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Michigan St at WI, 8 pm CT on BTN tonight. See if MSU can live up to their preseason hype in this series & show that they belong on the big stage in Vegas; or if their wagon is missing a wheel.

Dollars to donuts that he had no idea about UND hockey before receiving that box..he either researched the history of the team & players or Jackson sent him some highlighted points that he could use for his podcast. Regardless, of all the 63 D1 teams, only Jackson or someone on his staff had the foresight to do this. It may seem goofy or just a gesture of goodwill on the surface, but it is another way of getting the UND hockey brand out to a much larger audience beyond what Buccigross can provide. Jackson isn't resting on his laurels, he's doing everything he can to get UND hockey front & center on the national stage again.

Nothing jumps out about Alex's stats, but leave it to Ferschweiler to have him become a well-oiled, team-oriented Bronco in short order; no six-figure NIL payout required either. Getting the best out of his players. WMU has nowhere near the draftees that more prominent schools have, but that doesn't seem to matter. A team can have a roster chock-full of high-grade talent (ie, BU this year), but if the coach can't manage the roles & personalities of his star players well, the team doesn't reach its full potential. They're on my list of approved schools to win a title if UND flames out, because they do college hockey the right way; also because they rep the National well.

Maybe because it was in slow motion. Goalie had his knee exposed & it appears the Notre Dame player hit it flush on the side. Hard to imagine that he could be back in time for the national tournament (in 2.5 mos.) if he was unable to put any weight on his knee last night when leaving the ice; but then again he also has access to some of the best medical care in North America. The Irish alone are throwing a major kink in UM's postseason plans; Mews injured in their first match-up last fall & now Ivankovic.

Probably won't know for sure until after his season is over in the QMJHL.

Good catch, could have sworn they were #19 earlier this morning. They usually update the NPI very shortly after each game has ended. That being the case, getting to the safe cut-off of #12 from #23 will be quite the task; especially now since it's not fluctuating as wildly as it was a couple of months ago. If memory serves me correctly, UND was hovering at about #23 also, give or take a couple, about a year ago at this time in the PWR.

Jackson did some recruiting at the WJC. If no new commits forthcoming in the next week or so, good bet that these guys are in the CHL this year & not a Euro league, like Stenberg.

Valid points. Rarely if ever can a team control a game in its entirely, especially in today's college hockey landscape. That's a given. But Jackson had a different take after Saturday's game. It's not that UND, in his words, was being dominated, but that they didn't come ready to play at the drop of the puck. Therein lies the difference. If a team can take over in the 2nd & 3rd periods but not come ready to play for 10 minutes at the start of the game, that indicates not fatigue or the ebbs & flows of a game, but a mentality that is sometimes reminiscent of the previous 2 years. So far it hasn't bitten them in the ass.

Reschny elevates everyone around him when the stakes are high; it's very difficult to win a title without a guy like him who drives the team. My only issue with this team is its continued tendency to start slow or disappear for large stretches in games. Jackson noted this in his post-game press conference Saturday night when he pointed out that UND didn't come to play for the first 10 minutes against Mercyhurst. It's already the second half of the season, so not sure why this team continues with this kind of nonchalant or lackadaisical play at times, similar to the past 2 years. If memory serves me correctly, he did promise at his opening presser after his hire that fans could expect a brand of hockey that is fast & hard every game. To date that is yet to materialize. For some reason, the players haven't internalized this mindset yet, & it appears that they think they can just turn it on whenever they feel like it without risking losing the game.

Interesting that he's even younger than Verhoeff by 1.5 mos. (17) They're still able to make an at-large, but with their NPI sitting at #19 (9-8-1) with 16 (mostly) conference games remaining, they cannot afford any bad losses to teams below them.

Read an article from a BU insider about a month ago, in which Pandolfo was at wit's end with his team's effort, especially his forwards. Goes to prove that a stacked roster doesn't always translate if the chemistry or identity is lacking. Losing Willander at D after his sophomore season last year was maybe the biggest blow, he was an exceptional first-line D who ate up a lot of minutes; similar to Livanavage but maybe more impactful.

A WMU team missing its top 2 D-men swept them pretty easily in their home rink last weekend; 4-0, 4-0.

Perhaps it's a scenario where Chyzyk has previously vetted the player with an introductory meeting to explain the program, gauge interest & assess his character; with Jackson following up like a salesman to "close the deal" (similar to Reschny where he drove to his farm in Sask. to meet him & his family). Thinking it's not Steiner he's going to meet since he's likely back in Switzerland or Quebec now. Maybe it's Carels, Suvanto or a similar caliber of player; & said player, due to team logistics, is unable to visit GF at this time.

They only fell two spots to 9 in the NPI, without the mulligan, against an RIT team that was 40 before the game. Loss surprisingly didn't hurt them that much. NPI is starting to fluctuate less, even with a bad loss (at least in this case).

Would be interesting to know if he saw any ice after that gaffe. Learning experience.

#20 Keaton Verhoff, D (2026 NHL Draft "I know it was against Denmark, but… maybe Canada should keep Verhoeff in for another game. He looked confident, and while his positioning was a bit suspect at times, I thought he made a positive impact just about every time he hit the ice. He kept playing more and more as the game wore on and I feel like he was Canada’s best defenseman in the third period. It’s not easy stepping into game action midway through and thriving, so I liked him today." ________________________ If anyone knows his TOI tonight, please post it.

Saw an "*" by Michigan St. & Michigan in the NPI listings. They're the only 2 teams thus far that have used this grace feature. It means: *Team's NPI has been adjusted to remove negative effect from defeating weak opponent.

You know you've gotten a good player when you win a recruiting battle with DU, seeing as Carle has a knack for bringing in winners. Plus he's projected as a mid- to late-rounder, meaning there's a good chance he'll be around for 3-4 years & won't require a boatload of NIL money before he steps on campus.

Klimpke probably verballed before the season is over because it sounds like he'll be completing his 4-year commitment with Saskatoon; or until he ages out. Others, like Carels & Lin who are projected 1st-rounders & who will be leaving their CHL clubs early, will wait until their respective seasons are over.

Interesting, in the article it stated that Cooper Williams & Klimpke, teammates in Saskatoon, will likely come to UND together in the fall of 2027. Thought previously that Williams was coming in next year.

Augustana drops in NPI from 11 to 17 after loss to Omaha at home.

They both came from junior programs & are quite familiar with that style; so that shouldn't be a reason. Maybe it's either nerves from being on the big stage or a developmental issue (game hasn't slowed down for him yet). Will see tomorrow if Verhoeff looks more comfortable in the second exhibition game.

If Carels wants to come to UND, pretty sure the coaching staff will roll out the red carpet & make room for him.