Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

[D2D]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

I'm retired so every day's a weekend.

[gopher wes]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

<<<<<<<<< Has no issue with games during the week

[Bonin21]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Over on GPL the whining is high, pretty funny stuff. They act like they've never watched a hockey game during the week, but yet the Wild play during the week.

I don't care as much as others, but to repost what I said over there: If the Wild played two games a week against the same team, people would want them to be on Friday and Saturday nights. I should also note I go to just about every game. If I'm watching on TV day of the week doesn't matter.

[wolverineTrumpet]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

For me, someone who would rather travel to a game than watch on tv, weeknight games are terrible.
But I'm not the larger audience, I'm the die hard that can easily get a Friday afternoon off and take a weekend road trip to see my team play 2 games somewhere.

[gopher wes]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

For me, someone who would rather travel to a game than watch on tv, weeknight games are terrible.
But I'm not the larger audience, I'm the die hard that can easily get a Friday afternoon off and take a weekend road trip to see my team play 2 games somewhere.

I agree with you in terms of roadtrips. With the realigment now, though, roadtrips are basically a thing of the past for me.

[Koho]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Any word on if Wilcox will be playing?

[The Rube]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Any word on if Wilcox will be playing?

No one knows yet.

As for "GPL Whining," YEARS of tradition of F/S games have been partially thrown out the window. You get off work on Fri, and either head to the game or head home to watch the game. That's what you did.If you were a bit younger, you pre-gamed at home while watching the game before you hit the bars. It was like clockwork. That's why people are complaining.

I don't mind the late starts on weekdays, nowadays. Better fits my work schedule. However, I still would love only F/S games, as opposed to these odd series.

[The Rube]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Oh, and makes road trips a bit tougher.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

IT'S GAME DAY!

The Gopher/Sparty clash tonight and Friday promises not only to be a physical series, but a strategic war of Xs and Os. No doubt Tom Anastos has already sketched out his war room strategy on how to defeat the speedy Gophers, much like they defeated Michigan, and eked out a tie and a shootout W with the Gophers the last time these two teams locked horns. MSU is not a high scoring team averaging only 2.5 Gs/game during their impressive 8-4-1 run over the last 13 games, keeping opponents to under 2. So what’s the plan?

Simple, says Anastos…build a better Gopher trap! In the same way MSU shut down Michigan’s high flying offense, it’s likely the neutral zone trap will make more than a cameo appearance on the B1G stage at Mariucci. Michigan State will pressure hard on the forecheck in the neutral zone to slow the Gopher wheels down, their D corp will be swinging their sticks in the passing lanes, keeping shots on the perimeter and collapsing into the box around Hildebrand. The NZ trap combined with Sparty’s commitment to blocking shots and finishing checks; and with potentially another good performance from Hildebrand means the Gophers will need to execute an equally ingenious counter strategy of their own.

How do you beat the 1-2-2 NZ trap? Dump and chase pucks to the end wall, hit the D with force and win that puck battle, cycle the half boards, pass in front or to the point, consistently shell shock the goalie and look for the dirty goal. The Gophers are hoping the Olympic ice space plays to their advantage in wearing down Sparty’s D, while opening up time and space for some high quality scoring chances as well. But with MSU's PK at 87.5%, the Gophers, who have often leaned on their PP scoring, will need to bury more 5 x 5 goals.

Can Michigan State make a Cinderella run in the final month? Barring an AQ, they’re out of the NCAA tournament. But the B1G title is still within their reach and MSU would love nothing more than to spoil the Gophers recent surge in the PWR and B1G standings. With only three weeks left in the RS, this is another huge series for both teams. If the Gophers sweep and they collect more “get out of jail free cards” from other teams in the PWR as in the last three weeks, they will be edging ever closer to qualifying for a #2 seed in the NCAA regionals. Go Gophers!

Gopher help in the PWR:

1) SCSU @ UND: A tall order, but if SCSU manages at least a W and a T, the Gophers pick up another valuable COp.
2) The PWR is quite volatile with lots of scenarios too numerous to mention here. I expect the following PWR teams to win on Friday: BC, Quinnipiac, Providence, Bowling Green, Yale, and Vermont. That puts a lot of pressure on the Gophers to continue to win as well.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Here's the problem with weekday games, especially those that start at 8. It's a work day and getting home at 11:30 is a really shtty deal. I can't even imagine trying to bring a kid to these games.

I don't mind 8 pm on Friday. I actually prefer it. Saturdays are perfect anytime between 6 and 8.

If the game is away, I'm OK with it being on Thursday once or twice a year.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Tuesday games are a bit odd, but Thursday is fine with me. I consider Thursday part of the weekend anyways.

Some people just like to complain for the sake of complaining I think.

[gopher wes]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Tuesday games are a bit odd, but Thursday is fine with me. I consider Thursday part of the weekend anyways.

Some people just like to complain for the sake of complaining I think.

I know you can't please everyone, but at a certain point I agree with the last part of your post.

[SanTropez]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Yeah when the Wild play during the week I never see kids at the X, it's way too late for them. And the adults who work they stay away too, cuz you know it's way too late on a work day. Awesome, I love the excuses.

BTW, I'm not saying I don't like weekend games. I just think the hand wringing over a weekday game here or there is pretty funny. Carry on

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

Complaining for the sake of complaining would be saying, "I don't like it on Thursdays because I like to read a book on Thursdays" or some such crap. Complaining because you can't bring your kids to the game or you have to work the next morning and don't like being out until midnight are legitimate reasons.

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Michigan St @ Minnesota Thursday 2/26 & Friday 2/27

So basically the complaints are "it doesn't fit my personal schedule" And "think of the children!"