beat bucky
Banned
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2014
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Another year, another fizzle. Not that it couldn't have been predicted given the Gophers last dozen years under Coach Lucia. A team that has embarrassingly underperformed in tournament games, losing by 5, 3 and 3 goals in the last four years. But don't expect the bobos at GPL or Basketball Norwood Jones to do anything about it. They seem satisfied being the big engine that couldn't. Whereas honest people can look at the issues that are becoming problems in the Gopher program...
LEGACIES- How many average kids does Lucia have to recruit from his home town to get a key to the city, like Miskovich and P White, and how many average Gopher nephews and sons like Bischoff, Lettieri, Gates, Pitlick and Ramsey to fill the alumni club?
MR HOCKEY- The last three MN Mr. Hockeys, Jaremko and Peterson (maybe the one Thunderhawk we should have gotten) and Besse, all slipped through the Gophers fingers. A troublesome trend.
GOALTENDERS- Not one goalie recruited by Lucia has gone on to the NHL and his preference for small, reaction-style netminders (anti-Dubnyks) has often meant a lot of net to shoot at and poor rebound control. With all his accolades, if Wilcox gets a shot, he'll find it even harder to stop Getzlaf and Ovechkin than Soucy.
RECRUITING LOSSES- While the Gophs are always losing some MN kids, the recent trend of losing ones they're wanting is becoming disturbing- Lee, Boeser, Malmquist, Hurley, Gersich, the Poehlings are examples. Lucia, it seems, is securing the U border about as well as Obama.
PERSONALITY- What is it with Minnesota and its flat-line somnambulent athletic figures? Mauer, Rubio, Dungy, TK, Lucia. Watching Lucia standing cross-armed and glassy-eyed behind the bench has to be as uninspiring as it looks.
COMPLACENCY- One has to wonder if Lucia hasn't gotten a little complacent in the job. He's got his 2 Nattys. He's got his record number of wins. He's got a clueless-about-hockey AD. Why sweat it?
ELITE FORWARDS- In sixteen years, with all the advantages he's had, Lucia has recruited how many elite forwards? Vanek, Kessel, and maybe Wheeler and Okposo and Bjugstad. Nick Saban recruits that many elite players every year. This is just not good enough.
EUROS- Though, given all the above, attracting some Finns and Swedes might be necessary, it also shows how compromised Gopher recruiting has become.
FUTURE- Other than defensemen, who are the next big impact players on Lucia's committed list?...(uncomfortable pause)... Tommy Novak could be very good, and Ryan Norman and Casey Middlestadt show some real promise, but that's three players and they're years away. Likely then, I guess it's more of the same.
So I'll ask again, can anyone hold Lucia accountable for the underachieving state of Minnesota Gopher hockey? Does anyone dare?
LEGACIES- How many average kids does Lucia have to recruit from his home town to get a key to the city, like Miskovich and P White, and how many average Gopher nephews and sons like Bischoff, Lettieri, Gates, Pitlick and Ramsey to fill the alumni club?
MR HOCKEY- The last three MN Mr. Hockeys, Jaremko and Peterson (maybe the one Thunderhawk we should have gotten) and Besse, all slipped through the Gophers fingers. A troublesome trend.
GOALTENDERS- Not one goalie recruited by Lucia has gone on to the NHL and his preference for small, reaction-style netminders (anti-Dubnyks) has often meant a lot of net to shoot at and poor rebound control. With all his accolades, if Wilcox gets a shot, he'll find it even harder to stop Getzlaf and Ovechkin than Soucy.
RECRUITING LOSSES- While the Gophs are always losing some MN kids, the recent trend of losing ones they're wanting is becoming disturbing- Lee, Boeser, Malmquist, Hurley, Gersich, the Poehlings are examples. Lucia, it seems, is securing the U border about as well as Obama.
PERSONALITY- What is it with Minnesota and its flat-line somnambulent athletic figures? Mauer, Rubio, Dungy, TK, Lucia. Watching Lucia standing cross-armed and glassy-eyed behind the bench has to be as uninspiring as it looks.
COMPLACENCY- One has to wonder if Lucia hasn't gotten a little complacent in the job. He's got his 2 Nattys. He's got his record number of wins. He's got a clueless-about-hockey AD. Why sweat it?
ELITE FORWARDS- In sixteen years, with all the advantages he's had, Lucia has recruited how many elite forwards? Vanek, Kessel, and maybe Wheeler and Okposo and Bjugstad. Nick Saban recruits that many elite players every year. This is just not good enough.
EUROS- Though, given all the above, attracting some Finns and Swedes might be necessary, it also shows how compromised Gopher recruiting has become.
FUTURE- Other than defensemen, who are the next big impact players on Lucia's committed list?...(uncomfortable pause)... Tommy Novak could be very good, and Ryan Norman and Casey Middlestadt show some real promise, but that's three players and they're years away. Likely then, I guess it's more of the same.
So I'll ask again, can anyone hold Lucia accountable for the underachieving state of Minnesota Gopher hockey? Does anyone dare?