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University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

D2D said:
Good comments. Given the abysmal record the Gophers have had against the Dogs the past 11 games I would be very happy with a split this weekend. Hope the players want more.
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I'm wondering if Motzko will start Robson tonight. Just saw where Mat Robson and Hunter Shepard were both named to the preseason WATCH LIST for the Mike Richter Award. Schierhorn was on the list last season, but was dropped from this season's list.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

UMD21 said:
He was the ideal hire. Experience coaching world juniors team with a bunch of UMD players and talent from all schools..Lucia got lazy. Did he lose it himself, or did B1G turn him into a drone? Getting his *** slapped around by a school from Indiana—****someone’s gotta have some state pride. Motzko will be a boone. Don’t forget, he took SCSU from like 0-11 in NCAAs to a strong .500
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I wasn't saying he wasn't a good hire. What I am countering is people who think in the first game of the season we will see a team playing well because of new coaching. The coaches won't have had enough time to teach a team a different way of playing, due to NCAA restrictions for practicing. It is only logical to expect players might be still transitioning from Lucia's style to Motzko's, and that could create hesitation at times, or even confusion. That is not to say that by mid-season there will be any issues like that. (And I just listened to a Motzko interview where he said exactly what my point was, essentially: 'wish we weren't playing Duluth this early, because one week of practice isn't enough to prepare a team with new coaches'.)

As for Lucia, I don't know if there was an issue with his coaching. He clearly was one of the best coaches in college hockey at one time. It is impossible for us watching only games to know when issues related to coaching, or team chemistry, or injuries, etc. Every year there are teams that seem to under-perform based on talent on paper and others that over-perform. Hard to know the dynamics from our view. So I think it is hard to know if Lucia 'got lazy'. (And look what Lucia did to turn around CC, if you want to talk about coaches turning teams around.)

Overall, I am excited to see how this team does this season with Motzko in charge and with some different chemistry. I am just hoping that after paying all the money for tickets for tonight, that I don't see a disorganized team playing the #1 team 9with most of the same players from last year and same coaches). Last year, MN did not play well in the first game, other than in goal, and it wasn't a great game to watch. And it had huge implications at the end of the year. Hopefully the game is good.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Koho said:
As for Lucia, I don't know if there was an issue with his coaching. He clearly was one of the best coaches in college hockey at one time. It is impossible for us watching only games to know when issues related to coaching, or team chemistry, or injuries, etc. Every year there are teams that seem to under-perform based on talent on paper and others that over-perform. Hard to know the dynamics from our view. So I think it is hard to know if Lucia 'got lazy'. (And look what Lucia did to turn around CC, if you want to talk about coaches turning teams around.)
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I would describe Lucia's last few seasons of coaching as stale. His teams just didn't seem to have the spark they used to. Changing coaches felt like the thing to do to get some fresh air into the program. Just my third party thoughts.


It's also interesting to me now that these teams are not in the same conference I really don't know the players UMMFH has. The NCHC has maintained a certain status quo with teams played and level of competition. So as a UMD fan things haven't changed a whole lot. Opposite of the Gophers where there is still a lotta consternation about being in the Big Ten. Although the coaching changes and the improvement of the Big Ten conference has perhaps made it a little better for Gopher fans. Either way we all miss the old WCHA days.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Biddco said:
I would describe Lucia's last few seasons of coaching as stale. His teams just didn't seem to have the spark they used to. Changing coaches felt like the thing to do to get some fresh air into the program. Just my third party thoughts.


It's also interesting to me now that these teams are not in the same conference I really don't know the players UMMFH has. The NCHC has maintained a certain status quo with teams played and level of competition. So as a UMD fan things haven't changed a whole lot. Opposite of the Gophers where there is still a lotta consternation about being in the Big Ten. Although the coaching changes and the improvement of the Big Ten conference has perhaps made it a little better for Gopher fans. Either way we all miss the old WCHA days.
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This year looks on paper like the Big10 will be a power conference as people were expecting. And for MN fans, we have UW, and UMi has always been like a rival for me, at least. But even with better teams, it still hasn't reached anywhere near the rivalry with other schools that the WCHA provided. I think that will continue to improve as teams play each other more. But there is something about playing other schools from your state with conference points on the line, knowing a lot of the players on the other team are gunning for the Gophers because all the teams have a number of Minnesotans, that I don't think the BIG10 will ever quite replicate.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

IS IT GODDAM GAME TIME YET? JESUS EFFING CHRIST.

Needed that. Carry on.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

state of hockey said:
I don't agree with it either, but refs call that a lot now when you get that low. Combined with it being Nanne (not big) v Samberg (a friggin moose) and it looks even worse. Kind of a reverse Chris Pronger defense.
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Didn't think of it that way, but yes, that would be correct in the way the refs' thinking.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

It was a horse-bleep call. That's not even a going by the book call.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

The 4 GA concern me, but still happy as a pig in sh*.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Koho said:
Been too long without a win against these guys.
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Yep, WAY too long!

Koho said:
After the night before, was good to see the goals coming.
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Dogs couldn't take advantage of home ice; Gophers did. End of story.

P.S. Including the two women's game this weekend at UMD, Minnesota went 2-0-2 against the Dawgs, pretty cool.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Koho said:
As for Lucia, I don't know if there was an issue with his coaching. He clearly was one of the best coaches in college hockey at one time. It is impossible for us watching only games to know when issues related to coaching, or team chemistry, or injuries, etc. Every year there are teams that seem to under-perform based on talent on paper and others that over-perform. Hard to know the dynamics from our view. So I think it is hard to know if Lucia 'got lazy'. (And look what Lucia did to turn around CC, if you want to talk about coaches turning teams around.)
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I agree with this sentiment regarding Lucia. None of us know what went on behind closed doors. I'm not as quick to heap piles of blame upon Lucia as others were.

I also agree with Biddco that perhaps Lucia/Lucia's message just got stale. Not sure why, but it was time for a change. It will be interesting to see how the Motzko era plays out as the season progresses and he gets more practice time with the team.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

So we can finally stop talking about the losing streak to tUMD? Thank the good Lord!

Decent weekend. The worst part was that garbage broadcast on Saturday in Duluth. Second worst part was that penalty called on Nanne on Saturday. Third worst part was the four goals against on Sunday.

Should be a couple interesting weeks of practice, exhibition games, and banter leading up to the single game in Vegas.





Good luck until we meet again, tDogs/fans.
 
Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

It's too bad UMD's long streak against UMTC had to end. Disapointing result last night but will hopefully show UMD what they need to fix next weekend. UMTC did a really good job defensively and their goaltending was very good.
 
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