Gopher Puck Talk in The Hole

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Ewert86PC

Ewert86PC

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We need a thread about the Hockey team.... and I'm just the [insert descriptive] to start one.

Why is the team struggling?

Are we letting recruits slip through our fingers?

Are we not developing the recruits that we have?

Why is there an inverse relationship between the success of the hockey program and the success of the football program?
 


Reading recent comments from Lucia was encouraging to me. He basically was talking about how he still wants to recruit top-end talent, but needs balance that with a mix of solid hockey players that are going to stick around for 4 years. He said that one and dones hurt a team more than they help. I believe that whole heartedly.

Our guys can skate with anyone, but too often try to make the perfect play and pass up good opportunities. I guess I'm boring, but I want to see the puck on net with forwards crashing. We need more players that stick with the program for 4 years though, I think that is the bottom line. I'd sacrifice skill to some degree for gritty players.

I don't agree that there is an inverse relationship with football. Afterall, when the football team had its most success in the last 60 years (early 2000's) the hockey team was winning natl championships.
 

Wow. The collapse of the MBB team really took the heat off the hockey team.

Let's win the WCHA tourney!
 

Lucia's got them playing their best hockey of the season now. That's similar to the Lucia teams of old!

Those early season inexplicably bad losses are really hurting their PWR, but they really can redeem the season with their recent play.

Keep it up, Gophers!
 


Rouser4eVA said:
Those early season inexplicably bad losses are really hurting their PWR, but they really can redeem the season with their recent play.
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Those one-goal losses in Mankato really hurt us, yes, but they will hurt a lot less when Mankato drops out of being in the TUC (Teams under consideration). Since games against those TUC weigh more heavily in the Pairwise, we might expect a bump in those standings if they get swept away by Denver.

On the other side of that coin, there is a chance that by sweeping AA, we might knock them out of the TUC. Hopefully, by some chance, we can get away with sweeping them and AA stays up there.

Easy solution though.... just win the tournament.
 

GPL Has a couple real detailed posts about how we can get in. DX is a master of the pairwise over there.
 

I just dont think 5th place in conference cuts it, and this is the best its been in 5 years. Not acceptable. I agree we need a few guys who will stick for at least 3 years. To many pretty playmakers. We need folks who dont get crushed in the corner by the Sioux. Then again big guys who can skate and hit (Johnson, Leddy) go pro right away.
 

Here is what we have to look forward to for Gopher Hockey.

1) No WCHA titles. The current team is populated with kids who are treating the team like an defacto Junior squad. They don't want to stay with the team for a full four years. The Gophers will never win another WCHA title.

2) Not making the NCAA tournament for at least five more years. The switch to the Big Ten Hockey conference will hit the Gophers the hardest. They are not geared to playing teams like Michigan and Michigan State. They do not recruit players to match up against these teams. We are walking in to a six team conference as the fourth or fifth best team.

I have friends who have had Gopher Mens Hockey season tickets since they graduated 16+ years ago and they are not renewing them. I can see why, the team that gets put on the ice is not good. They have no pride on the ice. I don't see the current coaching staff changing that. They are too married to the churn and burn style of recruiting players.

Golden Gopher Hockey fans, you should get ready for a decade of aggravation and embarrassment.
 



As to point 1, odds are you're right, but don't you think that is a bit of a dramatic way of saying 'we probably wont win the conference next year'?

As to not making the NCAA's in the next 5 years, I'll take that bet. 5 years is a long time. 5 years ago Monson and Mason coached our bball and fball teams.
 

Things might be wonderfully optimistic for the Gophers. I'll grant you that. But your feelings about the future are far gloomier than I think the situation actually stands.

I expect the Gophers will make the NCAA tournament next year. Not because we should always expect that, but because: 1. our team showed real promise the last third of the season (other than the games against AA), 2. our recruiting class looks quite strong, even for a Gophers' class 3. big losses to graduation and early exits around the league 4. no more Ness and Wehrs on the blue line.

As for the Big Ten, only Michigan finished ahead of the Gophers in the Pairwise Rankings... and that is during one of the most royally frustrating years in a while. MSU and OSU absent entirely from the rankings.
 

MrGopher said:
Things might be wonderfully optimistic for the Gophers. I'll grant you that. But your feelings about the future are far gloomier than I think the situation actually stands.

I expect the Gophers will make the NCAA tournament next year. Not because we should always expect that, but because: 1. our team showed real promise the last third of the season (other than the games against AA), 2. our recruiting class looks quite strong, even for a Gophers' class 3. big losses to graduation and early exits around the league 4. no more Ness and Wehrs on the blue line.

As for the Big Ten, only Michigan finished ahead of the Gophers in the Pairwise Rankings... and that is during one of the most royally frustrating years in a while. MSU and OSU absent entirely from the rankings.
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+1. Not real enthused about the state of the program right now but don't quite think we have reached the doomsday scenario yet. And there is no way that we will be behind O$U or PSU in the Big Ten.
 

Ron Johnson Super Fan said:
+1. Not real enthused about the state of the program right now but don't quite think we have reached the doomsday scenario yet. And there is no way that we will be behind O$U or PSU in the Big Ten.
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So it is very possible we are fourth in the Big Ten Hockey?
 



16 teams of 59 make the NCAA's, it really isnt that hard.

leaving the D2 kids of scsu, und, mankota is what U of Minn needs to distinguish themselves again in hockey. bravo for the move.
 

Ewert86PC said:
So it is very possible we are fourth in the Big Ten Hockey?
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I'd say that if Big Ten hockey started next year I would be surprised if they finished lower than 3rd. Again, I'm not happy with where things are at, I just don't think its quite that dire. Right after the season was over I may have agreed with you but I've backed myself off the ledge since then.
 

So from what I've gather is that Minnesota is kind of going through that UNC Tarheel stage? When you get good players to come so they can say they played for a top school for a couple years and then bolt for the NHL?

I can be completely wrong just trying to understand whats going on over in the Cities.
 

HowBoutThemBison? said:
So from what I've gather is that Minnesota is kind of going through that UNC Tarheel stage? When you get good players to come so they can say they played for a top school for a couple years and then bolt for the NHL?

I can be completely wrong just trying to understand whats going on over in the Cities.
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IMHO that pretty much sums up the situation.

Things look bleak and Ness bolts to the NHL. Bjugstad is continually talked about as wanting to jump to the NHL ahead of using up his eligibility. We have averaged 2-3 players jumping ship early in the last three years. That points to something. Coaching? Lack of championship opportunity? Players who are in it for themselves and not the team? Other things?
 

OT Question: Why is there not a hockey specific board? Obviously football and basketball are the national "major" sports, but in MN ... I think Hockey counts too! Why not give the hockey team its own board like football and basketball?
 

hockey is a niche, regional sport. thats probably why no section. fball, bball are the bigtime D1 sports.
 

lakesbison said:
hockey is a niche, regional sport. thats probably why no section. fball, bball are the bigtime D1 sports.
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While you are right Lakes, (or shold I call you Sam?) hockey is a big deal to the folks in Minnesota, I was really surprised to see that they do not have a hockey specific section.
 

HowBoutThemBison? said:
While you are right Lakes, (or shold I call you Sam?) hockey is a big deal to the folks in Minnesota, I was really surprised to see that they do not have a hockey specific section.
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The reason there is minimal hockey stuff here is because hockey has its own, separate message board community. That is how important it is here.

gopherpucklive.com has just under 3000 members.
gopherhole.com has just over 4000 members.
 

It really is impossible to put the proverbial finger on any one lone culprit to explain why we've been overtaken by this epic swoon. We're in the midst of a perfect storm involving a number of factors: surge in viability of 4 other D1 hockey programs within Minnesota, chronic early defections to the pro game, coaching staff marred by illness and a public perception problem (see Okposo/Islanders PR nightmare), and I'm sure there are more legitimate factors to consider. Bottom line, our coaching staff has to get this group of super-talented (most NHL draftees in NCAA) to work together and play passionately for the M. I think we all agree we haven't seen it since Blake Wheeler scored his youtube sensation and pointed to the M as he celebrated at the X. Who on this squad is playing for the team? And who on this team is playing for the contract?

Go Gophers!
 

Max Gardiner is now leaving, after one year, to play in the Dubuque USHL team. [LINK]
Why do I have the feeling that the status of playing Golden Gopher hockey is continuing to plummet?
 

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