Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

Watched it at the BLC viewing on the big screen and McAdam was very good. Only three he let in were screened shots from the point - whatever he saw, he stopped. I think the Gophs could have done much better on putting in some rebounds but failed to do so. Hopefully they do better in the dirty areas tonight.

[4four4]

There isn't the same PP chemistry yet this season like we saw last year. It's going to be difficult for M. Reilly (3 PPG), Brodzinski (2 PPG), Rau (2 PPG) and maybe Kloos (2 PPG) to come close to replicating last season's dynamic PP strikeforce of Bjugs (11 PPG), Schmidty (5 PPG), Rau (6 PPG) and Haula (3 PPG), unless they can kick it up a notch with better line chemistry and consistency. We've got one PPG in each of the last 5 games, so they can build on that.

But the funny thing about PP percentages is a team can consistently crap the bed on the PP and still be a contender for a national title. For example, last season Quinnipiac was ranked #1, but they were horrible on the PP all year (14.6%)! Yet they had the highest winning% (30-8-5/.756), the lowest goals against/game in the NCAA (1.80), and were #1 in the pairwise in the second half.

Right now, the Gophers have a similar trend going: Poor PP (16.1%), best winning% (14-2-3/.816), 6th in GA/game (2.11; last season/2.00), and #1 in the pairwise. BC also has the same PP dilemma this season. They're leading the nation in GF/game (4.38), #2 in the pairwise, but their PP is strangely similar to the Gophers, a dismal 16.5%.

No excuses...and I agree they need to get it figured out now and later for the postseason. But if they don't get it clicking somewhere near last season (24.6%/#1), good goaltending, solid D and consistent scoring might buy us a deep playoff run anyway.

Lucia said, our team is a good team and not a dominate team. We don't even have a 10 game goal scorer. I would agree with him

[mnstate0fhockey]

Lucia said, our team is a good team and not a dominate team. We don't even have a 10 game goal scorer. I would agree with him

They are a pretty deep team though. How many teams have 10 players with double-digit points and 8 players with 5+ goals?

I'd prefer to be a deep team without a dominate player than a one line team. Much more difficult to shut down.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

Lucia said, our team is a good team and not a dominate team. We don't even have a 10 game goal scorer. I would agree with him

10 game goal scorer? Why would that be a critical stat marker at this stage of the season?? There's a lot of hockey left to be played and with the talent and schedule, it's anyone's guess whose going to step up or drop off in this category as we approach the playoffs. Condon only has 2 Gs, and Rau's scoring is down from 9 to 5 Gs, but if they find their mojo down the stretch and everyone else remains consistent we might surpass last year's scoring.

Although it's not completely accurate to make linear comparisons to last year's scoring leaders, there's only in total a 3 goal differential between this season and last season from the top 10 goal scorers after 19 games...not too shabby :

Top 10 after 19 Games - 2012-13

Bjugs - 10
Haula - 9
Rau - 9
Ambroz - 6
Serratore - 6
Budish - 5
Condon - 5
Warning - 5
Schmidt - 3
Marshall - 3

TOTAL: 61 Gs

Top 10 after 19 Games - 2013-14

Ambroz - 9
M. Reilly - 8
Kloos - 7
Fasching - 6
Warning - 5
Rau - 5
Brodzinski - 5
Boyd - 5
Cammarata - 4
C. Reilly - 4

TOTAL: 58 Gs

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

Lucia said, our team is a good team and not a dominate team. We don't even have a 10 game goal scorer. I would agree with him

With Lucia being a Notre Dame alum, I hope he said "not a dominant team."

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

With Lucia being a Notre Dame alum, I hope he said "not a dominant team."

So as grammer police, why did you pick on Goldy_331 and not MNSOH talking about "dominate player"?

Glad I can watch tonight. I want to formally join the ranks of those biotching about the change in nights for these games meaning we couldn't watch last night. (I know, streaming, but Sunday is my night to skate, so it doesn't matter. At least if it had been on TV I could have VCRed it.) Can't wait to watch tonight, even if it is one of those games where a win doesn't feel like much and a loss or tie would feel horrible. Just hope the wife comes straight home so we can eat before start time.

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

So as grammer police, why did you pick on Goldy_331 and not MNSOH talking about "dominate player"?

I picked on 4four4 since he said it first and I think he's a fellow Edina alum so I expected better of him.

And I prefer to think of myself as the "usage" police rather than the grammar police. I am hardly one to criticize sentence structure, punctuation or spelling, given that I am so bad it. I just have a thing for wanting to see the right word used.

[mnstate0fhockey]

So as grammer police, why did you pick on Goldy_331 and not MNSOH talking about "dominate player"?

Glad I can watch tonight. I want to formally join the ranks of those biotching about the change in nights for these games meaning we couldn't watch last night. (I know, streaming, but Sunday is my night to skate, so it doesn't matter. At least if it had been on TV I could have VCRed it.) Can't wait to watch tonight, even if it is one of those games where a win doesn't feel like much and a loss or tie would feel horrible. Just hope the wife comes straight home so we can eat before start time.

Because I make so many grammatical errors that people have given up on me?

[goldy_331]

Because I make so many grammatical errors that people have given up on me?

I wasn't going to say it....

[mnstate0fhockey]

I wasn't going to say it....

I'm pretty bad. I'm great at finding incorrect syntax in any type of code, but horrific at the written English language.

Maybe "horrific" is a little strong, but I'm admittedly bad.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

I'm pretty bad. I'm great at finding incorrect syntax in any type of code, but horrific at the written English language.

Maybe "horrific" is a little strong, but I'm admittedly bad.

My worst language flaw is spelling (which is horrific at times), but luckily there is spell check!!!

[Bertogliat]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

So as grammer police, why did you pick on Goldy_331 and not MNSOH talking about "dominate player"?

Glad I can watch tonight. I want to formally join the ranks of those biotching about the change in nights for these games meaning we couldn't watch last night. (I know, streaming, but Sunday is my night to skate, so it doesn't matter. At least if it had been on TV I could have VCRed it.) Can't wait to watch tonight, even if it is one of those games where a win doesn't feel like much and a loss or tie would feel horrible. Just hope the wife comes straight home so we can eat before start time.

VCR? Does the remote control have a cord? Wait....there is a remote.....right?

[mnstate0fhockey]

My worst language flaw is spelling (which is horrific at times), but luckily there is spell check!!!

I think my iPad's spell check gave up on me too

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

VCR? Does the remote control have a cord? Wait....there is a remote.....right?

Ha, Ha, Ha, it wouldn't be "remote" if it was attached. How ancient do you think my technology is? (Don't answer...)

[captain beefheart]

Re: Minnesota @ Penn State: 1/12 & 1/13

VCR? Does the remote control have a cord? Wait....there is a remote.....right?

No they don't have cords anymore, whaddya think this is, 1960? Oops, already said!