[GF Natives]

Back in the day when the name Gambucci was synonymous with North Dakota hockey, did one of Serge's sons play at UM?

[Retaliation? or cheap shot?]

As soon as the fighting zealots concede that it is possible for a hockey fan to enjoy contact within the game and, at the same time, detest fighting and the entire concept of goons/enforcers.

Now that was a cheap shot . . . or was it retaliation?

[Sioux/DU]

I apologize if this has been addressed already in this thread, but TH observed last night with about 4 min left that Smaby had missed a few shifts and was wondering why. I had to tune out (to deal with urgent kid issues). Did Smaby miss ice time for any reason?

[Retaliation? or cheap shot?]

Exiled as I am in this hockey desert called Wisconsin, sometimes the only time I get to see the Sioux in person is in Madison. My first recollection of Commodore was at the Dane when he got ejected for fighting. I don't even remember the fight--I think he was a freshman and neither I nor any of the Bucky fans knew who he was. I remember him being escorted off the end (through the zamboni door I think, though I can't say why) with his helmet off and this big shock of red hair. Bucky fans can be merciless, and the place was booing him pretty good. Mike was defiant even then. He didn't flip them off, but he gestured in some way that made it clear he wasn't going to take any crap from Bucky players OR fans. My thought was that this guy is pure old-school Canuck--and I mean that in a good way.

[Retaliation? or cheap shot?]

I don't buy using the rationale that hockey is a rough game to justify Prpich's stunt. Violence is a great part of the game: when a player has his head down and gets flattened, he had it coming. Good body shots in open ice or along the boards are a joy to watch. Stickwork, though, is usually chickensh!t. Some players, like Prpich, play a good verbal game, and that is ok too, and fun. Paukovich deserved what he got, and I surely don't feel sorry for him, but Mike's doing it just strikes me as stupid--nothing more.

That said, I'm not sure what a coach should do about it. I think most or all of us really like the fighting spirit Prpich brings to the ice. How to get him to play smarter and keep that spirit is probably easier said than done.

[Retaliation? or cheap shot?]

Sounds like the Sioux played their "A" game tonight. Regarding the nutjob, despite what Prpich might say, it's not about Paukovich but about Prpich. I love his hustle and his willingness to play a checking game when his is asked to, but when he pulls that kind of stuff he is underestimating what he can do as a hockey player, IMO. His team needs him on the ice, not in the box. All that stuff about being the kind of player others hate but would love to have gets old. I would guess that his penalties served/penalties drawn ratio is a substantial minus.

Great game for the Sioux. Another one like that tonight would be huge.

[Our guys need to get in front of the net & shoot]

A lot of good observations, and I agree that the Sioux need to worry a little less about how artistic their goals are. But it may also true that there are some factors that help explain why they haven't crashed the net this year like we would have liked. We all know Hak is a defense-minded coach, partly because he was a defenseman himself and partly because good defense has been so important in NCAA tournament success. Coming into this year, the team's primary concern was how well our Defense would do. They have done very well, IMO, but part of that has been the play of our forwards. Crashing the net brings with it the increased chance of an odd-man rush the other way. Even putting the puck on net from a bad angle can do that. High school forwards like to pass the puck to the front of the net simply from reflex, even when they don't know if a linemate is there to take it. That doesn't happen much in D1 because it usually leads to a defenseman simply gathering in the pass and starting the transition from in front of the net rather than behind it and often one pass away from an odd-man rush. When you are concentrating on D, you tend to want to control the puck more--or at least control where the puck is. I think it's possible that the desire for puck control for defensive purposes has made the Sioux forwards less apt to just let it fly. But we know now that our D can play and that our goaltending will be there. It's time to let the rubber fly and get some bodies in the garbage zone. Score some goals. Win some games. Play in the regional. Add a banner.

[Could NDSU ever compete with UND in Hockey?]

There's a whole host of reasons why NDSU will never field a D1 hockey team, but the most compelling one is the simple fact that it is dang near impossible to get a dead buffalo up over the glass.