The Sicatoka

I, for one, am glad that "last 16" didn't matter this season. UND (last 16 before NCAA seedings): 5-9-2. Ouch.

doggy: I thought that too, until I saw this: Suddenly, the words "goalie" and "neck injury" pop into my head. No, I don't have any solid info on this either.

Why are you fretting? It appears that ESPN (and ESPN2) will have all three of tonight's game sevens.

Isn't that "Blazer" .... , er, I mean "Firebird"?

Moorhead boys Jason Blake (UND, NYI) and Matt Cullen (SCSU, Florida Panthers) have been seen making divots there in the past as well.

Didn't anyone warn Handy and Greyeagle that for every 10 days that go by without their "numero uno" bolting for the door costs them another player? I think they're up to Vanek and Paul Martin by now. Come the first of May and no movement you can add Ballard to that list!

Apparently the AWHL isn't expanding but is relocating a franchise. The Great Falls Americans are moving to Fargo.

You could bring KARE-11 TV along to film it as a documentary. Oh, yeah, they're short a 'ride.'

Sorry to ruin your fantasy, but Cindy "Porno" Brady is an urban legend.

First, black nets are better for television. White nets are better for fans in the arena. Television "sees" a dark crowd so the black works better. However, fans in the arena are looking at white ice so white is better for them. Note that all the NHL nets are .... black. I'll say it again: Both sides should lobby for "one last chance" for the students to keep their center ice, lower bowl seats because neither side held true to the original agreement.

Wasn't the first "Gang Green" the New York Jets? You'd better make sure they didn't trademark it.

Fair enough. I'll take tony's post as humor. But then I'll take McFeely's column and say at least those are UND's non-conference games. McFeely? He's more pro-Bison than anything (except for maybe "general cynic").

Just for an unnamed poster here, I've heard they're trying to get South Dakota State's club team.

I'm not going to claim which duo is 'better.' As stated, it's all opinion at this point anyway. I will challenge the claim that Potulny/Irmen faced stiffer competition. Sure, Stafford played SSM's Midget AAA season this year. But Brady Murray played the whole year at Salmon Arm in the British Columbia Hockey League where he had a 101 point season and was First Team All-BCHL. Sure, Midget AAA isn't the USHL, but the USHL isn't the BCHL either. I'd say the competition argument ends up being a net wash.

Trifectas like 1997 are very tough. However, if you are only going to do one or two legs of the trifecta, Minnesota has chosen the correct leg in each case the last two seasons.

Who's in "The Show" now? Check here. Playing professionally? The 2002-2003 UND media guide listed 45 currently playing professionally at some level. I don't have other numbers.

Come on tony. It was light-hearted (and McFeely, a Bison fan no less). Take it for the humor it is.

Hammy: I'll answer for Goon. Same logic does apply for Parise; however, the catch is, as in any business deal there must be a buyer and a seller. "The buyers" all know that Parise is smaller and needs to add mass. They'll want to see how he plays in that frame before they "buy." sagard: I really can't find a hole in your analysis. Paul Martin, Ballard, Harrington, and Stevens scares me much more than (pick one) PM/KB, Harrington, Stevens, and ____? (Atherton? MacKinnon? Vanelli?)

Hammy: Very true. No Runkel and no Bourne won't help them. But we are yet to know all of the off-season changes for all the teams.

I go by Heisenberg because I'm not sure where else to look. If I was Howe I'd stay away or buy a lot of ties. I'm looking at who's returning what because to be the best you have to beat what all the other guys have. Here's one eye-opener tossed my way already this morning: Believe it or not, as it stands right now, Minnesota does not return the most conference goals, assists, or points next season. That designation goes to Mankato. It's not by much, but it's there.

Greyeagle: Oops. One of those A's. Let's put the rubber on the road right here. The over and under for Minnesota players with eligibility remaining to leave for the pros right now is set at 2.5. Who's taking which side (over or under)?

Anyone else notice the conference Mike McFeely (Fargo Forum) proposed for NDSU in his column Sunday?

Let's think about that for a second: Minuses: DeMarchi, Angell, Roberg (?), Mike Erickson, Dan Welch. The last two have been gone a semester already. Roberg? No comment. Angell wasn't breaking the line-up down the stretch. The only loss is DeMarchi. Recruiting class? Goalie Briggs. Defensemen Vanelli and Taylor. Forwards Potulny, Irmen, and Howe. Goldie's Roster. Adding Briggs takes some of the practice load off the other two. That makes sense. Only losing one defenseman but bringing in two when there are 9 on the roster already? Ten defensemen on the roster? That tells me that Lucia expects to lose one, maybe two, to the pros. Normally teams carry 8 or 9 defensemen. Fifteen forwards on the current roster. However, that counts Welch (gone already) and Erickson (already back to USHL). Anthony (didn't play down the stretch) is a senior. That would be trading three for three even up. However, as mentioned, the potential exists for guys who've played the last two seasons to be wearing ties during games. I think the jury is still out on Vanek, Ballard, Paul Martin, and probably Tallackson's (did his stock rise the weekend or what?) status for next year. A guy like Vanek or Ballard (high draft picks), teams may want to get them into the fold now, before the new CBA a year from now. I won't guess at where teams will be for about three months. I want to see who stays and who goes because anyone who believes all the going is already (around the whole league) done is reality challenged.

Home ice more than 90 feet wide in the NCAA: HEA: UNH, UMass-Amherst CCHA: UAF, NMU WCHA: Minnesota, UAA, CC, MSU-M, SCSU, UW CHA: None ECAC: None MAAC: None That's 10 wide and 50 (or now 48) on 90' or less.

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