Wilbur

A couple of my fellow sioux fan pals hate the fact that UND consistently goes and plays top ranked non conference opponents like Cornell, or Miami. I love the fact that they play these teams and hope they continue to do so. In the future I'd love to see them get a series against Michigan, or get another one against BC. Doesn't BU come to the Ralph next season some time?

I'll tell you one thing, if you've got guys like Cichy, Bruneteau, and Toews battling for the last spot, only good things can come out of that. I think those guys would see a regular shift with a lot of teams, and if any guy goes down any of them can step into a role and produce. Anybody think that Dell will see a game this weekend? I have a feeling if the sioux win Friday night that Dell will get the nod on Saturday. My heart tells me though that its all Eidsness all the time from here on out.

The Sioux need to keep up the momentum this weekend. After going through a strech of seven games where they were 1-6, they can turn that stat around with a 7-0 stretch heading into the postseason, and hopefully 9-0 going into the final five. Regardless, if they sweep this weekend they'll have 20 wins going into the postseason, and I have no idea how the NCAA could keep a team with 20 wins out of the postseason, even if the Sioux didn't make the final five.

Here is how I have things working out: 1. Denver-Splits with CC 2. Wisconsin -Splits with Goldy 3. SCSU-Splits with Mankato 4. Duluth-Sweeps UAA 5. UND-Sweeps Tech 6. CC 7. UM 8. Mankato 9. UAA 10. Tech I don't think Denver will sweep CC this weekend, as they have already wrapped up the league, and CC is almost due for a win eventually. The Sioux will most likely sweep Tech, but I don't think that Duluth loses in Anchorage either. Goldy will play Bucky tough, but that series will end in a split. And SCSU and Kato will both win their home games....but hey, go Cows! Lets all be happy the sioux got home ice! Any team that comes into the Ralph and takes two of three deserves to be at the X instead of the Sioux.

Completely agree with this statement. For the last twenty years it seems as if the state tournament has been an add on of the EDC tournament. I attended all the games yesterday and they were all fair outcomes. BHS played horribly (Peluso even admitted it) and got by a West Fargo team that beat Red River. Williston's goaltender probably stole them a game, but they did stand up and play toe to toe with South all game long. Century dominated Grafton, and they were almost on the wrong end of the scoreboard as Offutt (I think thats his name) stood on his head the entire game. Central will win the state championship, but hopefully this is a sign that there is a bit more parity in the state. A team to look out for next year (other than Central) is Bismarck Century. They have a ton of underclassmen with a lot of skill. After Central, I thought they were the best puck control team yesterday, and the second best skating team after Central as well. Today's Predictions: Central over BC 5-1 BHS over Williston 3-2 OT

I am very excited for the tournament this year. Central will hands down win the championship, but its great that you see schools like West Fargo and Bottineau making the tournament. Besides the Central vs. Bottineau game, you could argue that this should be one of the best first rounds in state tournament history. Bismarck vs. West Fargo is anyone's guess, Williston vs. Fargo South should be good, and Grafton and Bismarck Century should be a good late game as well. Congrats to Bottineau! They will lose to Central, but its great for those kids to take the trip to the Ralph!

Great weekend for the sioux! All the cards went the right direction. The sioux win three of their last four and they've got home ice in the playoffs. I knew that the gophs would take it to CC this weekend, just had that feeling.... Must split at CC! Must split at CC!!!!!

5-2 Gophers in the third period....good for the Sioux.

So far so good! The Sioux win tonight and the gophs win tonight and things will be looking good for the sioux! All they'd need is a split next weekend then and a sweep over Tech at home. No Way CC sweeps DU...no way.

Ohh come on, if its good for the sioux its good for me. The gophers need to sweep C.C. for the sioux to get home ice. I don't think C.C. is that great of a team, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if the goofs put it together at home for a weekend. Sioux Sweep, Gophs Sweep! It could happen!

I'm anxious for this series to get going. UND needs some help from the goofs, but I think they'll get it. If the Sioux get a sweep this weekend and the gophs get a sweep we've got a tie ball game going into Colorado Springs next weekend. It may seem like a bit of a longshot, but the sioux are very capable of getting home ice in the playoffs.....maybe they'll get a home series against the gophs.

Regardless of who starts both guys need to be ready to go. Dell and Eidsness both need to prepare like they'll be in the net any time the sioux strap it on. I'll use the old adage that both are simply a heartbeat away from being the guy in the game at any point in time. I think you start Dell on Friday night and then give Eidsness Saturday night against DU. Hopefully both guys give UND a great chance to win both games. The Sioux can ill afford to drop any more conference games, and it all starts in the net. You can't beat the #1 team in the nation with cheap goals. Cheverie won't give up any freebies for DU, and our goalies need the same type of performance.

I think the first period on Friday night is HUGE. If the Sioux come out and play the body and take it to the pios and get a couple of early goals it could be a great weekend. If they sit back and let Gwoz work the officials they could easily get swept at home. This is a big weekend for Hakstol as well. He can't let Gwoz work over the officials the way he does. Every time Gwoz tries to pull his normal crap Hak has to have his word with them as well or it will be the same old same old 5 DU powerplays in a row. Its good to see Eidsness get back on track and hopefully he's ready to go for the postseason run. He needs to be our best player over the last two months of the season for something special to happen.

Two big games for the Sioux this next weekend. Might be time to give Dell a go in net. No Knight, No Genoway (lets admit it, he's done for the season), no Hextall. Time for someone to step up and be a leader.

Ohh heck yeah! I was a huge Finland fan that day! I couldn't pronounce any of their names, but I was all about the Finns taking a medal. That was a great game too. I wish Russia would have showed up for the gold medal game.

I just can't see the U.S. beating a pumped up Canadian team tomorrow. I know the U.S. coaching staff has Canada broken down inside and out, but I think they are just a better hockey team. A lot of things have to go right for the U.S. to win, here are a few things that have to happen: ~Jack Campbell or Mike Lee have to play the game of their life. I'm guessing it will be Campbell, he's played well against Canada before. ~The U.S. can't give Canada more than three powerplays. If you give Canada five power plays they'll score on two of them for sure. ~They need to score five goals. ~They have to stay humble and composed. Things will go wrong, and things will go right. . If they score a goal, it probably isn't a good idea to skate by the Canadian bench and taunt them like last year. That woke up a sleeping giant and was one of the reasons (besides awful goaltending) that they lost last year. I agree with a previous poster with Canada meeting Russia in the quarterfinals. I thought that Russia could have very easily beaten Sweden and they'll give the Canadians fits with their speed and goaltending. PS: I'm watching the replay of Canada vs. Slovakia, and I really don't think I can stand Pierre Mcguire anymore. I know its a TSN broadcast, and I know he's Canadian, but I wish he would be a bit less biased.....just a bit. A Slovakian player just gets called for diving and he makes it seem like none of the Canadian players have ever taken a dive.

Okay, correction, I looked it up: It was in 2004. Great Blais quote!

You guys are making great points about the officiating. Does anybody remember after Parise, Murray, and Stafford came back from the WJC after the USA had beaten Canada and won the gold medal (can't remember the year, maybe 2003), and the team was playing a home series against Anchorage? I remember the Saturday night game ended in like a 2-2 tie and after the game Parise was so beat up from the clutching and grabbing thuggery that Anchorage put on the sioux that night that he really couldn't even stand up? He went from being the most valuable player at the WJC to the guy that had someone around his waste the entire game....

I'll have to agree with you. I think the next couple of games set up pretty well for the U.S. You can start Lee against Latvia, which will be over before they drop the puck, and then have a rested Campbell go against Canada. Win or lose, after the Canada game you have to go with your best goalie the remainder of the tournament, which at this point in time appears to be Campbell.

Huh, I hadn't heard that. I guess a lot hof his future depends on how much he matures playing in the OHL. I agree with you though, I would highly doubt that he will be in the NHL before his 21st birthday.

I think the IIHF totally blew the player of the game for the U.S. Without Jack Campbell in the first period the Swiss are ahead 3-0 into the break. Every time I've seen the kid I've been impressed with the way he handles himself. Michigan is getting a great goaltender with this kid.... Day off.....breeze through game against Latvia where all four lines should play the entire game, and then the Canadians......

I like how Blais has built this U.S. team. They absolutely fly around like gnats in the offensive end, and create a ton of scoring chances. I think in the past they have tried to create teams with bigger guys that would possibly out physical Canada, which we all know is impossible. Overall not a bad start to the tournament. Other observations: ~Kristo is the man, played very well. Was the best player on the ice IMHO. ~Lee was okay. Probably see Campbell tomorrow against the Swiss. ~I wish Morin played college hockey. ~Why in the h e double hockey sticks did D'amigo or whatever his name is go to RPI.....why??? Like he's going to be an engineer..... ~I don't know what it is, but I always feel comfortable with Blais on the bench. It just seems like even when things go bad he always has it under control. I still say the top two teams in the tourny are the Swedes and Canadians. That will be the gold medal matchup.

I hate how TSN spends their entire broadcast sandbagging for the Canadian team. "Ohh, its all about goal differential, Canada needs to do this..." There comes a time and a place to where you dump the puck in and roll four lines. The Canadians had their top line on the ice the entire third period every third shift and sometimes every other shift. We as sioux fans hate what happened to Genoway, and the Canadians are lucky the Latvians played with some class and none of them tried something stupid. I think the IIHF really needs to consider run time as well. Stop the clock during the commercial breaks but there really isn't a reason to stop the clock when a team scores with 20 seconds left in the third period to go up 16 to zip. The funny thing is that when the U.S. gets up big on Latvia that they'll get booed every time they score a goal past six or seven.

I'm anxious to see who gets the nod in the net for the U.S. tonight. I think all signs point towards Mike Lee, although Campbell will undoubtedly get his chance later in the tournament. Not a lot of big names on this U.S. team, but I think thats what makes them intriguing. I think with good goaltending a bronze medal is definitely a possibility. I have never seen worse goaltending in my life than what the U.S. got last year. Thomas McCollom or whatever his name was was horrible. Prediction on the first goal by the United States tonight: ~I'll take Schroeder, from Morin. ~I'll also take the U.S. to win tonight.....4-2.

I'm excited for this weekend. I thought the Sioux played well against Denver, and should put out a good showing against two CCHA teams. No reason to believe the Sioux won't knock Ohio State around and light the lamp a few times. Miami will present an experienced team that has played on the big stage, and should be one of the better games at the Ralph this season. With Eidsness playing the way he is I see him playing both games. He was great in Denver. He won't win WCHA defensive player of the week, but I'll take that performance any weekend.