UND95

Here is an article I came across while surfing about Hrkac http://www.theahl.com/AHL/OnTheBeat/2004/12/08/773752.html

Found this while surfing around for AHL stats, didn't see it posted here yet so I thought I would link it, nice little interview with David Hale, enjoy http://www.albanyriverrats.com/news/?id=6468 Just came across this from the same spot too, interview with Zach Parise, figured may as well add it. http://www.albanyriverrats.com/news/?id=6452

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these fine Americans.

I look for the Sioux to sweep this weekend. The goaltending is as solid right now as I can remember since Karl left. The defense is playing well. We are still able to roll 4 lines pretty consistently and at least get puck possession out of them all, if not scoring chances. I think the boys will be ready for this after having the winning streak snapped. Hopefully they are in a bad mood and get down to business. I think the loss Saturday night was good for the team. Long winning streaks have to be snapped at some point. I also thought the team seemed a bit on the passive side. Almost as if they figured they could turn it up when they needed to during the game and win. I am hoping they learned they have to play a full 60 in this league night in and night out. Should be a good weekend of Sioux hockey. I look for Fylling and Stafford to have good weekends. Denver usually takes hold of Parise and thus nullifies him by doing so, and I think they will try the same with Bochenski as well since he is having a great year. I also think our great PK and much improving PP will help out a lot against DU this weekend. Go Sioux!!!

I went none of the above because I think this was an amazing accomplishment. Even in this era of lower goal scoring in the NHL, 5 straight shutouts is not easy to accomplish and with many of them coming on the road no less.

I grew up in a very small town in ND, so I never payed attention to hockey because it wasn't offered at our school. My freshman year at UND a buddy of mine took me to a few hockey games and it was cool, but when he took me to my first Gopher-Sioux game, I was hooked. I could have voted for many of them. The tradition, the fact that ND never gets any positive national recognition, I went to school there and oh yeah.......I detest the ground rodents

Well said Dagies

There ya have it, looks like a decent call to me. Fact is, if the Sioux had played the entire game with that kind of enthusiasm and drive, they wouldn't have needed that goal to tie the game at the end. They had a 14 game unbeaten streak, those things eventually come to an end. Better now than in March or April.

My feelings on the game aren't quite as enthusiastic, although it is nice to see Sioux fans with passion. I thought the Gophers deserved the win tonight. Holding the Sioux to 13 shots is not easy. Good calls or bad calls, the Gophers played a tough game tonight. This is a program much like UND's that has pride and tradition, and they are not gonna roll over and let someone, especially a rival, sweep them on their ice. They are a good team with a lot of talent, and we may very well meet them again down the road. It would have been good to sweep them on their ice, but I would rather lose to them now, then try for a fifth win a row sometime in the playoffs. One of the things I am taking from this weekend as a Sioux fan, is the fact that we have some goaltending this year. Brandt was solid last night, and Parise played well tonight. He scares me a bit in net because he seems out of position sometimes and seems to sprawl around too much sometimes, but overall he played a good game tonight and gave the Sioux the opportunity to win. Nice to have a good 1-2 combo in net. Great series for a hockey fan. Both teams showed why they are a couple of the top teams in the country. Congrats to the Gophs on the win tonight. Congrats to the Sioux on a solid road weekend.

Nice to see the PK doing well and at the top. It is nice when you can watch the team kill a penalty and have confidence it will get done, with the chance of a shorty thrown in just for good measure.

After the delay tonight, I think you may be right

Great game tonight. Second period a bit rough, but the Sioux came out none the worse for wear. Great PK tonight as well and I was very happy with Brandt in net. He seems to be getting more and more confident, and that is a very good sign. May be a bit early, but I would love to see Brandt back in net tomorrow night to get the chance at a sweep. Jordan is playing well, don't get me wrong, but Brandt is playing great and had a good game tonight and I would love to see him ride that into tomorrow night.

This is why I posed my question early about whether or not anyone thought all the clutching, grabbing, mugging, etc. that ZP has taken will affect whether or not he signs early. I know the ultimate decision comes down to whether NJ wants him to or not, but after that it is on Zach and I wonder if he may not want to try his chances even in the minors for a year or two instead of returning to UND to be held and bloodied all the time.

That play by Stafford was amazing, not only did he almost score from his knees, but he managed to deke by the D man on his knees as well. Heck of a play.

I know this topic has been beat to death, but after watching the games on tv this weekend, I have one question for everyone. Do you think the decision to go pro will be made easier for Zach given the fact that he cannot move on the ice without being clutched, grabbed, mugged and pulled down? I know this also happens in the NHL, but not near as much as I have seen over Zach's two years thus far. Also, he won't be the targeted man right off the start and won't get the attention he does now. Does he leave to find some open ice? Just a thought I had and was wondering what everyone else's thoughts were.

Nice article. Good to see Matt has his head on straight it would seem. From the games I have seen on television, he seems to be much more disciplined this year. When he breaks the Edmonton lineup I will be seeing lots of him when he plays the Avs

One thing I really like about Zach's game is something that has been mentioned a bit here already....he works his butt of on the ice to get to loose pucks and create chances. The kid flat out hustles out there and goes after everything. He sees the ice well and makes some great plays. I also believe that his influence in practise and in the lockerroom is also something that makes him one of the most, if not the most, valuable member of this team. He has a great work ethic and I can only think rubs off....reminds of Ray Bourque in that respect. NJ found themselves a gem in Zach and he will prove that someday in the NHL. NJ has always like hard working players, and Zach is surely a hard worker along with a great talent. If only he had some open ice to work with instead of being mugged time and time again....oh well, it will only make him a stronger player.

Wow, learn something new everyday

The US pretty much went with the top two lines. Stafford was playing with O'Sullivan and Eaves a lot. The announcers were talking about how Coach Eaves wasn't rolling much with his lines, but he did give some of the guys a shift or two. Murray didn't see much action in the third, maybe one or two shifts that I can remember. Stafford had a heck of a game I thought. I think it was in the second when he drove in and deked around the D and got off a nice back-hander. Good to see ZP take home some much deserved hardware. He played a lot of hockey today. The one announcer was bugging me though, he kept pronouncing it like he was french Canadian....Zach Parisay....UGGGGHHH

Article about Brady Murray and his decision to go with team USA from NHL.com http://www.nhl.com/intheslot/read/juniors/...rray010204.html

Here is the article from todays US game. They won 5-0 over Slovakia. Zach had a goal and an assist and Murray had a goal and I am thinking an assist as well from the sounds of the article. http://www.nhl.com/onthefly/news/2003/12/196198.html

I would agree with you here most of the time, but Shannon Brunell for the Sioux (sure I spelled his name wrong) was a power runner and he ate up the yards just fine. Speed is nice, but good old fashioned power and muscle is quite ok too

I do not believe Fankhouser ever played for any Bismarck schools, but he grew up in Bismarck. I am not sure how old he was when they moved, but when I was selling hockey cards on ebay, I ran across his father buying a couple of his and he made mention of Scott having been born in Bismarck.

When did the Canes get rid of Maurice? Hadn't heard that one yet. Hopefully the appeal of coaching in the NHL and for a team with a couple guys he coached in college doesn't cost UND Blais.