burd

They don't want to lose anybody for Friday night in St. Cloud. Beat me to it, Sprig

Sounds like things will start to go UND's way if they keep up the pace.

Heard Cameranesi's name a lot last night on radio.

Stopped by the grocery store on my way home from work today and witnessed this young mother dealing with a toddler who was lying on the floor kicking and screaming his head off for something in the candy rack. The child didn't speak well for his size, but the mother was really good about it, saying to the lady next to her in line, "he's just two, he doesn't know any better."

Nice weekend, but we shouldn't draw too many conclusions about what the team did different. Miami is at the bottom for a reason.

Blais would have gotten 9

Do you still call it pulling the goalie when he doesn't take the ice to start the third?

Not much pride in that statement.

Is that what's been the main problem with Miami this year--goaltending?

Just get through this game healthy now.

:UND is a better team overall than last year, and they do have three gone to Sochi, but man, UMinn has way more team speed.

Challenge the gophs to some coulee hockey. See what they're made of. Home and home--the English Coulee and the Mississippi.

When I was in school, they called them flashbacks.

There's the rub. Only one team on their schedule that is firmly in. Both SCSU and UMD are on the road, which would be worth points if they win those games, but it will definitely be a tough row from here on in. But this team could certainly make some noise in the tourney if Gothberg comes back and nobody else gets hurt. I'm sure Gopher fans do not want to see UND in postseason.

You're right to call me on that. I would have been more accurate to say new enforcement of rules. Interference, holding, cfb, crosschecking, contact to the head, hooking, slashing, even elbowing--all those are more strictly enforced now than they were even 15 years ago, some for safety reasons and others to speed the game up. I'm obviously not an authority on this game and am not trying to taken as one, but these guys play a game that is officiated differently than it was even 10 years ago. I suppose since most college players have played most of their careers under those rules (at least in the US--I don't know about the Canadian leagues for school-age players), so they understand them--or should. But many older fans (like me) are slower to appreciate how different the checking game has become, with both the stick and the body. But I don't disagree with Heaven, really. And the Sioux tradition of physical play probably does give our players a mental edge. But it seems that when they lose they lose because they are not transitioning out of the zone well, are not covering in front of our own net, and are not creating enough presence in front of theirs. There is a separate thread for hot goalies, so I won't go there.

I don't think there is a hockey fan on the planet who does not prefer fast and physical hockey, and there is probably not a coach who doesn't coach it. I doubt there is a coach out there who teaches his players to "fly by swinging at the puck." This isn't polo. The trick is in how you adjust to the new rules. There are, believe it or not, fans who want the Sioux to play the game the way it was played in the 80s and 90s, because that is the last era when the Sioux were winning banners--it's a matter of association for some fans. But it's a different game in the NHL and it's a different game at the college level as well. We all love a crunching body hit, and we all want Sioux adversaries to be intimidated physically. But those who don't play a very smart physical game these days will watch too much of the game from the wrong box.

Quite honestly, we have had a history of players who don't seem to understand that. That's why I cringe a little when I hear fans crying out for old school physical Sioux hockey. A good solid physical game is a good thing, but players need to understand what predictable consequences are. Instead of looking for the big hit or sending a message, I'd like to see them use their physical strength to play the boards like Parks does and to control the area in front of the net at both ends of the ice. That's physical play that wins games.

Well done, Oxbow. Brought to mind that line from Hook: "Is that you, Peter?"

Do people follow you everywhere you go?

Yeah. They always have talent, but the thing that sells me on them this year is that they aren't quitters. Last year either.

If you were a dog fan, you would have shipped Sandy out long ago as an abject failure.

I'm sure the players will be relieved to hear.

Your job is to jump in that pickup and run to the supply store for couple a tubes of grease and pick a couple of Big Mac super meals on your way back. And try to get the right shyt this time.

I love Mariucci--I'm not complaining about it. But you have to admit it's difficult to think about the rink without also thinking of smelly, slope-headed, nose-picking gopher fans. Decent rink though.

Injuries happen. To all teams. The team will just have to step up.