burd

This Wisconsin team is better than the one we played in Madison. AA is better than most people were prepared to admit. CC is not as good as they usually are. And I don't think the Sioux are dropping games because they do not give a shat or because they are lazy. That said, in nearly every game, they seem to allow a goal or two to opponents crashing the net and scoring on rebounds--goals that often would not have been scored in recent years. Add to that an occasional softie and you have a handful of losses that are hard to swallow. I would exchange the dumb penalties we've been taking for a few that result from hard hits around the crease to protect our turf. We do not control that part of the ice as we have in the past. I have confidence that Hak and his staff will address whatever problems are preventing us from winning. Consistent stellar goaltending is harder to coach, though, and that is worrisome. I really think this team will be all right, though, and that they will be in the tournament, come March.

I love this series, and not because I live in WI. It's just been that good. One thing I still do not understand about this years team is how little Hak has had them cycling the puck in the O zone. They are not even attempting to do it most of the time. Is Hak just positioning his forwards differently this year in those situations?

I can see where Hak has to be a little careful. He is trying to get his guys not to take bad penalties (especially with less experience in net). But when other teams start smelling blood in the water in the form of garbage goals and start throwing the puck on net and crashing (I would too), some bodies need to start flying. The crease rules have changed this year too, I think, which makes it even more important for us to own the crease and the area around it.

I watched some pretty broken-up video feed from Ak, but I haven't seen other teams get by with crashing the goal like UAA did for quite a while. Grieco may have let in some weak ones this weekend, but I think our D needs to show a lot more ownership of the ice around the net (and get a little mean about it). A young guy like Grieco needs that. All goalies need that.

I must be dyslexic. I got all excited when I saw a thread entitled, "Peer Bong Table." But this is better. Nice work!

From what I could see on netcast, which is not great, the Huskies looked like they have very good team speed this year. They won their share of races to the puck.

One thing the Sioux have been known for in the past but are not doing much of this year is cycling the puck, and it does not appear that they are even trying to very often. Has Hak said anything about that?

You mean like: "But I wouldn't listen to 'country' if my life depended on it."?

I think Team Wisconsin has a kid named Mike Lennon playing, a Junior from Reedsburg. Small but quick. Be interested what you think if you see him play.

yep - class of '75'

The Goal Line. And when the Ralph crowd gets fired up and stands for one of their shifts, they call it a "Goal Line Stand." Hak might well decide to split them up for balance, but I hope he gives them three or four more series.

The catch Dwight Clark made for the 49ers in 1980 to get them into the super bowl is known among NFL fans simply as "The Catch." The game between Cal and Stanford when the Cal guy returned the kickoff through the Stanford band to win the game as time expired is known among college football fans simply as "The Game." If Duncan, Toews, and Oshie stay together and do as well as many of us think they would, maybe we can just refer to them as "The Line" and college hockey fans everywhere will know what that means.

It's true we haven't fared especially well in Madison, though many of the games we've lost there recently have been barn-burners. The Badgers just play us well in Madison. I think is also worth noting that Eaves' strength is in the systems he runs and discipline. Bucky has definitely had top-end talent lately, especially in goal, but their real strengh, IMO, is in consistently good roleplaying. If the new guys can do that early, they will still be very tough. I would feel good with a split.

A football weekend in Madison with all that State Street has to offer on fall weekends would be stiff competition, as beautiful as we all know GF to be. Of course, we also know that Sioux hockey players traditionally hate to party, so it matters not.

Years ago, I think UND profited from the persepective kids from small, northern Minnesota towns had. Not only were they used to the small town environment, they looked upon the large twin city teams like Edina as being the bad guys. There was a bit of a us-against-them mentality that recruiters from places like UND could capitalize on. I doubt whether that is very true anymore. It's a less provincial world in general, and so many of these players move away during high school to live in larger communities and play juniors. The historical connections continue to help, I'm sure, but I would think young players from Roseau or Warroad would consider UMTC or BC just as readily as UND or Duluth. (of course, you have to factor in the fact that UMTC and BC both suck and most talented high school recruits know it). It sure is satisfying to know that the blood of old northern Minnesota legends like Henry Boucha flows in players wearing the green and white.

Mike, reading the responses to your post will give you just a sampling of how many people, young and old, whom you have touched with your spirit and your dedication. There are many, many more. I think you can see, also, that Soux fans will always try to make North Dakota home for you. Keep living your life with the passion you gave us on the ice, and it will be a rich one. You will be missed.

Nice that you are thinking of becoming a Sioux fan. A thought or two about shared loyalties, though, in case you haven't thought it through carefully. Are you ready for this? Are you comfortable with the sight of a dead badger, eyes rolled back and blood-covered, sliding across the ice toward a UW goaltender who stands bent in shame before a flashing red light, with his head between his legs trying to get air? That test hasn't been given in a while, but you should be ready for it. Is your family ready for this? Have you considered the strong likelihood that you will be so struck by the loyalty, knowledge, integrity, and overall good looks of Sioux fans that you begin to consider the Sioux as your number one team and UW second? If you are not ready for that, you might not want to risk it. If you are, start making plans for St. Louis.

I know we are all taking this one game at a time, but if BU wins, we would likely get UW, wouldn't we--at least in the semis?

I don't know why not: God wore one for two years.

Can't think of a better college hockey hero for a seven-year-old boy to have. You have to find a way for him to meet TJ. Hopefully, you will have next year to do it.

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

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

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?

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.