sagard

The Gophers don't play a lot of regulation ice games (only three so far) so I'm pretty sure Lucia doesn't really have any specialists. The Gophers did look very good at the X and Denver. Their quick passing seems to spring plenty of odd man rushes and chances. The players on the power play also will avoid the drifting into the corners that occurs on the big sheet. Shack would be the only guy that I'd consider a lot more likely to get in a game on regulation ice. It wouldn't surprise me to him in Grand Forks with a chip on his shoulder. This Gophers team doesn't score in bunches, but for the most part they keep fighting all game long. When they do have a bad period, Kangas usually keeps them in the game. If they are going to be a nationally elite team they need big steps from another group of forwards and Ness and Fairchild have to keep improving.

Gophs power play is pretty decent and seems to be clipping along at about goal per game. Stay out of the box is an easy way to keep them in check. I'm going to hope that the small sheet brings out a lot more from Hoeffel (even though we all know he'll be exhausted) and White. The teams that have dominated the Gophers (Michigan and CC) did it for the most part with their legs and simply won all the races to the pucks. You won't notice Schroeder until watching the goal replays. He'll either force a turnover or make a non-flashy pass to Stoa to open him up for a rocket. Kangas has been good so far, but not the brick wall he was at the end last year.

The Gophers have had a lot of good results this season, but things don't come too easy for them. Goaltending and power plays will no doubt be the key to the weekend. I'll be looking to see if Pat White's good play and goal scoring from this weekend was a fluke or a start of something. If he can get going the Gophers may develop the scoring depth to make them very dangerous this spring.

I don't care a lot one way or another in the Canada/Sweden game, but I'll never root for the Russians vs. anyone. Let Canada keep winning them. Maybe someday we will model our program after theirs vs. the Euro model.

Yep. They gagged completely. Couldn't have happened to a bunch of nicer guys.

Gotta hand it to the Canadians. Number 3 for the Russians is going to have nightmares forever.

Fighting will always be part of hockey as long as the Canadians are in charge. No fears there.

That is sad. The response of pointing blame at the equipment is worse. How about when guys are done playing competitive (juniors) hockey maybe a ban on fighting should be considered.

McCollum and the defense stunk all tourney. I think Rolston is in way over his head as well. Not sure why they don't get top level college coaches to give it a shot like they have done in the past. I'd feel much better with virtually any WCHA coach behind the bench vs. Rolston. He certainly didn't prepare his team to face success vs. the Canadians. As the Slovaks showed today with proper planning it really isn't that tough to stop a powerful opponent when your ahead 2-3 goals.

You and me don't agree often, but that is exactly what I noticed after one of the early US goals. I couldn't identify the player though. Tavares can do what he wants. I hate to say it but the US looked like a bunch of babies after JVR got punched. The US finds a new way to torture it's fans.

This was a typical US collapse. You know the rest of the story. Beat Slovakia, lose a tough one to the Swedes, get blown out by the Russians. Lather, rinse, repeat. The US boys started the trash by buzzing the Canadian bench after the goals, somebody should have taught these lads that games aren't over ten minutes into the first period.

From a Gopher fan perspective: I thought this team should have been great and one of the best. Defense and goaltending weren't going to be an issue. Scoring can often be replaced easier than the blueline. Regular season grades poor, post season great with a nice Frozen Four win over the Gophs. Didn't think this team would be nearly as strong as the previous one. Nice WCHA tourney and Regional. Can't complain. I thought this team would be dominant. Disappointing regular season, great WCHA playoff (despite the Wheeler goal) and quick Gopher payback at the regional. Can't be happy with the Frozen Four performance. I thought UND was the best team in the Frozen Four. Losing Toews was a big deal. Team looked pretty strong to me from start to finish. That game in Denver was a shock. Thought Michigan was the best team in Denver, but as it often turns out the goalie who plays best wins. Team doesn't look as strong as any of the previous Hakstol teams to me. However I'm not dumb enough to count out a strong second half and a post season run. The WCHA doesn't seem that strong this year and the Final Five will be there for the taking.

I agree. Canada "might" lose one game this tourney, I'm almost preferring it be in the medal round vs. tonight. Both teams are good up front, but Canada seems way better at the blueline.

IF he struggles at the Ralph we'll blame it on the refs and the opponents clutching and grabbing.

Unfortunately the WCHA has pretty much proved itself out of conference this year. There are going to be lots of teams in St. Paul this year needing to win the league championship to make the field.

Yep. It is still more likely that a top ten pick will return for a second year of college hockey. Kessel, EJ, Suter, Turris -- Gone after one. Wheeler, Montoya, Skille, Lee, Toews, JJ, Okposo (kind of), Van Reimsdak, Wilson, Whitney, Ballard --- Returned. It's hard to say what Schroeder will do because I doubt he knows at this point. He has always moved up his level of competition as quickly as possible, so I'm guessing he would leave given the right contract and a legit shot at 50+ NHL games next year.

How did Wheeler's choice make him look bad? I (like everyone else) thought it was crazy to turn down the guaranteed money. I'm guessing he was told he wasn't going to have a shot at the NHL in Phoenix so he rolled the dice and took his game to Boston. I just hope he can avoid any of the streaks where he goes stone cold this year.

If we are going to compete with Canada it will come down to our defense and goaltending playing at or above the best of their abilities. Hopefully it is just my lack of familiarity, but our blueline doesn't impress me compared to the Carle, Stuart, and Suter blueline with that Parise team or the EJ/JJ blueline.

I think you'll actually like Schroeder when he gets out of his Gophers/USA sweaters. The guy plays far more like Parise than Kessel.

There is also a difference for me between high draft pick guys like Forney and Budish vs. other guys. Guys like Budish and Lee have it the toughest, because they both could likely play football at the D1 level. It's a tough call and really should be left up to the kid, if a coach doesn't like football players don't recruit them.

Team Canada rocks at pretty much every possible level. Their fans who root for Russians over the US, not as much.

The UND women will get a win vs. the Gophers sooner rather than later. Almost all the other WCHA teams have beaten them. UND would quickly become a national power in the women's game if they committed more to scholarships and they honestly could get anyone to coach there with the facility. If the Gophers and other schools are paying a full roster of scholarships vs. half as many the results will be fairly consistant. Surprises can and will occur as we all know.

I was refering to the Canada/Sweden final. Canada schooled the US last year and you could see it coming as soon as they lost their pool game and got in the US bracket.

And here I thought you'd mention the UND arrogance since the new Ralph opened.... I truly don't mind anyones arrogance. How Canada hockey fans consistantly cheer for Russia against the US is beyond me. As much as I'm jealous of Canada's hockey success, I wouldn't stoop to rooting for Russia to beat them.

Canada keeps winning but the margins seem to be getting smaller again. Couldn't get much closer than the Toews/Frazee game and last year Sweden seemed to be the better team for much of the game. A US victory over Canada in the Final would make my season as a hockey fan. Heck maybe even in the semis. Unfortunately it will likely come down to defense and goaltending and the US boys will come up short. For once can we at least beat the Russians.