shep

I agree with you about the notion of building the team back up rather than just being hypercritical as I may have been in the first post here. I guess I'm at the point where this is addition by subtraction. I just do not see why he is on the ice in a critical situation when he's known to have this propensity to make stupid penalties. I will not fall for any "It's the refs fault for calling it" excuse, either as it was just a lazy stupid act. The guy didn't have the puck but he got mugged.

The irony is that his size and mugging style will probably get him a decent NHL contract if they ever have an NHL season. Yes, I'm with you...Edmonton can have him now, and I don't care who has to step in on the blueline.

Matt Greene must by now have the season record for stupid penalties. The ONLY question I have about Hakstol as coach thus far is when is he going to sit Greene's butt for a game to try to instill some discipline into him. The Sioux had momentum last night and then with two minutes to play he grabs a guy who DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE PUCK!!! Bench him, now!!!

I don't know if "overachiever" is the appropriate description, but I always loved watching Dave Tippett take the ice. I swear he would have run over the Zamboni machine to get to a puck.

The most disappointing, disgusting part of the team is the consistent ability to take a stupid, two-handed, cross check to someone's back. I bet Greene leads the WORLD in those and often does it when we are already down one man. If that lack of discipline continues, she's going to be a long season. Lamoureaux is in as the goalie and that's a MAJOR PLUS now.

Many of you keep referring to something called the "NHL" and I'm not sure what it is, but I know it don't exist. At least not this year and they are talking about scabs for NEXT year. Oh well. We have Sioux hockey and they never go on strike/lockout.

I heard the same thing and though I enjoyed hanging out in the bar, I think they felt that the price they charge for lounge seats 1500 per warranted making that a bit more attractive by allowing only those holders to be in the bar. Plus the seat holders apparently get a pass for each seat they own so that even if you don't sit in the lounge seats you can get a pass to be in the bar during the game.

We (Red Sox fans) CAN NOT talk about the games behind or something bad will happen. Let nature take it's course w/o jinxing it, is my view. This morning they were talking about it on Mike and Mike, and I changed the channel so as not to hear it. Btw, the pen darn near blew it last night. My apologies to the board for the Red Sox digression. This time of year gets me crazy. I'd love to be in Fenway for a playoff game (if they make it).

I worry about the Sioux ability to "replace" Bochenski and Parise, two players who, because of their unique skills, are truly irreplaceable. So many guys have to step up. Maybe it will happen (I hope it does) but I believe that their absence will be obvious for the first two months at least and there will be many times during games that we'll see a play and think "Parise would have made that pass" or "Bochenski would have put that one in." Never count the Gophs out especially if they get a Mariucci playoff game. They worry me with or without Vanek. Then again, perhaps my gloomy view is conditioned by the fact that I am also a Boston Red Sox fan, and to me the Gophs are like the Yankees-never count them out.

You have a test already? School just started on Tuesday. Who gives tests already? I want names.

Well...maybe not. What if he hasn't or doesn't sign? What if the NHL has a lockout? If he doesn't sign, wouldn't he still be eligible to enroll in January for the second semester?? What's the rules on that?

I'm puzzled by the townhouse idea too except that I suppose it would be convenient if the tenants are Sioux fans and just want to walk to the games. The restaurant in the development will be called 23 (does everyone know the significance of that?) and should open by the World Juniors.

I only saw the Tuesday game, but I completely agree. I suspect the focus improves during the real games, but he did not inspire much confidence in me. Then again, he doesn't need to impress me.

It was only a few years ago that we had this type of turnover on the O-Line and it was a bad season. You can have all the D in the world and a good QB, but if that QB is on his back, it doesn't allow the O to score too many points.

I hope that's it and that he's not taking anything for granted as in "No way does Sandelin cut me from this team in front of my hometown fans. NO WAY!"

I saw both games on Tuesday and I agree with most of what shmittydog said already. I was VERY impressed with the Swedish goalie Lindberg and was wondering if he's the son of former Flyer goalie, Pelle Lindbergh? I realize the spelling in the program had it as Lindberg, but I also noticed inside the Ralph an ad for the Wild game in October against "Pittsburg" not Pittsburgh so I assume the same spelling error is possible. Frankly, I thought Stafford floated through Tuesday game. He just wasn't into it IMO.

A report like this causes me to think that the NHL's possible lockout is not so likely. Why else would a team seek to take a college kid from what may be the ONLY hockey he'll play for a year so he can sign and sit? Am I wrong about this?

Jay Haugland is the new coach for Grafton-Park River. He is a former youth hockey coach.

Enrolled in school, eh? You know, that's just crazy enough to work.

...and he doesn't have to hang out in those hockey hotbeds of Sioux City or Lincoln every weekend.

I suspect they want the Master's degree so that the coach can also teach in the Phy Ed Dept. at the college level which I do not believe they allow a BA to do.

To get my bias out of the way, I'm from the east and I've been watching high school hockey for 30 plus years. I think I understand your rationale to be "The West is weak because all it can play is the west" which sort of defeats the argument before you can even make it. Put it another way, "If the west had good teams and that's all they played were good teams from the west they'd be better" right? Alas, then the issue is whether teams in the west will ever have good hockey teams and in thirty years the answer has been "occasionally" but there is not one west team hockey program that makes it up to par with the two Grand Forks, three Fargo and one Grafton-Park River programs. Finally, they could hold the ND state tournament in Montana each year, and I assure you it would not affect the outcome or tilt the balance to those western schools. Just my opinion.

I can't reply until I find my "Hockey nickname to English" decoder ring.

Carl: Excuse me sir. But if I kill all the Gophers they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key.