E-mailer questions Lucia's approach with players

THREE DAYS UNTIL THE SIOUX HIT TOWN ...

LUCIA NOT POSITIVE ENOUGH

Here is a recent e-mail from a Gophers fan:

I am sick of hearing the Don say his team is not good enough to score goals or win games 5-4 or 6-5. If you were a 18- 22 yr old kid you would start to believe him.

The fact is his players do not improve from year to year. As much as I hate to admit it Garth Snow was right. (Snow is the New York Islanders general manager. Two years ago when the Isles signed Kyle Okposo, Snow said Lucia was not doing a good job of developing players.)

Under Woog you could expect 2-3 players a year to show significant improvement year over year. Unless there is significant improvement (i.e. consistently beating good teams and getting to the NCAA's) Lucia has to go after this year.

The Wooger was gone after 2 poor years I believe. Bottom line is a coach has to build up his players not tell them they are not good enough. Coaching is about getting the best out of your players. With all of the NHL draftees his approach is unacceptable.

ROMAN SAYS

Jay Barriball, a senior wing, was off to a decent start but suffered a season-ending knee injury. Tony Lucia, Don's son, also started well but has stopped scoring. He still hustles and works hard. But this senior class, down to five players overall, is not the kind that can carry a team.

If the Gophers are going to have a strong second half, they need contributions from every class. Trouble is, too often a player has a big game, then is quiet for weeks. No consistency.

I find it odd myself that coach Lucia keeps saying this team does not have the skill of past teams. He seems to be trying to get them to play a gritty style and, at least against Harvard, the Gophers seemed to be going to the net more and scoring that way.

While it's one thing to collectively talk about a lack of skills, I would hope that when Lucia deals with players individually, he is doing everything he can to boost their confidence. It was shook when the team got off to a rough start.

Another e-mail worth sharing:

I still believe that we need to let this season play out but there is definitely something wrong with this program.

I have followed this program since the Herb Brooks days. It seems like the program has had a cloud over it the last 2-3 years. Long time fans know what "Gopher Hockey" is and what we have seen over the last 2-3 years isn't it. "Gopher Hockey" is almost a brand. It's up-tempo skill hockey, puck possession, tape-to-tape passing & quick puck movement, constantly attacking the opponent and their net, outstanding power play, generating offense from the defensemen, forcing the opponent to play physical just to slow the Gophers down (which leads to penalties) and more. Much of this has been absent over recent seasons. I am at a point now where I cannot tell if this team simply lacks the talent or if the coaching is poor (or both!). Either way, the program is sinking. At their current rate they won't make the NCAA's again this year (with the West regional at Xcel). If that's the case this program has gone from a perennial national contender to a complete non-contender in their own conference. (Athletic director) Joel Maturi has a decision to make come April. - JN ROMAN SAYS

Maybe I am the cause of the Gophers' malaise. At least one Gophers fans has offered that theory on another web site. Since I have been covering the team -- this is the third season -- they have not won any banners and have usually struggled.

There was that one glorious stretch -- 7-0-4 -- to start last season, but usually things have not gone well.

Next year's incoming recruits, Nick Bjugstad, Seth Ambroz, Erik Haula, Nate Condon, etc., all seem to be impact players. And this season can still turn around. Should know soon. Sioux series could tell a lot.

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