Golden Gophers

[HOCKEY_GURU]

Ive been keeping an eye on the Golden Gophers and quickly becomeing a fan of theirs, and they sure seem to be tearing it up...last night beating Michigan 5-1 (Montoya chased out of net) and today beating michigan state 5-0 (thelen onMSU), theyre doing all this with 7 freshmen which is quite impressive... should they be the ranked number 1? also wondering what you think of some of the youngers players...Poltulny...Goligoski...Peltier..Chucko..Harrington.... and ..and do they have NHL potential....how do they compare to previous college players now in the NHL?

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[Eb0la11]

Hows chucko been playing? Youve been keeping up to them stats wise or actually been able to see some of their games?

 

[blackgoldblue]

I don't know about the rest, but I believe that Minnesota's coach has said that Goligoski is as good a defenseman in his freshman year as he has had. That says alot with Minnesotas track record of producing NHL caliber defenseman. As long as he continues to progress and take care of his own end I think he will be an NHL defenseman. Many think he already has NHL offensive ability.

 

[HOCKEY_GURU]

Hows chucko been playing? Youve been keeping up to them stats wise or actually been able to see some of their games?

i havent watched any games..but keeping up with the stats , heres the WCHA stats page:

http://www.collegehockeystats.com/overallstats/wcham

Ive also listened to tonights game on internet radio, heres the link to Minnesotas games.. at the top of the page also a link for other teams broadcasts:

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/collegebroadcast/teams/mbd?sport=mch

Chucko scored a Goal tonight, now he has 6 points in 13 games.. .. as for how effective hes playing I'll leave that for those whove seen him play.
hope this helps

 

[stardog]

I don't know about the rest, but I believe that Minnesota's coach has said that Goligoski is as good a defenseman in his freshman year as he has had. That says alot with Minnesotas track record of producing NHL caliber defenseman. As long as he continues to progress and take care of his own end I think he will be an NHL defenseman. Many think he already has NHL offensive ability.

AG has been playing some incredible hockey. I have given 2 detailed reports on the Pens board after watching a few of his games. A few ups and downs but FAR more many ups (FAR FAR more many). I dont think his offense is NHL ready yet by any means yet as his vision and decision making need alot of work but his passing and shot are near ready. He just needs to know when to unleash them (and more importantly when not to).

 

[MN_Gopher]

I watch all the games on TV and then i go to all the Saturday home games. Plus a few others when the oppurtunity comes up.

Harrington: IMO will play in the NHL. Has a good mix of physical play and will jump up and score. Works the PP well too. His problem to start the year was he was supposed to be top returning D man and he tried to do too much. He had DeMarchi, Martin his fresh year and Ballard his sophmore year. Plus this no tolerence rule on penalties has kept him in the box more than on the ice. He is coming around. Jumping up more in the play and lays some huge hits. Starting to play his game and leads that way. Plays like a cross between Ballard and Leopold. More controlled then Ballard and more physical then Leopold. But not as offensive as either.

Peltier: He is looking good. Is more physical than i thought he would be. Plus he jumps up in the play on the right ocasion. Has some nice goals where he just broke down the open side and buried a wrister. Also works PP ok. Knows when to just shoot the puck and hope, instead of getting pretty out there. Needs to work on speed and foot work a bit. Gets caught out of postion and does not have that extra gear to get back like some d men do.

Goligoski: Looks nice and smooth out there. Skates and passes very well. To my surprise is more physical than i thought he would be too. Will mix it up and is good at tieing up his man on the boards. Sees the ice well and makes some nice passes to cutting players for easy goals. Has an accurate shot but not overpowering. Does not look like a freshman out there. Reminds me of Paul Martin a smooth intellengent player rarely out of postion.

Hagemo: The last of the three freshman D. Last night in the Mich ST game he came flying in and knocked the puck away from a streaking player. No penalty just kicked on the juice and broke up the play. Is the most physical of all the freshman D. Looks to be a solid two way player much like Harrington has become.

Potulny: Right place right time right shot right in the net. 15 goals so far speaks for itself IMO. Is blessed with having Irman on his wing. But he has the shot to finish plays and will go in front of the net and take a hit to score.

Chucko: Well he looks like and plays like a power forward. Tries to hit everything he can skate too. Has not shyed away from anyone this year. All of his goals have come from about 3 feet from the goal. One he never saw one of off his skate and another on a nice cross pass and quick shot. Cycles well. Has decent puck moving ability for a guy his size can skate out from the boards and find a open man. Will put his head down and get back on D or to get in the O zone quicker. Needs work on making crisper passes. Leaves many soft and short. Knows where to go just does not deliver to the man. Plus he will drive to the net too hard and not be able to always finish the play. Got to love his enthusiasm, but in a perfect world he would be controlled and finish more.

Kellen Briggs: Its all started with him this year. Is in good postion. Plays the puck got enough behind the net to help his D out. Has stopped several breakaways. Rushing D men get caught out of postion on occasion. Has a 1.91 GAA, 3 SO, and a .932 sv. He is only a sophmore. With a 10-2 record. With one SO against NoDak in NoDak and one more on the road against UMass in Alaska plus the one vs Mich ST at home. Is just confident and the D has cofidence in him, so they step up more and it is just a fun team to watch.

We have 10 freshman. 9 have played the tenth is a goalie. Petier, Hagemo, Goligoski, Chucko always play when healthy. Borgen and Howe play most games. With Morgan playing less and Pohl and Kaufman playing sparingly.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I don't know about the rest, but I believe that Minnesota's coach has said that Goligoski is as good a defenseman in his freshman year as he has had. That says alot with Minnesotas track record of producing NHL caliber defenseman. As long as he continues to progress and take care of his own end I think he will be an NHL defenseman. Many think he already has NHL offensive ability.

He's another guy that has a chance of being named to the U.S. WJC team.

 

[Hossa]

I watch all the games on TV and then i go to all the Saturday home games. Plus a few others when the oppurtunity comes up.

Harrington: IMO will play in the NHL. Has a good mix of physical play and will jump up and score. Works the PP well too. His problem to start the year was he was supposed to be top returning D man and he tried to do too much. He had DeMarchi, Martin his fresh year and Ballard his sophmore year. Plus this no tolerence rule on penalties has kept him in the box more than on the ice. He is coming around. Jumping up more in the play and lays some huge hits. Starting to play his game and leads that way. Plays like a cross between Ballard and Leopold. More controlled then Ballard and more physical then Leopold. But not as offensive as either.

Peltier: He is looking good. Is more physical than i thought he would be. Plus he jumps up in the play on the right ocasion. Has some nice goals where he just broke down the open side and buried a wrister. Also works PP ok. Knows when to just shoot the puck and hope, instead of getting pretty out there. Needs to work on speed and foot work a bit. Gets caught out of postion and does not have that extra gear to get back like some d men do.

Goligoski: Looks nice and smooth out there. Skates and passes very well. To my surprise is more physical than i thought he would be too. Will mix it up and is good at tieing up his man on the boards. Sees the ice well and makes some nice passes to cutting players for easy goals. Has an accurate shot but not overpowering. Does not look like a freshman out there. Reminds me of Paul Martin a smooth intellengent player rarely out of postion.

Hagemo: The last of the three freshman D. Last night in the Mich ST game he came flying in and knocked the puck away from a streaking player. No penalty just kicked on the juice and broke up the play. Is the most physical of all the freshman D. Looks to be a solid two way player much like Harrington has become.

Potulny: Right place right time right shot right in the net. 15 goals so far speaks for itself IMO. Is blessed with having Irman on his wing. But he has the shot to finish plays and will go in front of the net and take a hit to score.

Chucko: Well he looks like and plays like a power forward. Tries to hit everything he can skate too. Has not shyed away from anyone this year. All of his goals have come from about 3 feet from the goal. One he never saw one of off his skate and another on a nice cross pass and quick shot. Cycles well. Has decent puck moving ability for a guy his size can skate out from the boards and find a open man. Will put his head down and get back on D or to get in the O zone quicker. Needs work on making crisper passes. Leaves many soft and short. Knows where to go just does not deliver to the man. Plus he will drive to the net too hard and not be able to always finish the play. Got to love his enthusiasm, but in a perfect world he would be controlled and finish more.

Kellen Briggs: Its all started with him this year. Is in good postion. Plays the puck got enough behind the net to help his D out. Has stopped several breakaways. Rushing D men get caught out of postion on occasion. Has a 1.91 GAA, 3 SO, and a .932 sv. He is only a sophmore. With a 10-2 record. With one SO against NoDak in NoDak and one more on the road against UMass in Alaska plus the one vs Mich ST at home. Is just confident and the D has cofidence in him, so they step up more and it is just a fun team to watch.

We have 10 freshman. 9 have played the tenth is a goalie. Petier, Hagemo, Goligoski, Chucko always play when healthy. Borgen and Howe play most games. With Morgan playing less and Pohl and Kaufman playing sparingly.

What do you think of Gino Guyer?

 

[MN_Gopher]

Gino Guyer: Well he is our best face off guy. A solid two way center. Makes great open ice passes. Is more of a play maker than a finisher. Although his goals have come on break aways or semi break aways. Can make great rushes up ice stop see the whole ice and make a great pass. But if no one finishes he is out a point. He shot is good but he hits posts and misses on occasion. Plays with Tallackson who is hot and cold in his career. Was in a slump early in the year but is looking much better now. Will be about a 1/3 goal guy to 2/3 assists. The thing that impressises me the most is that he is fearless out there. Will let his head get taken off to make a play. I've thought "They killed Gino you..." then he gets up and back into the play. Isn't the best player on the team in any one aspect, but i would put him behind only Irman as far as all around talent. Like a 2-3 center that always seems to be on the ice making things happen but not always with the best of luck.

 

[PuckFan01]

Harrington: IMO will play in the NHL. Has a good mix of physical play and will jump up and score. Works the PP well too. His problem to start the year was he was supposed to be top returning D man and he tried to do too much. He had DeMarchi, Martin his fresh year and Ballard his sophmore year. Plus this no tolerence rule on penalties has kept him in the box more than on the ice. He is coming around. Jumping up more in the play and lays some huge hits. Starting to play his game and leads that way. Plays like a cross between Ballard and Leopold. More controlled then Ballard and more physical then Leopold. But not as offensive as either.

I see almost all of Minnesota's games and I disagree on Harrington. He is an above average college defenseman but it is a longshot that he will ever be a serious NHL player. He shouldn't even be considered in the same category as Ballard or Leopold. That is a slap at two past great college defensemen. The closest comparison would be with DeMarchi. Harrington might be near DeMarchi in terms of talent but DeMarchi is a much better player in his defensive zone.

 

[MN_Gopher]

I guess i totally disagree. He is the top under classman FA player out there IMO and will be picked by by an NHL team. He is solid on both ends of the ice. Did u see the Mich ST game. when he went coast to coast twice, and dropped in the back door for a tip in. He did play god awful to start the season. But now i would say he is a solid two way player that will put up points.

 

[FedorScores]

Danny Irmen is your daddy.

 

[MNwild10]

I see almost all of Minnesota's games and I disagree on Harrington. He is an above average college defenseman but it is a longshot that he will ever be a serious NHL player. He shouldn't even be considered in the same category as Ballard or Leopold. That is a slap at two past great college defensemen. The closest comparison would be with DeMarchi. Harrington might be near DeMarchi in terms of talent but DeMarchi is a much better player in his defensive zone.

I also disagree with Puckfan, I see all of the Gopher games, and Harrington is a rock solid player. People forget Demarchi had Leopold and Martin to play next to when he played at the U. Harrington is a smarter player than Demarchi and a better leader. I also think Harrington is better than Demarchi in the offensive and defensive zone. They are and were both physical, but Harrington is faster and a smarter player. So I give him the nod.

 

[stardog]

I also disagree with Puckfan, I see all of the Gopher games, and Harrington is a rock solid player. People forget Demarchi had Leopold and Martin to play next to when he played at the U. Harrington is a smarter player than Demarchi and a better leader. I also think Harrington is better than Demarchi in the offensive and defensive zone. They are and were both physical, but Harrington is faster and a smarter player. So I give him the nod.

I agree. I have been nothing but impressed with every aspect of Harringtons game despite some poor reads on the PP. But other than that the kid hustles and has some decent skill. He plays with poise and heart, can skate and rarely makes mistakes. I think he will make the NHL as a 4/5 quite easily if he continues.

I must also disagree concerning Goligolski's shot not being overpowering. It isnt an Al MacInnis or anything but it is overpowering by college standards And deadly accurate) and especially overpowering considering his age. It will only get better.
Regardless of if we agree or disagree it is nice to see him getting decent press and making a name for himself in a huge way considering when he was drafted people were seriously SERIOUSLY questioning the wisdom of the pick. It seems that once again the scouts saw something us guru's never did and as a Pens fan I am completely thrilled with the pick as he has done nothing but further justify his draft position (even outplaying many selected before him). Of course there is alot of hockey to be played to see if he continues to outplay those guys but it looks great thus far.
Excellent pickup from out of the blue.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Irmen...

Still disappointed the Wild traded away a 4th round pick but his play has really eased that pain.

 

[PuckFan01]

I also disagree with Puckfan, I see all of the Gopher games, and Harrington is a rock solid player. People forget Demarchi had Leopold and Martin to play next to when he played at the U. Harrington is a smarter player than Demarchi and a better leader. I also think Harrington is better than Demarchi in the offensive and defensive zone. They are and were both physical, but Harrington is faster and a smarter player. So I give him the nod.

Rock solid? He has played worse than the three defensive freshmen on the team for most of the year. Everybody, including Harrington himself, has admitted that he has not played well for most of the year. Too many turnovers and too many dumb penalties. He almost singlehandedly gave away a Gopher win in the final seconds against Wisconsin in the 1st game of their series by coughing up the puck with a few seconds left. Yeah, he may have played his best hockey of the season this weekend but that doesn't erase the fact that he has been mostly poor the weekends preceding this.

DeMarchi may have had the luxury of playing with two great defensemen but he also gave Leopold and Martin the ability to rush the puck without having to worry. DeMarchi was so solid defensively that he gave those two guys a chance to freelance more. Harrington may not take as many dumb penalties as DeMarchi had but the way Harrington has played this year, he is not too far behind in that area. I may give a sligh nod to Harrington offensively but he is not nearly as solid as DeMarchi in the defensive zone and protecting the front of his team's net.

 

[Gophers]

Harrington seemed to have a slow start this year but he is beginning to pick up the pace. He's been impressive so far in college, but im not sure he'll be able to keep up his pace in the NHL, more like a #4-5 dman.

 

[FlyHigh]

Any more opinions on Potulny? He was a 3rd round pick a couple years ago and he's really put up some good stats, is this due to talent around him or just his skill?

 

[Oilers Chick]

Any more opinions on Potulny? He was a 3rd round pick a couple years ago and he's really put up some good stats, is this due to talent around him or just his skill?

Both. He has some great hands, and as MN Gopher mentioned he seems to (almost) always be in the right place at the right time.

While I also beg to differ (for the most part) about Harrington, the one point I do agree with Puckfan on is some of Harrington's decisions (i.e. the untimely penalties).

MN Gopher: Excellent descriptions of the various players. I really like Goligoski but the kid that's really gotten my attention lately is Nate Hagemo. His skating IMO is one of his best attributes. If he gets drafted, I can just hear all of the complaining about his lack of size.

 

[Wild Bill]

I really like Goligoski but the kid that's really gotten my attention lately is Nate Hagemo. His skating IMO is one of his best attributes. If he gets drafted, I can just hear all of the complaining about his lack of size.

I have started to notice Nate as well. Lately he has been the fastest player on the ice. His speed has given him opportunities to create and make some nifty passes, resulting in scoring chances. He has fit in well so far. Although his size might be a factor to NHL scouts, I could still see him developing nicely on a deep Gophers team.

A real sparkplug.

 

[firstroundbust]

Any more opinions on Potulny? He was a 3rd round pick a couple years ago and he's really put up some good stats, is this due to talent around him or just his skill?

alot of potulny's success this year comes from his chemistry with Irmen, his best friend/lifelong pal/linemate...they feed off each other, and know where to go/be when the other has the puck.

He has skills tho, last year he went on a scoring tear after coming back from a knee injury...incredible hands.

 

[Canadien16]

Gophers are exceeding expectations and doing a good job of reaching their potential.

 

[chaachie12]

I am also a Gopher enthusiast/obsessive....I have to disagree with all those that have been saying Harrington has been rock solid this year. He has played 1 good game, imo. That being his last, against Michigan State. He has made poor decisions, taken bad penalties, and been all-around not very good. Let's not forget he was benched for the third period just 2 weeks ago. Does he have the potential to be good? Yes. Will he end up this season good? Probably. It is IMPOSSIBLE to say he has been "rock solid" at anything so far this year.

Potulny has got tremendous vision and hands. He is a great college player, I don't know if he is elite status though, I mean NHL elite. Right now he is a man amongst boys, and that may cross over to the NHL, we will have to see.

I think the scary thing about this Gopher team is what is on the horizon. There is a chance (albeit small) that they could have 6 or 7 first round draft picks on this team in 2 years (Wheeler, Chucko, Stoa, Frazee, Mueller, Erik Johnson, and if Kessel commits) Yikes. Chances are some of those guys will slip into the second round, but all are considered first round talents. This team should be amazing for several more years.

They are playing great this year, so far. They have a history of peaking at the right time, so lets hope this stretch isn't the peak, and that is yet to come...which if that is the case watch out.

 

[PuckFan01]

I am also a Gopher enthusiast/obsessive....I have to disagree with all those that have been saying Harrington has been rock solid this year. He has played 1 good game, imo. That being his last, against Michigan State. He has made poor decisions, taken bad penalties, and been all-around not very good. Let's not forget he was benched for the third period just 2 weeks ago. Does he have the potential to be good? Yes. Will he end up this season good? Probably. It is IMPOSSIBLE to say he has been "rock solid" at anything so far this year.

Exactly. I am not sure what some of these people are seeing but he has not been good with his decisions with the puck and he has had too many stupid penalties. Either these people are not watching carefully or else they don't know bad decisions when they are made cause he has been no better than Minnesota's 4th best defenseman and that is bad when you consider he was supposed to be their #1 guy.

Harrington can play much better than he has and he has been no better than an average player this year.

 

[Winston Wolf]

Isn't R.J. Anderson supposed to play for the Gophers in a year or two as well?