redwing77

That's the other problem.

And we're not in a position to be able to drop games.

Period 1 is mercily over. Let's take the intermission to rip into the boys and come out with an attitude of a ranked team playing an unranked team: Let's score goals and win the game.

Last year UAA had a better team. This year, they aren't doing what got them where they were last year. Lawson is good but UAA is beatable this year.

Icing on the PP. Wow. Let's wake up! We're down 2-0 and we're not doing much to change this.

We're waking up!!!! UAA penalty. Let's make this PP look like a PP!

Sorry, but this is just flat out pathetic. You don't get schooled by a 9th place team like this. This should be a blow out.

Passing anyone? Anyone?

We're doing nothing on the PP right now. Killed off. PP ineffective. Wow. What's the deal?

All UAA right now. Wow, a penalty on UAA! NOW is the chance we have to start pushing to score a goal. It would be really a pivotal thing. Start playing with desperation as UAA has nothing to lose and we are playing to lose right now.

Right now the 9th place team isn't wearing a Seawolves jersey as far as game play is concerned.

2-0 UAA. WOW. WAKEY WAKEY SIOUX!!!!!!

Good penalty kill. Now let's do a good 5 on 5. We're going to have to pepper now. Pepper the net look for a rebound.

I love our discipline! Lets go Sioux! DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE Can't do it? DON"T STEP ONTO THE ICE!!!!

Not to mention hideous and unsightly. The car gives an image of the name that brings a bad taste to my mouth... tastes like vomit.

Precisely what I was trying to say. Thanks.

Maybe. sagard has been complimentary of the Sioux players all year long though... So I'd say he doesn't count. You know, sagard's a closet Sioux fan anyways. (I bring it up a lot because you know it is true, sagard)

Actually.. (I know I'm going to get flamed for this) but NDSU's strength as an academic institution is in agriculture and engineering whereas UND's specialties are in law, medicine, aviation, and business. Both schools have been trying to better themselves in the areas in which the other competes so well. I believe NDSU has been making strides to improve their Business department while UND has done will to improve their engineering department. NDSU isn't going to get into law or medicine just like UND isn't going to get into ag. If Gratzek chose NDSU for engineering, so be it. Better that than have him choose NDSU to hit the books in an area considered UND's strength.

True enough. Editted accordingly.

Not to be a pessimist here, don't you feel like the NCAA is only doing this to prevent a lawsuit that they won't win? If the NCAA denies the second appeal (which they will, trust me) in January or even February it puts UND's hockey team in a precarious position and could put undue hardship (though I may not be able to envision exactly what that would entail, attorneys would) on the University, the University sues and gets a sympathetic ruling. This way, the NCAA can claim it took extra time in the effort to put good faith into the decision before finally shooting down the appeal. The delay is just a joke as far as the appeal is concerned. They are just trying to get as much of the major sports tourneys out of the way before hitting us again.

There is one thing the WJC participants have in their favor going into this series: No jet lag. They are already acclimated to the time zone and, in that respect, may not be so encumbered. In my opinion, I agree. Give Oshie the weekend off. He worked hard and got dinged up. We don't need another Brady Murray-esque situation. As for the rest, I say let them play. Lee and Chorney will be chomping at the bit to be back with a team that is in contention (yeah, another bite at Team USA) and they are workhorse type players. Toews.... let that be a gametime decision on Friday, he plays on Saturday. My two cents.

You are right about two things: 1. St. Louis is a terrible team this year. 2. They will try to remedy this through the free agent and trade markets during the off season. The one thing you omit? St. Louis doesn't put a lot of faith in players that go the college route (This has been alterred from the last post. I will also add that they did find enough interest to draft TJ in the first round and refute Canuck's pending claim that there is some sort of conspiracy against collegiate players in the NHL or St. Louis for that matter. St. Louis, historically, has seemed to prefer Major Junior players). This will work in Oshie's favor... maybe. They could simply forget about him and let him progress... or they could trade him and then we have to deal with what that team wishes. Ok, I should have stated that I am NOT a fan of St. Louis... I really like our crew to the WJCs but it appears as though Oshie was right. Too few came with the willingness to play a role outside of what they feel they are. They weren't teammates at all and they are taking the reward of such an attitude with them home. Or do they not get a participation ribbon/certificate? I know this is a harsh generalization, but a team that doesn't play like a team still ends up losing as a team. Some players played as hard as they could. Some may have even tried to play the role the Coach asked of them, but those who did not let the rest of them down. I also think that this was Kyle's shortcoming as a coach. I hate to beat a dead horse here, but Herb Brooks did mainly two things with the 1980 Olympic team: 1. Selected the best players that would fit together in a team mold and 2. Taught them to play like a team. He didn't teach the sport of hockey. Those players knew how to play. He didn't teach fancy play either. He didn't teach a difficult system. The only system he taught seemed to be conditioning related and teamwork related. Gosh, look at his results. Maybe that's what Kyle failed in if he tried to do that at all? So yeah, in this case, the players failed to play like a team and Kyle failed to coach the team in a way that promotes teamwork. This team was a DEEP team in which players who made the team before were sent home (Pineault the most notable example). I think the results speak for themselves on this one. They should feel ashamed because, in the scope of a medalled tournament, Team USA ends the tourney on the same level as Norway: No medals and meaningless (if any at all in the case of Norway) victories along the way. They got NOTHING. I feel bad for Oshie who tried his damndest to win as well as Lee and Chorney who tried their damndest to play good D and all they got out of it was nothing. Oshie got injured out of the deal as well. Good work. This Team USA fan was optimistic to start out but now... this is shameful.

Well, I have a different perspective. Booing aside, what was there to cheer about with this Team USA team? How many times have we heard that the US was going to medal? Many said we'd win gold! I'm sorry, but when we go to a competition like that as favorites and fail to even win bronze we don't deserve cheers. We look like fools and makes our Gold medal 2 years ago look like a fluke. Take the Canadian fans for what they are worth, I'm more disappointed that Team USA didn't come to play than I am about who Canada roots for in any given situation. Team USA: What a joke.

I'm going to run down things I've heard here and elsewhere and let's see how much is agreed and disagreed upon. 1. No chemistry 2. Kyle didn't adequately use his defensemen (EJ and JJ being on the ice too much, others who may have helped them stay fresh too little). 3. Kyle didn't adequately use all of his forwards. Playing one or two lines most of the time and the other lines barely at all. 4. Goaltending was a weakness -- Though I'm not so sure... 5. Selfish play -- Again, not sure about this. Selfish play and getting it done is one thing. Selfish play and not getting it done is another. I guess the term used earlier in this thread is "agenda" My take on things? I'm not too impressed with Kyle as a coach. He has one of the best rosters in the WJC tourney and all he basically had to do is ensure that he balanced and rolled the lines adequately and build chemistry. The rest is just reminding the basics of the tourney game and learning which players play better together.