U fans finding this Gophers team hard to watch

Here is a sampling of e-mails I am getting from Gophers fans:

BUMMED FAN

Gophers men's season ticket holder for 18 years. Tough to be a fan this year. -- TH

WHERE'S WORK ETHIC? What's going on with this hockey program? Over the past 2.5 seasons the hockey team has not played well. They have been looing to some really bad teams. It has been painful to watch this team. My biggest concern is the "poor work ethic" this team/program has showed over past 2.5 seasons.I have been a Gopher fan/supporter since 1976. -- TE GUENTZEL BIG LOSS

This is what I think is wrong with the Gophers: Mike Guentzel left. It has been a gradual slide downhill since his departure. -- ZL

(Guentzel was a Gophers assistant coach, working with the defensemen mostly, for 14 seasons before being asked to resign at the end of the 2007-08 season.)

ROMAN SAYS

The Gophers were ranked No. 6 in preseason polls and expectations were high. Team lost only three regulars: Winger Ryan Stoa, a big scorer and irreplaceable. Defenseman R.J. Anderson who never scored but was steady. And Justin Bostrom, a valuable penalty killer.

Nearly everyone thought team would be better with addition of defenseman Nick Leddy, Mr. Hockey from Eden Prairie; forward Zach Budish of Edina, he adds size; forward Josh Birkholz, speedy wing who played in USHL, and defenseman Seth Helgeson, another player with size.

Instead, the team has struggled. The Don keeps telling the team they don't have the skill to score four, five goals a game like previous Minnesota teams did and the players obviously believe him. Nobody has big games anymore. A hat trick? It's obsolete.

Two goals? Mike Hoeffel has done it a couple times, Tony Lucia. Zach Budish and Josh Birkholz once. Anybody else? Nope.

Three points is the most any players has had this year. Lucia has done that twice, Budish once. That's it. Half the season is gone.