Minnesota @ UND Saturday GameDay Thread

[Wilbur]

4 hours ago, Oxbow6 said:

Lots of new faces on this team but through 4 games Ludvig is the get this team needed.

If he keeps this up a pro contract is coming.  The coaches will need to find a way to get Hedquist into a game or two going forward.  Maybe next Saturday night?  If he's not ready it makes sense.  Ludvig is the man but it's the old, "one heartbeat away" adage.  

[tnt]

14 minutes ago, Brett0909 said:

Two top teams with a ton of speed, I thought UND managed to stay very disciplined and surprisingly structured (given all the roster turnover). Only taking two penalties, and one of those being a clear even-up, is a huge improvement over the chasing, reaching, and panic penalties that plagued the team last year. Talk about a fun start to the season. 

I can’t fully argue that there’s some gamesmanship going on with Blake making sure the refs see he’s being tripped or hooked. They were all good calls in my eyes, but suspect he could’ve skated through one or two..but while I thought the refs missed a few overall, I appreciated them letting the guys play on both sides…each team had some collisions with goalies, etc but they kept the game under control.

Also have to say I wasn’t sure what to make out of the coaching decisions on roster last year and heading into this. Great to see the team is just getting to work and aren’t nearly as worried as I was!

The thing with Blake is he is so shifty that defenders think they have a line on him and he jukes, causing defenders to reach.  I think Blake would love to stay on his skates and finish out a great play like the goal where he was flying through the air against Holy Cross, or was it Quinnipiac.  He forces quick reactions from defenders, which is why he draws so many penalties.  

[tnt]

16 minutes ago, farce poobah said:

Minnesota forechecked hard, bringing two guys in deep and trying to force the turnover.   (Which was a strategy that worked last year for many teams against us.)   Already this year, we're showing excellent awareness of where teammates are, and making good choices in our own zone.   For the most part, and especially in the first period, we cleared our own zone effectively and that speed in transition was a key part of our success last night. 

A sign of good team chemistry. Count me as very happy to see that. 

 

There were several occasions where UND defensemen were patient and held onto the puck rather than blindly throw it up the boards.  They still have work to do with the forwards not turning the puck over trying to make that extra play inside the blue line at both ends where it causes outnumbered situations, but it has improved from last year.

[Wilbur]

Gopher fans complaining about penalties in opposing arena....

Honestly, how many times on Saturday did you say "ohh $hit we got away with one there"?

When you have the puck more you are less likely to have penalties, that's hockey.  When GFC had 6 D1 hockey players years ago when I was coaching Wahpeton they outshot us 56-1.  They had no penalties....ummm...surprise?  

[siouxfaninseattle]

30 minutes ago, tnt said:

Canadian National team.

Thanks.

[Irish]

1 hour ago, Godsmack said:

Any chatter from Gopher fans about the officiating last night? I think we had 6 power plays to their 2. Lots of tripping calls made. I do know the Gophers got away with a hook on Blake during a second period UND power play that would’ve given us a 5 on 3. It was so obvious too and right in front of the ref. Stick up high around Blake’s neck area as he was marching toward the net with the puck. 

Even with the penalty difference I felt the refs were horrible.  The tripping call for example.  Most of their misses occurred right in front of them.

[thUNDer]

1 hour ago, Godsmack said:

Any chatter from Gopher fans about the officiating last night? I think we had 6 power plays to their 2. Lots of tripping calls made. I do know the Gophers got away with a hook on Blake during a second period UND power play that would’ve given us a 5 on 3. It was so obvious too and right in front of the ref. Stick up high around Blake’s neck area as he was marching toward the net with the puck. 

GPL always uses refs as an excuse for losing. They’re calling JB a Robbie Earl diver. Looked like the other way around to me

[farce poobah]

40 minutes ago, tnt said:

There were several occasions where UND defensemen were patient and held onto the puck rather than blindly throw it up the boards.  They still have work to do with the forwards not turning the puck over trying to make that extra play inside the blue line at both ends where it causes outnumbered situations, but it has improved from last year.

Defense is the hardest position to learn, but down the stretch last night, 3 of our 5 still in the game were freshmen. 

If this is how well they play in game 4, vs the #1 team in the nation, I can't wait to see what they come up with next. 

[tnt]

22 minutes ago, Irish said:

Even with the penalty difference I felt the refs were horrible.  The tripping call for example.  Most of their misses occurred right in front of them.

The fact that they gave Snuggerud the penalty for boarding when it was clearly Chesley was strange.  How do both refs miss that when they weren’t both in the same area.  I’m sure Minnesota was fine with Chesley being able to kill the penalty rather than be in the box, which I’m sure is why they didn’t complain.  Surprised UND coaches didn’t call it out.

[Goon]

2 hours ago, Godsmack said:

Agreed. Alex reminded the viewer this weekend about how UND was only 70 seconds away from sweeping the Gophers last year but if we’re being honest with ourselves, Minnesota dominated play for much of that weekend. If not for cashing in on timely power plays and DeRitter saving our bacon, things probably would’ve been different.

This year’s UND team looks faster, deeper offensively and much more responsible defensively.

And stronger defensively. They also seem to be more committed to blocking shots. 

[Godsmack]

18 minutes ago, tnt said:

The fact that they gave Snuggerud the penalty for boarding when it was clearly Chesley was strange.  How do both refs miss that when they weren’t both in the same area.  I’m sure Minnesota was fine with Chesley being able to kill the penalty rather than be in the box, which I’m sure is why they didn’t complain.  Surprised UND coaches didn’t call it out.

Putting the wrong Gopher player in the penalty box twice has been a bee in Gopher fans’ bonnets over there on GPL. Can’t say I blame them either. Makes the officials look even more incompetent. 

[fightingsioux4life]

15 minutes ago, Godsmack said:

Putting the wrong Gopher player in the penalty box twice has been a bee in Gopher fans’ bonnets over there on GPL. Can’t say I blame them either. Makes the officials look even more incompetent. 

That is gross incompetence. How some of these refs keep their jobs is beyond my understanding. 

[scpa0305]

Fun game boys played well. PP is a mess…but I really like the new tendy.

[fightingsioux4life]

9 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Fun game boys played well. PP is a mess…but I really like the new tendy.

PP will come around. Sometimes you just need one to go in to take away the frustration factor.

[Godsmack]

Someone on GPL is saying both the NCHC director of officials as well as two of the on ice officials are UND alums (insinuating home cooking). Can anyone verify the validity of that claim?

[fightingsioux4life]

10 minutes ago, Godsmack said:

Someone on GPL is saying both the NCHC director of officials as well as two of the on ice officials are UND alums (insinuating home cooking). Can anyone verify the validity of that claim?

Anyone who thinks UND gets preferential treatment from NCHC officials is clearly uninformed.

[Kevin G]

11 minutes ago, Godsmack said:

Someone on GPL is saying both the NCHC director of officials as well as two of the on ice officials are UND alums (insinuating home cooking). Can anyone verify the validity of that claim?

While I don't know the answer to your question, I'll share what we tell our kids when they're in sports:

Officials are going to make bad calls. They're human. But the bottom line is this: Complaining about the officials is what losers do.

[fightingsioux4life]

2 minutes ago, Kevin G said:

While I don't know the answer to your question, I'll share what we tell our kids when they're in sports:

Officials are going to make bad calls. They're human. But the bottom line is this: Complaining about the officials is what losers do.

Isn't that a recipe for officials not being held accountable for their lack of performance? Maybe that's why refs keep their jobs despite poor performance.

Putting the wrong player in the box (twice!) has nothing to do with being "human". It is pure incompetence.

[Kevin G]

4 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Isn't that a recipe for officials not being held accountable for their lack of performance? Maybe that's why refs keep their jobs despite poor performance.

Putting the wrong player in the box (twice!) has nothing to do with being "human". It is pure incompetence.

I agree that refs need to be held accountable. Especially at higher levels of competition, like NCHC officials.

It's just that I hear so much complaining about officiating at the high school, junior high, and elementary school levels that it makes me want to vomit. "We would've won if it wasn't for the bad reffing": I've heard it a million times. It's the losers lament. (And yes I've complained too.) So when a fanbase blames the outcome on officiating, it reminds me of all the whining. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Anyone have the replay of the move(s)Blake made at the end of the game along the goal line? Walked 3 Gophers and damn near had the goal of the year. He’s gonna have some highlighters this year

[burd]

6 hours ago, thUNDer said:

GPL always uses refs as an excuse for losing. They’re calling JB a Robbie Earl diver. Looked like the other way around to me

We gripe about officiating a lot when we lose too.   

[Goon]

1 hour ago, Godsmack said:

Someone on GPL is saying both the NCHC director of officials as well as two of the on ice officials are UND alums (insinuating home cooking). Can anyone verify the validity of that claim?

I can confirm that Mike Schmidt was in the press box this weekend. 

[fightingsioux4life]

1 hour ago, Kevin G said:

I agree that refs need to be held accountable. Especially at higher levels of competition, like NCHC officials.

It's just that I hear so much complaining about officiating at the high school, junior high, and elementary school levels that it makes me want to vomit. "We would've won if it wasn't for the bad reffing": I've heard it a million times. It's the losers lament. (And yes I've complained too.) So when a fanbase blames the outcome on officiating, it reminds me of all the whining. 

To be honest, the parents of young athletes are the absolute biggest problem in youth sports. So I see your point.

[thUNDer]

1 hour ago, burd said:

We gripe about officiating a lot when we lose too.   I

True but it’s not the refs who put pucks in nets and/or keeps them out.

[tnt]

2 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

Fun game boys played well. PP is a mess…but I really like the new tendy.

Probably more of a mess because of the outcome, but I can think of 3 or 4 chances that would most likely result in goals in most circumstances.  Close was great and probably stole a couple, which would give us about 20%.  Winning the draw was huge on those power plays where we did get chances.