Gruba gets worse every game.
It’s just baffling. I just HAVE to assume for my own sake that he’s playing through an injury or something. A far cry from the USHL DPOY. He just doesn’t want the puck on his stick at all.
Rombach in the doghouse big time. Don’t think he played a shift in the 3rd period. This team is an absolute disaster.
I didn’t even catch any glaring mistakes that Rombach made, I am baffled at how Bob decides to shorten the bench when he does. All I saw was Gruba, Begley, and Thomas making disastrous turnovers and lapses all night
All 4 seniors, yes even Cal Thomas, will get loud cheers from me on senior night. They’ve busted their ass all year and it can’t be easy on them to endure what they’ve endured.
Cal playing top 2 minutes and on PP isn’t on him. They’re asking him to be something he’s not. He’s a good third pair shut down guy. The fact he’s a top 2 guy is alarming.
Can’t imagine going from being less than two minutes away from winning the national championship your freshman year to, well, whatever this is your senior year. You could make the argument that some of this is on them as players and senior leaders but, like you mentioned, most of them shouldn’t be in the situation they’re in anyway. 100% agree with you on Thomas. Last night was infuriating but he is overall a very solid defenseman who’s been put in a situation that’s not made for his strengths. I think Luke Mittlestadt is a great player but wouldn’t even put him in my top D pairing in an ideal scenario. I could say the same about Lamb. Solid player who would have definitely benefited from an extra year in juniors and who’s playing his heart out but probably wouldn’t be on the top line in a FF level team. That’s no disrespect to him but I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to make him “the guy”. John Mittlestadt is a fourth line player through and through and has always played his role with 100% effort. Genuinely feel sorry for these four players. The team regresses each year and more of their class leaves at the end of each season. Cooley and eventually Snuggerud made sense but Chesley and Kurth…?? Leaving early? Really?
Rombach in the doghouse big time. Don’t think he played a shift in the 3rd period. This team is an absolute disaster.
I didn’t even catch any glaring mistakes that Rombach made, I am baffled at how Bob decides to shorten the bench when he does. All I saw was Gruba, Begley, and Thomas making disastrous turnovers and lapses all night
You didn’t catch Rombach’s turnover that directly led to the first goal?
You didn’t catch Rombach’s turnover that directly led to the first goal?
There were better things tonight, but the two against tonight were just giving pucks away. Steve Miller was great on Beyond the Pond this morning right at the start.
Lot of guys have been doing this kind of stuff lately, but here's this one.
https://twitter.com/B1GHockey/status/2020322461787521386
And the next one.
https://twitter.com/OhioStateMHKY/status/2020352981082820723
The question is whether or not Lamb is a better player than he was 3 years ago and he undeniably is, he just has way less help around him especially on the blue line. I wasn't sold on the team hitting another gear after the Wisconsin series but I also am a little surprised they looked this bad against Ohio State of all teams, that's a new low.All 4 seniors, yes even Cal Thomas, will get loud cheers from me on senior night. They’ve busted their ass all year and it can’t be easy on them to endure what they’ve endured.
Cal playing top 2 minutes and on PP isn’t on him. They’re asking him to be something he’s not. He’s a good third pair shut down guy. The fact he’s a top 2 guy is alarming.
Can’t imagine going from being less than two minutes away from winning the national championship your freshman year to, well, whatever this is your senior year. You could make the argument that some of this is on them as players and senior leaders but, like you mentioned, most of them shouldn’t be in the situation they’re in anyway. 100% agree with you on Thomas. Last night was infuriating but he is overall a very solid defenseman who’s been put in a situation that’s not made for his strengths. I think Luke Mittlestadt is a great player but wouldn’t even put him in my top D pairing in an ideal scenario. I could say the same about Lamb. Solid player who would have definitely benefited from an extra year in juniors and who’s playing his heart out but probably wouldn’t be on the top line in a FF level team. That’s no disrespect to him but I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to make him “the guy”. John Mittlestadt is a fourth line player through and through and has always played his role with 100% effort. Genuinely feel sorry for these four players. The team regresses each year and more of their class leaves at the end of each season. Cooley and eventually Snuggerud made sense but Chesley and Kurth…?? Leaving early? Really?
The question is whether or not Lamb is a better player than he was 3 years ago and he undeniably is, he just has way less help around him especially on the blue line. I wasn't sold on the team hitting another gear after the Wisconsin series but I also am a little surprised they looked this bad against Ohio State of all teams, that's a new low.All 4 seniors, yes even Cal Thomas, will get loud cheers from me on senior night. They’ve busted their ass all year and it can’t be easy on them to endure what they’ve endured.
Cal playing top 2 minutes and on PP isn’t on him. They’re asking him to be something he’s not. He’s a good third pair shut down guy. The fact he’s a top 2 guy is alarming.
Can’t imagine going from being less than two minutes away from winning the national championship your freshman year to, well, whatever this is your senior year. You could make the argument that some of this is on them as players and senior leaders but, like you mentioned, most of them shouldn’t be in the situation they’re in anyway. 100% agree with you on Thomas. Last night was infuriating but he is overall a very solid defenseman who’s been put in a situation that’s not made for his strengths. I think Luke Mittlestadt is a great player but wouldn’t even put him in my top D pairing in an ideal scenario. I could say the same about Lamb. Solid player who would have definitely benefited from an extra year in juniors and who’s playing his heart out but probably wouldn’t be on the top line in a FF level team. That’s no disrespect to him but I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to make him “the guy”. John Mittlestadt is a fourth line player through and through and has always played his role with 100% effort. Genuinely feel sorry for these four players. The team regresses each year and more of their class leaves at the end of each season. Cooley and eventually Snuggerud made sense but Chesley and Kurth…?? Leaving early? Really?
That’s fair. I suppose if Kurth and Oliver Moore had stuck around for instance and a top of those two and Lamb would be a solid first line. Or however you would shape up a forward group with those two still around but yes it would definitely give us a better litmus test for just how much Lamb has improved. That’s not even mentioning, to your point, having a better blue to help him out as well.
@rau4skiumah2-0 Without Mooney, this team is lifeless and uninteresting to watch. I suggest build talent around him. I am completely sold on his talent now that I have seen this team play with and without him on the ice.
@jupiter had a front seat to Whipple’s embellishment.
Was that him there shooting with a phone on his hotshoe? I wondered who that was.
https://twitter.com/gopherpucklive/status/2020407977463935232?s=46&t=IVR83SJad4Z5x8LmZwiPFg
Do not like how this board is run?
Get your own board!
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@eric-vegoe The second video is on Javon, right?
Yes for the giveaway. Also on Cal for not covering anyone defensively on a 2 on 2
Is there a stat for how many times a forward passed the puck back to the point and 55 fumbled it over the blue line?
Cullen could come in too but you're right, there's a ton of moving parts that would all have to go right for next year to be competitive. They need a complete overhaul of the blue line, an upgrade at center (probably 2 of them if we're being honest, only 1 would mean Pahlsson or Clark is your 2C which isn't ideal), neither of Mooney/Ziemer leaving. All of those things happening isn't exactly a guarantee.I think there has been a lot of homer coverage for Bob in this forum and people have supported him with their eyes closed. I like the guy. He has had a successful career and it wasn't that long ago we were in the National Championship game. But the fact is while over the past 10-15 years college hockey has changed, in the past couple of seasons it has rapidly accelerated that change level and Bob has not kept up.
For everyone talking about how bad the team is, and it is bad, next year's team isn't going to be better, and the follow on years are doubtful too. While Kvasnicka is a solid prospect he isn't a game changer and the totality of the class does not really replace our loss to graduation of Brody Lamb and Luke Mittelstadt, our only defenseman with more than 4 points on the season (and to a lesser extent Cal Thomas who at least has experience on the blue line).
To even be competitive we need to get lucky in the transfer portal, and some of that luck is retaining LJ Mooney and even a Minnesota kid like Ziemer who could see greener pastures somewhere else (even the NHL). If we lost either one of those guys we would take a huge step backwards.
The recruiting battle is being lost and Bob has not been able to retain the elite MN talent in the past couple of recruiting cycles. This is the biggest criteria for being the head hockey coach at the U of M. You must get that talent. If you cannot you must lose your job.
I do not expect the U to fire him, but I would not be surprised if they kick him upstairs in some admin role at the end of the season and that they name Ben Barr as the new head coach. It is one thing to lose a battle, but if they wait too long they will lose the war. These recruiting pipelines are developed and then become hardened. If we are outside of those recruiting centers this program will decline.
I think the Cullens are good recruits, no doubt. But Brooks Cullen is a 19 year old USHL player who is projected to score under 20 points this season. I see him as a 4th line guy at best to start his career, and probably finish it as a 4th line guy.
Wyatt Cullen is better. He is 17 years old and a USNDTP level player. I think he is a very good recruit, and he might be the highest drafted forward recruit in some time and could even sneak into the first round (which puts pressure on him to turn professional). Statistically he looks more of a play maker than a goal scorer though.
I do think they should advance him to next season's class if possible. He will not be a dramatic upgrade because of his relative inexperience, but getting a full year of development could be valuable, especially when he could easily only stay 2 years max.
And the Cullen who is considered the biggest talent, Joey, is 15 years old and still has not committed. Everyone assumes he is going to commit to the Gophers, but assumptions are not 100% certainty. In fact, in the modern college game nothing is certain even after they sign letters of intent as the transfer portal always is beckoning.
Cullen could come in too but you're right, there's a ton of moving parts that would all have to go right for next year to be competitive. They need a complete overhaul of the blue line, an upgrade at center (probably 2 of them if we're being honest, only 1 would mean Pahlsson or Clark is your 2C which isn't ideal), neither of Mooney/Ziemer leaving. All of those things happening isn't exactly a guarantee.I think there has been a lot of homer coverage for Bob in this forum and people have supported him with their eyes closed. I like the guy. He has had a successful career and it wasn't that long ago we were in the National Championship game. But the fact is while over the past 10-15 years college hockey has changed, in the past couple of seasons it has rapidly accelerated that change level and Bob has not kept up.
For everyone talking about how bad the team is, and it is bad, next year's team isn't going to be better, and the follow on years are doubtful too. While Kvasnicka is a solid prospect he isn't a game changer and the totality of the class does not really replace our loss to graduation of Brody Lamb and Luke Mittelstadt, our only defenseman with more than 4 points on the season (and to a lesser extent Cal Thomas who at least has experience on the blue line).
To even be competitive we need to get lucky in the transfer portal, and some of that luck is retaining LJ Mooney and even a Minnesota kid like Ziemer who could see greener pastures somewhere else (even the NHL). If we lost either one of those guys we would take a huge step backwards.
The recruiting battle is being lost and Bob has not been able to retain the elite MN talent in the past couple of recruiting cycles. This is the biggest criteria for being the head hockey coach at the U of M. You must get that talent. If you cannot you must lose your job.
I do not expect the U to fire him, but I would not be surprised if they kick him upstairs in some admin role at the end of the season and that they name Ben Barr as the new head coach. It is one thing to lose a battle, but if they wait too long they will lose the war. These recruiting pipelines are developed and then become hardened. If we are outside of those recruiting centers this program will decline.
I think the Cullens are good recruits, no doubt. But Brooks Cullen is a 19 year old USHL player who is projected to score under 20 points this season. I see him as a 4th line guy at best to start his career, and probably finish it as a 4th line guy.
Wyatt Cullen is better. He is 17 years old and a USNDTP level player. I think he is a very good recruit, and he might be the highest drafted forward recruit in some time and could even sneak into the first round (which puts pressure on him to turn professional). Statistically he looks more of a play maker than a goal scorer though.
I do think they should advance him to next season's class if possible. He will not be a dramatic upgrade because of his relative inexperience, but getting a full year of development could be valuable, especially when he could easily only stay 2 years max.
And the Cullen who is considered the biggest talent, Joey, is 15 years old and still has not committed. Everyone assumes he is going to commit to the Gophers, but assumptions are not 100% certainty. In fact, in the modern college game nothing is certain even after they sign letters of intent as the transfer portal always is beckoning.
I mean yes you absolutely bring a 1st round forward in their D year. And he will be an upgrade, as was Mooney compared with our current forwards. He will have some growing pains, but the kid is really good, calm on the puck, and a great playmaker.
this is part of why Bob needs to be comfortable blowing up this roster. Of the guys possibly in this year, Kvas is ready and Cullen is a 1st Rounder. The rest are all reasonable deferrals and our internals you should be fine to tell to look elsewhere. If he isn’t comfortable doing so, he needs to not be the coach. Brooks is only coming (and was only going to MSU) to try get his siblings. That will be the interesting dynamic of if Matt pushes to have him also come in. Then we’ve got guys like Nevers committed up front who is a healthy scratch/4th line as an upperclassmen guy, but he’s older than some of the guys currently in that role.
UND got significantly better with attrition and being active in the portal. This team needs even more help but a 1st round forward and possible 1st round D (Harper) will help.
I wish Moore played with Lamb more often because their styles complimented each other well (and made more sense than him playing with Ziemer and Snuggy). The problem is Pahlsson wasn't very good and still isn't and Clark is similar so you needed those two to play with somebody competent.The question is whether or not Lamb is a better player than he was 3 years ago and he undeniably is, he just has way less help around him especially on the blue line. I wasn't sold on the team hitting another gear after the Wisconsin series but I also am a little surprised they looked this bad against Ohio State of all teams, that's a new low.All 4 seniors, yes even Cal Thomas, will get loud cheers from me on senior night. They’ve busted their ass all year and it can’t be easy on them to endure what they’ve endured.
Cal playing top 2 minutes and on PP isn’t on him. They’re asking him to be something he’s not. He’s a good third pair shut down guy. The fact he’s a top 2 guy is alarming.
Can’t imagine going from being less than two minutes away from winning the national championship your freshman year to, well, whatever this is your senior year. You could make the argument that some of this is on them as players and senior leaders but, like you mentioned, most of them shouldn’t be in the situation they’re in anyway. 100% agree with you on Thomas. Last night was infuriating but he is overall a very solid defenseman who’s been put in a situation that’s not made for his strengths. I think Luke Mittlestadt is a great player but wouldn’t even put him in my top D pairing in an ideal scenario. I could say the same about Lamb. Solid player who would have definitely benefited from an extra year in juniors and who’s playing his heart out but probably wouldn’t be on the top line in a FF level team. That’s no disrespect to him but I don’t think it’s fair for anyone to make him “the guy”. John Mittlestadt is a fourth line player through and through and has always played his role with 100% effort. Genuinely feel sorry for these four players. The team regresses each year and more of their class leaves at the end of each season. Cooley and eventually Snuggerud made sense but Chesley and Kurth…?? Leaving early? Really?
That’s fair. I suppose if Kurth and Oliver Moore had stuck around for instance and a top of those two and Lamb would be a solid first line. Or however you would shape up a forward group with those two still around but yes it would definitely give us a better litmus test for just how much Lamb has improved. That’s not even mentioning, to your point, having a better blue to help him out as well.
Not only that, he made very poor decisions that directly led to many stretches of us being trapped in our own end when we could/should have been able to break out. Is he scared of the puck? Contact? Also does not seem to have the skating ability of a D1 guy. On another note I thought J.Moore worked really hard and didn't get much help on his shifts. This year gets a big "Welp" from me. Do SOMETHING. Literally ANYTHING. Feel bad for the captains and some of the guys that are still hustling hard.