PCM

If you dinf the party, how will we know it's you?

Don't everyone answer at once.

+Mar 13 2003, 07:49 PM--> QUOTE(#1 Bochenski and Lundy Fan @ Mar 13 2003, 07:49 PM)Will the players be signing autographs in the lobby? Will they be at tables or at randoms spots around the Ralph? Can anyone tell me? Based on what I heard on the radio this morning, it sounded like they'd be in or around the pro shop. Don't take that as gospel. I may not have heard correctly.

Blaine, Minnesota, Money's home town.

He was joking.

forecheck will be the team's coach/cheerleader. As I understand it, the strategy she's going with is to have the team score more goals than it allows. I'm sure she'll reveal more at her pre-game news conference.

Question: In WCHA play, which teams have scored fewer goals in the third period than North Dakota's 31? Answer: Michigan Tech (30), Wisconsin (18) and UAA (16). This isn't the company we want to keep. For the sake of comparison, the top three teams in third-period scoring are Mankato (50), CC (44) and Minnesota (40). Denver has 34 third-period goals. In the WCHA, the Sioux have scored one more goal in the third period than they've given up. Until last weekend when the Sioux outscored the Badgers 3-0 in the third, they were on the negative side of that stat. Besides winning the third period, the Sioux power play will be the key to beating Denver. While the Pioneers might get away with more clutching and grabbing than they should, my guess is that it will probably be called more than it was at Denver. If the Sioux don't capitalize on their power play opportunities, Denver has no incentive to stop the clutching, grabbing and tackling. For anyone interested, Bruce Ciske, a Duluth-Superior sports talk radio host and frequent poster on USCHO, wrote this article for WDSM's Web site predicting the outcomes of this weekend's WCHA playoff series. He thinks Denver will take 2 of 3 from the Sioux.

3/12/2003 The UND coaches show is broadcast live from Lola

Blais will be the second coach on tonight at 7 p.m. Stand by for highlights.

Careful. Money might decide that you need a flaming two-handed slash.

Thanks, Jim. I like the idea of Ryan Hale permanently playing defense. The Sioux need his size, strength, experience and puck-handling ability. Do you have any idea what Blais meant when he mentioned "the other part" of David Hale's problem? I thought we'd see Brandt in goal on Friday after Blais' comment last week about not starting any goalie back-to-back. But if Ranfranz is playing the best right now, he should be in there. Winning Friday night might be the key to the series with DU.

I suspect that the flight attendant wouldn't have called Billy Mills "chief" if she'd known he was Native American. I also suspect that 99.999% of the people she called "chief" were not offended by it. In fact, most probably considered it a sign of respect. Who was being unreasonable? The flight attendant or Billy Mills?

Scratch that. You apparently are asking where people will be meeting to watch the Sioux on TV. Sorry about that.

I would recognize that there's more than one definition and one use for the word "chief," especially when I wasn't on the reservation. Is everyone supposed to change the way they talk and the words they use on the off chance that there's a Native American around who might take offense? That's silly.

jk, based on what I saw during the UND-Wisconsin series, your lines appear to be correct. Whether they will stay that way against Denver is anyone's guess.

To answer your question: No, nobody lives in Bismarck.

I'm thinking that Brandt will start. Blais said last week that he didn't think he could start any of the Sioux goalies back-to-back. I'd look for Brandt the first game, Ranfranz the second game and Brandt the third if needed.

Call me nuts, but I'm glad that the Sioux will be facing Denver next week. If they're going to go to the WCHA Final Five, I'd rather send them into the tournament with the confidence of having beat a team that played them tough and that has a good goalie combo. The Sioux already know they can beat SCSU. Knocking off Denver will add to the momentum of sweeping Wisconsin. Now if Dubielewicz and/or Berkhoel get hot or the officials allow the DU tackling drill to continue, I might regret my statement. But right now, I'm glad the Sioux will face the Pioneers.

Who is "renfranzz?"

Through the first period, Ranfranz looked very solid. He hasn't been tested much because UND's defense hasn't given the Badgers any good opportunities.

That's okay. You can read the answer to your question that I posted at USCHO. The first time I noticed Fylling in that role was against Bemidji State. I remember because at the time I thought, "Oh look, Blais has Fylling playing the blue line." Immediately after that, Fylling scored on a shot from the point.

I watched the game on TV with the sound muted and Hennessy on the radio. I sort of like knowing what's going to happen a second or two before it actually does. My favorite Hennessy moment last night was in the third period when it was 4-2 and the Sioux were on the power play. Tim was getting frustrated with the way the Sioux were playing and said something like, "The key to the power play is puck movement and there just isn't...he shoots...he scores!" That was Kevin "I'm Not A Goal Scorer" Spiewak's second goal. At another point, Hennessy said the puck "deflected off a Sioux jersey," which caused me to remark to my wife, "Are they wearing Kevlar jerseys these days?"

Pervert.

Could be. I think a couple of Sioux players were screening Ranfranz.