sagard

PWR should be used as a tool to objectively pick the teams in the tourney. It isn't accurate enough to strictly adhere to for bracket integrity. That said I hate that the NCAA won't take action to avoid 2nd round conference games, but will move a team to save $25k. Dumb.

I think they go with the straight brackets too. Switching the QU/Prov game with the Lowell/MSU game would give us four regionals with no 1/2 seeds from the same conference.

I'll be shocked if either tourney in the cities has any buzz. It would be nice if they did one rink, both tourneys. Tons of hockey. Lot's more fans.

If the Gophers finish PWR in 1st, then I'd bet UND goes to St. Paul finishing 7,8,9,10,15,16. If the Gophers finish 2nd or 3rd, it widens the likelihood of UND heading to St. Paul. Only if SCSU or UW end up fitting the bracket better do I think UND gets sent further east. Of course if your boys keep winning they could easily end up playing up to the 4th or 5th seed and likely miss St. Paul.

I think it's best to to have the best players by a good margin. You can win games not playing well, but when you do play well your dominant.

She blew the game. The second goal was a harmless play as well until she coughed it up. Was that the same Lamoureux in the box for the Olympic Gold OT and the Gophers long OT game? I thought the slash was a weak call, but who knows how they call this game.

Helsinki doesn't riot after simple olympic QF wins. The Russians will hit the sauce. Looked like their team did already. Ovechkin sucks. He takes a massive run at Selanne in the last minutes, but of course he failed.

Words can not describe how much I love the Russian fail.

What a bummer. The only thing left to hurt the US was a Canada OT win. Now we have a much tougher quarter and the Canada game will only be a semi.

Now we need everything to hold form. Seeds would be: 1 Can/Fin Regulation Winner 8 9 -- 4 Russia 5 Can/Fin Regulation Loser 12 -- 2 Sweden 7 10 -- 3 US 6 Swiss 10 Things get screwed up if Russians lose or that Can/Fin game goes to OT. Never loved Oshie until today.

Now hopefully Canada pounds the Russians! Congrats to the Fins and Swedes. North America got beat down this year.

Having no consolation round might be a surprise to some, but I doubt any believed they could still medal. They looked properly gutted on TV. The boys were just plain stupid. Get a lead vs. Canada and then start a parade to the box. Same vs. Russia. Looking at the team I think they ended about where their talent is. They racked up goals vs. bad goalies, but didn't really have the finishing ability when things got tough. Good thing there is always next year!

Very disappointed that they didn't learn that discipline matters vs. Canada. I hate the Russians. Please let them lose their next two. Have we ever beaten them at the WJC?

Bummer the Russians usually play great once and we really screwed ourselves. I hate Russian hockey more than any team at any sport at any level. Come on boys!

US has to make it to OT to win the pool and open a much easier path to the final if Sweden beats Russia. The Slovaks hitting the post at 3-3 in the third really hust.

Yeah right. Nobody is getting through that region with UM/UND. Next you'll tell me the Sioux aren't coming to Mariucci for a couple years. But at least we'll have USA/Canada for the top seed on New Year's Eve!

Thanks! I hope Lucia still has something in the tank when he returns!

I've been way out of the loop. Is that the Don I see coaching team USA? What are the standings?

They'll have to console themselves knowing a freakish 10 of the 62 were against the team who snapped it. At least these teams are willing to face off.

That is going to be put to the test. Both in GF and Dinkytown. If your base can stay interested in the NHCA or whatever it is, I'll be impressed. I'm already losing interest in the Big10.

I'd bet money comes into play as well. With a Gophers/UND or Gophs/UW there would be arguments about the gate. Since OSU has no fans, it's a short discussion. Add to that your arguments and OSU will get as much outdoor action as they can handle.

SCSU and UMD would jump back as well. But I can't actually see the BTH disbanding, too many weeknight programming slots to fill.

I'd like OSU to fail miserably and drop hockey. Allowing the BTH to disband. Not likely to happen but I can hope.

They don't win twice at Mariucci. I think the first two rounds would be better at the top seeds rink for a best of three. But what Yale did this year was awesome, going from needing help to make the tourney to beating the top three seeds and UND. Most impressive.

Sadly the only lucky part about Yale has been that both Michigan and BU lost their conference tourneys.