It’s so predictable, get the puck but gassed, dump it in for a line change, send in one on the fore check that’s out raced to the puck. All night long.
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
At least Rombach decked somebody tonight. I can't recall a single body check last night.
If anyone thinks the team isn’t trying, yeah I don’t know what to tell ya
Effort is in the house!!
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
That turnover followed by muffin given up is just a gut wrencher
Well, now that the Bills choked/got f'ed by the refs, I can check into this game. So....we have a chance.....;)
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.
More puck possession in that period than in the last 3 games combined. They clearly haven’t quit on themselves or motzko with how that period looked!
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
All four lines and two of the three D pairs were switched up for today's game as compared to last tonight.
https://twitter.com/GopherHockey/status/2012647711019823289
https://twitter.com/GopherHockey/status/2012298820558930089
Absolutely brutal PP reminiscent of ND series last year.
Absolutely brutal PP reminiscent of ND series last year.
yep. gotta have it for momentum at bare minimum and they can’t even make a zone entry
Post and out. Brutal
Lamb with a good forecheck results in a turnover and Ziemer hits the post with under 4 minutes left. Stupid post!!!!
Whoever said they wanted at least a point, I guess you get that
Holy fucking shit 11
Good grief, Ludtke.
Holy… Ludtke my god.
I believe some of the effort is there but something ain’t right in the head the last few weekends.
The Gophers get Tanner Ludtke in the transfer portal and his play continues to be really down.
Drafted in the 3rd round and is an upper classmen (Junior).
Getting guys in the transfer portal isn't a cure all.
I know he had a goal last night, but holy cow was 11 awful this weekend. So many awful turnovers. If he is our #1 center we are in trouble.
Holy… Ludtke’s gotta get out of his own head.
Need to investigate if Ludtke is collecting money from bettors like those b-ball players. He had about 4 egregious turn-overs this weekend. That last one looked like he wanted to do it.
How many flubs did 11 have this weekend?
Good to see his teammates comfort and encourage him but what on earth was Ludtke thinking there? Feels like they actually had a solid chance to win this game but two brutal turnovers and they shoot themselves in the foot.
11 needs a weekend in the press box. Start caring. Not just due to that turnover in OT. It’s been all season.
What bothers me the most about Ludtke is he already turned the puck over earlier that shift. How do you think to make that play after already coughing the puck up 10 seconds prior. Just mind numbing stuff from 11.
Pat Mick is fired up!😂 “you get a taste of it putting men on the puck in the 2nd and then just lay an egg.”
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
The team is more talented than they are showing.
They lack confidence. The poise/execution with the puck has been a big problem which results in way too many turnovers/icings.
It's not just the defensemen it is the forwards too.
When you give the puck away WAY too much you look slow because you are always chasing the puck/the other team with the puck.
Coach can't play the puck for them. A team with 13 drafted players definitely has the talent to play with more poise with the puck but they are struggling with their confidence right now.
11 needs a weekend in the press box. Start caring. Not just due to that turnover in OT. It’s been all season.
I don't think it is a case of not caring. He is struggling with his confidence and is clearly in a funk. He and the team is definitely feeling the pressure of being a huge disappointment and it is affecting their play.
Goldy isn’t going to be there. No point in going to the games now I guess.
The email the U sent out said Goldy is at the mascot championships.
Goldy ended up taking 2nd at Nationals.
Just to remind everyone how astronomically low the bar is now, that was considered a good showing by the team tonight.
Goldy isn’t going to be there. No point in going to the games now I guess.
The email the U sent out said Goldy is at the mascot championships.
Goldy ended up taking 2nd at Nationals.
Sounds familiar 🧐
I’ve been a fairly vocal “the Qpac game alone doesn’t determine Bob’s tenure being an overall success or failure” person, but goddamn if I wouldn’t feel a bit more at ease right now in a year like this knowing what it actually feels like to win it all. Watching the seconds tick down and the (maroon) gloves start flying. I was 3 years old in April 2003, and I can never shake the feelings about how there are many fans in many sports who live a full entire lifetime and die without ever seeing their team reach those heights.
Rombach didn’t play a shift after his brutal turnover at the end of the 2nd period.
Ludtke tried to turn the puck over 3 times in overtime… almost like he wanted to go home. Truly embarrassing
Absolutely brutal PP reminiscent of ND series last year.
Came here to post this… that PP was one of the worst moments of the season.
Well, they did play a good second period tonight.Just to remind everyone how astronomically low the bar is now, that was considered a good showing by the team tonight.
The team is more talented than they are showing.
They lack confidence. The poise/execution with the puck has been a big problem which results in way too many turnovers/icings.
It's not just the defensemen it is the forwards too.
When you give the puck away WAY too much you look slow because you are always chasing the puck/the other team with the puck.
Coach can't play the puck for them. A team with 13 drafted players definitely has the talent to play with more poise with the puck but they are struggling with their confidence right now.
this is perfectly said. They are incredibly timid and afraid of making mistakes, which is an impressively common thread with many teams when you feel the season slipping away. They care but they are lacking confidence and it has made them impressively tight.
To those asking how 11 can make that type of play twice in a shift, that's the most common time to make the exact same type of back breaker (see Souliere against ND last year for a recent famous example).
So many of these guys are thinking waaaaaaaaaaaay too much out there rather than just playing, which is super common with freshmen and I think is being made worse by upperclassmen thinking now they need to be perfect (you can see how hard L Mittelstadt is pressing every single night, and I really feel for the kid as he's being asked to do so much).
Bob cannot make every pass for them, but the coaching staff does need to simplify the game for them. If I see this team pass up another wide open point shot (Gruba I'm looking at you) or try make a perfect pass on a 3v2 again, I may lose my mind. Just simplify the game. We are not going anywhere this year and that needs to be said at some point so these guys just stop being so fucking tight as it is killing their game.
There is way more talent on this team than is displayed because everyone is just so damn afraid of making a mistake. It happens to even the most talented of teams, gets in your head, kills your legs, and the whole team suffers. Anyone who's played has been there and its pretty clear the funk is deep right now. Some encouraging things from tonight with Ziemer heart, Lamb getting a monkey off his back, LDP playing a pretty GD good weekend, and I saw some signs the game is starting to slow down more and more for Moore (he made a couple of step back moves to hold the puck rather than throwing off instinct to no one, which is a sign you're getting there with the pace). Build to next year. You can still have a legacy even if it is not going to end in putting up a banner.
Well, they did play a good second period tonight.Just to remind everyone how astronomically low the bar is now, that was considered a good showing by the team tonight.
It was a fun 20 minutes while it lasted
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
Luca playing his ass off. Impressive. He wasn’t giving up any rebounds.
Disappointed ending - no look drop passes on the blue lines are why coaches are either bald or have gray hair - but it was much for fun to be at the rink tonight.
There seemed to the a direct correlation between face off wins and gopher shots.
When Di Paquo is on he is really on
For a while in the first period it was exciting when MN completed a pass. Glad they upped their game in the 2nd
They really ring the boards blindly trying to breakout. Frustrating.
“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
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Rombach didn’t play a shift after his brutal turnover at the end of the 2nd period.
That might have been the difference tonight. You can't tee one up for a top ranked team, and Rombach and Ludke each gave them one.
I was hoping Minnesota could get a lucky one but instead they gave the puck away just enough to help MI win.
Someone said this team is better than they play, and maybe that's true, but the defense can't move the puck. That's a problem.
Rombach didn’t play a shift after his brutal turnover at the end of the 2nd period.
That might have been the difference tonight. You can't tee one up for a top ranked team, and Rombach and Ludke each gave them one.
I was hoping Minnesota could get a lucky one but instead they gave the puck away just enough to help MI win.
Someone said this team is better than they play, and maybe that's true, but the defense can't move the puck. That's a problem.
grubas path is going to have to be one to study. So productive in the ushl and he just cannot keep up out there.
Thomas also seems like the injuries have caught up to him.
Rombach looks like a classic freshman and has improved a lot. These moments are going to happen. Ditto on Whipple who didn’t get played enough last year
Kinda but that doesn't really tell the whole story imo. Technically all the centers except JM are drafted but the highest two are 3rd rounders (not a huge success rate of those picks and above being NHL guys) and one of them didn't even play center last year (Lutdke) from the line charts I've seen. The most complete center on the team is probably Clark and he can't really score on his own and is a pass first guy. Maybe Moe will be something by year 4 but right now he's unnoticeable.Coach can't play the puck for them. A team with 13 drafted players definitely has the talent to play with more poise with the puck but they are struggling with their confidence right now.
Ideally you have a dynamic Dman or two to assist the transition and offense but Mittlestadt is the closest thing they have there and he's a 7th round pick who was leading the third pairing the last couple years, he's not bad but he shouldn't be your first pairing guy. The other drafted D are maybe anchor types who aren't dynamic or offensively gifted at all (Thomas is fine in that role, Rombach probably could be, IDK about Whipple). And Gruba/McLaughlin clearly don't fill that void either.
The only wingers who are drafted that are good at possession, playmaking, and transition are Mooney and Ziemer. Lamb can reasonably do that at this level as a senior and the rest are mostly net front grinders who don't excel in that area.
Point being the mix of talent on this team isn't ideal and while you have "13 draft picks" none of these guys are first rounders, the 2 second rounders are doing what's asked of them for the most part, and then after that you have a bunch of freshmen who are drafted in the rounds where the likelihood of them being NHLers is low to begin with and you kinda just hope they develop into solid upperclassmen. But either way there's just too many holes in terms of center, D, and overall shooting talent, and upperclassmen that developed.
Zeev Buium is the only 1st round draft pick to win a national championship in the last 10 years.
1st round draft pick are fun to watch but clearly you can win without them.
Well, they did play a good second period tonight.
how much was that the Gophers played well vs Mich taking a rest?
I am sure both are true, but I am not sure how portion out responsibility.
Well, they did play a good second period tonight.
how much was that the Gophers played well vs Mich taking a rest?
I am sure both are true, but I am not sure how portion out responsibility.
i could see complacent, not rest. They pretty clearly felt they were better and they can be tough to get out of your head. That said, they played simple hockey with aggressive forecheck and were hard on pucks.
That was all gophers and that is something to build on to do to a team that has skated many teams (gophs included) into the ice this year
Not a single mention of a trash can being kicked between the 1st and 2nd period. What is this site anymore?
The start of the 2nd period was exactly what this team can be. Instead of skating near the other team, the need to skate through them. Michigan really started making some turnovers when they were getting hit. I would much prefer someone to be out of position because they went for a hit to eliminate the other player from the play instead of being out of position because they were standing still. You can tone the aggressiveness down instead of having to ramp it back up. Plus, those hits take a toll on the opponent and the mistakes become more and more.
Besides the effort and ability of this team, it's very concerning that they just aren't as well conditioned as other teams. We are slow and can keep up for small segments of games, just not the whole game. There's too many games or weekends where they look exhausted through large chunks of the game and can't get it back.
Kinda but that doesn't really tell the whole story imo. Technically all the centers except JM are drafted but the highest two are 3rd rounders (not a huge success rate of those picks and above being NHL guys) and one of them didn't even play center last year (Lutdke) from the line charts I've seen. The most complete center on the team is probably Clark and he can't really score on his own and is a pass first guy. Maybe Moe will be something by year 4 but right now he's unnoticeable.Coach can't play the puck for them. A team with 13 drafted players definitely has the talent to play with more poise with the puck but they are struggling with their confidence right now.
Ideally you have a dynamic Dman or two to assist the transition and offense but Mittlestadt is the closest thing they have there and he's a 7th round pick who was leading the third pairing the last couple years, he's not bad but he shouldn't be your first pairing guy. The other drafted D are maybe anchor types who aren't dynamic or offensively gifted at all (Thomas is fine in that role, Rombach probably could be, IDK about Whipple). And Gruba/McLaughlin clearly don't fill that void either.
The only wingers who are drafted that are good at possession, playmaking, and transition are Mooney and Ziemer. Lamb can reasonably do that at this level as a senior and the rest are mostly net front grinders who don't excel in that area.
Point being the mix of talent on this team isn't ideal and while you have "13 draft picks" none of these guys are first rounders, the 2 second rounders are doing what's asked of them for the most part, and then after that you have a bunch of freshmen who are drafted in the rounds where the likelihood of them being NHLers is low to begin with and you kinda just hope they develop into solid upperclassmen. But either way there's just too many holes in terms of center, D, and overall shooting talent, and upperclassmen that developed.
Well said, and thank you for posting that. I think it’s an accurate assessment of our talent.
I also think we may be seeing Motzko’s shortcomings as a coach being fully exposed now that he doesn’t have overwhelming talent. Many of these issues existed in past seasons but were masked by having a roster that was far more talented than almost everyone we played.
Look at last year’s uber talented team: losses to Notre Dame and an early NCAA tournament exit. In that context, tonight’s performance—this roster, with its relative lack of talent, competing with the No. 1 team—stands out as genuinely exceptional effort and play.
I need to just be salty Debby downer for a second. We are fucking 37th in NPI. Between powerhouses lindenwood and holy fucking cross.
Minnesota should be in the top 10 every fucking week. I can accept top 15. Top 20 should be a given. Top 25 is worst case scenario. FUCKING THIRTY SEVEN is disgusting. I love Bob. But what the hell
You can tone the aggressiveness down instead of having to ramp it back up.
Agreed. I loved watching Cooley play with such raw intensity. At the same time, this Gophers squad being so timid is probably related to our PK’s efficacy falling off a cliff, without Nelson, Nevers, Huglen to rely on.
it's very concerning that they just aren't as well conditioned as other teams.
L.Mitts and Thomas are playing 26-29min every night, even vs. middling teams like OSU. Lamb and Ziemer regularly hit 23min TOI, vs. last year only Snuggy, Moore, & Lamb would occasionally hit 20:05ish TOI down the stretch depending on special teams. Overuse also makes injury-prone players even more so.
I don’t know what else Bob can do and still win some games because Finn McLaughlin and Axel Begley aren’t going to pick up that slack anytime this year.
if Luke Mittelstadt goes down with injury at any point we won’t win any games during that time simple as
I need to just be salty Debby downer for a second. We are fucking 37th in NPI. Between powerhouses lindenwood and holy fucking cross.
Minnesota should be in the top 10 every fucking week. I can accept top 15. Top 20 should be a given. Top 25 is worst case scenario. FUCKING THIRTY SEVEN is disgusting. I love Bob. But what the hell
For comparison it only took 1 full season that was this bad for Wisco to move on from Granato, who was 2 years removed from the Caufield/Holloway pandemic team that won a B1G regular season title
I need to just be salty Debby downer for a second. We are fucking 37th in NPI. Between powerhouses lindenwood and holy fucking cross.
Minnesota should be in the top 10 every fucking week. I can accept top 15. Top 20 should be a given. Top 25 is worst case scenario. FUCKING THIRTY SEVEN is disgusting. I love Bob. But what the hell
For comparison it only took 1 full season that was this bad for Wisco to move on from Granato, who was 2 years removed from the Caufield/Holloway pandemic team that won a B1G regular season title
I mean it was his 5th below .500 team in 7 seasons at Wisconsin so a lil different.