tnt

But they also have set a precedent that if you hit someone like this, you can retaliate with a hit to the head yourself. I guess in the league's eyes that is better than just dropping the gloves.

I guess I have a problem with the league refusing to go on a local radio station to explain the decision. Wouldn't you want it known what the consequences are going to be for specific behavior? Maybe they just want to continue to arbitrarily decide who they will suspend and who they won't without giving any guidelines to follow. I find it odd that they won't explain to Sioux followers or anyone interested in this decision on the radio, yet they have no problem sending Greg Sheppard on with Doug and Frank to explain why a goal was taken away from the gophers against Wisconsin. And you wonder why people would think there is a slant to things in the league. I still think Hakstol should walk out on the ice after a bad call and see what the league does to him. I suspect we would find out in a hurry the inconsistency and disparity in the league's judgement.

Yeah, I could see Hill doing it. I wouldn't be surprised to see the University ask Lucia to change one or both of his assistants.

Yeah, but every gopher fan that keeps their tickets will be cheering hard against the Sioux.

You haven't been watching as many games toward the end of the season then, because he is much more comfortable jumping into the play, indeed stickhandling around players in the offensive end than he was earlier in the season, which obviously makes sense. Traditionally, that has been the case with even defensemen that had the offensive label coming in. Derrick Lapoint learned the defensive end first, and it has served him well as he now jumps into the play much more often. Another example of that is none other than Ben Blood. In fact, with Blood doing much more rushing than he did last year, it kind of makes sense that MacWilliam needs to stay back and hold down the fort.

Have you watched any games this year? You aren't the one that was questioning why the Sioux would be interested in him coming out of juniors and are just trying to cover for that are you? No one is making him out to be the second coming, but he is far more advanced than anyone would have guessed at this juncture and is one of our most dependable defensemen. Dependable and freshman don't always go together well in the same sentence.

The question now is do they change the way do business now and charge Fighting Sioux club members next year to go to women's hockey games, or do they wait until people are hooked on the new product and grow a following?

Friday: Gregoire Saturday: Hextall

Let's add Evan Trupp to that list in Duluth a few years back. I believe it was a knee to knee hit. Incidentally, Chay Genoway was also out of action for a bit from a check from behind in that series but was able to return by the national tournament, maybe a little earlier.

I don't have a problem celebrating a game winning goal as long as it isn't in someone else's face. Kristo likes to celebrate his goals a bit too.

Didn't hear Gorg talk about Knight's hit, but it wouldn't surprise me. I used to respect Gorg for his knowledge, but the more I listen to him, his knowledge is based on X's and O's and even that sometimes appears to be a load of crap. I did hear someone call up and talk about how nice it is to have players stay in college like Jonathan Toews, and there was no response from Gorg that he was only there 2 years and left after he was 19 years old. He has become another gopher tool that doesn't respond to things like Brian Schack's two attacks from behind, but focuses on when the Sioux stick up for their own. Of course, he believes in that when it comes to the NHL, but doesn't when it comes to college, or at least when it pertains to a team that he doesn't announce for. He doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge about the college game outside of the gophers.

Frattin on Friday Kristo on Saturday

I hope the fact the Sioux are now tied with CC doesn't cause the Sioux to feel comfortable again. I think they really need to get that Friday game, because the Sioux don't need to give CC any confidence when they have lost some recently. If CC won on Friday their confidence would be up and they would smell home ice the following night. I really hope the Sioux look at this as an opportunity to keep their pairwise ranking and gaining home ice at the same time.

It looks like it would go to league games if they split and both scored the same number of goals in the series.

I think if we split and tied on total goals in the series, we would have an advantage on total margin of victory for the rest of the WCHA schedule.

I know it would be a rivalry series with Denver, but it might be possible that Denver could already have clinched the WCHA title, and there will most likely be a letdown after that. I would think we should be able to beat Tech at home, but stranger things have happened with more talented Sioux teams.

I think it might be head to head goals against, but not sure. It would be nice to put a licking on them on Friday just to take a little pressure off.

Should they split this weekend, and then finished tied at the end of the year, what are the tie break criteria beyond head to head and league wins?

Tim Hennessey said this morning that they got Simpson, but missed out on a guy to Major Junior. Any idea on who that might be?

Rau just got his hat trick. Fast and good with the puck and already has 30 goals this year. Wonder how many schools he is considering?

Even taking injuries out of the equation, are we all thinking that the season is going to continue to go as well as it has to this point? Every season has its ups and downs, and I doubt this one will be different. If someone's performance doesn't meet the standard, and a message needs to be sent, or if someone is taking penalties that hurt the team, I am sure Hakstol wouldn't hesitate to teach a lesson. If that happens, it is up to Fienhage to take the ball and run with it.

If he wants vicious, he need look no further than comments many gopher fans have about him right now.

I call sandbagging, and if there is one thing we know up here in the Red River valley, it's sandbagging!

Friday: Zajac Saturday: Kristo

I think the Sioux are interested in Sahir Gill from Chicago as well.