Polls 2021-2022

[Timothy A]

As strong as UW is, they've been in 3-on-3 OT in back-to-back weekends,

I think UW is a little flawed in their D zone once the attackers establish possession. This is something that past UW teams have not had trouble with. As I was sitting there Sunday, I told myself that if OSU wins this game and it's not a fluke goal, I'd rank OSO ahead of them. I think they are right there.

 

[D2D]

The Gophers go to Bemidji with a chance to prove UM is as bad as their fans say they are.

Hey, not ALL of their fans! <wink>

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Hey, not ALL of their fans! <wink>

Those special teams numbers don't lie as well as the team save percentage. However Minnesota being "bad" needs to be put into the perspective that they are still good enough to beat quite a few teams (out east especially).

 

[Reddington]

Minnesota is not bad, but no doubt OSU has put a dent into their program.

 

[ARM]

Minnesota is not bad, but no doubt OSU has put a dent into their program.

OSU has put a dent into Minnesota via the losses that they've inflicted on them and having Muzzy behind the Buckeyes bench, not the Gophers. To date, however, the Buckeyes haven't impacted Minnesota's product on the ice by draining off the players who otherwise would be playing for Minnesota.

In spite of that, there was a noticeable degradation in the product on the ice. Maybe it can be explained by the caliber of players coming out of Minnesota HS hockey not being at the same level as it was a few years ago, or maybe too many times of late, Gabbie Hughes or Maddie Rooney wound up wearing a different jersey. Part of me thinks that the players that do pick Minnesota have shown potential that hasn't been maximized.

Minnesota isn't bad, but beyond anything OSU has done, Minnesota could be better.

 

[Offsides Guy]

1. Part of me thinks that the players that do pick Minnesota have shown potential that hasn't been maximized.

Minnesota isn't bad, but beyond anything OSU has done, Minnesota could be better.

Exactly and that’s on the coaching staff. And he just signed for 3 more years. Is he good? Yes. Can he take the program to the consistently excellent level you seem to want, I doubt it.

 

[D2D]

Can he take the program to the consistently excellent level you seem to want, I doubt it.

He's got one thing in his favor, and that is he's done it before.

 

[Steamboat]

1. 
   Can he take the program to the consistently excellent level you seem to want, I doubt it.

1. 
   
   I think what we see being played out with Minnesota is how important the assistants on the bench are. Nadine Muzerall was a force when she was a player, and seeing what she has done with Ohio State, you have to think she was a major factor shaping the Gopher team during their glory years. This year it is Joel Johnson's turn, and he takes Bethany Brausen with him. That must be really painful for Brad Frost, and disorienting for the players. Should the Gophers work their way into the playoffs this year, I will be both pleased and amazed, and hopeful that equity is restored and the Gophers will reestablish themselves at the top of the WCHA.
   As an aside, how do you feel the Hamline women's hockey program feels right now?

 

[Offsides Guy]

I think what we see being played out with Minnesota is how important the assistants on the bench are. Nadine Muzerall was a force when she was a player, and seeing what she has done with Ohio State, you have to think she was a major factor shaping the Gopher team during their glory years. This year it is Joel Johnson's turn, and he takes Bethany Brausen with him. That must be really painful for Brad Frost, and disorienting for the players. Should the Gophers work their way into the playoffs this year, I will be both pleased and amazed, and hopeful that equity is restored and the Gophers will reestablish themselves at the top of the WCHA.
As an aside, how do you feel the Hamline women's hockey program feels right now?

I think Hamline was surprised and thrilled that Darwitz came to them rather than go the D1 route as at least an assistant coach. My recollection is that, at the time, it was due to her having very young kids and wanting that family time. They had to figure she was going to head up to the big leagues at some point so I don’t think they’re disappointment is as great as if they’d never thought she’d leave.

Re Muzz, like her style or not, I feel like she maximizes her players’ potential better than any other coach in the country. Her players seem to get better every year.

 

[Reddington]

I think the Minnesota coach is very good. I think you all are making great points some that I never even put into the thought process. My thought is that there were two choices previously, wisc and minn and now there are three and it seems wisc seems to be immune to the added comp, yet it seems minn is fighting osu over the same players. Nice wins by Minnesota against Colgate.

 

[ARM]

My thought is that there were two choices previously, wisc and minn and now there are three and it seems wisc seems to be immune to the added comp, yet it seems minn is fighting osu over the same players.

There has always been more than two, as either UMD or UND was always an NCAA Tournament possibility. Those were two programs that seemed to recruit the same talent pools while Idalski was in Grand Forks. And Ohio State has always gotten their players, some of whom I'm sure that UW/UM would have liked, but they either didn't get enough of them or didn't know what to do with them prior to the current regime.

The most crucial part of recruiting for Minnesota is getting the cream of the crop of the in-state kids. In terms of the top tier, I think that they got almost all of them: Wendell, Darwitz, Marvin, Schleper, Ramsey, Brandt, Stecklein, McMillen, Cameranesi, Pannek. Some of the biggest losses that I can recall are players like Thunstrom, Menke, and Hughes. Goaltending has always been tougher, because you can only take so many, and it sometimes comes down to timing.

If anything, I think that the recruiting rules changes in recent years should help Frost. If you have an advantage in a talent pool and are the first choice of many, it helps if you can observe that talent for more time before you have to make your choices. It is easier to identify D-I talent when the players are 16/17, instead of 14/15.

 

[D2D]

No change in the Top 3 in this week's poll.
1. BADgers
2. Buckeyes
3. Gophers

In fact the only notable mover was B.C. which was swept by Northeastern and as a result fell three spots from #4 to #7.

 

[TchrBill]

Think the Raiders are still a bit overrated…and Qpac will be knocked back to earth as soon as they face a competitive, ranked team. Providence has fallen from the ranks since Qpac played them so their back2back ties are a bit less impressive. Still think BC is a force. The Smashville Showcase in Nashville over TG should see some good hockey!

 

[Lindsay]

Yale at #9 in the polls. And BC not there at all. When was the last time either of those things happened? I knew Yale was in a bit of an ascent, didn’t know it was like this. Fun.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

The way Yale is playing right now they could easily be ranked higher than 9.

If we were still doing the poster poll...

1. Sinners
2. Yuckeyes
3. Rodents
4. Northwestern
5. THE Bulldogs
6. The other Bulldogs
7. Toothpaste
8. Bobcats
9. Tigers
10 Fighting Nurses

 

[Reddington]

Yale - RVS and Emma Seitz are a lot to account for. The goalie also seems to be on a hot streak. I think Harvard and Yale will rise above Princeton this year. The ECAC is a tough conference. Any opinions on Cornell other than losing Maddie Mills to Northeastern?

 

[ARM]

The ECAC is a tough conference.

It seems like when compared to two years ago, or the last time a full ECAC played, the top has been shaved down and the bottom filled in, so there is more movement toward the middle than usual. Likely a result of the effects of Olympic centralizations combined with super seniors.

 

[Timothy A]

The way Yale is playing right now they could easily be ranked higher than 9.

If we were still doing the poster poll...

1. Sinners
2. Yuckeyes
3. Rodents
4. Northwestern
5. THE Bulldogs
6. The other Bulldogs
7. Toothpaste
8. Bobcats
9. Tigers
10 Fighting Nurses

Oh how I miss the poster's poll....who ran that anyway?

 

[ARM]

Oh how I miss the poster's poll....who ran that anyway?

TTT did for a time, although I think others did as well. Kind of like when gano started a recruiting thread, and then Hux took it over, and now, we don't have one. Can't do everything with just 17 users.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

TTT did for a time, although I think others did as well. Kind of like when gano started a recruiting thread, and then Hux took it over, and now, we don't have one. Can't do everything with just 17 users.

Correct...TTT would take the results and do totals from everyone's poll. The way things are around here now I don't know if there would even be 10 users who would do the poll.