farce poobah

Playoff attendance at UND has gone from bad to good since they changed the season ticket package to include the WCHA first round. Makes me wonder whether the others do.

In basketball? I have no idea who's better. I think Kentucky sucks this year but that may just be the local media convincing themselves that Tubby will save the Gophers. I never said everyone in the WCHA should get in. My point was that I like having selections driven by Simple Math. (I remember the SIOUX getting totally hosed in 1983 by a corrupt selection committee, and yes I'm still piffed about it.) Simple Math doesn't trade an NCAA spot for a couple extra road games. Simple Math says there should be 7 WCHA teams in, great. (KRACH says 8.) Last year it was less, and it picked the #4 CCHA team - that's fine.

Nice summary of the pairwise flaws. Interesting that under KRACH (a "recursive ratings percentage index"), 8 WCHA teams would be solidly in. http://siouxsports.com/hockey/rankings/krach/

In a related story, the Yankees are interested in acquiring the rights to Joe Finley, to protect their other players.

Softies via autobid yes, because I agree with the idea of universal access. Softies just because all they play is even softer, I'd rather not.

This year, more than ever, the last 3 teams in the WCHA would be home-ice winners in any other league. Heck, the WCHA's last place team is UNBEATEN out of conference. (4-0-2). #7 in the WCHA (6-2-2 OOC, a .700 winning percentage) is good enough be #3 in a different league. I didn't cherry-pick those two, everyone in the WCHA is over .500 out of conference, and some by quite a bit. No way should there be a .500 rule. I don't want more Mediocre Cupcakes in the tournament; bring on the Gophers again instead. (Even if the Sioux chances are worse against them.) This year, the WCHA kicked everyones butt and have EARNED 7 teams. Play the best competition you can find and let Simple Math sort it out.

... and the years that UND was 8th in the league, there was griping in GF because only 1 Sioux made it. I hear you, it may be the #3 and #4 players on top teams had better years than anyone on a 9th or 10th place team. 24 total slots, 10 teams ... I thought a lot about MLT, as save % was right up there, and with Tech's D being what it is, he faced tougher chances night-in night-out than say Mannino. I thought about it as "if you swapped Mannino and Teslak, what impact on each team?" Tough calls. Mankato was WAY better with Zacharias in net, and Kangas led MN's "surge" late. I thought about Rouleau, as he scored some big goals (although only 1 GWG) for Tech. I just couldn't pick him over guys like Berge or Rhakshani, although I can see why others might. I thought about Gawyrletz - ultimately the -16 in conference games led me to not pick him. Realizing, he spends most of each game matched up with the other teams best line. (If memory serves, he played with Niskanen some last year; that was a good pairing for him.) Good luck vs. DU.

Madison is "right out of the box" - if you want 1-16, etc, that's what Moy picked (4 vs 13, 5 vs 12). That said, I would be happy if The Committee screwed up those pairings so we don't get UW in Madison.

I'd be willing to sneak Stalock onto the 3rd team if it would make you feel better. But seriously, BTW, I had Garrison as he was impressive. Hard to get many slots for the 8th place team, even though there's multiple guys that merit consideration.

Been there, done that. I rode with a friend, one who used to go to hockey games with me. Now we just play golf. Just stare at the dotted white line on I-94 "forever" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Here I am getting all worked up again. Where's my nitro?

I don't mind. Can you walk me through it again?

Thanks for bringing that up. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour some lemon juice in it. That was the LONGEST drive home from a game EVER.

I was with you up to the part where you said "Gopher fans won't be pissed off about that anymore"....

How about that ... I went through all the stats, also who impressed me over the course of the season, including a lot of non-UND TV games. I didn't look through the other picks, deliberately so I didn't get swayed. Since you picked my team only earlier, that makes your picks more prescient. I wanted the last weekend.... Couple comments: Finley's +25 in league games - almost 1 goal per game !!! - towers over the rest of the league. Oshie's +13 was a determining factor, as was Duncan's +15. (Couldn't pick Bruess at +14.) Rau - 5 SHG are you kidding me? I chose NOT to pick any rookie skaters on the 3 teams, I just didn't see the two-way impact (although Bozak came close). They get a rookie honor "instead". I'd have liked to found room for Kozek, Wheeler, and Kalinski, all of whom impressed. Trotter would have been 1st team if he were still around. Goal scoring - even strength (excluding PPG and SHG): Rau 13, Walsky CC 10, Kozek Berge and Wheeler with 9. In a year where goals are hard to come by, I put more weight on goals (vs points).

When we start thinking the WCHA playoffs are grueling, I'm listening to UNO's radio broadcast (OK, I'm easily amused). http://webclust1.liquidcompass.cc/sos4stnr...yer.php?id=KKAR They are in sudden death OT in game 3 vs Alaska. For UNO to get the auto-bid, they have to win tonight (3rd game in 3 days), then go on the road and win a 2 of 3 series, then go to the Joe and win two. Worst case, 8 games in 15 days. Makes me thankful for the playin game. (Although the CCHA does rest their top 4 teams for a week here, which would be REALLLY NICE for the Sioux right now.)

Here's my picks. Any resemblance to what actually happens is purely coincidental. First Team F Chad Rau CC JR -- POTY F T.J. Oshie North Dakota JR F Ryan Lasch St. Cloud State SO D Jack Hillen CC SR - DOTY D Joe Finley North Dakota JR G Richard Bachman CC - also ROTY Second Team F Andreas Nodl St. Cloud State SO F Jimmy Kilpatrick CC SR F Ryan Duncan North Dakota JR D Chay Genoway North Dakota SO D Jamie McBain Wisconsin SO G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux North Dakota SR Third Team F Mick Berge Minnesota State JR F Scott McCulloch Colorado College SR F Rhett Rakhshani Denver SO D Chris Butler Denver JR D Jason Garrison Minnesota Duluth JR G Peter Mannino Denver SR Rookie Team F Garrett Roe St. Cloud State F Tyler Bozak Denver F Kyle Turris Wisconsin D Cade Fairchild Minnesota D Ryan McDonagh Wisconsin G Richard Bachman CC

If my math is right, the WCHA goaltending champion for 2007-2008 is .... drum roll .... JP Lamoureux. By the slimmest of margins, 1.74 to Bachman's 1.75. Thanks for a great season.

Getting the lead back is just huge. We had no coordination in our own zone for long stretches - the only line that's intact was the best in that period, and its nice to see them get the goal.

There's a shocker.

Looked like Malone got CFB'ed. Let's see if the call goes that way - nope just 2.

Bayda with an assist for the 'Canes tonight.

Definitely next weekend after the final game. Don't be surprised if there's something at the end of the game tonight...

Anyone bored until 7:07 (or after) can catch New Hampshire vs Vermont videocast. http://www.nhptv.org/productions/theater.a...oder/hockeya.rm Edit: They sang "O Canada!" in the pregame. I wish UND would do that, particularly on nights like tonight.

Only if they win or tie.

HHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Shoots and Scores!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.