I don't pretend to know much of anything about hockey, so it's hard for me to cover it here. But I do follow the team, and very much get into playoff hockey. And it's hard not to note that Don Lucia's Gophers are struggling.
Gopher Puck Live's headline says it all: "Another Day, Another Loss." And the lead to the story says it all.
Two weekends, 17 goals given up, no time with the lead, swept out of the top of the league by two of your biggest rivals.
Ugh.
For those of you that follow Lucia's squad closely, what do you think ails the Gophers? Is it just a rough stretch for Alex Kangas? Is it legitimate to talk about the team's focus after Lucia's health issue?
Sort of like the men's basketball team, Lucia's boys have a potential get-healthy opponent next as they face the Seawolves of Alaska-Anchorage.
- On Tuesday when the Gophers aim to get back on track against Indiana, at halftime Trent Tucker will become just the fifth Gopher in school history to have his number hang from the Williams Arena rafters. I agree with Doogie at GI.com, this is much overdue. And next on the former Gophers to honor ought be Jim Shikenjanski, right?
- With the deepening financial crisis, it's no surprise that U President Robert Bruininks asked AD Joel Maturi not to offer contract extensions or raises to Tim Brewster. What kind of message would it send to give the football coach a raise when Governor Pawlenty is slashing higher eduction funding?
- The Pro Bowl was just played on Sunday, but that doesn't stop some from looking forward to next year's football season. The Moutain West Conference Connection looks at Air Force's 2009-10 schedule and predicts a win against the Gophers in our home opener at TCF Bank Stadium.
- After a letdown home loss to Wisconsin, Nittany White Out is prepping PSU fans for an NIT bid. I think that's premature. Penn State is still good enough to win a few games down the stretch, and in the Big Ten tournament and make a run.
- Meanwhile, a Robbie Hummel less Purdue team went to Illinois and lost, prompting Boiled Sports to "resign oureslves to some truths."
- Sticking with the Big Ten, the Michigan State Spartans dominanted Tom Crean and Indiana the same way they beat up on the Gophers. The Enlightened Spartan has more here.