PCM

You were expecting hockey talk?

Betty White. Now there's a hottie!

I thought he looked familiar.

All right! Bob Norton's back! Why are they interviewing that 26-year-old Canadian on Maine's team?

Yeah, I know. I'm just tired of hearing about how great these giant goalies are.

Good PK by the Spartans.

I sort of like Michigan State. I'd like to see the battle of the midget goalies.

It's as if you don't believe that the WCHA has the best officiating in college hockey.

Oh looky, Derek Shepherd!

The Spartans are right back in it!

Maine scores again. MSU just doesn't look ready.

That looked like too many of the goals that Maine scored at Grand Forks.

Bulletin board material is highly overrated, especially this time of season.

I think most of us got that.

Nice smokescreen. I don't give a rip about Matti. He wasn't playing at that point. The goalies were Parise and Schneider, and all I heard about was Schneider's undefeated record and gawdy goals against average.

Your memory is either very poor or very selective. Remember this? I remember going into that game that BC had the advantage in goal because of the undefeated Schneider. His record proved irrelevant.

I'm sorry, but the people who get paid to analyze tonight's game are going to consider UND's recent results against top-caliber teams much more relevant than non-playoff teams who beat them the first half of the season.

Yes, but we went into both those games hearing about the greatness of Schneider. Perhaps tonight he will impress this Sioux fan. He hasn't done it yet.

Game 1: Lamoureux plays poorly. Toews leaves half way through the game with a bad shoulder. Oshie breaks his thumb. The Sioux give up five unanswered goals in the second period. UND loses 6-2. Game 2: Toews doesn't play. Oshie plays with a broken thumb. Lamoureux plays well, but Bishop plays better. The Sioux give up two unanswered goals in the second period. UND loses 3-1. UND's differences between then and now: 1. The DOT Line is healthy 2. Much better power play (Sioux went 1-11 in that series) 3. Much better penalty kill (Maine had three PPG in the series) 4. Fewer bad penalties 5. More scoring from the blue line From the first half of the season to the second half, UND increased its average goals per game by nearly a goal and decreased its goals against per game by a goal. I don't know if Maine is any better now than it was then, but I do know that UND is a much improved team.

I understood that. But it seems to me that UND's record against teams that had a legitimate shot at a national championship at season's end is far more relevant than its record against teams with little or no chance.

I think the Sioux might have wrongly assumed that last year and they paid for it. I also agree with all your points.

What was the NCAA's Josh Centor implying in his blog when he wrote:

How can this be happening at an NCAA event? Look at the logo under "North Dakota." And you'll never guess where this photo came from.

So why did you bring it up?

I think the Porter-VandeVelde-Watkins line might be the key. If they continue to play as they have been, the Sioux will have success.