Penn St is fighting for its NCAA life. They are 9-1-3 (all 3 ties were won in the shootout) in their last 13. They are 1 point behind Michigan for the last home ice spot in B1G playoffs. Fink leads the team with 45 points ( 23 g & 22 a ). Sergeev is 14-6-3 with a 2.50 GAA and .920 SV% with 4 shutouts.
Mn swept them at Mariucci this year and were 4-1 against them last year.
Both games will be on BTN this weekend.
7:30 pm
7:00 pm
GPL Podcast is on its regular date and time this week-- Weds @9:30pm
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
PSU a very different beast now versus early in the year and they're going to be amped up trying to clinch a spot in the NCAAs as well as home ice in the 1st round. One of the games at home was the game Souliere stole with Clark scoring late in a game we looked like crap in for most of it and had 6 shots through 2 periods. Can't have any sloppy periods.
Think PSU is actually a more dangerous team than OSU with their top end guys and team speed. Excited for this weekend
The Gophers need to somehow focus a bit more on defense after they score. They seem to have a tendency of giving up goals right after scoring. I think they have allowed a goal within the first minute or two after scoring multiple times.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
The Gophers need to somehow focus a bit more on defense after they score. They seem to have a tendency of giving up goals right after scoring. I think they have allowed a goal within the first minute or two after scoring multiple times.
No kidding.. this has drove me nuts. They have been very fortunate not to give up a goal directly after about 4 different times now recently.
I heard PSU is flying out @thomps to help with the shot counter for the 2 game series.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Penn State will be a desperate hockey team. This is a perfect test for them at this point of the year. Can you match that level of intensity?
My series radar is all broken. I was feeling good about the MSU series, bad about Wisco, good about Michigan, and bad about Ohio.
This one feels like a split on paper with how PSU is playing right now but MSU will probably pass us with a split. We need 4 points this weekend to guarantee a share of the conference championship.
Win Friday night and MSU losses... Does Motzko put Airey in net for Saturday night since the BIG is wrapped up. Get Airey some action before it starts being one and done in case of emergency.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Win Friday night and MSU losses... Does Motzko put Airey in net for Saturday night since the BIG is wrapped up. Get Airey some action before it starts being one and done in case of emergency.
absolutely not. playoff mode now. Goal should be to win the next 8 in a row (PSU, big semis, big finals, 4 in NCAA tourney).
Felt to me Huglen, lamb, Hendrickson stepped it up last weekend with a few others. I was a little surprised with snuggy, love the guys game, skill, speed and shot are all incredible, last weekend I found myself cringing whenever he had the puck and that’s not normal. Maybe it’s just me I don’t know, but I’d really like to see him get hot right now instead of turning the puck over. If he can get hot along with the others last weekend I have a great feeling about these guys hitting on all cylinders at the right time.
Win Friday night and MSU losses... Does Motzko put Airey in net for Saturday night since the BIG is wrapped up. Get Airey some action before it starts being one and done in case of emergency.
absolutely not. playoff mode now. Goal should be to win the next 8 in a row (PSU, big semis, big finals, 4 in NCAA tourney).
If, and this is IF IF IF IF our projected seed/regional is locked in (and there are people smarter than us that would probably be more accurate), I could see Airey on Saturday. That is a lot of "ifs," but....
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Win Friday night and MSU losses... Does Motzko put Airey in net for Saturday night since the BIG is wrapped up. Get Airey some action before it starts being one and done in case of emergency.
absolutely not. playoff mode now. Goal should be to win the next 8 in a row (PSU, big semis, big finals, 4 in NCAA tourney).
If, and this is IF IF IF IF our projected seed/regional is locked in (and there are people smarter than us that would probably be more accurate), I could see Airey on Saturday. That is a lot of "ifs," but....
Think too many variables and the possible #2 overall will be in play to seasons end.
@handyman Who exactly made you the morality police on this public message board you don’t run? If someone keeps posting unwarranted negative crap about the Gophers, I might call ‘em on it. It’s called free speech. Feel free to be Karen all you want but it’s not going to stop because someone thinks we’re picking on Airey. And maybe post when I can reply instead of waiting until replies are closed on Monday night 🤣
I am taking @handyman 15/1.... Who wants in on the action?
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@handyman Who exactly made you the morality police on this public message board you don’t run? If someone keeps posting unwarranted negative crap about the Gophers, I might call ‘em on it. It’s called free speech. Feel free to be Karen all you want but it’s not going to stop because someone thinks we’re picking on Airey. And maybe post when I can reply instead of waiting until replies are closed on Monday night 🤣
Free speech doesn't apply here. Try talking politics, religion, or The Goonies. 😉
Private board, Terms Of Service. 😉
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I am taking @handyman 15/1.... Who wants in on the action?
15/1… depending on what @nocoastnirvana is going at…
Keep your stick on the ice...
A member of this board called out Souliere for a bad night on Saturday. I returned the favor and pointed out he kept the momentum going our way thru the 1st and 2nd periods with some timely saves. 2 days later, Karen comes along accusing me of being the arbitrator of truth on GPL... and I'll take those odds any day of the week.
ANYWAY! Back to the hockey. I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Two of my flight school buddies down here are big Penn State fans so if the Gophers could walk away with at least a respectable split that’d be much appreciated.
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
They win head to head so this scenario does not exist
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
They win head to head so this scenario does not exist
MSU having the head to head is exactly why this scenario exists.
If MN and MSU tie in the standings they are both Big 10 champions but MSU is granted the 1 seed in the big 10 tourney.
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
They win head to head so this scenario does not exist
Yes like you said Michigan State wins the tie breaker so as mentioned above Sparty would get the number one seed and the bye but if the teams end up with the same amount of points the teams are technically Co Champions.
Now I suspect Gopher fans will have different opinions on if we should hang a banner as a Co Champion but I would have no issue with doing so especially since Michigan State has picked up more points this season in non normal hockey (shoot outs and 3 on 3 OTs).
If we get 3 or 4 points this weekend and finish tied (Michigan State gets 5 or 6 points) I will be ok with it. Having said that I certainly am rooting for two 10-0 beat downs. 😀
Just so we win our last 4 games.
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
Based on the following website the Gophers have a 49% of being the number 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament and a 51% chance of being the number 2 seed for the Big Ten tournament so we definitely have a solid chance to win the league title out right.
Hopefully we are the team who cools off Penn State and get 5 or 6 points to do it ourselves but having a solid weekend getting 3 or 4 points and Notre Dame sending one of the games against Sparty to OT to hold Michigan State to 4 or 5 points is certainly possible too.
I agree that things ending as Co Champions is a strong possibility.
https://www.playoffstatus.com/big-10-hockey/big-10-standings.html
Or we could just make a statement and win both games. 😁 The eye of Sauron is ours to lose….
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
They win head to head so this scenario does not exist
MSU having the head to head is exactly why this scenario exists.
If MN and MSU tie in the standings they are both Big 10 champions but MSU is granted the 1 seed in the big 10 tourney.
tbh, that’s unbelievably dumb if you lost head to head And is not directed at you, but the league for a stupid methodology. Someone won. You decide the metric. I get it if schedules are unbalanced but they’re not in hockey
my mistake in thinking who they’d decide was the one isn’t a solo conf champion
ANYWAY! Back to the hockey. I’m really looking forward to this weekend. Two of my flight school buddies down here are big Penn State fans so if the Gophers could walk away with at least a respectable split that’d be much appreciated.
Respectable is the word here for me this weekend. I’m looking forward to this series for a few reasons. How do we respond if we get punched in the face on the road against a desperate team? Do we match their intensity level or come out flat? As mentioned before how is our game immediately after scoring? What does PP and PK look like? I’m hopeful this momentum from last weekend keeps rolling in the right direction and the guys play like they’re capable of win lose or tie and bring that pride on ice.
The bye being a disadvantage has now become and old wives' tale.
The bye being a disadvantage has now become and old wives' tale.
Just because it hasn’t bit us in the ass yet doesn’t mean it never will. I remember the 2022 team just squeaking by a bad Penn State in the semis. You’re 1 loss away from potentially playing 1 game in a month and heading into the NCAA tournament fighting off rust.
Feel like the best case scenario is we tie with MSU so we still get a championship but they get the 1 seed and the bye. Let’s make it happen somehow
They win head to head so this scenario does not exist
MSU having the head to head is exactly why this scenario exists.
If MN and MSU tie in the standings they are both Big 10 champions but MSU is granted the 1 seed in the big 10 tourney.
tbh, that’s unbelievably dumb if you lost head to head And is not directed at you, but the league for a stupid methodology. Someone won. You decide the metric. I get it if schedules are unbalanced but they’re not in hockey
my mistake in thinking who they’d decide was the one isn’t a solo conf champion
Conferences have done co champions for ages. The last ever MacNaughton Cup (in my eyes) was split between Minnesota and St. Cloud in 2013. Gophers and Sue shared the cup in 1997. CC and Denver shared it in 2005. And that’s just off the top of my head. It happens, not very often, but it happens.
Now will I be crying myself to sleep if the Gophers go into Pegula and grab 5 or 6 points? Heck no😉
A member of this board called out Souliere for a bad night on Saturday. I returned the favor and pointed out he kept the momentum going our way thru the 1st and 2nd periods with some timely saves. 2 days later, Karen comes along accusing me of being the arbitrator of truth on GPL... and I'll take those odds any day of the week.
Do you think it is creative calling people Karen?
You seem to have a problem with the idea that fans might criticize a player. Not sure why. These aren't Peewees they are scholarship players on one of the top teams in the country. They are going to get critiqued from time to time. What you are seeing does not even compare to the criticisms we have seen over the years. I could name dozens of players, some who played on championship teams, who played in the NHL even, who got it much worse than what sets you off. And in those days a lot of the players actually read these sites.
The reason I come at you about this is, people have the right to vent their frustrations that is one of the functions of this site. Not to go all "Meritocracy" on you but some of us have been around here a long time. (some since the site started even) The idea is discussion, and if a goalie has an off night (or is perceived to have had one) that is relevant to talk about as much as if a player scores a goal. You have the right to fight back if you want, but your "duckies and bunnies" opinion is no more truthful or relevant than someone's dark and gloomy post.
But ultimately, the reason I mention it is the site has mods that do a great job...if they feel someone is out of line they will do something about it. If you think they missed something report it...but just calling anyone who dares not think Souliere is Ken Dryden a "Karen" is not constructive.
Co-Champs is fine...I am iffy on whether it is bannerworthy but I wont care either way.
I also don't think the bye is something to worry about...especially when the team spent half the year injured beyond belief. Football teams that make their "tourny" have many weeks off and survive.
As far as the bye goes, I personally am more worried about injuries to a key player versus the rust angle. I would rather not have to worry about another Lamb @ Notre Dame scare. So, I am boldly going to say we should win the conference.
The game vs MSU a few years back was really ugly too, they eventually won by a convincing score but Close stole it early on as they were getting outshot badly. You're right it's not without precedent but hopefully they just figure out how to not come out flat if they do get a bye.The bye being a disadvantage has now become and old wives' tale.
Just because it hasn’t bit us in the ass yet doesn’t mean it never will. I remember the 2022 team just squeaking by a bad Penn State in the semis. You’re 1 loss away from potentially playing 1 game in a month and heading into the NCAA tournament fighting off rust.
The bye being a disadvantage has now become and old wives' tale.
It's good if you win in the semi's and bad if you lose in the semi's.
Keep your stick on the ice...
The bye being a disadvantage has now become and old wives' tale.
Just because it hasn’t bit us in the ass yet...
imho there is no way to know if a bad performance after a bye was actually because of the bye or because of a myriad of other reasons why teams inexplicably pick the wrong time to play like crap.
We've seen this team this year follow-up a great weekend with a not so great one with no bye between. Do fans ever blame the fact they didn't get a bye for the drop off? No? So why the other way around?
We've seen some Vikings teams crush after the bye and others fall on their face.
I can see time-off having an impact the first series of the year or the first series after the long winter break, but in March? I don't buy it especially since they've won more often than not when they've had the bye.
@jupiter Do you know who is calling the games on BTN this weekend? Are they calling them from the studio? Thanks
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
@jupiter Do you know who is calling the games on BTN this weekend? Are they calling them from the studio? Thanks
MN @ PSU: Jason Ross Jr & Pat Micheletti on site.
MI @ OSU: Chris Vosters & Cappy from the studio.
Do not like how this board is run?
Get your own board!
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Tanner Hoops will be filling in for Pat on radio this weekend.
Do not like how this board is run?
Get your own board!
♃
Why do you say that? He's been one of the home color analysts with Wally all season, with Pat being on for the road trips. Tanner did a pretty good job last weekend (hadn't been listening on the radio the earlier weekends that he'd done)Tanner Hoops will be filling in for Pat on radio this weekend.
Wrong sport.
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
Why do you say that? He's been one of the home color analysts with Wally all season, with Pat being on for the road trips. Tanner did a pretty good job last weekend (hadn't been listening on the radio the earlier weekends that he'd done)Tanner Hoops will be filling in for Pat on radio this weekend.
Wrong sport.
maybe he’ll change his name to Tanner Hockey for this
Would be "Tanner Puck" I'd thinkWhy do you say that? He's been one of the home color analysts with Wally all season, with Pat being on for the road trips. Tanner did a pretty good job last weekend (hadn't been listening on the radio the earlier weekends that he'd done)Tanner Hoops will be filling in for Pat on radio this weekend.
Wrong sport.
maybe he’ll change his name to Tanner Hockey for this
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
As far as the bye goes, I personally am more worried about injuries to a key player versus the rust angle. I would rather not have to worry about another Lamb @ Notre Dame scare. So, I am boldly going to say we should win the conference.
Yeah I forgot ND is the team that would play the 2 seed… maybe it’s best we win the league outright as miss those hacks.
As far as the bye goes, I personally am more worried about injuries to a key player versus the rust angle. I would rather not have to worry about another Lamb @ Notre Dame scare. So, I am boldly going to say we should win the conference.
Yeah I forgot ND is the team that would play the 2 seed… maybe it’s best we win the league outright as miss those hacks.
also from a pwr rating side. ND is also trash. Two extra games vs them do nothing to get playoff ready that an in house exhibition wouldn’t aside from getting hurt and losses to them are the only way we miss a 1 seed
Right, the reward of winning the league outright clearly outweigh the risks. Losing the semi final after a bye would suck due to the amount of time off before the NCAAs but it’s a risk worth having.
Fixed your postWould be "Tanner Puck Net" I'd thinkWhy do you say that? He's been one of the home color analysts with Wally all season, with Pat being on for the road trips. Tanner did a pretty good job last weekend (hadn't been listening on the radio the earlier weekends that he'd done)Tanner Hoops will be filling in for Pat on radio this weekend.
Wrong sport.
maybe he’ll change his name to Tanner Hockey for this
Felt to me Huglen, lamb, Hendrickson stepped it up last weekend with a few others. I was a little surprised with snuggy, love the guys game, skill, speed and shot are all incredible, last weekend I found myself cringing whenever he had the puck and that’s not normal. Maybe it’s just me I don’t know, but I’d really like to see him get hot right now instead of turning the puck over. If he can get hot along with the others last weekend I have a great feeling about these guys hitting on all cylinders at the right time.
I love Snuggy, but if I have one critique of his game it’s that he sometimes gives up on a play. You’ll see him fully engaged, trying to make a play, and then the puck will get turned over and you can almost see him get out of his hockey stance and start coasting rather than turning on the afterburners to win the puck back. He’s a hell of a weapon, but sometimes his effort seems inconsistent when he’s not bearing down on the attacking goalie.