tnt

One player here or there can make a huge difference and a team goes from contender to pretender in a hurry. Dylan Larkin stays at Michigan and they could be number 1, similarly if we don't get Boeser we most likely will be down the ladder a bit. We always say it's all about winning in the NCAA tourney and that is where people judge how good teams are, and obviously nobody has been as good as the East, not the Big Ten, nor the NCHC. We'll see how that plays out over the next five years.

I hope I am wrong, but I think the Big Ten will be much better within the 5 years. Wisconsin and Michigan State have nowhere to go but up, and Wisconsin still has the name recognition to get a big name coach. Just like Omaha has shown us, it's all about winning those non-conference games to benefit your league, and no way does Minnesota continue to lose to fellow Minnesota teams at the alarming rate they are now, or they have a new big name coach as well. Omaha has always had poor non-conference records that hurt then until this year when it is carrying them. All that said, I still would love to see the empty arenas hurt their recruiting, but they will still get their fair share, and because of that things can only get better.

That said, they get Boeser instead of us, and Minnesota would be within the bubble of the NCAA tournament, and we would be much closer to it.

Aren't there a couple guys on Bemidji with college potential?

So are home sweeps against good teams, even if some people don't think they are good teams.

Yeah, happy they beat St. Cloud, but would hate to face them in the first round of a regional.

What's the matter with native american imagery anyway. Does any particular tribe have a right to that imagery? If Florida State, etc. can still use logos based on getting permission from the tribe, then who owns the rights to what imagery? Who owns the right to a totem pole, a bison, bird feathers etc. I am sure there are Native American schools that are using imagery that is tied with American symbols. Should we be offended by that and call for it to stop. No, because it is all just plain ludicrous.

I agree, and if we don't, our fanbase should be outraged again at how much money the University laid out for a poor result. In other words, at the least, this should represent a standard that SME needs to meet or exceed, otherwise we have been led down the generic route once again.

Mariucci about a third full for the Minnesota and Michigan game.

... and they might actually have a welcoming attitude.

You never know, but I would guess that Mattson would be the kind to grow into that role like Frattin, Malone and Brock Nelson did. But then again, who would have guessed that Gardner would be playing such a major role this year?

Seriously, it completely baffles me that the ushers, even though sometimes doing their jobs, have such a mean disposition when doing it. When the NCHC brass are looking at things like this, do they realize that fan experience is very important in growing their tournament? I was one who was originally fine at going back to the Target Center because there are different food options around there, but since I don't have time between games to frequent any of them, the only plus they had going for them became a non factor. I for one hope there is no way they renew with the Target Center.

http://www.inforum.com/news/3955350-ndsu-president-wants-revision-school-song-troubling-cultural-references So if the name was founded on ties to native american imagery, should NDSU have to change their name too!

The Wild announcers were just stating last week that Mike Reilly said it was tough for him going from the Olympic sized rink at Mariucci to the NHL surface because gap control is a lot different. To suggest a different rink size wouldn't make a difference is not realistic, and the reason for the Olympic rink itself pretty much proves that point.

A dig at Grand Forks from Gorg, or just a funny commentary? At the 1:49 mark of the interview with Chris Porter in the Wild Pregame last night. http://www.foxsports.com/north/video?vid=629519939970

No, probably not, but I can understand their frustration with that call, because it really could have gone either way. Everything has kind of been Murphy's law for Duluth this year though.

You know, looking at it again, at our blueline Poganski was kind of interfered with as well which slowed him a bit, preventing it from being even a bigger gap. Would Duluth have been happy with a 5 on 3 powerplay instead?

I think you are right. They might want to change the phrasing in the rules though, as I am sure there are circumstances where a player is flat-footed and the opposing player at full speed and taken down, but hardly considered from behind. Without the penalty, you would have a breakaway, so maybe they just need to word the rule a little differently.

In retrospect we caught a break, just like in retrospect we caught a break when they didn't give a penalty shot to Poganski at Western Michigan for what met the criteria, and we scored on the subsequent power play. The way we moved the puck on the previous power play on Friday leads me to believe the odds might have been about the same with that momentum. Of course who knows, but we might be on the other end of it if Duluth would have converted on their power play in overtime with back and forth between players that didn't result in any on ice advantage in overtime.

For me, I won't call it a stupid time. I like the fact that Stecher plays up until the whistle, because we have had too many circumstances at the end of periods and games where you think you're safe and one small play would have prevented a late goal. That is Troy Stecher in a nutshell, hard-nosed until the end.

The ironic part is that Duluth needs us to beat Omaha to give them a better chance at home ice for the playoffs, and a game without our best defenseman hurts a little in that regard.

Like I said before, nothing out of the ordinary for a 5 minute major, but since it happened at the end they feel they need to give him something. If that is the case, then why does Neil Pionk get off with nothing for his 10 minute misconduct for verbal abuse of an official. How about some consistency.

Yeah, I don't disagree that it should be 5, but most majors don't result in suspensions. If the thinking is he didn't have to serve any time on an end of game foul, then neither did Pionk with his 10 minute unsportsmanlike after the game on Friday.

I think since BC has a winning record against Denver this year and we have split, it probably helped BC more.

Add to that the fact that 3 guys hadn't had game conditioning for about a month, and then have to deal with a second night in high altitude after a fast paced game on Friday. They are excuses, but sometimes facts like those are a little harder to overcome against a really good team like Denver.