redwing77

Back and forth so darned much I wonder if he actually left Binghamton to begin with.

Same. I really think exhibition games are games that set up a team for the start of a season and honing skills and trying new things during the season in a non-stressful manner. Sure, MSU lost to this team, but who cares? MSU is in such disarray, I'm sure Comley just used the game to try out some far fetched ideas and new schemes he's trying to use to right the ship. I'd use this game to hone some skills, try new things, and build confidence among those who don't play much (like Walski and Harrington). Also, Finley and Trupp playing in this game after an injury is much better to come back to then Minnesota.

Reading up on Chris Dilks' blog, it doesn't seem to be as bad as the Spartans are playing anyways. Merrifield left for juniors and will return to MSU in the fall. Ryan Turek is the guy that was interesting to me. He was dismissed from the team. As Chris points out, he's the second NCAA 4th round draft pick from that year to take a career path that seems destructive towards one's future as far as professional hockey is concerned (the other is Travis Erstad). He's also representing a huge warning sign about recruiting a player that is far removed from college eligibility on the younger side of the bar. Turek, when he committed to MSU, was among the youngest commits in quite a while. He wasn't record setting, to my knowledge, in that regard, but he still was rather young.

He's a free agent. Toronto must be very serious. Lucky for DU, it's not Calgary or they'd try to convince Bozak to bolt right now and see their own doctors.

I agree with AZ. If you want a predicted comparison: I'd venture to say that Duncan will slightly mimic Peter Sejna. Both were undersized (though apparently Sejna was 5'9, where I remember him as closer to 5'7). Both were prolific collegiate scorers. Both won the Hobey. Both were in the WCHA. The only difference is that I'm not so sure that Duncan will play 49 games in the same way Sejna did. Duncs might not even play half that many games in the NHL.

Wasn't that before the invention of closed toe shoes? And wasn't there record high snow drifts on the hills?

I have Gabby not finishing the season without another stint on the IR.

Just to be snarky, we didn't have much of a chance to land Jonathan Toews either. #1 overall pick in the WHL draft by Tri City... turned out pretty well for the WHL right?

Heh. I remember, early on in my UND career, UND posting signs cautioning us to bundle up. "Your flesh will freeze in minutes out there! Bundle Up!" I got pretty bitter about it at the time. After all, the warnings probably came from someone who only has to walk 50 feet from their parking spot at Twamley to the door.

I agree. I'm not quite sure why Morin hasn't already bolted for MJ yet, but he is definitely a long shot at the NCAA. You never know, though.

I thought they would be on the team. Morin is very good. Oh well.

That means they have computers to guess for them, thus eliminating the need for trained weatherguessers.. I mean weatherpeople.

I'm really wondering about Fink. He's not cracking the lineup enough. I'd love to know if someone has seen him play in the USHL and could tell me more about his game. Maybe he's not a goal scorer, but I wouldn't know that without seeing him.

But many will be missing. I don't have a count, but surely Cam Fowler and Jeremy Morin.

I predict that DaveK will get his wish. Walski gets the start. Actually, I wouldn't even play BE. Give him a night off. Have Walski play the first half and Harrington the last half. I predict a win.

I think this was the most telling thing about how we are playing right now. BE didn't have a great night, but we still won. Now, will it continue? I don't feel any Sioux player can have a bad night and the Sioux still wins against top tier teams like Minnesota or CC (we already saw this in the Saturday CC game earlier this season). What was key was capitalizing on chances. They make a mistake, we score. That HAS to continue if we are going to beat Minnesota.

I don't think stats are indicative of game changing either. For example: Alex Auld has played ok for Ottawa this year, has a Save% over .900, a GAA under 3 I believe, and Ottawa stinks. Peter Budaj of Colorado has a W/L of under .500, but has a low GAA and high Save%. Budaj has a save percentage of .903 and a GAA of 2.75. Does that make him a game changer/stealer? How about this: Chris Osgood is having a Josh Siembida type year. He's 12-1-4 this year. Pretty dominant right? His GAA is 3.20 and his Save% is .875 (btw, this is the worst save% among the 45 goaltenders that have seen more than 10 games this year... even worse that Pascal LeClaire and Marty Turco). I know I'm a Red Wing fan, but he sucks donkey balls. However, He's only been beaten in regulation ONCE this year! Get what I'm saying? Another example: Mike Smith (TB). He's got a W/L record of 5-11-7. Sucks right? Uh... He has a GAA of 2.51 and a Save% of .924 (Tied for 6th in the league).

I love stats like this! Here's another gem: UND is undefeated in the month of December where their opponent wears a shade of red. In their last 4 games, no opponent has been able to beat them.

Fair enough... However, I'd really argue that Bachman was consistently dominant his freshman year. Kangas didn't play the first half of his freshman year all that much, did he?

Then don't. I do. I'm sure many of us do. A win is a win. Look at it this way: Let's say UND plays Notre Dame, Minnesota, CC, and the other top 10 teams 1 series each (20 games total). Let's say the Sioux lose every other game but beat every top 10 team. That would make them what... 20-16? Something like that. Is that really good? I'm sure you'd think so because they've only beat "good" teams. I'm in the camp that says "A win is a win is a win is a win." We need wins. PERIOD.

He certainly showed flashes of it last season, yes. However, I'd like to see the second half before I comment on Kangas. I'm withholding my opinion on Eidsness until after his sophomore season.

Right now, I'd say 4 in a row is 4 in a row. I don't think anyone here is calling the Sioux among the elite of the WCHA at this point. Right now, I know I am just happy to be a fan of a team that has put together a nice little streak going into break. Now, I just wish we were playing Minny during the WJC.

SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE

Another TH "moment" (akin to the Sweeney-ism) was when Minnesota beat St. Cloud 4-1. So, altogether, a really rough day for SCSU. Lost two games in the same night by two different teams. I have to wonder about Weslosky, though. The guy was just awful. I wonder if he's turning into a Frazee. It also speaks volumes about how valuable standout goaltenders, goaltenders who can steal games for you, really are. There are a TON of talented netminders out there, but very few can almost singlehandedly control games. We've seen a lot recently in and around DI. Goaltenders like Goehring, Schneider (BC), Bruckler and Elliott (UW), Bachman (CC) last year, Manino (DU), JPL (UND -- At least until the Frozen Four), JPar (UND - again, until the Frozen Four), I'll even say Teslak for MTU was one based on what we're seeing this year from MTU, and I'm sure others. Kangas and Eidsness could turn into that, but many were billed at being that way and have failed. BU had a situation like that before their recruited walk-on, Curry, took over the nets. CC didn't ever imagine they'd get what they got with O'Connell. I'm sure UW has to be getting frustrated with Connelly. Need I mention Frazee in this category? A special case for UMN's Weber. He did play well, then up and quit. However, I don't think he single handedly stole anything for UMN. He played on amazing teams and it worked out for him (unlike JPL and JPar). The jury is out on Stalock. The guy can play, but he's seriously got nothing in front of him.

I'm happy to be wrong. Sioux sweep.