redwing77

TH Claims a dive. Wish I could see it to confirm.

Wild and stupid at the same time. Emery and Biron.... Emery and PEters? Please. Out of control. The only thing that would have been better would have been if the coaches threw down.

I have to agree. Let's pretend UND is Erstad's first choice. UND doesn't offer him a scholarship, though. His close second choice, UW, offers him a scholarship. Even if this were the scenario, Erstad would STILL sign with UW. Scholarships are what makes the offer hard to pass up. The Capitol Times statement meant that, if UND would have offerred a scholarship, Erstad more than likely would have committed to UND. We did not, UW did. They got him, we didn't. That's all there is to it.

Probably more benefit of the doubt. If the coach likes him and recruits him, gives him a schollie, that's good enough for me. Perhaps there will be scouting reports that state what kind of player he is. I generally ignore anything and everything having to do with the NHL. The Sioux aren't in the NHL. I knew Duncan was a goal scorer when I saw him play for Shattuck at the Ralph. I knew Chorney and Toews were special because I saw them play as well. The CSS is a nice reference tool to see where the player is projected as a 17 year old to be worth by the NHL scouts, but it doesn't always indicate how good a player he will be in college.

My point is that "blue chip" is a label attached to players by fans of an organization desperate for talent. For example, Michigan always brings in an entire list of them. So does UW and UMN. Duncan was not a blue chipper. Nor was Lundbohm, JPar, Goehring, and yeah, even Oshie. Someone respond to this post saying that Oshie's draft position AT THE TIME HE WAS DRAFTED wasn't a surprise? Sorry, CSS didn't list Oshie as a "blue chipper." In fact, only a few thought of Oshie as even ready for DI hockey last year to begin with! CSS is a crock unless you are an NHL fan. If so, then go to the NHL fan boards or HFBoards and crow there.

And more than likely better acting ability.

As many that are qualified and earn them? I don't know if there are any limits other than financial on academic scholarships.

Jason was the Hockey Mom?

I think there was a good chance the puck would have ended up in the net anyways. The path of the puck was headed for Lundqvist's mask which would have deflected the puck back into the net. Who cares aways, a nice goal.

Really? I thought it was your life story? I guess I'll take it off my "to Watch" list.

Ok, somewhat of a tangent, but I am reading a book called "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson for my grad school class. The actual storyline isn't important to this post, but a minor event in the book surrounds the High School's athletic nickname. They start out as the Merriweather High School Trojans but end up changing the name because the community felt it promoted...you guessed it... an unsavory corporation that encourages sex.... Trojan condoms. They then change their name to the Tigers, where the Endangered Species Club at the High School protests enough to get the School Board to again change the nickname. They became the Wombats because no one is offended by a Wombat, most don't know what one is, and no one could prove they were endangered.

Don't know. David Toews has time on his side. You don't HAVE to commit to a school during your junior year. However, Riley Nash is still hanging around. I think the longer he waits the better it gets for Cornell. I'm not too dissappointed we didn't get Erstad. I'm sure he'll do well for Wisconsin, but we can't get everyone.

Again, I'll point out Duncan. Where was CSS on Duncan? Trupp is recovering from a serious injury (as far as hockey goes) and is about the size of Spirko. CSS isn't the determination of how good of a college player a player will be. It is a determination of where he stacks up in the up coming NHL draft. Carmen went in the 7th round and is doing alright for the Gophers. Bochenski went in the 7th round and he did somewhat ok ( ) for the Sioux. If you want to use CSS in this capacity though, that's alright. Then I can have an excuse for saying that Duncan, Spirko, Noterman, Spiewak, Bochenski, JPar, Lundbohm, and Goehring were all busts.

I watched the last 10 minutes of the first period, most of the 3rd period, all of the OT, and all of the shootout. However, I base my opinion of the Wild after more than just last night's game. To be fair, I knew the game was going to go to a shootout with 1:44 left in the 3rd period. What I wasn't expecting was a relatively exciting OT. The Wild actually took chances and opened up their game a little. It was exciting because that's not the usual Wild gameplan at all. If they played that way all the time, I bet I'd probably be more of a Wild fan. That and if their GM wasn't so fixated on potential and realized that potential and reality can be two different things. For example, Pascal Dupuis (Yeah, he's no longer on the Wild but stick with me) and Bouchard were almost prolific level scorers in Major Juniors. Potentially their game should translate well to the NHL game and they should score. However, is that true? Nope. Bouchard has carved a niche out on the Wild as a "playmaker" meaning a guy with speed who can pass to someone who can score. His finishing skills are only apparent on breakaways or shootouts or those rare times when the defense leaves him completely alone. Dupuis needs a few more seasons of what he's done thus far before I can officially call him a bust, but he's a good deal down that road. I'm not a Dallas fan either, to be honest. I hate boring teams period. The only reason why I cared enough about this game to tune in at all was more of a tribute to what Dallas once was===>The North Stars rather than anything really tangible. Their game is just as boring, so I agree with you. As for Reusse, he's so sensationalistic that whenever he actually makes a viable point it is immediately drowned out by it. That being said, the Wild have the best chance of making something of themselves other than the Twins. The Twins have proved themselves and, though they are not exempt from criticism, they hold more respect in my eyes than any other pro Minnesota team. The Wild are on the cusp and what would put them over the top are two things; 1. Scoring talent. More than just Demitra and Rolston. More than just mediocre middleoftheroad scorers like Parrish. I'm talking about dynamic scoring talent. 2. A different game plan. One where more risks are taken in the offensive zone. Where they do everything possible in the offensive zone to score a goal and let everything else fall into place. The Wild can do that, in my opinion, because their goaltending and their defense are solid. They don't. 39 shots on goal is meaningless. Outside of OT and the shootout, the saves I saw Turco made were about 98% of the "So easy I could make them" variety. I only saw 2 real solid scoring chances in the 3rd against Turco. Both, coincidentally, were missed by Rolston (who, by the way, is the Wild's best player. Sorry Glass Joe Gaborik). I don't like how the Wild are run. I don't like their offensive schemes. I don't like how they approach free agency and the draft. Other than that, they're fine.

Clouding the issue with facts... doesn't do this argument very good.

I do? I will say this: Lemaire knows how to put a defensive unit on the ice. I wouldn't want much to do with Minnesota's defense or goaltending for that matter. That being said, eliminate Rolston and Gaborik and you've eliminated 80% of the Wild's offense. Demitra has done ok, he probably accounts for 8% of the remaining 20%. And if demanding results with their defense only puts them in the 8th slot for the playoffs, what kind of results is LeMaire pushing? Seriously, a great defense is essential for a championship run, sure, but you have to score goals in order to win. It seems like LeMaire's game plan is to bore everyone (fans and opposing players alike) to complacency to get to OT and try to sneak one past the goaltender then and, if not, try to win in a shootout, where players like Bouchard are lethal (no defensemen to nullify them). Put an offensively sound team on the ice against the Wild that can play decent defense themselves, and the Wild are toast. I hate the Wild's style of hockey. And I was furious that Dallas lost last night. Backstrom is a good goaltender, that's for sure, but I hate it when boring teams win.

True, but Chicago's GM isn't the only one out there with that kind of stupidity. There are less of them now, but they are still out there. Boston's old GM O'Connell would have been a good example. Besides, I can't imagine Bochenski making it on the Wild either. He's too offensively minded. In the offensive zone, he'd lose his defensive responsibility which means LeMaire would probably bench him.

Wasn't Hakstol principal recruiter for most of the defense? Like Smaby, Greene, Jones, etc? Still, players holding teammates back... wow. I'd love to see the proof on that one.

Fire his arse! With the talent he has the Sioux should be undefeated!

Good point.

Trupp is a goal scorer but isn't viewed as a game changer.... you know? THat seems familiar to me... where have I heard that before? Oh yeah.. Ryan Duncan. I don't think I need to say more.

Yeah, but you can't get them all. Chuck or anyone in the know: I'd love to ask the question: "Regardless of where they commit or have committed, who has a bigger upside: Erstad or Nash?" but is a comparison even possible? One plays in juniors, the other not. One plays in the US, the other does not. One plays more games the other does not... Hard to say.

The nice thing is that we won't be hurting for offense as badly as UW will despite losing Toews and probably Oshie.

No, I don't doubt you there, however Don Adam has just enough disregard for the players' safety to allow something like this with the minimum of retribution. I don't think it matters to me who UND is facing. When Don Adam is on the ice, I'm afraid for the players.

I wish I was as confident as you are. I see us going 2-2 the rest of the regular season. How that plays out in the PWR is unknown to me. I don't understand PWR at all. I just want us to make the field of 16. I think we are good enough to win the first round and after that, we'll see where we go.