@greyeagle Thanks for reminding me. I still have this bastard recorded on Fubo.
It ain’t on you don’t take it personally.Went for a walk alone in the dark with a beer in hand after that one.
Let the return and departure speculation begin!
I took the internal pledge to myself to not let sports absolutely obliterate my emotions last year. For reasons like this, I'm bummed and heart broken but can't surrender my total self to something I have 0 control over, even if it meant wearing unwashed shirt and jersey for superstitious reasons.
Hell of a season, hoping some guys stay hungry and come back to make another run at it.I
I lost my wife to cancer last year not long after Mack was killed in the car accident. My wife went to dozens of games with me over the last 20+ years so I was really hoping they would win this one for her and for Mack and Bob. It wasn't to be. My heart aches for Coach Motzko and his family tonight. The sun will come up tomorrow and I'll take it day by day just like Coach Motzko is. God bless him and his family and I can only thank him and this team for the 6 month ride we were all on. I went to almost every game this season and for a few hours every Friday and Saturday night I could set everything aside and enjoy watching this team play. This loss will sting for a long time but they helped me get through this long winter and I can only thank them for that. Maybe next year in St Paul.
The 2020/2021 team won one NCAA tournament game
The 2021/2022 team won two NCAA tournament games
The 2022/2023 team won three NCAA tournament games
I'm sensing a pattern.
Tennessee never won a championship when Peyton Manning was there. They won the National Champion the year after his 4 years were competed.
The success of college programs is built up through recruiting. Peyton Manning helped build it and get better recruits that ended up winning the National Championship.
Gopher hockey is back. Look at the progress made over the past three seasons (not just in the NCAA tournament). With the recruits we are now getting again we are back to a program that reloads rather than rebuilds.
Plus Cooley & Snuggy will be fun to watch next season.
I lost my wife to cancer last year not long after Mack was killed in the car accident. My wife went to dozens of games with me over the last 20+ years so I was really hoping they would win this one for her and for Mack and Bob. It wasn't to be. My heart aches for Coach Motzko and his family tonight. The sun will come up tomorrow and I'll take it day by day just like Coach Motzko is. God bless him and his family and I can only thank him and this team for the 6 month ride we were all on. I went to almost every game this season and for a few hours every Friday and Saturday night I could set everything aside and enjoy watching this team play. This loss will sting for a long time but they helped me get through this long winter and I can only thank them for that. Maybe next year in St Paul.
Oh gosh....no words....but thank you for perspective.
“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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The 2020/2021 team won one NCAA tournament game
The 2021/2022 team won two NCAA tournament games
The 2022/2023 team won three NCAA tournament games
I'm sensing a pattern.
Tennessee never won a championship when Peyton Manning was there. They won the National Champion the year after his 4 years were competed.
The success of college programs is built up through recruiting. Peyton Manning helped build it and get better recruits that ended up winning the National Championship.
Gopher hockey has been brought back because of the progress made over the past three seasons. With the recruits we are now getting again we are back to a program that reloads rather than rebuilds.
Plus Cooley & Snuggy will be fun to watch next season.
We will be fine.
The players deserve the majority of the blame for that loss. The debate is how much you want to blame Motzko and the staff for the game planI don’t believe for one second that Bob changed a thing. In fact he called a TO to try to reset things but the players went back on their heels and could not pull themselves out. At the end of the day, our best players were not the best players on the ice tonight and we could not afford that.
Motzko doesn't seem like the type to go into a shell...I think this sounds reasonable.
I'm a huge Motzko fan, but I think one of his only flaws is that he is absolutely known to do exactly that.
Yep. It’s hard to blame the players for this one. They actually played incredibly well defensively but it’s asking a lot for them to keep it up for that long.
Seeing Faber crying on the ice after they scored was brutal.
I thought we played incredibly well in our own end but asking them to do that for 30 minutes is probably not gonna work out well very often.
IDK if you out that on him or 20 players individually trying to do the same thing at the exact same time but one of these theories sounds more plausible.I don’t believe for one second that Bob changed a thing. In fact he called a TO to try to reset things but the players went back on their heels and could not pull themselves out. At the end of the day, our best players were not the best players on the ice tonight and we could not afford that.
Motzko doesn't seem like the type to go into a shell...I think this sounds reasonable.
And when I say this it’s not because it hate Motzko or think he was the wrong hire etc. He’s been great which is why this is so frustrating.
Someone actually said on Twitter, "This loss was on par with Holy Cross."
Wait, what? #TheLedge
Hardest thing to do in sports? Get momentum back. MN lost it after Q's first goal and never really came close to regaining it.
Could not delete that DVR fast enough.
The dreaded 2 goal lead .
Someone actually said on Twitter, "This loss was on par with Holy Cross."
Wait, what? #TheLedge
yeah that’s one the dumbest takes I’ve heard. But you knew this shit would hit hard. Guys played their B-C game tonight. Think we all could live with if it was an A and Q took it, but this one won’t feel that way no matter how you cut it. That being said, Q is a great team and nowhere remotely close to HC
I’ll never be over this one and I’ll never be ok with MN sports. How much abuse can a fan base take? 8 losses in the final? No team outsider MN has done that.
I’m 43, I saw the 98 NfC championship. I’ve seen all 18 twins losses. I’ve seen the north stars lose to the penguins in 6. It will never change. I can’t root for anyone else but we are suckers.Step back from the ledge. It's a game. We're Minnesota sports fans. We will still cheer for our teams and vent after a loss like this.
what out of this seemed to suggest I wouldn’t come back?
I’ll never be over this one and I’ll never be ok with MN sports. How much abuse can a fan base take? 8 losses in the final? No team outsider MN has done that.
I’m 43, I saw the 98 NfC championship. I’ve seen all 18 twins losses. I’ve seen the north stars lose to the penguins in 6. It will never change. I can’t root for anyone else but we are suckers.Step back from the ledge. It's a game. We're Minnesota sports fans. We will still cheer for our teams and vent after a loss like this.
what out of this seemed to suggest I wouldn’t come back?
I suggested you step back from the ledge.
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
I’ll never be over this one and I’ll never be ok with MN sports. How much abuse can a fan base take? 8 losses in the final? No team outsider MN has done that.
I’m 43, I saw the 98 NfC championship. I’ve seen all 18 twins losses. I’ve seen the north stars lose to the penguins in 6. It will never change. I can’t root for anyone else but we are suckers.
Add to this I'm a Twins, Bills, Cubs fan. Got the one a couple years ago, but it's been a long time since a title outside of that. I'm still here. I ain't going anywhere.
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.
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
The disappointment is setting in…..
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
Agreed, that puck can't go in there.
Someone actually said on Twitter, "This loss was on par with Holy Cross."
Wait, what? #TheLedge
yeah that’s one the dumbest takes I’ve heard. But you knew this shit would hit hard. Guys played their B-C game tonight. Think we all could live with if it was an A and Q took it, but this one won’t feel that way no matter how you cut it. That being said, Q is a great team and nowhere remotely close to HC
gopher6 probably...
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
Agreed, that puck can't go in there.
i think Close would also say the exact same thing
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
Agreed, that puck can't go in there.
i think Close would also say the exact same thing
That’s why tBob doesn’t have to. Poor choice of words.
Guess I've seen 3 things from this game most of which have me stumped . . . .
1) Who called for the "Minnesota Nice" approach to the 3rd period?
2) Were Quinnipiac's OT games analyzed for winning plays? Or was the sentiment being that we weren't going to go into OT?
3) This outcome does not bode well for the future of Minnesota Hockey. The Coach, himself, has said that he has never had a defensive core like this one in his coaching career and won't ever have another one like it . . . .
At least in '89, Skarda did bang one off the pipe . . . .
Hoping to still be alive this fall and wishing everyone on GPL the best . . . !
Go Gophers!!
Not knowing what to do, they do what they know . . .
Knowing what to do, they sometime don't do it . . .
The 26th year of the Gopher Men's Hockey Profile got to be too much for this ol' codger to handle . . . what with all of the possible activity on the transfer portal . . . . So, I'm closing it down at the 25th year . . .
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
He wasn’t THE reason, but he was A reason.
Guess I've seen 3 things from this game most of which have me stumped . . . .
1) Who called for the "Minnesota Nice" approach to the 3rd period?
2) Were Quinnipiac's OT games analyzed for winning plays? Or was the sentiment being that we weren't going to go into OT?
3) This outcome does not bode well for the future of Minnesota Hockey. The Coach, himself, has said that he has never had a defensive core like this one in his coaching career and won't ever have another one like it . . . .
At least in '89, Skarda did bang one off the pipe . . . .
Hoping to still be alive this fall and wishing everyone on GPL the best . . . !
Go Gophers!!
No. What?
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
Agreed, that puck can't go in there.
i think Close would also say the exact same thing
That’s why tBob doesn’t have to. Poor choice of words.
Exactly my thoughts.
Seriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
oh I agree with he isn’t THE reason. But we’d be having a very different conversation if Closer stops a puck he stops 99/100 times. He looked uncomfortable all game seeing the puck and it hurts a lot for a kid who has been the epitome of a great gopher. Agree Bob didn’t need to phrase it that way
When you lose a game 3-2 and your goalie gives up 2 terrible goals? Goaltending is a major reason for that lossSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
Ouch. Knew the game was going to be going to OT once I saw my DVR extend past the allotted time, so I kind of knew Q was going to tie it up. Just didn’t know who would win in OT. Great game to Q. They earned that victory.
The Gophers seemed to go into a shell that didn’t seem to work the same as it did against BU. Maybe it was because Q was simply a better team than BU. Hard to say. This one definitely hurts. Still an amazing season though.
Goaltender had nothing to do with the loss. We stopped shooting the puck after we went up 2-0. Seemed by design. That first goal was a beautiful pass between the Q players. The third one, Close didn’t have much of a chance. Q beat our D man to the middle of the ice, and the puck, and that was it. Close played excellent, IMO.
When you lose a game 3-2 and your goalie gives up 2 terrible goals? Goaltending is a major reason for that lossSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
Keep thinking that. With this offense, I would absolutely take giving up 2 goals in regulation.
When you lose a game 3-2 and your goalie gives up 2 terrible goals? Goaltending is a major reason for that lossSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
I wouldn’t say the first one was “terrible”. If you watch I think Close picked up the puck a bit late and couldn’t quite get his blade back to deflect it out. Savable but not awful.
When you lose a game 3-2 and your goalie gives up 2 terrible goals? Goaltending is a major reason for that lossSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
It was an initial shot, no puck to clear. And I thought we did an excellent job of clearing rebounds and not giving up second chances all game.
Ultimately we had 15 shots on goal. Close wasn't the reason this was an L.
Keep thinking that. With this offense, I would absolutely take giving up 2 goals in regulation.
The problem is we only played “offense” for half the game.
Guess I've seen 3 things from this game most of which have me stumped . . . .
1) Who called for the "Minnesota Nice" approach to the 3rd period?
2) Were Quinnipiac's OT games analyzed for winning plays? Or was the sentiment being that we weren't going to go into OT?
3) This outcome does not bode well for the future of Minnesota Hockey. The Coach, himself, has said that he has never had a defensive core like this one in his coaching career and won't ever have another one like it . . . .
At least in '89, Skarda did bang one off the pipe . . . .
Hoping to still be alive this fall and wishing everyone on GPL the best . . . !
Go Gophers!!
I seem to remember people saying the same thing last year...
The Gophers had barely a handful of shots, the 1st line was invisible and iirc they were 0-2 on the PP. Close was the least of their problems.
that’s a tough watch. Feel for Pitter and Huglen having to go out there. Lot of raw emotion on the faces for all 3
I am devastated! But it was a great season. I’m hoping we don’t loose too much, i know we will though. Can’t wait for next year.
@handyman haha, I went to elem/middle school with you. Glad to hear you’re handling this all better. Cheers *your actual name*
I can’t believe I made it all the way thru this. Huglen looks like he just watched his dog die. Kudos to him and Pitlick for sitting thru that.
Bummer, really bad coaching in the third period to play defensively and collapse in our zone. They can’t play that way and then the whole thing fell apart. Sorry for these players, they deserve better and they could have won if left to do what they do best. Be an offensive attack team. Not defensive containment. They are a fast skating and passing team with a defense that can score. What a disaster third period. Coaches should step up and accept their failure.
Where was Faber, LaCombe and Nelly for the presser? Unfortunate that Bob threw Close under the bus there. Not suprised though.
I still never saw how the 3rd goal went in. I never saw a replay and now we're out traveling around the city we're in.
He's blaming Close. And he's rightSeriously Bob? Throw Close under the bus why don’t you.
https://twitter.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/1644899834032271360?s=42&t=UtlPiq7Vt1Te97QT76L7LQ
or is he blaming the players for not clearing the puck from out front. He loves Closer.
3 pucks at the goal mouth and all three went in. Goalie needs to stop at least one of them.
Cooley demonstrated tonight he needs another year. Pretty much got manhandled all game.
Gophers had a great half a period tonight!
Ugly game...just the way Q wanted it.
Who blew the coverage on the OT winner? That reminded me of the Yale game....10 frickin seconds? Come on.