Let's drop the puck on this already! Gophers vs Badgers -- huge weekend!!

[Hockey Guy]

Nolte,

I don’t get upset about that much in the world, but unfortunately you just struck one of them with your Kessle comments. I can’t wait for you to try and correct me on this so here goes…

Imagine that you’re a teenage kid going back to your hometown to play hockey for the first time as a college hockey player. Now, while you’re playing you get booed, spit at, and yelled at the entire time you’re in the arena. Wouldn’t you make some sort of gesture to get back at the stupid people that have been so disrespectful to you for two days? Anyone that says they wouldn’t is a liar!

Now let’s try to figure out why he was getting booed in the first place. The only reason I can come up with is that he is from Wisconsin and decided to play for Minnesota. Is that pretty much it? Let’s see… how many guys does Minnesota have from Wisconsin? The answer is ONE. Now, how many guys does Wisconsin have from Minnesota? FOUR!! That’s right FOUR!! You don’t hear us booing the Minnesota boys playing for Wisconsin. So what gives?

Look around the league. Look around the entire NCAA for that matter and you will see 50 kids from Minnesota playing on other teams. You don’t see us booing them when they play in Minnesota. Look just at No. Dak. They have our Mr. Hockey from last year and one of the finalists as well. Madison is dealing with the same thing we have been dealing with for decades yet they are dealing with it like a bunch of whinny little babies! Bucky fans need to grow up and be proud of the fact that their youth program produced a good player. If anything they should be cheering for the kid!!

Seeing and hearing how that kid got treated this weekend made me as sick as when the Canadians booed our National Anthem and our USA Junior players. Canada would be part of Russia if they weren’t connected to the United States, and Wisconsin wouldn’t have had 1/10th of their past success if they didn’t take kids from Minnesota. So how about all you cheese-heads just be upset that you lost two games and not because a kid that only scored one goal all weekend decided to play for a team that fit his style of play better.

[buzzsaw]

More thoughts for the Wisconsin faithful to dwell on.

[nolte]

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I'm guessing no higher than YOU Badger fans were after your sweep at Marriucci right?!

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Buzz, check the forum after the Badger Sweep in Dec. The Badger types (acually only me) said one thing after someone called our team boring.

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We outplayed you guys Friday for two periods and you outplayed us for the first half of the third period and then we slammed the door on the Badgers faces!! Stone cold bummer eh!?

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Buzz, in the game I watched the gophs were reeling in the whole third. The only thing that held them together was the back to back power plays around the 10 min mark. They were peppered in the last minute with the empty net.

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I'd take a "hand to the ear" gesture anyday over putting a kid on an operating table because of a dirty hit.

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Buzz, I agree but wouldn't call Burrish a goon. He is a tough-nosed player who likes to use the body. Goon play comes from multiple cheap shots, like the stuff that Domi, Claude Lemieux were a part of.

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(If their confidence is so fragile that they can't handle one guy being out, then they don't deserve to win anything).

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I think you miss the point of losing one of the best goalies this year in the nation. Having that confidence in your tender allows teams to be more offensive. You don't have to worry about giving up easy ones, when a breakdown(ie odd man rush) occurs. Breakdowns happen when you play offensive. Tenders making a big save now and then are absolute game savers. We didn't get any of that this weekend. In fact at least two of the goals were very poorly controlled rebounds/covers with slow whistles. Those are game breakers in my opinion. It is one thing to lose on good plays and well earned goals, it is entirely different on sloppy goals.

On the Kessel situation.

I don't disagree that WI fans have beef with Kessel going to the gophs, but it is a totally different situation than a MN player goin elsewhere. The hockey program in WI does not develop nearly as much talent as MN, because of the lag of hockey development in WI. MN can't keep all it's good players. Did Donny LU heavily recruit Gilbert, Gorowsky, Licari, or Carlson. NO. Kessel was the most heavily recruited US born player last year, from a state that doesn't typically have many D1 players, and lives in a smaller market town than the Twin Cities. To me it's the equivalent of Sydney Crosby hanging it up the skates and takin up Lacrosse instead. Every WI born hockey player I know would pick WI as their first choice to play hockey, but for Kessel it wasn't good enough. He was heavily recruited by Eaves. With Woog you would have never had him. How many MN born players are heavily recruited by the gophs and then don't go there. any takers..

I don't advocate any showboating/extra celebrations in any sport, especially college sports. I don't even like it when pro football players spike the ball. I'd be bashing a Badger player if he did it. Buzz with your pictures, it just shows you're more a fan of show than the game.

Hockey Guy

You're surprised that fans booed and spit at a player, after he spit on their program. I'm sure that the Potulny's and Irmin are/were welcomed with open arms when they play at the Ralph.

[Dotch]

As always buzz I enjoy your hockey photo collages. As one who has competed with the good folk from cheeseland over the years, let me say most are pretty good sports. We compete hard against each other but we play well together after the competition's over too. But I have to agree with buzz and Hockey Guy. If the shoe had been on the other foot Saturday night, MN fans booing, spitting on and throwing things at a player from MN playing for WI, imagine what kind of an outcry there'd have been. Have a brew, eat some cheese and forget about it. Still a lot of games left.

[buzzsaw]

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Buzz with your pictures, it just shows you're more a fan of show than the game.

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oh come on Nolte, you can do better than that can't you?! What I really mean is that if you knew me you'd know better than saying something so ridiculous. I DO like razzing after a big series, especially after a HUGE sweep. It really just comes down to some people can take it all in fun and others it takes a little longer to catch on.

Oh, would you have preferred if I posted a big hit on a player? or a picture of the Wisconsin fans showering Kessel with pop and food? They must sell alcohol at the Kohl center during Badger games huh? I can't explain their behavior any other way.... unless they were part Canadian.

[nolte]

Hey buzz

Post all the pics of big hits, good goals, teams celebrating that you want. I just have a strong distaste for any sort of added (outside the lines) celebrations, especially without your team. In fact every time I see something added that gets the highlights on sportscenter I want to throw something at the TV. I just wonder what will push the envelope and get airtime in 20 years.

I'll give credit to the Gophs, their team effort pulled it off this weekend. This sure wasn't an easy series for them.

On another note, does anyone know if Gorowsky is hurt for the Badgers. Didn't hear his name called/ or see him at all this weekend. Course it could have been the massive amounts of Old Swill that blurred my vision.

[buzzsaw]

Thats cool Nolte, I'm jealous I wasn't drinkin' the Ol swill myself!

Not to change the subject but it sounds like Favre is leaning towards retirement?? Lot's going on in 'sconi these days.

[nolte]

Buzz

Yeah it was a rough weekend on Sconni. What's next they'll say our BBall team lost to NDSU, or that we are the number 2 dairy state behind Kalifornia. Next thing you know they'll take away the Leinenkugels brewery or tell us Max Magee was sober in the Super Bowl.

How does it go "The suns going to rise on a better day"

[buzzsaw]

Yeah, we'd get along. But tell the truth.... your only really still happy because your womens hockey team is still ranked #1 !!!!

C'mon now, tell us the truth.

[nolte]

Buzz

I wasn't even aware we had a womens hockey team or that they were #1. just kidding all you lady hockey followers so don't beat me up too bad.

Actually a girl a couple years younger than me and who is my buddy's sister played for the Badgers the last couple of years. And this year she is on the Olympic team. pretty cool.

[Hockey Guy]

Nolte,

I knew there was going to be a weak response to my comments. The FACT is… you can’t argue with me on this. Wisconsin produced a good player and he went somewhere else to play! Boo Hoo. We deal with it all the time. You asked how many Minnesota players recruited by the Gophers have gone somewhere else to play? How about we look at just the last couple of years: Zack Parise, Brian Lee, TJ Oshie, Marty Sertich, Joe Finley, John Brunkhorst, Taylor Chorney, Drew Stafford, Matt Smaby, Erik Fabian… Do I really have to go on here? Don’t forget Peter Mueller either. Even though he is not playing college hockey he is still a recruit that we lost and many scouts have him rated higher than Kessle! So don’t tell me it’s a different situation. Fact is; it’s just the first time it’s happened in Wisconsin. You can’t tell me that Kessle was recruited any stronger that Zack Parise and we lost him without shedding a tear because we are used to it!

As for your Potulny and Irmin comment, the same argument applies. The Sioux had 11 players from Minnesota on there team when we took two players sort of from ND. They played most of their hockey across the river in Minnesota but they had a ND address for the tax breaks! You say Kessle spit on your program… give me a break. The kid went to a team where he had the best chance to play HIS game and advance his career. Why is it that every program thinks they can take kids from Minnesota but we shouldn’t be able to recruit theirs?

[30 inch eyes]

WOW I though I opened the hockey site, not the boxing site!

[Rolly22]

Each kid has an idea of where they want to go to college from the time they are young hockey players. Most of the time it's who they grew up cheering for. After that, it's how the schools recruit and what state their program is in at the time. How nice is their rink, winning team, locker rooms, housing?? Maybe the showboat met a girl on his recruiting trip, who knows. Before the goofers started recruiting outside of MN, I'm sure some programs were pretty happy. Now that they take a few kids from other states, you hear whining. The final choice lies with the kid and his family, the way it should be. Blame Kessel and his Mom and Dad.

[redlake]

OH HELP ME RHONDA!

If this was the North Dakota fishing forum I would raise some serious heck right now! You bunch of sniveling [PoorWordUsage]s!

Under the circumstances, I am forced to hang my head and cry! Win or lose, we have the best darn sport on the planet!! Why can't everyone gust get along?

Everyone with me say, "Buck Teeth Rodents!"

We can all still eat cheeze and enjoy it.

Let's enjoy the season!

[Dotch]

I agree. Just please let me know if they close the Leinie's brewery tho...that would be tragic.

[buzzsaw]

I'm with (Contact US Regarding This Word) and the Dotchmeister.... lets all just hug. Okay no hugging allowed.

Peace

[nolte]

Hockey Guy

You are missing my point. Name the last highly touted national recruit from WI besides a Suter. Not a good D1 prospect, but one that is top tier. The only real solid player I could even scratch together was Craig Ludwig, Who played for the Sioux. And even with his Pro success as a good D-man it's a stretch. I don't know what the reaction was then, cause I wasn't even born.

The Fabian, Oshie, Lee players aren't the same deal cause most of the kids in the NW bleed green, not maroon and gold.

The other kids are very good players but most played some junior hockey first. Name the last metro/or close player that had enough talent to step in and contribute at the D1 level at 18, that was heavily recruited by MN, verbally said he was going to attend, and then went to the Sioux, Den, Sconni, CC, Dogs, Kato, Cloud, or Tech. And no doubt the metro has a much bigger D1 talent pool in a year than Sconni does in a decade.

Mueller is not a similiar situation going pro.

I know you guys lost the recruiting battle to Parise and Bochenski. But you mean to tell me that it didn't jab gopher fans every time those two lit it up against the Maroon and Yellow. Or that they weren't booed every time in Mariucci. Please.

A situation that I would consider similiar would be the one where Spehar went to the Gophs instead of the Dogs. And the Dogs weren't very good. At the DECC the students wore shirts that said "Spehar Sucks", and chanted it continually in the game. This isn't an isolated instance with college hockey fans, and won't ever be. I was at a game when he was a Junior and they were still doing it. I'm pretty sure he had a goal in his first series back and I don't remember him egging on the crowd. In fact here is a quote from Dave regarding the dogs and xtra antics.

"I don't think it's right to come into someone else's barn and pull a dance like that," Spehar said of Nicklin's hopscotch-like skate to the blueline. "It's just unbelievable.

"When you're in your own place, whatever. Do what you've got to do. But show a little respect when you're on the road -- especially if you have trouble backing it up."

And I don't think Kessel is backing it up as much as he could be, cause he is very, very talented. If you've followed the world junior tourneys, he's just ripped it up. I'm sure he also could care less whether he is booed or not, because players know you only boo players that can do damage to your team. It's just to rattle their cage. Nobody boos an average fourth liner, unless he is a major cheapshot.

Point is, He'll won't be a WI Golden Boy till after he's done being a Golden Gopher.

[buzzsaw]

Remember Kessel is the second youngest player in ALL of D-1 Hockey!!

[redlake]

And the youngest player?

Johnathon Toews! University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux!

I think he just turned 17.

[snowman678]

Nolte, I have been to several gopher vs. UND games the past few years (both at Mariucci & Xcell during the final-5) & never did I notice the crowd boo Parise, nor spit at him, nor dump drinks on him, or throw things at him. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I sure didn't notice it. I also used to attend several UW games a year @ Kohl center while my younger sis was going to UW & have also attended games in Grand Forks, Duluth & St. Cloud (all with various opponents as I'm not only a gohper fan but also a WCHA fan in general)& I have yet to see worse sportsmanship from any group of fans than what I have seen in Madison. I'm not saying all UW fans are that way, not at all. But the games I have attended the UW fans (I sat in the student section as my sister was able to get me tickets) seemed more interested in harassing and abusing the other team than they were in cheering for their own (this includes harassing players families, which is very "bush" as you like to say). This may have just been due to the team not being very good at the time, I don't know, but I do know that at every game I attended I saw people throwing beverages etc. on the opposing teams on their way in & out of the locker rooms. There is no reason for that kind of behavior. I can understand people being upset with Kessel choosing MN because he is a great player and hopefully will only get better (including his maturity), but the fans could stand to show a little more class than what they did.

[Rolly22]

This post is starting to resemble beating a dead horse, but I have to agree with snowman on the UW fans. As a player, I don't know how many times I wanted to climb into the stands. Also, I've never seen so many fights erupt between opposing fans and the home town crowd. It doesn't happen anywhere else as much as it does in Madison. I don't think it's a coincidence. They definately know how to provoke. Kessel kind of reminded me of TO when he went and stood on the star in Dallas. I think I would have gone after that punk. Nothing bugs me more than that dump. However, we never swept UW in Madison when I was playing either, so I guess I don't know how he felt.

Rolly

[PierBridge]

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It doesn't happen anywhere else as much as it does in Madison.

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I know their annual Hollowean Party is second to none.

[buzzsaw]

Rolly, did you play for the Gophers?

[PierBridge]

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Rolly, did you play for the Gophers?

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Nope!........

Google tells me he played for the team which is currently rated number One in the College Rankings. .. I thought you were the Google master Buzzy.

Anyway If he was a Gopher I think he would have worded this statement a bit differently.

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Kessel kind of reminded me of TO when he went and stood on the star in Dallas. I think I would have gone after that punk

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....whistling..whistling..whistling...

[buzzsaw]

If he played for Miami then he probably wishes he played for them now. I see that Miami's schedule has been sooo easy! Look at the SOS (Strength of schedule) on the pairwise rankings and they are like 27th! I hear they have a decent defense and good goaltending... My prediction, they will be a possible loser in the first rd of the NCAA's and most certainly by the second round.... most overrated team out there.