tnt

Next season starts by the coaches forcing themselves and their team to watch the NCAA selection show today and knowing they all had a hand in us watching rivals being seeded in what should have been our regional. Maybe they will work this off-season to correct that.

Moore has nothing to do with playing time, as he stood out as a pleasant surprise last year. He has just regressed, and it appears to be more mental than physical.

You don’t think he got playing time this year? He got way more than Dylan James.

Yeah, it’s not like he hasn’t had his chance. I am more confused how someone like Strinden who has brought the effort every night hasn’t had a place at least as an extra skater.

Personally, we need to be more aggressive with a one goal lead in the third. There were times when we had nobody forechecking, everyone staying back to defend. How many leads do they have to give up before they get more aggessive. I would be curious to know Berry’s record in special events like destination games, Frozen Faceoffs and regionals after the Championship season. Remember when we won the WCHA final five several times in a row, and won something every year under Hakstol? I know several times now we are figuring out what to do because we have been one and done consistently in regionals and league tourneys. Watching and having to cheer for other teams other than UND way too often lately.

That’s a big loss for them, but they will get Biondi back from injury, which will be huge for them, and along with Howard and Steeves will give them a potent power play if they can find someone to fill Kaiser’s shoes.

Hope that is the case, but that has been my biggest disappointment this season, when backs have been to the wall they still came out flat and didn't find their game until the second period. If they come out buzzing, I like their chances, if they sit back and let St. Cloud take it to them early with their season on the line, I will be even more disappointed. Hopefully they start like they did against Omaha in game three, only capitalize early.

And until recent Big Ten success and when they used to be in the WCHA Michigan hasn't had the same league grind to get into the national tournament. Some of the old CCHA teams they used to face haven't exactly been ripping up the NCHC.

Just look at reviews for companies on job recruiting sites and look at the comments from different ends of the spectrum. It is impossible to know if a company is good to work for or not. There are bound to be differing opinions on coaches as well, as some don't need/want as much structure, and others welcome it.

How about holding on to a three goal lead against Western Michigan? That would have given us the series win against them, and really helped out our pairwise, as well as our confidence.

I've always said it takes a loss or two in the NCAA tourney to have a bad enough taste in your mouth to set your mind to not let it happen again. Obviously that didn't help us from last year, but I always wonder how much more determined Kawaguchi, Pinto and company would have come out had they lost a tournament game in the Covid cancellation year. Hopefully we get in this year so guys like McLaughlin, Blake and James have the experience to draw on, win or lose.

Are both games one session?

Wait, didn't our fanbase pack it in a month ago? Don't think a coach with Larson's background is going to let his team "pack it in" when they have a chance to end a rivals season. Did they pack it in when they got behind against Duluth last night?

I am sure a chance to end our season is enough of an incentive for them, just like we would love to end theirs if given the chance. Since St. Cloud has had a stretch where they haven't won as many games, I think they would want to be going into the tourney on a good streak, and they sure don't want to go into the tournament with a "pack it in" mentality, because if they get behind in a tourney game they would have a recent positive to draw from if they came from behind. Also, any kind of championship for them is building to their eventual end goal of winning a National Championship.

I think CC may give Denver a run for their money if they can keep getting decent goaltending. I think their confidence is growing, and both St. Cloud and UND fans will be firmly behind CC. Hopefully a 5 minute major will go their way against Denver.

It is what it is. If we are o.k. with it only when it turns out well for us, then we are hypocritical. They beat Denver, we didn’t, they swept Arizona State, we didn’t. We needed to take care of business in those games and we would be in.

Panzer with goals in 3 straight games, and 8 points in the last 7. Was third star in a loss to Fargo last night. Good to see him pick it up.

So, for Moorhead it is bad luck, but it was Hakstol's fault for not getting it done in the Big One?

Forbort wasn’t super great in college, and I would argue names like Sanderson, Kleven, Blake, Perron, Strathman, and possibly James and McLaughlin could match the Malone, Frattin Rowney in the NHL and be all league type players.

People wondered why we didn't offer Garrett Worth, Grant Slukynsky, or Landon Parker, but we have seen that even guys that at one point were expected to be high draft picks like Ryder Donovan and Mitchell Mattson didn't really pan out. Everyone can call out the coaches after the fact when a player works out, but the same ones would be the first to complain when we have a roster that "has no talent". Zach Yon looked to be a great college player from his high school career, but many complained about him when he was here.

Was wondering, because I only recall him as a healthy scratch.

When was the setback? The injury was before he came here.

Which makes me wonder if this is strictly a hockey decision. If his last game was an exhibition game, I find it strange he hasn’t at the least been the extra skater since many of the defensemen have had issues.

So then does that hold for Johnson as well? Moore had a good year last year.

I think Larson is a very good coach, but he had an underachieving team last year like we have this year, and they haven’t exactly sucked it up after a bit of adversity losing Anhorn. Larson probably is a candidate, but while you have more resources, the pressure would be enormous. I do think he would be better at having a good mix of character guys and high end talent.