What can you say? The team was out to lunch and got a lucky win.
Close stopped about 35 pucks and had to be Minnesota's best player against a last-place team full of freshmen that has struggled to generate any offense.
If they play like that tomorrow, I wouldn't bet they'll get lucky twice.
There are only 4 teams that have less than 4 losses Maine, Boston College, Western Michigan, and Arizona State they all have 3 losses. The Gophers have 5 losses. The jury is still out on which teams are the cream of the crop.
The Gophers are 2-3-1 against top 10 teams. 4-4-2 against top 20 teams. They've held their own when playing teams that have had the best starts.
The NCAA tournament is single elimination. Any team that makes the tournament has a real shot to have two good weekends and win a Natty.
Yep tonight's game definitely left a lot to be desired.
Yeah that seems to be a recurring theme so far this year. I forget whether it was Ben or Pat who said it, but I think the BTN broadcast put it best when they basically said last year's team was a tough act to follow and the injuries and growing pains in the first half has helped put this year's team's growth behind what people might expect at this point. Had we had this kind of first half immediately after one of the swell seasons where we finished nowhere near the PWR bubble, the fan base would be thrilled instead of disappointed.
I don't know if the guys really are exhausted, but if they are, fortunately the second half starts with bunch of "tune-up" games after they have the opportunity to recharge their batteries.
OSU is probably planning an extra push for Saturday. Put together a solid game and get another win before the long break.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
Trying to compare last year's team to this year's team is apple and oranges. Last year team should have won the Nat'l title (plain and simple). This year's team has the potential to win. Though both teams are pretty much completely different.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Score first, score fast, and score often. Like I said last night, pass with a purpose and play with some urgency. Do these things and we should be fine. Come on boys, 60 more minutes and then we’re at the break. Just finish it.
Also, play Johnny Mittlestadt and Strobel together on the fourth line!!
Minnesota played with zero structure last night. When you play backyard pond hockey, you get to running around, playing out of position, and making undisciplined plays.
Snuggy tried stick handling around 3 players at the offensive blue line instead of making the safe play by pushing the puck into the corner. The result was a break away that nearly ended up in the Gophers' net. Then you had Chesley out of position on a goal mouth feed that was slammed past Close. Moore was constantly overrunning his headlights skating the puck into trouble time after time.
As pretty as the Snuggy and Pitlick goals were, I especially liked Lamb's goal because it came out of a scrum and Kurth's goal, which came as a reward for going hard to the net looking for a rebound.
A hockey game first happened to me last night. I got hit in the head with a puck lol. It was right at the start of the third and a Gopher player was trying to clear the puck and it went in the stands. I saw it coming and my reaction was to turn my head and bam it hit me right in the back of the head. I looked back and you can’t really see it on the TV broadcast but you can see the OSU usher coming right over to check on me. I wanted to keep the puck but a kid picked it up and I wasn’t about to take a puck from a kid.
Even though they didn’t play the best I’m glad they won and a sweep heading into the break would be great. Go Gophers!
Woah! Glad you are OK! Hope the gophers come out hard tonight and like someone else said, get in the paint! Yes we have some really good shooters, but this team cannot live and die by that. I also like what was said essentially about quit playing pond/bantam hockey where you try to stick handle around multiple guys. Highlight reel when it works (like 3%) and a total giveaway when it doesn't. Don't care who you are playing. In D1 hockey that move rarely has a positive outcome. Yes, go ahead, hit me with the Pitlick dangle goal. That was AWESOME. But fails the majority of the time. Play the hard, dirty area, tough nosed game and get out of there with a win. Also loved a couple earlier comments on 'angry Nelson'. I agree.
A hockey game first happened to me last night. I got hit in the head with a puck lol. It was right at the start of the third and a Gopher player was trying to clear the puck and it went in the stands. I saw it coming and my reaction was to turn my head and bam it hit me right in the back of the head. I looked back and you can’t really see it on the TV broadcast but you can see the OSU usher coming right over to check on me. I wanted to keep the puck but a kid picked it up and I wasn’t about to take a puck from a kid.
Even though they didn’t play the best I’m glad they won and a sweep heading into the break would be great. Go Gophers!
Hopefully you are feeling better today...
That Pitlick kid hit me in the side of the face with a puck 2 years ago while shooting along the glass. Didn't see it coming. The ref just looked at me and I handed him the puck through the hole in the glass.
Do not like how this board is run?
Get your own board!
♃
The Gophers need to do a better job at clearing the zone. Last night during the PK, they were trapped in the zone for over 1:30 and then OSU scored. This has happened too many times this year. Even though Closers number are down this year, he has done a great job at keeping them in games. ( minus his 2 passing errors this year ). Just come out and dominate the game tonight.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Not saying you do not have a VERY valid point. I am saying that the penalty kill has not been bad especially the first unit. I will say we need to stop taking stupid unnecessary penalties that are literally costing us games. Maybe we got complacent with our offensive dominance last year and some players quit playing the other end the right way. I might be wrong but seems like too many of our penalties are in the OTHER end which is just undisciplined play. There are still players on this team that play the game all 200 ft the right way every night. The rest need to follow and things will be fine. Be a responsible player at your position and we will win. Be a showboat and you are putting us in a bad spot.
Deep breaths GPL, deep breaths. Lot of guys in very different roles this year finding ways to win. Losing fish also jumbled the D pairings and ice time. Hallmark of a team that can make noise is winning the games you aren’t at your best (or even above average). First time they’ve done that this year rather than being on the other end. Color me as taking positives from the weekend so far. Finish off the sweep, get healthy, and keep developing chemistry and this team can make some noise come March/April
geez thank you for that positive view. This team is not last years team. GET OVER IT> they are however a VERY good team that needs to grow up and find their way. This team cannot be fancy with the puck. Cooley is gone. This team cannot be a little lazy in the D zone. Those players are gone. Come ON guys. Find YOUR game and play it. There is so much talent here that you cannot just let it fester.
Pino must be one hell of a player in practice 
Pino must be one hell of a player in practice
Does Vegoe or anyone else have any insight into this situation? Is there something about Strobel-Clark-Mittlestadt that the coaching staff just doesn’t like? I’m not saying Pino needs to be a permanent healthy scratch but the line I just referenced really just seems like a no brainer and it should be Pino and Strobel or Pino and Mittlestadt that are rotating in and out instead of Strobel and Mittlestadt. I just don’t get it.
Pino must be one hell of a player in practice
Does Vegoe or anyone else have any insight into this situation? Is there something about Strobel-Clark-Mittlestadt that the coaching staff just doesn’t like? I’m not saying Pino needs to be a permanent healthy scratch but the line I just referenced really just seems like a no brainer and it should be Pino and Strobel or Pino and Mittlestadt that are rotating in and out instead of Strobel and Mittlestadt. I just don’t get it.
Definitely agree with this. Rotation is fine but am curious why Pino is always in with the other two splitting.
I have no clue why Pino is always in...
Do not like how this board is run?
Get your own board!
♃
I have no clue why Pino is always in...
Truly a mystery. Up there with Sammy Walker continually played at center and Faber not being on the ice for OT. The gopher hockey world may never know.
He hates having the puck on his stick. Constantly turning it over when he gets it because of it.
Like TrixR4kids said, even good coaches have blind spots. This certainly seems to be the case here.
A Rud/Chesley pairing seems like a recipe for disaster
My best guess/hope is that they will rotate the 5 main defensemen and fill in with Rud a few times a period. Hopefully they will have control of the game so having Rud play a few shifts won't matter.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Pino is the only player whose name is etched in stone on the lineup card.
It seems Strobel rotates out every week. Bob is giving playing time to all the guys. Team players are the best players. Looking forward to a sweep tonight. Go Gophers!!
Looking like the BB game may run over the hockey game start.
Has there ever been a college hoops game that ended in two hours or less? Not a chance.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They last longer than MLB games.
and that’s just the last 2 min.
Thiesing 1-0.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
Why foul? Moron!
I can not stand basketball man
Huglen and Moore both seemed to get off ice hurt
Brutal turnover by L. Mittelstadt led to their goal.
End of 1, Gophs trail 0-1.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
Summary of the Gophers play: Flat, flat, flat, flat and flat
Brutal turnover by L. Mittelstadt led to their goal.
Not sure when a blind, behind the back pass near you own goal is a good idea.
Also, either Moore was dinged up or benched for part of the 1st period. He came back late in the period.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
Brutal turnover by L. Mittelstadt led to their goal.
Not sure when a blind, behind the back pass near you own goal is a good idea.
Also, either Moore was dinged up or benched for part of the 1st period. He came back late in the period.
Yeah Huglen and Moore both came back to game by end of period
Huglen 1-1.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
AARON. Let’s goooo. Ride it now fellas
Brutal turnover by L. Mittelstadt led to their goal.
Not sure when a blind, behind the back pass near you own goal is a good idea.
Also, either Moore was dinged up or benched for part of the 1st period. He came back late in the period.
Yeah Huglen and Moore both came back to game by end of period
I don’t think Huglen missed a shift, looked like he may have been slashed on the hand but I didn’t go back to look at it.
End of 2, tied at 1.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
This is the first game where I purposely tried to keep an eye on Pino, and either this is his best game of the year or the hand-wringing has been over the top.
3rd period is the right time for Rhett to continue his streak.
20 Minutes to get to the break on a good note. Find the legs guys
Doug McLeod, RIP. 🙁
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.
End of 3, tied at 1.
Not every disease is visible. Not every pain comes from an obvious wound. Some people you see day-to-day may be suffering in ways you or I may never understand and fighting just to live a normal life. Please consider contributing to the Facial Pain Association and together we can find a cure.
Guys look like they’ve never played a 3v3 tonight
Looks like we have no idea what to do when it’s 3 on 3 ?♂️
IALTO