Minnesota Golden Gophers

[BrodeursCups]

He is pretty much gone.Ness may follow.

Ness leaving would be borderline Pejorative Slured. He has serious work to do in order to take the next step (and experience success). As is, he'd get snapped in half in Bridgeport. And actually, he'd probably wind up in the E for a bit.

This isn't Roseau anymore. He can't just skate around everyone. His decisions with the puck and defensive awareness (and this goes along with gaining about 30 lbs) must improve.

At times, I see a lot of brian lee in him.

 

[MN_Gopher]

Leddy gone
Birkholz gone

Holl most likely in.

Ness is not ready to leave. if he cannot handle the WCHA game the AHL game is going to knock him on his butt. Leddy at least impressed enough to warrant his departure.

For all the knocking on the program. From last years team alone we have Schroeder and Leddy competing for NHL roster spots.

Lucia cannot motivate or game plan these last few years. His players are still showing up at the NHL level. The Xs and Os of the game are there.

 

[RabidBadger]

Leddy gone
Birkholz gone

For all the knocking on the program. From last years team alone we have Schroeder and Leddy competing for NHL roster spots.

Lucia cannot motivate or game plan these last few years. His players are still showing up at the NHL level. The Xs and Os of the game are there.

You could argue Schroeder and Leddy have enough raw talent it wouldn't matter who coached them. I'm not trying to sound like Garth snow about the program but standards have tailed off the past couple of years. The forwards have done okay the past couple years but the defense has gone to pot with John Hill on board. The Don needs to cut that buffoon loose before it costs him his job. I know replacing a guy like Guentzel is pretty hard to do, the same thing is happening in Madison this year with Osieki leaving, but almost anyone would be a step up from Hill.

 

[MN_Gopher]

You could argue Schroeder and Leddy have enough raw talent it wouldn't matter who coached them. I'm not trying to sound like Garth snow about the program but standards have tailed off the past couple of years. The forwards have done okay the past couple years but the defense has gone to pot with John Hill on board. The Don needs to cut that buffoon loose before it costs him his job. I know replacing a guy like Guentzel is pretty hard to do, the same thing is happening in Madison this year with Osieki leaving, but almost anyone would be a step up from Hill.

Its been ugly lately. It all started a few years ago when players were starting the one and dones. EJ, Kessel OK. Bickel hurt as he was our only big d man. O'Brien hurt up front.

Now tDon has brought in more older USHL players and it we should have more carry over year to year. Lose a few gain a few. Not over haul an entire team on a bi annual basis.

IMO it has not been the D. It has been the forwards up front. Schroeder was only player in the last few years that could pass. We have not had pure snipers since Kessel and Potulny. Our d have typicaly been great passers and good at pinching.

Leddy leaving hurts. But his production from last year can be replaced. He was going to break out this year. Holl is not going to be what Leddy was. But he along with Alt and Schmidt can replace what he gave last year. The key will how far Ness and Fairchild can take us. Parenteau is the wild card. Helgeson should anchor the front much better and forwards off of Kangas.

 

[GopherState]

Minnesota 2010-2011 Roster

2010-11 University of Minnesota Men’s Hockey Roster

No Name Pos Ht Wt Yr S Birthday Hometown / Previous Team / League

2 Kevin Wehrs D 5-9 182 Sr. L 4/7/88 Plymouth, MN / Cedar Rapids / USHL

4 Seth Helgeson D 6-5 217 So. L 10/8/90 Faribault, MN / Sioux City / USHL

6 Jake Parenteau D 5-10 188 Fr. L 6/10/89 Shafer, MN / Alaska / NAHL

7 Patrick White F 6-1 200 Sr. R 1/20/89 Grand Rapids, MN / Tri-City / USHL

9 Taylor Matson F 6-0 186 Jr. R 9/16/88 Mound, MN / Des Moines / USHL

10 Aaron Ness D 5-10 177 Jr. L 5/18/90 Roseau, MN / Roseau HS

11 Mike Hoeffel F 6-2 205 Sr. L 4/9/89 North Oaks, MN / USNDT

12 Justin Holl D 6-2 180 Fr. R 1/30/92 Tonka Bay, MN / Minnetonka HS

13 Nico Sacchetti F 6-0 193 Jr. R 8/21/89 Virginia, MN / Omaha / USHL

14 Tom Serratore F 5-11 190 Fr. L 7/16/89 Colorado Springs, CO / Youngstown / USHL

15 Joe Miller F 5-11 201 Jr. R 9/11/87 Plymouth, MN / Sioux City / USHL

16 Nate Condon F 5-11 195 Fr. L 5/29/90 Wausau, WI / Fargo / USHL

17 Jacob Cepis F 5-8 170 Sr. L 12/21/87 Parma, OH / Bowling Green Univ. / CCHA

18 Nick Larson F 6-1 188 Jr. R 1/16/89 Stillwater, MN / Omaha / USHL

19 Erik Haula F 5-10 184 Fr. L 3/23/91 Pori, Finland / Omaha / USHL

20 Mark Alt D 6-3 194 Fr. R 10/18/91 St. Paul, MN / Cretin-Derham Hall HS

21 Jake Hansen F 6-2 191 Jr. R 8/21/89 White Bear Lake, MN / Sioux Falls / USHL

22 Max Gardiner F 6-2 187 Fr. L 5/7/92 Edina, MN / Minnetonka HS

23 Jared Larson F 5-11 178 Fr. L 8/28/89 Apple Valley, MN / Fairbanks / NAHL

24 Zach Budish F 6-3 221 So. R 5/9/91 Edina, MN / Edina HS

26 Jay Barriball F 5-9 179 Sr. R 5/27/87 Prior Lake, MN / Sioux Falls / USHL

27 Nick Bjugstad F 6-4 204 Fr. R 7/17/92 Blaine, MN / Blaine HS

28 Cade Fairchild D 5-11 190 Sr. L 1/15/89 Duluth, MN / USNDT

29 Nate Schmidt D 5-11 199 Fr. L 7/16/91 St. Cloud, MN / Fargo / USHL

30 Jake Kremer G 6-1 194 Jr. L 5/5/88 Eden Prairie, MN / Bismarck / NAHL

33 Alex Kangas G 6-2 190 Sr. L 5/28/87 Rochester, MN / Indiana / USHL

35 Kent Patterson G 6-1 193 Jr. L 9/15/89 Plymouth, MN / Cedar Rapids / USHL

 

[GopherState]

Is it hockey season yet?

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Is it hockey season yet?

Hand to the ear.

 

[GopherState]

I spent five minutes searching for that picture and trying to get that as my avatar. Oh well, I'll take the memory of sitting in the Wisconsin student section that night when it happened.
EDIT: Never mind, found it.

 

[RabidBadger]

Hand to the ear.

Phil got immortalized in show-boater history that year and all Bucky got was a stinking national title. Our fans showed resiliency and got over it, though

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Phil got immortalized in show-boater history that year and all Bucky got was a stinking national title. Our fans showed resiliency and got over it, though

That is the ultimate in your face winning the national title. I hate the showboating whether it be hand to ear or the jersey tug. Score like you have been there.

 

[GopherState]

Phil got immortalized in show-boater history that year and all Bucky got was a stinking national title. Our fans showed resiliency and got over it, though

I don't know - I went back the next year and you would think that it was the third home to Holy Cross rather than the national champs.

That is the ultimate in your face winning the national title. I hate the showboating whether it be hand to ear or the jersey tug. Score like you have been there.

It really is. Sorry Zach Parise.

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Do you really think the goofs will get anything accomplished as long as Hill is an assistant? The guy is an azzhat.

 

[BrodeursCups]

That is the ultimate in your face winning the national title. I hate the showboating whether it be hand to ear or the jersey tug. Score like you have been there.

Blake Wheeler could learn a thing or two from you DS

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Blake Wheeler could learn a thing or two from you DS

Yep. I don't care if it's a Sioux player who does it, I'm not a big fan of showboating.

 

[RabidBadger]

I don't know - I went back the next year and you would think that it was the third home to Holy Cross rather than the national champs.

Holy Cross fans did seem to attend a lot of Minny games after, you know, THE EVENT, happened. I'm sure the 6th championship banner, the one that moved UW ahead of UM for more national titles, was enough of a reminder you were in the house of the champs

 

[RabidBadger]

Do you really think the goofs will get anything accomplished as long as Hill is an assistant? The guy is an azzhat.

That's putting it mildly. Hill is ruining the Minny backline, which was always formidable when Guentzel was on board, and putting T-Don's neck on the chopping block. I don't remember another assistant coach getting as much heat for a program's shortcomings as J-Hill has.

 

[MN_Gopher]

Lines. My guesses. Well my real and 100% accurate guess is. tDon will mess with everthing all year long.

Buddish- Barriball- Cepis
White- Hoeffel- Haula
Sacchetti- Hanson- Bjugstad
Matson- Condon- Larson



Ness- Fairchild
Helgeson- Schmidt
Wehrs- Alt- Holl- Parenteau

 

[Dakota Sioux]

Lines. My guesses. Well my real and 100% accurate guess is. tDon will mess with everthing all year long.

Buddish- Barriball- Cepis
White- Hoeffel- Haula
Sacchetti- Hanson- Bjugstad
Matson- Condon- Larson



Ness- Fairchild
Helgeson- Schmidt
Wehrs- Alt- Holl- Parenteau

Not being a smart ass here but with that D Kangas better be ready.

 

[MN_Gopher]

Not being smart ass here but with that D Kangas better be ready.

Its good you NoDak guys finally realize this.

Helgeson should take a lot of pressure off with his size. I hope.

Fairchild and Ness have to get the puck up and out quick. Same with Wehrs but even faster.

The big key will be how our forwrds help out. Matson, Larson, Hoeffel, hope fully Condon are good 2 way guys. Even White is decent in his own zone.

What kills us and will kill Kangas is a 2-2 rushes where the forwards were all caught up ice. The 3rd guy in is what kills lack of lateral movement Kangas. I do not see a ton of rebounds in front of him.

 

[MN_Gopher]

One day away from the pre season.

Barriball with C
Hoeffel and Kangas with the A's.

Keys to success.

Matson has to stay healthy. Our best 4th line type guy since his freshmen year. He can really anchor the 4th and help alot on the PK.

We need Fairchild of two years ago.

One of Haula or Bjugstad have to play big.

Helgeson has to improve. He was not bad last year. But he needs to be better and be able to log lots of minutes with freshmen and little d men around him.

The PP has to be at least above average. Too much talent to not be a top 3% in the league.

tDon has to find that fire. He wanted more guys he got them. The NCAA is in the back yard. This is a make or break year.

 

[GopherState]

Gophers swept UMass - who wants updates on their prospects?

 

[mnhowitzer]

Gophers swept UMass - who wants updates on their prospects?

Haula looked good Friday, not quite as good Friday.
Schmidt out with concussion apparently?
Bjugstad will do just fine and he isn't scared to mix it up.
Fairchild and Wehrs were terrible.
Nice to have Mattson back, might need to dial it back just a hair though. Anytime he is on the ice on a PK he is one slash away from making it a 5x3.
Helgeson needs to keep throwing that body around, he's the boss out there.
Barriball was huge on Saturday, love the way the little guy scores from down low.

Not overly impressed with the weekend. They couldn't put UMASS away and Saturday I think UMASS actually deserved at least a tie or a W, the last two periods were gross, especially in the defensive zone. Figure out the defensive zone and they will be a good team. May take awhile with the amount of FR, but they are big boys now and it's time to get it right in this program.

 

[GopherState]

I'm starting to think that I'm the only person who thought Fairchild did not look terrible. Wehrs on the other hand looked bad and hopefully will be beaten out by Alt for his spot.

 

[MN_Gopher]

I am just glad we won both games. We can always work on things. But you can never those points back.

White, Condon, Serratore, Gardiner all played one game. Should make for an interesting week in practice.

 

[LetsThePuckGoBy]

I wonder if anyone on this Gopher team will throw a body check this weekend? If so, it probably will be the first one this season.