Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

[D2D]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

Back in the day, FB kicked off at 1:30 PM...

Yes but "back in the day" there weren't 55 cable TV channels to broadcast all of the games, coast-to-coast. Today, the start times are arranged to maximize TV audiences and revenues from advertisers. What is most desirable for the fans that actually attend the games takes a back seat. It's all about the money.

Back to college hockey: Indoor hockey should be played in the evening. But I understand that at the current stage of development, compromises must be made.

As ARM suggested the second day early start times for women's hockey are often driven by teams wanting to avoid having to stay (and pay for) an extra night in a hotel. So again it's "about the money", but more about reducing expenses as opposed to boosting revenues.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

Yes but "back in the day" there weren't 55 cable TV channels to broadcast all of the games, coast-to-coast. Today, the start times are arranged to maximize TV audiences and revenues from advertisers. What is most desirable for the fans that actually attend the games takes a back seat. It's all about the money.

Agreed. Which is why I posted, among other things:

I know television is going to prevent us from returning to 1:30 PM.

The only real chance for improvement is to make greater use of the 3:30 Eastern/2:30 Central timeslot, and schedule fewer earlybird games. It could be very well be that ABC/ESPN will continue to want only 1 game at 3:30/2:30. But greater use of BTN & BTN Alternate Channels can address that situation.

As ARM suggested the second day early start times for women's hockey are often driven by teams wanting to avoid having to stay (and pay for) an extra night in a hotel. So again it's "about the money", but more about reducing expenses as opposed to boosting revenues.

I'm familiar with this, and agree with your characterization. Even though I can't verify what the exact arrangements were for this weekend, I'd allow that it looks like your description applies.

 

[Golden Tuuk]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

The second game will likely be more defensive and closer; I'll go with 3-2 (or 4-2 with an empty netter).

Well, so much for that.

Are the rankings skewed because it's early and hard to tell, or is there just that much separation between the Gophs and the rest of the field?

 

[D2D]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

Well, so much for that.

Are the rankings skewed because it's early and hard to tell, or is there just that much separation between the Gophs and the rest of the field?

I really did think the Buckeyes would come out stronger in the rematch, and they did at the very beginning when they got the game's first 4 or 5 shots on goal. But shortly after the Gophers found their legs and things started to click, and the rout was on. The shots ended up 40-20 in the Gophers favor, and Ohio State's beleaguered netminder had very little chance on most of the goals. One of Amanda Kessel's 3 goals was a real fluke, as she flipped the puck in toward the goal from just inside the blue line, and it took one of the craziest bounces you'll ever see. I guess when things are going your way things like that happen.

As to your second question, the Gophers are really, really good this year, just as the lopsided scores would indicate. If they have any weaknesses, no team has been able to exploit them yet, at this still early stage of the season.

P.S. Congratulations to Noora Raty, who set the all time Gopher record for victories in today's game. With her shutout she was also named the game's No. 1 star.

 

[Blackbeard]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

is there just that much separation between the Gophs and the rest of the field?

It would appear that this is the conclusion that logic will not allow one to escape. Will it only be an Eastern team that will give them a go this season?!!!! What am I saying?!!!! After what has happened in the WCHA so far this season how interesting would it be if UNH takes at least one from UM later in the schedule?

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

Are the rankings skewed because it's early and hard to tell, or is there just that much separation between the Gophs and the rest of the field?

I think the first part is a much safer assumption at this point, it is still pretty early, probably too early to jump to the huge separation conclusion. Minnesota has played 6 of 8 at home and has not yet had to face one of the other WCHA pre-season favorites. Both of those things change in the next two weekends with trips next week to North Dakota and the following week to Duluth.

I think we will all have a much better idea how this is all going to shake out after those games.

Still, despite having just soft pedaled, I am going to say that Minnesota HAS looked very good to this point.

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

OSU came out really strong today and controlled the first two minutes. I know that doesn't sound like much but they looked really good. Then Hokey Langan took a penalty and the Gophers scored before the Buckeyes could get control of the puck to take the early lead. They continued to play tough but they just couldn't control the front of their own net. Last night's game was decided because the Gophers were the faster team. Today's result came from the Gophers being the stronger team. They won all the physical battles at both ends of the ice.

Early in the second the life just seemed to die in the OSU players. It wasn't just that Minnesota took over the play. Chelsea Knapp also let in a pair of really weak goals in the middle of the period, with Rachel Bona's shot from the boards somehow finding its way through and then Amanda Kessel getting her first goal on a soft shot that took a funny bounce. Craziness or not, from my angle it still looked like Knapp should have had it.

That effectively ended the game with 27 minutes still to play.

I am very curious to see how the Gophers do next weekend in Grand Forks. Right now the Whioux? are the only team in the league that I'm not absolutely confident the Gophers will run out of the building if they don't improve their current level of play drastically. Given how St. Cloud fared at Ridder and then what happened last week, Bemidji isn't going to beat them. I watched Duluth and Wisconsin play and there's no evidence yet from this week that either of either of them is getting better.

At some point this run (dating back to the last game of last year's regular season) has to end but if it doesn't happen against North Dakota it's pretty hard to see when that will be.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

Oh the humanity! Well, as I alluded to earlier in the thread, I guess we now know what we need to work on. I am sure Coach Handrahan and the kids aren't happy with this, but I am also sure they will bounce back. They will need to in a hurry as we host Bemidji next weekend. Not that you need it, but good luck the rest of the season! That is some team you have there ... amazing. Hope to see some of you make it down to Columbus here in a few months.

 

[pgb-ohio]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

We shall return. We will do better.

 

[osualum86]

Re: Ohio State @ Minnesota 10/19 - 10/20

I agree Pgb. We have a nice team this season and I am sure we will bounce back from this weekend. Minnesota is an exceptional team and I honestly don't think too many teams will be scoring a lot of goals against Noora or that D. And as we saw this weekend, they are very capable of scoring goals. We will be fine. We just need to have short memories and put this weekend behind us.