Oxbow6

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.

I agree. I don't think the guys we have brought in over the past few, that are still on the roster, are as good as their incoming hype. Case in point, LaPoint, an offensive minded D man, who has been...not very good in any facet since he has been here. I could on and on, but this team is what it is this year...not very good because the talent is not very good! This is a team that can't score and doesn't play good defense. Not hard to see why they are under .500 when you watch them game in and game out.

And it is disrespectful/unfair that someone who makes 6 figures isn't willing to share his/her money with someone that doesn't hold down a job and eat chips and plays PS2 all day. Some people's mentality of entitlement never changes.

From my perspective, Marto is just not playing well but has plenty of skill, while Lapoint just doesn't have as much skill to his games as many thought when he came aboard last year, plus he is playing just awful.

After the early part of the season and watching again Friday, I said that Malone and Frattin should be the 2 sitting Sat. Maybe this will jump start them, especially Frattin. Eidsness better not miss a minute of action the rest of the way. Hextall is already the best 2 way forward on the ice game in and game out...and it isn't really even close. On more thing, Mario brings something that UND really needs...a nasty attitude. He'll get in anyone's grill. We need more of that.

This thread is a no-brainer. Ride this kid the rest of the year. Walski is...well, he's not Eidness! Eidness played almost exclusively in his 60 game Jr. schedule last year. So 30+ games this year isn't going to wear him out.

Miller splitting time with Martens? From my perspective, Frattin and Malone need to be upstairs. Those 2 have done absolutely nothing this year, which is a little improvement from last year! I agree, give Davidson and Mario some ice time. Value to your team is what is produced during a game not what is perceived at practice. Davidson has, in his limited ice time, produced something. Hak needs to stop "waiting" for some guys to figure it out. And really, when is the slow start to every season under Hak going to end? You keep going to that well with the mentality that it will turn around and one of these seasons it won't. Unfortunately, I see this being that season. UND doesn't just need a win tonight, they need a "step on your throat" convincing win tonight. With the schedule UND has in the first half of it's season for them to be around .500 at Christmas is going to be more like playing .333 winning percentage hockey when all things are said and done. This slow start is a much bigger issue than in years past because of the "easy" first half of the schedule.

Hak said this team was close to putting it together and that they needed to play 120 minutes in a weekend, not 110 like last weekend. Heck, I'd take 62 minutes of solid hockey this weekend!!! Truly a pathetic performance tonight. Taking one at CC doesn't account for jack if we can't sweep UAA at home. 3-6 with the talent we have is embarrassing.

Can't figure out why my wife doesn't want to go to the game tonight on her birthday , so I'll catch bits of what I can on the radio. But I'll be there live tomorrow. UND 5-3, but not that close as UAA score 1 or 2 late.

This is a series UND should sweep, banged up or not. Superior talent up and down the line up and playing at home. No excuse for not getting 2 wins this weekend.

Your squad was a pre-season top 5 in the nation and pre-season top conference pick. You'll finish 6-5 more than likely. UND finishes 6-4 or 5-5 in the first year of transition. Who will have the most disappointing season? Where is your "bright" future? This was to be THE year for SU. SU has a better team than UND this year which was to be expected, but you guys ARE the biggest disappointment in nation based on all the pre-season hype!

I don't think we match up well at all this coming weekend. I agree with the rest. Plus we sweep Harvard the first weekend in Dec. I got us at 10-8 at the break.