Wilbur

I'm hoping that Goldy sweeps Wisconsin and that Bemidji gets a win at Anchorage. Wisconsin is a better team than Bemidji, and they played two tough games with UND in Grand Forks. UND could move up to third with a UNO sweep over Denver, and a UND Sweep, but I don't think thats going to happen. UND does matchup better with Duluth than Goldy, but at this point in the season, just making the F5 would be ideal.

Here is where I see the WCHA finishing after next weekends games. 1. UM 2. UMD 3. Denver 4. UND 5. CC 6. UNO 7. SCSU 8. Tech 9. BSU 10. Wisconsin 11. Mankato 12. AA That sets up: AA @ Minnesota........Minnesota wins that one Mankato @ Duluth.....Duluth in two. Wisconsin @ Denver....makes for interesting hockey....but Denver BSU @ UND....UND matches up well with BSU....got to go with UND Tech @ CC....These teams could possibly be playing two weekends in a row.....I'll give the edge to CC over a much improved Tech SCSU @ UNO....Toss up. Mike Lee would be the key player in the series. So the Final Five would be: UND vs. CC, winner to face Minnesota. Denver vs. UNO/SCSU, winner to face Duluth.

Someone said it best earlier....there can't be upsets in the conference tournaments. It doesn't matter who wins the Atlantic conference, they are bumping a team. BC/BU/Maine needs to win hockey east. One of the top four WCHA schools needs to win the F5. Right now CC is way down the ladder, they can't win the F5. The CCHA should be okay as Ferris, MSU, Michigan, and Miami are all in the top 16 of the pairwise. Western Michigan can't win the tournament or they'd bump a team out. The ECAC is the scary one because Union needs to win that tournament or someone gets bumped. Cornell is sitting at 16, but that can change, and if they were to drop and win the tournament, then another team gets bumped. Basically I've compiled a list of not favorite teams at the moment. They include: Cornell, Western Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, CC and Harvard. I'd throw Colgate in there, but they shouldn't win the ECAC. Or at least I hope they don't. Outside of the teams I listed that really need to win their conference tournaments it wouldn't hurt for the Sioux to get good performance out of Air Force down the stretch. Hopefully the Falcons make the NCAA's.

Good post. This team won't make an NCAA run with Eidsness. I think he's played well for the team in certain spots, but he hasn't stole a game for them, and if they go anywhere it will be with Dell in the net. Dell needs to step up next weekend at home and retain his starter role. I don't think you can be juggling goaltenders in March, one guy needs to be the guy, and then ride him the rest of the way. Lamoureax and Blood need to play more composed. You can't have a short lineup and have a parade to the penalty box. Blood was lucky he didn't get the boot last night. There is a fine line between playing hard nosed and laying everything out on the line for your team, and playing stupid. I think we may be seeing a little bit of the latter with some of the guys that can't afford to be doing so. I think you said it best sir....lets look at the penalty minutes leaders.... 1. MacWilliam 2. Blood 3. Lamoureax And the next closest guy is Kristo with 23 less minutes than Lamoureax. Can't happen....just can't.

It is going to be extremely tight the rest of the way. Probably 50/50 right now. ~Need to sweep the mavs to assure home ice. ~Sweep Bucky, Bemidji, or SCSU when you have your home ice in the playoffs. ~Win at least one game at the final five, if not two of them. You just want this team to succeed with all the setbacks they've had this season, but at the same time this program is all about making the NCAA's every year when in all reality that is extremely difficult to do every year. This team has every excuse to not make the NCAA tournament, but I have the feeling that there would be utter devastation if they didn't get in.

I can't imagine any player would be stupid enough to fight with the given situation......just....no way.....you couldn't be that stupid....

Got the split they needed on the road, but its a bit unsettling to think of what could have been. I'm thinking the penalty issues will be addressed in practice this week.

Never seen him play, but looked over some game summaries and it seems like he gives his team a chance every night. I guess he is a bigger goaltender, which never hurts.

Seems like the one inconsistency all season has unfortunately been the goaltending. With the cards this team has, they have to have great goaltending.

Get the game to OT, and Rowney will win it.

This game is so similar to the Duluth game its scary.......Down by two goals going into the third period with the starter playing less than stellar. I thought if able Dell would for sure be in the net. I wonder if he's hurting more than we all know.

Get a kill and get out of the period here fellas. Big couple minutes.

Got to get the game to the third period with a chance. Tied or down by a goal, and hopefully the grit of this team can get a point.

There we go.

Lots of hockey left. Can't take penalties and let the Shore boys do their thing.

The Dickin injury means probably means Gleason may likely be a forward for the rest of the season. It also means that the Sioux can't have d men getting ejected from games anymore. They have to play with an edge, but play intelligently as well. If you told me that the Sioux would lose big Andy in the first period, lose another forward in the second period, give up three goals in the third period, and win the hockey game....I'd ask you how many drinks with underage gopher players you had at Blarney's.....

Dickin is indeed out tonight, hopefully not season ending, but I'm guessing out for a while. If I'm Hakstol (and of course its a legal thing to do) I bring in a goaltender from campus somewhere to serve as the break man during practice, and have Maris put on some forward skates for a day or two. This is of course in the scenario that Dell is almost back to 100%. If Dell isn't near 100% then its a wash and Tate is the backup and I'm full of crap for even thinking of this. Last night the team was down to 15 skaters while Lamoureax was serving his penalty....yikes...

I'm thinking we see Dell in the net tonight, and a much more collected Mario Lamoureax. Oxbow said it best, the team needs more out of their captain, and he can't take misconduct penalties with such a short bench. With Dickin likely out that means 17 healthy skaters. I'm starting to think that the team should dress Tate Maris out as a forward to serve any type of major penalty or misconduct penalty. Why not? If both the top guys are healthy then really he isn't going to do anything for the team in a game situation (plays a huge role in practice and a great team guy, not trying to discredit the guy). I'm pretty sure he can skate from the penalty box to the bench.....

I think Big Andy will log more minutes tomorrow night than he would normally play. I'd love to see how many minutes Blood played. Seemed like he was on the ice the entire third period. I've relaxed from watching a great Sioux win...deep breaths....deep breaths.... PS: What a snipe by Pattyn. I wasn't a big fan of the kid early in the year, but he has been a tremendous addition to the UND program. Scored the game winner.

Maybe Dell is in the net tomorrow night after that last little jolt by Denver? If he's healthy I think Dell needs to be in the net to give Denver a different look. Ahhh...how come this win feels like a tie or a loss? Yuck.....

Sioux win.....yikes.....three goals in the last six minutes..... Be happy...the Sioux got the split they needed.

What in the world is Lamoureax doing leaving Zucker all alone......jeez....

4-3.....Cripes....

Get out of the game....get out of the game........ Wow....Eidsness/The Sioux just got really luck there..... Penalty on Blood.

TV timeout comes at a great time. The puck has been in the Sioux end the last five minutes. Tired legs, and a short bench is hurting a bit now. PS: I'm a Lamoureax guy, but come on....you can't take a ten minute misconduct with a short bench...thats killer....