redwing77

Ssshh!! Portage, Manitoba has been secretly attempting to seceed from Canada and join North Dakota in the US!

I think Philly came out on top in that move. Carter was meh last year. Richards was good, but replaceable. As for Bryzgalov, who else was out there? They could have traded Richards for a #1 goaltender I suppose but who would be willing to do so? I know hindsight was 20/20 but... Boston wanted to trade Thomas before this last season began. I know there was no way of knowing that he'd play as well as he did this year, but... if Philly wanted a tried and decent #1, that was probably the best option they had other than Antti Niemi... and even he has (still has) question marks. Great goaltending is hard to come by. Bryzgalov has talent. He has shown an upward trend in play in recent years. And you cannot look me straight in the eyes and tell me that Bryzgalov is a step down from Boucher, Bobabobsky (whoever), and Leighton (and whoever else). In any case, they've at least addressed their concerns in some manner. Now they need to address their jerseys. It looks as though they simply taped their names on the back of their jerseys so if they get rid of a player they can simply peel off the tape, wash, and reuse. Talk about cheap.

I think this is the part where Hockey Canada and USA Hockey fans can really get together and unite in solidarity. Bettman is the suck. I boo him every time his image shows up anywhere.

True, but that goes against Hak's tendencies. He's (like Blais before him) seemed to favor 4 forwards and 1 D on the power play. It would not surprise me to see Kristo at the point of the power play for the entire year. As for who is going to step in for Genoway... I'm not sure. I see Gleason as a Marto-type player. Gleason makes the most sense. Our D seem to be favoring size next year and, although there are certainly puck movers among them, I don't see the kind of agility and speed that Genoway had among those that are coming back or coming in. As I see it: Panzarella, Hill, and Senkbiel are all limited time players who seem to me (from only what I've read and not any real evidence) to be stay at home/physical types. Hill might have a more offensive upside if you consider he's listed as a forward/d on the roster. I don't see them getting much time next year... Though I do like their size. Nick Mattson is the only incoming freshman D that I feel will be a regular on the blueline in 2011. He seems to be a decent puck moving defenseman. He had 30 assists and 6 goals last season. However, what I've read doesn't strike me as the Genoway type. The end all statement is: We'll have to wait and see. UND has had defenses that seemed solid defensively and seemingly powerless offensively on paper in the past and it turned out ok or better. I'm not suggesting that there's no offensive upside on the blueline either. I just don't see the dynamic offensive potential just yet. Anyways, that's my 2 cents.

If it was Pierre McGuire, he's apparently now on the payroll of Hockey Canada despite now working for NBC. So,, Pierre McGuire is of the same mindset as Bruce Sutter in that the only types of players that go the NCAA route are the "pleasant surprises" at the NHL level. His opinions should be taken with a grain of salt. But that's no surprise. He's one of the commentators that instantly pop a stiffie every time Sidney Crosby gets within 2 square miles of his location.

I'd read somewhere that JT Miller was committed to UND for 1 year and then he'd reevaluate. This kid could be another Adam Pineault. I hope not but if I were Hakstol, I'd have a contingency lined up just in case.

Perhaps Goon is suggesting that Grimaldi will tear it up so good in the WCHA that he'll be gone in 2?

I predict Tressel does the only thing left for him to do: He becomes a coach with Seattle. Cheat Carroll likes his kind of thinking.

And if they get goaltending, they'll be great. I heard they signed this DePietro guy to a big contract. Isn't he like.... awesome or something? Look. The Islanders have pretty good talent up front but... they're defensively meh at best and their goaltending.... Dear Lord.. Al Montoya/Kevin Poulin/heck even former UAA goaltender Nathan Lawson saw time. I like the Oilers goaltending more than these guys. I don't buy the cliche that defense wins you championships (defense doesn't score goals. It just prevents games from being high scoring), but I do buy that balanced teams make championship teams. That balance comes from consistency in all areas (D, F, Goaltending), a good mix of effective veterans and up and coming youth, solid offense, solid defense, and timely and solid goaltending. Look, JS Giguere isn't the best goaltender, even when he won it all. He was just good at the right times that year and the team in front of him did the rest. Same with the 95 Devils, the 2004 Lightning, and countless others I'm sure. The Islanders aren't the Oilers, but they're not 1-2 years away from anything but mediocrity. They're improving, yes, but they're going to have to get more key elements before they can do anything meaningful.

I dunno. Original Six vs. the Original Six wannabes? The Boston Team vs. the Diving Queens? The Bru crew vs the Look at Me We're also a Canadian Hockey Team! It's really sad. Hockey was invented in Canada but there really isn't any likeable Canadian franchises. Maybe Calgary, but I could never stand the Sutters (though I think they're gone now). Ottawa is just a punch line fighting with the Maple Leafs for that honor. The Canadians have the history but they are more arrogant than the Canucks... then again, I get the feeling that Quebec is more arrogant than all of the other Canadian provinces put together... or am I mistaking it as a superiority complex? And the Canucks who, if they played the game right, stopped whining and stopped diving, they'd probably be hands down the best Canadian team out there. Oh well. I feel bad that TB had to play Boston. I'd've loved to see TB vs. Boston as the Stanley Cup finals. TB had a great story to tell this year. Go Boston for the Cup! I know. I can't believe I'm saying it too but better Boston than Vancouver.

I'm with Wilbur overall. I don't think Rowney will be an offensive force compared to Rodwell overall. Rowney is a gritty forward with some offensive tendencies.... Hmmm... Like a Rory McMahon?

Hill is a defenseman. Although I like Dickin, I think Parks will replace him in the lineup MOST nights, though not all. I'd also put Lammy on the third line center. I know that moves Rowney to the fourth line, but... I think experience on the fourth line would be good... assuming Rowney does in fact continue at Center. If he played wing, I'd love to see a Rowney-Lammy-St. Clair/Rodwell line. ------ Here's my thoughts on Rowney vs. Rodwell. I think Rowney, at this time, is more polished giving him a more favorable impression regarding his offensive abilities. So, in the short term, yeah, I can see Rowney being more valuable than Rodwell on offensive lines. However, Rodwell is a big guy with something few big guys really possess: Explosive speed. He's no Watkins or Kristo or whomever, but for a BIG guy, he's very fast and explosive in getting from a stop to full speed. Rodwell, like Nelson, could really use filling out in the frame as, again like Nelson, they seem to be too easily taken off the puck for guys their size. So, right away, Rowney gets the nod offensively but by January, I suspect Rodwell will the one people are talking about in comparison (assuming no sophomore slump for Rodwell and both Rodwell and Rowney remain healthy).

Probably a combination of the two?

Please! If the Penguins and/or Caps aren't playing, then the Stanley Cup champions from last year should be filling in the gaps. If neither of the 3 teams are playing, then show reruns or some lame outdoor show. Heh... I sound like an NHL Network exec!

In other news, Bettman staunchly denies that he's brain dead. This move was PURELY financial. Otherwise, they'd've taken a deal that would have taken the NHL to ESPN and ramped up games on the NHL Network. ESPN is in the same parent organization as ABC so they could air on that channel as well. Probably not as financially lucrative but it is about 1 billion times better due to viewership. True, ESPN cares as much about hockey as most car collectors care about rust on the bumper of their pristine 1959 Corvette Hardtop convertible, but the viewership info doesn't lie. Curiosity overwhelms me.... comparing the viewership of ESPN2 to Versus....If hockey ran only on ESPN2, would they still reach more homes than Versus?

Bruneteau's rights are no longer considered property of the Capitols. I can't find any indication as to why they dropped the rights, but I do know that Bruneteau is now a free agent as far as that is concerned. As for our forward situation... Wow. I can't see Rowney sitting a lot. He has a lot of grit. I think he'll be a regular on the 3rd line. I'm going to go with the optimist approach and say that Cichy will start the year as a starter on the 4th line.

There is a 90.6% chance you are correct.

I think McKinnon will be in the Q. I also think he'll commit to an NCAA school to pressure the #1 picking team to trade his rights to a team that is more appealing to play for. Not the first to do this and not the last. Oh, and the source that told me this also said that my lottery numbers I just picked out would win if I wasn't so darned cheap and would actually buy the tickets. (to explain to some of those who can't see my sarcasm... I have no sources on this one. It's my opinion. )

Goon won't like how the Bruins are playing right now. An amazing amount of unforced errors tonight on top of a great performance by Price and the Bruins are down a game.

Dunno, but I'd be shocked if you didn't win regardless. Congrats, luap.

Maybe someone needs to tell the MTU AD that hiring a coach that can guarantee you last place isn't a good thing. Why? 1. Unlike professional sports, finishing dead last doesn't get you the first pick of the following year's crop of players. 2. Just because this would guarantee the team something doesn't mean that the guarantee is worth having. On the other side of the coin: Every Minnesota fan is secretly going "DO IT, MTU! DO IT!" For what it is worth, if MTU doesn't go after Mel Pearson again, they're stupid.

I've been wracking my brain as to why we lost and then it hit me: Sometimes you just do. You can't help it. You're powerless to stop it. So, since the world is spiraling down the toilet and negativity is the attitude du jour, why stop it? Because then all we are is reflected by a bad attitude. It's too easy to see the negative, to point a finger at Hakstol or whomever you dislike. In my mind, the outcome wasn't good, but the season wasn't bad either. We were an exciting team to watch. I still maintain the most fun games to watch were games where UND were on the ice. We are almost always perennial contenders. And sooner or later we'll win it all.

That was my biggest complaint on Nelson as well. The guy has a big frame but no meat to it. The guy was getting pushed around a bit. For a guy who's over 6'2, that's not good. If Nelson fills out his frame and strengthens up, it will be harder for him to find himself in the situations that got him injured this season.

In case anyone is keeping track... Jordan Schmaltz has one the Week 27 USHL Defensive Player of the Week. Oh, and it's his 3rd CONSECUTIVE honor. This kid seems to be pretty good.

I agree, but you forget something. Davidson's SIZE will get him a good look. He will take a good while to jump to the NHL, if he does at all, but he'll definitely get serious offers from the AHL. The ECHL may already be lining up.