sagard

If UND is going to make the tourney, I'd love for them to be a #4 seed. Honestly though I think they will move up to a #3 if they are going to make the tourney. Then we will have another collision between the Gophers and UND. Three of the games between the Gophs and Sioux could have gone either way this year. I don't like those odds if they can be avoided. Playoff crowds are usually much different as well. At Mariucci a playoff crowd of 8500 Gophers fans is far more vocal and supportive than the 10,000 season ticket holders. I would guess you'd see the same at REA.

Mankato will be very close to being a TUC at the end of the season and that would clearly help UND. They probably need a win or two to get there. Let's have them sweep UW to be safe.

UND is still losing 15 comparisons, but that sweep was critical. It does put UND in position to win a couple more comparisons down the road. UND picked up the BC comparison, but dropped the Maine comparison. Both of these will come down to RPI at the end of the season and chances are UND will now end up winning both of those when tourney play is done. Michigan State reclaimed the UND comparison and Providence gave it up. Fairbanks - UND needs to take over TUC currently: AF 8-12-4 vs. UND 7-12-1. BU - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Probably lost. CC - UND needs to pass them in RPI and to play and win the 1st round series against them. DU - UND needs the sweep. Harvard - Lost. Maine - RPI. UND should pass them after next weekend, but it will remain very close. Miami - Lost. Michigan - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Getting very close now. Michigan State - Tough. Need RPI and TUC. Minnesota - Lost. UNO - UND needs to retake RPI. Will come down to the results and the X and Joe. Northern Michigan - Sioux must not lose to Tech. Ohio State - UND needs to retake CO. UND needs to play and beat CC in 1st round. SCSU - UND can either play and beat them in playoffs or pass in TUC. Very likely. Wisconsin - Lost. UND will probably win the SCSU and Northern Michigan comparisons. That puts them with 13 comparisons lost with about five in play. Get a win in Denver and sweep Tech. Make the Final Five. Finishing fifth and playing a TUC in the first round would help, otherwise UND may need two wins at the X. It's going to be VERY close unless UND sweeps DU. Then UND would be looking good.

Could anyone send Coach Lucia an email with instructions for beating UMD?

Darwitz hit post.

There is a lot of goofyness with those CCHA teams and UND comparisons. I wouldn't root for a Ferris sweep against OSU, because they would then likely take the UND comparison and it might be a harder comparison for UND to take back later than the OSU comparison. As you said UND just needs to win and the rest will probably take care of itself.

If you can live with rooting for DU given your recent history with them by all means do it! Your right though a DU collapse would help UND, I just don't think it is that likely.

I think the only shot UND has at their DU comparison is to sweep them. It still might not be enough if DU does splits or does better against the Gophers and CC. Denver's RPI is going to increase significantly if they get any wins due to playing three teams with great records.

Split or better with DU, sweep Tech and play and beat CC in the 1st round would probably gain UND the Northern Michigan, Fairbanks, OSU, and Providence comparisons. Although UND could still lose the Mich State and Cornell comparisons, they would have only 13 comparisons lost and with no upsets in tourneys they would probably make it. Each week it will get much clearer as to what comparisons UND can still win.

After the off week split UND is still losing 15 comparisons. UND picked up the Cornell comparison, but dropped the Ohio State comparison. Fairbanks - UND needs to take over TUC currently: AF 8-12-4 vs. UND 7-12-1. BC - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Will be very tough. BU - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Probably lost. CC - UND needs to pass them in RPI and to play and win the 1st round series against them. DU - UND needs the sweep. Harvard - Lost. Miami - Lost. Michigan - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Very tough. Minnesota - Lost. UNO - UND needs to retake RPI. Will come down to the results and the X and Joe. Northern Michigan - Sioux need to sweep Tech. Ohio State - UND needs to retake CO. UND needs to play and beat CC in 1st round. Providence - UND will take this back if Prov. loses once in five games vs. UNH and NE. SCSU - Who ever finishes better from here out will likely take the comparison. Wisconsin - Lost. UND will likely get the Providence comparison, and control their destiny in the DU, CC, SCSU, Northern Michigan comparisons. Bemidji winning the CHA gets UND the AF comparison. Michigan State and Cornell can still take back the UND comparison. I'm still thinking 4-1-1 and a 1st round win will get UND in, but even then it is going to be very close.

As soon as the UW/OSU game completes UND is going to lose the UND/OSU comparison. The UW games get added to the common opponent part of the comparison and it tips over to OSU whether or not they win tomorrow. You guys have a better shot of getting it back if UW wins.

I really think the Sioux will get enough "help" between now and the end of the season. It seems like it's about 15 teams fighting for 7-8 spots. It will really come down to whether or not they take care of business themselves. 4-1-1 and a 1st round playoff win will likely get them in. It won't be easy, but it won't be impossible either. UND with their goaltending and talented forwards are not the kind of team I'd like to face in a single knockout tourney. Two obscure items that would help UND a lot are Harvard losing to NE Monday night and BSU winning the CHA.

I'd love for you to be spot on. However I've seen the Gophs give away points to MTU and AA far too often to bank them ahead of time. That or I'm just gun shy after last years debacle at Mariucci. Mankato is the team I've been booking four pts against ahead of time.

I'm hopeful but not as sold as you are. The Gophers were a completely different team without Irmen in the lineup last time. The MTU goalie looks to be a very dangerous opponent. I'd be thrilled with a sweep, happy with three points, disappointed with a split, getting ready for the post season with one point or fewer.

The NHL has still has plenty of room for guys like Smaby. You can't teach size.

I left the Civic Center that night with no worries. I just KNEW the Gophers were going to beat the Sioux a week later in the quarterfinals, just like they had turned the tables on CC in '95. It was going to be easy. Unfortunately for me the after the Gophers/CC game in the '95 NCAA decided (correctly in hindsight) that the 2nd round conference matchups were a bad thing and had other plans for Woog and the boys. Now the NCAA has reverted to ignoring 2nd round conference matchups. My favorite "positive" Sioux memory was the '01 Championship final five minutes. To see ESPN/Flutie/etc.. go from sky high to jaw dropped was incredible. It was so nice to see someone else get victimized by the Sioux. Unfortunately for you all I had started rooting for the Sioux that Frozen Four and teams I cheered for didn't typically end up as champions in those days.

Harvard will have to face NE next week in the Beanpot Losers game. UND needs NE to come up with the win or tie.

If I were you I'd root against: Fairbanks - UND needs to take over TUC. BU - UND needs to pass them in RPI and maintain CO. 50/50. Cornell - UND needs to retake RPI and sweep UMD who is a CO. This is looking somewhat tough as Cornell has mostly winning teams remaining on their schedule. DU - Out of principle. Michigan - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Tossup. UNO - UND needs to retake RPI. This one is probable. Providence - Sioux need to maintain razor thin RPI edge and have Providence lose to either UNH or NE. SCSU - UND needs to take back both TUC and CO. This is a 50/50. Also against Ohio State, Ferris, Mich State, and SLU. The real thing you need is for the Sioux to start sweeping teams and the rest of the things will take care of themselves.

The new RPI tool is outstanding. Sadly it shows just how much of an RPI lift DU is going to get closing with UM, UND, and CC.

After the CC split UND is still losing 15 comparisons. UND picked up the Ferris, Mich State, SLU comparisons, but dropped the Cornell, UNO and Providence comparisons. Fairbanks - UND needs to take over TUC currenty 6-11-1 vs. 7-11-3. 50/50. BC - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Will be tough. BU - UND needs to pass them in RPI and maintain CO. 50/50. CC - UND needs to pass them in RPI and win the season series outright. Cornell - UND needs to retake RPI and sweep UMD who is a CO. This is looking somewhat tough as Cornell has mostly winning teams remaining on their schedule. DU - UND needs the sweep. Harvard - Probably lost. Requires Harvard to play North Eastern and either lose or tie in the Beanpot. Miami - Lost. Michigan - UND needs to pass them in RPI. Tossup. Minnesota - Lost. UNO - UND needs to retake RPI. This one is probable. Northern Michigan - Sioux need to sweep Tech. Providence - Sioux need to maintain razor thin RPI edge and have Providence lose to either UNH or NE. SCSU - UND needs to take back both TUC and CO. This is a 50/50. Wisconsin - Lost. It's starting to look to me like UND needs to finish 4-1-1 or better, win the first round series and they should be good to go. A loss to either UMD or Tech will hurt quite a bit. Two wins at the X and or BSU winning the CHA would help immensely.

The rule is specifically for league leaders whos RPI would drop by playing and beating the bottom teams. It does not apply to teams like UND who will benefit in RPI by playing and beating either SCSU or CC in the first round if they finish 5th or 6th. The rule would likely help the Gophers or UW who's RPI may actually drop by playing AA in the first round despite sweeping them.

I think UND will likely carry most of the play, but Sterling and Sertich will capatalize on any mistakes. It will probably come down to goaltending and I think UND has the edge from recent viewing.

It's game night. No harm here. Good luck tonight vs. CC.

All the same we'll decorate our rink, you decorate yours. I suspect he must have eventually faced the dreaded "Saskatchewan farm boys" and held his own. He did last five years in the the NHL and serve as Captain of the Blackhawks. There really isn't much denying his "pro-Minnesota" approach has benefitted the WCHA and of course the Gophers immensely.

Slap shot is just taking a little heat of Kessel momentarily.