yzerman19

Davidson could be playing forward on the fourth line as well. Either that or he is playing for Fienhage. We've got too be ice cold, no mistakes. They're going to want to take the crowd out of it, so no stupid penalties or early mistakes. Look for the Gophs to play defense first on all lines but their first. If Hexy's skating first line with VV and Gregoire, and you can bet that Malone, Trupp and Frattin are staying together, do we have Knight Toews and Kristo together or is Zajac on that line? Maybe Zajac, Lammy and Davidson...hmmmm

I'll be there. Sporting an old school green jersey.

Finishing the WCHA tournament strong can put the Sioux into the NCAAs as a one seed. The one seed is coveted for the ability to make the last line change. In close, playoff hockey, the ability to get the matchups you want can be the difference maker. Ending the Gophers' season would be fun, and as a Final 5 regular I want the Sioux in St Paul, but we have bigger goals. One game at a time, play our game, and stay healthy. Interestingly, I like our odds playing DU again. It is really, really hard to beat any team five times in one year...

At the X: DU vs RIT SCSU vs Yale In Worcester: BC vs Ferris UND vs MI State In Albany: WI vs N. Michigan BSU vs Cornell Midwest: Miami vs UMD Alaska vs NH

We sure picked a good time to get hot...7 in a row and a lock for an at large bid is now ours. I posted elsewhere that UMD has had the opposite fall compared to our climb. That said, it is imperative that we keep getting better every weekend. While tonight was not pretty, we persevered, and came from behind to win. Gophers, boy, it'll be a good one. We've ended a lot of U of M seasons the past five or six years. Minnesota will skate with us, meaning that it should be entertaining hockey. Minnesota's forecheck is very good, and they will be all over our defense. We will need to make good outlet passes. If Jake Marto is out, that will severely impact our chances. I think we win on depth and physicality. they do have some top end talent that can definitely make it interesting. As for officiating: score 6 goals and the refs can't job us.

Wow UMD has dropped out of the field...lesson on how not to finish it out.

As much as I want to take the bait, I will not pick on someone who wasn't smart enough to get into SCSU. All ribbing and stuff aside, that's just really sad.

I feel a deep emptiness... SHould there be some sort of prerequisite of having NCAA title banners in your barn before you spout off? Anyway, the facts are simple: hockey is a very physical, violent, and often mean game. There are many minor injuries that occur through clean play and generally accepted dirty play...generally accepted is the key. A little stick work, a little elbow, that is part of hockey...not clean, not good, but part of the game. Then you have attacks where players step out of bounds and go from something penalty worthy to something suspendable. If you add serious injury to the mix and repeat offenses to the mix, you cease to have a physical hockey player and start to have a menace. Incidental contact to the head is different than head hunting. A slash to the back of the shins is different than a slash to the head. A cross check to the shoulders is different than a cross check to the neck. The problem is there is always some subjectivity. When there is subjectivity, a player's history and reputation will determine the punishment...sorta like a first time offender, good citizen who blows 0.80 on the nose will not get a DUI whereas the derelict with 2 priors will go to jail for DUI in the same scenario.

At this point we see: 1. DU vs 16. RIT (currently in first in Atlantic Hockey) 8. Yale vs 9. New Hampshire 4. SCSU vs 13. Ferris State 5. Bemidji State vs 12. UMD 3. Wisconsin vs 14. Northern Michigan 6. UND vs 11. Michigan State 2. Miami vs 15. Vermont 7. BC vs 10. Cornell If you held by the rule of the highest seeds travel the least distance, then you have major attendance issues: Putting DU in St Paul is correct, but you send 3 eastern teams to visit them at the X. BY the rules you should send SCSU out to Worcester, but every team in that bracket would be WCHA or CCHA. Where putting SCSU, BSU and UMD all at the X would sell it out I'm not even sure about hosting: Is the Albany bracket hosted by the ECAC again? Meaning not one particular team? SO either Yale or Cornell will be there? IN Worcester you're going to want BC for sure, but you might settle for NH or Vt, again the brackets are fowled up. There's a lot of hockey left, but it could get interesting for how the NCAA places these teams. Chances are there will be some pi$$ed off head coaches and ADs. Ona side note, who do you rather play at home to go to the Final FIve? CC or MN...I think I like our odds better against CC again. I don't want to play our most heated rival, with the 5 at stake, and them being desperate to win 2 out of 3 or play golf.

Not saying Canada is an underdog at all...in fact they have to be the favorite going in...not so much after the output. I am saying that the love of Sid by everyone makes you feel he is the favorite and makes youpull for other players. I thought Crosby was a liability vs the USA. I thought Toews was extremely effective in that game. I saw Crosby take a bad penalty and be out on the ice for at least 2 minuses.

The mad love for Sid makes you think he is the favortie rather than the underdog and promotes dissent. Sid is great and lead his team to a Stanley Cup. If I am a GM, I draft Ovi first overall. I drafted in NHL 2010 the other day and went: Ovi, Phaneuf, THomas, Toews, Langenbrunner, Boyle...I'd take that team any day...I wanted getzlaf and Parise, but that would've been an all star team

I thought Toews was incredibly effective. He is playing excellent two way hockey and doing what he is good at. Doing what you're good at is what you are supposed to do. Is Sidney Crosby a more dangerous offensive player? Certainly. As the Blackhawks GM said about the contract extensions: kane will win us a couple scoring titles, but toews will win us a couple championships. I'll take a 30 goal 40 assist, plus minus leading, faceoff leading center well ahead of a lot of players if I am starting a franchise. Toews and Kane will be a dynamic combo for many years. It is important to remember just how young those guys are...

I could care less where they come from, as long as they are the best. The Twin Cities metro is over 3 million now too.

Call me an elitist, but quite honestly I could care less about any sport that does not produce DI titles or professional athletes, I've got plenty of entertainment options, and I'm not in it for charity to kids who wouldn't go to school without athletic scholarships. Fighting Sioux to me is synonymous with elite hockey. DI is an experiment that I hope works out, but I'm not holding my breath. As for March Madness, it floats a lot of people's boats and makes beaucoup $, but I'd rather watch the fighting Sioux hockey team than any bball game. I know this site is for all Siouxsports, so I apologize for venturing outside of hockey. One thing that North Dakota as a whole needs to accept is that we are never going to exist on a national level, we're simply too small. Supporting a great hockey club is probably the most we can hope for.

Part of being a team is having each other's back. Not fighting Marvin would be deleterious to the character of this team. Anyone wonder if Hak is tweaking his style in an attempt to peak better? An interesting point is that over the last six years we have never had to win. We were locks for the Final 5 and the NCAA tournament. We've had no consequences to losing until the tourney, and as such, maybe we never learned to play with urgency. This year, we have to get hot and win starting now. Sad thing is maybe this lessen is learned with the wrong team, as certainly this team's makeup isn't full of NHLers.

I wouldn't worry about The Don's meager salary as a reason behind a decision. His salary while high by UND standards is nothing in the world of Big 10 athletics. Additionally Men's hockey and the athletic department as a whole are self sufficient at UMN, and they are in the black.

The reference to Tom Ward on one of these posts is interesting. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a shot with a WCHA team. He is certainly well respected as a coach and a hockey guy. Blaiser, well, I doubt anuthing is a done deal. Its all conjecture until a deal is inked. There are more far fetched scenarios out there...

no changing the net, no new mandates on equipment, no changing goals to count as touchdowns. One answer, pure and simple: gotta call it like the WJC or NHL. I also think they should give penalty shots more frequently. There is no such thing as a two step rule. Id make it so if you pull a guy down or interfere on a guy with a clean look, it could be a penalty shot. Lastly, you could ban the neutral zone trap and/or clogging the middle. Establish a bench minor penalty for illegal defense. I disagree with some of the support of the cycle and overall x and o strategy not being at fault. These guys can shoot the puck. The epic failure of our pp is on the coaching staff. That bring said, I agree with the statement that we aren't finishing. Don't know how an entire team forgets how to pick a corner or make the goalie move laterally.

I guess its easier to blame one thing rather than accept just getting beat because someone else is better.

Note: Support does not mean unquestioning and blatently accepting failure and defeat...I am not wired that way, and I for damn sure hope no one in that locker room is either

33 years, some great joy, some bitching, some venting, some depression, but always proud to support the best amateur hockey program on earth!

Marvin first and foremost. Roe is right behind him. I am fine with positivity, but the blanket statements that True fans are behind our coach and players through thick and thin is a little too Polly Anna for me. This is one of the most prestigious amateur hockey clubs in the world, not Saturday morning ice mites. I'm not here to bring a rain cloud on this thread, but criticism is warranted given the current situation. I support the Fighting Sioux program year in and year out. I also believe that second place is the first loser. Athletics are by nature all about competition. The purpose of competition is to prove who the best is. Best players, best coaches, best teams. Again, this is very different than little kids or rec sports. This is the Fighting Sioux Hockey Program.

I agree, but would the University?

Couldn't agree with you more. No Brad Miller time, no cheesy mustaches or died hair. Business. Sioux hockey.

Back to 0-32 on the power play. If we score 4 goals out of 32 that is a 12.5 percent clip, not good, but should be expected as a bare minimum. 4 more goals in a lot of close games makes a huge difference, especially at key points of the game. 0-32 on the powerplay is straight up poor coaching. No excuses.