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Gopher Hockey - 7/14/2007 10:54:32 PM

Toby Stumbo

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Discuss the team here.

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/15/2007 4:34:48 PM

Jeff Jesser

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Man, it's been a tough off season for us. Johnson, Goligoski and now O'Brien moving on.

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/15/2007 4:51:01 PM

Jim Frenette

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[quote="Jeff Jesser"]Man, it's been a tough off season for us. Johnson, Goligoski and now O'Brien moving on.[/quote] They must want the money as I think Johnson might be the only one in the NHL. The other will be in the minors and would get the same by staying at the U.

Post #: 3

RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/15/2007 5:37:56 PM

Jeff Jesser

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Yeah no kidding Fargo. O'Brien is destined for Seattle and even Ottawa was surprised by that move. They wanted him to stay for at least another year. Goligoski, if healthy, has a chance to stay up but he'll probably go minors for at least a year.

Post #: 4

RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/27/2007 8:23:22 PM

Matt Dahl

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What's the outlook for the WCHA this season? Jeff or Jim, can you make predictions on the final standings? Another question: will the WCHA ever consider allowing Bemidji State to join the conference?

Post #: 5

RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/27/2007 8:42:50 PM

Jeff Jesser

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Hey Matt, It'll probably be a 3 team race again with maybe one of the Colorado schools chiming in. We lost a lot so I see the final standings looking like this: ND (bass turds) MN Wis Denver I actually really surprised that ND didn't make a better run last year. They were a shoe in for me to start the year. I still can't believe Mich St won it all.

Post #: 6

RE:Gopher Hockey - 8/27/2007 9:30:15 PM

Jim Frenette

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[quote="Matt Dahl"]What's the outlook for the WCHA this season? Jeff or Jim, can you make predictions on the final standings? Another question: will the WCHA ever consider allowing Bemidji State to join the conference?[/quote] I really don't follow standing here, just enjoy watching them skate

Post #: 7

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/4/2007 8:05:58 AM

So.Mn.Fan

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Congrats to Derek Peltier, the Gophs captain this season. A lot of hard work went into that "C". Howe, Kaufmann, and Stoa will wear the "A"s. Much like the Wild, this year's Gophers team should score plenty, but will have to have some D guys come up big to go anywhere. Wheeler/Barriball/Okposo are one heck of a trio to build around. Excited to see Alex Kangas get some pt as the backup goalie. 25 Minnesotans on the roster. Back to no out-of-staters with Briggs' departure.

Post #: 8

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/4/2007 4:57:07 PM

Jeff Jesser

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We need Wheeler to grow up and become a man. If that happens he'll be alright. He's kind of got that Barry Tallockson type personality. Some call it lazy but I don't think that's it. He gets lost out there at times but when he turns it on, watch out. Okposo will be fine as long as he doesn't try to do EVERYTHING. That's when he would get taken out of his game last year. He's capable of some amazing things though ala Vanek.

Post #: 9

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/12/2007 3:30:35 PM

Jeff Jesser

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And so it begins :D RIP RPI :twisted:

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/13/2007 4:31:19 PM

Jeff Jesser

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wow. That was a pretty ugly game lastnight. Gophers cough...cough...refs....pulled it out. RPI played way to well to get shafted like that. Our young D was a concern coming in to the year and they are huge one right now.

Post #: 11

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/20/2007 3:26:06 PM

So.Mn.Fan

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Incredibly poor effort last night, imo. This looks like a typical Gopher team in their "off years". One full of talented guys that never quite click together. Fairchild looks pretty good. Goaltending looks average as usual. Some highly skilled forwards who get knocked off the play a lot. Some D who take high-risk chances and pay for it. CC out-worked them all night, simple as that. Talent without hard work gets beat by hard workers with less talent. Or something like that. Lots of potential as usual with this club, let's see what Donnie gets out of them. Pretty green right now. The loss of Stoa really hurts. Nice to see Prosser/Hillen/Rau/Thauwald contributing for CC. Some good MN boys there.

Post #: 12

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/21/2007 4:48:49 AM

Jeff Jesser

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Yeap. It's funny how success in the program has come back to haunt us. I was all geeked up to see recruits like Vanek, Kessell, Johnson ect....they stick around for a year. That isn't what's hurt us though IMO. "the Don" was prepared for those guys to be around for only a year. What's killed us is early defections (and the golie situation). We've lost sooooo many 2nd tier guys early its unreal. Goalie from Bemijdi (can't remember his name right now) Chucko Tallackson Hirsch Ballard Obrien Martin I'm sure I'm missing some.

Post #: 13

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/23/2007 10:14:11 PM

Ush

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Jeff, Saw the first few games. They look a lot like they looked in the 2nd half of last season....not great. Stoa is a tough loss. Okposo is passing up shots and trying to make the "pretty" pass way too often. He needs to shoot when he has the opportunity. Wheeler looks good so far.

Post #: 14

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/23/2007 11:52:34 PM

TJSweens

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I never liked moving Okposo to center. I liked him better as a net crashing power forward.

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/24/2007 3:00:21 AM

Jeff Jesser

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The whole team looks bad right now. Your boy Okposo will be fine EU but he needs to stop being fancy and play hockey. He is gifted but he gets in trouble by doing too much. Our goalie situation needs to improve too. Frazee hasn't looked very good yet.

Post #: 16

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/27/2007 3:01:02 AM

So.Mn.Fan

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[quote="TJSweens"]I never liked moving Okposo to center. I liked him better as a net crashing power forward.[/quote] Hmmm, Okposo has been moved to right wing tonight vs Ohio State. TSweens = Donny Lucia? Possible. Never seen the two of them at the same place before. Thanks for joining us, coach. ;) Btw, he looks better there. Crashing the net, getting more chances. Seems they finally realized he carries the puck too much. Takes a beating that way. Let him get to the net and feed him. It's a win/win. Gophs won 3-1 last night, but the lines were changed tonight. I like that. Coaches coaching. Only doing it after losses smells of panic.

Post #: 17

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/28/2007 11:32:55 PM

So.Mn.Fan

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What a great debut by Alex Kangas. Nice to see a Rochester kid get a shot finally. Great kid. Paid his dues (more than others are asked to). So glad he stuck with it and is getting rewarded. Good to get back in the win column. Ran out of gas against OSU in the last period. Kangas saved our hide. This team is loaded, but has a long ways to go. I have faith in Donny, however. :nodding:

Post #: 18

RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/29/2007 3:59:23 PM

Jeff Jesser

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We're young but we'll be fine. Can we win the whole thing? I don't know at this point. It's going to be tough to get by ND.

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 10/30/2007 8:17:57 AM

McMurfy

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Going to be rolled by UND. Da, da, da, da, da Da , da, da, da, da Da, da, da, da, da, DA DA DA Lets go Sioux!

Post #: 20

RE:Gopher Hockey - 11/2/2007 4:17:39 PM

Matt Dahl

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Uh oh. McMurfy's talking the smack. As a long-time U of M and NDSU fan, all I can say is SIOUX SUCK!

Post #: 21

RE:Gopher Hockey - 11/3/2007 2:30:13 AM

So.Mn.Fan

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oooo, I likey. Denver and the Gophs back to hating each other, like it should be. Feisty start to this one. Just like the old days, Denver has some guys who felt slighted by the U. Sets up a good, rock'em sock'em series. Just what our youngsters need to get their feet wet. Sure making a lot of changes, Donny. About time to start settling on some combos and living with them.

Post #: 22

RE:Gopher Hockey - 11/3/2007 6:44:55 AM

So.Mn.Fan

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The loss means Minnesota, the two-time defending WCHA regular-season champion, is off to an 0-3 start in conference play for only the second time since 1959-60, when the conference was formed. The Gophers' other 0-3 start was in 1993-94; they have never started 0-4 in the WCHA. Well, that was an ass-kicking. Warning ...... "Rant" approaching. Here goes. Typical Gopher hockey game. Dominate, control, show off skill, get great chances that just miss, give up 1 or 2 chances per period, and get scored on, on all of them. Piss-poor goaltending and absolutely NO CHEMISTRY. You should be in full alert, Mr Lucia. You have loaded up on the wrong kind of players again. NDTP and Prep-school kids are mercenaries. They are in it for their next step. The day you stop recruiting the Potulneys and Koalskas of the world is the day you stop building a TEAM good enough to win it all. You can have your Vaneks and your Kessels and your Okposos, if your leadership is the Potulney-type. Peltier is a great kid and captain-material, but he isn't in charge of this team. You can see who is, the Mommies and the Daddies and the "advisors". This Gopher team is the poster child for what it looks like when talented players have no common goal. As much as I despise The Sioux, they have built their team the right way, with leadership from the Oshies and the Lees of the hockey world. Denver is young. They took a beating last year at times. They will be a force from here out, because their core will play for 4 years, and they will play together, and they will play for each other, and for their coach, and for their school. Not for their draft position or for their first pro contract. Start recruiting players who will bleed FOR the school, not bleed the school for their own gain. Sorry, needed a venting session. Should probably go back and erase most of that, but I won't. After calming down, I realize I have no right to assume the motives of these players or question their effort. I have no doubt they will have success either here or later on. I just hate seeing the U become a 1- or 2-year hockey school for players, that's all. Yes, it's the norm these days. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Lucia/Guentzel/Hill are excellent coaches, imo, and deserve better commitment from the players they have given great opportunities to. I've been around youth hockey players my whole life, and almost every one grows up wanting to be a Gopher. Very few get to be. This is usually one program in this state you can count on to represent proudly, but I feel that is slipping away. Just my :twocents: The effort it takes to win has been on the other bench all season so far. And it won't get any easier. The dog-days of the WCHA are fast approaching. The Gophers are the Yankees. They get everyone's "A" game. Right now they aren't ready for that. There are some great kids on this roster, but if they don't pull together and head in the same direction soon, this is gonna be one long, painful season.

Post #: 23

RE:Gopher Hockey - 11/5/2007 7:50:21 PM

Jeff Jesser

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Good post Scott. I've been completely underwhelmed by the past 2 teams. I didn't see the game on Saturday yet but I will. I expect more of the same from the year so far. :roll:

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RE:Gopher Hockey - 11/6/2007 8:31:23 AM

McMurfy

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[quote="Matt Dahl"]Uh oh. McMurfy's talking the smack. As a long-time U of M and NDSU fan, all I can say is SIOUX SUCK![/quote] I grew up in Grand Forks 1979-1985, learned to play the game there. I watched Doug Smail and Phil Sykes, Dave Christian, Jon Casey, Jim Archibald, Mark Taylor, Troy Murray, Craig Ludwig, etc. Never minded the Gophers though, back then it was Wisconsin we hated. Chris Chelios most of all. Only a casual fan now as we don't get much coverage out here. Just wanted to give you all a friendly hard time.

Post #: 25