farce poobah

Red Bull.

11 minutes in still 3-3

I'm hoping for an epic game that fits the epic characteristics of this rivalry. Toe to toe, no ground given. I'm also hoping for a massive Sioux fan turnout.

embarrassing also

BC vs Providence on NBC Sports Network from the Boston Garden. Looks like about 3000 people there.

Of course, if these team want to beat each other up for a couple more periods, that would be fine by me. Going to OT.

Denver looks weary. I'd rather play them tomorrow night.

Sure it helped - to inflate their statistics.

Run the table and get a #1 seed! Go SIOUX!

that was the wink wink nudge nudge part. Although I wouldn't be surprised if either MacWilliam or Forbort or both turned pro.

An outsider to the team can't help but wonder whether our redshirt goaltender might have helped the team enough this year to get them over the hump. Otherwise, moving MoLam back to the blue line definitely put a damper on the offense against a quality opponent like Minnesota.

An elite recruit on defense would likely get a lot of quality playing time next year, considering that we have some large holes to fill on D. Wink wink nudge nudge knowwhatImean knowwhatImean.

Good for them ... so we can pencil in Oshie Jr. for a scholarship in 2033. Maybe another in 2035. Nice to see him playing toward his potential - leading the Blues in scoring.

Nice results from the CCHA tonight. Four possible Cinderellas went down. Of those left, 3 of 4 have virtually clinched, and only Western Michigan is on the bubble.

Hey, UND>UM, just a reminder that teams are reseeded after the first round. If Wisconsin defeats DU, UND would move up to #3, for example.

One other note while we are reviewing WCHA Awards ... In an era where puck possession is more and more important, your top face off guy is a valuable penalty killer, and a valuable component of your powerplay. We've been spoiled at UND in having some of the best around, going back years and years (Dave Tippett and Troy Murray among a long line), but Corban Knight has been phenomenal all year long, going most nights up against the other team's top line. Through Saturday, at 480 wins, 338 losses. 59% in round percentages. Over the season, 70 extra puck possessions, and many of those in man-advantage situations. He is fun to watch, varying his approach game by game, but almost always with a disproportionate degree of success. The combination of strong own-zone play and faceoff success makes me think a role like Dave Bolland has with the Blackhawks might be in his future.

If I'm starting a WCHA team from scratch, picking any six, my first team is: Forwards: Schwartz, Jack Connelly, Bjugstad Defense: Schultz and Blood Goaltender: Patterson POTY: Patterson. Minnesota doesn't win the Macnaughton without him. ROTY: LaLeggia. Phenomenal production. COTY: Hakstol. Taking half a roster and finishing 4th? Unbelievable. Eades and Jackson should get credit too.

Cool. Do you have a link for that?

Just gotta say what a treat it is to have Gord Miller and Kerry Fraser doing commentary. They are fantastic. You'd think they see these guys every week; their recognition of names and numbers is flawless, their facts are on target, and the knowledge and experience is unmatched. Kerry Fraser is better than I thought he would be. Plus he called a spade a spade in noting that MacWilliam shouldn't have been called for a major.

Good article on Sam LaShomb (4G, 1A today) and the rivalry with the Marvin (Layla 3A, 1A) clan, following today's girls quarterfinals: http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_20020087

There are a number of things that can be done at the Ralph to improve the atmosphere. I'll start with a few obvious ones .... and last I heard the mailbox fans@theralph is still available for ideas. 1. Eliminate commercial interruptions during the third period. Its crunch time and we are selling our home ice advantage away for a few bucks worth of commercials. Ugh. Besides, we really do NOT need yet another reminder about how much fun the Sioux Kidz Club iz. 2. If you must have commercial interruptions, at least make them hockey videos. For example, if you're selling tickets for the Sioux women (which can be done in the first two periods, by the way) don't use the PA guy, put in a Jocelyne Lamoureux highlight reel goal or two. 3. During breaks in the play, leave up the out of town scores, the shot chart, the penalty clocks, the face off stats on the fascia. Don't use it only for advertising. Apply "best practices" from the NHL, please. 4. Create a set of pump-up videos to use during crunch time, depending on the situation. Here's an example from the Chicago Blackhawks ... play it with 6 minutes left in a tie game ... (it got the United Center going):

Brian Lee notches his first of the season tonight for the Senators: http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2011020883 Nice to see him getting a regular shift for a while.

Just getting back to the computer after a weekend of hockey: 1) Eidsness looks rested, focused and ready to go. He's in a position to steal a couple wins. Yes, "iron is a goalies best friend", but the only goals Tech got all weekend were fluky (off a guys chest) or unstoppable tips (right in front). Given a chance, he made the save. I hope I'm not overestimating his play, because Tech doesn't have finishers like Minnesota or Denver do. 2) On Friday, Kristo, Nelson and Knight could just as well have had 6 goals. Dominant. Then Saturday it looked like they were skating in mud. 3) Way too much flinging the puck blindly in our own zone, and in neutral zone. This is something that can be coached, but time runs short this season. This was not just rookies, it was players who know better. Somewhat shocking, actually. 4) Will need to run a longer bench on Friday ... and Saturday ... in the higher elevation of Denver. I'm expecting to see some kind of rotation scheme with spot-shifting 4th liners in with 3rd and 1st liners, as a way to keep legs fresh but without risking getting exposed. 5) Saturday was one of the quieter libraries I've been in in a long time. 6) There's a lot to admire about how this team sticks together, plays together, and plays with discipline. But we're left with no margin for error against teams like Denver. One bad penalty, one bad turnover, one soft goal, and it might cost a game. But on the other hand, if you are going into battle, pick someone you trust, and this team seems ready to do that. Here's hoping for an epic finish to a tumultuous season. Go take down Denver, boys.

Because tArrogantOnes are always chippy, and tBucky's are playing to extend their scholarships.

48-0