Freddy's three thoughts of the game:
1. They let them off the hook! Minnesota State should have won three, maybe four points against Denver this weekend but it simply couldn't put the sixth-ranked Pioneers away. On Friday, the Mavericks led 4-3 with 1:47 to play and ended up setting for an overtime tie. On Saturday, they were up 3-0 early in the second period, and Denver scored four unanswered goals, including Dustin Jackson's wide-open shot in front of goalie Phil Cook just 21 seconds into overtime and lost. In this stretch of good play -- now 8-3-1 in their last 12 games -- the Mavericks couldn't close out two of the WCHA's best teams, North Dakota and Denver, and got one point in those four home games when they should have gotten five or six.
2. Not enough goals? The theme all around the locker rooms after the game was not the comeback as much as it was the Mavericks' failed scoring opportunities early in the third period. Michael Dorr put a 2-on-1 shot right into the belly of goalie Adam Murray, and John McInnis and Justin Jokinen fired wide on rushes when shots on net could have resulted in goals, rebounds, sustained pressure, etc. Dorr, Troy Jutting and DU coach George Gwozdecky all agreed that there would have been no comeback had the Mavericks been able to make it 4-1. As it turned out, the Pioneers went "all in" and talented freshmen Nick Shore and Jason Zucker scored two minutes apart to tie the game by the 13:31 mark of the third period.
3. Dangerous (as usual) but how deadly? The loss dropped the Mavericks to a tie for 10th place in the WCHA standings but Gwozdecky called them "a terrific team that deserved" to be on a hot streak. "They gave us all they wanted and more throughout the weekend," he said. "We were very fortunate." Cook was solid in goal, and Chase Grant, Channing Boe and Eriah Hayes had goals on Saturday to cap good weekends. But Minnesota State doesn't have a Jason Zucker or the Shore brothers or even an Anthony Maiani right now. There's no doubt that opponents will respect MSU over the rest of the season, starting next week with Wisconsin, but can the Mavericks score some big wins over the rest of the season and avoid a playoff series at Denver or North Dakota?
See Saturday's box score here.
8 comments:
I've said for years that Boe should shoot more. He has a rocket of a shot and the opponents aren't expecting it...because *surprise* it's not Youds or Davis from the point. Mix it up for a change.
I would love to know what goes on inside Jutting's head sometimes. Why on earth would you have Youds and Elbrecht play as much as they did last night when all weekend they were on the ice for the majority of the goals and making dumb mistakes. Could Youds have passed to DU players or to no one in general more? Perhaps he needs to watch a seat from the stands...along with Galiardi. Not sure where his head was but obviously not in the game...kinda the same deal as when he tried to score a goal last weekend after the whistle. Come on, these are the vetrans making stupid mistakes over and over. So frustrating to watch!
The Mavs should have easily swept DU this weekend. Thanks to the 3 above named guys Maverick fans can say hello to 10th place.
On a postive note, how good is Grant looking? He's going to be the future of the Mavs for sure!
I thought Jokinen played one of his grittiest games to date. I think he's finally developing into what he was billed as. If only he could hit the net more consistently... not three feet wide like on his wide open chance last night.
Grant played great, too.
You write that Cook was solid in goal when you obviously haven't been trained to know what a goaltender should look like. He was solid all right; he looked like a deer with head lights coming at him when he was deked out of his skates for the tying goal. He is out of position, doesn’t move from side to side, doesn’t plant his skates throwing him constantly off balance, and doesn’t paddle down or get his pads down opening up the 5 hole. Let’s face it he gave up a game with a three goal lead and he let in 8 goals this weekend. Coach Gwozdecky had no respect for Cook when Saturday he matched him up with his weakest netminder who has a goals against average of 4.23 and made the decision that Murray could beat Cook and he did!
M....
Do YOU know what goalies should look like? He keep them in the game, and he got zero because his defense forgot what that word means. He made good saves, but nobody on his team could clear the rebound. And George was going to start Murray on Saturday no matter who the Mavs started. Cook is on the only reasons they beat minnesota, and a big reason why they are in many games.
Also, out of position, can"t move side to side, always off balance, and doesn't have the paddle down and the 5 hole open? Are you sure you aren't thinking of Kangas?
Never been more disappointed in the mavericks than I was Saturday night. It's gotten to the point where it's unforgivable. I love this team, they're my team, but I question their heart in letting a team come back like that. If this were a first-time thing, I wouldn't care. After Friday's collapse, I hoped they'd come back and crush Denver. And there were. But then it all fell apart. Why? Denver's good, sure. Give credit where credit is due. But it was almost like you could literally see the life getting sucked out of them. I told the others watching the game with, after Denver tied it up, "Denver's gonna win. Gauranteed. Just watch." And of course .... well, we all saw what happened.
This one was really tough to swallow. If they can't shut a team down with the three-goal lead ... argh.
Robb Murray said... "But it was almost like you could literally see the life getting sucked out of them."
That is because it was. What message do you send the team when you play the same 4 D 80% of the game when the night before, two of them were responsible for the last 2 goals to tie? Watch your Charter tape. Perhaps if they changed rather than go 2+ minutes a shift, they would be more efficient. Just saying...
With four forward lines, it is not as noticeable.
Told Hockeyfan the other night. Keep doing the same and we will see the same results and have a short season...
Not to mention them on the PP.
None of us Mav fans want that.
Post a Comment