Hammy

Do I detect a little bitterness because of the recent reversal of fortunes between the Gophs and the Sioux? Amazing.... the Gophers are playing in Duluth last night but somehow they had an effect on a game in Mankato. What an amazing feat. I suppose the Gophers will be accused of waving a wand like you claim they did on the refs and it made the Sioux offense disappear too? LOL, whatever. Pin your loss on whatever you'd like but don't be sorry enough to pass the blame where is hardly belongs. DeMarchi gets a lot of reputation calls against him too. I guess we should blame that on some other WCHA team too, huh?

I have said this earlier this season but Mavs fans are the biggest rubes I have seen in this league. I know I give St. Cloud fans a lot of grief but a greater percentage of Mavs fans are worse. They are fast becoming the least liked fans in the league (at least with people I know) due to their classless behavior (especially in opposing rinks).

Jim, I agree with you on the effect of the hype. Usually when a team makes a specific game/series into something bigger than normal, it can backfire because it may create a more tense situation for the team. You risk the team burning up a lot of energy during the weeklong build up and they could play flat. For a team like Mankato that really isn't used to expectations (and they have pretty much been under the radar a lot of the year), it may create a situation in which they are unaccustomed and it may hurt them. But maybe they'll be the opposite. Still, if I were Jutting, I would try my best to make a series like this seem similar to any other series.

Even though it would probably be better for my Gophers if the Sioux were swept or split, I have to admit there is a part of me that would like to see the Sioux spoil Mankato's overhyped party. The way they are hyping up this REGULAR SEASON series is sort of a laugh to me. You'd think this was for the national title or something with the way those clowns in Mankato are acting. What a bunch of dopes.

St. Paul? Besides the Wild, it is a wasteland over there. Maybe that is why it is near to Wisconsin. Almost anything that is good in the Twin Cities is on the west side (including Mariucci). The west side is the best side.

PCM, I have said this in the past on POI.... but when Lucia is on the radio, I always try to remind people to not bother him with asking specific questions on a recruit that hasn't signed a LOI. I have seen it happen before on the radio in which some "dope" inevitably asks Lucia a question on some kid and it puts Lucia in an odd spot in which he just says that he can't comment on a specific player. I realize that not every Gopher fan is as educated on the rules as many of the Gopher fans on the internet but I would hope they would learn over time. I don't really care to get involved in the argument of whether this situation is a violation. That is for the NCAA to decide. I do think Blais would be better off not answering specifics though. Not worth the risk in my book.

Sounds like he is a nice kid. Man.... he looks like he is 13 years old though! Has he started to shave yet!?

I don't really want to say a whole lot in terms of any individual because I do my best to show restraint on other team's message boards. Sal does a great job on POI and has rarely gone to the level of banning somebody. Frankly, if he bans you (whether temporarily or permanently), you likely earned it as he is a pretty good guy. Roberg is a kid who has a lot of great qualities and he is respected. He is a walk on that apparently has never missed a practice in his years on campus yet has cracked the lineup less than 10 times. I have a ton of respect for somebody like that.... works his butt off knowing he probably won't get a chance to play. He watched kids like Dan Welch get multiple opportunities and could have quit in anger over it but he stuck it out. He is an excellent student. A few times in the past I have encouraged him to keep plugging away and that he can't quit because he lives a dream that a lot of Minnesota kids desire. Just to put the uniform on and skate for the team. He is an example for those kids who may not be a star but still live the dream. His goal may not count in the record books but it counts a lot for him and people who like him. He deserves his moment in the sun without having somebody dump on it. That's all I have to say about it. Sorry if this post is received negatively on your board.

The mid-term rankings include the Worlds which is why they are always released after the Worlds have been completed.

It is hardly uneasiness. I think a lot of the past "tension" for Gopher fans is gone after winning the title last year. A lot of Gopher fans don't get worked up over other opposing fans' comments nearly as much. Comments like "chokers", "1979" and "trash talk" of that nature ring rather hollow these days, ya know? I think most Gopher backers respect the Sioux but know the Gophers can beat them. I am sure a similar feeling comes from Sioux fans. It should be a great series.

Granted, I am a Gopher fan but I think Woog does a pretty good job. When I hear other college analysts, they don't really do much other than comment on things the average fan already knows or can see. Woog will actually go beyond that and explain things (strategy, etc.) and he does a pretty good job of it. Woog may bleed Maroon and Gold down deep but he isn't afraid to criticize (whether it is the Gophers or their opponent) when it is warranted. He isn't the homer you'd think he'd be.

I believe Porter is now playing on Irmen's line as Lincoln split up their big gun line of Backes-Potulny-Irmen to help spread their offensive threats a little more. So they moved Irmen down to the second line and I think Porter is on that line. I believe they did it a few weeks ago and I am sure that is when Porter's production started to improve.

I think Yale has some pretty decent skill at forward. They skate pretty well. Better than I thought they would. However, they definitely have a cupcake defense and their goaltending is weak (though the Gartner kid looks like he could be a "gamer" when given the chance)

Just as I respect Blais and Co.

Jeez Sprig, pick out one comment as if that is sole basis for my opinion. What a stunner. It is a little different being named all tourney as a goalie when you played Brown and Bemidji as opposed to facing two teams whose average goals per game ranks in the top 10 of all college hockey like BC and Yale. So it was shot selection that was the problem for BC? OK, whatever you say. I suppose that was the problem for every team he has played in the last 6+ weeks. Tell you what.... you look at Weber's stats and then tell me if he is worth questioning. If you think he is, I guess that means the whole league has questionable goaltending since he is the current WCHA leader in GAA and is 3rd in Save % Of course, I guess that is all because of the opponents "shot selection" though. LOL

Actually, if I flamed you, THEN it would have been taking the bait. I was just commenting on the fact that I am not sure what you have been seeing to make such a comment. Yes Brodeur is going to Wisconsin. I just meant that obviously Blais is looking around. I also have to kind of cackle at your remark about watching a little of the Gopher game today and not being impressed with the goaltending. Weber was voted the tourney's outstanding player and stopped 29 of 30 shots in that game. You must have some pretty high standards if that isn't impressive. Then again, I had read some of your old columns on the "Unvarnished Truth" long ago so I know better than to take your hockey "analysis" too seriously.

Goon, I realize you are a Sioux fan and are gonna make remarks (fair or not) that are mostly anti-Gopher but how can you say the Gophers have goaltending issues with the way Weber has played this year? I don't know what games you have been watching but they obviously haven't been Gopher games to make a rather uninformed remark. Weber has been playing very good. A GAA of barely above 2 and and save % a little under 92% is hardly a "problem". Both his non-conference and his conference stats are very good. As for the Sioux goaltending, it sounds as if Blais recognizes that it is a big weakness as it sounds like they have been recruiting goalies to some degree (if the stuff about Brodeur was accurate a while ago). I am sure he'll address it in some fashion.

I would think one thing that leads to him maybe staying though is he wouldn't be able to negotiate with any team but Ottawa since they own his rights. If he were an undrafted free agent, I may tend to agree with you. Then again, he is an older player and sometimes they feel a little more urgency to start a pro career then guys who came to college right out of HS. I'd be surprised if he left early though.

Scott, I am not really sure why any Gopher fan would make light of guys leaving early for NoDak when it has happened numerous times at the U too. I guess they are just trying to rib you though. I don't know that it will really matter too much where Lucia recruits because the Gophers lost players early even when it was all MN kids in the program. The price you pay for landing top talent. I'd suspect Vanek will be gone after his sophomore year too. Just like I expect Parise to be gone after that year. In fact, it wouldn't totally shock me to see Vanek leave after this season.... but I think he'll stick around for one more year considering his relationship with Motzko and the fact he does have some things to work on in his overall game.

Tantrum? Please.... I only gave an opinion that just doesn't happen to agree with some Sioux fans. Trust me, the person looking into his moniter as he types this has a normal blood pressure reading and is hardly upset about either the article or the differing opinions. You have your point of view, I have mine. I will say I don't care to have words put into my mouth which is what a few people on that thread seemed to be doing. Other than that, I was only stating my viewpoint.

OK... I guess if you want to get technical, he is from SSW of ND. Scott... I am only "holding out" because I want somebody else to spill the beans.

It won't "suck" for you this time (well, except for the wins he gets over the Sioux in the future. ) He isn't an ND boy. You need to go further west.....

Don't worry... I won't "poison" your board with my presence other than to respond to the above. I guess certain people may want to get a sense of humor and quit being so sensitive to anything I write because it is making them delusional. If you'll notice on my posts on that thread on the USCHO, I wrote at the top "It is all tongue in cheek". In other words, I was only joking around. I never said one intentionally bad word about Stafford in that whole thread. But I suppose looking at things through those green colored, Gopher hating glasses may make reading comprehension and syntax a little more difficult than it is for the average person. Trust me, the only envy coming from me these days is envy of the lucky Gopher fans who will be in New Hampshire this weekend. Other than that..... We are plenty happy down here. Thanks for the concern though.