What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

brianvf said:
I wouldn't say I'm afraid of the Gophers. They could still easily win the series though. I'd be much more scared if I were a Gopher fan...knowing that these could be the last 2/3 games of the season. If the Sioux lose, they will still hopefully have a NCAA berth (with zero momentum though, if they lose to the Gophers in the 1st round). That said, I wouldn't be surprised if UMN takes this series. They have nothing to lose, and their season continuing depends on them winning 2 games.
Click to expand...

I'm not scared. Why would I be scared of something I figured would happen after the first weekend of the season? Like GE said, inevitability is nothing to fear.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

I think mathematically UND is already in the tournament, unless multiple teams that have no business winning their conference tournaments (e.g. Minnesota winning the Final Five) do so.

Looking at a post made by Priceless in the bracketology thread, Minnesota still has a chance to qualify for the tournament by just making the championship game of the Final Five. That would require Minnesota winning 2 in GF (not likely), as well as beating Denver in the semis if they somehow get past the play-in game. In other words, if Minnesota miraculously makes it to the championship game, they might as well just win it all.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

SJHovey said:
I think this will be a great series. The two teams are very evenly matched. It's a big rivalry series. MN has nothing to lose, so coming out flat, or lacking effort won't be a problem. Because it's the playoffs I think there is also a good chance we won't see all the after-the-whistle monkey business that has plagued this series a little over the last few seasons.
Click to expand...

I think you're exactly right. These teams match up well. I think the Gophers will be ready, especially the seniors, to go full throttle. This will most likely be Schroeder's last postseason as a Gopher and I think we'll see a lot of speed and skill from him.

What some fans don't seem to realize is the Gophers have found ways to win lately against very good teams. Facing the last 3 WCHA opponents (UMD, CC, UW) they are 4-2/6G w/ GPG Avg.: 3.5, PP: .17. Compare that with the previous 3 WCHA opponents (UAA, SCSU, DU), 1-5, GPG Avg.: 2.3, PP: .06.

According to ScoobyDoo our resident statistician: When scoring 3 or more the Gophers are 15-2-2. 9 of those games they scored 4 goals or more and the Gophers are 9-0 in those 9. The NCAA winner every year scores about 4 goals a game and gives up about 2. Kangas has been very good over the last 6 games, GAA: 2.1.

They've been working together better as a team and it's showed up in the scoring over the last 6 games. Scoring has been more equally distributed among several players over the last 6 games: 7 players @ 2 goals or more (Lucia-3, Birkholz, Leddy, Fairchild, Larsen, Cepis, Carman), 6 players @ 1 goal (White, Schroeder, Hoeffel, Fischer, Ness, Flynn).

The Gophers have shown they can strike quickly and in bunches as well. Recently against CC they scored 3 goals/1:42, against UW 3 goals/2:35 and 2 goals/1:04, Last time they played the Sioux, in a six-minute stretch the Gophers tallied 4 goals on 12 shots and 3 goals/3:22.
 
Last edited:
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

ScoobyDoo said:
I'm not scared. Why would I be scared of something I figured would happen after the first weekend of the season? Like GE said, inevitability is nothing to fear.
Click to expand...

I'm more scared of the Gophers sucking me back in as a hopeful fan with a series win. :)
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

Greyeagle said:
I'm more scared of the Gophers sucking me back in as a hopeful fan with a series win. :)
Click to expand...

I think a lot of the negativity is cumulative over the entire season and not based upon what the Gophers have shown recently they are capable of doing. There's nothing wrong with being a hopeful fan, no matter what the outcome of this series.:)
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

scsutommyboy said:
I actually think the gophers have a chance in this series. If they can win Friday look out! Let me know if you are going to the final Five and I will buy you a beer.
Click to expand...

The Friday game is key in this series IMO. If the Sioux win Friday, they take the series. If the Gophers win Friday, it's anybody's series.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

ScoobyDoo said:
Problem with that is where the games are being held.
Click to expand...

True. However it has never been mentioned to my recollection that the Gophers have never won a post season game there. Frank was talking up that fact quite a bit this time. Maybe exposing the jinx is enough to break it.

That being said, I regrettably expect the Sue to win in 3 just to break the jinx and give us all hope for one day.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

HarleyMC said:
I think you're exactly right. These teams match up well. I think the Gophers will be ready, especially the seniors, to go full throttle. This will most likely be Schroeder's last postseason as a Gopher and I think we'll see a lot of speed and skill from him.

What some fans don't seem to realize is the Gophers have found ways to win lately against very good teams. Facing the last 3 WCHA opponents (UMD, CC, UW) they are 4-2/6G w/ GPG Avg.: 3.5, PP: .17. Compare that with the previous 3 WCHA opponents (UAA, SCSU, DU), 1-5, GPG Avg.: 2.3, PP: .06.

According to ScoobyDoo our resident statistician: When scoring 3 or more the Gophers are 15-2-2. 9 of those games they scored 4 goals or more and the Gophers are 9-0 in those 9. The NCAA winner every year scores about 4 goals a game and gives up about 2. Kangas has been very good over the last 6 games, GAA: 2.1.

They've been working together better as a team and it's showed up in the scoring over the last 6 games. Scoring has been more equally distributed among several players over the last 6 games: 7 players @ 2 goals or more (Lucia-3, Birkholz, Leddy, Fairchild, Larsen, Cepis, Carman), 6 players @ 1 goal (White, Schroeder, Hoeffel, Fischer, Ness, Flynn).

The Gophers have shown they can strike quickly and in bunches as well. Recently against CC they scored 3 goals/1:42, against UW 3 goals/2:35 and 2 goals/1:04, Last time they played the Sioux, in a six-minute stretch the Gophers tallied 4 goals on 12 shots and 3 goals/3:22.
Click to expand...

The Sioux have done well against they're previous opponents as well. Both teams are playing very well, and are getting hot at the right time, though they may not be that hot just yet.

Over the last 8 games, they're 7-1, going against SCSU, UMD, CC and then MTU, which combined, is probably as good a stretch as the MN one you referenced. In those games, they outscored the opponent by a total of 35-15, that's roughly 4.38-1.88 per game.

I'm not saying who is better, we'll find out this weekend. I just wanted to point out that the teams are playing very well right now, and it should be a good series. If the defense continues, it could be a very tough series to the gophers to win. I'm sad I won't get to see Friday night's game live (on tv), I have to work, but might be able to sneak away from dinner and go to a bar to see the game Saturday or stay glued to my phone (does the Shout House have TV's or do I have to go to Hooters or Applebees in Block E?).

The scoring has been coming from multiple sources for the Sioux, and that needs to continue so they do not rely on one individual to score. Again, this will be a good series.

Fighting Sioux in 3.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

Tiggsy said:
True. However it has never been mentioned to my recollection that the Gophers have never won a post season game there. Frank was talking up that fact quite a bit this time. Maybe exposing the jinx is enough to break it.

That being said, I regrettably expect the Sue to win in 3 just to break the jinx and give us all hope for one day.
Click to expand...

While "jinx" like that one are always amusing sidenotes to games or series, I'm fairly certain those prior losses, all but one of which occurred prior to 1988, IIRC, will have limited impact on the current gopher players.

I still say it will be a toss up series. UND is a little healthier than they were when the teams played in Mpls. but not as healthy as when the teams last played in Grand Forks.

Normally, home ice would be a significant factor, and is certainly the most favorable condition for the Sioux this weekend. But there are some mitigating circumstances. First, the home ice advantage in the playoffs is usually muted, somewhat, by the fact that higher playoff ticket prices sometimes keeps students away who might otherwise attend a regular season game.

Next, I think UND goes on spring break this weekend, so many students may already be out of town. Also, it's a rivalry series, and home ice in rivalry series tends to have a less significant impact.

Finally, Minnesota has a very good record in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, at home or on the road. I think they've only missed the Final Four/Five one time in the 20+ seasons it's been played.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

Tiggsy said:
True. However it has never been mentioned to my recollection that the Gophers have never won a post season game there. Frank was talking up that fact quite a bit this time. Maybe exposing the jinx is enough to break it.

That being said, I regrettably expect the Sue to win in 3 just to break the jinx and give us all hope for one day.
Click to expand...

I believe that statistic is a little misleading though. Considering those games were all played at the Old REA. Though if you want to count the Holy Cross game at the new REA...:D
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

goldy_331 said:
Why will what's plagued the Gophers all season suddenly be no problem? This team has had repeated opportunities to improve their position and repeated failed to come out with intensity. Didn't matter if it was a rival or a nobody, they've come and played flat or stupid or uninspired hockey (you pick the adjective). I see no reason to expect a turnaround now. :( :mad:
Click to expand...

and that's the straight truth, right there...
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

What is the over/under on the amount of snowmobile DWI's that will be given out after the game Friday night?

Oh my bad, I forgot your cops in GF will look the other way for the Sue players and fans....or was it the "jury of their peers" that looked the other way... or both, I forget.

We'll just go with a safe estimate of 95% of drivers over the legal limit; and we'll say 0 DWI's given out...that sounds about right. good times.
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

Don't be silly, Grand Forks isn't St. Cloud. No one drives their snowmobile to games.

Sioux in One
 
Re: WCHA First Round: MN @ UND

RinkPig said:
What is the over/under on the amount of snowmobile DWI's that will be given out after the game Friday night?

Oh my bad, I forgot your cops in GF will look the other way for the Sue players and fans....or was it the "jury of their peers" that looked the other way... or both, I forget.

We'll just go with a safe estimate of 95% of drivers over the legal limit; and we'll say 0 DWI's given out...that sounds about right. good times.
Click to expand...

well......here are the stats and they favor ND: http://www.drinkinganddriving.org/

Your dumb-lashing sounds more like you have a case of "my team sucks and isn't going to make a single tournament this year."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top