Wisconsin goalie goes down

[KeithK]

Isn't it true that Denver relies on a pretty strong defensive game?  If I'm remembering correctly then this weekend will be a big test of your theory.

[Nostradamus]

[quote KeithK]Isn't it true that Denver relies on a pretty strong defensive game?  If I'm remembering correctly then this weekend will be a big test of your theory.[/quote]

Denver lost some important veterans from last year, and their goalies are having a down year.  When Minnesota played them earlier this year their game looked alot like CC, Michigan, or Minnesota .. it was pretty freewheeling.

[KeithK]

OK, then I am remembering correctly but just haven't paid enough attention this year.  Thanks for the update.

[Nostradamu]

[quote Chris '03][quote jmh30]Is anyone else a bit peeved about Elliott being considered "a leading candidate for the Hobey Baker Award", when looking at his numbers in comparison with McKee's last year or Lenny's three years ago?[/quote]

Obligatory USCHO style reply: Please, Josh, Elliott plays in the mighty WCHA. He faces only the best every night, not the weak EZAC schedule that produced Lenny's NCAA record year. If Lenny played in the WCHA his GAA would be more like 3.50 with a save percentage of .860. Oh, and the argument about Cornell goalies being a prodcut of the system doesn't hold for Wisconsin because... well... Bucky is in the WCHA! If no WCHA forward is going to score 60 goals, the award should just go to the best WCHA goalie. It's only fair.  ::nut::[/quote]

I think that often the Hobey is treated like the NBA MVP award .. which sometimes goes not to the best player in the country necessarily, but to the best player on the best team if the best team is very dominant.  Wisconsin is pretty clearly the best team in the country so far this year - I'ld like to see you argue otherwise.  If you ask me, the best player in NCAA hockey is Matt Carle(and I'm not a DU fan), but DU has been fairly mediocre this year so he's not the frontrunner.  Even though I think much of his success derives from the "system," its not a horrible thing for Elliot to be the frontrunner this year, even if his numbers might not be as stellar as a LeNeveau, McKee, or Ryan Miller from year's past.  I'ld rather have Matt Carle on my team than Elliot though.

I definitely wouldn't call your league the EZAC this year.  Maybe 3 teams in the NCAAs?

[DeltaOne81]

[quote Nostradamu]
I think that often the Hobey is treated like the NBA MVP award .. < insert intelligent analysis here >

I definitely wouldn't call your league the EZAC this year.  Maybe 3 teams in the NCAAs?[/quote]

Wow, an intelligent, polite, non-trolling WCHA fan... and Minny at that! ;-)

Where ya been? Welcome to eLynah (forgive me if I just hadn't noticed you before)

[Nostradamus]

[quote DeltaOne81][quote Nostradamu]
I think that often the Hobey is treated like the NBA MVP award .. < insert intelligent analysis here >

I definitely wouldn't call your league the EZAC this year.  Maybe 3 teams in the NCAAs?[/quote]

Wow, an intelligent, polite, non-trolling WCHA fan... and Minny at that! ;-)

Where ya been? Welcome to eLynah (forgive me if I just hadn't noticed you before)[/quote]

Thanks for the welcome.  I enjoyed watching your team in the regionals last year and in the Frozen Four a few years ago.  Its too bad that there isn't a regular season series scheduled between Cornell and MN in the near future.  It seems like we've played everyone except Cornell the last few years in the regular season.  Yale, Union, Niagara, Lowell, BU, BC, UNH, Maine, Colgate, etc.  I don't recall if we've played Harvard recently, but the '89 title game still burns.

I am a college hockey fan in general as well as a Gophers fan, so I like seeing any kind of active passionate fan base, even the Ivy League ones!  I recognize there are more than a few boorish obnoxious Gopher fans out there, but believe me that there are quite a few intelligent ones who know their hockey, and I don't even claim to be in that group.  I've only been watching college hockey for 20 years.  You're welcome to peruse http://www.gopherpucklive.com  if you're at all interested in the western/Minnesota angle on things.

[KeithK]

According to USCHO, Minny has pleyed the following eastern teams over the past seven years:
2006: Union *, Lowell *, Niagara (2)
2005: at BU (2)< Merrimack *
2004: BU (2)< UNH *, vs. Maine
2003: at UNH (2)< BC *, Yale *
2002: Colgate (2), Providence *
2001: Quinnipiac, Union *, Brown
2000: at Maine (2), BC (2), Harvard *
1999: at BC (2), Princeton *, vs. SLU
A (*) indicates games in the Mariucci tournament, while (ice) means the Icebreaker tournament.

So 8 of 12 ECAC current teams (missing Cornell, Dartmouth, Clarkson, RPI) and 7 of 10 current HE teams (missing Vermont, Northeastern and UMass).

The pattern I see is that the Gophers have played home and home series against some of the top HE teams but only play ECAC teams in Minnesota whether as part of their holiday tournament or otherwise.  Presumably this is largely the money issue, since ECAC rinks are small and generate less revenue.  Since Schafer is on record as not being willing to go on the road without reciprocity and Cornell has it's own co-hosted tournament I wouldn't expect games with the Gophers anytime soon.  Unfortunately.

[jy3]

interesting how the frosh gave up one goal tonight...and lost