Slap Shot

Yet you have no problem already punching a ticket to the NHL for Zajac and Stafford - players that haven't themselves done anything more in college than Irmen and Potulny?

While I certainly would prefer not to have the Gophers entering this weekend following their play in the Final Five, it's a bit premature to discount them due to one bad weekend out of their past 10. That said I think UND should be considered as much of a favorite as anyone, although they potentially have one of the toughest routes to the title game.

I'll tell my wife you send her your best.

You give him too much credit. Far too much.

Devil's advocate would say that it shows that if UND is to win they need to win by 2 or more and tends to lose close games. Not something to hang your hat on if Eelliioott is in top form.

Thanks for proving you're a one-trick pony, Zippy.

Why does a pre-season poll trump the fact Kessel had every bit as good of a season as Oshie? When did you get inside Kessel's head to know what he loves? Why is it only Sioux players are about the name on the front of the jersey? If awards and recognition mean nothing, why are you so pissy about it? Do the Gophers not play for the McNaughton, Broadmoor and Frozen Four Trophy?

Yup. Nothing like wishing ill-will toward the NHL future of a U.S. born player (or any player for that matter). I suppose once a Gopher always a Gopher and we just can't have a stinking Gopher having a successful NHL and international career can we? Pathetic.

Was DU allowed to play UAA this year? How about Eellioott and UW? Does UNO play any cake opponents in the CCHA?

Yes - mass suicides will ensue at Mariucci if Toews is drafter before Kessel. Whatever will we do with ourselves if that happens?

imho - unless Eelliioott returns to early season form, I think UND wins this game. If Eelliioott plays like he did earlier then all bets are off. I really wish I could go I think this will be a VERY entertaining game.

Go to GPL and ask the question yourself. You're crazy if you think any Gopher fans will compare Kessel favorably to Oshie.

I could have sworn you and I were pretty much saying the same thing. I said I agree with you that the GWG is not a meaningless stat, but that I also don't think Bucky's opinion was without merit. How is that arguing for arguing sake? How is that condescending? I think the only thing we slightly disagreed upon was the assist angle, but I certainly didn't think it was a contentious issue, nor disrespectful in the least? Now sprig has to pile on? What am I missing here? [sigh]

Thanks redwing

Of course it could and I wouldn't have a problem with anyone making that suggestion, even if I didn't agree. It's not as if you suggested there should be a BTHC or something ridiculous like that. However, to be sure any assist that was an actual assist was just as important as another vis a vis a goal being scored. If either pass doesn't connect that specific goal doesn't happen. Given that fact, how could one assist be more imporant than the other? But I think we can move past that now can't we? Yes I could, but I wouldn't because I have not said the GWG is a meaningless stat - only that I think Bucky's argument has merit. That's it - nothing more. I don't think it's an affront to the sanctity of the college hockey world to discuss the possibility that a GWG isn't automatically all that it's cracked up to be. Not to suggest it's meaningless, requires an asterisk, should not be kept nor shouldn't be applaued. That's it. Dear Parise. This is what I get for trying to engage you in an adult dialogue.

Bad analogy. If my pass to you doesn't connect, your pass to ___ doesn't connect and the goal doesn't happen. In the case of phantom 2nd assists, well a phantom assist wasn't all that important was it? And who suggested an asterisk be put on the stat? I just don't think there's anything that outrageous with Bucky's opinion. iow - there's two sides to the coin. I didn't suggest the stat should be tossed out nor ignored, only that he has a point.

You asked a dishonest question. You asked, "If I went over to gpl and somehow discredited or otherwise attempted to taint your golden boy..." - no one tried to taint Oshie, Bucky simply began a disalogue about the significance of the GWG stat. Can that topic not be discussed without childishly dragging this into another, "Sioux vs Gophers" argument? If buckysucks had asked the question without it having any relation to Oshie, would you have even given a rip? As for what would happen if you went to GPL to suggest that Carle should win the Hobey, plenty of non-Gopher posters have made that suggestion and plenty of Gopher fans have said Carle would be a very deserving winner of the award. I don't think anyone was cyber-lynched for it either.

If he actually tried to taint Oshie you might have a point, but he didn't. Who cares where the post was made? That you wouldn't make a false statement about Kessel at GPL just because it's a Gopher board is a flawed logic - why say something you know to be false just because you're surrounded by your own kind? The difference here is that Bucky didn't discredit Oshie nor "taint" him - he said the GWG stat is somewhat meaningless. That it happened to be on the heels of the stat being touted for Oshie may have been bad timing on his part, but he's also said ad nauseum Oshie is a great player. Is he lying on one point and not the other? Or is he sincere on both counts? All I got from this was that in Bucky's opinion, it's nothing more than a single stat that can be viewed on more than one level, but this same poster has gone out of his way to mention the fact he thinks quite highly of Oshie. Yet you act as if he shot your mother. Ok?

This is precisely why I said the stat isn't meaningless, only that rather it should be viewed with a grain of salt. Despite TRIOUXPER's fixation with arguing everything based upon provinciality, I'm not interested in discrediting the stat simply because a Sioux player leads the category. It's still a great accomplishment no matter what. That said, I'm going to stop right here. Unfortunately, some people are incapable of thinking outside the box when it comes to discussing their favorite team/players. Not saying, "___ is the greatest player since Tonky Hrkac" doesn't mean, "he sucks" - it's ok to view our favorite players/team as human. I don't care if a Gopher led the category, I'd have said the exact same thing. However, I do appreciate that you and PCM and few others appear to have accepted the fact I can post here just wishing to talk hockey, and not brag about the Gophers nor rip upon the Sioux.

There only appears to be one Gopher fan here even hinting that the stat is meaningless. More importantly, whomever leads the nation in the category is irrlevent and I wouldn't hesitate to point this out if Potulny led the nation in stat. Bucky has a slight point in that the stat itself doesn't necessarily tell the whole story - that's not to say it's meaningless nor does it take anything away from anything Oshie accomplished. Would it be so hard to admit the GWG of 6-1 game isn't as significant as the GWG in which the final score was 2-1?

I think it's wrong to say this particular stat is "meaningless", but perhaps it would be fair to say that it should be viewed with a, "grain of salt"? That said I think some of you are taking what bucky has said a bit too far. I didn't read anything by him that indicated he's discrediting anything Oshie has accomplished and in fact seems to have been quite complimentary of him. If you compare what he's said about Oshie versus Hab's continued bashing of Kessel, the two aren't even close.

The good news is it appears no one here has fallen for the trap from this letter writer. While imho he/she had good intentions, they didn't really provide good examples of hypocritical behavior by the Sioux players nor their fans. Nothing to be ashamed about there, Sioux fans. Well, outside of being Sioux fans.

Yup - that 1 loss in 22 games, improved defense, goaltending and even scoring depth should make the Gophers afraid of a team they've already gone 3-1 against so far. Very afraid.

muhahahahahaha!

Wow - some crazy WCHA results last night. Full moon or what?