Oldguy

My take on this weekend. UND looked soft. And slow. Yes, they bounced back on Saturday, after a butt kicking on Friday. Yes, they only have 3 losses. However, my takeaways this weekend will be that teams can disrupt ND with physical play, and if they do, UND won't make plays, won't connect on passes, won't have a rushing attack, won't cycle much, won't score much. Given that basically all the teams they will play at the end of the season will be physical teams, better get a lot better at handling it.

Overall, UND got dominated tonight. No offensive zone pressure. No rush, no cycle. Beat in every phase of the game, IMO.

Wish I could believe UND will storm back tomorrow, but frankly, they have looked an AWFUL lot like last years' team since the break. No confidence with the way they have been playing.

We shall see. Haven't looked good in too many weeks to instill any confidence. Team is reeling right now.

The team I saw tonight (and last weekend, and the weekend before that) was not even close to the best team in the nation. Not impressive lately.

2-2-1 since break. How's the "Pact" going, boys?

IMO, you MUST start Thome tomorrow. Not that he is playing great either, but Scheel let in 3 softies tonight.

Just guessing, but in the last 10, I don't think they've gotten more than 3 wins (ties are not wins). Outworked and outcoached tonight. This sucks.

This game was !@#$. Outcompeted. Yet another game on national TV where UND sucked.

What about the fact that UND looks like a slow, unskilled team right now? Yes, Scheel has not been good, but what the hell with the skaters?

Again, NEVER in my life have I heard of 6 goals on 13 shots. WTF?

UND played half a game tonight. And, the results were obvious. Pathetic performance. 6 goals on (13?) shots? Are you F'n kidding me? Never heard of such a S-show in my life!

UND looked a step slow and a bit sleepy after last night's blowout. But, they still managed to win. Mark of a great team, I guess. Not exactly one for the ages, but we will all take the "W".

Honestly, I was worried going into this game that the big (stupid) ice was going to be a disadvantage for UND. However, they owned the Goofs all night, and looked to be exploiting the big ice, except for a couple rushes on which the rodents scored. But, UM could not establish any kind of offensive zone possession tonight. Total dominance 5X5 for UND. Very encouraging to watch.

Most notable observations for me were the PK (excellent energy all weekend, especially on the multiple 5 minute calls and 5X3's), the movement as a group up ice, and the strong forecheck. If this team stays hungry, they are going to win a lot more games this year.

"Absolutely not Duluth" - What a dumbass thing to say.

That first 5 minute call tonight was absolute BS. Overall, ND outmatched DU for about 2/3 of the weekend. ND looks very strong, indeed.

Yes, ND seemed to let the puck carrier waltz through all three zones. I was yelling at my TV at that moment. But, other than a few brief defensive breakdowns, UND played a damn good game last night.

Having seen several games now, the team looks two or three notches better at passing and support than the last few seasons. Puck possession is one thing, but the ability to keep your head on a swivel and connect in traffic looked terrific tonight, and at other times so far this season.

Our netfront improvement stands out to me so far. Some good creative plays in traffic, as well. So, better on the rush, better netfront on the cycle = much improved season coming.

I found myself yelling at my TV screen "what the hell was that"? way too many times tonight. UND has not had an opponent that is in their face as much as BSU so far. For half the game, they looked like they did not know how to counter at all. Then, late in the 2nd, they finally started playing with some real pace, and moving more as a 5 man unit. That was the difference maker. Always a good early season opponent, because it makes these guys realize they are not going to win without pace and awareness. Be sharp or lose.

I was speaking specifically about tonight (just the one game). Definitely was frustrating to watch, with the missed passing, the poor decisions that led to turnovers, and lack of production. Shadows of last year, for sure. Not disappointed with the team so far this season. But, tonight I was a bit underwhelmed by UND.

Tonight, all I can say is...2018 called. They want their offense back!

My impressions on this game were mixed. I thought defensive positioning was pretty good, especially as the game went on. GT was not great tonight. Beat cleanly from far out or bad angles a few times. That needs to be better. Ultimately, a tie on Friday on the road is not bad. But, that puts more pressure on Saturday.

What kind of product is this? UND is pathetic. Can't convert on 3rd-and-1, then ISU waltzes down to score again, easily. Come on, man.