***OFFICIAL MINNESOTA VS QUINNIPIAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHP IN-GAME THREAD!!!***

[scools12]

What did you want the coach and goaltending to do differently? Please be specific.

How about devise a game plan that involves actually playing in the 3rd period.

Might want to start there.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Everyone on here acting like they lost to some high school team. This was a team that had been 1st or 2nd all year in the RPI with the gophers. They were a very good team as evident in their beating of Michigan, a team Minnesota had struggled with.

This type of game is exactly the type the gophers have failed to win for 10 years now. A tight checking game against a not as skilled team but a more disciplined team. Tonight looked like it might break the mold but it was not to be.

 

[PhiloVance]

Quinnipiac is good!

 

[Homerpalooza]

Every gopher worked their ass off to win that Championship.

A ballsy as fuck move to pull a goalie on a power play is why Q won. Not domination.

Sure they took a lot of shots. We knew that would happen. We played defense great until they had a two man advantage late in a period.

That shitty penalty doesn’t happen and we win the Natty.

 

[stocker08]

Played not to lose instead of to win. HORRIBLE situation back on your heels strategy. Not good effort on face off's.

Minnesota teams playing not to lose almost always lose. Successful teams rarely win this way.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

I don’t see Close coming back as that much of a positive.

Why not where’s he gonna go. He’s not tall enough to play in the NHL so if riding a bus in the AHL is important to him he could go. I fully expect him to come back.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

Close is not gone, he has another year to play. If this game fought Cooley and Snuggy one thing it’s that they are physically not ready to play against older players. Cooley was a no factor tonight and Snuggy was only good on the power play in the first period.

This is an accurate assessment. Cooley and Snuggy did nothing because they played against men who are bigger with a few more years of experience.

It's nothing new though. Teams like QPac recruit less talented but, older, bigger, more experienced players.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Everyone on here acting like they lost to some high school team. This was a team that had been 1st or 2nd all year in the RPI with the gophers. They were a very good team as evident in their beating of Michigan, a team Minnesota had struggled with.

This type of game is exactly the type the gophers have failed to win for 10 years now. A tight checking game against a not as skilled team but a more disciplined team. Tonight looked like it might break the mold but it was not to be.

That's the frustrating part, that we keep losing to the same type of team. At some point, I'd like to be the team that makes fewer mistakes in a tight checking game.

 

[scools12]

Everyone on here acting like they lost to some high school team. This was a team that had been 1st or 2nd all year in the RPI with the gophers. They were a very good team as evident in their beating of Michigan, a team Minnesota had struggled with.

This type of game is exactly the type the gophers have failed to win for 10 years now. A tight checking game against a not as skilled team but a more disciplined team. Tonight looked like it might break the mold but it was not to be.

Actually no one is acting like that but nice try.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

It doesn't matter what Close does. He's replaceable. Stay or go, he's not going to carry the team or completely sink it.

 

[Homerpalooza]

WTF were the defenseman after the faceoff?

Letting an opponent get behind means you were out of position.

Why did Jaxon Nelson have to try to do the defenseman job?

Utterly embarrassing.

100% agree with this. Nelson shouldn’t have been the only player back there.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

How about devise a game plan that involves actually playing in the 3rd period.

Might want to start there.

Again what exactly is it you wanted him to do. Did you want him to have the center fly the zone early and try to catch them on a breakaway. They got hemmed into their zone with the bobcats speed and pressure on the walls. The gophers were slow to win luck battles and often times struggled to clear picks on the first attempt.

 

[Governor Sibley]

This game was shameful and unacceptable

 

[stocker08]

I bet it's tough to switch gears after playing 20 minutes of defense straight.

 

[RealU]

After the 1st period, the Gophers were outshot 26-8 and got dominated in the faceoff game. Who is the last national champion where you can say, "Wow, the way they went into that conservative shell with 20 minutes left won them the game!"

While I get it's on the players too as you get tight and don't want to the player that blows it due to a mistake, but I'd much rather lose making a mistake while playing aggressive than playing not to lose.

 

[Ewert86PC]

100% agree with this. Nelson shouldn’t have been the only player back there.

Totally on their heels. No charge because the weight of the third period was still on them.

 

[bigticket1]

How could the 2nd defenseman get so out of position in 10 seconds ? He was out on the blue line when the goal was scored.

 

[scools12]

Again what exactly is it you wanted him to do. Did you want him to have the center fly the zone early and try to catch them on a breakaway. They got hemmed into their zone with the bobcats speed and pressure on the walls. The gophers were slow to win luck battles and often times struggled to clear picks on the first attempt.

Just play your game instead of trying to play prevent D for 20 minutes.

It really is that simple.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

How could the 2nd defenseman get so out of position in 10 seconds ? He was out on the blue line when the goal was scored.

Almost like 10ish years ago when Yale knocked us out in overtime. Was it Ben Marshall back there?

 

[stocker08]

Again what exactly is it you wanted him to do. Did you want him to have the center fly the zone early and try to catch them on a breakaway. They got hemmed into their zone with the bobcats speed and pressure on the walls. The gophers were slow to win luck battles and often times struggled to clear picks on the first attempt.

We let them skate the puck into the zone repeatedly with no resistance. That was the third period plan. Huddle around the net and play defense. Gophers had no offensive zone time because they didn't contest in the neutral zone at all. Just fell back.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Coaching and goaltending today were the issues. Brutal.

To me it looked like conditioning might be an issue, too. Might not have just been a bizarre coaching decision . We appeared legitimately gassed in 3rd period. Q looked like the game had just started.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Actually no one is acting like that but nice try.

So did you think the gophers were gonna easily walk to a victory? The bobcats are a damn good team and try as we like these are 18-22 year olds that tried their best to win the game. I personally wanted to face Michigan as their style fits ours way better. The gophers feasted on odd man rushes this year, especially the top line, and there was one of those tonight.

 

[Gopherguy0723]

To me it looked like conditioning might be an issue, too. Might not have just been a bizarre coaching decision . We appeared legitimately gassed in 3rd period. Q looked like the game had just started.

They're older and looked like the bigger team.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

Two approaches tonight. (1) Attack relentlessly to win Natty; (2) Passively back into a Natty.

 

[Gophers1992]

Wasn't Matt Dumba, one of the worst NHL defenseman, a Gopher?

Is this a serious question? Dumba didn't play college hockey.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Just play your game instead of trying to play prevent D for 20 minutes.

It really is that simple.

They played that period as if they had a 3+ goal lead.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Just play your game instead of trying to play prevent D for 20 minutes.

It really is that simple.

So you think Bob told them to pack it in for the last 20 minutes. I hate to break it to you but they were dominated in the second period too.

The gophers game was speed and odd man rushes and the bobcats only gave up only 1 odd man rush and limited their speed with unintentional intentional interference when the pucks were chipped behind them. It’s easy to sit back and say play your game, but thats not a solution to help then play their game.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Played not to lose instead of to win. HORRIBLE situation back on your heels strategy. Not good effort on face off's.

It doesn’t work in any sport.

 

[stocker08]

So did you think the gophers were gonna easily walk to a victory? The bobcats are a damn good team and try as we like these are 18-22 year olds that tried their best to win the game. I personally wanted to face Michigan as their style fits ours way better. The gophers feasted on odd man rushes this year, especially the top line, and there was one of those tonight.

NOBODY has said that the Gophers should have won easily or that Quinnipiac isn't a very good team. Everybody is pointing out that the Gophers went into a shell. Right after the tying goal....the Gophers started producing some opportunities on offense again. Why did they completely abandon trying to score in the third?

 

[Ewert86PC]

Is this a serious question? Dumba didn't play college hockey.

I know. Was fed bad info by a "friend" who loves yanking my chain about the inferiority of Gopher Sports. Eff Wisconsin.