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College Hockey 2009-10


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Watched the whole Gopher-DU game. DU looks very good. Cheverie was absolutely solid in goal. Denver's defense looked very good, quick breakouts. And Denver's top line has got to be one of the best in the country. Of course, it was the Gophers. As for the Gophers, it looks like their effort at playing tough is getting chippy after the whistle. Lucia cross-checks a DU player after the whistle to knock him down on top of Kangas. To Kangas' credit it appeared he knew what happened and didn't retaliate. It looks like Carman is stepping it up with his after the whistle antics as well. I also thought the refs let the Gophers get away with after the whistle crap. They also seemed to swallow the whistle on a number of intereference penalties during the game (both ways).

In total, DU is a team to contend with and the Gophers could be on the verge of a melt-down.

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I think Minnesota is just having a slow start, with all the talent they have I still excpect them to be a solid contending team come playoff time

I don't know if we want to wake the slumbering giant but they have been unimpressive so far this season.

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DU looks very good. Cheverie was absolutely solid in goal. Denver's defense looked very good, quick breakouts.

I still think that MN didn't challenge him very much. while some are sold on Cheverie, I am not all that impressed with him.

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I still think that MN didn't challenge him very much. while some are sold on Cheverie, I am not all that impressed with him.

I agree with that assessment. Cheverie is a decent netminder, and will make some great stops on occasion, but all good netminders will do that. 'Kato, for example, is finding out now just how good Zacharius really was. DU has an experienced D-corps who plays well in front of Cheverie, and that makes his job a wee bit easier. He's getting good looks at the shots and help clearing out the rebounds...it all makes a difference.

Plus, the U of Me can't function as a unit, so it's like seeing five people each playing 1 on 5 hockey instead of 5 on 5. Lucia is going to start feeling the heat real quick if they lose again tonight. Also, if Schroeder doesn't start sniping goals soon he's going to start looking for the "Okposo option" come Christmas. And Kangas is going to tire of backstopping a team who doesn't put points on the board to help him.

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I agree with that assessment. Cheverie is a decent netminder, and will make some great stops on occasion, but all good netminders will do that. 'Kato, for example, is finding out now just how good Zacharius really was. DU has an experienced D-corps who plays well in front of Cheverie, and that makes his job a wee bit easier. He's getting good looks at the shots and help clearing out the rebounds...it all makes a difference.

Denver played 1 Junior, 2 sophomores, and 3 freshmen on D last night. Donovan, one of the freshman looked very good.

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Denver played 1 Junior, 2 sophomores, and 3 freshmen on D last night. Donovan, one of the freshman looked very good.

I think DU is good but right now I think UND is more balanced and has had less drama right now than DU.

I think UND teams is really balanced and has great role players but I think Denver is a little tougher version of Minnesota.

A lot of blue chippars and not a lot of role players. I really like Lammy, Romney and Zajac, I think that line files a role and

is chipping in offensively. Neither Minnesota or UMN has that.

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Denver played 1 Junior, 2 sophomores, and 3 freshmen on D last night. Donovan, one of the freshman looked very good.

Wow, I didn't realize they had 3 frosh Defense...thought they only lost a small group of Seniors. Thanks for the correction, it's good info.

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I think that the Zajac, Rowney, Lamoureux line files a role of having grit defensive shut down prowess and is chipping in offensively. Please tell me which line on DU or Minnesota files that role? Seriously.

you missed it, you had stated the neither minnesota or minnesota have that? :) I don't disagree with what you're saying.

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I would laugh if Blaiser snubbed them.

Unfortunately he won't. Not sure what's up with him, but the impression I'm getting is that he really would like the Minnesota job if it opened up. Don't mind him being at Nebraska, but I would be bummed if he was at Minnesota (yes I know he's a U of M grad).

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Last year I thought it was crazy talk for people to say Lucia might be gone. This year I have a feeling that it might not be so crazy.

It does seem a bit early in the season to throw TDon or the whole team under the bus. Certainly the Sioux have had their share of questionable starts in recent years only to finish the season hotter than a house on fire.

However, IF their season doesn't turn around and they finish this year without home ice in the WCHA playoffs...then yeah, I could see it happening.

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It does seem a bit early in the season to throw TDon or the whole team under the bus. Certainly the Sioux have had their share of questionable starts in recent years only to finish the season hotter than a house on fire.

However, IF their season doesn't turn around and they finish this year without home ice in the WCHA playoffs...then yeah, I could see it happening.

I agree, they could certainly turn the ship around at UMtc and get it so their team merely sucks.

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I've said it before and I'll say it again:

University of Minnesota Hockey: If you try to outspeed us, we'll kill you. If you try to out finesse us, we'll kill you. If you try to out physical us and miss, we'll kill you. However... if you play fundamentally sound in your own zone, we're dead. If you play fundamentally sound in our zone, we're dead. If you make the game a defensive contest, we're dead. If you succeed in playing overly physical, we're dead.

In NHL terms, what the Gophers are is the Avalanche offense with the Islander defense with Capital goaltending.

Their offense will improve. They're far too talented for it not to be. Kangas and Patterson are legit goaltenders and they will not be the detriment to the team overall.

Their defense, however, is awful. And I think it falls entirely on the coaching staff. Why? Because all they recruited was one type of defenseman: The mobile offensive minded puck mover. They did not recruit any shut down defensive defensemen really. They do have Helgeson and Lofquist but really, how much of the shut down role do they play in the Gopher scheme?

Watch UND, UW, or even UMD in their own zone. Watch how they handle the opposing offense. Next watch UMN do the same thing. It's almost like they're uncoordinated, unprepared, and praying that they'll catch a break or their goaltender will bail them out.

Heh... it's like watching Red Wing hockey right now. Sure, we're loaded up front and pretty darn scary offensively and in the transition game. However, Osgood sucks AGAIN and the Wing defense believes that they can play more aggressive in the defensive zone because Osgood will save their hides. He hasn't on a consistent basis and the Red Wings look rather mediocre even in many of their wins.

It kills me to say this but: Look at the Colorado Avalanche. No way can they keep up with teams like the Hawks, Penguins, or Red Wings last year. No way. But they get a goaltender who knows what he's doing and a defensive system that is starting to work and... well, now they don't suck so much. The Wild.... they have the goaltending and the defensive system. They don't have the personnel to make the system work though. Not yet anyways.

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