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Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

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  • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

    The defense got run over, the forwards didn't really help enough, and the game wasn't as close as the final score might lead one to believe. Beyond that, there isn't much to say about it other than hoping that it was a learning experience.

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    • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

      The concern for this team from the beginning of year was the defensive unit and to a lesser extent goaltending. Goaltending has been good but the decision making and pace of decisions by the defensemen have proven to be problematic. I'm not sure that is going to "get better" but we will see.
      At the outset, we could hang with the dude...

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      • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

        Originally posted by FiveHoleFrenzy View Post
        The concern for this team from the beginning of year was the defensive unit and to a lesser extent goaltending. Goaltending has been good but the decision making and pace of decisions by the defensemen have proven to be problematic. I'm not sure that is going to "get better" but we will see.
        The Gophers have scored 1 goal per game in the 3 games vs Badgers. I guess if the Gophers had 3 Shutouts they would be 3-0 in the series. They are lucky to have 1 win in the series with that goal production IMO. I wonder if you think that needs to "get better"??? Gophers have allowed 5 and 1 ENG in the series... Not terribly bad against the #1 team in the Nation. Gophers trail Badgers by 7 SOG and 16 in Blocked Shots in the series... Gophers had 5 less SOG yesterday 21/26 but the Badgers had 10 more BSs 18/8. Trailing in BSs seems to be a trend in some big games. UMD blocked 24 vs UM 8 in the 2-2 Tie/Shootout loss vs Bulldogs and OSU Blocked 23 in the 2-3 loss to them.

        I hope the Gophers can figure out how to get more pucks to the net vs hitting a Badger player today.

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        • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

          Originally posted by AAA Dad View Post
          The Gophers have scored 1 goal per game in the 3 games vs Badgers. I guess if the Gophers had 3 Shutouts they would be 3-0 in the series. They are lucky to have 1 win in the series with that goal production IMO. I wonder if you think that needs to "get better"??? Gophers have allowed 5 and 1 ENG in the series... Not terribly bad against the #1 team in the Nation. Gophers trail Badgers by 7 SOG and 16 in Blocked Shots in the series... Gophers had 5 less SOG yesterday 21/26 but the Badgers had 10 more BSs 18/8. Trailing in BSs seems to be a trend in some big games. UMD blocked 24 vs UM 8 in the 2-2 Tie/Shootout loss vs Bulldogs and OSU Blocked 23 in the 2-3 loss to them.

          I hope the Gophers can figure out how to get more pucks to the net vs hitting a Badger player today.
          I do, too, but the single biggest problem has been getting the puck out of their own end. The lack of scoring starts at the back end.

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          • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

            Originally posted by Still Eeyore View Post
            I do, too, but the single biggest problem has been getting the puck out of their own end. The lack of scoring starts at the back end.
            I thought coach Frost summed it up in a couple quotes here

            https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/1...-no-2-gophers/

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            • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

              Originally posted by AAA Dad View Post
              I thought coach Frost summed it up in a couple quotes here

              https://www.twincities.com/2019/01/1...-no-2-gophers/
              Yes he did. I thought the Badgers had a little more giddy up in their skates than the Gophers did for much of the game. Maybe having to watch the Gophers celebrate their Final Face-Off victory on the jumbotron riled them up a bit? Probably not.

              Rolfes' game winning shot reminded me of Knowles' game winner against UMD recently. Or as FHF wrote at the time, "a rather harmless shot that she (Rooney and in this case Gulstene) didn't react to."
              Last edited by bluffrinkrat; 01-19-2019, 11:36 AM. Reason: In the prime areas, "Shoot first, pass another time."
              "Everything that rises must converge." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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              • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                My first look at Wisconsin this year. It is likely the best group of skaters 1-18 that I've seen skating around in those unsightly uni's. The one place that it looks like this team is a bit more vulnerable is in net, but that's true of the home team as well, so there's that. UM just didn't get enough clean looks at Campbell to get much done. I think I've watched Campbell in person 7 times now, and I've yet to see anything that would make me take her over someone like Polusny. She's asked to not do something to lose the game on her current team, and she has managed that with the exception of versus Colgate.

                As for UM's D, I thought they held up well given the group of forwards they were facing. For example, I thought that was the best I'd seen out of #6 given the level of competition. On D, the biggest problem I saw was one that the forwards shared; the puck would hit the middle of a player's tape and bounce off. It is difficult to pass when the receiver can't catch. It wasn't an epidemic, but it was just another area where Wisconsin was slightly better. I'd throw in coaching as a place where UW enjoyed an edge last night. Special teams, line matchups, adjustments in the third: all went Bucky's way. Minnesota called time to set up its extra-attacker strategy and couldn't even get Gulstene off the ice, so the better X's were coming from Johnson and Co. It's not the first time that the Gophers have had to be scrambling with their line combinations in the third period, and I don't know that the coaches still have it figured out. Why practice all week with lines that you're not going to trust down the stretch?

                I'd rank areas that I think need improvement in order to have better success against UW and in any future meetings: 1) need at least a push in net; 2) coaches have to settle on forward lines and stick to them; 3) KP and SP have to play at close to the same level as Pankowski and Clark; 4) avoid the big mistake.

                The Gophers did fairly well with 4) last night; surprisingly, it was the Badgers making a pass right up the middle in their own zone in the 3rd that hit Schammel perfectly coming down the slot. Unfortunately, 25 put a routine shot into Campbell's glove, but I can't be too critical of her, given she's the only Gopher who hit twine. However, that was likely one of their best chances to put a shot off a pad with traffic and bury a rebound, as Bucky was scrambling.

                Regarding 2), the one change I'd be tempted to try from how they started last night would be to swap 7 and 26. Kelly and Sarah have had chemistry in the past, but now they're just mired in coinciding slumps. Give the Pots a chance to play together and hopefully make the game fun again for Sarah without the pressure to be The Big Line as when they were with Pannek. There were still stretches last night where I thought the 4th line was our best line, and so breaking them to put 9 back on 19's line, when that didn't work all that well in the past, seemed more like hoping than strategy.

                Anyway, the caliber of play last night would have beaten most teams, most nights. However, it just wasn't enough versus that opponent.
                "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
                And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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                • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                  Originally posted by ARM View Post
                  surprisingly, it was the Badgers making a pass right up the middle in their own zone in the 3rd that hit Schammel perfectly coming down the slot. Unfortunately, 25 put a routine shot into Campbell's glove, but I can't be too critical of her, given she's the only Gopher who hit twine. However, that was likely one of their best chances to put a shot off a pad with traffic and bury a rebound, as Bucky was scrambling.
                  IIRC, the pass was made by Mikaela Gardner; she was also the one caught 'spectating' and so turned a fairly normal breakout into the two-on-one that was the Gophers' goal. Uncharacteristically, Gardner had a bad night.

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                  • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                    I agree that the defensemen weren't that bad. It's just that "not bad" gets you run over by Bucky.

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                    • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                      Other than two really dumb penalties, that was the best period the Gophers have played since December..

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                      • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                        I thought the purpose of a power play was to generate scoring chances.

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                        • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                          Originally posted by Still Eeyore View Post
                          I thought the purpose of a power play was to generate scoring chances.
                          But on the other hand they didn't give up any short-handed or power play goals, so that was good.

                          I thought the Gophers played with a lot of heart and energy throughout the game today, but especially in the 3rd period when they kept the Badgers bottled up in their own end for extended periods of time.

                          Scobee and Schammel were incredible and Skarzynski had her best game in maybe the entire season.
                          Last edited by bluffrinkrat; 01-19-2019, 07:28 PM. Reason: The power play definitely needs more work.
                          "Everything that rises must converge." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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                          • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                            Originally posted by bluffrinkrat View Post
                            Scobee and Schammel were incredible and Skarzynski had her best game in maybe the entire season.
                            You just named the official three stars, in order, as announced at game's end. What a weekend for senior forward Nicole Schammel - huge congrats to her! And have we found a new No. 1 goaltender for down the stretch? If not yet, at the very least Miss Scobee should get her share of opportunities during the rest of the regular season, if to prove she's No. 1 in going into the league playoffs, and (hopefully for her) beyond that to Frozen Four.

                            OK those were the "stars" in this very important game, and you cannot diminish their contributions that enabled the Gophers to get the win, but the ENTIRE TEAM deserves huge credit for putting together a tremendous performance, against an extremely talented Badgers squad. Wisconsin was impressive all weekend, and for the Gophers to bounce back after a sub-par performance on Friday showed a lot of character, and bodes well for what lies ahead.

                            Well done, ladies!
                            Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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                            • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                              I usually deride the idea of the ALL IMPORTANT FIRST GOAL, but with these two teams, I think it actually is really important. Wisconsin isn't the same team when they're playing from behind as they are when they're ahead. Once the Gophers went up by two goals (and stayed that way for more than one shift), the Badgers looked out of ideas. Part of that is that Minnesota really stepped it up over the last twelve minutes of the game, but Wisconsin also looked a bit deflated.

                              Skarzynski played really well for the last 53 minutes of the game, but I ding her some for taking one of the most pointless penalties I've ever seen. I probably would have given the third star to Taylor Wente, who was tremendous despite coming away with no points.

                              I hope to see the same line combinations (the ones used in the first and third periods; I have no idea what was going on in the second) next week in Columbus. Sarah Potomak wasn't great, and I still think she's ailing, but she showed some life.

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                              • Re: Minnesota Gophers 2018-2019

                                Originally posted by Still Eeyore View Post
                                Skarzynski played really well for the last 53 minutes of the game, but I ding her some for taking one of the most pointless penalties I've ever seen.
                                Sure, but that was also one of the most pointless penalty calls that you'lll see in the WCHA. The puck was a zone away, Marshall had a 20-ft headstart, and the contact was minimal. According to a rule book, you can call that interference, but we saw a lot more interference from our referees today. Had they been trying to do so, could they possibly have gotten in the way more times than they did? I think it was Kaehler who had about a 10 second stretch in the 3rd where he kept moving to where the puck already was. The Gophers are trying to cycle, but the ref keeps getting in the way. Zero feel for the game. None. Then there was the play in the first period where a Wisconsin shot is heading toward the far corner, and the ref kicks it back toward the slot. The puck moves a lot faster in an NHL game and the players are bigger, but for some reason, those officials have the sense to get out of the way. I'm glad that neither team scored a PP goal, because most of the penalties called on both teams were bogus nonsense that should have been let go. It looked like calls you'd see in Hockey East. Or maybe I just feel this way because the last couple Gopher PPs were so atrocious. Anyway, don't worry, Sophie, the rest of us still love you, and Eeyore doesn't like anyone.

                                As for line combos in the second period, it is hard to roll lines in a period that has 10 minutes of penalties. Someone is always coming off the PK or PP and so shuffling is needed.

                                Gopher fans, if we don't like this roster, what roster is ever going to make us happy? I blame Laura Halldorson. If she had rolled out a first roster that looked like the first varsity team for Lindenwood, then maybe we'd have some perspective a couple of decades later. All we've ever known is good, so we're beyond spoiled.
                                "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
                                And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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