farce poobah

Potulny with an assist tonight. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260411015

I remember it happening at the WCHA Final Five ... http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/56.htm Sorry, don't have a video clip, just a link to photo.

Wisconsin has a program in DIVE bombing. Seriously, best wishes for Jacques. His dad is a class act.

Vaht?! Deez eez awll mayd op? PeeCeeEmm should go to Ehn Aych Ell. Mayk beeg moneez.

Thanks for posting, indeed it must be nice to be Matt Carle. He dominated at the college level, and that usually precedes a solid pro career.

I think I'm numerically challenged.

At even strength, looks like the matchups favor Stafford/Oshie/Duncan. With the Zajac line probably drawing the Collins line, and we have last change so DH can make it happen if he wants to, that frees up 18/7/9 to draw first blood. I think its Duncan, and I think it comes on the powerplay.

Agree that too much depends on which team picks them, and what they feel is best for the development of that individual player. Not to mention what the player wants... J Johnson grew up a Wolverine and playing one year was not a surprise. If he plays two it will be. More often than not, 18-yo defensemen play a year somewhere non-pro; my money is that E Johnson wears the M for one year. WCHA is a big step up from where he's been.

Agree and thanks for raising the point. North Dakotans associate with being an underdog, perhaps more than any other state. And we admire the underdog for going into battle when the odds are against you. That's what life is like on the tundra. Ya gotta have some courage just to live up here. I think the reaction to Holy Cross would be nearly as strong even if they had knocked off someone other than the #1 rival. For example, if they had beat Michigan State or BU (two other #1 seeds), it would be just as great a story. For nearly a decade now, the UND hockey team has been the favorite in nearly every game they play. For one weekend, we got to cheer for an underdog. It was fun.

Sagard, thanks for being a Voice of Reason in the midst of all the flaming.

I would definitely go for #7 and #21 ...

Brett Motherwell on D instead of Lee? Chorney? Looks like bulletin board fodder for me.

I'm good for about 4 jerseys. If the HC guys are out there, you DEFINITELY have doubled (tripled? quadrupled?) your fan base overnight.

My cousin's sisters brother's girlfriend knows this guy and they said there's a good likelihood that Lucia will exercise the buyout clause giving him the right to change the arena name to Mariucci West.

Got tickets. Have to go THursday, come back to Rodentland Friday and Saturday AM, then drive/Fly to Bradley Center to watch Sioux win #8.

I thought it was a good question. We are all interested in fairness.

My daughter is wearing a homemade Holy Cross T-shirt to school tomorrow, here in the Twin Cities. Pray for her survival.

Yup not only was every seat sold, it was great television because of the atmosphere. Unless they go away totally from campus sites, this is as good a campus venue as there is.

With UND now playing the afternoon semifinal for sure, at least some kind of ticket availability is assured for that first game. (Evening will be a madhouse) I agree with the guys above, settle for singles or doubles, get in, and then find seats together. If its Sioux-Badgers for the title, and I hope it is, your best bet is right after the games Thursday for fans of losing teams.

I had the same reaction you did. We weren't alone, however. I've been to at least 200 Sioux games in GF and have never before heard more applause, or ever so few boos for an opponent. I definitely have to go back thru the class on being hostile and abusive ... I'm losing my touch.

Been to a dozen Frozen Fours and the ticket situation is highly predictable: If Wisconsin loses today, there will be tickets outside by the hundreds. I would have absolutely no qualms about travelling the 600 miles and getting them outside the arena day-of-games. If Wisconsin wins, tickets for the Thursday afternoon semi the non-Badger semi (which is probably us) will be a little harder but still you can expect to be able to get in. If the title is Sioux-Badgers, scalping will be $$$$$. Your best chance will be after Thursday's games to catch fans of losing teams.

Been to a dozen Frozen Fours and the ticket situation is highly predictable: If Wisconsin loses today, there will be tickets outside by the hundreds. I would have absolutely no qualms about travelling the 600 miles and getting them outside the arena day-of-games. If Wisconsin wins, tickets for the Thursday afternoon semi the non-Badger semi (which is probably us) will be a little harder but still you can expect to be able to get in. If the title is Sioux-Badgers, scalping will be $$$$$. Your best chance will be after Thursday's games to catch fans of losing teams.

Impressions: 1) I am still shocked at the size of the crowd for game 1 Friday, at the opening drop of the puck there were easily 9000 and maybe 10000 butts in seats. After seeing Green Bay's arena empty out for game 2 yesterday, and all the empty seats out east, its arguably true that Grand Forks has the best fans in all of college hockey. 2) Maybe instead of having a student section we should do like this weekend and spread them out; their enthusiasm was contagious. And maybe instead of beer we should encourage consumption of caffeinated, sugared beverages. 3) Seriously, this was an electric atmosphere all weekend long. Remarkable. I'm trying to compare it to anything I've experienced, and really I'd go back to 1980 Sioux hockey games, again the night the Sioux clinched the WCHA vs Michigan State. Otherwise, for sustained noise, the closest is the 1987 World Series. 4) As to the play ON the ice, we DID hit the body last night, especially in the first period and the first 10 minutes of the 3rd. SMABY! ROCKS! He delivered several crunching hits. Kozek a couple times, Prpich, even Duncan. Holy Cross hung in there, but the couple times they tried to check Finley were just funny... guys bouncing off him landing on the ice while he looks down as if to say "don't hurt yourself little buddy". Anyway, playing physical was important to the outcome. 5) Toews-Duncan-Stafford were just terrific. Duncan is such a perfect complement to those two; I've said it before but he reminds me of David Hoogsteen with the great hands, terrific quickness, and vision of the ice. Toews is getting better all the time, and right now he's playing like its next month. 6) Oshie-Zajac-Spirko were also, and I'm with PCM in appreciating Zajac's work on PK this weekend - for all his time on the PK, he wasn't on the ice for ANY opponent goals this weekend. I like how Zajac saves his best faceoff moves for in-zone draws ... would like to see his record on defensive circle, where its gotta be up near 75%; he is just plain amazing. Oshie fights through checks with such incredible tenacity it is just a joy to watch; seems like every game someone tries to hit him open ice and gets flattened, last night it happened at least twice. 7) All the TV timeouts during playoff season really do affect the flow of the game and give coaches the choice of playing a much shorter bench. In St Paul, I think that worked to UND's favor; last night I think it helped HC. At this point, I'll take our top 3 forward lines and top 4 D against anyone in the nation. 8) The weakest part of UND's game at this point is what we all knew it would be - inexperience on D. The guys have come a long LONG way since November, and for the most part play really well most of the time. Michigan's speed and skill were a true test, and except for a couple misplays we were really solid. Early in the year, the first pass was often to an opponent, these last couple weekends, its almost always the right play. 9) JPar was outstanding again and could have been the MOP this weekend too. Pretty rare that he's had to make two or three saves in one sequence; also rare that an opponent can make the cross-ice pass that forces the big lateral move. He's on the verge of getting the first NCAA title ring in the Parise household, and I'm sure little brother will hear about it if it happens. I liked his comment in the Herald today about how "early in the season we were getting along well off-ice but weren't getting it done on-ice"; the chemistry seems right on this team. 10) After everyone else had left the ice last night, Prpich saluted the crowd and got one last loud roar. He's played with an edge and is definitely getting inside opponent's heads (Robbie Earl as much as said it after last Friday's WCHA game) while not taking the bad penalty. Just terrific. It's been a grueling stretch for this young team, and getting 10 days to prepare is, I think, a help for UND more than teams like Wisconsin or other veteran-heavy teams. 7 games in 16 days is a bunch of hockey. I think the playoff sequence needs to be tweaked but that's topic for the offseason. Last, and least, I get to go back to work in the Twin Cities Monday and talk trash to all my brown-and-yellow colleagues. Can't wait. It doesn't get more fun that this.

CC looks to have really good jump. Nothing like fresh legs ...