uw @ Minnesota - 2/5-2/6

bonin21

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Biggest series of the year so far. Gophers seem to be in good form, but in this series anything can happen. Caufield is a top 2 Hobey candidate, and the goal should be to limit him to one goal per night. Brodzinski is a badger killer but has been playing poorly resulting in a healthy scratch, so we'll see how that shakes out.

Sweeps are rare in this series. Gophers haven't "lost" a series at home to uw in more than ten years. Below are games current players could have played in. Senior class is 9-4-1, juniors are 6-3-1, sophomores 4-1-1, freshmen 1-1.

12/1/2017​
5-4W3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
12/2/2017​
2-3L3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
2/9/2018​
4-0WKohl Center, WI
2/10/2018​
7-1WKohl Center, WI
11/9/2018​
3-2WKohl Center, WI
11/10/2018​
1-3LKohl Center, WI
1/25/2019​
9-4W3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
1/26/2019​
3-4L3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
11/22/2019​
4-1W3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
11/23/2019​
3-3 otT3M Arena at Mariucci, MN
1/31/2020​
6-2WKohl Center, WI
2/1/2020​
4-2WKohl Center, WI
1/9/2021​
1-3LLa Bahn Arena, WI
1/10/2021​
5-3WLa Bahn Arena, WI
 
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Gophers should be fine unless Beydoun stands on his head again. I might dry heave a bit saying this, but it's kind of nice having the Badgers be decent again. I really thought after the move to the Big Ten it'd be the Gophers and Badgers running roughshod every year. Hopefully, though, this is all the better they get.
 

Wisconsin has been a crap program since they entered the Big 10. The fact that they have some semblance of life this season is a testament to Tony Granato sticking with it and making them competitive (at least for this season).

Whether they can continue to improve remains to be seen, but this hardly the juggernaut outfit of Badger teams of the 80s, 90s or even the 2000s.

With that said, it's a rivalry series and anything can happen. I still like the Gophers chances this weekend.
 

Gophers should be fine unless Beydoun stands on his head again. I might dry heave a bit saying this, but it's kind of nice having the Badgers be decent again. I really thought after the move to the Big Ten it'd be the Gophers and Badgers running roughshod every year. Hopefully, though, this is all the better they get.
I would include Michigan in that "running roughshod" group, but your point remains.

This is the first time this year I am truly sad that I can't attend a game in person. Mariucci would have been electric this weekend.
 


UW Badgers: Quick Six: Gophers on the Clock:
1 - TEN STRAIGHT: Sophomore forward Cole Caufield extended his point streak to double digits last weekend against Michigan State and now has a point in his last 10 games. In that time, he's racked up an astounding 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points. Caufield currently leads the nation in goals with 14 and is tied for most points with 28. His seven-point weekend (four goals, three assists) against the Spartans was enough to earn him Big Ten First Star of the Week honors.

2 - HOLLOWAY HOT STREAK: Dylan Holloway, a first-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, has three goals and 11 assists in his current six-game point streak, including five consecutive multi-point games. The sophomore forward racked up two goals and two assists for a four-point night last Friday against MSU, earning him Big Ten Second Star of the week

3 - IT TAKES A TEAM: Wisconsin's line of Linus Weissbach, Ty Pelton-Byce and Cole Caufield combined for seven goals, seven assists and 14 points against Michigan State last weekend. That included both game-winning goals. Senior Ty Pelton-Byce has points in each of his last seven contests (five goals, four assists) and goals in four consecutive games. He has six goals and 12 points in 11 games played this season.

4 - HOBEY BADGERS: Forwards Cole Caufield, Dylan Holloway, and Linus Weissbach were nominated for the Hobey Baker award fan vote. Fans can vote on hobeybaker.com/vote to help select college hockey's top player for the 2020-21 season. Way to go Badgers!

5 - GOALIES LOOKING GOOD: Goaltenders Cameron Rowe and Robbie Beydoun each saw action against the Spartans last weekend, helping the Badgers get the sweep. Beydoun, a transfer from Michigan Tech, notched a shutout on Friday, stopping all 19 shots he faced for his second perfect game as a Badger. Rowe also faired well against the Spartans, only letting up one goal in the Badger's 4-1 win.

Rowe was on the Mike Richter Award watch list that was released earlier this week. He's 5-1-0 with a 1.58 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage and one shutout in eight appearances. His goals-against average and save percentage rank fourth and share third in the nation, respectively.

6 - SCOUTING MINNESOTA: The Big Ten-leading Gophers are a deep, experienced team that boasts the nation's top offense (4.22 goals goals per game), the second-ranked defense (1.61 goals against per game), one of the top goaltenders in Jack LaFontaine, a talented and balanced scoring attack and a stingy defensive corps.

The Badgers handed Minnesota its first loss of the season back on Jan. 9 at LaBahn Arena in a 3-1 victory to end UM's perfect 10-0-0 start, but the Gophers enter winners of four-straight games
 


I would include Michigan in that "running roughshod" group, but your point remains.

This is the first time this year I am truly sad that I can't attend a game in person. Mariucci would have been electric this weekend.

I thought at the time the Gophers and Badgers would steamroll Berenson's Wolverines year in, year out. They weren't very good then, if I recall correctly, even though guys like Werenski and Larkin played there. The Badgers were always solid if not a real threat. Glad to see Michigan also on the way up. Perhaps Sparty or Brutus can catch up a bit and make the Big Ten really entertaining.
 

Always get nervous before games against uw and UND. Let's get a win out of the way tonight and feel a lot less stress tomorrow.
 

Always get nervous before games against uw and UND. Let's get a win out of the way tonight and feel a lot less stress tomorrow.
Same - a split at least keeps us well in the driver's seat for the regular season conference title. Sweep darn near locks it up. Getting swept would make things interesting in a not good way.
 

Sub optimal start giving Caufield a break away immediately. Of course he bags.

We are really controlling the play after it. Gotta get an answer.
 





Great pace from both teams. Wish like hell I could be there tonight.
 

Biggest period of the season thus far coming up
 




bonin21
I know we've discussed this before, but man there's just hardly any activity on GPL. What the hell!
 

OK--I just found their mchat group. more activity there.....
Although, I'd rather discuss the game here on GH
 



And another goal

Just a bad loss.

We ain't ready for the big time yet.
 

1-4 in games against average to good teams
12-0 in games against bad hockey teams
2-0 in games where both teams were missing so many players nothing can be read from it.

Yup, this team could win a title but as of now they're just in the pack.
 


Hockey. Game. Over.

This team has a tendency to really over pass the puck. There were several occasions were guys gave up open looks trying to create some sort of highlight-reel goal. It's been an issue in the past and it was again tonight.

The defensemen were pretty bad too. A lot of getting beat to the puck or just being out of position. And after the Badgers' second goal, the guys mailed it in. Pretty darn putrid.

And the women managed to gag one away to the Badgers as well.

Watching games like these make me appreciate the volleyball and softball teams more and more.
 



About as bad of a start as possible.

Huge goal by Myers to get some momentum.
 

Gopher hockey team has been exposed
 

Two words: Paper. Tiger
 

1-5 in games against average to good teams
12-0 in games against bad hockey teams
2-0 in games where both teams were missing so many players nothing can be read from it.

Sorry folks, your Gopher hockey team are closer to pretenders than title contenders. Once the Gophers are eliminated I'll be praying for a Mankato title because any of these would drive me insane:
-A 9th title for UND extending the lead on the Gophers to the point they may never catch up in my lifetime
-A 7th title for uw, extending the lead on the Gophers. And it's wisconsin
-A 4th title in only 11 years for UMD moving only one behind the Gophers overall
-A 6th title for BC, moving ahead of the Gophers
-A title for SCSU, cementing the NCHC as the best conference once again

Lack of NHL level talent in the forward unit as well as an overall weak skating unit. Skating is important at every level of hockey now, and I think the Gophers need to find a new skating coach.
 
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