Has LetsGoDU Gone Soft?

Dear LetsGoDU,

For a group that so passionately addressed the "Boone" problem last year, it seems LetsGoDU is soft on the goalie fiasco coach set in motion this year.

Look, is coach trying to avoid another defection of a young, gifted goalie (read: Richard Bachman)? If so, this is a huge tactical mistake and it is showing 4 games into this season. Let him know we don't agree!

Name & Address Withheld
Murray's stats (4.72 GAA & .836 S%) have been pretty awful to start the season and he won't get too many more opportunities if he doesn't turn things around ASAP.

Gwozdecky made Murray a promise to start in the rotation for several weeks and the college hockey world is too small to break recruiting promises. Mike Eaves at Wisconsin has had recent issues with recruits and it probably will come back to bite him on the recruiting trail. Just this week on the other side of the country, Boston College's top recruit, Kenny Ryan, left school after just two exhibition games for the OHL.

DU is one of the few schools in college hockey that has a full-time goaltender coach on the payroll, Derek Lalonde. If Murray has any weaknesses, Lalonde should be able to get things straightened out in a hurry.

In the four years of writing the Blog I've never "called out" a DU player. My hockey knowledge is limited and I firmly believe that we have the best coaching staff in college hockey. Gwozdecky & staff are paid to win games at DU and everything they do as a staff is firmly directed towards winning another National Championship. This team needs to rally around Murray and show more grit and determination in defending the goal crease.

That being said, I'd expect Chevy to start on Friday in Minneapolis, and if he does well, start on Saturday. Then the rotation might reappear against Mankato & UAA.

Thanks again for emailing us, because its a great topic.

DG

8 comments:

Twister said...

2 comments here:

1. I think it's way too early to come to any type of conclusion on Murray. He's played in 2 games. He hasn't played well, but it's only 2 games. If he's the caliber of recruit everyone believes he is, he'll show it. These things have a way of working themselves out. I'd like to see Murray get a couple more chances, especially in league play.

2. The Pios have been very inconsistent thus far and certainly haven't played well in front of Murray. I think with so many newcomers getting signifcant playing time the chemistry may take a little while to develop. I'm not making excuses--DU still has a wealth of upperclassmen who need to be leaders, but on-ice chemistry does not appear to be there yet.

Aluuum said...

Don't jump the gun. This is a young kid having his first experiences in a college environment. He is going through big life changes. The world is not ending. If Gwoz made some type of verbal commitment we sure as hell don't want him reneging
on his word. I know George and can assure you that he won't.
Our freshmen defenders also need significant improvement.
It's how we are playing in March that counts.
Book Detroit. IT WILL HAPPEN!!

pessimisticfan said...

Being a former goaltender myself, it takes time to adjust to new levels of competition, new arenas, new players, etc. If you think back to Chevy, he spent an entire year behind Mannino. Before that Mannino was blown out against BC and looked very shaky in his first few starts, he really started to prove himself on Halloween weekend in Wisconsin. I do think that Gwoz should go with Chevy both nights in Minnesota, but as DG said we should go back to the goalie split against state and alaska. Maybe I'm saying this because I'm starting to get very pessimistic towards the way this season may turn out.

Trev said...

As I recall, our last few goalies have had rough goes to start of their freshman years only to have either a turn around that year, or have the next year be a stellar year.

I think every single DU fan is greatly concerned, but most are not to the point of freaking out on the Gwoz for the rotation decision,... yet.

Don't forget that Murray OWNED those dirty hippies from the Springs last year on the USDT. We know he has the talent, he just needs to pull his head out of his ass and get the 09-10 season rolling.

Anonymous said...

The 2 championships that DU won has allowed them to recruit many of the most highly skilled players in the US & Canada which is great. However, I am not sensing and I have not witnessed the leadership necessary to win a championship in the past few years and I don't see it being displayed at this point by the current team captains. It is easy to blame the goaltender because he is either going to be the hero or the goat. The DU teams that won the championships had a nasty streak and a bit of a chip on their shoulder because most of those players were not NHL draft choices that were going to be millionaires. Not time to panic too much but also a time to right the ship before it is too late.

Anonymous said...

Hey Murray beat CC back in February.As far as I'm concerned he doesn't have to win another game EVER! Just kidding. CC Sucks forever.

MagnessMan said...

Wow--so far he's played like crap. Makes no sense to be playing him right now. Let the D settle down in front of Chevy and let Murrary battle for a start in practice. Two big non-conference loses that would've been W's with better goal tending. Come March those loses could bite us in the backside. It's a no brainier in my mind. I hope these guys wake up and start playing the level of hockey their capable of.

I think this is George trying to apply a formula that worked in the past and it makes no sense at all in this case. Chevy is proven make the youngster earn it--don't give it to him on a promise. Where else in the sports or business world does that happen?

Anonymous said...

Does nobody remember the very limited time Chevy got behind Manno? How is this different?