farce poobah

Boston: Pastrnak, Marchand, Bergeron, Lindholm, McAvoy Edmonton: McDavid Draisaitl, Nugent Hopkins, Nurse, Barrie. one minute to spare...

Sometime during the next two weeks (when athletes need to enter the portal), the crazy numbers game at Wisconsin will need to get settled. How they divvy up scholarship dollars will drive a lot of those decisions. But start with way too many athletes (returning and reccruited and transfer-portal entrants)!

Pretty sure John MacInnes recruited him.

Watching Toews' last game in Chicago, and then Troy Murray joins the broadcast team. Flashback city, and a lot of memories of both. At UND, Troy's persona was serious, and hard working. and a lot of parallels to Toews career, both at UND and at Chicago. Murray joined UND for the 1980-1981 Sioux team, one of 13 new players (if memory serves). Toews' freshman season also had 13 new. Both went to Chicago Blackhawks after two seasons. and wore #19 there. Both won the Selke Trophy, as the best defensive forward in the NHL. Troy Murray went to Winnipeg after Chicago, and I would bet Toews plays in Winnipeg next. (If he plays anywhere, that is.)

End of an era in Chicago. I hope he gets healthy. ... Coach Serious?

Somewhere, Luke Strand is going "yeah baby!"

Tuesday musings: if you're a coach with a great faceoff play, and you wait until the start of overtime to use it, that takes some cojones. Kudos.

I would be happy if: 1) the administrative and support structures for hockey change to fall under the Summit League, as I understand NCAA changes make it better for conferences to fall into such a structure. 2) The NCHC continued playing under the current league name and membership. (We already don't get home-and-home series vs our top rivals every season and don't need to dilute that by adding members.) 3. After they finish up with hockey, the Summit League next turns its attention to football.

Better dead than red.

I'm saying there's a pattern here. Of Motzko coached teams losing to teams that, on paper, they should beat. One game does not make a pattern. (Your stats above don't reflect that Quinnipiac played a weak schedule (#34th) compared to Minnesota (#2). Pre-game, Minnesota was the favorite by many metrics.) I do agree that QU is a very good team.

Monday morning thoughts, at the start of the off season: Wondering if Bob Motzko is the right guy to win it at Minnesota. He's great at recruiting talent, building and developing a strong roster. And he's won a lot of regular season titles: 5 in the last 11 seasons, which is definitely elite in the coaching ranks. But when the NCAA's roll around, his teams lose games they really shouldn't. Two of those at St Cloud stand out. 2016 - Ferris State at the Xcel. 2018 - Air Force at Sioux Falls. in 2021 and 2022 they lost to very good Mankato teams, but they barely put up a fight. 0-4 and 1-5 losses aren't good enough. Not even close. Maybe its in-game management. Certainly, the Gophers changed their forecheck, leading 2-0 in the middle of the second period Saturday. After creating loads of chances? Puzzling. There's a pattern here, of losing NCAA playoff games, despite having better talent.

Seems solid. Successful head coaching experience. And knows his way around the USHL, where most recruits come from. What do you think?

Five different schools have won their first NCAA title by beating the Gophers. Maybe #6 next year in St Paul?

Perets outplayed Portillo Thursday. And Saturday? It wasn’t even Close.

Textbook on how to beat Minnesota. Congratulations Q!

My neighbor owns a restaurant near the U of M campus. I predict they will be serving blackened chicken Sunday.

For all the talk about parity in college hockey, the final game is #1 vs #2. #2 Q has a shot, but they need to get the first goal. Can't play from behind against Minnesota. But they are good with a lead.

This game fits all the stereotypes of East vs West NCAA hockey for ... oh at least 40 years. Western team playing attack, with better athletes, Eastern team playing counter-attack, with a better goalie.

Interesting to have Hockey East refs in game 2 after ECAC refs in game 1. Typically a split of east & west.

Some of Michigan attacks on the PP - think X and Os - would be great adds to ours, especially the week before a rivalry game.

I actually like Q chances here. Reason: goaltending.

I think #28 - if he leaves - is a bigger loss than your comments suggest. He led the team in plus-minus. He scored 10 goals this year (after being snakebit for half the season), and I think 15-20 is a very realistic target for his production next year. Plus, I'd expect him to wear the "C", maybe most important.

It’s a Friday night without hockey. I think I will watch the hockey NIT. oh wait …

@UND Fan, thank you for coordinating LHB over the years. Every contribution helps. I agree with the geography issue, which makes completion of HPC phases important. (And Fargo is only one hour away, NBD.) We can overcome geography with facilities and the support of the University and fans.

From a friend in Mankato - blue line club member - the offer for Knott as head coach has been made. Let's call that a rumor, to be safe.