Oxbow6

And that's why this team is 3 games below .500 vs. a fairly weak schedule to date. In a word: Recruitment! And it needs to get better!

I love DaveK, but he just can't figure out that I'm right!!

Then I stand corrected and I won't believe anything my "sources" tell me. Thanks for setting the record straight.

What hockey have you been watching? Not this year's UND team. E has hands down been better in net than Walski so far and it isn't even close. If you feel that it doesn't matter which one plays because they give UND an equal chance to win, you might want to start paying closer attention to...the actual play on the ice! Ridiculous for you to even make that comment.

It was Hak, per his comments last year, that made that claim (or something like that), not me! I think at this point you could say Frattin has underacheived and subsequently is a disaapointment to date based on performance.

So you're saying that we should completely blow-up the season so that Walski can play?? What, other than Walksi being a Sr., has he shown that makes him worthy of playing? An 0-fer record and a GAA a goal+ more than E. "I want winners! I want winners!" E gives this team the best chance to win night in and night out!

Malone has been...not very good so far in a UND sweater, but last year Hak made reference to the frosh class as having potentially a Hobey Baker type player/top college player down the road (if I remember the radio broadcast correctly). That reference, according to some people I have talked to, was about Frattin. You see anything that would give pause that Frattin has those skills/qualities?? I sure don't. That's why I said he is the most disappointing so far in that class. I think Frattin has good skill and upside, as evidence by his hat trick Friday, but prior to the last few games he had done about as much as Malone in his UND career.

Vandy maybe has improved a little, but how many of other 1st line WCHA center would you take over him? 5, maybe 6? He, in a "normal" UND team talent pool, is a 3rd line center. I love Genoway...when he has a clue, which is 50/50. Agree he is trying way to hard. Agree that Zajac as vastly improved from last year, but still doesn't give you much offensively. Frattin?? 4 goals in the last few games when he did nothing for his first 50 games is not a ton better? To me he is the biggest disappointment of that sophomore class. Trupp is in slump and is now hurt. Marto is just not playing well. I think he comes around soon. LaPoint came in as this gifted offensive d-man. IMO he should be rotating in every other game instead of Blood as I just don't see much in him. This team is talent poor offensively compared to past UND teams playing an offensive system that their "talents" aren't made for. And if we can't produce anything offensively from our d-man, please stand someone up and hit someone once in awhile from the blue line. This team has NO identity? Are we physical? Speed? Offensive? Defensive? Unless they figure that out, you are going to see what we have been seeing...inconsistant play.

Tough barn to win in! Split. We win Fri. 8-2 and lose Sat. 1-0.

Agree with everthing other than I think Marto has good skills but is just playing so poorly that he resembles a shorter LaPoint!

Looks like we won't ever agree on anything DaveK. E has been a pleasant suprise in net. For a frosh, he has been more than solid. Glaring weakness?? That is a joke. His GAA is less than 3. And that is with LaPoint and the rest of our defenseless d-man in front of him. He has been the most consistant part of this team this year game in and game out. He isn't Lammy...yet, but he'll be one of the better one to come thru UND when it is all said and done IMO.

I think you contradict yourself. Assist don't tell the whole story. Oshie made space and freed up Kozek because Oshie was keyed on constantly unlike this year where Kozek has no one to help him get room or space. Kozek's success last year was directly linked to playing along side Oshie (and to a lesser extent Duncan) IMO.

VV is not a first line center, Zajac is improved from last year but still can't create anything and Malone is not a WCHA center. We have no one who can create anything!! Kozek's season last year was a byproduct of Oshie. Duncan can score but has to be set up to do so. To me the line that looked like it could do something was Gregoire, Frattin and Trupp and now Trupp is out for...? This team is poor offensively and poor defensively with the exception being E in net. This team will be lucky to finish above .500 this year. Not saying Mario is the reason UND has won, but again why does Hak continue to mess with lineups when we do win?? There is a thing called pyschology and maybe when you win and the boys feel good about a win, you let things be!! The fact is we have won games when certain guys take the ice. Not saying that is the reason for the wins, but pyschologically sometime these things do matter...like the black road jerseys. Why do we play better on the road in black than green? Makes no rational sense, but psychologically maybe it does to the guys?

At least Hextall learned his lesson getting demoted from 1st line to 4th line. He got our only goal so Hak must know what he is doing!

Maybe? Coincidence that UND is winless with Walski in net? Coincindence that UND wins at a higher percentage on the road in the black sweaters? Coincidence that LaPoint is like a minus -15 on the year? If you win with certain guys in the lineup, why not continue with that?

All I have to say is UND is now 1 -7 when Mario doesn't play. I'm not a big numbers guy but at some point you kind of have to go with what is working (4-1-1 when he plays). Otherwise you are right on the money with your post. By the way what is Trupp's injury? Anyone?

Bingo! I think he brings a lot. I would have sat Malone. 4-1-1 with Mario, hopefully not 1-7 without him. Think Martens will do well with Dunc and VV.

It is what is left of your 401K. Me too! IF GB gets ahead early, they'll roll. If they fall behind early...? But you're 100% correct in the fact GB has been extremely inconsistant!

And by the way, even though Riley Nash was the 21st pick in the NHL draft, his brother is more than capable out on the ice as well. I thought the unknown Nash was on of their top 3 players on the ice last night.

Finley was a physical presence from day one. Not a solid d-man early on, but physical. LaPoint is not physical, not good defensively, not as offensively skilled as he was billed to be and just not as good as his incoming hype. Tire tracks or not, this a like dating a girl. You want to date a girl who is a 7 (1-10) but thinks she is a five. You don't want to date a girl that is a 3 but thinks she is a 9. LaPoint came in as a 8 but plays like a 4! Again it is what it is and expectations and perceptions are reality. If all our d-man are healthy, he is or 6th of 7th best option in my opinion.

You are pro-best player yet you seem to have a thing for Malone and LaPoint ? Neither one of them have done much in 1+ years. LaPoint was a minus 2 6 1/2 minutes into the game! If Finley come back, both those two should sit and Miller goes back to forward. You are dead wrong on Martens. He has been one of most solid 2-way forwards night in and out. As far as Mario and the teams record, it is what it is. Your 201K if he doesn't play tonight, they lose. Kozek and Watkins, at this point at UND, should be scoring, but they also need someone to help create for them at the center position. Malone is gritty but can't create much...but still not as gritty as Mario! And by the way, lay the points and take the Pack at home vs. the Panthers. It won't be close if GB gets an early lead.

UND is 4-1-1 with Mario in the lineup and 1-6 when he is not. One guy doesn't make a difference, but...it is what it is at this point.

Liked the lines last night. Trupp is a much better option paired with Frattin and Gregoire. That line was clicking. Really thought the Zajac line was great too. Mario is a grinder and Martens is just solid and underappreciated. But has UND had centerman less offensively gifted than Malone...ever?! Kozek and Watkins need someone with some playmaking abilities for those two to score. Malone isn't the guy. First Cornell goal was about as soft as it gets, but otherwise E was solid in net. Defensively, again big lapses. Lapoint was again awful last night. I just don't see what he brings at all? Fienhage was solid but he seems a little slow. Marto really needs to pick it up too. He is playing below his skill level. Expect Blood to play tonight for someone. My vote would be for LaPoint. Overall very good effort and win. Looking forward to a sweep!

UND is 3-1-1 when Mario sees the ice. If he plays, the local kid gets the game winner 2-1. If he doesn't, my cell phone goes on after the national anthem!

In a year so far in which UND has underachieved, UND has about as much of a chance of sweeping Cornell as Charlie Brown had of kicking the FB out of Lucy's hold in their televised Thanksgiving special I watched with the kids a couple of days ago. Just as long as they win tonight as the kids and I are making the trip up I-29 for the game.