sagard

Going 1-2 vs. 0-1 isn't much different for either the Gophers or UMD. Both would need lots of help to qualify. I would agree that with two wins the Gophers qualifying is likely, but there are a lots of results with UW and BC winning their tourneys that the Gophers (and UMD) are out in the cold even with wins Thursday and Friday night. The requirement seems to be Cornell and Princeton each getting a win. The favorites win in the CCHA. I've never been a bigger BU fan if the Gophers win Thursday. I'm guessing some here would support that. One example: # Hockey East Semifinal #2: Northeastern defeats Mass.-Lowell. # Hockey East Semifinal #1: Boston College defeats Boston University. # Hockey East Championship game: Boston College defeats Northeastern. # ECAC Semifinal #2: Cornell defeats Princeton. # ECAC Semifinal #1: Yale defeats St. Lawrence. # ECAC Championship game: Yale defeats Cornell. # ECAC Consolation game: Princeton defeats St. Lawrence. # Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #2: RIT defeats Mercyhurst. # Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #1: Air Force defeats Bentley. # Atlantic Hockey Championship game: RIT defeats Air Force. # CCHA Semifinal #2: Michigan defeats Alaska. # CCHA Semifinal #1: Notre Dame defeats Northern Michigan. # CCHA Championship game: Notre Dame defeats Michigan. # CCHA Consolation game: Alaska defeats Northern Michigan. # WCHA Play-in #1: Minnesota defeats Minnesota-Duluth. # WCHA Semifinal #2: Wisconsin defeats Denver. # WCHA Semifinal #1: Minnesota defeats North Dakota. # WCHA Championship game: Wisconsin defeats Minnesota. # WCHA Consolation game: North Dakota defeats Denver.

What makes you think he still isn't?

His opponent had Gerbe on the roster and some bounces didn't go his way. That said I don't think players can hit a button and improve. Kangas has been bad most of the second half. Last weekend vs. SCSU he did better but I'd be hard pressed to call it a trend vs. a mirage. Sure do hope it's a trend though.

Yep I was bitter for a long time on this one. It was similar to the Holy Cross goal in some ways. Sioux player on left wing fires puck. Gopher defense deflects it perfectly to Armbrust who buries it. The seeding was an absolute joke. Michigan was the 1W (#1 in PWR), UND the 2W (#2 in PWR), and the Gophers were the 3W (#4 PWR). Two years prior the Gophers were put into CC's bracket after playing them in the Final Five and ended their season. So they come up with the brilliant idea to swap the Gopher bracket with the Cornell bracket and the rest was history. Fast forward to 2007, the Gophers were not extended the same courtesy and UND only had to wait a week for revenge after Wheeler's spectacular goal. Completely agree about puck luck. Despite how much fun it is to mock Brendan Morrison, he is right that the best team doesn't always win. That is what makes hockey in my opinion the best in person sport to watch.

There are a decent amount of scenarios with UW beating the Gophers in the Final that don't put the Gophers even in the field. Gophers need two wins and to hope for the best.

This has got to be the most idiotic thing I have ever heard of. Why not nationalize the professor ranks and their $$$ salaries if you want to be dip$$$ts. Of course then we'd be further exposed when we couldn't find enough home grown intelligence to teach our babies.

After getting college having the Gophers go 6-1 and win two titles from '94-'96 was nice. Woog got beer dumped on him and Checco had to OT winners. Only made it to Milwaukee in '94 The dry spell started with that great game vs. UND in '97. Still will never understand how Wyatt Smith missed an open net at the end of regulation. That one left me bitter until spring of '02. The Gophers played their hearts out in '00, beating MSU and losing heartbreakers to UW and SCSU to fall short of being a tourney team. Arneson blasting a slapper through the twine at the X in '01 was impressive. Play went on, but after further review time was put back on and the goal counted. Since then it has been feast or famine for the Gophers. Great title games vs. UND, dismal title games vs. DU.

If it doesn't start that game out with the softie, the Gophers are a pretty much a lock in the NCAA field even with a loss to UMD.

I'm with you. I'm not too worried about the ECAC because whoever wins it will have played themselves into the top 14 of PWR. Hopefully someone other than Yale loses twice. The CCHA could be problematic as well now that they went to a four team final. Personally I think things are pretty bleak for both UMD and UM. It is going to be very hard for either to win twice and even if one of them does win twice, they could get usurped by BC, UW or someone in the CCHA.

Good point. I usually like Nanne but tonight on the radio with the KFAN guy he propogated the MYTH that the Gophers might get in if they finish merely in the top 16 of PWR. Totally misinformed and irresponsible. College hockey isn't the same game as it was when he played.

Without really talented teams, the big ice detracts from the game. Pure and simple. Most Gopher teams don't have the skill to be more entertaining on the big sheet vs. NHL sheet.

The problem with the big sheet is that only teams like the Gophers in '01-'02, '02-'03, '05-'06 are skilled enough to make it worth while. The vast majority of games on big ice spent watching players either retrieve bad passes or watching players retreat to a corner to avoid a defender longer than they deserve to. Players also develop bad habits of drifting into wide corners on rushes vs. driving the net. If anything the NHL could play on a big sheet, but for 99% of college hockey teams I prefer the small sheet. I don't hate the big sheet at Mariucci, but I do like the NHL ice games at the X, UND, DU, etc...

We've got plenty of nuts that think the Gophers are pre-ordained to be in the tourney, your entitled to a few conspiracy folks.

The semifinal session when not split seems like it is a little tougher than the final itself. Tickets can almost always be had for face if nobody is playing in their home town.

Owens and Lucia are two of the coaches in the WCHA most likely to leave their programs on their terms. Lucia won't go anywhere until after '11-'12. My guess is he will start adding single year extensions after this season as well. Owens runs a fine team and is one of CC's own. No way to they dump him. The only teams I could see making a move would be MSU or UMD if they could make Blais an offer he couldn't refuse. Both those programs seem to be in decent shape so I really don't see any movement. UW might be the most likely if only because when Eaves snaps again they really won't have much of a choice.

That scenario puts UM in. AFA is #13 so they don't need the auto-bid. Gophers luck out at #15.

Maybe it should be, but not guaranteed. UMD going 1-2. UW and BC not winning their tourneys. And either Princeton or Cornell losing twice would get the Gophers VERY close. I also believe they would be out, but it would really depend on the RPI hits taken by UMD and Princeton/Cornell after their losses.

I don't think it has been 100% consistent over the years. I'd give the Xcel Center a call and see if they can tell you.

The game will be close but UMD is not the draw I wanted for the Gophers. Unless Stalock gives up softies like he did at Mariucci I'd say UMD will take the game.

Yeah pretty much. There are still ways for the Gophers to get in with a loss, but it would certain dim their chances. The Gophers and UMD really needed Cornell, Ohio State, or Princeton to get swept. That didn't happen. UW and BC are major threats to win their conference tourneys so getting to #14 may not be good enough. At this point I really don't like either the Gophers or UMD's chances. They both need two wins in my opinion. After beating the other, they need to beat UND or comeback on short rest for their 3rd game of the weekend in the third place game. Gophers pulled it off last year, but it doesn't seem likely for lightning to strike twice in two seasons. The MTU 6 game will likely be the RPI difference that keeps the Gophers out of the tourney.

The only part I've looked at is the UMD/UM issue. UMD will pass the Gophers with a win, but would likely fall back below them if they failed to win another game at the X.

Taking the 1-2-1 record vs. MSU would help the Gophers. Maybe RIT can bump them, but the rest have to lose at some point so I don't think they will pass MSU in the end.

Things are still fluid, but right now for UMD to take the comparison with the Gophers they likely need to beat them and then win one additional game. If UMD goes W-L-L at the X, they would likely fall back behind the Gophers in RPI and their CO record vs. the Gophers would fall by two games. I don't know what happened to UMD that last weekend vs. AA. Of all the teams I saw I thought UMD was better than all but UND and Denver. Stalock had a terrible weekend vs. the Gophers and that really seemed like the only reason the Gophers had success vs. them.

I'd love a UM/UW semi. I don't really want any part of the playin. That said I don't see AA pulling the shocker and it could easily be UM/UMD in the playin game of death. Lot of hockey left. CC and SCSU could still pull through.

Come on Sea Monkeys! A Sea Monkey/Bulldog playin game would rock.