Heading to Minnesota...tourney talk

[MACMAN]

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.

[rood]

I'm interested to see which Cepis Minnesota gets: Freshman year Cepis or Sophomore year Cepis.
Hopefully for him and the Gophers he doesn't try to do everything by himself like he was doing here last year. He'll burn out quick trying to carry the puck all over that Olympic size ice in Minnesota.

[MACMAN]

Minnesota has Cepis...all of him, I just hope we put his punk ass through the glass, and relish the red mist...
http://www.dogbegone.com/gutless.html
We are coming Jake, we are coming.

[Freddie]

Minnesota has Cepis...all of him, I just hope we put his punk ass through the glass, and relish the red mist...
http://www.dogbegone.com/gutless.html
We are coming Jake, we are coming.

Please don't continue to provide bulletin board material for the goofers.

[MACMAN]

for them, I could care less for them and do...we are coming and we will get some wins out of it, Jake, or no Jake...I love varmint hunting...nothing beats an afternoon of the red mist.

[Drago]

That is inappropriate for any message board that doesn't deal with hunting. I get it, but it is dumb.

BG needs to get good goaltending and a lucky bounce. They are in every game, just aren't finishing off plays and scoring goals lately. I'm sure Coach Williams will have a good game plan for the team. It is going to be tough in their place, but I have no reason to think it shouldn't be a good game.

[MACMAN]

That is inappropriate for any message board that doesn't deal with hunting. I get it, but it is dumb.

BG needs to get good goaltending and a lucky bounce. They are in every game, just aren't finishing off plays and scoring goals lately. I'm sure Coach Williams will have a good game plan for the team. It is going to be tough in their place, but I have no reason to think it shouldn't be a good game.

Gee thanks Mrs Manners...Ill be sure to keep a real close eye on that in the future

[BGDrew]

Back to game discussion...

Minnesota has struggled this year in-conference and the fans are starting to get restless. This is definitely one of those games where you feel things can only go one of two ways: really well or US U20/Providence. We'll need to make sure we play a physical game and not allow them to use the extra ice to stretch the play. If we can minimize the penalties we could get a win against the Gophers of Gold.

Oh, and Cepis? That little guy? I wouldn't worry about that little guy.