Heading to Minnesota...tourney talk
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 10:15 am
I came upon this piece
"Minnesota's Midseason Report:
Minnesota has given up more goals than they have scored this season. While the goaltending hasn’t been great, play between the pipes is not the issue or reason they are giving up more goals than they score. The power play isn’t clicking at all this year, and they don’t have a player that has surfaced who is natural goal scorer and is going to carry the team. The guys scoring goals at this point of the season would have been thought to be at or near double figures in goals, but the tallies just aren’t coming. The loss of Jay Barriball has had a big impact on goal scoring as well. The defensemen aren’t scoring either, and have a total of 5 goals this season.
Last weekend Josh Birkholz showed what he is capable of offensively and hopefully he can carry that momentum into the second half of the season. Jake Hansen has come along lately as well, and could be a key to the second half success. The addition of Jacob Cepis, a transfer from Bowling Green who is eligible to play in the second half, will also add a big boost, and Cepis enters the lineup with a chance to be one of the top producers.
Overall the Gophers have had some bad bounces and not a lot of luck. They need to get some of that luck and those bounces going their way, and also start scoring on the power play, which is especially critical when they aren’t scoring much 5 on 5. Minnesota needs a consistent effort and to be ready to play on Friday nights. Their second half should pick up if they can put these pieces together and stay healthy.
"
I think our guys CAN do well in this tourney. We have been beating the hell out of the glass ceiling for getting wins, and this may well be the breaking point, I hope it is, it would make an outstanding kick off for the second half of the season, and could get us into the CCHA mix.
"Minnesota's Midseason Report:
Minnesota has given up more goals than they have scored this season. While the goaltending hasn’t been great, play between the pipes is not the issue or reason they are giving up more goals than they score. The power play isn’t clicking at all this year, and they don’t have a player that has surfaced who is natural goal scorer and is going to carry the team. The guys scoring goals at this point of the season would have been thought to be at or near double figures in goals, but the tallies just aren’t coming. The loss of Jay Barriball has had a big impact on goal scoring as well. The defensemen aren’t scoring either, and have a total of 5 goals this season.
Last weekend Josh Birkholz showed what he is capable of offensively and hopefully he can carry that momentum into the second half of the season. Jake Hansen has come along lately as well, and could be a key to the second half success. The addition of Jacob Cepis, a transfer from Bowling Green who is eligible to play in the second half, will also add a big boost, and Cepis enters the lineup with a chance to be one of the top producers.
Overall the Gophers have had some bad bounces and not a lot of luck. They need to get some of that luck and those bounces going their way, and also start scoring on the power play, which is especially critical when they aren’t scoring much 5 on 5. Minnesota needs a consistent effort and to be ready to play on Friday nights. Their second half should pick up if they can put these pieces together and stay healthy.
"
I think our guys CAN do well in this tourney. We have been beating the hell out of the glass ceiling for getting wins, and this may well be the breaking point, I hope it is, it would make an outstanding kick off for the second half of the season, and could get us into the CCHA mix.
