skateshattrick

Why feed the troll? Happy is just a computer nerd with no life that jumps from message board to message board with his inane comments that are made only to get a reaction.

Do you leave room for the possibility that BC was just better, at least this last year? I have been to the last 4 Frozen Fours, and I felt that the Sioux were the better team than BC in 2006 and 2007, but poor goaltending combined with a few untimely defensive miscues cost the Sioux both games. However, upon reflection, maybe the Sioux were not superior. Clearly, Toews was better than any player on BC, and the same argument could be made about Oshie and a few others. However, even in 2006 and 2007, BC seemed to have better overall team speed, something that past Sioux teams were built on. This last year, 2008, the difference in speed was very noticeable. It appears that BC and other teams are beating the Sioux at their own game. While the Sioux have gotten bigger and more physical, BC has taken advantage of the rule changes (less obstruction, at least in leagues other than the WCHA) by having quicker and often smaller skilled players. The game last year was probably not a reflection of the difference in talent, but again, a few defensive miscues early and not great goaltending contributed to the game being over before the end of the 1st period. However, it was hard not notice the advantage that BC had in quickness and speed. I saw the same thing from Michigan and Miami (in regionals). They appeared quicker than the WCHA teams. We like to blast Wisconsin for it's boring defensive style of play which uses physical play and bigger wings and Dmen, but the style of UND, UM and most of the WCHA was pretty similar. Personally, I would like to see the Sioux go back to the style when Blais was there when they had Blake, David Hoogsteen, Jeff Panzer, Curtis Murphy, etc. Speed, superior skating and puck possession skills are the way to win now. Look at the Red Wings in the NHL. BC is the college hockey model of that, and they beat us at our former game. The Sioux need to adapt. They more closely resemble the Lake Superior State teams in the 90's, or even the Sioux teams from the 70's and 80's when Hakstol and Eades played. I'm not saying that the Sioux don't have good skaters, because they don't get much better than Genoway, Chorney and Toews. You are going to see more and more of those type of players throughout college hockey because the game is changing. If the Sioux do not continue to recruit those type of players, they will have a tough time winning championships IMHO.

Chad had the same position in Lincoln for his brother Steve before he became the head coach of the Bismarck Bobcats and then the Jets. I'm not really sure that it is really all that newsworthy.

Read your original post. You said that if Hak makes it to the tourney every year after 10 years but wins no title, he should "absolutely" be fired according to your words. Now, despite using a poor comparison, you attempt to withdraw from that statement and play the typical "all you Sioux fans are so unfair to me because I'm a Gopher fan." I don't care if you are a Gopher fan or a Sioux fan--if you don't want criticism, then don't make ridiculous and unsupported statements and then cry foul when someone calls you on it. You also have a history here. I probably give you a pass if you were like Sagard.

Here is the difference--Woog coached for 10 more years after those 1st 4 years, for a total of 14 years AND the last two years he had losing seasons. In other words, the program was going south when he was fired. Besides that, he was stubborn in his recruiting, arrogant and not well liked by players (e.g. Ryan Kraft). Woog did not make the tourney every year, so you are comparing apples and oranges. But what the heck, don't let the facts get in the way of your attempt to be a pain in the ass troll.

I agree. I think fans are indiscriminate in ripping or supporting players. For example, Jeff and Jay Panzer, Jason Blake, Robby Bina were all fan favorites, but not anymore than Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, David Hoogsteen, Ryan Duncan, TJ Oshie or Karl Goehring, to name a few. On the other hand, James Massen got ripped a lot, as did Tim O'Connell his first few years. I consider Brian Lee a local, and he took a lot of grief, mostly because of the lofty expectations coming in. Andy Schneider also had his critics, at least in my section. A few fans constantly ripped him in a very loud and boisterous manner. The fans can be equally hard on non-locals such as Andy Kollar, Aaron Schneekloth, Toby Kvalevog and many others. I frankly don't care where they come from. Although I love to see a few local players, especially if they are successful, many of my favorites are from Canada, Minnesota (both Metro and rural), as well as from Illinois (Justin Duberman, Kevin Spiewak, the Jones brothers), Michigan, or anywhere else that they play hockey with passion and intensity.

Definitely Pivy! A very good defenseman, an even better guy. I have to admit that I'm a bit biased because I know him very well. Personally, I don't think Trevor Hammer was too bad. He just got hyped and didn't live up to some person's expectations. I thought he was solid after his freshman year. Brian Lee also got ripped a lot, but I think he was a very good defenseman. The Senators love him.

Better.

I actually expect Minnesota to be pretty good, but I am surprised with how high they are picked. I believe Denver is going to be the team to beat in the WCHA, but I expect UM, UND and CC to battle them for the title. I think SCSU is a bit high, Wisconsin has talent but is young and lost a lot, and MSUM ahead of the Sioux is a joke. However, ANY EZAC team ahead of the Sioux is a bigger joke. UMD and MSUM would finish top 2 or 3 in that conference every year.

No, that so-called obsession is created by you. Explain why you sent an email to Hammy today telling him about another thread on the Sioux message board with 8 posts and the 9th post talks about your beloved Gophers? Busted again. I frankly could not give a crap if a few Gopher fans on GPL obsess about the Sioux or the Badgers or anyone else because it does matter. Apparently, you want to reinforce your own belief that everyone obsesses about the Gophers. Fish in a barrel? Hardly. You claiming to be clever is like bragging about being the smartest kid with Down's Syndrome.

And here you are trolling and waiting to pounce on it so you can report back to GPL about how "all" of the Sioux fans turn every thread into a Gophers-bashing festival. Please get a life. Again, don't you have a crappy and biased blog to write??

The only other ones in between were Jake Brandt, who was good, and Josh Siembida, who did not work out. Kollar started out well as a backup, but struggled as the top goalie. I'm not so sure that Blais didn't also recruit JPL. I'm pretty sure he did, because Phil almost went to UM when Irmen and Ryan Potulny committed to UM. Blais' reputation for goalies is undeserved. A lot of teams, including UM, would have liked to have Schweitzer, Goehring, Brandt, Parise and Lamoureux. Kollar and Siembida did not work out well, but every program has that (except maybe Wisconsin).

He didn't do too bad. He recruited Aaron Schweitzer and Karl Goehring. I believe he also recruited Jordan Parise.

Mike Lee did not commit to SCSU until long after the Greico problem, so that is not the issue. From talking with several Roseau people and former Roseau players, Mike Lee wanted to play for the Sioux, and was talked to by the Sioux, but the interest appeared lukewarm. Apparently, the coaching staff is very high on Brad Eidsness, which probably explains why they did not recruit Mike Lee very hard. You know the old saying about "you go where you are wanted." It remains to be seen whether the Sioux made a mistake or missed, but it appears that Mike Lee is very good. Recruiting is not a perfect science. As great as Dean Blais was/is as a coach, he made a mistake with Grant Potulny and Dan Irmen. You can't get them all.

Great post. I could not agree more. It is also a matter of one's perspective. A person from Chicago or New York might find Minneapolis to be too small, or not diverse enough, or not enough to do. Now, let's get back to talking hockey.

So? It also happens on GPL relating primarily to the Sioux and the Badgers. It may be annoying to some, but it certainly is not done by a majority of posters, nor does it reflect an "obsession" as Cardinal and a few other arrogant trolls would like to believe. In fact, many times it is started by Gopher fans who want to get under Sioux fans' skin such as Happy aka Dubay. A lot of threads here also turn into discussions about the NHL, particularly the Wild, or other random topics. Apparently, those also qualify as "obsession" threads if you take Cardinal's argument to its logical extreme. Again, if you don't like it, ignore it. To some, there cannot be enough Gopher bashing. It certainly is not a one way street.

Really?Who is trolling around a Sioux message board searching for a few isolated posts to attempt to verify this very old and tired argument? Is your ego so fragile that you need reinforcement that everyone bashes the Gophers to support your argument that everyone is obsessed with the Gophers because they are so important and they set the bar for college hockey? Get a life. Like no one on Gopher Puke Live ever bashes the Sioux. The difference is that most Sioux fans don't run to GPL and announce it every time that happens. Don't you have a biased and crappy blog to write?

Why was it "unnecessary"? BringbackDean is a Gophers fan who took a shot at the Sioux always losing to BC, and the Sioux's recent success against the Gophers is analogous. Get over it. You don't know how to spell, but I don't whine about it.

Better yet--play the Gophers and guarantee a win.

Burggraf Skating Skills. Frank Burggraf has worked with many pros and many pro teams. He works on long strides and edges. It helped Mike Commodore and many others. The Blackhawks sent a number of players a few years ago and Northeastern did as well. Jason Blake still shows up at his pro camps.

Oh my God! You are SO witty! You took an actual situation and turned it into a phrase. I have never heard of such a clever play on words or such an original retort. I'm waiting for the next witty gem, such as "you are weakest link!" Really, thanks for sharing! We all appreciate your wit and all that you have to offer. You must be the smartest kid with Down's Syndrome! Thanks again. I'm anxiously awaiting your next post. I'm sure it will be just as clever AND funny.

I have not weighed in on this issue to this point because I do not disagree with you, BUT you make it sound like all Sioux fans on this board are criticizing the decision. That is simply not true. More importantly, you are talking apples and oranges. I have no problem if a 15 year old kid changes his mind. However, I am not naive enough to believe that a 15 year old made this decision. This looks and smells like it was orchestrated by his father so that the kid could get drafted by the major junior team of choice. If that is truly what happened, I have a problem with that because it reeks of manipulation, if not dishonesty, on the part of his father. I could care less if a 15 year old changes his mind. It is quite another to leverage the position of your son by resorting to less than ethical tactics. The situation with Gregoire is not unlike decisions made by Chris Chelios (who committed to UND) and Keith Ballard who purportedly verballed to UND. There are many, many examples of kids changing their minds after giving a verbal or even a written LOI. I really do not have a problem with a kid changing his mind as long as that decision was not influenced by the poaching of an opposing coach or alum.

There is also a very good article at www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2008/06/backtoback_red_wings_look_good.html. The Red Wings have been able to convince some of their stars to take less than what they might get on the open market because of the success of the franchise and the success that individual players have in Detroit's system. Ken Holland is one of the best, if not the best, GM in professional sports, and they have great scouts and Scotty Bowman helping. Steve Yzerman is also in the front office. Holland reminds anyone that asks that many people predicted the demise of the Wings with the salary cap. They continue to win and managed to not use the entire amount under the salary cap.

Keep dreaming. You are absolutely 100% wrong. Who cares if Hasek and Chelios are gone? Hasek is not very good anymore, and did not play since game 4 against Nashville in the 1st round. Osgood is only average, but the team in front of him makes him look great. However, they have a Swedish stud goalie waiting in the wings and Jimmy Howard, who has been solid in the AHL and in short stints with the Red Wings. Chelios still has a little left, but did not play in the finals and is 46. He is also coming back. Look at www.mlive.com/redwings. Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom are all signed to long-term contracts, so nice try. I'm not sure of the status of Franzen, but I know that he's not an unrestricted free agent. The Wings are not in danger of losing anyone, and they are absolutely loaded with great young players, including a defenseman named Ericsson from Sweden who has a cannon. The Wings were 6 million under the cap this year because they were holding off to sign a big free agent pickup at the trade deadline. That person turned out to be Brad Stuart, who was not very expensive, so they remained considerably under the cap. Stuart may re-sign, but if he does not, they have tons of depth on the blue line. They have guys in the minors (Ericsson, Meech) who would be top 4 defensemen on the Wild. Plus, they are young. Datsyuk is 29, Zetterberg 26, Filpula 24, Helm 21, Kronwall is 20 something, etc. I will absolutely take that bet. Let's make it worthwhile. I'll bet a case of beer of choice. The Wings may be better next year than this year. San Jose and Anaheim will be tough, and there will be some surprise teams (Chicago?), but Detroit will be the favorite again. The Wild have problems. They are not likely to sign Pavel Dmitra, who is the best friend of Marion Gaborik, who is going to be a free agent. There are rumors that they could move him. They also may not re-sign Brian Rolston because the management of the Wild questions whether he is worth the salary based upon his age and production.

Thank you. Finally someone who is objective about the difference in talent. The Red Wings are far more skilled, and I'm tired of that whiny coach talking about obstruction and the officials swallowing whistles to allow the Pens to play with them. If the game was called evenly, it wouldn't even be close. The Wings are much, much more talented. Gill and Orpik are complete hacks, but the league lets them get away with it, just like they let Roberts and Malone get away with cheap shots to Franzen's head after he had been out with a concussion. I really do not like the East style of hockey. Go Wings! I hate the goon style hockey of the Pens.