burd

Saunders really played a strong position game last night. He saved the Sioux's arse in the first.

I think it's because the Canadian players who have played here all skated before they walked.

Good analysis. Yes, the D were guilty of some miscues, but they have been very very good in their zone this year so far. Hak will bring them along--he's a fabulous program coach. I think this year will tell us how far he has come as a game coach. Schmaltz is as far along as a freshman as any D the Sioux have had for a long time IMO You also have to like the way BU plays the game.

And when the team gets to chipping the puck up the boards or off the glass instead of passing . . .

But then you have that evil twin problem most of us try to overlook . . .

I'm still excited about this group. They have skills and speed across the board we haven't seen in a while, and I do think they work hard. It will be intresting to see who emerges as a real team leader on the ice.

He did what Sioux D used to do all the time but haven't done much of this year and that is hold the puck for two seconds before attempting the same pass that was open from the start. You could see the Sioux starting to lose the puck battles again tonight and feel what was coming. You know Parker will have a good game plan after all his years' experience, and his boys delivered. I really like Gleason, but you wonder how long it will take before there is a change there.

Really? I'd say this is the best skating D crew UND has had in a long time.

The Tims are good--no question. That is why I wondered about combining their audio with the video stream.

Keep a lookout on how he uses "one-timer." I can't remember his exact use, but there were two times last weekend when he didn't seem to have a clue. At the same time, he was OK last night, all in all. I liked Sweeney, but if the change had been the other way around, there would be pushback too. I've never listened to Hennessey while watching the video stream. Is there a lag that makes that impractical?

When is the last time UND had a D corps that good top to bottom? Gleason has to be be the weakest link and though he had some rough spots last Sat, he's been great.

You have to credit the fan bases. It wouldn't be as fun or as intense if gopher fans weren't such mindless, hairless, dickless, slopeheaded, nose-picking, turd-eating, diaper-wearing, goat-banging, pansy-arsed, run-from-a-fight liars. Great playthings.

Can't really fault him. Two fewer loses might be the margin he needs to keep his job after they disappoint again this year. Seriously though, it's a shame. It's one of the best rivalries in hockey between two quality programs. I'll miss those games and the trash talk that goes along with them. Look around--who you gonna hate like them?

Kudos for that post, Mariucci. Not many of us are good at that.

20 years ago, eh? If we need to know, we have an eye witness standing on the bench. Greg Johnson was in that group, and I don't think he was a big partier.

Was it Pattyn who completely missed both the hit and an opportunity to get the puck in the O zone?

You smarter hockey guys help me here. It s e e m s like our Saturday nights are more difficult partly because we have a pretty conservative transition game (hit the winger on the wall or go cross ice to the other D, not often passing up the middle) and they adjust the second night to be all over our wingers. The result is a chip-it-up-the-boards scrum just inside our own blue line and no real flow. If the other team is high energy working hard, we play uphill. BUT I really don't trust my own observation there. It doesn't explain the improvement we always show as the season progresses, for one thing, unless Hak expands the breakout schemes as the guys become more disciplined with the basics. Hak will always stress two way responsibility, so he (like most coaches) will prefer using the perimeter in the D zone, and it works. But it would also be a scheme that a team like AA last night can disrupt if they have enough quikness and work hard enough. How lost am I here?

The Sioux lost most of the puck battles along the boards against UAF last weekend, and they lost a lot of them tonight, though they weren't dogging it. UAA just played a very intense game. I love the speed and quickness of this Sioux team, but one thing they will have to improve on is winning the scrums, particularly in the o zone. Interesting to see how they play on big ice.

I don't think Hammer knows what a one-timer is.

Wolves all over the Sioux winger getting the first outlet pass on the boards.

Wolves taking something out of Fairbanks' game plan and doing it well.

If Gothberg catches fire at UND, I wonder if a group of students will start dressing Goth for the games.

Couple of things from last night. Throughout the first and most of the second, the team passed and skated better than a Sioux team has in a while. I think when this team was coming together, many of us thought it had the potential to be like some of the recent BC teams with their speed, skill, and quickness. Last night we got a glimpse of that. (I know, its AA, not UMinn, but still) Grimaldi can really dish the puck quickly (and accurately)--he knows where people are. He can wait, like he did with the goal he set up, or he can move it without hesitation. This is impressive, with how little time he has had with linemates or real game conditions. He will be extremely disruptive, not only with his scoring ability but with his ability to set others up. A quarterback who can pass and run both.

This team seems to pass better than pevious teams at this stage of the season.

Simpson and Forbort both clearly playing at a higher level this year. Mattson and Gleason both look strong too. Schmaltz looks better than any of them did as freshmen IMO.