farce poobah

Interjecting here, and noting that iluvdebbies, and the game referees, got the penalty time served correct, according to the current rule book. http://www.rowaniceh..._Ice_Hockey.pdf Rule 4 Penalties , Section 2 "minor penalties", paragraphs e and f: e. When penalties are not in effect and not visible on the clock and one minor penalty is assessed to one player of each team at the same stoppage of play, these penalties shall be served without substitution. f. When penalties are not in effect and not visible on the clock and one minor penalty is assessed to one player of each team, with an additional penalty or penalties (minor or major) assessed at the same stoppage of R-42 Rule 4 / penalTies play, immediate substitutions on ice shall be made for an equal number of coincidental minor penalties (penalties assessed during the same stoppage of play) to each team so penalized. The penalized players substituted for shall take their places on the penalty bench and shall not leave the penalty bench until the first stoppage of play after the expiration of their respective penalties. Penalties of the players for whom substitutions have been made shall not be taken in into account for the purpose of the delayed penalty rule (see 4-8-a). Note they define "coincidental" as occurring at the same stoppage of play (and not whether the same infraction is called).

LOL. And 427 pages on "Former Players".

Tonight's Boston v Pittsburgh game can only be described as vicious. So much intent to injure. Both sides. Starting with the biggest goon on the ice, Chara, less than a miniute in, and continuing. Shawn Thornton should be getting about 10 games for pounding Orpik's head into the ice. And James Neal should get about 4 for kneeing with intent to injure. There may be more, but wow. Just wow. The fireworks on this board the next few days should be interesting.

Even in the Land of 10,000 Excuses.

Very encouraging effort and quality of play tonight. For fair stretches of the game, we saw bona fide Fighting Sioux hockey.

I too know very little about hockey, and only scored one game winning goal in intramural hockey in the way back, with a real wooden Christian Brothers $5 stick. But you won't see that stop me from offering my $.02 either. An assessment through November... STRENGTHS 1. Character. As always at UND (going back to the Gasparini days!), we have guys who will bleed for the team, who play injured, who will barf between shifts and then go back out and give 100%. I do not see any evidence of loafing or guys who don't care. 2. Conditioning. If memory serves, this group of players graded very highly on the dryland testing coming into camp this fall. (Best in ten years is a quote I recall.) In games, there's no pattern of late-period issues or 3rd-period issues that would suggest conditioning is it. 3. Fundamental skills and talent. These guys can skate. There's decent hands guys. And obviously with 15 draft picks, lack of skills can't be an excuse. It should be an area of strength. 4. Freshman class. In a season where we lost a lot of scoring and three experienced blueliners (counting Gleason for this purpose), this team had to put rookies into key roles. Calling out for special mention here: Luke Johnson, Paul Ladue, Troy Stecher. Although I have to say that Gage Ausmus reminds me of James Patrick; superb lateral movement and an explosive first step to create space. Just about every PK unit this weekend seemed to have 2 rookies. (Can't get back St Clair and McMillans soon enough.) WEAKNESSES 1. Poor decisioning with the puck. Lots of little mistakes that turn into the team getting bottled up. Just from this weekend's games, I recall half-dozen times when someone behind the net threw the puck up the wall too hard for the UND forward to get there. We also fail to clear the zone far more than I've seen in the last 10 years; a half-dozen of those plays as well just from this weekend. POISE with the puck is needed. Much of the time, we're moving the puck before forced. Hanging onto it a half-second longer and making a fundamentally solid pass would go a long way to getting out of our own zone consistently well. 2. Inadequate play without the puck. While #1 above is about the guy with the puck, this comment is about the guys without the puck. Often times, they are not finding the space and not becoming a target to receive the puck. The best teams at this have guys moving full speed to get open. Many times it looks like we are going half-speed, without conviction, and as a result, we're too easy to cover and its too easy for the opposing team to break up the play. 3. Goaltending is not consistently sharp. Its not clear to me whether this is a mental issue, a physical / fundamental issue, or just plain bad luck. But we have not gotten the consistently-sharp "B+" or even "A-" goaltending that this team will need. OBSERVATIONS: 1. The schedule has not been our friend so far. (Per SS.com, our SOS is #3 as rated by KRACH.) We've played the top of the NCHC (Miami and St Cloud), we've played some tough nonconference games. Now the schedule is about to become our friend. These next six series (WMU, Northern Michigan, CC, Bemidji St, Omaha in GF, Denver) represent a golden opportunity to get on a winning streak. If we're going to compete for an NCAA berth, I think we'll need around 10 wins in those 12 games. 2. February will tell the tale - back to back to back vs Miami, St Cloud and UMD ... present the last good opportunity to cement a solid enough record to get into the NCAA's. Based on NCHC's "mediocre" out of conference results, it may take 20 wins for UND to make the Dance. So winning 3-4 of these is a must. 3. I think the building blocks are here. A regular season title may not be in the cards, but a NCHC-tourney is a definite possibility. But there's no longer room for games that we aren't 100% ready to play, as happened Friday night.

Brad Malone with his first point of the season tonight. Nice to see him getting some ice time in the Show.

I like watching games in St Louis. The fans keep chanting Let's Go Sioux. Other than the top six guys, there is enormous skill gap between St Louis and Minnesota. Blues are for real.

When the homer gopher announcer is talking about the gophers getting away with penalties ... but hey you can believe whatever you need to believe.

TJ Oshie with a 4 point night tonight. He and the Blues are starting to play up to their potential.

Fixed your post.

Yeah, I can't believe this isn't evened up with the extra to Drake offsetting the original for charging... sigh.

They got a garbage goal last night. We got one tonight. Let's see what we do with it.

LOL In a related story, UND trades Parks, Rodwell, Hakstol and a bus to UNO in exchange for Zombo, Archibald, and Blais.

Luke Johnson with a sweet move to pot the first of the night for UND. He definitely belongs.

UND's lack of team speed means that Omaha can pressure the puck deep in the attacking zone and not worry about getting back on the counterattack... They are noticeably faster. Combine that high pressure forecheck with our inexperienced defense and you get a recipe for an unfavorable matchup. We have to play team TEAM hockey to counteract their game.

UNO skating circles around UND right now. SOG 11 to 2.

In other amazing news, Minnesota 24, Penn State 10, 9 minutes left in Mpls.

Blackhaws bring the Stanley Cup to Walter Reed. http://blackhawks.nh...s.htm?id=689984 I'm happy the relationship with the USA Wounded Warriors continues to grow. "A lot of teamwork goes into winning the Stanley Cup," Toews said, "but it's absolutely nothing compared to what you guys do."

Gino Gasparini "If the puck could talk, tonight it would have cried."

Let's consider the source here .... Bowling Green being in a separate conference from Miami and Western Michigan IS a weak spot in the current alignment (maybe the weakest spot). Not surprising that persons related to BGSU would want to stir the pot, because they are stuck with the "lesser" teams. (Lesser in quotes because in mens ice hockey, BGSU has been looking up at everyone in the standings ever since Jerry York left.) BUT you gotta believe Blasi (Miami) and Murray (Western) are thrilled with the current alignment. Can't believe Miami and Western would come in in 2013-2014 and leave anytime soon. Best likelihood is that NCHC adds BGSU - once BGSU gets their act together. Which I would not mind ... having more friends in the MAC can only be good for UND longer-term.

My daughters aren't pregnant.

I suggest the NDSU Dance Team start a petition and get the NDSUAAS football team to gather signatures for them.

Note for all you kids out there: Toews' goals combined totaled about 2 feet. GO TO THE NET.

Agree .... and its why Penn State will become competitive in the coming years. Fan support means money so you can afford good coaches and draw top recruits.