I Ranger

I'm with you. If there is one center to move to make room for Omac to move back to center, he would be my choice even though you know it isn't going to happen. He can't get any worse playing on the wing right? 5 points this year. I know this is never going to happen either but I've always said Berg's game is more suited for the wing as well.

This is exactly what this team has showed me as well. Take Blake off last years team and this is what you get. One great player sure can mask a lot!

I've been with you all year on OMac needs to play center as he is a fish out of water on the wing just don't think having Berg center Kunz and Schmaltz is the answer. Jamernik on that wing makes more sense than Scmaltz. Berg needs to play with more talent and I wouldn't even mind Croal instead of Kunz or maybe even try Wilkie on a wing (I know this isn't going to happen but why not try). I don't have any magic combinations although I think 22 and 18 need to play together with 22 centering.

In my mind we have a clear top 12 forward unit with Berg back. I think Littler and Andrew sit and Montgomery is going to be the extra skater most nights due to his versatility to play both ways. That would be my guess.

I wish I could say I'm surprised. I said this in the Spring when he committed. Find me a player that played in a much lesser league and put up numbers that then hits the portal and goes to a bigger school/league and even remotely comes close to doing the same? It just never happens.

The only tough decisions to be made with Berg back is the line combinations. In my opinion, I think the 12 forwards are pretty set. Monty, Andrew and Littler sitting depending on if we suit an extra forward or D.

I would guess you could replace Portal with CHL. Remember the number of available goalies increased exponentially more so than just the Portal now.

No I certainly agree not bringing in Laurila. I was thinking maybe flipping an older recruit but I kind of figured with Monty moving back and forth that we wouldn't bring one in.

I was thinking this was going to likely be the case as well. This has been discussed before but do we bring in a D at semester knowing this now?

And you can visibly see shift by shift (and even on the PP) OMac losing confidence playing out of position. He fumbled more pucks tonight than he has his first two years. Many of our skilled guys are really fighting the puck.

100% agree and have said this for years. Guaranteed two boring games even for the best of Sioux teams.

Also based on Minnesota high school hockey box scores it looks like Schultz didn't play for Minnetonka this weekend. I take it that means he's playing the full year for Chicago (USHL)? I thought he was doing before/after.

I've said it before and I will say it again this is/was the most frustrating thing for me. Look what Carle has done creating momentum after momentum in all areas of his program after the national championships beating out Minnesota for two blue-chip cities area kids (which is unheard of for DU) and we follow our national title up with two of the worst recruiting classes I can remember with on-ice results to show for it!

You can show me all the numbers you want but our PP doesn't pass the eye test especially our zone entries! And again especially when comparing it to what DU's looked like last weekend vs what ours looked like.

And their recruiting has really taken an uptick capitalizing on these most recent national championships. This is/was the most frustrating thing for me after our natty in 2016. Instead of building of the momentum of finally getting the monkey off our back we followed it up with 2 of the worst recruiting classes maybe ever at UND.

Agreed I found that very odd as well as you know for a fact Schloss is going to ask about injuries every week at Berry's press conference. I think it means Schloss had no idea Berg was injured again and the team kept it very quiet.

If I remember correctly that year, we absolutely pounded them both times in Denver and then once at the Ralph as well but I believe tied the second night. All the reason that 1-0 regional final hurt so bad! Must have wasted all our goals on them in the regular season.

And hopefully one day James hands can catch up to his feet!

This X a million. Saturday was about as bad of a game as any player could have. And how much ice time does that third D pair get? It's a little scary.

Let the $hit show begin. This will be very interesting as there are rumors that some NCAA coaches have already been recruiting the CHL(and even have commits) which certainly seems to have been a good idea.

Looks like Keith McInnis is no longer a commit.

Totally agree. I said in the offseason when we were wondering who would move to the wing out of the centers that Berg's game transitions to the wing the best for the exact reasons you state above.

Takeaways from the weekend. We certainly didn't play well but goaltending was definitely the difference. We have a goaltending issue currently no doubt. Our D breakdowns are atrocious and we don't generate enough offensive chances to make up for it at the moment especially with an ugly PP. Lastly we got pushed around and there was no better example then in the 3rd when Cornell came down on a rush and walked our D for a scoring chance and we turned the puck around for a rush the other way and our forward tried to make a similar move on their D and got knocked right on his a$$.

I think this will be interesting for next year's squad as it sure seems Sam will need to come in but we don't (expect) to lose any D? Does someone like Komzak get pushed to the portal? Do we carry 9 D?

I know it looks like we won't have a traditional "4th line" if Jammer and Schmaltz anchor it but I don't want to see Strinden on it! He has earned more opportunity then that. I would love to see a James-Strinden-Perron line but I don't think it's happening with the abundance of centers this year. Strinden will most likely have to play wing.