ScottM

I was at a NHL All-Star gathering last night and the TVs in the bar showed the OT goal. One of the guys I was with, a former Bruin, looked up and said, "I didn't think anybody was playing this weekend." He was pretty loaded, but it was pretty funny because at first blush he thought that Wisco was Detroit.

As Herbie Brooks once noted, "Winning is a habit, and so is losing." In my book losing is unacceptable. Losses happen, but the habit is easy to get into. I remember last season's slide and the slouch into the Regionals. I do not want this team to believe that anything less than winning every night they play is the standard.

I don't feel badly for Brandt at all. He's a junior and coming into this season, the job was his to lose. Ever since he's played here he's always had an inability to KISS (keep it simple, stupid). His dad gave him the same advice last season, and it worked when he used it. I'm sure Blais and the other coaches/players have told him the same. This time his lapse cost us a game, at a critical part of the season. If we have JParise start the remainder of the season, I could care less. I'm interested in this team stepping up and moving on to Boston. If Brandt and a few others who have been MIA the past few series start wearing ties to achieve that, so be it.

This loss is a serious "gut check" for the team. They HAVE to show what they are really made of tonight. No "BS", no "BC lost/tied/stayed home, so we're still No. 1", no "we were playing Wisco at home", etc. Horses**t. I hope this loss hurts the team and it leaves such a bad taste in their mouths that they can barely eat. This time of the season is when good teams step it up and move to the next level. This time of the season is also when other teams start to clean their golf clubs. If they lose tonight, they'd better start checking greens fees.

It's common for students in Minnesota to enroll in different districts through "open enrollment", but Oshie moved from Everett, Wash. to Warroad.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Spehar? WTF? Was Wooger coming out of Stub's at 2:00 am when he said that? I'm thinking the Broten boys, Bonin, Crowley, Leopold, Taffe, PMart, etc. would be better candidates than "Pinball" Spehar.

Oshie didn't know about UND's hockey program before he moved to Warroad? WTF? Was he playing soccer before he moved? Anyway, it's good that Cary Eades showed him the "True Path". Anybody have the "stats" on this guy, such as G/A/PIM and if he's as big as most of guys Blais has been recruiting lately?

I agree. I've considered moving back a few times. However, whenever it comes to compensation, authority, cutting edge tactics, etc., most NoDak cos. are way behind the rest of the world, even rural places like Iowa and Nebraska.

Gotta love it when a resident of SLC, and most likely a non-member of "LDS", cracks on any other part of the country. "City comforts"? WTF is that? Panhandlers? Whiny granolas with more metal in their face than "Pinhead"? Rush hour traffic that moves at 0-5 MPH because some dumbass doesn't know how to drive in snow? Overrpriced martinis?

I had DSL with Qwest for about 6 months. Spotty speed and tech support. My understanding it it's worse if you use another ISP, such as Earthlink or MSN, on top of Qwest's lines. I moved to cable with Road Runner, got a good cell phone/plan, dropped Qwest DSL and land line, and never looked back. I have nothing but praise for cable, but make sure whatever high speed connection you get you bolster it with a good firewall and updated virus protection. BTW:

One of the key things to staying alive in this world, is you never ask a woman's weight. Ever. I'll bet you spend alot time alone.

It's not one of those silly-assed things with the ears, is it? Anyway, welcome aboard, Brian.

One can now never say that SCCC has never come close to Title Greatness. Recently, as part of the NHL All-Star blast, the NHL brought Lord Stanley's Cup to St. Clod. Surprisingly, nobody tried to use it as a spitoon or beer bong. Local sales of Prestone and paint thinner were reported to have increased three-fold as the natives gawked, pointed and tried to figure out where the engine was on "that big beer keg". SCCC President Saigo called for a local day of mourning to commemorate Lord Stanley's savage oppression of granola-eating PC nazis, and rhythm gymnastics. When asked why the NHL would even bother bring The Cup to St. Clod, NHL Head Buffoon Gary Bettman was heard to remark, "WTF? St. Clod? I thought we were going to "Hooters" at Mall of America!?" Whereupon, the erstwhile NBA wannabee climbed into his rented H2 and drove away. Lord Stanley's Wrong Turn

If we play with the same intensity we played against Minnie, we should do alright. I wasn't overly impressed by Wisco most of the weekend. Minnie generally took the game to them and won most of the races for the puck. If we play a strong offensive game, and forecheck the s**t out of them, we should control the games. Wisco looks pretty chippy, but no more than any other WCHA team. We need to hit them every time they get on the puck and create turnovers. I'm not overly worried about our goaltending or defense. However, I am worried about our guys showing up to play, rather than win.

I think Zach was right-on with his critique. After Friday's game, there really is no excuse for not showing up motivated to sweep Denver, regardless of how well they played. The "C" and the "As" have the responsibility to kick themselves and the team into gear when they show signs of slagging off. And if they don't do it, I'm sure Blais won't hestitate to bench or light into somebody. This is the same issue which contributed to last year's fizzle. Granted this team is playing better and shows more depth than last year's team, but this is no time to get lazy and expect to slide into the NC$$ tourney. Every game should be played with the same intensity as they brought to the Minnie series.

I can't say I was very impressed by Wisco last night. Minnie played at about the same tempo as when they played us, and Wisco was getting beat to the puck and giving it up at crucial times. Minnie looked pretty solid overall, and Wisco was just outplayed and outhustled most of the time. Bruckler played well and kept the score lower than it should have been, considering how many times Minnie was right on top of him. If they keep playing like that the rest of the season, they may fall out of the WCHA top 5.

Gotta hand it to the morons at the NC$$ selling TV rights to a cable channel that has virtually no distribution in the biggest markets in Minnesota, e.g., MSP, St. Cloud, etc. Brilliant move guys, you worthless f**ks.

I don't see why everybody is getting in such a twist over those Hockey East Nancy Boys and their dress wearing, purse throwing ways. Hell, the way they play hockey, it makes figure skating look violent.

You'd be really pathetic.

I think Porter is a great "lunch pail" forward. He works hard every game, and he's not afraid to go after the puck and people to get the job done. He doesn't get the "press" of Murray, Money, ZParise, etc., but he's still a very valuable "character player" that every team needs.

Everybody copies from US!!!! ... dammit. Actually, that is true with regard to the interlinked "ND" we share with that school in Indiana ... " 'No Dice' when playing Michigan" or something like that.

Denver has always played us tough at REA. I would guess that Denver will do whatever they can to slow us down, by either clogging the neutral zone or, more likely, playing clutch 'n grab. I think we have to play very physical against them by forechecking and back checking the crap out of them and creating turnovers. Any time they get near a puck, put a body on them and finish them off. Shoot the puck often and go for the rebounds and garbage shots. If we keep them on their heels, we should be able to control the puck. We have the opportunity to get 4 pts this weekend while Minnesota Jr. is idle, and also set a good tone going into the final stretch.

Exactly. Hockey fans would meet for "Bucks" at the DownUnder, usually preceded by burgers and pitchers at Frenchy's. We would thereupon make our presence know at old REA, usually topped off by a hangover by third period, where we caught our "second wind" in time for a run to Whitey's. "Real students" usually rattled on the windows at Chester Fritz at 5:00 pm wondering why somebody locked them out of their home.

Akil Adams and Marc Ranfranz, to name a couple off the top of my head. I'm sure there were more through the years.

Greyeagle, I have much more hair than Red. Although he is my favorite charcter on that show.