Bulldogs @ Gophers

[brookyone]

It's the big rematch in Minneapolis. The first game (Saturday) to be played on the big ice sheet at Mariucci rather than Ridder. Kinda cool to watch the ladies play a game on the olympic sheet once in awhile. Usually...that leads to a more open / skating type of game and perhaps less physical...usually. Does anyone think the big ice will benefit one team or the other ? Saturday will have the girls high school tournament games going on right next door at Ridder...worth a watch if you get the chance.

[dave1381]

one of these games is on Fox Sports North, right? Which one is it?

[ARM]

Sunday's game is televised.

[bulldogfan]

Big series, espeicially for tUMD. IF tUMD gets the sweep, it may put them into 5th place in the PWR, and possibly set them up with a run to getting the 4th spot in the PWR with a good showing in the WWCHA Tourney. Anything less than a sweep and tUMD season is basically over. I don't think that the big ice sheet will provide too much of an advantage for either team, as both teams skate extremely well. The big ice sheet does open the game up a lot, so this MIGHT help tUMD set up the torpedo system a little more (that is, if they are still using it). That being said, this series I still think will come down to power plays/kills and goaltending. There will be a lot of room to skate around, and both teams can be very dangerous. Should be a fun series.

Go Bulldogs!!!!

[binnyrus]

Without going on any kind of prediction limb . . . I don't know that I'd be wanting to play a UMD team with absolutely nothing to lose.

[ARM]

I agree with UMD being dangerous. But I think these two teams could lace them up in the middle of July for an exhibition game and there would be enough pride on the line that neither would look at it as "nothing to lose".

[dave1381]

I've never really understood the expression "nothing to lose." I think UMD has plenty to lose.

But I do agree with the point that I wouldn't want to play a UMD team in what is effecitvely an elimination game for them. I would say UMD has only played six games in the last three years where they were in the situation "Win live on, Lose no NCAA title." I do believe we all know the results of those six games.

[binnyrus]

I mean "nothing to lose" in the sense of on-ice risk-taking. Of course they "lose" out on an opportunity to make to their 4th FF, but without a sweep here, it's nearly impossible.

It's an all-out game for UMD - we'll see what the team is made of - their determination, their heart . . . win or lose the effort they put out on Saturday and Sunday will say a lot about the team.

And, I agree ARM - however there have been a few of these match-ups that have held more importance than others . . . and the players know that better than anyone else.

[brookyone]

I agree with all the previous comments but I'd like to add one small intuition or insight. I do not expect to see what has been the ocassionally typical first game slow start by Minnesota this weekend...like the first game in Duluth in January & several other series as well. While that may seem obvious, I don't think anyone expected it in the first game at the DECC...just don't believe we'll see that in this "first game."

[binnyrus]

Just read that Luther will be back in the line-up again . . . it would seem she's into making her come-backs against the Gophers!

Other than that it would appear the Dogs will be at full strength.

[Bruce Ciskie]

Am I the only one who has a real problem with the scheduling snafu for this series?

If they aren't scheduling the games for the same weekend as the DECC's annual (read: it's the same weekend every year) Boat Show, or the same weekend as the World of Wheels (nothing like monster truck fumes in Pioneer Hall during a hockey game :D), they're screwing up the Minnesota home games and scheduling them for the same weekend as the girls' state high school hockey tourament.

Unreal. I hate to say it, but this makes the WWCHA scheduling people look quite incompetent.

[ARM]

From a Gopher perspective, having a home series the weekend of the girls state tournament is not a bad thing. It sure beats having the coaching staff in Columbus last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday when the section finals were under way.

[brookyone]

I personally don't have a problem with it & I don't think either event would adversely effect attendance of the other, if that's what you're saying. Myself, I might very well attend the high school games if I wasn't going to the U of M / UMD game on Saturday but I think I'm a member of a very small minority in that respect. . Conversely, maybe some of those in attendance at Mariucci Saturday afternoon will trickle into Ridder for the Saturday night championship game...if you can get in. I know I'm going to look into that option. Last year I caught a little high school action before the start of the WCHA game. The class A championship game starts at noon on Saturday...at Ridder.

[bulldogfan]

Binnyrus,
That is good news that Luther will be back. We seem to play better hockey when she is in the lineup.

I think it's a shame that they overlap the games at Ridder like that, for the fact that it MAY (note I have not looked up the time schedule of the games) mean that some fans have to chose one game over the other. Anyway, overall I don't think it's THAT big of an issue because you have fans who just watch HS hockey, and those who just watch the collegiate hockey.

Big weekend for both tUMD teams (mens hosting UND for a chance at the WCHA Championship). I'll be listening on the radio to the womens series, and then head down to the DECC to watch the mens in person. Hockey overload! GO BULLDOGS!!! SWEEP THE GOPHERS!!!

[ARM]

Minnesota Daily article on Gophs' first game struggles:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2004/02/25/8476

[dave1381]

How much of this first-game, second-game discrepancy is a matter of a lack of focus on the first day vs. Minnesota being able to use its depth advantage on the second day?

[brookyone]

My personal estimation would be at or near 100%, particularly regarding the focus aspect. The depth aspect is present for each game IMO.

[dave1381]

well, sure in terms of Minnesota's level of performance. But I'd have to think part of the better results is a result of teams like UMD, short-handed Dartmouth, etc. running out of gas a bit and failing to keep up on day two.

[brookyone]

Well, that wouldn't be my opinion or what I would consider the primary reason for Minnesota's greater success in the 2nd game...but it could be a factor.

[ARM]

Minnesota isn't that deep. At least when you compare them to a team like Wisconsin. The Gophers where skating two lines at various times in the first game, and never more than five D, often only four. In the Badger series, I thought the improvement in play on day two was due to a number of factors. One was that it takes a while to adjust to Wisconsin's forecheck and pressure in the neutral zone. I think the players adjusted to the speed, plus the coaching staff tweaked the breakout.

Against Dartmouth, they played pretty well all weekend. On Sunday, it seemed like the dam burst, so to speak, for the Dartmouth D. Can't say much about the OSU series, since I didn't see it, but I would think that the changing of the lines once more might have contributed.