MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

This is getting a little off track with all of this actual hockey talk, so I thought we might all enjoy a few nature photos.

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/Gopher1.jpg******

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/Gopher2.jpg******

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/Gopher3.jpg******

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/Gopher4.jpg******

[Gurtholfin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

One more, just for fun...

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/doublegophercatch.jpg******

[solovsfett]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

One more, just for fun...

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/doublegophercatch.jpg******

oh man, that is effing awesome!

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

One more, just for fun...

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/doublegophercatch.jpg******

Def borrowed this for the blog. Great stuff!

[UWisco]

One more, just for fun...

*****http://i820.***********.com/albums/zz128/Gurtholfin/USCHO/GopherLunch/doublegophercatch.jpg******

Nice one G. Haha

[Bakunin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Every team UW plays might be TUC's, but they are all below them in in the Pairwise. Regardless of what happens at the end of the regular season, UW will be a bubble team. The WCHA playoffs will be a critical time for Bucky, the playoffs will be the only opportunity to beat a team that could give them a jump.

Pay attention to the bolded part of what you said - it's rather important. Given the league standings right now, there's a pretty strong chance that UW's next 8 games (9 if the first round goes to a third game) will be against TUCs. If they reach the Final Five, that'll add at least another game to that total. They certainly have plenty of opportunity to move up - while I don't have time at the moment to dig deeper into the comparisons and see just how far they can move, my off the cuff guess is if they run the table and win the Final Five, they'd probably be sitting around 7th-8th in the pairwise and be a #2 seed. At the other end, if they lose all their remaining games, they would probably be somewhere close to the TUC cliff.

[Bronzebacks]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

Pay attention to the bolded part of what you said - it's rather important. Given the league standings right now, there's a pretty strong chance that UW's next 8 games (9 if the first round goes to a third game) will be against TUCs. If they reach the Final Five, that'll add at least another game to that total. They certainly have plenty of opportunity to move up - while I don't have time at the moment to dig deeper into the comparisons and see just how far they can move, my off the cuff guess is if they run the table and win the Final Five, they'd probably be sitting around 7th-8th in the pairwise and be a #2 seed. At the other end, if they lose all their remaining games, they would probably be somewhere close to the TUC cliff.

Yes.....Even if they split all the way out, they will be on the bubble. Obviously if they win the Final Five they are in with an auto bid, and likely have beaten a high ranked team in the process which would give them a boost. That's exactly why I said the wcha playoffs will be a critical time for this team. I would agree with your prediction if they were to run the table. That would be very impressive but unlikely. Regardless, for what was expected to be a down year, UW is in the mix.

[Bakunin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

How high a team is ranked has nothing to do with how much of a "boost" they get in the pairwise. Beating any TUC is valuable. Beating the strongest TUCs is only slightly more valuable (due to RPI considerations). The route of least resistance is to play and beat a bunch of the weaker TUCs - and UW gets to face three of them down the stretch (and possibly/probably one of the same three in the first round of the playoffs).

[Bronzebacks]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

How high a team is ranked has nothing to do with how much of a "boost" they get in the pairwise. Beating any TUC is valuable. Beating the strongest TUCs is only slightly more valuable (due to RPI considerations). The route of least resistance is to play and beat a bunch of the weaker TUCs - and UW gets to face three of them down the stretch (and possibly/probably one of the same three in the first round of the playoffs).

I was mistaken to say "higher ranked" but should have said a team above them in pairwise. Beating weaker TUCs can help a team. In the not so perfect system it can hurt a team as well. Beating a very weak TUC (such as St. Cloud at the present time) could push them off the TUC cliff and not help at all. With out a good FF push, Bucky could be in a tough spot.

[HarleyMC]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

There's no doubt this big time rivalry series will have an enhanced high energy playoff atmosphere this weekend and significant WCHA playoff implications. I suspect it will be much different than the one in November, as both teams have refined their systems play and are ready to make a stretch run for the playoffs.

With their mutual freshmen growing pains, the Gophers and Badgers are very evenly matched which will translate into perhaps one of the most exciting and closely played series for the Gophers this season. With the exception of Wisc. playing one more game than MN, both teams have scored 25 goals and allowed 23 goals in 2011. Both goalies are having very good seasons so far. Gunderson and Patterson are #1 and #2 respectively in SV% against WCHA teams, with only a .002 separation.

In play against WCHA teams, the Gophers have a negligible edge in scoring offense despite their frequent scoring woes. Moreover, the Gophers have the best first period scoring record of any WCHA team. If the Gophers want to take points home, they must match UW's intensity out of the gate, get the early lead and maintain poise and confidence amidst the noisy shrill and intense atmosphere of the Kohl. The seniors Hoeffel, Cepis, Barriball, Fairchild have to lead the way in scoring.

The most critical area of concern for the Gophers again this weekend will be special teams. In WCHA play, the Gophers are last in PK, while the Badgers sit at #1. The Gophers have been minimizing turnovers lately, but have been in penalty trouble too often this season. Staying out of the box in a rivalry series like this will most likely be the difference between winning and losing.

Both teams desperately want points. UW is coming off a two disappointing losses against UNO and the Gophers found their potential last weekend with a surprising goal fest against Denver. I'm going with at least a split and possibly...maybe...3 points for the Gophers.

There is no doubt the Kohl will be rockin' this weekend and a great place to see a historically fierce college hockey rivalry. Let's get it on!!

GO GOPHERS!!!

[HarleyMC]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

If Max gets decent playing time, will brotherly love prevail or will he enact revenge?

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[Bakunin]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

In the not so perfect system it can hurt a team as well.

Winning a game against a TUC never hurts a team - as long as the opponent remains a TUC. Even if the win pushes the team off the TUC cliff and out of consideration, whether or not it hurts the team that beat them depends on what is governing their comparisons (if they're winning comparisons despite their TUC record and/or losing other comparisons because of it already, then hurting that record further isn't going to matter). Further complicating this is the fact RPI breaks tied comparisons - and losing intentionally, even if it's beneficial to the TUC record, is certainly going to hurt the RPI category.

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

No posts in this thread this morning? What are you guys getting soft? F-Minnesota. Bucky get's 2 points tonight.

[Innova]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

I am finishing up my work. Heading out in about an hour, then taking the 2-hour drive down to Madison. Hopefully, that should leave me enough time for pre-gaming .

I haven't been to a game in about 5-6 years...so yes, Bucky will take two points tonight, just to honor my presence.

[goldy_331]

Re: MN @ WI: Cheese And Paint Thinner And Dead Deer, Oh My!

No posts in this thread this morning? What are you guys getting soft? F-Minnesota. Bucky get's 2 points tonight.

Harley posted at 2:12 and 2:40 AM, Bakunin at 3:04 AM. Those are morning times in MN, are they not in WI?