. Trying to think of what Gophers deserve stars for the game. I think Kate Schipper played really well. I'd say Hannah Brandt except for the ridiculously high standard she has set. Part of me says Brandt didn't deliver because she didn't score, but really I thought Brandt played well. And maybe Sarah Potomak. I think Potomak generally played better than she did in the December series.

5 Games so far and we've won two and lost three. Except for the 4-0 game, they were all toss-ups, but the winner deserved each victory. On the plus side, Wisconsin came out firing on all cylinders and pushed us like crazy out of the gate and throughout the game, and still it could have easily gone our way.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

It's always easy to point to the defense for a team's shortcomings, but in this case I don't think it's deserved.

I think a lot of the breakout passing today was poor, in particular a lot of passes were behind the intended receiver. Wisconsin definitely had something to do with that.

As for the goal, that one's especially hard to blame on the defense. The box score lists four forwards on the ice for us, unless Skarzynski was taking a shift as a defenseman for some reason. And the bad play was Kessel losing her man in the slot. She really doesn't have much of a future as a defenseman, so hopefully she can bring something else to the table.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I think Kate Schipper played really well.

This.

Anyway who thinks this is the worst Minnesota has ever played has a poor memory. It's very hard to look good against Wisconsin. The Badgers do so many things well. For instance, they block more passes than an average team does in a month. I didn't think it was particularly well-played either way -- I think both teams can do better. My biggest regret is that it wasn't very entertaining. Dramatic, maybe, but I don't think that people who aren't fans of women's hockey and happened to see the game on TV are likely to want to attend. If they want to see people knocked down, then can go watch any number of legal checks at a boys'/men's game. I doubt people will go to a game saying, "I hope there will be some good trips and interfering today."

 

[Blackbeard]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I'm looking forward to seeing Kendall Coyne play again. Haven't seen her play since the US - Canada game at the Xcel in St Paul on 12/28/13.

The Brawl in St. Paul...it was certainly memorable.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

As for the goal, that one's especially hard to blame on the defense. The box score lists four forwards on the ice for us, unless Skarzynski was taking a shift as a defenseman for some reason. And the bad play was Kessel losing her man in the slot. She really doesn't have much of a future as a defenseman, so hopefully she can bring something else to the table.

It was a bad turnover by MM, and then McKibbon won a battle with her, HB, and BG for the rebound. Wisconsin eliminated Minnesota players all game; the Gophers needed to do the same. Can't blame Kessel, because she wasn't even on the ice. The box score is messed up. They gave Nurse the assist, when it was Jones taking the shot.

 

[ne7minder]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

This.

Anyway who thinks this is the worst Minnesota has ever played has a poor memory. It's very hard to look good against Wisconsin. The Badgers do so many things well. For instance, they block more passes than an average team does in a month. I didn't think it was particularly well-played either way -- I think both teams can do better. My biggest regret is that it wasn't very entertaining. Dramatic, maybe, but I don't think that people who aren't fans of women's hockey and happened to see the game on TV are likely to want to attend. If they want to see people knocked down, then can go watch any number of legal checks. I doubt people will go to a game saying, "I hope there will be some good trips and interfering today."

My estimate of the worst I have seen them play was based on the shear number of unforced errors made. I understand mistakes get made when good teams are pressuring & allow for that. There were just too many times when the puck was left or set to nobody or just flat mis-played without pressure being applied. I agree that neither team played particularly well (too tight? hard to imagine given the number of big games played by both). Had WI played better it could have been a blow out, had MN played beter they would have won, had bith teams played better it might have been entertaining.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

It was a bad turnover by MM, and then McKibbon won a battle with her, HB, and BG for the rebound. Wisconsin eliminated Minnesota players all game; the Gophers needed to do the same. Can't blame Kessel, because she wasn't even on the ice. The box score is messed up. They gave Nurse the assist, when it was Jones taking the shot.

Ah. I thought it was Garzone live, so I was surprised when I looked at the box score. That makes more sense.

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I didn't think it was particularly well-played either way -- I think both teams can do better. My biggest regret is that it wasn't very entertaining. Dramatic, maybe, but I don't think that people who aren't fans of women's hockey and happened to see the game on TV are likely to want to attend.

Funny you should mention this, because I was thinking the same after having told some family members and a few friends - most of whom are not big fans of the women's game - about it being televised on FSN. Even though the action was intense at certain points with the two teams really battling it out, the play for the most part was pretty ragged and more "scrambly" than we're used to seeing at Ridder. So I agree that watching this particular women's game probably didn't change any minds.

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Nobody even thought the second period was good? Oh well, I thought the second period was cooking up until that moment!

We don't get to see Kendall Coyne

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

The Gophers and Tigers face off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 at Ridder Arena.

 

[Nowheresville]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Excellent! Nice of them to set it up nicely to let me do the Womens/Mens double header as a reward for a 5 hour drive.

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Concerns I have for any future UW matchup. When the Gophers get behind, they can't seem to struggle to crack UW's defensive formula. When UW gets behind, the Gophers seem to really play on their heels and UW seems to get the pressure or goals it needs. The Gophers can't really do too much about the former...except keep trying. So the best thing to do, is aim to get the first goal...and then psychologically be better prepared to play hard with the lead.

 

[CANative]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Gophers vs Badgers used to be a game of skill, speed and finesse! It has evolved into a series of who can stay out of the penalty box. Since when did the Badgers decide to recruit enforcers? That hit on Reilly in the Gophers home series was an UGLY cheap shot. While out passing on Sunday was poor, the Badgers also did a lot of breaking up passes. I CANNOT believe we could not score on some of those JUICY rebounds given up by Debiens. AGAIN, Badgers swept pucks from in front of the net.

 

[pokechecker]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

on mascots:

I saw a few Badger fans taking pictures with Goldy, but none of Bucky
I can't say that I blame them, you could end up with a hefty bill from a child psychologist exposing your kid to Bucky Badger

 

[CANative]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

on mascots:

I saw a few Badger fans taking pictures with Goldy, but none of Bucky
I can't say that I blame them, you could end up with a hefty bill from a child psychologist exposing your kid to Bucky Badger

Bucky at least obliged Goldy by trying to turn his head (which of course he cannot) so that Goldy COULD do his turn the head trick! AND, Goldy is BY FAR the cutest college mascot (EVEN cuter than Josephine Bruin -- and this is saying a lot from me!)

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

on mascots:

I saw a few Badger fans taking pictures with Goldy, but none of Bucky

Off with their heads! I can understand being brainwashed from childhood that a rodent is an acceptable mascot, but taking pictures with Goldy under a free will is beyond disturbing. Do they serve beer at Ridder?

 

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

AND, Goldy is BY FAR the cutest college mascot (EVEN cuter than Josephine Bruin -- and this is saying a lot from me!)

Goldy may be the cutest, but that uniform really does need to be washed/dry cleaned one of these years.

 

[pokechecker]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

so do you suppose Bona missed more times wide last year than Potomak has missed high this year?

 

[bluffrinkrat]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Off with their heads! I can understand being brainwashed from childhood that a rodent is an acceptable mascot, but taking pictures with Goldy under a free will is beyond disturbing. Do they serve beer at Ridder?

Ridder is strictly byob, but that's on the qt.