tnt

I will add that if you go into a series with the premise that UND is the dirtiest team, then what do you think you are going to get out of it. I would challenge you to go up and down UND's lineup and tell me who you think is dirty. If the refs are going on reputation from the past, then they are being impartial -- plain and simple. So which one do you want to go with, no conspiracy against the Sioux, or refs think they are the dirtiest team in the league?

O.K., on one hand you say that the refs don't have any conspiracy against UND then you say they go around talking about UND players as psycho's. I guess I would like to know what player they said that about, because I think just about every player in the league is just a normal college student who plays hockey. Sure there are a few oddballs, but that goes the same for every team. You can't tell me that Demarchi and Hirsch wouldn't fall into the little off category.

Talking about the nickname. And like I said, the rivalry is very tame compared to what it used to be. Mark my words, you will find another team to vilify without UND in the picture, and my bet is that it will be Michigan.

Didn't stop Wisconsin, so quit using that sorry excuse.

The funny thing is that what he thinks is unhealthy is tame compared to what the rivalry used to be. Remember when Mike Greeder pummeled Mike Burgraff to a pulp to the point where he could barely see out of his eyes? Remember when the trainers were involved in a brawl. Remember Woog flying in Dave Preuss to a series the second night for a little "muscle"? I don't ever recall any coaches from that era saying the rivalry was unhealthy, and at that point it probably was. I have a feeling if Lucia stayed long enough he would say that the Michigan rivalry is unhealthy when things don't always go his way. If UND would have been the team that slashed Haula, you would never hear the end of it from Lucia and the fans. It's too bad that the rivalry won't continue for a while because of one persons opinion on the rivalry.

I guess I am confused why Saint Lucia would recruit two thugs like Bickel and Helgeson, because goodness knows there is no room in the game for that!

Except last year, North Dakota was a quite a bit better than Minnesota those other years, so you would expect a bigger disparity in penalties. My biggest problem isn't so much about the minor penalties as there are bad calls here and there each way, it is the huge inconsistency in the majors being called since the five minute major went into effect. Definitely would like to see those stats against all competition.

I think a lot of teams that get them early on in the game don't bear down and think they have all the time in the world, and therefore aren't as focused. I am sure getting one late in the third when you are behind, kind of forces you to bear down a little more. Having said that, I would hope that would be a point of emphasis from the coaches to bear down whenever there is a five minute powerplay, because if you have a horrible 5-minute powerplay, the other team gains so much momentum and confidence that the result of the poor execution could cost you more than just no goals.

Guess the key word is conciously. If you are friends with many of the people around a program, you may think you can be completely impartial, but somehow friendships might play into it a bit. Once I see UND be the beneficiary of 4 missed checking from behinds in one weekend while Minnesota gets called on the only one they commit, then I'll be more apt to think it's just coincidence.

Looks like Adam Tambellini likes being on a team with a little more firepower, as he was 1st star today in a 10-2 Surrey win with 3 goals and 2 assists.

Just interesting how many times these inept refs get things wrong. Minnesota pushes the BC goalie into the net, they review it, call it a good goal. The Sioux push the goalie into the net, review it, and call it no goal. Brad Sheppard has no business officiating games. When you consistently get the longest games when Sheppard and Anderson are involved, you would think that someone would put them on notice. The amount of time to review a goal last night was ridiculous. First they talk to the coaches for a while, then they go and confer for a while longer before they decide to review it, which takes a while, then after they decide, each confers with a different coach, then they get done with that, then Sheppard has to talk to the other coach. If we see any Sheppard officiating next weekend, look out! Can't wait to be in a league without Gregg Sheppards cronies.

Tambellini with two goals tonight for his new club, and Jack Rowe had a couple as well.

Agree, I would guess that O'Donnell has more goals than Frattin did at this stage of his career, especially when he missed the second half of last season, which is valuable time for any freshman in the learning curve. Having that playoff run under his belt last year would have been huge for him. It would be interesting to look back and see what people said about Frattin and Malone early in their career.

Seems to me like Canada made many more of those mistakes than the U.S., and guys that have been playing at the professional level at that. The NHL guys aren't immune from making those kinds of mistakes, otherwise Canada wouldn't have had it handed to them.

Bottom line is that Don Cherry can see that Canada isn't head and shoulders above the U.S. anymore and the results of all the Under 18 etc. teams bears that out. They will always be a player, but as the game has branched out in the U.S. you are having great players from unconventional states now, and I don't think it is going to get better for Canada. If you look at all the players in most Olympic sports, they all train at U.S. colleges, but I don't think the U.S. is looking to ban them from competition. If Canada wasn't losing its grip, he wouldn't be so frustrated.

So if Tyler Palmiscno was named the head coach of the next World Juniors, you don't think there would be some questions asked? I have no problem with Housley, but still wonder what the process is for the hire. Like I said, it has worked out fine, but if High School coaches are in play, I nominate Bill Chase, after all, he coached Grant Potulny back in the day.

Let's face it, a lot of the unbelievable passes that we see even on the professional level that the announcers laud, are just blind attempts hoping that someone is there or decided to jump in a hole. To say otherwise is disingenuous, so to jump all over Rocco for a few blind passes deep in the offensive end seems to be over the top, especially when the announcers would be the first to overemphasize a great pass that was just blind luck. Again, if this pass was done at the offensive blueline or in the defensive end, I can see the need to criticize a bit.

The results have indeed been good for the U.S., but one still has to question how someone with Housley's limited coaching pedigree was given the reigns of the U.S. World Junior team. Was it on name recognition, or his job coaching Stillwater High School. Am I missing some experience somewhere? Again, it has turned out quite well, so someone obviously saw something, but it doesn't mean the question can't / shouldn't be asked.

True, but Jack Rowe has similar stats to Johnson and people are wondering if he is a Michael Fink. Don't know if he will turn out like Fink or not, but I think all that people are looking at are stats and trying to extrapolate how they will do at the next level. I know that is human nature, but we have all seen guys that put up huge numbers in the USHL and have been checking forwards at UND, or they never realize the potential people expected of them. Brian Canady and James Massen come to mind in that regard, while Brandon Bochenski fulfilled the expectations people had of him because of his USHL career.

Yeah, you would think that the people that would be sitting would be Ryan Hartman and Jake McCabe, who took stupid/selfish penalties near the end of the Canada game when the U.S. had a chance to tie the game. Did either of those guys sit in the game today?

At least he has the sense to delete ridiculous things he writes. Some people make the same ridiculous assertions over and over.

I guess that means I can expect 40 below windchill that weekend then. Seems like we always get the brutal weather when recruits come to visit.

There have been some superlatives about Chase Perry from Andover. As said before, he is Craig Perry's kid. I would think if he was a prospect though, it would be for after Gothberg is gone.

Wasn't it the street that he watered!

Wasn't aware of that, but he was cited I believe.