Some people have posted already about this game, but I'll throw my
two cents in.
Give Dean Blais and his team lots of credit. After what must have
been a heartbreaking way to end the game on Friday, they came back
and played very hard and got a win they deserved on Saturday. Given
that they were playing a team that was (read: WAS) ranked number 1 in
the country, it must make the victory all the sweeter.
The Gophers looked like they tried, unsuccessfully, to pick up North
Dakota's style of game. No more set up plays (and the few times they
tried, the puck was turned over), lots of dump and chase, and
crashing the net. But they didn't execute very well, and that led to
opening a 4-0 deficit by the end of the second.
As several people pointed out, I had correctly predicted Woog's
change in goaltender for Saturday's game...I almost wish I had been
wrong. Poor Jeff Moen got beaten up pretty badly in his first start,
going only two periods and giving up all four goals.
Minnesota finally got on the board in the middle of the third on a
power play goal on my favorite play of the night. I was watching on
MSC (Minnesota Sports Channel), and the announcers did a classic
play-by-play:
"The Gopher's power play looks much weaker than before, not as strong
as we have seen in past gam... A GOAL!!!"
It made me wish they had been complaining about the Gophers all night
long.
The news was not all bad. The penalty killers were again perfect,
stopping all ND power play chances. They are at 93(?) percent or so,
and after seeing them, especially last weekend against St. Cloud
(they killed off a minute and a half of 5 on 3), I can't help but
think they may have the best penalty killing in the nation. Now we
just need to increase those shorthanded goal numbers! :-)
The Gophers looked outstanding in the final 10 minutes,
scoring three goals, and nearly getting the tying goal (for the
second night in a row) in the last minute. Scott Bell, I believe,
fired the puck from the right side of the goalie. It crossed behind
Kvalevog, and bounced off the left pipe at such an acute angle that
the goal light went on, and the announcer started to yell, and
sensing another last minute miracle, we were all dancing around the
room. But it was not to be, as the puck never crossed the line, as
clearly seen in the replays. If the Gophers had started their rally
at the beginning of the third instead of the middle...who knows? This
should teach them a lesson they won't soon forget.
My overall feelings about the weekend were pretty neutral. The
Gophers didn't play so well, true, but we all knew that they wouldn't
go undefeated, so if they were going to lose, I think that this
weekend was a good time to do it. Woog will work them hard over this
week and the next, preparing them (hopefully) for a tough Michigan
Tech series, where the Huskies will try, no doubt, to make up for
their rough outing against Wisconsin. Then onto the big Thanksgiving
show--I look forward to it more each day.
The games help North Dakota more than they hurt the Gophers, so all
is okay. I think what BOTH teams need to get from the series, though,
is that a hockey game is played for 60 minutes (barring OT, and
shootouts in HE), and a team can't stop playing for the last ten
minutes, even with a four goal lead; alternately, you NEED to play in
the first if you are going to win consistently.
One last, quick point. I think the highlight of the weekend was
listening to Andy Brink, who was serving an undeserved
disqualification on Friday, announcing the game for the last period
on MSC. He did a great job, and may someday have a career in calling
hockey games. I still can't help but wonder how he kept himself from
yelling and screaming when Bonin tied the game up at 19:59. I just
wish his getting back in the game could have helped the team more on
Saturday (although he DID score a goal).
Lee-nerd
[log in to unmask]
"Violence is the last resort of the incompetent." --Isaac Asimov
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