scpa0305
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Posts posted by scpa0305
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Generally, Hockey East teams that are in major media markets and/or have affiliation in prominent Division I conferences for their other sports have a statistically better chance of having a Hobey winner than a North Dakota or a Clarkson. Duluth has been an outlier to that over the years, I will agree with you there.
I think after the Great Panzer Train Robbery in 2001, there was an uptick in non-big time schools having Hobey winners (Denver, Colorado College, Duluth, ect). I think there was a real backlash from people after that and I think it had an impact on how the award was given out. But I still can't get too excited about it. I care more about team championships (NCAA and otherwise).
We just had a Hobey not too long ago. Frattin could have gotten one but I really don't think one other player since Duncan should have received it.
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So just like WCHA refs, the Hobey Baker committee is anti UND too?
Scram.
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We got both of these games this weekend!
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Is this serious?
He's a good player, but SO incredibly inconsistent. He disappears for stretches of a season, and I'm not just talking about a game or two, and I cannot call a guy the best player in the country if they do that. I think he's kind of overrated, to be honest.
Dead serious. He was the most dominant player in the ice. As soon as they get knocked out of the NCAAs he will join FLA's top 6/9, he will also never play an AHL game, unless FLA is out of it this year by the time the gophs season is over. He will get a rookie max contract as well. Remember all this...if I'm wrong u can let me know come March....u seem to be the expert.
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The Gophers are currently the best team in the country. They manhandled a Johnny G-less BC team. They handily defeated Notre Dame.
We had a 4-2 lead in the third on their ice and ended up tied.
I think that we are legitimately a contender. In fact, I like the idea of being the slight underdog. It should inspire us down the stretch.
Remember the Frattin team dominated all year and fell just short. That same season, UMD was considered a one trick pony with a lethal top line and they won the NCAAs as an underdog.
All at home....their schedule is cake.
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The way I see things
I am trying not to convince myself that I just don't get it and that there are things I am misperceiving and not understanding. The reasons for this lie in the fact that there are about a half dozen notable things that I have been seeing both last night and recently in Sioux games and I don't see others mentioning similar things. I am going to throw them all out like a drunk pukes at 1:43am on a Sat morning. I am probably off base on most of them so be gentle...
1. Saunders vs Gothberg; as I mentioned last week I feel that Gothberg is the clear choice between the two based on performance and how I see them in net. Saunders seems to struggle to handle fast play and traffic around the net. He seems to move a bit slow, struggle with rebounds and not have a good glove. I feel like we gave him a good solid half season + but he has not inspired me in any way and so far I like Gothbergs movement and poise. Having said this I think Saunders played about his best game for the first to periods on Friday. Again, my feelings on the goalie situation are based on how I see them move not on the GAA.
2. Rowney. I cannot believe that people are not discussing Rowney's play more. Again I mentioned this last week. First the good: Rowney in my opinion is our teams best defensive forward, as well as penalty Killer and his fore checking is top notch. He is also one of our strongest skaters taking the puck up ice. Now the bad, the game gets to fast for him past the circles in our offensive zone. There his ability to capture a puck, move with the puck, adjust the puck in his space or pass the puck are all very subpar. He also makes very costly mistakes when he tries to get fancy with the puck. He has had several mess-ups this year which have directly led to us being scored on.
Given all of this very real assessment, I cannot understand why he is on a scoring line. I realize that he had success last year with Parks and McMillan but I think that was more about Parks and McMillan than him. I think he should be on a physical, checking line. Moving him would not only put him in his fit but also create the perfect spot for Grimaldi centering Parks and McMillan. I must mention that I saw Rowney have a very good game last night. I just think his skill set is bes suited as a checking line player and that is where he would have his best chance at superstardom.
3. Attack vs sit back. I would love for some hard core Sioux fan who has all of the games recorded do a little review of the last four games vs Minnesota. I think there is a gem of information hidden there, could be wrong but I think I have something, first a quick review: Let's start at the Final 5 championship game where Minnesota was in solid control of the game for about the first 30-35min and they had a lead to show for it. If you remember the Sioux absolutely reversed the momentum of the game at the end of the second period and took it to the Gophers. Next, recall the NCAA regional championship game where Minnesota soundly beat us. Then recall Friday's game where it was a very conservative game until the third where Minnesota again dominated in the wake of more puck fumbles than I have seen from our team in 10 years. Finally last night where we seemed to control play until we got a lead and then Minnesota would control play to take the lead away. At which time we would again take over control.
So now let me make an argument for what I believe I have seen as a stark difference in the way the Sioux play in their defensive zone through neutral ice which directly correlates to these above mentioned momentum swings. In all of the instances over the last four games where the Sioux have dominated Minnesota they were very aggressively attacking the opponent that had the puck. I remember it as relentless confident charging down ice that would create havoc for the opponent with the puck. It was as if Minnesota's charge was getting perpetually run over by a heard of buffalo. Now recall the times we were getting it taken to us (aside from moments of puck fumbling sloppiness) in all four games when Minnesota controlled momentum was when our guys would be playing conservative and doing the skate backwards ahead of the Gopher attack, then in the zone we would play position against their blue-liners and not go out to challenge them.
I remember last year saying to myself during the NCAA game vs Minnesota, "Why are we playing back and not attacking? We have not done that all year. It is not our game. It is the wrong thing to do if for no other reason than we have not played that way so we have not become team-wise proficient at it" It's kind of like the 87 Vikings switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in the play-offs in a year when their defense was so successful. Why? Play your game! Anyway, I could be wrong especially because I hear no one else talking about it but I really feel like there is something to this.
4. High risk passing attempts, often through a defender in the defensive zone. My Sioux loving friend and I had a record number of "Why" blurt outs this weekend as Sioux players would attempt a pass that had seemingly no chance of making it to its target as the pass was traveling through a defenders space. What happened to the chip up the boards method we used the last two years so successfully? Do what you have to do to get it out and make sure you don't lose possession. Bring back the drop back pass in both zones. Be fancy in the offensive zone cause your good at it.
5. Nick Bjugstad. I keep reading about the Gophers defense and how they are the reason the Gophers are doing so well or I have heard about Zack Budish. Well I can't get Bjugstad out of my head. Holly crap that dude is like Matt Greene with Travis Zajac's skills. I don't think I have ever seen a big guy play like that in my life. He is that team in my opinion. but that's just me?
1. I'm not sure Gothberg played his best game.....but I do see him as a better option than Saunders. I felt the Gophers played much better on Saturday than Friday, they simply didn't get as lucky (or should I say UND didn't get as unlucky).
2. I felt Rowney played a lot better this past weekend, however, he has still been pretty non-existent all season. We need him to hit the stat sheet.
3. I don't even have he energy to respond to this one...you are correct though. That Saturday game still has me so upset. All you people were mad at the Friday effort but I felt they played ok, they simply got so unlucky. The Saturday game was so much worse. They played so good for 50 minutes then had a full blown melt down. Our defense is SO overrated. Everyone of our dman played terrible except Simpson. Forbert needs to figure it out. I almost wanted to jump out there for him.
4. Not sure about this.....they barely gave up any odd man rushes. (Although the Goofs seemed to capitalized on everyone).
5. Yes, he is by far and away the best college hockey player in the country....now one can argue that. He is an NHL player playing college hockey. But he can be contained (ex. Saturday night). You can't stop him but you can contain him. FYI, their defense was awesome...I lost count on their blocked shots early each game.
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He made the initial save and it dropped right in front of him.
Point blank shot.
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Crap. He gave up a rebound and they capitalized.
Now we have a hockey game!
He gave up a rebound??? It was a point blank shot. Where was the d in front?
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Forbort is borderline useless
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Rau's got balls, gotta give him that. If I were a Gopher fan, I'd be unhappy about Rau in the box, too. But...MacWilliam's initially hit was just a solid hit, but the after stuff probably wasn't necessary.
No he doesn't, there is no fighting.
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Rau's got balls, gotta give him that. If I were a Gopher fan, I'd be unhappy about Rau in the box, too. But...MacWilliam's initially hit was just a solid hit, but the after stuff probably wasn't necessary.
No he doesn't, there is no fighting.
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Rau is going to be in trouble when he gets to the AHL....or he's going to have to quit yapping.
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Our defense is terrible!!!
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Here's what I know from my couch. Mitch isn't top line skill. Rocco is wasting away where he is at. Pattyn on his best nights is a 4th line grinder. I'm ok w Zane.
Like Colton playing but he and Pattyn should be flip flopped.
No Panz is a shock. Only way UND wins IMO is a 3-2 or 2-1 game with lineup as is...if I'm betting on that I don't like my odds.
I agree, no idea what hak is seeing in Mitch, he wasn't even a role player for scsu. I really am shocked they are starting gothberg in such an important game. Also, no idea why pattyn is on any line but the 4th (I do like him in the lineup however). We got this one tonight!
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Fire hak?
Haha your delusional....that made me laugh, good one.
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Again, I thought und got extremely unlucky last night, take away the broken stick and eng and its a 3-1 game. Then factor in that the goofs capitalized on a percentage of their chances and we capitalized on zero (I'm not counting the fluke deflection that popped in). Also their goalie played outstanding and ours simply played decent. For everyone saying we didn't play physical....that is how we were forced to play, other we would be in the box the whole game, shepherd was refing people. If we cut down on our turnovers I think we would have won last night.
Some takeaways...bjugstad is a man child and should be playing in the show right now, he's something we're simply going to have to contain, we can't stop him. He was by far the best player on the ice last night. Also, I am a huge gothberg fan, but this is not the environment you throw him into tonight, Clarke was not bad last night. Hak has already messed up by not letting gothberg play more during the season, maybe next weekend he gets the nod. I am also not sure about Mitch Macmillan, I think he is a role player at best, we'll see though.
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Schmaltz was awful, so was Mattson. Gleason needs to hammer when he has no stick, not play patty-cake.
Gophs looked like a contender, we looked like a pretender...no flow...best players were non-factors. As stated, D was horrible.
Line-up decisions perplex me...i wouldn't have done what Hak did.
I am disappointed that we looked so lost out there...slow, unsure of ourselves.
All around a bad performance.
I disagree completely....we looked decent, we had a few bad turnovers, and a lot of bad luck.
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Rocco has to play with players that are at his skill level.
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Saunders is a great goalie. He just needs to eliminate about half of his rebounds.
Way better than dell was.
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All things considered, we aren't playing that bad....however these turnovers are going to cost us.
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Pretty non-commital.....is that a split...or a MN sweep?!?
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Holy !@#$, talk about an obsession of me and cardinal. Don't you haven't something real to talk about, like actual hockey? I like posting about someone who has nothing to do with this series. #hasanyoneseenmyblanket
You're a mess!
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I don't think they realize there are Sioux fans that span the entire country.
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Gersich just got drilled. He got up though...barely.
NORTH DAKOTA @ MINNESOTA - Saturday, one last dance....
in Men's Hockey
Posted
Me too.