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So.Mn.Fan -> RE:Gopher Hockey (11/3/2007 6:44:55 AM)
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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.
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