Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

[Biddco]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

Speaking of rivals and crushing UND's dreams.

UND's rival is anyone above them in the WCHA standings. Right now UND has no rival.

Well if you make the WCHA standings a circle...your rival is Michigan Tech! Remember though, the Red River is always your rival.

[burd]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

Rivals:

1. UND
...
...
2. WI
6908309860943. Everyone else.

Why UND over WI? Hockey is the ONLY thing North Dakota (the state) has on MN, that I care about. I want to destroy their only sports asset. I want their dream to be crushed.

Brent, you may be underestimating how petty we Sioux fans can be and how unlikely it is that our dreams can be crushed. It's true that a hockey NC is our primary dream, which is usually crushed, though rarely by UMinn. But close behind that is our dream that the gopher hockey team is so pitiful that it either cannot even make it to the Tourney or is one-and-done if it gets there. And that dream is a gift that keeps on giving.

[Bakunin]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

But close behind that is our dream that the gopher hockey team is so pitiful that it either cannot even make it to the Tourney or is one-and-done if it gets there. And that dream is a gift that keeps on giving.

Another maroon and gold team has crushed your deams with comical regularity, though.

Hold on tight to that dream that keeps on giving - because someday soon it will end. After multiple trips to the frozen four, UND has slipped a bit with first round exits each of the past two seasons. If there's one thing I've learned from the past decade of following the Gophers, it is this: don't take your good seasons for granted, even if they end in disappointment. Even as a "have" in college hockey, nothing is guaranteed. A few recruits that fail to live up to expectations, a few key early departures, a rash of injuries... not only can these things derail a season, but they can send your program into a multi-year funk.

If it can happen to Minnesota, it can happen to anyone - including your beloved ______ (name TBD).

[burd]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

Another maroon and gold team has crushed your deams with comical regularity, though.

Hold on tight to that dream that keeps on giving - because someday soon it will end. After multiple trips to the frozen four, UND has slipped a bit with first round exits each of the past two seasons. If there's one thing I've learned from the past decade of following the Gophers, it is this: don't take your good seasons for granted, even if they end in disappointment. Even as a "have" in college hockey, nothing is guaranteed. A few recruits that fail to live up to expectations, a few key early departures, a rash of injuries... not only can these things derail a season, but they can send your program into a multi-year funk.

If it can happen to Minnesota, it can happen to anyone - including your beloved ______ (name TBD).

What you say is true. But we still cling to our pitiful little dreams

[cross cheque]

What you say is true. But we still cling to our pitiful little dreams

former gopher great Blake Wheeler just scored for the B's to make it 2-1 Canadiens.

[cross cheque]

Another maroon and gold team has crushed your deams with comical regularity, though.

Hold on tight to that dream that keeps on giving - because someday soon it will end. After multiple trips to the frozen four, UND has slipped a bit with first round exits each of the past two seasons. If there's one thing I've learned from the past decade of following the Gophers, it is this: don't take your good seasons for granted, even if they end in disappointment. Even as a "have" in college hockey, nothing is guaranteed. A few recruits that fail to live up to expectations, a few key early departures, a rash of injuries... not only can these things derail a season, but they can send your program into a multi-year funk.

If it can happen to Minnesota, it can happen to anyone - including your beloved ______ (name TBD).

7 time national champions?

[Bakunin]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

7 time national champions?

Past success does not guarantee future performance. I could talk about the awesomeness of '02 and '03 at length, but that won't change the fact the team is currently mediocre.

[state of hockey]

Past success does not guarantee future performance. I could talk about the awesomeness of '02 and '03 at length, but that won't change the fact the team is currently mediocre.

Knock it off, Mr. Logicalpants.

[Greyeagle]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

We need to pick up the pace & get this thead closed so we can have some Peterson Punch!

Great article about Apple Valley's Hudson Fasching in today's Strb, he is an amazing young man.

[melmac]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

We need to pick up the pace & get this thead closed so we can have some Peterson Punch!

Norm?

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

We need to pick up the pace & get this thead closed so we can have some Peterson Punch!

Great article about Apple Valley's Hudson Fasching in today's Strb, he is an amazing young man.

Good article. Almost enough to really put hockey in perspective relative to things like family, etc. (At least until they start playing again.)

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

We need to pick up the pace & get this thead closed so we can have some Peterson Punch!

Great article about Apple Valley's Hudson Fasching in today's Strb, he is an amazing young man.

That is a great article indeed.

Maybe Michaelson and Fasching will play for a few years together(Gophers) after HS as well.

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

We need to pick up the pace & get this thead closed so we can have some Peterson Punch!

OK, I'll bite. Anyone want to comment on individual players pre-season expectations and their grade at mid-point?

I'll give a couple thoughts on Bjugstad. Besides the difficulty in remembering how to spell his name, I didn't think he started the season blazing like I had hoped. Then he seemed to disappear for several weeks where we NEVER heard his name on the ice. However, in the last couple weeks, he seems to have picked up confidence dramatically. I remember one shift against Mankato where he knocked a guy off the puck, went hard to the net with a D hanging on him but looking about as effective as a flea on a dogs back. He put a shot on net from close in that the goalie deflected into the corner to a D. Bjugstad proceeded to separate the D from the puck with a punishing check and turned and went to the net for another shot. Since then, he has had a few shifts a game where he would take guys off the puck on the boards or drive hard to the net. I am hoping that he'll be one of the exceptions, where he returns from WJC with more confidence and has a big 2nd half. I am hoping his size will prevent the second half fade sometimes seen in guys coming straight out of HS.

[Driftryder]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

I agree, it seems Bjugstad has really picked up his game in the last few weeks the way he can keep guys off the puck reminds me of Hoeffel. I also like the play of Condon he can really move up and down the ice with speed and often beats guys to the puck when forechecking. I sure hope some of our freshmen stick around for awhile they could be a really good class with Haula and Alt mixed in as well.

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Season Thread: Kangas Kool-Aid For All!

OK, I'll bite. Anyone want to comment on individual players pre-season expectations and their grade at mid-point?

I'll give a couple thoughts on Bjugstad. Besides the difficulty in remembering how to spell his name, I didn't think he started the season blazing like I had hoped. Then he seemed to disappear for several weeks where we NEVER heard his name on the ice. However, in the last couple weeks, he seems to have picked up confidence dramatically. I remember one shift against Mankato where he knocked a guy off the puck, went hard to the net with a D hanging on him but looking about as effective as a flea on a dogs back. He put a shot on net from close in that the goalie deflected into the corner to a D. Bjugstad proceeded to separate the D from the puck with a punishing check and turned and went to the net for another shot. Since then, he has had a few shifts a game where he would take guys off the puck on the boards or drive hard to the net. I am hoping that he'll be one of the exceptions, where he returns from WJC with more confidence and has a big 2nd half. I am hoping his size will prevent the second half fade sometimes seen in guys coming straight out of HS.

I'm sure mono helped his disappearing for a bit along. I agree, he is playing like the monster he is more and more often.

The freshman I have been the most surprised by is Condon. I knew Haula would make an impact somehow, so he hasn't surprised me to the same extent. But Condon has a great point shot that lends itself to deflections very well. Alt of course just has a howitzer, which is nothing to sneeze at, but I think the forwards just try to get out of the way with those.