yzerman19

No comments on the spread 'em out North-South breakout? I thought it sounded good.

That is interesting that only one MN loss is on NHL sized rink. Very interesting. MN did outshoot the Sioux in terms of shots on goal by a large margin, and I think they were in offensive zone a lot more in the third period, but I do think shots attempted would've been a lot closer, as many have posted that MN blocked a ton of shots. I feel the need to clarify my statement about defensive style. I by no means meant that they were trapping, I think that they were playing defense first and counterpunch. Sort of the philosophy of play good D, get a turnover and then transition rather than all out attack. Shut down the DOT line and hope that you can keep the likes of Porter, Watkins, Kaip, Zajac, Fabian etc off the board. It is definitely a tall order; MN did it, and MN deserved to win. New tournament this weekend, and you can bet our boys are going to want it. Nothing like being shown your vulnerable to make you smarten up.

I think the Sioux fan got an extra fine for instigating

MN did block a ton of shots. They played bust your a$$, hard-working defense and clearly frustrated us. It was a great game plan executed well by some top-end skaters.

OK, teams have been able to frustrate us by taking time and space away from our top line. How can we effectively open up the ice when a team takes a defensive, counter-punch strategy against our beloved DOT line? What about this idea: Can we try and put two of our gunners deep? Maybe Oshie and Duncan sitting way up just outside the opponent's blue line on the same side of the rink? You can't pinch the two D on the same side or you risk getting beat on speed into an odd-man, so you need to bring your center back. That would limit the forecheck to the two opposing wingers. It would also open up the rink on the side away from those two forwards, creating space for Toews, Chorney and Lee to tic-tac-toe it up the ice. As you enter the offensive zone the middle winger can cross with Toews and attack normally. Any thoughts or feedback? I think it is a thought. I think Chorney, Lee and Toews can stick handle up the ice as well as anybody and open up that space to enter the zone with speed.

I don't think that Lee was holding up for an icing, I think that he was scared of getting a penalty call,and rightly so. He can not be blamed for the miracle goal. It wouldn't have been an issue had the entire team played their best game. I am now over the loss. Let's go Sioux. Its a new tournament. The big one. Play Sioux hockey, Play the way that got us here.

Any stat types out there know Duncan's shot percentage this year? He is so deadly from the bottom of the circle with that quick wrister to the near upper corner. It seems like if he gets a clean look from down there he is about 50%+ Clearly not all of his shots are from there. As for it being a tough draw; every draw is tough from here on out. Every team in this tournament can beat you if you don't bring it. Case in point Holy Cross. MN clearly had superior talent last year and got beat. Interesting thing on Air Force, they sure seem to put the shots on goal. Even though they got beaten by CC by a goal and Notre Dame by 2 goals, they outshot them in both losses. I didn't see the game; and I have not seen them play, but they are riding a 6 game winning streak that got them to the dance.

It looks like Michigan had a similar playoff run to us in the CCHA. Nice win over Michigan State and then a tight loss to Notre Dame. Do they stack one line like we do? Are Hensick, Cogliano, and Porter on the same line? I know Jack Johnson is solid from watching him in the world juniors. Michigan scored 9 goals in beating Ferris State in late Jan and 8 goals against Northern Michigan in the first round of their conference match-ups, so they clearly have some fire power. Pretty decent size from checking out the roster. One Duncan size guy and the rest 5-10 or taller.

Agree on the booing deal with SiouxAddict, it was not mean-spirited. I don't think the game had the flow that the SCSU game had on Friday, but you do speak the truth as far as it being a good game. I think it was frustrating that the Gophers were talented enough to not let our boys play our game. I think MN clearly wanted that game and came out and gave it their all. I don't think our guys lacked in effort, i think that the Gophers just had the right game plan and frustrated us, and they clearly have some top-end talent and were able to win in the end. There was a post about Hakstol talking to some parents, any word? What is described sounds like an injury that would require medical attention. Not good at this time of year if we lost someone. GroupThink, eh? I didn't know that I was being judged on my posts. I thought it was sort of fun to talk about wins and wallow in self-pity with others following losses. Hating the Gophers is fun for me, It doesn't occupy my life. It is fun to rip on them. As stated before, being in their city, this is the only forum for me to find any other anti-Gophers. I have posted a lot today, because my girlfriend is out of town and I am hung over. Killing time and having fun.

I did actually post once stating that my hatred borders on mental illness Power play did look good. Porter had a pk shift that was as impressive as any i've ever seen.

How is my last post whining? In numerous threads here I have posted props to Lucia and to the Gophers. I also quite clearly state on one post that I don't blame the refs for the loss. I did think that the calls should've been even out of the ruckus. EMBARASS you. Please. I hate the Gophers. I hate their fans. I went to school at MN and have lived in the twin cities for over a decade. I have to deal with them all of the time. It is not easy to deal with the tremendous amount of ignorance, arrogance and homerness. I am posting to try and get over the loss. I was at the game yesterday and had the great joy of being heckled down West 7th by fans referring to the game as an a$$ kicking. I am posting not to enlighten anyone, but to try and work through my severe disappointment in losing to the team that I despise more than all others. If you are looking for enlightenment, I would clearly state, as I did previously, that the Gopher game plan was a perfect way to shut down the top Sioux line and we were unable to mount any kind of successful attack with lines 2-4. The tight checking game seemed to surprise the Sioux, and we were unable to cycle the puck or have any success on the attack or along the boards. I do think that the frequent early penalty calls moved us off our game and the 2-4 lines did not play the aggressive style that we are used to seeing.

Duncan is tough, and he went after Vanelli as soon as he regained his skates. I love a good hard, clean check. When you are standing still and the puck is away from you, that is not good or clean. The check could've bordered on charging as well. I am quite aware of the 911 pass, I got leveled a few times myself. But you take those lumps when it is clean. That was not. I wouldn't care so much if Vanelli and the rest of the Goofs hadn't run to the bench. If you are going to cheap shot Duncan, then you need to be prepared to back it up. Now neither team can afford to lose a player for the Regionals, but if you do that, you need to be prepared to take the consequences on the ice. I look forward to that check and the ensuing team unity being the motivation behind UND's next four wins!!!!

Earlier on this thread or another, I commented that MN had an elite hockey program, and I don't think there is debate on that. My small comments are related only to the ridiculous comments that I heard last night.

I definitely did not see a fast and loose game. I saw a tight checking game. It was a good game, but not the game that i have seen from the Sioux the last month or the Gophers for that matter. Living in the Twin Cities, I watch all Sioux home games, but often watch the Gophers when the Sioux are on the road. Neither team played the game that they usually do. I give the win to DL for outcoaching DH last night. DL also spun it nicely to make the rodents on ice motivated like an underdog. My compliments to him. My compliments to Blake Wheeler for a fantastic game winner, although I still believe it had a lot of puck luck. In an OT game where you have the talent that both sides have, all it takes is one shot. Much like the near misses at the end of regualtion by the Sioux. Clearly an Okposo, Bariball, Toews, Duncan, Oshie or Chorney can bury an open look. You never want to be in that position as an opponent.

Not a cheap shot! He ran a guy without the puck. That is not green colored glasses, that was cheap. I give MN props for winning the game and am not blaming officials for the loss. Gophers won yesterday, bu they are still the fourth winningest program in the conference in terms of national championships and the laughing stock of the Big Ten in football and hoops

Here's what I saw last night: Minnesota's game plan seemed to be to frustrate the DOT line with their top line and let the game get decided by lines 2-4. MN clogged up the ice well and didn't give anyone time or space. When the Sioux had time and space with the man advantage, they made them pay. MN also was doing some hail Mary type breakouts with one winger just going gang busters ala the Wheeler goal. MN seemed to be very effective at cutting off the passing lanes and then going after the puck handler. MN used the body very well and really set the tone of the game. The aggressive UND forecheck was beaten by the speed of MN. I think the forwards couldn't cycle and grind and hit the corners hard due to the Gophers great ability to transition. MN is a very good team and they played their game last night. The Sioux needed to play theirs, and they did not.

My hatred of the Gophers is bordering on mental illness. It doesn't seem rational to hate a program as much as I hate the Gophers.

I want the refs to let 'em play. Did you know that more than the Sioux are upset about the officiating seeming to be pro-Gopher. There has been a grievence filed with the WCHA regardign officiating by a number of schools. To my knowledge, UND is not one of them. I don't blame the officials for losing last night. I just think it was poor officiating. There is holding, hooking and interference on every shift. You don't need to call it all. I like a fast loose game, and that was not what we had last night. 2 Sioux goals on the PP, yup, on 5 man advantages. MN had 8. Goal disallowed: yup following a mandatory objective replay. I take offense to the Duncan cheap shot and would've ordered the code red.

I agree, with the shot barrage. I posted elsewhere that I thought we were definitely trying to be too pretty. Clearly Chorney, Duncan and Toews can pick corners with the best of them. Bottom line, Sioux need to have offensive production out of the 2-4 lines. We need goals from those guys or else we will lose.

Just put a picture of a B-52 up! Of course I am a Sioux fan, but if we lose, I am the biggest fan of whoever is playing the Gophers

We definitely tried to be too pretty at times. The drop pass from the D is about as stupid as it gets!!!! Drop pass to the D not from the D. Where was the Fabian Kaip connection last night? Porter played well on the pk, but we were definitely spending too much time killing penalties. MN shut down our high powered O. They played an unusual style for Gopher hockey last night. I used to think that POI stood for Prima donnas On Ice. Last night they looked like a grind it our working class team. That is scary. Who needs to step it up: Brad Miller. The man has been a non-factor down the stretch run. Come on buddy!!! Best player in the WCHA skill wise: Jon Toews. Best defenseman in the WCHA offensive skill wise: Taylor Chorney Best sniper: Ryan Duncan Most fun to watch: TJ Oshie Let's go Sioux

Appreciate the post Wookie! Good Luck! Michigan and North Dakota combined: 3+ times as many national titles as MN

Thanks for the backing I was trying to be reasonable in my assessments. It is clear that reason is out of the question for many Gopher fans. I gave props to Lucia and to Wheeler for the win. I bashed the officiating, because there were clearly some bad calls. The extra penalty for Chorney after the cheap shot on Duncan really got me going. To argue that the waived off goal supports fair officiating is ridiculous. That call is not subjective; as all goals are reviewed, and Lucia definitely was harassing Phil. Was it the most blatent GT interference ever? No, but he was definitely in the crease and made contact with Phil. The subjective calls, penalties, were heavily lop-sided towards the Goofs in that first period. It started to even out, but 8 to 5 is not right. MN is clearly an elite program, but many Gopher fans seem to believe that it is the only elite program. When you challenge that with statistics such as the fact that three teams in the same conference have won more NCAA titles you get comments back like "you're dumb". Many Gopher backers don't seem to know hockey. Many do, and they are usually fine to deal with. It is the others, like the ones who want a Big ten hockey conference, who frustrate me. I guess due to being the laughing stock of the big ten in football and basketball, the Gopher sports clowns have moved their support to hockey. The logic is always so corrupt, before the wins in 2002 and 2003, MN hadn't won a title since 1979. That's 23 years by my math, I was educated at the U of M, so maybe my math isn't the best, but I think I'm right. You'd think that without winning in 23 years you would be somewhat humbled, but not so with la Gophere. MN won two very close contests this weekend. I don't know how much they have left.

Michigan is an interesting draw. The Goofs pounded them back when the Goofs were really rolling, but Michigan beat Wisconsin. Leads me to the conclusion that if we can get them into a run and gun affair, we can beat them just like last year. I think Red likes to open it up, so this one could be a high scoring event. The Sioux coaches need to watch plenty of tape from last night's game and figure out how we can get more open ice for our top forwards. Surely Red will be watching that tape, as MN and Denver are the only teams that have been able to leg one out with us. Conditioning will also be a huge factor, as you have both the end of the season and the altitude to deal with. Number one for us is to stay out of the box, but not change our aggressive play.

I am U of MN alum, Carlson both undergrad and grad school, and I have always hated the rouser. I don't like the name calling. Make a statement, don't call me dumb. It is infantile. Also, this is the Sioux board, I am not posting on any Gopher sites. I did hear the comments, and I was bashing what I heard. The shot was a miracle. I gave Wheeler props for the effort, but to just take a whack at the puck and have it pick the far corner, one in fifty, maybe one in a hundred.