To me, 2 differences in Sunday afternoon's game:
>SPECIAL TEAMS
>=============
> PWR PLAY PEN KILL
> -------- --------
>Minn 1-6 (17%) 2-5 (40%)
>Mich 3-5 (60%) 5-6 (83%)
Ouch. and...
2) Marty Turco. He doesn't come up with those outstanding saves (Casey's
reaction, dropping to his knees, was priceless) it is a very different
game. 3-1 at the end of the first period and I think Minnesota wins this
one.
All in all though, I thought it was one of the closest-ly played hockey
games I've seen. It was like a heavy-weight fight, very toe-to-toe with
few real good opportunities to put it away. Much credit to Michigan, they
really turned it up in the third period, and definitely won this game for
themselves. They will be tough to beat, especially if Turco stays tough.
Bonin's final pipe: Skarda flashbacks.
So the season...
I too thought that this might be *the one*. Again. I had high hopes at
the beginning of the season, but I really got excited in January; it wasn't
that they were beating everyone (although that certainly was part of it),
it was how well the younger players were playing, and how deep the Gophers
were. Sigh.
The bad part of all this, of course, is now the "Woog's gotta get
Canadians" argument is going to start up again. I would not exchange the
last 11 years for a few championships and players from outside MN,
honestly. It's not that I think it makes us "better" than other teams, or
that other teams couldn't do it, I just think that it does make the
Gophers special, and it does make the success they have had, and they have
had a helluva lot of success by *anyone's* standards, that much more
special. 'Nuff said.
Next year. I dunno. I'm excited about the frosh, Spehar especially of
course. And I am interested to see who's going to step up into the
leadership role (McHugh last year, Bonin this year primarily). Crowley
seems to be the most likely candidate. Offensively, I wonder who the first
line center is going to be: my guesses would be Ras or Berg.
I'm drifting now, so I'll sum up. Next year's concerns are going to be
defense, losing a lot this year, and leadership (11 seniors). If this was
DeBus' worst year, then the next two years should be enjoyable. Rasmussen
and Berg have to potential to be outstanding.
Anyway, my final wish is for Bonin to win the Hobey, he deserves it (not
claiming he's alone in that), and it would be nice to see him leave
Minnesota with that, since he doesn't leave with a WCHA season or NCAA
championship.
Lastly, I'm still looking forward to next weekend, should be some excellant
hockey. Coming in I felt that 5 teams had a real, real good chance at
winning it all and 3 of them are still in it (LSSU, MN). Vermont, for me,
was a totally unknown quantity (and they beat LSSU so they must be good).
Andrew Golla
Andrew W. Golla <<[log in to unmask]>> or
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