SiouxScore

Really up and down effort last night. Just not ready at all to go in the 1st, slow to pucks and to react and basically on heels the whole 1st. Took advantage of some opportunities that really turned the game in the 2nd. 3rd was sloppy at times but got it to the end with a W. Hoping to see a more complete effort tonight.

3/3 on the FM targets

Livanavage

This loss can be put right on KOC but all areas certainly contributed. Defensively you can't finish on some big negative plays and can't go and make a play on the ball, offensively you can't gain 6 inches in two plays and continue to turn the ball over consistently. Coaching-KOC hasn't adapted to coaching like he has a backup QB he still is calling the game like Cousins is back there especially with the lead. Where was the screen game, throws to the flats, and leaning on the run game to keep the clock moving a little with the lead. How about personnel usage the biggest one is why is Powell even on the field for 3rd/4th inches use Hockenson/Oliver/Ham. Remember how good Ham used to be in short yardage? Here is the major red flag for me on KOC along with the number of times not being able to close games in his 2 seasons, we could see in the preseason that Chandler was much more effective runner than Mattison and he still hasn't realized it. Maybe the injury forces him to finally see it today.

Mullens refuses to throw any ball away

I'd go with Hall at QB next week but think KOC goes with Mullens Think the Vikes are probably underdogs in these final 4, Bengals and Packers are really playing well while Detroit is struggling at the moment

Just a really bad weekend of hockey. Did so much good in the first half of the season and then just laid a complete egg in your last series of the year. No excuse for a showing like that with the big break coming.

Johannes

Team really showed something last night. First period might have been the worst all around period from the guys this season. They never got down never mailed it in, just regrouped and kept chipping away and getting better as the game went on.

Solid weekend of hockey, this team so far has done a good job of taking care of teams they should take care of. Should be a good test next weekend with a couple high intensity matchups.

Took care of business this weekend

Some sloppiness at times but overall a good workmanlike win. Need to jump on them again tomorrow and give a bad team no reason to believe.

Really solid weekend of hockey. Duluth is in for a long year I think.

He definitely needs to adapt. He is so concerned with time of possession and so risk averse it makes every game close. Sure that might keep you in a game against a team with more talent than you but when you are playing a less talented team or similar it keeps the game close as well and reduces your margin for error. My biggest frustration yesterday would be with the defense and Rossi basically taking a half to get out of soft zone coverage that Illinois was picking apart. Gotta adapt quicker, I get you are worried about the QB run which didn't happen very much at all but you are a terrible zone coverage team so take your chances with man looks. The other part was the 3rd and 9 run at the 22 from PJ playing for the FG and with the passing game clicking not trying to get into FG range with about 30 seconds left from your 30 before half. Then out of half you have that huge drop in the endzone from Crooms after the strip sack and then basically went to run on 1st and 2nd down the rest of the quarter. It made no sense you had so much success with the early down passing game in the 1st half. The 3rd and 1 slow developing outside zone was so dumb too, Illinois absolutely loaded the box and knew what was coming and not only do you stick on the ground you go with a slow play outside zone. If you really want to run there go with the QB push that you get 2+ on every time you do it. I will give them credit I loved the 3rd and 4 call in the 4th and Athan had a chance to end it but made a terrible throw. He is improving a lot but had a couple key mistakes and missing that 3rd and 4 and the play before you run sideways on the 2nd down instead of get upfield probably cost you a 1st down there too. I sometimes think PJ is more concerned with eating clock than scoring points. Fleck also absolutely needs to fire Wenger. Putting Tyler the fumbler back at returner yesterday and your return sucks to start with and you fumble the opening kick.

Needed to get out of there with a split and got it. Certainly some breakdowns that need to be cleaned up. Way too many careless giveaways. Liked the line combos a lot more last night than what we have seen.

Gophers had a chance to grab full control of the west yesterday and let it slip right through again. Just inexcusable to lose that game to Illinois. These situations have been far too common under PJ. Iowa and Wisconsin in 2019, Illinois and Iowa in 2021, Purdue in 2022, and now Northwestern and Illinois in 2023. They just can't get over the top.

That is the type of game you need to win. BU got some bounces but you have to take advantage of more of your looks against a goalie who didn't look sharp at all. Wasn't real impressed with BU. Of the teams we have faced so far I'd have them 3 at best behind Minnesota and Wisconsin. Officiating as seemingly is always the case when you go out East was pretty weak. Have to do something with the PP, think you have to look at trying to work from down low more maybe operating more from behind net/goal line extended. Think maybe a little bit of line tweaking might be in order too, feels like Schmaltz just doesn't fit real well with McLaughlin and Blake. Would love to see Perron get the look there. James and Johannes could be 2 other potential guys there. Move Schmaltz back to center and bump Jamernik down to center the 4th line. Perron-McLaughlin-Blake James-Berg-Gaber Johannes-Schmaltz-Strinden

Vikes probably have to add a QB for this week as I believe Mullens is still IR for another week. Play Hall and see what you have there. If he struggles like most would predict you should have a top 10 pick. The Kirk injury pretty well ends the playoff hopes and makes it easy to trade Hunter, Hicks, and any other pending FA you can get value for in the next 48 hours.

Vikings upcoming schedule looks very advantageous. Now having said that I fully expect that the win over SF convinced Kwesi to hang onto Hunter, Hicks, Osborn, Smith, etc. and they'll go fall on their face in Green Bay picking up a loss but with the trade deadline next Tuesday Vikes just opt to hang onto everyone anyway.

I knew they were scrimmaging somewhere, my brother got stuck behind the director of ops picking up subs at Jersey Mikes Friday afternoon.

Ben Johnson was in Fort Collins as they scrimmaged Colorado State. The reported score on Twitter was they lost by like 40 however coming from very very good sources that information is coming from a young kid and not real accurate. They work like 3-4 different periods/situations in these scrimmages and some teams play their regular lineups while others work a lot of combos you probably wouldn't see much come regular season. I know the Gophers played Parker Fox a ton since he is coming back from back to back injury years and his expected role this year is probably under 10 minutes a game.

Persson has certainly eased some of my concerns the last 2 nights. Got a long way to go in some areas. Have to get PP figured out. Good win that will hold up well as the season goes but it’s still just 1 game. Celebration seemed a bit over the top tonight and this win doesn’t mean anything next weekend, can’t have a hangover effect.

When you play one solid period against a good team this is the result you get. Seemed like we were completely on our heels the 2nd and 3rd and after hearing Jackson's comments after the 1st something like "we saw how quick they can counter attack and really gotta be aware/defend that". It was like we were so scared to make a mistake that they would counter that our attack level really went down. This is a team that has to play on their toes and be the attackers, not sit in the neutral zone and look to counter off a turnover. There is too much offensive talent for what we saw tonight. Our guys settled to just play on the outside instead of trying to play through a body and get to the tough areas. Gaber might've been our worst forward. Need way more from an experienced leader. Persson was pretty solid. Our PP has looked awful in all 3 games. Too many guys that looked like they didn't want the puck, way too man giveaways and just sloppy lackadaisical play. Minnesota played harder tonight and was the better team and got the result they deserved.

Got told midweek Mooney had unfollowed UND Hockey on insta and the only two he followed were UND and Minnesota so the writing was on the wall that it was coming.

Definitely a little bit sloppy in all phases but got the job done. Need to get the PP clicking. With the talent we have it should be a strength of this team and this weekend it wasn’t connected at all.