Irish

I'm not sure how, but our power play got even worse.

I think people who are depending on next year's class to save this program are fooling themselves. Sure, they are highly regarded on paper. However, after our notorious blank Juniors we have two fairly strong (on paper) classes - see any of them skating with St. Cloud? (that's right - St. Cloud is way better than us) - I didn't - they were faster, more organized, more physical and played with more grit. I don't know if we are mis-evaluating, pounding the offense out of them with our "system", or just plain getting beat to recruits, but there should be absolutely no reason we should be whipping boys to St. Cloud. And no one on staff seems to be fired up - excuses, puck luck, process, process, process. If things don't change quickly buckle your seat belts - it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Since resting up, getting healthy, and re-focusing over Christmas Break we were swept by Canesius and then gave up 2 goal leads in 4 successive games against other bottom dwellers. This is not any way, shape, or form anything that resembles Sioux Hockey. Mr. "team culture" and "process" needs to figure this out right quick.

The most frustrating part of this run for me is that absolutely nothing has changed - nothing. Same PP, same giving up leads, same old efforts. This is the softest team I can remember. And all we hear from Berry is "culture" and "process". I would feel a whole lot better if I knew he was pissed and willing to look at any and all changes to make things better. This is about as consistent a Sioux team as I can remember. The program can't take more of the same. Do something for heaven's sake. Anything.

Changes need to be made and if Berry isn't willing to make them he needs to be one of them. A pathetic display once again. (Sorry Boogieman - I didn't mean to quote you and can't figure out how to take the quote out - I'm sure you did your part and at this point Crooked Furrow man help ease the pain}

Ok, in the last 40 years there have been roughly 3 years as bad or worse than this one - 91-94. And those 3 years lead to the firing of a coach who led us to 3 National Championships. The point is that we are getting to a low point that is not what Sioux Hockey is all about. And I did say "one of" not the worst. By the way it is We North Dakota fans not Us North Dakota fans - do some grammar check.

That may be in this one circumstance but he is taking a roster spot. The bigger picture is that there seems to be huge recruiting problem lately. This is one of the least talented teams I have seen in the last 40 years. Time for Bubba to be honest with us and himself and stop the coachspeak. Things need to change quickly.

The problem isn't matching up. We match up with a lot of schools - even Canesius. That's what is so frustrating about this team. The problem is beating them. not just outshooting them. It is nice to rally against a couple of bottom feeders to win (even though we puked up 3 two goal leads). However, this team has made zero improvements to things under their control. I get that we have a roster of logo-shooters (that's on Berry). The offense looks stilted and uncreative - not sure that is talent or the "system" or what but let's try something besides chipping off the boards. We take stupid penalties at the worst times - mainly by our veterans. We get a lead and then immediately start coasting. No killer instinct at all. Speaking of coasting - very few games played the full 60. That can't be our "culture" can it? Add in the worst special teams year in year out and here we are. By the way, how did Denver re-load so fast given the coaching change etc? Of the top 50 freshman scorers they have 4 - we don't have a forward in the bunch. What's going on? Time for "Mr. Culture" to earn his paycheck.

I really hope so - coaches have to see the same things we do - I'm surprised some things like the power play haven't already been fixed. Can you say more a bout these influences?

Here are a few things that have happened often enough to be characteristics of Berry`s teams the last year and a half (at least) - these are things that make watching very frustrating. The Tendency to take shifts or entire periods off - see second periods this year. The inability to hold leads especially 2 goal leads. Giving up a goal usually in under a minute after we score. Endless logo shots with no finishing ability. Playing down to the opposition. No in front of the net presence. I'll advised penalties. We seem to recruit players who appear to have scoring skills but don't score for us - not just out juniors - look at our freshman stats And of course the power play. We don't see much improvement on any of these areas. On the positive side - we have on occasion shown we can play with and beat any team in the country. Time for some changes - if not in coaching then in schemes and game play. We can't survive much more of this without damage to the program.

And a puking up a lead problem - both problems are in their second year minimum

Score, scoring, and time please

I agree that this board tends to overreact and I am included in that. I know we have athletes who are scouted by us and playing at a very high amateur level. I know that we have knowledgeable coaches with some NHL experience. I guess I could rest easier if I could see improvement in a couple of areas of big deficits - you know, just to know things will get better. Can someone with more hockey knowledge than me explain why we can't put together a power play to save our souls? It is painful to watch and has been going on for a long time. Can't we try something - anything - different than endlessly passing slowly and teeing it up out front? I just don't get it. Same with our scoring. Can't we get someone - anyone- to have a presence in front of the net if we are going to shoot endlessly from the perimeter? Given our coaches expertise and skill of our players these things should be getting better. It's been a long time.

If you don't care that we can't score more than 1 per game on Canesius that's fine with me too.

Speaking of the pipeline - a quick check of the top 50 freshman scorers in the country shows NO UND forwards - only defenseman JBD about 3/4 of the way down. Denver has 4. How in the heck are we rebuilding.?Where is the pipeline? Scarily it isn't just the blank Junior class that isn't performing. We need to be seriously concerned about this. How are we miss-firing class after class? Or are we beating the scoring right out of them with our "system" and "process"? Either should be very alarming and doesn't bode well for the future. One last complaint while I'm at it. The Heraldo can't possible manage to get in any UND game stories the next day, but today I was treated to a dandy article about St. Clown and Duluth. What a rag.

Saban after falling short in the title game for his 7th National Championship - I take responsibility Bubba after 2017 - We don't need any changes Berry after being swept by Canesius and in all probability ending our chance of making the National Tournament - Guys are going to dig in!!! This group is prideful! and Hoff (who had no points on the weekend and 4 for the first half of his JUNIOR year) took a step forward!

We have a couple lines of dead weight we need to keep happy.

This is exactly my point

At this point I am just hoping for a hint, clue, anything that Coach Berry "gets it" sees that changes are needed, and will make changes. Up until now all we get is coachspeak. Frustrating. I don't expect a Mia Culpa, just an acknowledgement, for example, that we need to do somethings different. We have had the exact same problems for far too long now.

I agree that it should not be done lightly - and never because someone is on a skid (like someone mentioned). However, If you are now a Junior forward and have less than 5 points halfway through your junior year - and this is in line with what you have accomplished in the past - maybe this program is not a good fit. Now we are losing good recruits because we don't have room but we can carry guys who can't score to save their souls for 4 years? As far as long term for our program, getting swept by Canesius is not good long term for us either. It is getting harder to tell top talent "come here for a real shot to win the National Tournament) when we look like we did this weekend. My main frustration is that I feel nothing is changing - same old same old from the coaches. Do we really want to lose Donavan so a couple of non performers have a good seat next year?

Everyone keeps mentioning the Junior class as the reason for our woes. Why are they still passengers on this bus - and will they get another free ticket next year and ruin that year too?

Ok - I'll buy that I was a bit off of the timing of recruiting - Here's a question for you (not being argumentative, just would like your opinion) - Where did we go off the rails so far on recruiting and so fast? I have been a Sioux hockey fan since the Barn days and this team has the least amount of talent offensively I can ever recall (although Bjorkman teams had other issues). I just can't believe our downfall - other teams seem to have frosh and sophs that can score - Passolt - WMU(soph) - 19 pts, Petterson - Du (frosh) - 18 , Perunovich UMD (soph) 18, Walker - St. Cloud - (frosh) - 18, Richards - UMD (Soph) - 16 ..... Well, you get the idea. We don't have a scorer in the top 30 in the NCHC. No excuse for this lack of talent. Actually I would like Goon to weigh in on this too - he has been critical of our criticism - where do you things went wrong and how do we fix them?

Ok - I'll buy that I was a bit off of the timing of recruiting - Here's a question for you (not being argumentative, just would like your opinion) - Where did we go off the rails so far on recruiting and so fast? I have been a Sioux hockey fan since the Barn days and this team has the least amount of talent offensively I can ever recall (although Bjorkman teams had other issues). I just can't believe our downfall - other teams seem to have frosh and sophs that can score - Passolt - WMU(soph) - 19 pts, Petterson - Du (frosh) - 18 , Perunovich UMD (soph) 18, Walker - St. Cloud - (frosh) - 18, Richards - UMD (Soph) - 16 ..... Well, you get the idea. We don't have a scorer in the top 30 in the NCHC. No excuse for this lack of talent.

If firing Bubbs isn't an option (which it probably isn't right now) then the only solution I can see is for him to do his job a lot better - something he has had at least a year and a half (we'll give him the year right after our championship) to figure out. Make some changes to our dreadful offense - Watching our guys is painful - many posters have mentioned solutions - does he have the ability to make any changes? Second - fix our dreadful power play - this is costing us big time. Absolutely no, none, nada, zip reasons why we should have a crap power play. Third - a serious upgrade in our evaluation and recruiting of players. There again is no, none etc reason we are so talent less. We have the resources, program history, tradition, and fans to be a top school - time to recruit like one. And I don't buy the argument that all recruiting is done years before they enter college. Many studs sign late - see Boesser and Schmaltz for example. Time to get it together and save the analysis about Hoff's improvement for someone who buys it. Do some serious self-analysis and get to work making changes.

I've been saying this on this form for quite a while now and getting ripped for it. We need some talent in here and right soon. And the guys we do get seem to go backward.