DAR

You have to walk away from that stuff at this time of the year. Bottom line you cannot throw a punch and get a DQ at this time of year. The players know that and if they don't they need their head examined. Once the playoffs start, settling scores is over. The Sioux are already one man short. They cannot afford to have anyone else get injured or a DQ.

I say who cares who they have out there. If 4 players are gone that is a good thing. It will be an easier series for the Sioux and will allow them to maybe save some energy for the Final Five and beyond. All that matters is the W's at this time of the year. If the Mavs are shorthanded that is all the better from a Sioux perspective.

That is the problem though "if there are no early departures". I would say Smaby and Stafford are very likely to sign. I don't think there will be anyone else besides those two. They will leave two large voids in the line-up and will set next year's team back. Let's just hope we have seen the last of Potulny and Irmen as well.

We shall see, he is somewhat of an unknown. I agree that he is the most talented of the pool but with his lack of experience and it being playoff time I think the coaches will go with the experience. We shall see. I would like to see Miller in at least one of the Kato games and see how he does. The main job of the 4th line is to keep the puck out of the net and kill time for the top lines to rest. Miller is not a physical player and needs to get stronger to be more effective. That is why I think ultimately the coaches will go with Foyt or Marvin.

Well last year it was Brady Murray and this year its likely Fabian. Too bad but injuries are part of the game. I just wish we had a better option as a replacement at this point. It will be Marvin or Foyt. Hak is not going to insert Miller or Martens at this point in the season. If Foyt or Marvin can throw a few checks and help keep the puck out of our net while they are on the ice that is all that will be expected of them. Neither is a scoring threat that is for sure. I think Kozek will move up with Prpich and Porter and the 4th line will become Kaip, Watkins and Foyt/Marvin.

Anyone up in the Forks with access to inside information heard anything? Has a ligament tear been confirmed? I sure hope it is just a bad sprain and he could possibly play again this year. You hate to have to disrupt the lines at this time of the year.

Agreed. Mankato's goaltending is aveage at best. I like the match up better than St. Clown where a hot goalie can steal a game. I think the Sioux will handle the Land Cows pretty easily.

If he is indeed out for the year that is obviously not what we needed at this point. The team is very young to begin with and to lose an experienced player like Fabian who seems to pick up his game around playoff time really is a bad break. Someone needs to step up and take his spot. There are not a whole lot of options. I think it will be Marvin just based on experience.

A loss this weekend would probably prove fatal unless they won the final five. A four or five seed has never one that tourney. So a sweep is needed. No excuses, it's Michigan Tech. Just get it done!!

Agreed, he was good on the weekend EXCEPT for the needless and Stupid tripping penalty he took behind the play that led to the tying goal in the third on Sat night. Other than that he played very well but that penalty was a killer and changed the momentum and outcome of the game.

Agreed, someone wrote the article without watching him play. He is not a physical player.

The problem with that is with the expected departure of Smaby, who is going to replace his spot in the line up?? Bina may/or may not come back and even if he does it will be a lot to expect him to play the regular 6th d spot. Alexander is the only other option unless another d is brought in and at this point I would think it would be pretty slim pickings at this point for 06. So Marto will more than likely be required to play regularly next year unless the coaches can come up with another option.

I sure hope I am wrong but I think Marto is going to have a tough time adjusting to the WCHA. I realize a lot of freshman have trouble with the adjustment even after a year in the USHL but I think he is going to have a tough time with the physical aspect of the game unless he has really bulked up. Hopefully he can exceed expectations, but 1 goal on the season for an offensive defenseman is not exactly tearing it up.

They all count.....good....bad....or ugly!! I would like to see Porter step it up a bit. He would be a good candidate to get a few crash the net type goals. He drives the net fairly well but just does not quite have the skill level to finish very often. Of course Fabian is another guy who can score some garbage goals. All hands must be on deck....its do or die!

We need to start landing some quality recruits for 07. The cupboard is pretty bare as we speak. Unfortunately, we will have to brace for early departures as well. Time to reload. It must be really frustrating to recruit and not know whether you will have that kid for one, two, three or four years. Obviously the blue chippers are not likely to stay more than a couple of years. Recruiting has become a lot more difficult and I think the new CBA in the NHL is only going to make it worse.

JUST WIN BABY!! If we are going to try and rely on what other teams do we are in trouble. We need to win 5 of the next 6, bottom line. Anything less than that will spell trouble. I am looking very much forward to attending the regional as I have had my tickets for a while now and yes more than likely there will be a "32oz bomber" in hand. So come on Sioux you have no choice but to qualify. I would rather burn my tickets than watch the Goofers celebrate a regional victory while the Sioux did not make the tourney. If the Goofers are going to fall short of the frozen four I think it will be the Sioux that get that job done. If the Sioux don't make it I don't see anyone else getting that job done.

I wouldn't doubt that....considering the amount of time he spends at Blarney's.

Not to be picky but the topic should read....."you heard it here first".....not "you heard it hear first".........anyway..........that is not going to happen.

Smaby will leave a very similar void to that left by Greene this year. With Greene on this team anchoring the D, I would say we would have at least 3-4 more wins. With his size and experience he would have been playing in many of the key times in games that have been left for Freshman this year. I sure hope Jake Marto is ready as he will be depended on to play regularly next year, especially with the uncertain future of Bina.

Yes, a very miniscule chance. If he is the only one we lose we will be darn lucky.

I think he definitely would wear the C next year..........One big problem there is about a 1 in 100 chance he will be here next year. As I have said before I do not like the trade off of Smaby for Marto. Finley is going to have to play the physical role because other than Jones who is undersized none of our D really play the body.

Agreed, it was happening during my time at UND as well which ended in 1999. To say they "quickly put a stop" to it is dead wrong. It was a common practice until the new arena came about.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I am sure the team realizes what is at stake here. We need to stay out of the box and put some pressure on CC in the attacking zone. We rally need at least 3 pts out of this weekend to improve the tournament picture. If this team is going to make any kind of a run it will start this weekend. I

Yeah, I sure hope so. I have been kind of disappointed in Kozek. I thought he would be ready to make more of an impact than he has. Watkins seems to play OK defensively but has not done much offensively either. I realize these guys are kinda playing checking/4th line roles this year but they are on those lines for a reason and I would have liked to have seen more of an impact from them this year. Hopefully next year they will be more ready to make a bigger splash. I really hope we can land another punishing defensman because after Smaby leaves this year and we replace him with Marto our d corps is not going to have much of a physical element.

This weekend will tell a lot. I am going to see what happens this weekend before I consider raising the white flag on the season. If they cannot win a game this weekend, I don't see any way to make it other than to win the final five. (Which would be highly unlikey). I am keeping the faith, I have my tickets for the regional and planned to come from Mpls. I never really thought there was a chance they would not make it until last weekend. That was a potential killer. No excuse to get swept at home by JBSU....I don't want to hear puck luck....hot goaltender etc.....The good teams find a way to get the job done.