1. It apparently is only ok to show class when we win or lose against teams that are percieved to be better than MTU and UAA. Gotcha.
2. MTU is a lot better than people give them credit for. I mean... aren't they ahead of us in the standings? I don't know for sure, but I'm 99% sure they are.
Do you know what let us down last night as far as I could tell?
Fundamentals.
Look, once again I'm being forced to compare with a team not many of us like, but this team just doesn't have quality passers like the Gophers do. I've seen so many pucks float over sticks, passes go behind players, past players, and be easily predicted as to be easily intercepted or blocked by the opposition. I SWEAR to you that if we were just a little better at passing (especially in the offensive zone), we'd have had more chances.
Two other factors:
1. We have no answer for the neutral zone trap.
2. Can't find the net. No, I'm not saying we only can't score, I'm saying we're seeing the same problems we saw last year early in the year: Just wide of the net/passed too far (coverred by the goaltender)/over the net/"easy save by..."/blocked. Oshie had 2 absolutely amazing moves but couldn't bury the puck in the 2nd or first half of the third period. Duncan had a rebound go just out of his reach and couldn't pick a corner on his other shot. For the last 4 minutes of the 1st period, I can't tell you for sure, but I don't believe UND even registered a shot on goal. Folks, we can't rely on the "pass till they drop dead of boredom/goaltenders legs fall off" gameplan. The puck ends up out of the offensive zone too often because we end up passing too much and wasting too much of our time (especially on the power play). This causes us to press (on the power play) and that can end up with shorthanded opportunities for the opposition. I really think, as an armchair coach, that we need to do everything in 3s. It should take at most 3 movements of the puck (1 pass counts as one movement) for the puck to get from our end of the rink and on goal at the other end. One pass out of the zone and 2 passes for the neutral zone/offensive zone to set up the shot. Then we crash the net. Goaltenders are being run left and right all the time and there is no call. We have to play that gamestyle. I listened to the radio and heard TWO PLAYERS try to do that. Their names? TJ Oshie and not Porter... not Duncan... CHRIS VANDEVELDE. Kozek didn't do bad, but he didn't have the puck when he was in front of the net and we couldn't get it to him often enough. He put himself in front of the net a few times, so I won't be so harsh on him. Folks, we need to get in between the faceoff circles at center ice. PERIOD. THat's how we need to roll.
Defensively, well, I think we did ok. A lot of the Finley detractors nearly got what they wanted. But I'd like to remind you what will happen if the ARs don't get involved tonight. You see, Chorney and Lee leave for the WJC on Sunday. So if Radke or Finley drop the gloves tonight, then we're even more short handed. Genoway will already be back at D and Foyt will play to cover for both Lee and Chorney, but if Finley or Radke have to serve a one game suspension, who will play in that slot? I honestly don't know.
All I can say for UND officiating wise is we got lucky on one count (Finley dropped the gloves and threw off his helmet and yet only got 2 minutes, unless I missed something) and unlucky on another (MTU's second goal). Overall, though, Shepherd didn't cost us the game nor did he especially make a negative impact. Remember, we need to be able to play well under adverse circumstances (like when Don Adam officiates).
TH said we weren't outplayed last night. I don't know that I agree with him because I think we were. But we didn't play poorly like we did against UAA on that Friday night or CC on that Friday night.
Also, anyone else notice that most of our bad games are played on Friday?
