sagard

That is funny, I don't think you could have persuaded Zach without that place! So glad it is gone.

He should be. It sounds like this guy would help the Sioux this year as well as be adjusted to the college game in '04-'05.

In Frank and Rieds defense, it does sound very similar to MANY UND goals scored during the period '97-'99. Most seemed to be in the third period as well.

This is the biggest reason they should allow downloading. Breaking the game into periods should keep the file size manageable. Maybe they will go for it eventually.

It is rediculous what some people think. The Gophers and the Sioux for that matter should have great teams next year that can compete for the NCAA title. Unlike most Gophs fans, I'm not convinced this team is as good on paper as the '01-'02 team primarily due to defense. The '02 team had Leo, Demarchi, Martin, Angell, Ballard and Stevens. I'm not convinced this years group of defense will measure up. The offense looks better than '01-'02, but the '01-'02 was loaded as well and many of the same players remain. Goaltending is a push. I admit I'll be disappointed with less than the Frozen Four, but you would be too if your team was back-to-back champs. Lastly, you know you will hear talk about going undefeated if the Gophs win their opening tourney. Then at the end of November if the Gophs have 3-4 losses people will think the sky is falling.

How quickly you forget the noise from Grand Forks during the 20-1 start last year. It was at a level not even reached during the Sioux's fabulous run from '97-'01. I've been given the old "Gophers Suck" by drunken Sioux fans in '97 at the Civic Center, '00 Mariucci Regional and even this year at the X. I'm not going to use the broad brush and say all Sioux fans are morons for this, I just move on.

That would be fantastic! As long as the Gophers already have 11. I have to admit watching the Sioux light up BC in the third in '00 and listening to the ESPN crew suffer was nice. Then to pull even in '01, amazing. As a Gopher fan starting in '81, "Koalska ties it up!" and "Potulny scores!" will always be mine.

UW is too foul to us Gophers fans. There success in FB and BB is consistantly brought to my attention by co-workers. Could a Sioux fan root for the NDSU football/hoops teams?

Hard to argue with this. However, if P. Martin stays and Hale or DeMarchi performs well in the physical role. NJ could easily find other more experienced options for the role P. Martin would play. My take is P. Martin has better chance of sticking in the NHL if he goes now and outplays Hale and DeMarchi. A player does not always get a second oppurtunity.

Oooops! Thanks for repeating the info! Nine bucks for the Sioux and BC is easily worth it.

Any chance of single game sales? Being a Gopher fan, I'd pay $5 to watch the Sioux when I could, but $150 is a little steep considering I wouldn't care much about most non WCHA games.

As crazy as it sounds, the $1M signing bonus is not that much when compared to other picks if then Vanek was being offered a two-way contract. Bouchard got the rookie max of $3.5M over three years guarenteed. He was a #8 overall pick vs. the #5. Vanek did get beat up quite a bit in WCHA play last year, trying to fight off NHL defencemen at 19 may not have been his top choice without the max cash. Or you could be completely right.

As much as I'd like Martin to return, if I were him I'd sign. The money isn't going to significantly better next year, but it could be significantly worse. If he signs this year, he is on equal footing with Hale and DeMarchi. If he waits a year and either one of those two establishes themselves, his chance at NHL ice time will decrease (likely his bonus as well.) My opinion is that Martin is better now than Hale or DeMarchi and if he leaves now, he will be the first of the three to see NHL ice time. If he waits and either Hale or DeMarchi plays well, he will have to be ALOT better then them to unseat either of them for ice. Replacing Martin and DeMarchi will mean the Gophers will play some high scoring games at the start of the season, but as the season wears on they will improve and tighten things up. In order to threepeat the Gophers will need outstanding defensive play. Weber is capable of playing great, but he will have an off game during the tourney. Luckily, it was not the Frozen Four this past year!

Webcasting is a great idea. Is there any chance they will archive the broadcast and allow downloads of the games?

I've been lamenting the Gophers always playing a "hot" goaltender and wondering when a Gopher goalie would steal a game since the '81 final against Bucky. UND did however win some close low scoring WCHA games in the beginning of the year: 11/09/2002 W 3 @ St. Cloud State 2 ot 11/16/2002 W 1 Alaska-Anchorage 0 11/22/2002 W 2 Wisconsin 0 11/23/2002 W 3 Wisconsin 2 However, close results will often balance out over the course of a season. Towards the end of the year UND lacked the scoring to put teams away. You really don't want to be in a situation where you are relying on your goalie to be MSU and UMD anyway.

If I were a Sioux fan, this is the number one thing I'd be concerned about. Goalies and defensive lapses are often forgiven if you are scoring 4+ per game.

Just a couple of points. 1. As soon as UND returns to being a Frozen Four type team, nobody except us Gophers fans will be talking about how Blais treats his goalies. 2. The problem with UND goaltending last year was that Brandt did not play enough in the WCHA. If Brandt does get booted off the team, the UND goalies will be unproven. Statistically, Jordan Parise looks to me like a fantastic late recruit.

I'm am so glad UND built a new arena. In the games at the old Ralph, I almost didn't want the Gophers to take the lead. You have to admit Hauser aquitted himself very well eventually, getting a win at the old Ralph and winning the OT playoff game against the Sioux at Mariucci.

Us Gophers fans were cocky and arrogant during a 23 year title drought, would you really expect it to decrease after back-to-back NCAA titles?

I'm guessing it is about the money as well. Bouchard for the wild was a lower pick than Vanek and got basically a guarenteed $3.5 million over three years. That is the rookie max. If the Sabres are "only" offering a $1.1 million bonus with a two way contract, he will probably be "advised" to at least act like he is planning on returning to school. We don't really know what the offer was from the Sabres. If it had full money, he'd have signed already. As I try to tell my fellow Gophers fans on POI, the P. Martin situation is the most crucial to the threepeat in my opinion. His play when the stakes are highest is unbelievable. If I were betting, I'd say they are both gone.

It could also mean Nashville will be less inclined to persue the Suter family.

I'm guessing it will never go 7=7. Would 9=9 by 2010 satisfy everyone?

Wow, a pretty bold move picking the field for the NCAA tourney champ! As for UND moving up, where else do they have to go? As for the Gophers dropping, not out of the WCHA top three. If the Gophers or UND can get to Boston, I like either of their chances. The trick as stated above will be to avoid the Grand Rapids regional. Maybe UND can move all the way to the top of the WCHA and try for the "ultimate"!!

Come on, I visit here for a break from the POI!