Snake

I don't think it's just the D-men on the PP, but the forwards have to get the puck back to them with authority. Case in point was I think the 2nd shortie (the rebound goal by Stepan) where Trupp, near the half-wall, lazily tried to flip the puck back to Genoway and Stepan was right there to pick it off and go in. This goes back to your point about crisp, quick passing without hesitation - especially on the PP.

UND was the beneficiary of this rule in 2001 and 2004 when they were the #1 seed and got the 4/5 play-in winner in a short turnaround on Friday afternoon.

The two guys you mentioned only come around once in a generation. Now, out of curiousity, I don't follow the NHL very closely, but if Kane wasn't the #1 pick on 2007 who do you think should have been now that we've had a season and a half to evaluate the 2007 crop?

Yes, they had Jason Blake, but they also had Matt Henderson. The more important question may be "who is going to be this team's 'Matt Henderson?'" I'm looking for someone to step up from under the radar so to speak for the playoffs. There are plenty of upper-classmen on this team that could fit that bill.

That 8-spot was one of the three times they've given up five or more since the weekend of Jan 9/10 (UND/Gophers series). The gophers have given up five or more seven times since then. What sucks is that two of the three times SCSU has given up five or more in that stretch were against the Gophers! They might be better off agreeing to strap shooter-tudors in the nets.

I hear ya. I don't care for making predictions much, either. That's why I'm not going to be quick to say SCSU is done for even though the smart money is on the Gophers this weekend.

Were you humbled by the result of the Duluth series? Whether or not SCSU takes advantage of their opportunity is up to them. They do tend to play scared against the Gophers, much like the Bulldogs. I just don't think a 2-0 win against the last place team after a 6-5 sieve fest the night before exactly rights the Gopher ship. Of course SCSU didn't do much this past weekend, either, but the Gophers haven't exactly oozed consistency the past few weeks to the point where I'm ready to say they are a lock to sweep. They're capable of losing 2 of 3, but who knows if SCSU is capable of winning 2 of three...sounds confusing. I'm going to say "toss up."

I pretty much agree, but the Hockey Gods seem to be smiling on Lucia in spite of his team's play. This is the playoffs, and they actually have to win this series to advance, not let other teams take care of business for them. SCSU has a real opportunity here.

Splitting @ Tech to finish the regular season isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Minnesota. The Gophers got an awful lot of help from other teams' losses this weekend. Bottom line is at the time the game was played they needed a win Friday and didn't get it done. It was not until they knew everyone else lost Friday night that they got a second chance at a must-win game. Kudos to them for winning Saturday, but it's not like SCSU won't be capable of giving the Gophers a run for their money.

Wishful thinking for sure. DU is pretty much handling CC right now. Duluth has shown to be overrated.

They would be wrong. 1-0 DU 3:00 left in 2nd.

If I recall correctly, signal QUALITY is the one that matters. I get 70% on the dish channel with my Traxis, but I was not able to scan in the feed yesterday.

Or, that darn tide keeps washing the line away!

Freq 12016 Polarity V Symbol Rate 20000 This is the Dish Network pointing channel.

Special delivery by Mr. Kangas!

You're not making a consistent argument yourself. Your fist sentence implies an accident. Most people understand that accidents happen. Fights don't just happen by "accident." These guys can tell when stick work is intentional or not, and thus deal with it accordingly. For the most part when players engage in fights they are sticking up for their teammates' self-worth after they've been victimized by a cheap shot.

In those years where MN finishes #2 or #3 it becomes an advantage for the #1 seed to get the play-in winner on Friday afternoon. The MN rule probably hurts the play-in winner the most.

I'm referring to the one in downtown St. Paul.

We've been staying there since it started in St. Paul - it's a great place to stay. It's a little far from the X, but you can pay $10 per person for a weekend shuttle pass to get to and from the X. They run shuttles between games, too, which makes it handy for getting back in time for the free drinks during the manager's reception!

If VV is only a year away from the NHL it might suit him better to develop that year in the AHL rather than the WCHA. Now, if he's more than a year away it might make more sense for him to stay in school...

The depth of this team showed this weekend - certainly when you compare it to CC who got the bulk of their scoring from their top line. That was the main positive I took away.

I just checked USCHO and they have us tied for 7.

YEEEEEEE HAWWWWWW!!!!!!!

SCSU Wins! Lasch! 2-1 in OT...we got some help!!

SCSU ties it 1-1