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| (above) Great Brittain will face North Dakota this weekend |
by Alex Proletti
After missing the first 25 games of the season, sophomore goaltender Sam Brittain, referred to by his teammates and fans as Great Brittain, returned to the Pioneer ranks on Jan. 28 and has played the last four consecutive games. Friday, Brittain recorded his second career shutout.
Brittain, a Canada native who played in Calgary before moving to DU, was out of the action for more than six months after having surgery on his ACL in June of 2011 [read entire article].
9 comments:
Off topic:
anyone know who Gwoz is calling out when he talks about getting lazy on D, and cheating in their own zone? He said it after Saturday's game in Wisc, and mentioned it was a problem right before Xmas as well. I have some suspicions, but have not actually watched all the games (listened to most).
As a rule, Gwoz does not publicly "call out" particular players. In the vast majority of cases, when he mentions players, he does so when referring to something positive that individual does.
He is occasionally asked about an obvious lapse in judgement or a bad penalty taken by one of his players and his general response is something along the lines of, "Well, we've got to get better as a team when it comes to things like that."
That said, I suspect that Gwoz is focusing more on the forwards as a unit than on the defensemen with that commentary. Drew Shore had a glaring lapse in coverage that led directly to Wisconsin's 3rd goal on Saturday...and there have been some instances where backchecking has been somewhat lackluster.
Which is not to excuse the defensemen, all of whom have made some not-so-great decisions with the puck this year.
A big part of the problem is that DU relies on the transition game to generate a good deal of its offensive pressure. For the forwards, finding the balance between a good offensive jump and responsible defensive zone coverage can sometimes be...tricky. For the defensemen, the pressure of gaining control of the puck and making the initial move out of the zone (passing or skating) while facing a good forechecking team can be daunting.
One thing I think will continue to help is the presence of Brittain. The players seem to have more confidence in him than they did with Jussi or Adam...and they're making more decisive moves with the puck as a result.
One thing's for sure: Against North Dakota, DU needs everyone to be on the top of their game when it comes to defensive responsibilities. For the most part, they were good against Minnesota...and were less so against Wisco. Let's hope they ratchet it back up again in what's shaping up to be a VERY big weekend at Magness.
I'm a Ryder fan, but he hasn't been playing his best lately. He didn't do much physically at Wisconsin (at least that they showed on TV), is taking more penalties, and he seems to be making more errors with the puck that lead to turnovers. I'm sure he'll turn it around, but I'd like to see him be a little safer with the puck. And hit some people!
I agree, I recall a number of instances where the defenseman had trouble deciding how to move the puck out of the zone. As a result, more than once, there was a turnover in the offensive zone. Several of those resulted in goals. The name of the game is protect the puck. Turnovers like this can really change the momentum of the game.
The answer is easy - the Shore brothers. They played up tempo and aggressively on Friday, with a resulting win. On Saturday they phoned it in, with a resulting loss. As the Shore brothers go, so goes the team.
I hope Mama Shore sits the boys down and tells them what’s what.
That's a fairly harsh criticism of their game on Saturday and over-simplification of the reason for the loss. There's 17 or so other players on the ice that are responsible for the loss too.
With that said, I agree with the general premise that the Shore brothers are integral to this team's success and we won't win much unless they bring their "A" game every night.
Lax Zone tailgating section sold out already
You wanna' talk Defense? We Denver fans have a unique window of opportunity, to watch a young punk named Scott Mayfield, in the proverbial "growing phase". I liken this to a solar eclipse. We're in the perfect position to see it - but it won't last long. I give Scotty about another year and a half. He'll either blossom into a beautiful flower, and will be harvested by the NHL's Islanders and be plucked from college; or, he'll peak before our very eyes and enjoy a successful college career, and probably play "paycheck" hockey in the Central Hockey League after getting his college degree. The next 18 months or so, will make or break number two. If I was a betting man - I'd lean towards this badass mofo departing DU early. Clearly the NYI's saw something a long time ago..... and I truly believe that Miller & Gwozdecky are going to do thier part and take this boy to the next level. Mayfield..... remember that name, people!
How did this get by that self-appointed arbiter of all things politically correct: Makayla Cisneros ?
Everyone knows that Great Britain was a militant colonial exploiter of peoples across the globe. Our own nation was forced to the point of open revolution by the oppressive yoke of unjust taxation and tribute imposed by the British crown. As an American, I am personally offended by the term "Great Brittain" and am soliciting your help, Makayla, in boycotting and removing this offensive slur on all things American. I propose Brittain's nickname be changed to Sam the Sham and the Pioneers be renamed the Pharaohs. (They're all dead and under pyramids so they can't be offended or sue) and Wooly Bully could be the new Fight Song (darn sight catchier than D-Rah) Thank you in advance for your assistance Ms Cisneros.
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