redwing77

Did you know that two USHL refs did something last season that no WCHA official did last season. Do you know what it was? Yup, two USHL officials made their NHL officiating debuts. When's the last time a WCHA official left the WCHA for the NHL officiating ranks? Honestly... I don't know if one has ever done so.

One guy who is REALLY underweight and one guy who is from practically Junior B? Underweighters can make it (Marto) but... wait and see as far as I'm concerned. As for DeHaan, let's wait for his performance with Omaha. COJHL is a relatively weak conference. It's weaker than the NAHL as far as I know.

What's sad is that, if Joe left, I'm sure they'd move on to another player. Lee left and they moved to Finley. I wonder who it would be? Blood? LaPoint? Miller? Eidsness? It can't be Walski... he's a local boy. No one criticizes the locals. Chay? No. He made two boneheaded plays that led to two goals against us, but not a peep. Maybe it will be Malone. Oh well... if all else fails, they could rag on Hakstol.

I also heard Ryan Potulny is on the Oilers now!

Would this board be prepared to continuously blast an assistant captain? Wait... stupid question.

Forgive my ignorance, but the results (I was out of town and couldn't vote) for Fargo went how? I figured Measure two would be YES, but what about 1 and 3?

One word: WRONG! At least, for the short term. After the nickname, these people won't go away. Because every bad thing that happens to NA students at UND after the nickname will go from "because of the nickname" to "because of the nickname CHANGE." The only thing you have to understand is that the victim agenda is a lot like a voracious weed. Try as hard as you can, you can't get rid of it. It will go away for a little bit, adapt or alter itself, then reemerge stronger than ever.

First, why call a submarine by the name of a landlocked state? The USS North Dakota should be an Aircraft Carrier or a Fleet Repleneship Vessel. Why? Aircraft Carriers are commonly called "Flattops." North Dakota is mostly flat. As for a Fleet Replenishment Vessel, we supply a lot of wheat, corn, sunflowers, and sugar (among other agricultural products) to the U.S. and foreign nations. So... we supply our warships with supplies. As for why call it "Friend"? Maybe that way our President can quote Al Pacino and say "Let me, introduce you to my [little] friend!"

Duncan "C" Jones "A" Watkins "A" Martens "A" Yeah, Martens. Look, the guy is a walk on, or was anyways. He plays a LOT like Fabian (though a bit less talented and certainly not very fast). He plays with a TON of heart and is an example of what one can accomplish if you just stick with it. Ok, he's probably not going to wear a letter, but I'm always impressed with a walk on that becomes an integral part of his team.

Ok, how about this: It's not 70's Rock, but the band that it evolved to was SERIOUS. The Yardbirds: A band that featured guys like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page; (For Your Love... aka one of their most popular songs. Comment section not safe for work. I'm not sure which lineup this was... the Jeff Beck led or the Clapton-led Yardbirds): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFdreMPBug or a 1968 version of A Train Kept A Rolling Live on French TV with BAD recording/mixing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4UY8SAxFZw Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton gone (Clapton long gone), Page broke up the band, added a guy named Robert Plant and then renamed the band... Led Zepplin Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - 1975 Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zISiQ6PqATI

Great post.

Yeah, I like that part too. The Red Wings have their share of feisty players (Maltby, Franzen, Holmstrom, and even Draper at times. I'd put Hudler in the list, but I don't think he gets feisty. I think he just gets stupid) and I'm sure they've on occasion dropped the gloves (or someone else on the Wings have dropped the gloves), but that aspect entered into the Finals exactly ZERO times. THAT is what will make the NHL a better sport. And, yes, I know that it would lose some ratings in doing so because people for some reason seem to enjoy the fights. I can't wait for next season. The Pens, Wings, Hawks, and perhaps a few other teams will be high flying and a ton of fun to watch. As for the Wild, they'll probably be just like they were this year. They'll make the playoffs and fall in the first round (second round tops) and Risebrough will say something like "We're a bit disappointed in how our season ended, but overall, I think we had a great season. We made the playoffs and we're very proud of our players in their effort.") Blah blah blah blah blah.

I'm not negative on this whole thing. It was a long shot Clarke would suit up anyways. Sometimes the long shots come true (Cichy and Toews) other times they do not (Mueller for UMN and now Clarke for UND). Garret wanted a certain team in the Q league and if he didn't get that team and a decent package from that team, he'd go to UND and no one would get him in Major Juniors. In other words, he used the NCAA like a bargaining ploy and, in this case, it worked. I don't like the comments of his father, but his father would (hopefully) be the last person to throw Garrett's decision under the bus. As for Beaverson, Siembida, and Fournier.... Beaverson was asked to play one more year of juniors because, in Blais' opinion, Luke either wasn't developing well enough or could use the extra year or Blais felt that Luke wouldn't get much of an opportunity to play if he came in the originally agreed upon time. The last option isn't too honest, I agree, but to an extent Blais was thinking in the interests of his team and for Beaverson. Luke didn't like it, he walked. Fournier came to UND and didn't pan out. Had off the ice issues and was given his walking papers. Rumor has it he did the same thing at UAA. Siembida came in and did ok for a while and then started seriously choking. He was a liability to the team when on the ice. Off the ice, I don't know much about, but I think everyone knew that Josh's playing time was going to be reduced to ZERO with Brandt's play (and eventually would have seen JPar too). No one likes going from the #1 goaltender practically as a freshman to the #3 goaltender as a senior.

Fine. 70's only. How about obscure? Here's King Crimson 21st Century Schizoid Man EDIT: Ok, sue me. It came out in 1969, but it's damn well close enough! Re-Edit: For those of you who are purist: Here's Leo Kottke doing Vaseline Machine Gun in the early 70s.

Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtYBQXIeLRw Let the torture begin. No, I don't like him... but it works.

Hey! They didn't break it in half, drop it on the ice, and then sit there and stare at it for a good 40 seconds

Look at the WCH blog's take. Chris is right on.

Same. I took Clarke's committment here as him telling the Q that "if you don't give me the deal I want by the team I want to play for, I'll go to the system I CAN choose where I play." He chose UND. If Lewiston was the team Clarke wanted, then he will be gone. If it isn't, we will get him. I now, though, am thinking Garrett is 75/25 Q bound.

Oilers are defense-laden. They got rid of a guy they called inconsistent. Both Syvret and Potulny were 3rd rounders, and who knows what the actual outcome of this trade may be. However, having watched Potulny play, it's hard for me not to say that the Oilers got the better of the deal.

Goon- Yeah, I'll take that action! The only way the Wild make the playoffs next year is if the same thing that happened this year happens next year. The Wild's division sucks with Colorado and the Wild sharing most of the talent...except Colorado's was injured most of the year. The Wild just AREN'T THAT GOOD. They're system is flawed. They have an over abundance of role players, 3rd and 4th liners, and wingers that may have speed but their offensive abilities are overestimated. Risebrough (or however the name is spelled) doesn't have the team built to keep up with teams like the Red Wings, the Penguins, or even a more mature Blackhawks. You saw this Stanley Cup finals. Did you see how fast the game was? Did you see how neither team needed a player like Boogaard on their team in order to keep up the flow of the game? That was an exciting series! It was feisty, sure, but it wasn't necessary to have the "Fear of the Boogey man" in them. Second, the Red Wings' secondary scorers were extremely good. The Wild's secondary scorers (guys who aren't on the first line or expected to score like first liners) are just mundane grinders and role players. They are players that would normally be 4th liners and part time players on other teams. LeMaire is so scared of odd man rushes that a run and gun game like that the Red Wings and Penguins employ would be terrifying to him. And as for first liners: Dastyuk and Zetterberg make Demitra and Gaborik or Koivu and Gaborik or ANY WILD and Gaborik look like Bantams. Heck, I'd take Zetterberg against the Wild's entire first line and I'd still come out on top! The Wild need guys who know how to score. Who ONLY score, if need be. Yes, I'll even say whom: Players like a Malkin type (examples: Kessel, Vanek, Ovechkin, Kane) to compliment Gaborik. Demitra isn't it. Bouchard isn't it. Veillieux? He sucks. He's a toss up for Dupuis. Koivu? He might make it there someday. Right now the two best wingers the Wild have are Koivu and Gaborik (when he's healthy). The Red Wings simply have too much weapons. And Hasek can go for all I care. Osgood was dynamite. They also have a young goaltender by the name of Jimmy Howard (heard of him?) who would do admirably backing Ossie up. So, yeah, you're on.

My take: Pittsburgh should definitely re-sign the big three mentioned. They don't need to re-sign Dupuis (seriously, he's Joe Third liner. And, he couldn't score in a $2 brothel with a $10 bill stapled to his shirt), Laraque, Ruutu, Roberts, and maybe Eaton. Most of these types of players I really think they could replace easily through their AHL/ECHL network or they could sign some oversea players (worked for the Wild ala Backstrom). I really think they should focus on Fleury, Orpik, Malone, and Hossa. I don't know if they'll get Hossa, but I'd definitely try. Detroit is another matter. I don't think they need to focus on anyone listed other than Stuart and Filpulla. Lilja is gritty, but again, I think that if he were to go, they could get someone in house. Maybe they can trade Hudler for a replacement. That would get some stupidity off the Red Wing ice. Yeah, I know he's pretty good most of the time, but MAN he took stupid penalties.

3-2 And keep dreaming about the Wild making the Finals. They don't have the system, they don't have the scoring, and they don't have the balanced attack. Actually... I'm sure the Pens wished the Wild made the Finals. Then the Pens would have won it all.

I guess that depends upon your definition of corrupt. Dictatorial is more like the res tribal council. They don't want to know what their people think. That defies democracy and screams communism. It's the same rational behind big brother in 1984. They don't need to chime in because Big Brother knows whats good for the masses. Washington DC is pettiness, partisanship personified. They abhor the term "partisan politics" but they play it every day by putting pork barrel spending measures, 950+ (exaggeration perhaps) riders on bills, and calling for ludicrous procedures (like today they called for the reading of a 500 page document, effectively ending whatever it was they were supposed to be doing) to effectively grind Congress to a halt. We in the free U.S. can be dissatisfied and show it by voting these people out of office. I don't know if the NA people are that politically motivated nor willing/able to see through the smokescreen the tribal council lays down on them. I'd imagine that they'd vote a rock in provided the rock doesn't in any way harm their daily livelihood.

Why the hell does every damn thread have to be turned over to talking about Lucia? This only fuels Dean's obsession with putting us down. I want Joe to come back for his senior year because I hate it when the haters get their way. They got their way with Lee and now Lee is seeing NHL time (or did before their season came to a close). I'd like to see Finley stay for one more year. I don't expect Finley to make the NHL in his first season maybe not his first two seasons. However, I think in 3 years he could make the big show for a call up or two. Why not spend one of those 3 years on the cheap (speaking from the perspective of the Capitols). Jim Dahl- As resident Caps fan, I turn to you to push the Caps front office into agreeing.

I'd be very surprised if Morin ended up in the NCAA... but it could be a reality. Chris from WCH Blog had it all but a foregone conclusion that Morin would go MJ. I doubt he was the only one to predict that. It is still a very likely scenario, but if UND does manage to keep Clarke from going and land Morin, it would be huge and fantastic.