The Sicatoka

Probably not popular takes, but they got the calls wrong in both the NAS and OTT games. Versus NAS, Dell played the puck. The puck stopped moving along the wall. A defender ran into the "puck possessor" (Dell) along the wall. How can the puck carrier commit interference? Against OTT, Dell committed elbowing. The elbow comes away from the torso to make contact.

Batherson appears to be out six or more weeks with an ankle injury after the hit. https://www.yahoo.com/now/nhl-senators-drake-batherson-injured-on-bulls-play-from-sabres-goalie-aaron-dell-141553740.html

Karl Goehring has seen the TBL system, where you can still play defense and score. What we have is a ton of guys who are fillers at best at forward. And after the top 3 or 4, the defense is still unproven to suspect. Ask yourself (not you dear reader, but this is to the team) have you earned a roster spot for next season?

The team was still feeling the after-effects of being sick the week before. (<-- Not speculation.)

Allow me one observation: About half of Cornell's goals on that weekend were shots of the amazing "under four feet" variety: tap ins, slide ins, at the paint. I don't see a whole lot of UND green around the opponent's blue paint recently. Scoring woes? There's the answer. Who's going to the dirty areas, down to bloody nose alley?

This team came undone with about 6 to 10 minutes left ... again. Happened against Cornell. Happened here. Is it mental or physical? If physical, is it acute (recovering from recent illness) or chronic (dryland off-season not gittin-er-done)? If it's mental, some personal self-reflection time need be done.

Bigfoot reports a Judd Caulfield sighting.

Plans are useless ... but planning is indispensable. For all we know this roster card is "for show" and things will change on first line change.

But Albrecht is snakebit, he just can't score and we can't waste the opportunities 27 and 19 generate. As someone I know says ... he couldn't score with a $20 bill in a two-dollar whore house.

Have we seen either Sullivan or Lukkason with orange arm bands yet this season?

LouieJam and Senden create so many "surprise!" opportunities having a shooter like Calder there doesn't sound so bad. And those three play the game like wily veterans. That first line, they all play like wild eyed eleven month old golden retriever pups. I think both combos have interesting potential.

So, Schmaltz and Kunz back together. Can they whip up some of that Green Bay magic from last season? And can Caulfield get off the milk carton finally?

Albrecht in with Montgomery, Budy*, Hain* as forwards not in. Suddenly our depth at forward is disturbingly suspect. So, is Bast or Johnson taking shifts at fourth line right wing in practice yet? *injured/out

... which can change at the speed of a guy going over the boards.

No Hain, no Sanderson. Left just Senden and Frisch with extra characters on their jerseys. Somebody's thinking ... I like it; thinking is good.

We'll have a Schmaltz malt liquor bull sighting Friday and pour me a vodka Costantini on ice on Saturday (the Lawson Lunies will be shaken while I'll remain unstirred) ... I'm on a roll, let's do next weekend too ... Next Friday we ride the Ford, but Saturday the high end 'Ashton' comes otta the garage. ... yeah, yeah, yeah, it's Aston Martin ... work with me here people ...

< squinting and vaguely pondering > Hockey roster 25-ish ... FB roster 100-ish ... FB 4x hockey ... Hockey turnover 6 annually-ish ... FB turnover should be 25 annually-ish ... not 70-ish ... Last thought ... < reaches for codeine based cough meds to go back to sleep >

The off-center Zamboni door on the right end of the rink in photo is giving me an optical illusion that the net is off center.

Is this one of those "respect the pronouns" things?

The numbers bandied about in past conversations about FBS was that is would take $2-4 million more annually compared to what is spent at FCS. This would cover 44 additional scholarships (22M / 22W) and increased coaching staffs and salaries and general department costs. These days I believe the numbers would lean closer to the $4 million figure.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Caveat emptor.

It's the AAC or SunBelt.

Oshie Toews Jost Caggula Schmaltz Pinto Nelson Parise Weatherby Grimaldi Rowney Boeser Smith Poganski Gardner Poolman Kierstad Forbort Stetcher Wolanin Bernard-Docker LaDue Dell

Here's where I say again there's no western "MAC". A consortium of the top of the MVFC and BSC would form a better conference athletically and academically.

How do you know if Dom is creating a false tweet? His thumbs are moving.