#0: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -3). In a decisive down week overall for Twin Cities sport, the U. lady icers take the top spot pretty much by default. They went into Bemidji St. this weekend to wrap up regular season play and swept the Beavers by 6-3 and 4-3 scores, although they needed to hang on Saturday after allowing Bemidji St. to score twice in the Third Period. And along with Wisconsin tying Ohio St. in Madison this past weekend, Minnesota claims the regular season title and the #1 spot in this week's poll. Oh, and the team doesn't have to play next week. They return in two weeks for the WCHA Final Faceoff -- which, as always, is held at Ridder.
This team isn't doing anything that I don't expect from them. But I think that deserves at least one week above negative numbers, no?
#-1: Wild (Last Week: -9). What to make of the most, uh, tumultuous trade deadline in recent franchise history, where new General Manager Paul Fenton took massive steps to create a new chapter for the Wild while starting to close the book on old GM Chuck Fletcher? It's hard to say, of course, but you have to step at the serious overhaul Fenton has just undertaken within the past few weeks.
It is obvious that The Fletcher Era will be defined by the free agent signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The two players are tentpoles for the franchise; their contracts make them immovable. But the idea was, at least I think this was Fletch's thinking, that the team would augment those two with a series of good-to-great players. That was behind the drafting of Mikael Granlund and the trades for Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Those three, in my opinion, had a couple good-to-great years, but not all at once. And with this team repeatedly banging their heads against a talent ceiling, fans probably felt it was time to make a change, if not blow it up.
With Parise and Suter staying until their contracts expire, it is this second layer of talent (or "talent") that could only be moved. And Fenton did just that, to early but mixed results. It was an apparent fear that Niederreiter would blossom amongst better talent in Carolina, and that has happened. (Why couldn't Minnesota have better talent? That is also one of the truth of The Fletcher Era, the inability to find the right assortment of players to make the breakthrough the signings of Parise and Suter were supposed to open up.) Ryan Donato, the player the Mild traded Coyle to Boston for, scored the Overtime game-winner against St. Louis Sunday; it was one game, but so far through three games, Donato has three Assists to go with that Goal. And we'll see if Fenton's crush on Kevin Fiala was worth sending Granlund to Nashville (where Fenton was Assistant GM).
It has been noted that Fenton wanted to move Jason Zucker as well, but he stayed. We'll see if there is any lingering resentment as a result of that non-move. Eric Staal was supposed to be moved, too, but Staal wanted to stay, and Fenton extracted a low-amount contract extension in exchange for Staal's wishes. (Oh, Minnesota also traded Kyle Hendricks to Winnipeg.) All these moves has given the organization something they haven't had in a long time: Cap flexibility. Fletcher gave that away in signing that second layer of players to long-term deals. I see the theory behind that: Entrust in those players that had promising seasons a contract that gives the franchise stability for a long time. Unfortunately, Niederreiter, Coyle and Granlund all plateaued short of their potential, and thus didn't live up to their contracts. Again, we'll see if Fenton was able to get value out of their trades, but Minnesota now has, uh, about ten million dollars under the cap, plus they have gotten younger.
And, best of all, they're winning. They started off the screening week getting the shit kicked out of them by Anaheim, 4-0, completing an 0-4 homestand. But they came back with back-to-back road wins over the Rangers and Detroit. With Sunday's victory over the Blues, they are, as of right now, still clinging on to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference (albeit on a tiebreaker with The Bastard Quebec Nordiques). Unbelievable that through this shitty play, Minnesota is still a playoff team. And if they can weather all these losses and trades (and lockerroom chemistry; Michael Russo of The Athletic is saying that morale with the squad is very low right now) and still make the playoffs this year, they might be set up very well for the future. At the very least, they get the second spot in a topsy-turvy WMNSS
But the rest of the schedule is daunting. This week: At Winnipeg Tuesday and Calgary Saturday, then home for a third straight Sunday match, this time against Nashville.
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -7). Three weeks in and this club's place in the softball firmament is rapidly coming into focus. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend, they blanked Missouri St. 7-0 and beat Louisiana-Monroe twice; the second time was mercy-ruled 13-1 after Five Innings. But the team got swept by host Alabama, 1-0 and 7-2, the latter declared after Five because of rain and impending storms. There's a difference between the Crimson Tide and two non-BcS schools, if you know what I mean.
They travel to Tucson, Ariz., this weekend to play five games: Two vs. Drake and one each against Kent St., James Madison and host Arizona. I'll go out on a limb and say the U. goes 4-1.
#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). Give the Woofie Dogs credit; they're playing better ball right now. They finished 2-1 for the week, sandwiches a road win against New York and a home one versus Sacramento around a road defeat to Milwaukee (which, I still can't believe, has the best record in the NBA. Milwaukee, best in the NBA? Wow!). But they're still on the outside looking into the NBA playoff picture, so pfffft.
This week: Three games, all on the road, all against the East: Atlanta, Indiana, and Washington.
#-4: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -1). I find this funny: Even though they ended B1G play with a home split versus Notre Dame, the U. is really touting the fact that this begotten squad clinched home-ice for their Quarterfinal matchup in two weeks, even though they don't stand a lick of a chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament unless they run the table and win the whole damn thing. Again, everybody should give Bob Motzko a chance to bottom out. But there are still fans that cling to the glory days of the program and the premium brand aura that the #PrideOnIce still connotes, despite the fact that this club can't do a damn thing on defense, Saturday's 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish notwithstanding.
Since there are seven teams in the conference, at least one team has to sit out conference play each weekend. For the last weekend of league play, it'll be the U., who instead will host, for the first time ever, Arizona St., for a two-game series. I want to go to the Friday game, not only for the novelty of seeing Sun Devils hockey sweaters, but also for the fact that this program, in only fourth season in top-flight, looks assured of getting into the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
#-5: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Huh. In last week's Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey I was inveighing on whether or not I should attend the season-ending dual vs. Rider at, of all places, Northrop Auditorium. But because of the shit-ass weather affecting the country on Thursday, was cancelled. Well, I'm glad I didn't decide to drive out to campus.
So the team finishes 14-3 overall and ranked in the Top Ten, but tied for fourth in the B1G standings and standing little to no chance of doing anything in the NCAAs. But the B1Gs are first, and it'll happen in two weeks -- and, by Jove, it'll be at Williams Arena! Maybe I should go! (No, I won't, because my parents will probably be home by then, shit.)
#-6: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -8). Lost two-of-three at Dallas Baptist over the weekend. It's weird; without college baseball, I would never know there is a university called Dallas Baptist. And its athletics department decided they were going to go all-in/turn Division I in, of all sports, baseball. Huh.
Well, this is interesting: I have never seen the U. play N.C. St. before, but this weekend they will be in Raleigh, N.C. for a three-game series.
#-7: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -2). Their non-con is so weak that their recent run of good form still has this team nowhere near tournament contention. They needed an eye-popping win, and they almost had it Thursday at Maryland. They were leading 69-62 with two minutes to play ... and goddammit, they gave up the last nine points of the game, the last two in excruciating fashion. The Terrapins' Kaila Charles make a jumper to tie the game at 69 with six Seconds left. The Gophers call a timeout, and I think starting this year that means the could inbounds from halfcourt. But Jesus fucking Christ, Shakira Austin steals the inbounds pass and lays the ball up and in at the buzzer to give Maryland the improbable, horrible 71-69 victory. And that probably drives the final nail in the coffin on the hopes these Goofers get to the NCAAs.
The club finishes the regular season with games at Rutgers and home to Michigan St. A loss like that can send these players on another downward spiral.
#-8: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). But the women ballers' plight isn't as devastating as the mens'. They go 0-2 this week, each loss typifying the two worst ways a squad can lose. On Thursday at home, the U. trailed Michigan from the jump, and even though they got closer to the end, they lost, 69-60.
Sunday's loss in Rutgers was worse. The Scarlet Knights are a worst team than the Wolverines, and yet the Golden Goofers' desultory play allowed them to hang around. That laziness bit them in the end: A three by Geo Baker broke a 61-all Tie and gave Rutgers the lead they would not relinquish with about a Minute left. Jordan Murphy was fouled while attempting a game-tying three with five Seconds left, but he only fuckin' made one-of-three Free Throws, and that was basically it -- for the game (a 68-64 loss) and, by all rights, their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN now has Minnesota in the Play-In Games, and if there is a need for evidence the NCAA should lop off the 68-Team field by four, this team and the shit-ass bubble in general is it. Meanwhile, the Gophers visit Northwestern Thursday in what may be the team's final best chance to win a frickin' game this year.
This team isn't doing anything that I don't expect from them. But I think that deserves at least one week above negative numbers, no?
#-1: Wild (Last Week: -9). What to make of the most, uh, tumultuous trade deadline in recent franchise history, where new General Manager Paul Fenton took massive steps to create a new chapter for the Wild while starting to close the book on old GM Chuck Fletcher? It's hard to say, of course, but you have to step at the serious overhaul Fenton has just undertaken within the past few weeks.
It is obvious that The Fletcher Era will be defined by the free agent signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The two players are tentpoles for the franchise; their contracts make them immovable. But the idea was, at least I think this was Fletch's thinking, that the team would augment those two with a series of good-to-great players. That was behind the drafting of Mikael Granlund and the trades for Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle. Those three, in my opinion, had a couple good-to-great years, but not all at once. And with this team repeatedly banging their heads against a talent ceiling, fans probably felt it was time to make a change, if not blow it up.
With Parise and Suter staying until their contracts expire, it is this second layer of talent (or "talent") that could only be moved. And Fenton did just that, to early but mixed results. It was an apparent fear that Niederreiter would blossom amongst better talent in Carolina, and that has happened. (Why couldn't Minnesota have better talent? That is also one of the truth of The Fletcher Era, the inability to find the right assortment of players to make the breakthrough the signings of Parise and Suter were supposed to open up.) Ryan Donato, the player the Mild traded Coyle to Boston for, scored the Overtime game-winner against St. Louis Sunday; it was one game, but so far through three games, Donato has three Assists to go with that Goal. And we'll see if Fenton's crush on Kevin Fiala was worth sending Granlund to Nashville (where Fenton was Assistant GM).
It has been noted that Fenton wanted to move Jason Zucker as well, but he stayed. We'll see if there is any lingering resentment as a result of that non-move. Eric Staal was supposed to be moved, too, but Staal wanted to stay, and Fenton extracted a low-amount contract extension in exchange for Staal's wishes. (Oh, Minnesota also traded Kyle Hendricks to Winnipeg.) All these moves has given the organization something they haven't had in a long time: Cap flexibility. Fletcher gave that away in signing that second layer of players to long-term deals. I see the theory behind that: Entrust in those players that had promising seasons a contract that gives the franchise stability for a long time. Unfortunately, Niederreiter, Coyle and Granlund all plateaued short of their potential, and thus didn't live up to their contracts. Again, we'll see if Fenton was able to get value out of their trades, but Minnesota now has, uh, about ten million dollars under the cap, plus they have gotten younger.
And, best of all, they're winning. They started off the screening week getting the shit kicked out of them by Anaheim, 4-0, completing an 0-4 homestand. But they came back with back-to-back road wins over the Rangers and Detroit. With Sunday's victory over the Blues, they are, as of right now, still clinging on to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference (albeit on a tiebreaker with The Bastard Quebec Nordiques). Unbelievable that through this shitty play, Minnesota is still a playoff team. And if they can weather all these losses and trades (and lockerroom chemistry; Michael Russo of The Athletic is saying that morale with the squad is very low right now) and still make the playoffs this year, they might be set up very well for the future. At the very least, they get the second spot in a topsy-turvy WMNSS
But the rest of the schedule is daunting. This week: At Winnipeg Tuesday and Calgary Saturday, then home for a third straight Sunday match, this time against Nashville.
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -7). Three weeks in and this club's place in the softball firmament is rapidly coming into focus. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., this weekend, they blanked Missouri St. 7-0 and beat Louisiana-Monroe twice; the second time was mercy-ruled 13-1 after Five Innings. But the team got swept by host Alabama, 1-0 and 7-2, the latter declared after Five because of rain and impending storms. There's a difference between the Crimson Tide and two non-BcS schools, if you know what I mean.
They travel to Tucson, Ariz., this weekend to play five games: Two vs. Drake and one each against Kent St., James Madison and host Arizona. I'll go out on a limb and say the U. goes 4-1.
#-3: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). Give the Woofie Dogs credit; they're playing better ball right now. They finished 2-1 for the week, sandwiches a road win against New York and a home one versus Sacramento around a road defeat to Milwaukee (which, I still can't believe, has the best record in the NBA. Milwaukee, best in the NBA? Wow!). But they're still on the outside looking into the NBA playoff picture, so pfffft.
This week: Three games, all on the road, all against the East: Atlanta, Indiana, and Washington.
#-4: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -1). I find this funny: Even though they ended B1G play with a home split versus Notre Dame, the U. is really touting the fact that this begotten squad clinched home-ice for their Quarterfinal matchup in two weeks, even though they don't stand a lick of a chance of making it to the NCAA Tournament unless they run the table and win the whole damn thing. Again, everybody should give Bob Motzko a chance to bottom out. But there are still fans that cling to the glory days of the program and the premium brand aura that the #PrideOnIce still connotes, despite the fact that this club can't do a damn thing on defense, Saturday's 2-1 win over the Fighting Irish notwithstanding.
Since there are seven teams in the conference, at least one team has to sit out conference play each weekend. For the last weekend of league play, it'll be the U., who instead will host, for the first time ever, Arizona St., for a two-game series. I want to go to the Friday game, not only for the novelty of seeing Sun Devils hockey sweaters, but also for the fact that this program, in only fourth season in top-flight, looks assured of getting into the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
#-5: Gopher wrestling (Last Week: -4). Huh. In last week's Weekly Minnesota Sports Survey I was inveighing on whether or not I should attend the season-ending dual vs. Rider at, of all places, Northrop Auditorium. But because of the shit-ass weather affecting the country on Thursday, was cancelled. Well, I'm glad I didn't decide to drive out to campus.
So the team finishes 14-3 overall and ranked in the Top Ten, but tied for fourth in the B1G standings and standing little to no chance of doing anything in the NCAAs. But the B1Gs are first, and it'll happen in two weeks -- and, by Jove, it'll be at Williams Arena! Maybe I should go! (No, I won't, because my parents will probably be home by then, shit.)
#-6: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -8). Lost two-of-three at Dallas Baptist over the weekend. It's weird; without college baseball, I would never know there is a university called Dallas Baptist. And its athletics department decided they were going to go all-in/turn Division I in, of all sports, baseball. Huh.
Well, this is interesting: I have never seen the U. play N.C. St. before, but this weekend they will be in Raleigh, N.C. for a three-game series.
#-7: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -2). Their non-con is so weak that their recent run of good form still has this team nowhere near tournament contention. They needed an eye-popping win, and they almost had it Thursday at Maryland. They were leading 69-62 with two minutes to play ... and goddammit, they gave up the last nine points of the game, the last two in excruciating fashion. The Terrapins' Kaila Charles make a jumper to tie the game at 69 with six Seconds left. The Gophers call a timeout, and I think starting this year that means the could inbounds from halfcourt. But Jesus fucking Christ, Shakira Austin steals the inbounds pass and lays the ball up and in at the buzzer to give Maryland the improbable, horrible 71-69 victory. And that probably drives the final nail in the coffin on the hopes these Goofers get to the NCAAs.
The club finishes the regular season with games at Rutgers and home to Michigan St. A loss like that can send these players on another downward spiral.
#-8: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -6). But the women ballers' plight isn't as devastating as the mens'. They go 0-2 this week, each loss typifying the two worst ways a squad can lose. On Thursday at home, the U. trailed Michigan from the jump, and even though they got closer to the end, they lost, 69-60.
Sunday's loss in Rutgers was worse. The Scarlet Knights are a worst team than the Wolverines, and yet the Golden Goofers' desultory play allowed them to hang around. That laziness bit them in the end: A three by Geo Baker broke a 61-all Tie and gave Rutgers the lead they would not relinquish with about a Minute left. Jordan Murphy was fouled while attempting a game-tying three with five Seconds left, but he only fuckin' made one-of-three Free Throws, and that was basically it -- for the game (a 68-64 loss) and, by all rights, their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN now has Minnesota in the Play-In Games, and if there is a need for evidence the NCAA should lop off the 68-Team field by four, this team and the shit-ass bubble in general is it. Meanwhile, the Gophers visit Northwestern Thursday in what may be the team's final best chance to win a frickin' game this year.
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