"This is probably one of the most difficult interviews I've had to do in a long time because I'm extremely disappointed."- DU Coach George Gwozdecky
The University of North Dakota dominated the first 55 minutes of the hockey game on Friday night at Magness Arena. DU managed three desperate goals in the last five minutes but it wasn't enough and the Fighting Sioux prevailed 4-3.
25 comments:
Another head-scratching performance from this DU team. The only word I can come up with to describe this year's team is bizarre. DU lost to Huntsville, then won 4 straight league games. Then DU craps the bed against CC and loses the Gold Pan. But then they come back and sweep the Gophers, only to have a bad loss against the Badgers last weekend.
Figuring the Pios would come out jacked up and flying against a bitter arch rival on home ice in a critical league game, the Pios instead have an atrocious 1st period last night and get smoked for 55 minutes of that game. No question the Sioux were the better team. They outskated DU, outworked DU, had an effective forecheck all night, had an easy time skating through the neutral zone, effectively cycled the puck, and were much better on special teams. Brittain played well. Other than that, there was little to be happy about last night.
I have no idea what to expect from DU these days. These guys just can't seem to build any momentum from week to week. It's hard to imagine them doing anything special in the postseason (if they make it), given the sporadic effort week to week.
Time to run the whioux? goalie. Their back up this weekend is the practice goalie.
No, it's time to WAKE UP AND PLAY FUCKING DENVER PIONEER HOCKEY the way they can, should and could have. The goal is no longer Tamp. The goal is no longer the McNaughton or the Final Five, or Omaha or WCHA round 1. THE GOAL IS TO PLAY HAD, SMART, AND WIN.....TONIGHT - nothing else matters.
Did Zucker play last night? That dude has one foot out the door.
Very poor performance. You could tell the outcome in the first 10 minutes of the game. They must win tonite.
left early. the worst game I've ever seen DU play. nothing good to say about that "effort," this team simply doesn't care.
Fortunately my cable pkg doesn't include NBCSports. It was hard enough to listen to it with Stick and Rycroft.
Senior night--win it!
All the draft picks are looking to the end of the season so they can leave it happens every year. Draft picks are just in it for themselves. The coaches cater to them all season and then when the season gets close to the end all they want to do is get to the next step and sooner the season is over the quicker they can have their NHL teams get them out.
It's up to the coaches to get these draft picks and supposedly "elite" players to play hard and buy in to the system. The fact of the matter is DU's program has been plagued by laziness and complacency for years. There's been enough talent around to win in spite of this, but to me, Gwozdecky and his staff deserve a lot of the blame.
Any time Denver plays and aggressive team like North Dakota played last night, Wisconsin the second night the draft picks and elite players go into a shell because they don't have the time and space that they did against other teams and so they give up and go through the motions yet the ice time remains the same. Coaches need to reward ice time by effort put out in the games. Who knows maybe the outcome would be different in some of those games when these stars ride the pine for awhile.
I heard that last night, they were supposed to honor the Denver WCHA award winners during the first intermission, but Gwoz was so pissed at what he had just seen transpire, he personally called it off as the 1st period ended. Tonight is Senior night, so I hope to God that the elders on this team can rally back and put forth a good effort. You don't want to go out like that, after 4 or 5 years at DU. If tonight is like last night.....it could be reminiscent of that year they lost to CC at home, but won the WCHA.... not too many happy faces.
Put up or shut up time tonight.
Saw on the Denver Pioneers website that tickets are for sale for the first round of playoffs at Magness....so I'm assuming this means we secured home ice for the first round?
I would rather see non-drafted less talented players give 100% for DU than see drafted "super stars" playing at half speed worried about future NHL paychecks. I believe there where a lot fewer drafted players on the 2004/2005 teams.
So you'd rather see Mermis on the ice than Drew Shore?
I don't give a rip who's out there on the ice. I want to see guys playing hard and giving a shit. The half ass effort is ridiculous. I can take the $500 I spend on season tickets and spend it elsewhere.
Whoa. Settle down. Last night was a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt about it. But let's not get paranoid about drafted players not producing because they're more cncerned about NHL paychecks. There's no evidence of that. And it doesn't speak well of us that we would even consider this line of thinking, let alone embracing it.
Remember, this is college hockey, and we could see a very different game tonight. Hope springs eternal in this fan's mind.
On a side note, I noticed that Sam is giving up five-hole goals. Is there any possibility that his injury has made him less effective with the butterfly?
@ 2:07
There were 7 drafted players on each team in '04 and '05. This year, DU has 10. Not a huge difference.
@ 3:01
Mermis hasn't seen the ice since his totally ill-advised 5 minute major with 6 minutes left in a one goal game against CC. Obviously it can change at any time, however methinks that The Mermis currently resides in Chateau Bow-wow. And for good reason...
@ 3:09
I'm sure no one will give a rip if you don't renew. Idiot.
They haven't been playing well since 05 it's not like this is the first year this is happening. Just saying the effort doesn't always show near the end of the season because some are thinking of greener grass on the other side
Anon at 3:40--so you don't care about the effort level out there? You are clearly the idiot.
Mama Shore didn't get through to her boys.
Some of us really need to back up. Some of us are coming too close for my comfort in suggesting the boys don't care about these games and are apparantly deliberately tanking them. There's no evidence of that. And some of us also need to refresh our memories as to the difference between correlation and causation.
The frustration about this season is based significantly on falling short of our pre-season expectations. I'm disappointed, we all are. But let's not throw out the baby with the bath water.
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