Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

I thought Isaackson played well both Friday and Saturday(more so on Friday IMO).

Agreed on Holl. He worked his tail off and he seems to be settling into his role on the 4th line and outside of that bad penalty, he look pretty darn good.

Hoping for an offensive outburst in Vermont this weekend!!

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Hoping for an offensive outburst in Vermont this weekend!!

What's that? Please explain!

Seriously, other than our inability to cash in on the PP, I am very encouraged by what we saw this weekend. What concerns me and what I question is how much of that is due to us playing a big rival, which for sure raised the intensity level, vs. how much is genuine improvement that can be duplicated against non-rivals like we'll face this coming weekend. I still maintain that for this team to be consistent winners they need to bring a total effort to the rink each and every game, because talent alone will not be enough to carry the day.

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

What's that? Please explain!

Seriously, other than our inability to cash in on the PP, I am very encouraged by what we saw this weekend. What concerns me and what I question is how much of that is due to us playing a big rival, which for sure raised the intensity level, vs. how much is genuine improvement that can be duplicated against non-rivals like we'll face this coming weekend. I still maintain that for this team to be consistent winners they need to bring a total effort to the rink each and every game, because talent alone will not be enough to carry the day.

I'm thinking something similar to the Mich St series. Or else something similar to the Friday night beatdown the Gophers put on Vermont at home last year!

I agree with your points also. A friend of mine who didn't get to watch the games this weekend asked me how the Gophers looks this weekend. My response started with "Just ok.....". I don't think the Gophers looked bad, but I also don't think they are playing anywhere close to as well as they could. I'm hoping part of that had to do with the style of hockey that sconnie plays for this weekend. They can turn it into a very boring game and I thought they were able to do that this weekend.

We'll see how the Gophers do this weekend on the road against a non-rival in games that are important for PWR as non-conference games. Following that up with two teams that have started the season pretty well with UNO at home and CC on the road. Should a fun, and telling, stretch of hockey heading into the break.

[Tiggsy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

And I want to see some sweeps. The split on road, sweep at home formula didn't quite work this weekend with a team that has one win. The Gophs have been a little more generous with points to bottom dwellers than I would like to see. (I know, "___________ (insert name of bottom half team here) always plays MN tough.")

I don't think there are too many teams that don't play us tough. Playing us is their chance to be showcased to a much larger audience because we always bring our TV crews with us and get good regional TV coverage. Most/all of the bottom teams can't say that.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

I don't think there are too many teams that don't play us tough. Playing us is their chance to be showcased to a much larger audience because we always bring our TV crews with us and get good regional TV coverage. Most/all of the bottom teams can't say that.

But the top tier teams will also play with that intensity against the Gophs. And if the Gophs can't manage some sweeps and some occasional bigger margins of victory against the bottom tier teams, how can you expect them to win against teams with more talent and playing just as hard? It's not so much that those teams coast against everyone except the Gophs. It is just less likely that the Gophs will see the occasional night they don't play as hard due to the reasons you give. The problem is that the Gophs aren't playing at the level they should be capable for a full game, not that AK, MTU, UW and MSU played out of their minds.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

I agree he did look better but he is not a top 6 kind of player, imo he really has no business being on the top 2 lines. Every chance he gets to bury the puck (and there has been many this year) he whiffs on them. I know the whole team has been a bit snake bitten but watching him miss wide open nets consistently is tough to take.

I'm not sure who we would put on that line but it's not Isackson. I would even try R Reilly or Horn (he was a goal scorer in high school why isn't he playing?) or somebody else on that line and see if they can bury the chances they will certainly get by playing with Bjugs and Rau.

I thought R. Reilly looked better this weekend, but not better than Isackson. And if Horn was a top 6 player, he wouldn't be riding the pine. Isackson is a work in progress. Last week he had some of those whiffs, but he wasn't the only one. This past weekend he looked better, creating a couple of his own chances. He shows signs that he has potential to be a much better player (which I wasn't expecting before this year). I don't know what happens when Warning comes back, but I don't see who else you put on the top two lines until then.

And I agree with those who say Holl seems to be fitting in well on F now. He shows a lot of hustle. Hope he can keep up his play of this past weekend.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Me miss what? Huh? Hey, look! Something shiny!

Isackson had a great night Saturday, looked much more confident and was not intent on passing the puck as soon as he got it.
Alt was much better on Saturday night.
Larson was a pleasant surprise last night.
I thought Holl had a great weekend.
Amazing how much better a team can look when they pass before skating into trouble.
Wilcox is very, very, good.

Although Wilcox has had a couple near heart attack moments with his puck play......

[Greyeagle]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Although Wilcox has had a couple near heart attack moments with his puck play......

Tether him.

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

It's always easy to sit in the stands and play coach with the line combinations.
Be that as it may, here's my thought process:

I want to see Budish on the first line. End of story. I think his play adds to that of Bjugstad and Rau much more than it does to Haula and Condon. Put Budish and Bjugstad down in the offensive zone and those two big bodies can keep the play there for an entire shift. Rau is clearly at his best when he has the opportunity to dart into space and lanes and when he can have a nose for the goal (opposed to carrying the puck or beating guys 1-on-1) and Budish-Bjugstad afford him much more opportunity to play to his strengths than does Isackson-Bjugstad.

Haula and Condon seem pretty obvious (at least to me) to stay on that second line. The second line is going to have a much different look than the first, regardless of who the third guy is. Much more up and down the ice. And in a way I don't think it much matters who you pair with them; Warning, Isackson, Boyd, Ambroz, hell even Serratore or Holl (the kid can pass the puck). The bigger concern as to who skates with Haula-Condon is how you plan to maximize production on the third line, and to a lesser extent the fourth.

Lastly, I just don't understand how Parenteau can be continued to be left out of the line-up. The guy needs to be on the ice.

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Parenteau is awesome. He makes great defensive plays, and is cool as a cucumber doing it. He is also like Helgeson in the way that he doesn't take crap from anyone. I agree that he shouldn't be kept out of the lineup for any game.

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Tether him.

He seems to have cut way down on the "no-look, ring it up the boards and hope it's our wing, not theirs who gets to it first" plays.

[SanTropez]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

I also agree that Parenteau needs to be in the lineup as a D every night, having him sit is a big mistake imo. We seem to be trying to keep everyone happy with playing time and that never works, we should play our best D period no matter who they are and he has been the most consistent so far this year.

[Hammy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Parenteau is a steady player that allows those around him the confidence to be a little more aggressive offensively because he can cover for them. He's reliable. If anybody should be sitting right now, I think it is Skjei. He makes too many mistakes with the puck for my taste. But it comes down to whether Lucia has the guts to sit a first round pick on a consistent basis. Which I doubt he would.

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Although Wilcox has had a couple near heart attack moments with his puck play......

Wilcox cracks me up! He almost literally gave sconnie a goal on Friday night in the 2nd period. I sit with my brother at every game and he does the "Get back in the net, Wilcox" routine and I just find myself laughing when Wilcox is out running around. I was "bowing down" when he made that goofy play on Friday and some guy in the student section behind me yells "NO! That was BAD!".

I guess I will get a kick out of it until he costs the Gophers a goal. LOL!!

In all seriousness, the dude is pretty solid when he stays put and I have no problem with him when he keeps the puck moving. He saves the Gophers from taking a few faceoffs in their own end by not freezing the puck(not to mention it keeps the game flowing). Yeah, he does have some OMG moments, but he is pretty smart about what he does with the puck for the most part.

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gophers 2012-2013: From Dinkytown to Steel City!

Parenteau is a steady player that allows those around him the confidence to be a little more aggressive offensively because he can cover for them. He's reliable. If anybody should be sitting right now, I think it is Skjei. He makes too many mistakes with the puck for my taste. But it comes down to whether Lucia has the guts to sit a first round pick on a consistent basis. Which I doubt he would.

I'd throw Alt into that conversation for someone that maybe should sit a game or two as well.

Hey Hammy, you have some insider knowledge and insight. What is your take on Holl? I really liked what I saw from him against sconnie over the weekend. Apparently the coaches did as well since he was in the lineup both nights on that 4th line. Just curious what you think of him.