Irish

Exactly - we just aren't getting it done. According to many posters we are the most unlucky team in the division and Denver is the luckiest. I think there is more behind this. Coaches need to figure it out real soon.

Yes - some talent coming in - but why did we have to replace our entire defense this year and why are we on our 4th portal goalie? Our recruiting is inconsistent.

This is Bubba's 11th season here (after a 22-21 career at Duluth. When you say "long term" you must mean many decades. We know exactly what Bubba can and will do - if the majority of people are happy with where we are at that is a problem. And as for people "from the region" it used to be pretty well split between Sioux and Bison fans - now not so much. There is no demand for excellence from our administration and now perhaps many fans. This is sad. Me might as well get used to being a slightly over .500 team because that is what we will get with Bubba - and sadly next year .500 seems a reach. Our rivals would never put up with this - why should we?

I respect KG's coaching skills - but why are we on our 4th portal goalie?

Welcome to mediocreville - population - us.

And yet Denver is going to the Frozen Four again not us. If it's not recruiting that only leaves one other thing.

We folded like a cheap suit after 2 periods. Not sure what lesson Berry needs to learn but I hope he learns it fast. With a Frozen Four berth on the line I would have thought we would come out with fire - especially after a two period lead. This happens too much to Berry's teams for it to be chance or bad bounces. Winners do better under pressure.

All the more reason not to shut down.

I'm not so sure I buy that - almost all of the other top teams develop good goalies - We should be able to sell our coaches and program to great goalies who (at least in theory) have a chance to win a National Championship. I can't believe how this is an issue year after year.

With our tradition and Karl on staff I am truly amazed that we are continually portal shopping for a goalie.

Exactly this

The big question is will he adapt. Like football Bubba he appears to be hard baked. Both culture culture culture guys while collapsing in the playoffs. The third period was brutal.

Yes - we have Karl on staff who should be great at developing goalies - yet we can't seem to recruit a blue chipper and have had nothing but portal goalies lately. What gives? I thought with him we would have solid goaltending every year. Ludwig definitely went downhill from the first half of the season.

And we "developed" backwards this season.

Because championship teams don't come into the 3rd period with a lead and then immediately collapse within the first 5 minutes.

Actually we should have been playing a 4 seed not Michigan but not only couldn't we get it done against Omaha they pounded us.

Many frustrations about this - how did we devolve from the shot blocking shut down team that stymied Denver early in the year into the team that got it handed to them by Omaha and CC? How did our goaltending go from lights out to the point where we hope it was average. Berry has shown zero evidence that he can make the necessary changes - or any evidence that he even recognizes the problem. And don't expect anything from the AD - you know, the guy who thought Football Bubba was doing such a great job he extended it twice. Absolutely no demand for excellence from our Athletics any more. Our hockey program can't continue on this track - we need to be able to sell our program to talent and I don't think "hey, we won the Penrose" can be our big recruiting point. Changes need to be made and right now that falls on Berry.

You forget that this is UND where no one's clock is ever ticking - just look at the extension Bubba got.

We've had a lot of frickin' hockey since 2016. And it seems like frickin' hockey happens more often to some. Not saying yelling in the locker room is the solution - but we need to get the team beating our opponents for the puck and in the corners. Also we need to stop the lackadaisical passes in our d zone and stop getting out of position leading to easy goals. We need intensity. Some of that comes from what is emphasized in practice and some from the players themselves. The frustrating part for me is that we had the defense playing fantastic hockey in the first half then not. It seems like we have difficulty when pressured. Our poor play against Omaha has us now playing Michigan in some garage rink instead of being closer to home playing the number 4 seed.

Their floundering against Omaha cost us a number 1 seed in the regionals. And from my seat it sure looked like "mailing it in". Edit - and playing Michigan in the first round.

Agree - although I thought the addition of Karl and Dylan would do wonders to improve our defense and goaltending - and for a while it looked like we had it figured out. This second half swoon is beyond frustrating. And yet even with Karl we are continually relying on the portal for a goalie and had to fire the entire remaining defense last year and rebuild. Watching this team mail it in is unbelievable.

Heavy play or speed - either way our intensity and relentlessness has almost disappeared.

We were once upon a time this season - still trying to figure what happened to that team. The regression of our defense is stunning - especially with the addition of a new defensive coach. At one point we were very difficult to play against.

That's so not Berry's thing - even though we hear culture, culture, culture. Is is our culture to play like this at the end of every season?

Thanks for the info - This is a very important issue going into the playoffs - I still have the feeling - based on nothing - that something else is going on here.