MafiaMan

Duckie and bunny!

Tough crowd, geaux_sioux. Hey, I just flew in from Vegas...and boy are my arms tired! HEY OH!

I really like Blasi - sure wish he would have won that BU title game a few years back. I'd still be losing sleep at night over that loss if I were him.

Roll the hose again, probie!

2-0 win and 2-1 loss for Miami at Cloud last fall. I'm predicting an Oxford surprise this weekend.

Yikes. Get well soon. Cakebread...possibly the greatest name on the back of a jersey. Ever. Now if he'd only been Cakeeater...it could quite possibly outpace Oshie jerseys in a few years.

They'll need if if they want to hoist the Penrose Cup...St Cloud's season-ending series opponent couldn't be any more tailor-made to their liking.

im nuzzed

No way, but a 10-year deal is an eternity in the coaching world.

UMD isn't exactly lighting it up lately. A road version of the traditional circle of sticks in Duluth this weekend is a real possibility.

Big pre-season expectations that got blown up early on probably hasn't helped matters. A sweep of St Cloud this weekend would help turn things around, right?

Agreed. The USA and Canada are also the only countries on the continent that play hockey. Can't blow the budget flying across the Atlantic constantly to play Sweden and Finland in exhibition games. How about opposite-handed sticks for US and Canadian women's teams while we're at it?

Miami split with SCSU last fall in two tough games in St Cloud. Let's hope the Redhawks can find some mo-jo this weekend in Oxford.

Deep breath there, gfhock, er, Oxbow6. Unicorns and glitter! Unicorns and glitter. BRB...I have to change Hakstol's cat litter box.

We seem to be winning some minds over, bigskyvikes. Just look at fightingsioux4life's last post - I read it several times over and have convinced myself that he's almost being positive with some of his comments.

The coaching mentoring is something I would call a "significant" change...stacking the groups to prevent blow-outs is simply window-dressing and not a long-term solution to the competitiveness issue.

...and here's a current article on how things have improved... http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/12/rene-fasel-women-hockey-iihf/5419441/ That being said, a semi-final game where one team records 70 shots on goal while the other winds up with 9 shows that there is still a long ways to go in terms of competitive balance in women's hockey.

http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-08/skating-thin-ice Here is the article from August of 2010 that I was referencing, cberkas.

The Olympic chairman discussed this four years ago - women's hockey could be in trouble this time around.

Right on! I see lots of 'both sides of the coin' arguments here. "We suck so I predict a split with Miami" followed up by "yea, well Miami sucks and it's pretty sad when we celebrate a sweep over the worst team in the league" comments on Sunday morning. A sweep's a sweep and UND has absolutely got to have some more confidence on their side going into this coming weekend.

Yea, I am stunned at what happened. I am not sure I've ever seen a starting goalie chased for the back-up, who is so bad that the starter is sent back in. Talk about humiliating...

That's funny, I don't recall a time where a pre-season favorite to win the WCHA was sitting in last place in the conference in February after playing the Sioux. This wasn't Michigan Tech or Alaska-Anchorage out there this past weekend. Miami might be a hot mess out there, but hopefully they don't make a run like Michigan made in the CCHA playoffs last year.

Soooooo not true!

I agree. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are both struggling while Switzerland is gaining some confidence. I'd prefer to take my chances with the Czechs or Slovaks.

Hat totals have been PM'd to my straggler and fix-it hat folks...