Now unlike the previous night's game, THIS was a game to get upset
about.
 
Where to start? There are so many things that went wrong. But clearly
the primary culprit can be summed up in two words:
 
Power play.
 
For the weekend, the Minnesota power play was 0 for 16. In this game
they were 0 for 9. There were numerous chances, and, as was the case
in much of the rest of the game, the Gophers just couldn't get the
puck in the net. For some stats, how about this: 21 of 37 shots in
the first two periods by the Gophers, none of which made it in the
net.
 
Woog can't be unhappy about the way the game was called, as Minnesota
definitely had the advantage in power plays. But he has to clean
house and get the power play working again, as it was in at the
beginning of the season. The Maroon and Gold had more than a minute
of five on three in the first, and couldn't score. Power play after
power play, including a pair of 5 minute majors were wasted by the
Gopher man-advantage. Going into the night, the Gophers had the third
best power play vs. Northern Michigan's ninth best penalty killing
(all in WCHA, of course). It might as well have been Div III vs Div I
for the result (no offense meant to Div III schools). If the power
play is not the main focus of practice this week, something is
seriously wrong.
 
Jeff Callinan: again gave up some soft goals that should have been
stopped. Discounting the empty net goal that ended the game, he could
have/should have stopped at least two, probably three shots, all long
ones coming from the blue line. Perhaps Callinan needs the corrective
lenses?
 
Playing at the level of the competition: a 6-0-0 opening mark put
Minnesota at the top of the polls to begin the season. Then, despite
lackluster divisional play, great play in non-conference games have
kept them there, with outstanding efforts coming in wins over
Michigan, Michigan State, and Yale, and a down-to-the-wire loss to BU
eights minutes into overtime. (By the way, Coach Woog seems to be
suffering under the same delusions as some of the misinformed
hockey-lers, as in the Doug Woog show, he alluded to the fact that
the NCAA selection committee may consider the loss to BU a tie,
because it came after the time that a typical NCAA game would have
ended in a tie. But we all know that this is false by now, don't we?)
 
But I think, and a hope hockey-l readers will back me up on this,
that there can only be so many of these 1 and 0 point weekends
(Minnesota has had three so far: 2 of 12 points against North Dakota,
Denver, and Northern Michigan. By contrast, CC was 8 for 12 in
similar series) before the slide begins. Of course, it may help to
keep in mind that standings in the polls account for nothing at this
point in the season.
 
I fully expect Minnesota to do well against upcoming opponents
Colorado College and Wisconsin, but have my worries about the series
at Anchorage and Michigan Tech. Despite having a superior team to
last year's in talent and experience, this year's team can't seem to
establish an edge over anybody: not at home or on the road. I get the
feeling that if Minnesota played a two game series with teams at the
bottom of Div. I, the viewer could reasonably expect a split. Of
course, this will help come tournament time, as only the better teams
will be there, but as of this weekend, I have to start worrying about
the distinct possibility that Minnesota won't make the tournament.
Without distinct improvement in offensive potential, I don't see how
they can expect to reasonably compete for the top in conference
regular season or post-season play.
 
At this point, I would have to say that Minnesota, of all the WCHA
teams, is most ripe for an upset in conference play.
 
Harsh words, but I see a program in jeopardy. Without some major
changes, Minnesota, despite a good team loaded with talent, may, for
the first time in nine years under Doug Woog, not finish in the top
two in the WCHA and not make the NCAA tournament.
 
Ah, but before we let all this gloom and doom overcome us, I implore
Minnesota fans: keep coming to the games. Keep cheering on the team.
Winning is not all that matters, and the advantage of playing at the
level of competition of your opponents is: always a close game!
 
Things aren't really as bad as I am making them sound--but I see the
possibility is there. Things need to be done NOW. We shall see next
week, when the team is rested and healthy, for the first time in a
month.
 
                                                Lee-nerd
                                                [log in to unmask]
 
"Violence is the last resort of the incompetent." --Isaac Asimov