redwing77

You all are overlooking one vital component here: Who is "Childress' boy?" TJack, that's who. Did Childress get another year? Yeah, because a win is a win is a win and the Vikings had a winning season. Do I expect the QB situation to improve? No. Why? Because Childress is too stubborn to admit that he drafted a QB that, at best, was a project and should not have been drafted in the first 7 rounds. He is NOT an NFL QB. The unfortunate thing is that there is no developmental league anymore. If there was, the first thing I'd've done was to send TJack to NFL Europe. The Vikings D was pretty good. The Vikings O was pretty awful with a few glimmers here and there. A career season by Shancoe (The Vikes will resign him but he won't approach this year's totals, you just wait). Adrian Pederson looked good despite the fumble problems. Berrian was their #1 WR but was called into return duties. That's how you know your special teams suck. Most teams have #2 or #3 guys (if that) returning kicks because, if they go down to injury, it will limit the effect on the offense. The biggest problem is that the Vikings placed them outside of getting any of the top performers they really need. They will need to pick some hidden gems in the draft...something, quite frankly, Childress has no idea how to do. It's too bad Parcells won't leave Miami. If he would, I'd hire him right now to be the GM's consultant if not the coach. Get someone who has in the past had some ability to see talent. I'd ditch TJack and sign a youngish backup like David Carr if the Giants let him go. Then you take a chance and try to get a guy like Colt McCoy or Chase Daniels. Daniels had an atrocious game against Northwestern and that might lower him in the draft enough to get him into a Viking jersey. Sam Bradford won't be around. Tim Tebow would be worth a late 3rd or 4th round pick tops. If he falls into the 6th round, take him. But they need a speedster like Maclin and a QB like Bradford (whom they won't get either of them). Who knows what the Vikings will get. I wouldn't expect much this offseason as far as QB is concerned. If Childress remains, he'll again try to use "his boy" TJack.

I'm going to be an optimist and state that officiating isn't going to win or lose games for either team. However, if we get in penalty trouble, I'm sure the Gophers will make us think so. There will be blown calls and noncalls on both sides. Why? Human error will be part of it, but the subpar officiating the WCHA endorses will also factor in. However, good teams overcome. I don't expect much from any team any year. There are too many variables and unknowns. Unforseen things happen. Last year, I did not see MTU (might have been 2 years ago) or MSUM being as good as they were. I didn't see MSU winning it all. I don't think anyone foresaw Air Force giving teams a hard time or Holy Cross beating Minnesota. All I ask for in this series is a well fought, solidly played pair of games. I'd love silver linings. That's all.

Hextall is another one who crashes the net. Actually, I'm fairly sure 90% (or more) of his goals this year are from him either crashing the net or parking himself in front of it.

I'm not. Miami is a cupcake. I still maintain that the CCHA is made up of really 2 teams: Michigan and (as of late) Notre Dame. Occasionally MSU will show up, but really.... the rest are just flux contenders and no real threat on a national level (sad thing to say considering there are NC winners among them in LSSU, NMU, and BGSU... pretty sure they've won at least one NC each in the past)

Interesting. I'm more concerned about the fact that our offense is darn near non-existance. Remember, the most likely scenario for both games has the Gophers scoring AT LEAST 2 goals per game. We seem to fight to score more than 2 at any given time. I don't know what is going to happen. It all depends upon whether or not we show up offensively. OH, and a relevant game note: At one point in the 2nd period (IIRC) there was a 3 on 1 for the Sioux. We passed the puck so many times it allowed the d to get back and NO SHOT was ever attempted. TH said "one too many passes." Well, if we try to get cute like that, we WILL lose. We need to get ugly, quite frankly. Get goals every which way we can legally. Throw the puck at the net and crash the net. We all know well that the Gophers do and will send players at the net. We need to do that too.

Commie also got a goal in a losing effort.

Who was the first team goaltender that year?

I have no problem with Lucic because he can do something more than just fight. I wish his name didn't grate on my nerves though. As for Boogaard's complaints, well, in my system he wouldn't even be in the NHL so take it for what you will.

Miller as a forward again... I hate to say this, but.... I like him better on the blue line. He's a good combination with Genoway despite not being paired with him. Why? That puts two D-men out there that aren't afraid to shoot the puck. LaPoint has a decent shot but he's a lot like Lee in that he doesn't nearly utilize it enough. Finley, Jones, Fienhage and Blood (for what little we've seen them) are mainly defensive defensemen. Marto... I don't get Marto. The offensive side of his game that I listened to (I never saw him play in juniors or in high school, but I did listen to games he played in on the radio) hasn't seemed to translate to DI yet. And I didn't really see him as a stay at home type of d-man. I think maybe Hak should do the experiment thing with Marto and move him to forward and Miller back to defense if he wants to keep Marto in the lineup. I'd like to see Toews in the lineup tomorrow too... Maybe sit Blood or even Marto, move Miller back to the blue line, and put Toews in then?

I agree with this. My primary assertion, though, is that I'd love for the NHL to somehow make it very difficult for NHL teams to carry a player on their playing roster whose sole talent is fighting. Of course, that would put Boogaard out of a job too... but I think it would add to the game without eliminating fighting.

I think you need to do penance. Why? Because, remember how the "Our Hrkac" starts: Our Hrkac, who art in Heaven... Uh... Tony's still alive and well.

If where they are from is any indicator at all on future commitments, then I'd guess Nick Shore is choosing between CC and DU. I'd love to land Etem, though. Anyone know anything about Tinordi or Balisy? For some reason Balisy's name rings a bell. MJ perhaps? I dunno.

Missed the first one. Edina has this game well underfoot. I just hope Mattson can pot one or two. Congrats to Edina. Yeah, there's a lot of hockey left to play, but Edina is so gosh darn dominant.

Gosh, my thoughts are thus: Mattson is good. AHA is fast. Marshall Everson is the best player on the ice right now followed very closely by Anders Lee and the other Edina player on that line. Top to bottom Edina is the better team. AHA's Burke has played a great game so far, which is why Edina is up by one goal instead of by 3 or 4. If the first period is any indicator on the outcome of the game, Edina is going to win this game. Mattson does have at least one assist now, though.

One goat was good enough for the Cubs...

I'm undefeated in Sioux Survivor... of course, I haven't won either.

I think Dean was delirious. Obviously, if Dean had been sane, he would have recommended himself to take over when he was done with the NHL. In the interim, UND would just go through Adecco staffing to fill the job.

I don't know.... UND has bad luck with Mr. Hockey winners that I can remember. There was the one from Bemidji that died tragically all those years ago... Brian Lee (who was good but everyone thought sucked)... In my own opinion, I think the award is cursed.

I think Hak deserves more than one bad season before calling for his head... but then again, it doesn't matter to many here.

I was under the impression that both Dean and Hak recruited at the same time. I don't know who was responsible for whom though.

Happy New Year to all of the Sioux fans, haters, closet Sioux fans, and Sioux fans in denial (cause if you aren't a sioux fan, you're just in denial) out there.

Interesting. Dumped tUMD because he wanted to play for the Gophers. Well, even I know that playing time is going to come here and there as a freshman at the U. So now Dorr dumps UMN. Where's next? SCSU? OH! I hear UW is recruiting!

Oh goody! Maybe we can get Glen Mason to coach our football team and whoever the hell coached the Gopher's men's basketball team (the guy before Tubby) to coach our men's basketball team. Then we can get either Matt Millen or Kevin McHale to be our AD and name Red McCombs as UND President! WOOHOO!!! ROCK ON!

Fuchsia is hostile and abusive! The first four letters can be turned into an obscenity by simply changing one letter to another! Puce is far more acceptable! But, hey, I'm PC so I'll change at every single person's being offended! Viva the Marauding Mauve!

It's their playing style. I'm sure Eids numbers would improve if UND recruited the players necessary to employ the Lemaire/Eaves snoozefest hockey style. Trust me. Connelly is reaping the rewards of a defense-first system. If a team can get the Badgers off their game and into a run and gun style game all game long where Connelly is tested throughout the game, he will be averaging FAR more than 1 goal per game.