Gophers Hockey – Page 43 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Put the Lynx near Your Heart

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by David Shama

If you only reserve your money and emotions for winning teams, then invest in the Lynx. That’s the advice of Sports Headliners after contemplating likeability rankings of the major local pro sports franchises along with the Gophers.

Season outlooks for Minnesota teams are often dreary as real estate values. The April start by the Twins is the latest evidence of our “Losers Club,” but as we look toward the next 12 months we aren’t without hope.

Here are Sports Headliners’ rankings as to who is most and least likely to make us happy:

Love those Lynx. The 2011 WNBA champs brought the first pro title to town since the 1991 World Series Twins. The Lynx opened training camp last Sunday and have their star players returning, including three who will play for Team USA in the Olympics. Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen are winners, and that’s what these rankings are all about. No guarantees but it will be no surprise at all if the Lynx win the WNBA title again.

The hockey Gophers played in the NCAA semifinals where they lost to eventual national champ Boston College. Minnesota goalie Kent Patterson had a great season but is a senior and will have to be replaced. If the Gophers don’t see young talents like Nick Bjugstad leave for the pros during the off-season, or somehow experience other important personnel losses, Minnesota might be even better next winter than last. The Gophers could certainly start the season ranked among the top college hockey teams in the country.

Before Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and was sidelined, the Wolves were approaching unprecedented recent popularity. Injuries later hit other teammates and the team’s collapse was as attention demanding as the wonderful start to the season led by Rubio and star forward Kevin Love. What’s next for this franchise isn’t easy to answer. Rubio might not be the same player next season as last, and the complementary pieces to Rubio and Love aren’t in place yet.

The Gophers basketball team looks good on paper. We’ll wait and see how they look on the court in February before moving them higher in the rankings. Academics, off-court behavior issues and injuries have wrecked past Tubby Smith teams. Like their predecessors, this Gophers team will not be deep in talent but Minnesota does have three exceptional starters in forwards Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe, and point guard Andre Hollins. Pray for good fortune.

Jerry Kill has more admirers than any coach or manager I can remember who won just 25 percent of his games in a first season. Maybe all these admirers know something. I think they do. Kill’s second year team could win half its games and earn a bowl game invitation. More important, the Gophers just might look pretty good even in games they play against the better teams in the Big Ten. Put your money and emotions on Kill’s Gophers in 2014 and 2015.

The Wild has off-season personnel acquisition intentions like the Wolves. The franchise had a fast start under first year coach Mike Yeo who looks like the right guy on the bench for this team. But the Wild faded miserably during the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Too many injuries and too few goals. This is a franchise that has shown it can draw fans, but not win many games. We’re waiting.

Maybe it’s the optimism of the off-season and the glitz of last week’s NFL draft, but we’re nudging the Vikings ahead of the Twins in the rankings. Yeah, the 3-13 record of last season will be remembered for a long time but this club has some playmakers. Like they say, on a lot of Sunday afternoons running back Adrian Peterson or wide receiver Percy Harvin can be worth the price of admission. And don’t you just feel better about yourself when Jared Allen does his calf-roping celebration after another franchise record sack? Come on downtown to see the Vikes before they head west. (Just kidding. I think).

It’s not all bad news about the Twins. I am still smiling after that acrobatic double play turned last week by shortstop Jamey Carroll and second baseman Trevor Plouffe against the Red Sox. New left fielder Josh Willingham can even hit balls over the fence at anti-home run Target Field. So far the starting pitching is probably the worst in the franchise’s 51 season history but there’s a way around that. The Sports Headliners method is to watch the half innings when the Twins bat. When the Twins pitchers are throwing, tune in the Golf Channel. Both your mood and golf swing will improve.

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Lucia Won’t Gloat at Critics Now

Posted on March 28, 2012March 28, 2012 by David Shama

Don Lucia won’t gloat now that he’s answered critics by coaching his Gophers to the Frozen Four. It’s Minnesota’s first trip to the Frozen Four since 2005, and follows three disappointing seasons when the Gophers played about .500 hockey and didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Lucia, who has been coaching the Gophers since 1999 and won national championships in 2002 and 2003, was the target of an angry fan base last year. But with a talented roster and the addition of new assistant coach Mike Guentzel, Lucia has silently answered the criticism in 2012, even if he won’t boast about an overall record of 28-13-1, regular season WCHA championship and beating North Dakota last Sunday 5-2 to earn a place in the Frozen Four on April 5 in Tampa.

“The criticism goes with the territory,” Lucia told Sports Headliners. “We’ve got a pretty good track record (over the years). I am most happy for our players.

“Our staff has worked hard. I am grateful to (athletic director) Joel Maturi for standing by us and president (Bob) Bruninks, too.”

Maturi’s courage in facing the hockey negativity and calls for a coaching change didn’t surprise Lucia. “They don’t get any better. He’s one of the good guys in college sports,” Lucia said. “He stands for all the right things.”

Lucia, who is recovered from the health problems that bothered him a few years ago and has the security of three years remaining on his recent contract extension, will see if Minnesota’s special season can continue in an opening Frozen Four game against Boston College, a team that has won 17 straight and even last fall was creating speculation about a 2012 national championship. “BC is strong at every position,” Lucia said. “There are no weaknesses.”

He wants the Gophers to avoid errors with the puck and be prepared to control the hard attacking BC offense. There will be a lot of pressure on Minnesota goalie Kent Patterson who was an All-WCHA selection this year. Lucia brought up Patterson’s name when asked about next season, indicating that having to replace the senior goalie will likely be one of the team’s few major personnel losses and his 2012-13 group could be even better than this year’s Gophers.

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Worth Noting

Posted on March 21, 2012March 21, 2012 by David Shama

Former Twins outfielder Delmon Young, now with Detroit, is second among major league hitters in spring training batting averages at .485.

The 40-man roster the Twins opened spring training with included seven players acquired through trades and nine via free agent signings. Nineteen players, including Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, were acquired through the first-year player draft while three were claimed via waivers and two in the Rule-5 draft.

Former Minnesota Wild executive Billy Robertson is working for the Twins as a consultant on outdoor hockey.

Antoine Walker, whose NBA playing career included time with the Timberwolves, blew $110 million in basketball earnings and is now broke, according to a feature story in the March 19 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill holds a noon news conference today, and then opens spring football practice with sessions at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex on Thursday and Friday. Those practices start at 3:15 p.m. and like all spring sessions are open to the public.

All four participating teams in the NCAA West Region hockey field will host a free-to-the-public one-hour open practice at Xcel Energy Center on Friday. The times are 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Western Michigan; 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. –North Dakota; 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. –Boston University; 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. –Minnesota.

At 12:30 p.m. on Saturday No. 1 seed North Dakota (25-12-3) plays No. 4 seed Western Michigan (21-13-6). At 4 p.m. No. 2 seed Minnesota (26-13-1) will meet No. 3 seed Boston University (23-14-1). All games are at Xcel Energy Center including Sunday’s 4:30 p.m. title game.

Coach Ken Novak’s Hopkins teams have won three consecutive Class 4A championships but the streak might end this year. The Royals play an opening Class 4A game starting at 10 a.m. today against Woodbury. Novak told Sports Headliners “we’re a good team” but personnel losses during the season give the coach pause. “We’re not quite what we have been,” Novak said. “Do we have a shot to win it? We still have a shot.”

Novak’s dad, Ken Sr., turns 83 this week and is still an assistant coach for the Hopkins dynasty. Ken Jr. has won six state titles.

Five finalists were announced yesterday for the Mr. Basketball Award: Siyani Chambers, Hopkins; Joey King, Eastview; Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-St. Margaret’s; Johnny Woodard, Duluth East; Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The winner will be announced after this week’s boys state tournament.

LynxBasketball.com has a section devoted to the upcoming WNBA Draft. Included are mock drafts and scouting reports on the top 15 college seniors along with updated statistics on more than 60 draft eligible seniors. The Lynx have six draft choices in the April 16 draft. Minnesota has two picks in the first round (third and 12th overall), three in the second (18, 19 and 20) and one in the third (31).

The North and South head coaches for the June 30 Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game at TCF Bank Stadium will be Jeff Schlieff of Spring Lake Park (North team) and Bill Ihrke from Plainview-Elgin-Millville (South team). They have a combined 37 years of head coaching experience and records of 261 wins and 123 losses.

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