I see flashes of one of the best teams in 20 years and when they are on they are really fun to watch and look almost unstoppable. So yes, the pieces are there. Nevers said in a clip I saw that great teams find a way to spark the energy when it just isn't there and unlike the mess of the Friday O State game, last night they did seem to be trying to dig deep and find that gear. Just never really happened and ND stuck to their plan which was very effective. PP looked dismal last night but the PK actually looked better. Again, win a crucial faceoff a few times in that game and it could be different. I also don't love blaming refs, but yikes. They definitely had a direct impact on the game.
Frustrating game. They had numerous chances to score and either missed the open net or the puck just slid away from the goal. The ND goalie was having a hard time controlling the puck early, and the Gophers had their chances. We can agree the refs were not good, but the Gophers should beat this team with 1 arm tied behind their backs. As far as the goalie situation, I don't think there is still a clear leader. If Souliere won last night, I would have gone with him on Friday at Sparty. But, at the end of the day it's all about winning, and some on here may not like it, but Airey is 11-1-2 and Souliere is 8-4. I know Liam has better "numbers", but again the only numbers that really matter is wins and losses.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
That was perhaps the worst 20+ minutes of reffing I have witnessed in my 35 years watching Gopher hockey. And I've watched Buzzy Christianson, All of the Sheppards, Jon Campion, etc...
Having said that, it was not the reffing that cost the Gophers the game. ND played a much better structural defense - the kind the Gophers struggle against where the lanes are clogged, play is moved out to the edges and they can't control the offensive zone. ND made a huge adjustment from Friday night and the Gophers didn't adjust or figure out a way to break it. This is the same tactic UNO, AF and BSU used when they had success. The coaching staff needs to figure out how ti help the team adjust when that happens and it can't be making blind passes to the center of the ice.
FWIW, the Gophers are 100% on the PK with the return of Cal Thomas!
How about somebody wins a faceoff?
This. There’s a reason ND felt like they had the puck all night, because they did. ND was never really threatening with the puck they just cycled and cycled and didn’t give our potent offense any extra ammo. Tip of the cap from me.
If there’s one thing that seriously concerns me with this team it’s faceoffs.
we won the faceoffs tonight 31-30. Unsure how the hell they’re counting as sure didn’t feel that way, but just thought I’d mention it
Yeah I saw Gopher game notes posted that and couldn’t believe it. They said faceoffs in OT were tied 1-1 so I don’t think I can trust the numbers at all lol
Glad to see an overtime loss didn’t move us down at all in pairwise. Still holding strong at #3 with a chance to move up with a sweep at Munn.
ND made a huge adjustment from Friday night and the Gophers didn't adjust or figure out a way to break it.
Last night was a classic bounce-back game by a team embarrassed the night before. I knew Jackson would get them fired up for Saturday's game, and to their credit, they played the game they had to for a chance to win. Unfortunately, the refs played along.
It's common to hear from fans that "while the reffing sucked, that's not the reason they lost...." Well, when you analyze a game and discover that it comes down to a half dozen mistakes or plays that influence the outcome, one-sided bad calls or non-calls make a big difference, especially in a tight contest. The Gophers' national title hopes ended with a thud in Tampa when a ref 150 feet away took a call away from his unpersuaded partner standing ten feet from the so-called "infraction."
Maybe we didn't see the best version of the Gophers last night, but Minnesota had a good chance to win and should have had several power plays--and maybe one of the 5-minute variety. Would that have made a difference? I think so. Even if they don't score, that's eight minutes of forcing an opponent to defend. The last non-call alone effectively gave Notre Dame its best chance to win.
THIS. You nailed it. And thank you for bringing up the previously mentally blocked QP OT loss. HAHA Felt like I was in the minority thinking the one really horrific call (and obviously boneheaded move on our part in retaliation) actually changed the outcome of the game. Same thing again last night. Hockey is a game of failure really if you look at percentages. Bad bounces, stick break, losing an edge all acceptable fails. Reffing is not in that category. They are human and certainly entitled to mistakes. Not. That. Many.
So serious question, why did it change to a 3 on 3 overtime? Why was the decision made? No other sport, professional or college, does a tie this way. If it’s tied at the end of a college BB game, they don’t play 3 on 3. They play a full squad. If it’s tied at the end of a football game, they don’t play with 6 players, it’s a full team. WTH did the powers that be decide pond hockey is the way to go?
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.