sagard

Well at least you got that goin' for ya, which is nice.

I hope you realize I was doing it for fun. We've had plenty of exchanges and if a projected top five pick who burned the MJ team who picked 1st doesn't make the team we will have to revisit it. Again.

I'm just so looking forward to not seeing Greene, Jones, Fuher, Schneider. I'm sure the new guys on the Sioux blueline are good, but I suspect there will be plenty of goals for both sides this weekend.

Careful you know we don't talk at all about bias against NCAA players around here. Frazee may just be the guy. Hard to say if Schnieder will do better, but I'm guessing they will both get a chance and hopefully one of them will get a hot hand. I'd really like to see the US win the tourney on Canadian ice.

That TSN article is the biggest sandbagging job I think I have ever read. The freakin' Canadians are the favorites in every international tourney they enter. Sure the US looks like they will have a good shot, but one bad game in nets and they could easily be beaten.

After watching last nights game I think the Gophers will need more luck to get a point this weekend than next.

I'm not sure which, but one of you doesn't get it.

Lack of talent will rarely if ever be an excuse in either GF or Minneapolis. My limited viewing of Fairchild was at the State Tourney last year and he seems like at typical Lucia defensemen. Smaller and very good with the puck. Of course he was a 10th grader at that time so he may get bigger.

Isn't he projected as a 1st rounder? Why would he even consider going to play Juniors? Or do you simply mean after the MSHSL season?

It's nice to win head to head recruiting battles and the Gophers needed Finley desparately. As for developing players both have had big hits and misses. It's not like Potulny, Riddle, Koalska weren't productive WCHA players. Sure all Gophers fans would have liked to see Tallackson dominate, but I'm sure there is someone in the huge group that came in with Bochenski that could have delivered more. I've said it many times now, but these two teams are very similar. They often are recruiting the same players and neither is ever really short on talent be it top end or depth. The edge in a given season will typically be decided by which group has the more experience.

Of course your going to find sour grapes Gophers fans, but it's not like we didn't hear "There is no one in our recruiting class I'd trade for Potulny or Irmen." Anyhow there were a lot of people on GPL who wanted him to be a Gopher, I suspect the Gophs will get by.

Kessel hasn't been giving up the puck on time in my opinion, but I have no doubts he will adjust. It's not that he's really looking to shoot over passing like the radio guys are saying, it's just that he wants to beat the defense and then either dish or shoot. When Irmen comes back and is paired with Kessel I think they will be very effective. Irmen will get the job done in both the corners and in the slot and that will really complement what Kessel brings. I have to think Irmen wouldn't hesitate to get in his ear as well if the passes are late.

I don't think Warroad matches up poorly in any of the matchups you mentioned. However putting them in the "AA" field they move from being far and away the deepest team in the field to simply another top team in the top field. The "best" team doesn't come on top as frequently in "AA". Would Warroad win state championships in "AA", absolutely in my opinion, but they were on a Moorhead like run before they went single A. After all Roseau has done it twice recently and those two programs are quite similar whether they like it or not. Would they play in six championship games in eleven years like they have in "A", absolutely not. As for crying about Wheeler and the media, save it for Kessel. For those who have the chance the "A" semis and finals are about as fun as it gets to attend, especially if bringing young kids. Great teams in a great rink without the traffic and manic crowds. My four year old couldn't stop talking about the Totino/Marshall and the Warroad/Totino games for a month.

Didn't Roseau move up because they were sick of dealing with Warroad in the sections? The primary difference between "A" and "AA" is depth in my opinion. The State Tourney teams in "AA" typically have three lines and a sprinkle in a fourth line. The "A" teams usually have two lines and sprinkle in a third or fourth line. Warroad is an exception to that some years, but some years they are not. With high end players I don't think there is a difference between "A" and "AA" other than geography. Guys like Wheeler and Oshie have been 1st Round picks as "A" players and guys like Riddle and Pohl are certainly two of the best Gophers recently.

Careful. If you aren't a two-way forward you'll get a lot heat around here, even if you have like 5-7 goals per game. It was great skate last night thanks for setting it up!

Is OHG and Sioux Traveller the same person?

You guys will hate UW plenty (again) if they ever beat you all in a big game. They really have been silent in the playoffs for quite a while now and I've truly enjoyed it. Let's put the Gophers against Maine, UNH, or really anyone but NDSU @ the Ralph this spring in the NCAAs. Do you really think there won't be huge applause if the Gophers get beat? Your not going to get much love in your rivals rink, ever. The Sioux fans in Section Two that day were far louder than the 1500 Gophers fans that arrived early and cheered the Ferris goals. They just didn't get to cheer as often. I think I hate UW enough for all of you, so kill 'em this weekend.

Don't make me take it. That is about as cool as it gets Rico.

No problem. I was cheering for UND out east for the same reason. It just didn't work out.

You often get a better prospective from TV most times. How has Kessel looked? I've been lucky enough to get to four of the Gophers first five games and he appears to be about the fourth or fifth best forward on the Gophers. Once he starts giving the puck up before the opposition is all over him I think he will explode in the scoring column. Right now he seems to try to beat the opposing team all by himself too often, leading to fewer overall scoring chances. The guy does have an acceleration thorough the neutral zone that is at another level. I'm probably just biased against Backes due to his continual hacking and whining when he plays the Gophs. Of course he does get poked plenty by the team I root for.

He sure didn't look like it at the rink. After getting stuffed on consecutive breakaways by Briggs he must have gone back to Mankato. I didn't even notice him Saturday night.

It is hard to have any embarassing weekends if you refuse to play. Go Big Red! #1

Kessel did get the assist on that play. But he did actually poke it over to Howe, who had a tap in. Pretty slick play after a monumental MSU goalie error.

Unless UND isn't completely sold on him, I'm sure they can/will find a way to fit him in for '06 if they must. With most of these Gophers/Sioux recruiting battles it comes down to the kid picking a school. If UND truly wants him and he is willing, both sides would find a way for '06.

If I remember correctly, against the Gophers it was a pretty big fish.