tnt

There is an article in today's Grand Forks Herald about Thompson and Gage Ausmus accepting invitations to the NTDP. Hopefully they can continue to develop and become Fighting Sioux ... or whatever the nickname is at that point.

I think Michigan's success against our powerplay and our lack of success against their penalty kill gave Michigan the confidence that they would at least be in the game. Everybody knows how you win postseason games, goaltending and special teams. It may just be the players gripping their sticks a little tighter, or Michigan might have game-planned our powerplay very well. The disappointing thing for me is that the Sioux had two players with outrageous point streaks and not to score one goal really makes it more difficult to take because of that alone.

Yes, pretty good indeed, for a one-line team!

The thing about goaltending is that you can be on the best roll ever, and stumble for one game, and it is literally game over. The Sioux can attest to that over the past several years just about as well as anybody.

I was told that at past Frozen Fours you could leave after the first game and possibly sell to someone else for re-entry. I know at the Final Five you had to get your hand stamped and still show the ticket for re-entry, so I assume that is what they will do for the Frozen Four. I sometimes wonder why the NCAA doesn't just make it two sessions and add to the price of the tickets. You would think that for Frozen Fours like in Tampa next year, it would be easier to sell packages if the buyer could possibly sell one of the sessions to some fans of another team to make it a little cheaper. Really why does the NCAA care if people leave after the first game and sell their ticket for re-entry to the second game -- they made their money anyway. and you make fans of all the teams happy because you can get more in the door for their teams game.

Once again, I think you can say the same about any fanbase. Every fanbase has their fair share of bad apples. Just like every fanbase has those who can't/won't give their opponents any credit and will default to stereotypes to degrade the other teams success.

It would be nice if he could watch the Sioux in person at the Frozen Four to see the following the Sioux have, rather than playing in a 2/3 full arena with little atmosphere.

Wow with a username of Drunkhockey guy, he must be cool! Take a look in the mirror guy.

Jordan Schmaltz is leading all defensemen in the USHL in points and goals. Nick Mattson is tied for second in points for defensemen. Schmaltz seems to really have hit his stride and will only get better with another year in the USHL.

Why do people respond to your posts the way they do? Read your posts and ask yourself if they don't come across as arrogant or unbelievably sarcastic.

Even when they show the spot shadow the puck is coming out of the net before you can tell if it was all the way over the line. It wasn't under the goalie pad at that point, so common sense isn't part of the equation. You can see black, but you can't see white between it.

There was a reason why NDSU felt the need to get out of Division II, and it was because it was getting watered down by schools who didn't want to, or wouldn't spend the money to be viable teams. If you start adding the same type of team to the WCHA, you run the risk of having a perennial doormat that won't spend the money and is a Division 1 program in name only. You don't think that the Big Ten schools will recruit players and point that out to every recruit?

Any of the other first round games going to be shown on ESPNU?

Exactly, there were those on this board that said Davidson was going to be gone after his first year here without playing time. You never know what is the most important for certain players, and what will cause them to leave.

Would you sell one package separately?

Do you still have these?

Obviously you can be competitive with players from one state if you pick the right ones. Look at all the great players from Minnesota at UND, St. Cloud, Bemidji, Omaha, etc. The gophers just need a better mix of players and ones that are going to give it all every game. The gophers can get most of the good recruits out of Minnesota, if they have a bigger problem, it is that they sometimes right out of high school. They do recruit out of state players, but if you were a recruit from elsewhere, would you go to a place where you will be the "non-Minnesotan, or a place with diversity like UND where you get good-natured ribbing if you are Canadian, Minnesotan, or what have you. Maybe it is a better educational opportunity to live through experiences of a more diverse group of guys, and the Sioux will be very geographically widespread over the next few years.

Another parallel could be that both were loyal to their assistant coaches, probably to their ultimate downfall. Gasparini basically had two goalie coaches in Craig Perry and Jim Scanlan. Not saying either of them were bad coaches, but with the name recognition of the program and the head coach, perhaps a defensive specialist or an offensive coach could have been thrown it there.

Are any of those gopher fans like any of the majority of the crowd at GPL who are begging that the gophers get Vinny Saponari who is playing very well in the USHL after getting kicked off of Boston University for multiple indescretions while other players were allowed to return to Boston University who got in trouble. Hmmm!

When you are talking about teams on average scoring 3 to 3.5 goals a game, a goals against average of 1/2 a goal a game is quite a gap as well. so Dell has .14 less saves per 10 shots, but gives up .5 goals a game less.

I think trying to compare different kinds of defensemen and say who is our best is a very difficult thing to do. Each has a place, but I don't think one is more significant than the other. Would the Sioux powerplay be as good with MacWilliam manning the point -- probably not. Will the Sioux penalty kill be as effective without MacWilliam clearing out bodies so Dell can see the puck -- probably not. MacWilliam started out slow, kind of like he did his freshman year, but once again in the second half he is playing very well.

I'm hoping we make it easier for him to go by winning a Natiional Championship. As long as we have another NC under our belts, it is easier to bless someone on moving on, when they have added to the Sioux legacy. I think the coaching staff is fairly honest with the players in that they don't mind them leaving if they aren't going to toil in the minor leagues.

So Dell makes 9.1 saves out of ten shots, and Patterson makes 9.26 saves out of ten. That doesn't seem like a whole lot, and could be explained in a lot of ways. The Sioux tend not to give up a lot of shots period, so Dell doesn't always see the inordinate amount of easy saves, but then again, he doesn't get hung out to dry like Patterson either. Goals against average is important too. What are their league stats for that? If Patterson makes .1 more saves out of ten and gives up .whatever more goals per game, what is more important. Something the voters will have to figure out.

I think Dell might be punished for being on a great defensive team and a great offensive team. I know Cardinal has said that on a few occasions, regarding the strength of the Sioux defensive core. Not saying that isn't the case, but he did make the saves that were required of him, and really took over for an incumbent goaltender. Wouldn't surprise me if Patterson was first team goaltender though, because he truly was the MVP for the gophers, having to make a lot more big-time saves to keep the gophers in games. I hope I am wrong, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me, and I really wouldn't feel it was unwarranted if it went the other way.

Haven't heard of anything about Jones, but I noticed he was up with the Under 18 team last night. Grimaldi went from the Under 17 to the Under 18 team last year, so I wonder if he is there for good or if it was a short-term arrangement.