2024-25 Gopher Hockey Season

[upnorthkid]

If Ifs and Buts were candy and nuts

Here's what I'm seeing. BC has choked just as much as the Gophers. Their coach looks like a deer in the headlights sometimes in the big games. Luckily they will get Hagens back though. BU is passing them and has better coaching. But both have been overtaken by Michigan State and Michigan in the recruiting space, as it swings often. Let's see who gets McKenna and MIsa. If anyone, it'll be from those four teams I'm sure. And UND will get Carter Bear.

NCHC is the best conference. 6/10 titles since creation. Looking to make it 7/11. 3 different teams winning it. If WMU wins it all are we still going to act like it's a one or two team show? All teams have been generally solid except Miami with CC sort of turning a corner but we'll see.

What we can hope for as members of the Big Ten (not fans of it), is PSU over WMU, I'd say. I don't expect either of those two teams to be in the final.

First part, more meaning just how important it has been for Carle to keep his teams together, especially for extra years and with guys being comfortable playing lower roles when they could play bigger roles on other teams. Last year we had a mixed bag with Snuggy back but purging the rest of our big contributors and losing Eiserman.

I don't really care if the B10 or NCHC (or HE) wins the title. Clearly the NCHC winning titles has made them all better. UMD sure is kicking butt now. If anything, this year is encouraging for the B10 argument in that someone else finally got their shit together and made it to the FF rather than it just being MN and Michigan with MSU flopping another one away as a 1 seed.

The top talent goes where the best coaches and resources are to get to the next level. Always have and always will. The B10 will always have the resources. It's on the coach to get the rest together and kids are not deciding they want to go there because the conference has won championships. They're going there because they believe in the coach and the coach's vision for the team and for giving them a shot to keep playing hockey at that level and long term.

 

[bonin21]

It's a huge conglomeration of things. Goaltending, playing hard, high end talent, goaltending, goaltending... All held together and maximized by coaching. Our issue starts at the top with coaching. No mix is going to work under him. Carle is the best coach, has the best defenseman in the country (high end talent), and guys that give their all for the program (grit), and a goalie that somehow becomes a legend when it counts.

22-23 had maybe the best team ever assembled but little grit (Gopher hockey is soft and anyone that doesn't admit that is in denial), average goaltending that choked when it counted most, and mediocre coaching to make the difference we needed.

So ya, it is a mix, but since Gopher hockey doesn't play with grit (maybe Barr would change it, who knows), their mix needs to rely on the high end talent more and Motzko will never have as much as he had two years ago.

 

[walleye]

This was probably the most underperforming and disappointing Gopher hockey team of all time. It was super loaded with talent. We can blame the coach. However, I think there were many players who were thinking about their pro opportunities and contracts, and not enough about the team. There were many players who only wanted to race down the ice, score, and pad their statistics to get better contracts. Too few players wanted to play defense. They would rather win a 6-5 game than a 2-0 game.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

In the last fews hours the gopher YouTube program has put videos for “the best of” Jimmy, Knies, and Cooley. I kind of get it but man they are really twisting the knife right now.

 

[bonin21]

In the last fews hours the gopher YouTube program has put videos for “the best of” Jimmy, Knies, and Cooley. I kind of get it but man they are really twisting the knife right now.

Trying to sell the program? Too late amigos, should have won it all with them

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Trying to sell the program? Too late amigos, should have won it all with them

2023 still emotionally effects me and now they are trotting out highlights of them after another failed season? Seems a little tonedef.

Watching Kines highlights he really was like Vanek was. Except Vanek won it all.