dagies

Michigan Tech can be a pesky opponent and nothing is given to the team yet. Hopefully they will not take Tech for granted. No one wants to share the Cup with Duluth, so hopefully the team will be flying again this weekend. I think the Duluth series shows the team has learned how to play at a high level again, and has regained their confidence. Let's keep it rolling!

Hey, it's not the prettiest arena but it's great to watch a game in I think. The fans are so close to the ice you have good views all over. We sat in one corner (still on a side) but because we were so close to the ice we could still see most of what was happening down the near boards on the far end. I like it there. Since they put up nets on each end, the dangerous end seats are no longer dangerous. Those people are RIGHT on the action.

Some of this stuff has already been mentioned. I was there, both nights behind the net the Dogs defended twice, so didn't have as clear a view of the far end. I agree with the comment about Schneider. I really think he's back on his game. 4th line? We were calling them the first line by half-way through Saturday's game. That line created as many chances as anyone I think. And they didn't look overmatched in their own zone either. Hale is playing as well as I've seen him play. Stafford is STRONG on the puck. That guy isn't as shifty as Lundbohm but he can keep control of the puck. He works SO well with Hale and Fabian. Keep them together. Fabian looked like he belonged out there. Smaby looked very solid. For the criticism he has taken on this board, I don't think he warranted any this weekend. Parise is an animal on the ice. On Friday night in the first period the Sioux were all over the Dogs. Parise had a shift that I can't even describe. He was behind the net, and even while being hauled down he was working the puck with his skate, sliding it under him and working it to an open linemate. It wasn't just once that he was working so unconventionally. My 2 friends and I just looked at each other and shook our heads. On numerous occasion he would be chasing a Dog player trying to get to the puck and somehow leverage himself to the front, gain the puck and make a play. Just amazing. Murray. A month or so ago I said he was about 6 inches away from making some great plays. He seems to have caught that up now. He might be the most exciting player to watch on the Sioux team. Which doesn't take anything away from Parise. Just that Brady is electric when he has the puck. None of them have Lundbohm's ability to dangle however, and that was clearly on display on Friday night which was the best I've ever seen David play. He was fast and playing aggressively. Sioux defense was outstanding. I don't remember an odd man rush. I remember many players dropping to block shots. Jones seems to me to be the best passer of the d-corp. His passes are always flat and crisp. He probably wants a couple of those cross-ice defensive zone passes back, however. Can't be doing that down the stretch. We barely got away with it this weekend. Brandt looked great from what we could see. One thing I really appreciated is, even on Saturday when the Dogs were ALL over our Sioux (and they were, too), when Jake would be scrambling and flopping at some point he'd get that mit on the puck and get a big stoppage of play. Our guys looked gassed at the end of Saturday's game. Lundbohm could have iced the puck in the EN with half a minute left but had no wheels left. When he finally fell over in the offensive zone he could barely get back to the bench so we could get another player on the ice. There was a period of time in the 2nd period Saturday that was the most exciting few minutes of up and down hockey I've ever seen. Both teams were flying and making plays and creating chances with no stoppages. What a blast! Dogs are a very very good team. I can't believe we've got their number. Saturday night they really had us back on our heals, but Jake shut the door on them. They were amazing. Yet we were playing hard and not just standing around. Dogs just had Mo and were smelling blood. We kept working but just couldn't clear the zone. Way to many passes that just didn't have the mustard to cross the line before being intercepted, etc. Scary. About the Sat goal scored when we should have been offsides...couldn't tell from our angle, but the Dogs absolutely should have cleared that puck and didn't. And I remember thinking as Bo went to get the puck that this is the type of thing that so often leads to a goal. I think Blais had Bo up with Parise and Murray for the last half of Saturday's game. I have to say it must have worked as Bo and Zach teamed for the one goal but overall I thought the second line of Porter, Lundbohm and Bo had a great weekend and was surprised to see that split up. The hustle play of the weekend was the Porter/Lundbohm goal on Friday. That was just wheels by Porter to blow by the Dog point man to gain the puck and Lundbohm to get into position that, even though he was defended he could get a blade on the puck. How it got past Reichsmuth I have no idea. It was a heck of a play by Lundbohm just to get his stick trailing to catch the puck. What have I forgotten? (Oh, that you are already bored with this rambling?) Very impressed was I with this team this weekend.

I definitely believe Jake has solidified the #1 spot. He obviously played very well again this weekend and is showing the consistency he showed end of last year. Good for Jake. Anyone who thinks Blais has something out for Jake did not see the long bear hug he put on Jake at the end of Saturday's game. Yes, PCM, it appeared to us that Smaby's follow-through did catch Jake. But we were on the opposite end of the ice so it was hard to tell.

I admit to being very down after WI, but feeling pretty positive after Mankato. Not "sweep of Duluth" positive but very positive about how we would play this past weekend. We definitely surpassed my expectations. I did say to 2 friends that if we would sweep this weekend we'll hang #8. We'll see if that pans out.

Bought mine in October as well because it's always nice to go to Duluth with the family for a weekend and Sioux hockey is just a bonus. Thanks for the good time! Yes, the Sioux "runner" did come back in the game a little later. I think Sioux fans were mostly behaved. Glad Friday ticket holders aren't always there on Saturday because the gal I sat next to (and her man-friend frankly) were horrible to sit next to. I got quite an education on penalty calls. Turns out there is one almost every 15 seconds that gets missed. I've got to start paying a LOT closer attention to the refs in the future. DECC is a great place to watch a game. Crowd really got into it when the Dogs would score. Pleased to see all the Sioux fans in attendance, and they made themselves heard.

Keep working Spie!

Don't you DARE run a lap around Sensers if the Dogs score though. edit: Shoot, Federov beat me to it.

Have they restocked the brooms in Duluth yet? I had a co-worker up in Duluth for the MN series and she said her sister went all over town looking to buy a broom on that saturday and couldn't find any. True story.

I don't see us wearing down the Bulldogs. I think this is going to be run and gun hockey all night long. I do think the Sioux are bigger and maybe we can outphysical the Dogs but that remains to be seen. I think Blais needs to have a 4th line he can feel good about putting on the ice and roll it because I don't think we can afford to tire out the top 3 lines. And we can't tire our our penalty killers either. Roll 4 lines, play physical, and don't let the skilled Dog forwards get into a flow. If we do that we have a shot.

Marty, I can understand that. And I can agree there's value in that too. I also believe in the maxim that "everything is for sale". I also wish guys would stay all 4 years, but reality is that it doesn't happen. I get disappointed, even sick of it happening, but I don't question why they do it. None of us can really say what we would ABSOLUTELY do if faced with that situation until we are in it. We can say what we think we would do, and even be generally right. But until you have to factor in all influences no one really knows what decision we would make. Let's say on April 1 you would have to make the decision to stay and try for a championship or sign for a million bucks. Today you decide you want to try for the championship. But let's say on March 15 your cousin's friend blows out his knee in a game. You don't even know the guy but suddenly you sit there wondering how it sucks to be him because he can't play anymore. Think you might take the money now? Or, maybe 2 of your closest friends play on the team with you. You've played together since childhood. Maybe no amount of money matters more than the 3 of you giving it all for each other and the team with the hopes of attaining the pinnacle of your sport. Easily understandable each way. But no one outside of you can really decide what is in your best interests. No one really knows what influences you are sorting through in making your decision. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I think it would be very difficult not to take the money in hand.

But there's a difference between being physically violent and running around the DECC.

A friend sent me this article via email. Sorry, I can't provide a link...

Geez, 01grad...you had me thinking this was Thursday already. That's just cruel.

It seems to me there is only so much you can do to keep from rolling up the score when the opponent is SO much worse than you are. I think if I was on the losing end of a lopsided score I'd rather get pummeled than toyed with. You can't expect Moorhead to skate to the blue line and dump it in and wait for Monti to try and skate it back out. That's too patronizing. You gotta take your lumps. Making extra passes, setting up guys that don't score much, that kind of thing seems like the right thing to do.

YaneA, you make some good points. It would be good for Hennen to get everyone to understand that there are good times to stand up during the game, and they should accept it from others even if they don't want to stand up themselves.

Yes, 3 of us will be at the games both nights (but we won't run around after goals!)

I feel badly for Monticello. It's got to be evident right from the get-go you don't even belong on the ice with the other team. They should have had running time during period breaks...

Wish I had seen this. I have enjoyed listening to Brad whenever he is interviewed because, as you say he is very articulate, and has a voice for radio or tv.

Player Try Out or something along those lines. GO SPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eh, I was already on board with that one.

The kids are with on Friday night (there are 3 of us guys) and just the guys on Sat. What our plans are yet are not established. We're staying at the Hawthorn Suites.

Oh c'mon beersong. I can understand if this is a tradition that you guys really get in to. I'm all for that. But the idea that if someone else chooses to copy your cheers or traditions, or for that matter mock them (in a way that is not vulgar or obscene) they would be asked to discontinue that by the security is absurd. I've got no problem if you think opposing fans that go for a run in your own building jerks, or use it as an emotional justification for increasing the rivalry between the fans/teams. No issue there at all. But I just find it hard to accept that security should squash such a thing if it happened. And DHG threatening to bring out the can of whoop-butt if it happens. O boy. It's a hockey game. We do get emotional about our teams. But I'm not sure this qualifies as "sacred". Don't worry though. I'm more interested in this argument than I am in running around the DECC. Frankly, I think I'd get a little too tired this weekend to enjoy the games, if you see where I'm coming from. On another note, I really enjoyed my last trip to the DECC 2 yrs ago. The Sat night game I was there without the kid and sat in the middle of a bunch of old folks. They were all great in their own way. Some were friendly, and a couple down right ornery. One old lady (seriously, she had to be 75+) told me in no uncertain terms that I WOULD NOT be cheering for my team if I knew what was good for me. And I believed her. She was serious. She did not take kindly to the idea that the enemy was close by. The fans that I sat around really seemed to know their hockey and I definitely appreciate that.