SiouxScore

It wasn't as bad but I think it was Kunz who did technically grab a Gopher facemask right away, no turn like Cooley though.

Tonight was the sloppiest I've seen his team since probably his first season. Really disappointed in how the offense ran early. I know it is a QB in his first start in that tough environment but gotta let the kid play. 3 runs into loaded boxes after the interception return inside the 20 was atrocious, go for the kill there. 5 games left all very winnable but with how that 2nd half went with some lack of effort, not getting aligned, and things like that I'm interested to see this team next Saturday. Either pull together and respond and salvage the season down the stretch even though it will still finish as a disappointment or feel sorry for yourselves and don't show up ready to play and things really get off the track. I do think PJ needs to look at his philosophy and change some things. Offensively he is so worried about time of possession and playing Tressel ball but that needs to change. You have to be willing to be more open offensively, take more shots, play with varying tempo, push the pace at times.

Glad to get out of this weekend with a split. Was really worried the Gophers would put up some big numbers against UND but DeRidder responded well and the defensive coverage was much better than it had been the first couple weeks. Man that Minnesota team is so so deep and it is scary to think how good they can be in a few months, but as we know well the best team doesn't always win the championship.

I like putting Blake-Schmaltz-Gaber together. Don't like having McLaughlin who is arguably our best skater with a couple guys in Kunz and Caulfield who don't bring a lot of speed. Would've gone something like James-McLaughlin-Portz. Not sure why Costantini comes out of the lineup.

Minnesota has better skaters than any team in college hockey. I'd put their d group at the top of the list as well. Part of the lack of o zone pressure was us as well though, seemed like at times they were so focused on playing defense they just pointlessly gave up the puck instead of looking to create and make plays offensively.

Thought we were gonna hang on and steal a W DeRidder was really solid but I think he'd want that tying goal back Took advantage of opportunities but have to generate more, at times it felt like we'd have the puck in O zone with room to operate and we were almost more worried about just getting back to play D instead of looking to make a play. You have the puck look for offense! Too many careless plays just getting rid of the puck, Minnesota's D is the best in the country you have to make things harder on them too many easy retrievals Minnesota's offensive depth is much better than ours but I thought we did a decent job limiting chances from prime scoring areas. A much better job in coverage away from the puck as well as getting sticks on pucks/guys After really sitting back in the 2nd I thought we came out decently aggressive in the 3rd but then about halfway through it is like a switch flipped and we went back to sitting back and chipping pucks in with really no purpose or even forecheck, Minnesota is too good of team to allow easy uncontested outs and think you can just win playing defense. The best defense against them is some o zone time and making their forwards play in the d zone.

Just not much good to take from tonight. Not many individuals or aspects of the game that went well. Gonna need to clean up a ton and be much sharper before Friday night or it will be a long 120 minutes in Minneapolis because that team is much more skilled than Quinnipiac. Between this game and the ugly Gopher football performance it has been a pretty disappointing Saturday for me.

Why?

Costantini

Really good response in the 2nd and 3rd. 1st was awful. Just very soft in every area. Weak clears, passes, coverage, on the boards, etc The overturned goal sure seemed like the wrong call to me. Looked like puck entered and tagup rule would be in effect but it’s almost like they thought our guy carried it in and ruled it that way. After some pretty bad PPs they stepped up and delivered in the 3rd. Goaltending has to be better. Really only 1 or 2 real soft goals but need a goalie to come up with a couple key saves on a real good chance. Need to be much stronger on clears too much is better than not enough. Transition game was rough both ways for us tonight, think there is opportunity to take advantage for a quick strike or 2 if it’s sharper tomorrow.

Pretty solid performance for the most part after a slow start. Took care of a team we should take care of this weekend now we will see how we stack up against some much better competition the next couple weeks. One thing that really showed this weekend though was the depth is there with this group, much more skill throughout the lineup especially up front.

Schmaltz

Solid performance taking care of business against a team you should take care of business against. Gotta back it up with another one tomorrow.

Twins getting a "fresh look" this offseason. I'm not a huge fan of what the current white and grey uniforms are so I'll be interested to see what they do there. HAVE to keep the powder blue look in the rotation and wear them more! https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-plan-brand-refresh-of-uniforms-logos

Gaber

Definitely a shorthanded lineup tonight. Personally might've swapped Caulfield and Portz in the line combos.

Just so stupid. Absolutely sucks had a great opportunity to grab control of the West and you had a lot of buzz building and then you come with a no show effort on homecoming in front of a packed stadium where they actually got the fans to execute the stripe out pretty well. So many mistakes. Had every opprtunity to win the game but missing 29 yard field goals and turning easy 10 yard slant TDs into interceptions doesn't get it done. The call from Fleck to go for it on 4th and 1 from the 29 in your own territory when you weren't running the ball for anything in the 1st quarter might've been the worst part and gave Purdue 3. I know there was no Mo today and he is a huge loss but guys just didn't look ready to go and Purdue getting O'Connell back was huge. That game @ Illinois in a couple weeks is gonna be a big one.

Illinois is solid. Going into this week them and Purdue were the two I was most worried about as threats to the Gophers.

Gaber-Schmaltz-Blake James-Costantini-Caulfield Kunz-McLaughlin-Jamernik Hain-Senden-Albrecht-Strinden Kleven-Frisch Jandric-Farmer Moore-Johnson Hellsten/DeRidder Johnson Scratches-Portz, Ness, Montgomery, Bast, Sidorski

Just read it. They surveyed "people around the hockey world" including NHL scouts, USHL executives, agents and fellow coaches in college hockey. 20 voters and each voter was asked for a top five, with five points being awarded for a top-place vote and a single one given for a fifth-place vote. “Best recruiter” meant different things to different people, and some pointed out that recruiting is a team effort, but voters were asked to combine the coaches’ ability to identify talent and to convince the players to commit while incorporating the caliber of program they work for when considering the talent they bring in (to prevent this from becoming a list of the premier schools’ coaches).

Todd Knott from Mankato? From my hometown, dad coached him in high school, and his brother is married to a cousin of mine. Great guy and has had opportunity to be a head coach but it will take a special job/location. Thought Augustana should've went with him.

Giants, I expected the Eagles to be very good

Think part of the reason Batchelder was headed to CC was supposed to be to come in this season, but with him back in the USHL looks like they weren't on the same page