redwing77

I know.... It's just hard to look to next season when this was the last full season for me in GF. I really wanted them to win it all.

Interesting to note that the scapegoat will surely be JPar whose NCAA Tourney career starts with a 1-1 record 1 GA 2 Games. I didn't get to see any of the game. I don't know if I could handle the trolling on this site, let alone USCHO. Hey, for those who complained about Maine making Sportscenter and not the western teams, 10:1 odds this game makes it. No one cares when UND is #1 but everyone cares when they lose.

I really felt bad for Quesada. You come all that way only to have to leave the game due to illness. I mean, after he vomitted, every time he made a play I was just waiting for him to pass out. He looked AWFUL whenever his face was shown on camera. Devotion is one thing. My friend and I concluded that if he wasn't taken out of the game, he'd be stretchered out of the game. It's a tough way to leave, but he did a good job. His backup wasn't that bad either. As for the Sioux' performance, what do you expect? We come out flying high, hard, and swift on the #16 seed? I think we played it pretty well today. Save as much energy and expend only enough to get the job done. Tommorrow's (or today's since it is past midnight) is much more important than today's game. Lately we haven't been doing well on Saturdays.

After today's game vs Harvard, I am not convinced they are NC material. They struggled with a Harvard team that was good, but not that big of a challenge for a team like Maine to overcome and they very nearly lost (DANG IT! An upset would have ROCKED!). Wisconsin beats Maine and Bob Norton goes home crying!

Listening to Maine's but I'm debating switching over. I'll probably do a period for Maine and a period for Harvard. Not sure which crew is better yet (it's intermission currently).

Impossible. Jimmy Howard is the best goaltender in the NCAAs. You can't beat him! I think it was the ref's fault!

Maybe, maybe not. Mankato and MTU have looked pretty "strong" on the "flopometer" so they may fall, but I don't think they'll fall that far. It REALLY depends upon who is taking over in goal. I thought they got the interest of one of the top goaltenders in one of the canadian junior A teams... AJHL or BCHL. Could be wrong.

I wouldn't be so fast to call beg2differ a troll over this. If he came on and started a thread simply saying "ZPar is gone after this season, so you can start crying and whining now" I'd be in agreement. He stated a USA Today blurb. I don't hold USA Today as the most credible newspaper out there, but still, it was a post about ZPar and it does show an attitude some in the hockey world have regarding ZPar. Leave the needless trolling to Back2Back.

So far, the biggest losers are UAA and UMass (counting both senior departures and early departures)

Like what PCM says, I am not concerned about this as far as tonight's game. Saturday's game might be more of a nail biter, but it may turn out ok as well. If you are wondering, Lee Marvin will most likely take one of the spots.

As far as strongest conferences overall, I'd rate them: 1. WCHA 2. HEA (grr) 3. CCHA 4. ECAC 5. CHA 6. AHA ECAC and the CHA would be closer to each other if there was one other program in the CHA at the level of Bemidji State. ECAC has Harvard, Cornell, and a few others that show greatness a lot more frequently than other CHA teams. AHA is alone at the bottom. Just out of curiosity, is there any team in the CHA or AHA that boast an NHL draftee on their roster? I know that this doesn't always determine the better player, but it does show how effective their recruiting is.

They also call a LOT more diving penalties. So, Jordan better watch out

Foyt, from indications, didn't make the trip. Marvin did though, so perhaps he'll be playing versus HC. Yes, HC is getting a lot of press, but I discount it to them making the tourney for the first time. They are not a big school (enrollement around 2500 + or - 200 according to USCHO) so the eastern bias thing doesn't really work. What it amounts to is a Cinderella story. Nothing boosts ratings better than negative occurances in this world, but Cinderella stories are a close second. That being said, 5-1 Sioux as they try to hold things back to save some energy for Saturday's game.

Agreed. THere is nothing better than watching ESPN hemm and haw because the team they chose to win didn't. They then have to reevaluate on the fly to find out more information on those unknown western teams and somehow say that they had an advantage all along. It's amusing to watch.

Yeah. Breezer, BLizzard, the white bear on skates. I feel bad for the person whose job it is to be Breezer. I guess a buck is a buck, but you couldn't pay me enough to do that.

Actually, Hockey East is the only conference that gets any media attention due to location. You are right. It is a popularity contest. Which means that Bochenski has no chance because he's just some dude out west. Parise is only in the running because of this WJC performance. Saviano will probably get it if he is one of the three finalists because he's the only player from the east that those people have heard of. It's hard to be the most popular guy if no one sees you play regardless of how good you are. So, I see your point in that regard. However, Lessard was a nobody just like Saviano and he came out of no where to lead the league. Saviano's penalty minutes (or lack thereof) is remarkable, true, but if we took away location and ratings, the award would have to go to Parise or Lessard.

Blizzard is that white bear mascot that was seen skating around. It's a promotional thing for the World Juniors. If you ask me, it was a waste of money.

I stand corrected. I didn't see the NC predictions. Albright is still exact, with the exception it will be UND over Michigan

Interesting. The exact same thing could be said for Lessard of tUMD. The only difference is that /WCHA IS A BETTER CONFERENCE THAN HEA/. ZPar to win the Hobey, but if not a Sioux, it damn well better be Lessard.

David ALbright matches my predictions.

I disagree about the UNH vs Michigan. Michigan should beat UNH. UNH making the finals last year was a fluke. Their performance in the NC game was proof. No NC game should be a rout that embarrassing. Michigan is tried and true, have MUCH better goaltending than UNH, and have a great coach. Some of you might recall that both Howard and Montoya were selected for the WJC tourney. Howard didn't go due to injury, but if memory serves, that only opened the BACKUP goaltender slot. Kinda tells you who may be the better Tourney goaltender. Michigan vs Maine in the FF semifinal. Michigan wins. UND over Michigan for #8

What do you and PCM have against Providence College? I agree, their goaltender is pretty good, but look at the quality of opponents Holy Cross has. I mean, just take them in conference and you have a weak schedule. I don't see a single AHA team that could beat the top 4 teams in the WCHA. Even in the CHA it takes an extraordinary amount of luck to do the same (BSU winning over tUMD ). Put UND in the AHA or CHA and Brandt has a .950 Save%

According to the GF Herald, Friday's game will be televised. If the Sioux win, Saturday's game will also be televised. That being said, if either Gopher game conflict with the Sioux game, chances are no, the Gophers will not be televised on Midco.