MafiaMan

Michigan State is capable of frustrating Minnesota's "high end talent" as they play low-scoring tight defensive hockey. Penn State isn't afraid of anyone and can run and gun - that can be good or bad, but they're scary. I would not be surprised to see Minny one-and-done in the B10 Tournament much like Michigan was last season.

Not really. Barring a miracle, they're looking at having to win 3 games in 3 days to get that auto-bid. That's a tall order.

You'd be surprised! Some of them didn't know there even was a shoot-out...others wondered if a shoot-out win would help them in the PWR.

Fire Lucia!

Someone call the screen print shop and get those maroon "2.0" t-shirts ready to go!

Cue Gopher fans wearing 2.0 t-shirts by 9:00 tomorrow morning!

I feel one of my patented gifs coming up...

Badgers about to kick the Gophers in the PWR nuts...or not. Four Badgers trying to help Rumpel play goalie and MN scores with 2 seconds left to tie it at 4.

Checking out LPTV tonight in Bemidji and it appears that Bowling Green has switched to brown helmets and improved their look immensely. Amazing what a difference helmet color can do for the entire uniform.

How are those two titles from 2002 and 2003 treating Don Lucia lately more than a decade after he won them? If Dean Blais had never left UND and was still coaching today, you'd be calling for his head too if 2000 was his last NCAA championship.

UND: 2 thunderstix UNO: 1 cowbell

Michigan Tech puts 6 on the board in the 3rd against UAH...ouch. 11-1 Huskies.

Grant Besse...Gopher reject.

Very minor league if you ask me.

Thanks for reminding me...I'd completely forgotten I saw them both. I've chatted with Coach Blais several times over the past 20 years and he is indeed a great guy and Sioux legend, but... ...2001-2002 was a total disaster season (not unexpectedly given the player losses) and his last stint with the World Junior Tournament led to the US being forced to win relegation round games. The man doesn't walk on water - he's actually human.

I'm not bashing Blais at all...but he's viewed by some on here as never having failed at anything. Great coach, for sure, but not perfect.

It's called being facetious.

LOL, right! Dave Hakstol could win an NCAA championship this season and discover a cure for ebola in between the 2nd and 3rd periods of the title game and some folks would still think he's not quite the legend that Dean Blais is.

Blasphemy! Burn the witch at the stake for speaking of Dean Blais in a negative tone!

...which will almost certainly result in a "Fire Hak" thread being started before the handshake line is formed.

But last night you defended him dropping Ortega so he wasn't perched in front of the net alone...I'm confused. Before anyone had rotated over to free him up (in fact, before the hit even occurred), it sure looked like Mac had it in his head that he was going to that corner.

Notre Dame's all about Notre Dame - and nothing else. If the NCHC offered them a better TV deal with CBSSN, you bet they'd have joined.

So why does Mac sprint to the corner then after dropping Ortega?

I agree with your original assessment - Mac didn't need to put his stick in Ortega's back at all. He did, Ortega flopped forward to exaggerate the contact, and the ref took the bait.

Opening face-off, Zombo winds up on the ice and Mac gives him two hard cross-checks to the back as he's laying on the ice...no call. Re-wound the DVR and watched the penalty in OT 25 times...Ortega goes down like he just took a bullet thru his lower back. However, Mac could have easily gone into the corner and quickly sent the puck down the ice and out of harm's way.