SiouxScore

That is what I picked before the series started. I would guess they lose a close one in game 3 and win game 4 to send it back to Chicago and then the Hawks finish it in 5 there. The problem for the Wild was really their horrible play down the stretch of the regular season which caused them to have to face the Hawks. When I saw they would be stuck with the Hawks I was just hoping they would be competitive but if they would have been the 6 or 7 seed and faced Anaheim or Vancouver I would have felt much better about their chances of winning the 1st round series.

This will be a big loss for St.Cloud, I thought he was their best player for most of the season.

Maybe Norman will decide to go to Minnesota but I believe his dad did play at UND so I would think we would have a decent shot at him but who knows.

No, somebody said they heard he would be but somebody has also said they heard he would be coming to UND but all are just rumors and speculation to this point. I do think he will end up at 1 of the 2 though and would guess we will get an official announcement in the next week or 2 now that the U-18 tournament is over.

I think if we get Ausmus we will see a D core of Simpson, Mattson, Panzerella, Schmaltz, LaDue, Ausmus, Thompson, and then maybe Stecher or maybe we would just go with 7 for next year.

Since the U-18 tournament ended today I would guess we will get official word on where Ausmus will be going sometime in the next 2 weeks and I have said all along that I would guess it will either be UND or Duluth and I still feel that it could be either place.

I'm a Hawks and Wild fan so I guess either way I'll have a team moving on. I see it as a 4-1 maybe 4-2 series for the Hawks, I think the Wild needs to improve the defensemen other than Suter and Brodin and also needs an upgrade in the net to become a real cup contender.

Wild better hope they win tonight and some other things happen to get them up to the #7 seed because if they just sneak in and face the Blackhawks in the 1st round it will be a real quick apperance for them.

I don't look at this as a big deal and think some people are making too much out of it. I do agree that these guys have a target on their back and are under more of a microscope than anyone else in the town. I wouldn't be suprised if younger cops may see it as a feather in their hat kind of thing to have this happen but I also believe this could go the other way at times and players may see some preferential treatment from other authority figure at times. I do agree that this is a bit of bad luck and something that happens all the time and it is just a matter getting caught but they will definitely be under a microscope going forward and have to be smart.

I don't like to see this kind of thing anytime but I'm not going to make a huge deal out of it either.

Would guess he will eventually get an offer from Minnesota and if that happens I'm pretty sure that is where he would end up.

I believe Wilkie has visited Minnesota a couple times and talked to coaches and I also read an interview with him where he said he attended every Gopher home game, so I would guess if the Gophers offer he is their's.

Agreed and I would guess he ends up a Gopher.

I actually thought he got better as the season went on after a tough start to the year and thought he was pretty solid throughout the playoffs.

I think the freshmen will need a little time to adjust to the college game and this will probably make our defense a little bit of a question mark the 1st half of the season but during the 2nd half of the season I would expect the defense to be pretty good. I think we will have a less physical group of defensemen but also a better skating and quicker group of defensemen that by the end of the season could be one of the better groups of defensemen especially if we are able to add Ausmus. I would also expect Schmaltz to take a big step forward next season as well and a great season from Simpson too.

I don't think Ausmus is really a physical presence but more of a smooth skating and very positionally and fundamentally sound defenseman, he is about 6'1" 190lbs.

I would say immediate impact would probably go to LaDue but if I was picking for the long term and factoring in potential I would pick Ausmus or Thompson.

Ausmus is currently playing in Russia I believe as well so if he has come to the decison to attend UND already that could be one reason that it would not actually be announced for a couple weeks.

I thought Stecher was coming in for sure next season but if that hasn't been decided yet and maybe he would play another year in juniors it certainly makes me think a little more that they may be trying to bring in Ausmus. Wouldn't be suprised to see someone like Sanderson, Senkbeil, or someone like that leave and I really wouldn't blame them for wanting a chance to see the ice some more. The 3rd goalie situation is kind of intriguing because you could opt for the guy who is basically gonna be a practice goalie for his career or with Saunders graduating next season you could bring a guy in who can compete for playing time right away and opt for more the practice goalie route the next season. Everything I have heard is that Ausmus will likely end up at UND or UMD, another couple guys who could be looking for a new place to play with the Ohio State firing are Zach Stepan who would be a great forward to pick up for next year although I don't know if we really have any room and the other guy is Jack Dougherety who is a few years away but a pretty good defenseman and I would guess a big reason he decided on Ohio State would have to do with Osiecki.

From what I have read and heard Minnesota didn't want any of what they are calling secondary outdoor games and only really wanted an outdoor game if it is the Winter Classic so with Toronto and Detroit already having it for next season they decided to just wait for the 2015 Winter Classic and it really sounds like they expect to get it.

It sounds like that was part of the reason Osiecki was fired, sounds like he thought the program needed updates and more to be more successful and the AD wasn't to swift on making that happen. If I was Gwoz I would be very cautious about taking the Ohio State job, remember this season they were kicked out of their own building by high school activities when they should have been hosting a playoff series there.

Stepan would be very good if he opts to re-open, another one to watch is D Jack Dougherty (2014 or 2015?) of St.Thomas as I believe he was a recent OSU commit and I think he had already visited UND.

A lot of times coaches will have guys they are actively recruiting fill this out so they can just store all their information from it easily, although anyone can really fill these out most of the time coaches only look at this for guys they have told to fill it out and guys they have been scouting before.

Looks like another DU player is leaving early Chris Peters‏@chrismpeters19m Per @MChambersDP, Denver's Nick Shore is expected to sign with LA, forgoing his senior year as the post-Gwozdecky exodus continues.

Very interested to see if this move leaves Gwoz as the favorite to take over at Maine.