In Friday's Game 1 it looked like the Gophers were going to coast, relatively speaking, to a 1-0 win. But the Beavers's Brance Orban snuck a rebound past Gophers Goalie Adam Wilcox with the empty net and 38 seconds to go in regulation to force overtime. Those things can spark a team's momentum in the extra session, but late in OT Kyle Rau snuck a rebound past Beavers Goaltender Andrew Walsh for the game-winner. (Give credit to Walsh; while Wilcox stopped only 17 shots, Walsh had to stonewall 49.)
Game 2 Saturday was going Bemidji St.'s way with a 3-1 lead late in the second period. But Nate Condon scored with just over a minute left in the second, then 7 1/2 minutes into the third stanza A.J. Michaelson used a great deke-and-backhand (much like the one he used in tallying against Notre Dame) to tie the game. It looked like the fans were going to be treated to extra hockey for the second night in a row. But then, just under a minute from the end of regulation, Ben Marshall surprised the Beaver backcheckers and skated through the offensive zone, wristing a backhand five-hole which just caught the net's corner and slid past the goal line for the game-winner and series-clincher, 4-3.
I wish those games were blowouts; it would serve as a certain indication that this team is head and shoulders above all the others in Division I. Alas, anything can happen in the conference tournament at the X. The U. has a bye to the semifinal game Friday evening against either North Dakota or Colorado College. Win that and they get a chance to claim the Broadmoor Trophy Saturday night in their home area.
But really, win or lose they'll spot in the NCAA Tournament, replete with the 1-seed status in their four-team region, is set. Oh, and by the way, they replaced Quinnipiac for the top spot in the USCHO.com poll this week, although the Bobcats still retain #1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.
#-2: Swarm (Last Week: -7). Wow, is that an ... ass-kicking that I see? I don't think I've ever seen the Smarm dominate a game like they did in crushing the Western Division-leading Washington Stealth 12-5 Saturday Night. And a pair of players set milestones in the match. Forward Ryan Benesch became the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer. His hat trick gave him 132 goals in a Swarm uniform, surpassing Sean Pollock's 131. And fellow Forward Callum Crawford notched four assists to grab the record for most helpers in franchise history with 202.
They are now currently in a tie for dead last in the West with Colorado. And this may be good or bad news, but they are on a bye this screening week.
#-3: Wild (Last Week: -5). OK, this is a good team -- even despite losing their composure after Anaheim Corey Perry's cold-cocking of Jason Zucker, leading their team to a come-from-ahead 2-1 defeat but landing Perry a much-deserved four-game suspension.
But it's a heartening sign of the Wild's resilience that they put that loss behind them and finished the week with three very strong victories. Most impressive: the last two were on the road against Northwest Division rivals Colorado and Vancouver. Last (Monday) night's win over the Canucks was the first in that beautiful city (or so I hear) since 2009 and puts the team all alone in first place in the division and thus third in the playoff chase.
As sad as it is to see your favorite team grow old and slow right before your eyes, it's awesome to see the opposite: A young team filled with talent finally bringing it all together and playing as a whole. I can unequivocally say that this is a team not only for the future, but of right now. Specifically, I feel safe in believing that their scoring woes are behind them, or at least more of the young'uns know how to put the puck in the net. Note that they scored, respectively, five, six and three goals in their three wins, and none of them were one-goal affairs. Oh, and Ryan Suter: I was wrong about you. You the man!
This week they visit Detroit, come home to face San Jose, then go to Dallas to face The Bastard North Stars.
#-4: Vikings (Last Week: -4). And the hits keep coming for the Vikes -- but in a good way. I don't know if they re-signed Phil Loadholt, aka The Load, on Monday or within our screening week, but regardless and irregardless the organization would still rate well on the WMNSS for making a big splash in the free agency market and signing Wide Receiver Greg Jennings, formerly of the arch rival Green Bay Packers. This is exactly what they needed; they had a pressing need and they filled it. That they got him from Cheeseland helps a lot to fuel the rivalry, which for now seems to be a fair fight. And it may even help raise the team's profile, if Jennings still is a pitchman for Old Spice (you know, "Believe In Yoursmellf"). Has his contract with them run out yet?
Now, there are some cons to this signing. While he was productive in 2011, he was injured for much of last year. He could be an injury risk; I think that's partly why the Pack sent him packing. But I think the club has only three WRs officially on the roster. If he can be the dependable wideout the Vikings need, or the deep threat, or somebody who can produce for Christian Ponder, this will be worth it.
Plus, General Manager Rick Spielman now has options. He doesn't necessarily need to take a receiver with the first of the team's two first-round picks. He can draft for another pressing need, like linebacker or secondary. Or, he can package those two together to move up (although that's probably not wise; this is not consider a surefire draft with Hall of Famers-to-be but it is regarded as a deep one, so the Vikings probably are in the best place to find rookies comparable to value). With the signing of Jennings, Spielman doesn't have to pick a Wide Receiver, and more freedom is a good thing.
#-5: Timberwolves (Last Week: -6). OK, this is sweet:
And OK, maybe I'm knocking Ricky Rubio a little too hard. He was never going to be a stop-and-pop scorer, or a scorer, period. What he is is a virtuoso with the rock, and I have to believe that is an unbelievable asset that you have to keep -- even moreso than Kevin Love, a man who has not been fully loyal to the franchise and, with news that his return is going to be further delayed, now has a history of a season lost due to injury on his bona fides.
The Woofie Dogs' entire season has been a lost one because of the injuries sidelining all their
Oh yeah: They actually finished at 2-3 for the week, upsetting San Antonio and scoring the last six to come back and defeat New Orleans at home (the latter victory sealed by a weakside block by AK-47 on the last play of the game) but losing to Indiana, Houston and Memphis on the road. They get to dial it back a bit this week: At Sacramento and Phoenix back-to-back, then returning home to face Chicago Sunday.
#-6: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -Infinity). Normally I don't resuscitate a team whose season I put to bed. But I've got to say I'm thoroughly shocked that the U. female ballers were able to snag a spot in the WNIT. That's a step up from the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), which the Goofs won thanks to pay-for-play ensuring all their games would be at home. This time the path should not be so gilded, thank goodness. However, they will get to play at Williams Arena for their first game Friday against Ball St. I don't think it means much, but it's a lot more than I thought they would get, which is no bid.
#-7: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -2). So for the second week in a row I thought about taking in the Gopher baseball team's Friday night series-opener, and for a second week in a row I pussed out. A combination of bad feelings from the 'Rents plus my car acting up again (I brought it into the mechanic who said there's nothing they can spot and that it's not serious enough to warrant a more thorough and invasive diagnostic, so I guess I'll live with the bucking) compelled me to just shut it down and stay home Friday.
I shouldn't have. Not to say that there was a no-hitter by Gopher ace Tom Windle; they in fact lost to Indiana St. 2-1. But Windle pitched a complete game in the loss. Moreover, the Sycamores starting pitcher apparently is the shit: Sean Manaea is considered to be a first-round pick. In fact, ESPN.com's Keith Law considers him to be the second-best draft prospect this year. And he was pitching Friday at the Metrodome where I could have gotten in for free. But I didn't. Fuck me. It would have been nice to see the dozens of scouts there to watch Manaea (as well as Windle, whom Law says could be taken in the second round and I think acquitted himself well, from what the box score says); it would have given the Dome a buzz it doesn't have for Gophers baseball games if only because it would have doubled the attendance.
Manaea went the full nine and struck out nine in the win, but there was late-game drama. Minnesota managed to load the bases on Manaea in the bottom of the ninth by forcing Manaea's only walk of the game, to Alex LaShomb with two outs. He then uncorked a wild pitch, giving Dan Olinger the green light to race for home. But the throw by Catcher Mike Fitzgerald to Manaea was in time (according to the home plate umpire) and the game ended with Olinger out at home.
Fuck, I missed that game. Goddammit, I missed that game?!?!?! You know, if I knew that a potential first-round pick was playing the Gophers, I would have gone. I would have braved my parents' complaints about going out and my car idling roughly and I would have gone. Did Gophersports.com showcase this on their front page, or were they highlighting the football team's spring practice?
The Sycamores took two-out-of-three against the Goofs, winning Saturday 3-0 but squandering an early 3-0 lead St. Patrick's Day to lose 9-4. This week they go to The Little Apple to play Kansas St. twice before hosting traditional baseball powerhouse Texas for three. I checked; there are no surefire first round game-changing players on the Longhorns. But fuckin' A, I'm going to the game on Friday. If I don't decide to schlep around Ridder Arena to find a ticket to Sunday's NCAA women's hockey championship game after the losing team's fans decide they want to offload their instead.
#-8: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -8). Well, fuck. An uninspired loss to Illinois meant these penis ballers go one-and-done in the B1G Tournament. I certainly wouldn't've blamed the Selection Committee for leaving them out, or even dropping them into the play-in game. But all the prognosticators were right; Tubby Smith scheduled hard enough, and the team played well enough before conference play, to still get into the Big Dance.
Now, what they'll do there ... well, most people think this is Tubby's last stand, but I would not disregard the possibility this team makes that Sweet Sixteen run all fans expected before the season began. As much as Gophers fans hate the coach and hate the team and expect them to lose in their first game, I know that the fans of their opponent, UCLA, are feeling the same way about their coach, Ben Howland, and their team. It will be fascinating to see two underachievers play each other.
However, both the oddsmakers in Las Vegas and ESPN.com's Giant Killers blog think Minnesota will win that game. They would then face Florida, whom Ken Pomeroy pegs as the most efficient team in the nation but has had trouble winning close games. I doubt the U. will win against the Gators, but you never know. I do know that Minnesota, at their best, is a fearsome team. However, they don't have any heart, and they will play down to their level of competition if it suits them. The potential saving grace for this club is that there are no shitty teams to play down to. This is the Big Dance; if Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams & co. can't get up for this knowing that their next loss ends their college career, well then you might as well start blowing up the program now.
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