MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

[Bakunin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Maybe I'm jaded. Maybe I've been at this too long. But the individual series start to blend together and only become memorable when there is jeopardy involved.

It's called the aging process. We're all getting old.

MN can make noise in the tournament if they make it there - for the most part, they've played well in their games against the strongest teams (although the net result of all of them is basically a .500 record against those opponents, but the point remains: when there's a fire lit under the team's ***, they've shown an ability to hang with and beat good teams such as DU, UND, UMD, and Michigan). MN's undoing this season (so far) is their middling-to-bad results against other teams in the bottom half of the league (getting swept by Mankato and splitting at home against UAA).

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Nope, I said "athletes", but you can backtrack all you want. And I could care less if Minnesota has more inherent hockey talent over Wisconsin.

If you want to include "all" athletes in your sample, that essentially makes you look even more stupid than just using Minnesota top end hockey talent. I don't personally care where college hockey talent comes from, but yes Minnesota has more inherent hockey talent than Wisconsin AND no UW is not stealing "all" the top end MN hockey talent from the Gophers. Backtrack much?

As long as the Badgers win in the sports I root for, I'm a happy man. Isn't that the whole point, that your school's programs are winning?!? Gopher fans can thump their chests all they like about how so many Minnesota natives there are in NCAA hockey, but what good is it to brag when your own hockey team has sucked for the last 3 years.

No, the point was you made a dumb statement that you can't prove.

North Dakota sucks, and Iowa alternates. I guess that's why MN has so many tornadoes.

That's genius Brent, you need to copyright that. And where does Wisconsin fit in your meterological schema?

Wisconsin blows.

 

[Bertogliat]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I appreciate that. I thought it was one of my only reasoned and serious posts of this entire thread. It's honestly how I feel.

So none of your football games have mattered. No national championships, so you must not care....sucks to be you.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

So none of your football games have mattered. No national championships, so you must not care....sucks to be you.

I think Football is different in that regard. In Football Wisconsin can't consider themselves a top 10 program every year where in hockey they can. There also are a ton more football programs. It's a matter of perspective and context.

 

[Bakunin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I think Football is different in that regard. In Football Wisconsin can't consider themselves a top 10 program every year where in hockey they can. There also are a ton more football programs. It's a matter of perspective and context.

Given the larger number of programs / higher difficulty in football, I'd equate winning a Rose Bowl to a hockey NC.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Given the larger number of programs / higher difficulty in football, I'd equate winning a Rose Bowl to a hockey NC.

To some degree, we still feel that way. We certainly felt that way through the 90's, but the BCS has kind of lessened the appeal or importance of the Rose Bowl.

The problem is that we're used to winning when we get to the Rose Bowl, so this year's game long term won't end up meaning much. I guess we've been spoiled, same as in hockey and that's why I can make such an audacious (to some) statement that last year's second place finish ultimately means very little.

In the long run, it will just be another year that we can't add to our national championship banner. Much the same as any year that we didn't even make the field.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

So none of your football games have mattered. No national championships, so you must not care....sucks to be you.

As another poster said, we value Rose Bowls and certainly enjoy having a winning program overall.

But Capitol One Bowl and Alamo Bowl victories really don't mean much past the day that they happen.

Getting to the Super Bowl in 98 (97 season) and losing - well I'd rather forget that season altogether.

Getting to the Rose Bowl this year - you gotta win, and we didn't.

Are you just happy that your Twins get to the playoffs every year, or at some point do they gotta get one? Do you wear you AL Central Champs t-shirt from 3 years ago? Don't get me wrong, I respect the heck out of what the Twins have done and actually like a number of their players, but at some point you gotta beat the Yankees.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

It's called the aging process. We're all getting old.

MN can make noise in the tournament if they make it there - for the most part, they've played well in their games against the strongest teams (although the net result of all of them is basically a .500 record against those opponents, but the point remains: when there's a fire lit under the team's ***, they've shown an ability to hang with and beat good teams such as DU, UND, UMD, and Michigan). MN's undoing this season (so far) is their middling-to-bad results against other teams in the bottom half of the league (getting swept by Mankato and splitting at home against UAA).

Sure, either of us could catch lightning in a bottle and make a run. My original point was that I wasn't gonna spend the week getting worked up over this series when that's all we're really playing for. A chance to have a chance.

Sure, I want us to make the tourney if for no other reason than the younglings getting the experience. In addition, I like watching meaningful games, especially elimination games.

But if we sweep you or you sweep us, it's not gonna make or break my week.

To your point about how you guys fare against opponents, we seem to be the opposite where we lose the majority of our games against top teams. We hang in there and give them a game, but succumb in the end. This also has me less than optimistic or our chances should we make the field.

As always, this is a program though and I like some of our young pieces that we are assembling for future years.

I'll be at the games and will have my game face on when the puck drops.

 

[HoosierBBall_GopherHockey]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Sure, either of us could catch lightning in a bottle and make a run. My original point was that I wasn't gonna spend the week getting worked up over this series when that's all we're really playing for. A chance to have a chance.

Sure, I want us to make the tourney if for no other reason than the younglings getting the experience. In addition, I like watching meaningful games, especially elimination games.

But if we sweep you or you sweep us, it's not gonna make or break my week.

To your point about how you guys fare against opponents, we seem to be the opposite where we lose the majority of our games against top teams. We hang in there and give them a game, but succumb in the end. This also has me less than optimistic or our chances should we make the field.

As always, this is a program though and I like some of our young pieces that we are assembling for future years.

I'll be at the games and will have my game face on when the puck drops.

I must admit, I have agreed with pretty much everything you have said in the thread (when you were being serious ), including the Twins comment. It was awesome the first couple years after the Twins had sucked so long just to make the playoffs, but now I expect them to do more than get swept by the Yankees in the 1st round. Merely making the playoffs is cool, but not life-changing, like winning a World Series.
Relating this to hockey, even if the Gophers make the NCAA tournament this year and likely lose in the 1st, maybe 2nd round, I will barely remember the games a few years down the road. Hell, I barely recall our 5-2 beatdown at the hands of BC the last time we made it (or maybe I selectively forgot that). Ugh, I HATE agreeing with North Dakota or Wisconsin fans.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I don't understand people.
The games this weekend are likely to be very hard fought, and very intense. Both sides should be coming in with that play-off mentality. The crowd is going to be into it. It's everything that makes college hockey great. And you say it doesn't matter because you won't remember it all that well a decade from now?

If all you care about are NC's and bragging rights, I guess that's what will happen.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I think these games are huge myself and will likely determine if we have a chance to get into the NCAA tourney or not . I would hope the Gopher players and coaches see it that way as well. If we sweep Bucky we will pass them in the WCHA standings and I'm sure climb in the PWR as well, but get swept and the season will be done.


Go Gophers!

 

[Bertogliat]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I have been reading about the protests down at the capital. Are they staying up by the capital building or are we going to have chaos on State Street? Hopefully everything stays civil. I don't like the smell of tear gas all that much.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I don't understand people.
The games this weekend are likely to be very hard fought, and very intense. Both sides should be coming in with that play-off mentality. The crowd is going to be into it. It's everything that makes college hockey great. And you say it doesn't matter because you won't remember it all that well a decade from now?

If all you care about are NC's and bragging rights, I guess that's what will happen.

These games mean more to me if the following were not true.

Currently 7th in the WCHA.
Currently Ranked 19th in KRACH.
Currently tied for 19th in PWR.

Getting home ice has never been what I would consider a "goal" for the Gophers. Yet it is again this year.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I have been reading about the protests down at the capital. Are they staying up by the capital building or are we going to have chaos on State Street? Hopefully everything stays civil. I don't like the smell of tear gas all that much.

It's not safe.

Don't come here.

 

[4four4]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Getting home ice has never been what I would consider a "goal" for the Gophers. Yet it is again this year.

Since, I can remember both Woog and Lucia have always said the "goal" every year is to get home ice. IMO, in hockey we see teams who have home ice lose time and time again.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Since, I can remember both Woog and Lucia have always said the "goal" every year is to get home ice. IMO, in hockey we see teams who have home ice lose time and time again.

Home ice is a goal? Not remembering that. Making the NCAA tournament is a goal. I remember Lucia saying something about top 3 finish and taking a swing at the NCAA title. I never remember getting home ice being a goal.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

If you want to include "all" athletes in your sample, that essentially makes you look even more stupid than just using Minnesota top end hockey talent. I don't personally care where college hockey talent comes from, but yes Minnesota has more inherent hockey talent than Wisconsin AND no UW is not stealing "all" the top end MN hockey talent from the Gophers. Backtrack much?
/QUOTE]

Is there something in the water up there? I would say more "developed" hockey talent.

My son's teams have played Minnesota teams over the years including three games against Pee Wee A teams at a tourney this year, which we won two out of three. One team we were clearly inferior to, one we were clearly better than and one was a toss up.

The difference that I see lies in the depth, not the top end. Our top end kids are every bit as good as the Minnesota kids, but there is a much greater drop off from kid 1 to kid 15 on our team than most of the Minnesota teams. It's hard to see much of a drop off at all on most of the Minnesota teams.

The Minnesota model of developing kids is proven to be great and add to that a greater supply of bodies, more towns with rinks and a culture built around the sport and you're obviously gonna see more talent come out of there. The same ratios work for Canada vs the USA.

 

[Tiggsy]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

These games mean more to me if the following were not true.

Currently 7th in the WCHA.
Currently Ranked 19th in KRACH.
Currently tied for 19th in PWR.

Getting home ice has never been what I would consider a "goal" for the Gophers. Yet it is again this year.

That's the point. If the team picks up it's play and pulls off a string of big wins, those numbers will quickly change. They are big games because they are against a rival and winnable if they don't have big lapses and play tough.

I think the thing about home ice as a goal is simply because that is the first thing that happens. If you want to hang a banner, you have to get home ice first (usually works that way). But I hope you are correct in that is not the season goal and they give up after making home ice with a big satisfied sense of relief. That would really be bad.

 

[Driftryder]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

These games mean more to me if the following were not true.

Currently 7th in the WCHA.
Currently Ranked 19th in KRACH.
Currently tied for 19th in PWR.

Getting home ice has never been what I would consider a "goal" for the Gophers. Yet it is again this year.

A sweep this weekend would make this number interesting and may get us on the bubble depending on other games. I agree that home ice isn't a goal, getting into the NCAA tourney should be and let's see what happens from there.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

A sweep this weekend would make this number interesting and may get us on the bubble depending on other games. I agree that home ice isn't a goal, getting into the NCAA tourney should be and let's see what happens from there.

Yeah, I'm with you. I just have a hard time getting there when they knew how important the UAA series was, or the tUMD series, or the Ferris State and Union games and laid enormous eggs. IF they string something together then I'll buy futures, but until then I'm going to be teetering on the fence.