yzerman19

We had the game in the bag and failed to protect a lead. That's what hurts. WHy would Hak change the line combos? Both Osh and Kaip were trying to play center tonight.... Vande centering Oshie and DUncan Kaip centering Watkins and Kozek Zajac centering Radke and Malone Trupp centering Genoway and Frattin

If we make it to Denver, AZSioux, I will hapily buy you numerous rounds as well. I will get over it too, and anyone who reads my posts knows that i spas out a little and then come back to being rational. Bummed out by losing a game we could've won. We have not had puck luck this year. We definitely should've swept Bucky...a;though, we easily could've ben swept by Goldy if not for a stellar third period... AZSioux, I like your posts. If we do get to Denver, I'll give you my cell.

Team looked great last night. Team looked ok tonight for the first 2 periods. I called the loss when we had no puck luck in the third. What can you say...We just flat out are not that good. I have decided not to watch for a few weeks. I threw a little fit tonight, and realized that I am too invested into a team that I have no control over. A team that is OK, but not great. This team is not as good as the Sioux team that lost to Denver in the Regional Final four years ago. We couldn't win it with Parise, we couldn't win it with Toews, I am starting to dout that we can win it with Oshie. Why you mess with a good thing and change up the lines...I don't know. Team had a lot of chances tonight, but looked uncomfortable to me. Changes tonight were STUPID. I might not have Haks hockey coaching skill, but jeez. We dominated most of the game last night and had some break out perfomances...I am not happy with DH tonight. Oh well, Canadian education system I guess Why do you put in Michael F*ing Forney? he would be riding pine until next year at the earliest if I were in charge. Failure, Failure, Failure. Take the C off of Chorneys chest, bench Duncan and Oshie. This team needs a tall glass of wake the f up. I know i sound stupid, but I am not patient enough to draw out the defensive failures of Duncs and Osh, or the complete inability to transition the puck by the entire defensive corps, or the failure of Lapointe to play any defense whatsoever... angry and disappointed. This team is nothing short of a disappointment, and the biggest disappointment is their lack of desire. I am not on the team and I bet I would skate harder (but not as well ). Disappointment. Wake up call. I'm sick of saying it. I am not sick of saying that tonight"s line combos were a disaster. This is not our year...unfortunately

The ticky tac penalties called against the sioux in the third were simply make up calls. I hate that, but they all do it. Finley is dying to fight someone this year isn't he?

Really unfortunate story here with MF. Sounds a lot like Hagemo in MN...I guy with a big future, gets hurt, and is done. Forney is too old to go back and play junior hockey. He has a total of 18 games under his belt over the last two seasons, and limited playing time in all 18...that is hurting his development too. Now he can't crack the lineup. I hope Michael can get back to game shape, but it is starting to look like a very unliklely outcome. Good thing he went to college and not the CHL. With the underclassmen likely to be back, and with incoming freshmen class, it is sort of looking like MF missed his window.

Does anyone know where world junior games are being webcast? TSN is broadcasting, so I would asume that there is an internet feed somewhere. I'm interested in seeing the USA vs Russia and the Canada vs Sweden games. Thanks for the help

Love the Genoway, Trupp, Frattin line. MIght be a big deal in 2009 Like the Radke, Martens and Zajac line for grit... and apparently for scoring Not so sure about moving Vandevelde and Kaip. I know why he did it, but I'm not sure if I'm on board. The two seem almost interchangeable to me this year, both are scoring goals and both are playing physical. I guess Hak must see something in practice. The top two lines, however, seemed to be playing with good chemistry before the break. Oh well. Here's the million dollar question: When Malone comes back, whose spot does he take? You can't likely bench one of the checking liners when they are scoring goals. I was pleased with the effort. It felt like we had a more balanced attack, although our second line didn't do much. I do think line 2 has potential. UNH is a better team with JVR...Think Dany Heatley while at Wisconsin. This win is huge, a sweep would be even bigger.

Sioux outplayed UNH, and I am quick to criticize when we come out flat. Thought it was a solid effort. UNH's scoring opportunities all came from Sioux mistakes and were transition type chances. UNH had vey little in terms of sustained pressure.

Let's put it to rest using actual data. According to the American Association of University Professors the avg salaries of full professors and associate professors are as follows. Remember these are averages, and payment is often commensurate with discipline i.e. an MD who teaches at a Medical School will receive the most...lawyers, engineers, financiers are also high, whereas some of the humanities do not receive the average. Here is a sample; all are the flagships i.e. WI-Madison, MN-Twin Cities, TX-Austin University Professor Assoc Prof U of MN $116.6 $80.6 NDSU $77.7 $62.4 UND $77.1 $62.8 U of WI $103.5 $78.1 UCLA $133.2 $84.2 U of FL $107.7 $73.3 U of IA $109.8 $75.4 U of MI $130.4 $86.6 U of TX $121.2 $78.3 Also note that consulting, publishing and research can add to compensation significantly and is common.

agree 100% on the rules issue. Remember when Parise came back from being MVP at the WJC and was held scoreless and bloodied by Anchorage. That's the game where Blaiser ordered the code red and sent Greeney out there to straighten things out. I do think TJ has a little more developing to do. Right or wrong. He goes one on one a lot. He wins a lot of those one on ones, but not most. Again, he is a GREAT player. JT was pretty dominant after the WJC last year. He was only 18 at the time too. Anyway, I am happy that we have the players we have with the kind of character they have shown. Merry Christmas Sioux fans....ask Santa for #8 in your stocking this year.

You are entitled ot your opinion, and I do think it is a noble stance. 100%. You reference Duncs and Oshie, but what about JT? Yes, it was done in the offseason and more on the up and up, but do you slight him for leaving his team and group and saying "no" to the pact. As much as I love TJ, I don't think his game is ready to be what it could be at the next level yet. I am sure the discussion was long. TJ will be a very good NHLer, he has a little more developing to do. He is dynamic and resembles Jeremy Roenick to me, but I do think he can learn to use his teammates better. He makes the players around him better, but he hasn't quite gotten to where he can make his teammates make him better. Not knocking him, he is 1 million times better than i ever was and is my favorite player on the squad. JT left because he was ready. One needn't look much further than the WJC. I think that KO is ready physically too. He can be used as a grinder while he continues to hone his offensive skills. He is ready. Duncs isn't looking at the same kind of dough that a first rounder is looking at, so it is a little different. He may have passed up his biggest signing bonus opportunity, but he wasn't going to step right into an NHL scoring line shift. Yes, it endears those guys to me for coming back and being so selfless, but I don't fault KO for doing what is best for himself and his family.

That is why so many clubs do rotations until a guy is a senior. You want the talent, the talent doesn't want to ride pine.

Is it Thunderstruck by AC/DC? I think I've heard that played there a few times.

I agree they should've signed him in the off-season. They didn't, they did it this way. Islanders have a need. Kyle is their property. They have every right to sign him. Happens in the Q, W, and O all the time. Kyle had every right to look out for his own future, and he made a tough choice. Neither the Islanders nor KO plotted this out to spite anyone. Timing sometimes just sucks. I don't know how you can expect someone to put team above lifelong financial security. Remember, there's no "I" in team, but there is a "me".

You're telling me that you would put your teammates that you've played with for 1.5 years, your coaches that you've had a relationhsip with for 1.5 years, and fans ahead of yourself, your family and your future. Big time athletics is all about money. I'm sorry it is that way. I'm sorry that stockbrokers make more money than teachers too, but that's just the way the world works. If yourself or your child were a superstar and had a chance to leave home and lifelong friends and teammates to go play at Shattuck, would you say go, chase your dream? You should. The world doesn't do anyone any favors, you have to get yours while you can. Decision is the right one...especially if the money went up from last summer. Handling of the move was poorly done.

I hear you that it is pretty mercenary, but man, if I wasn't having fun at the rink anymore, and someone offered me a swimming pool full of money. I might feel badly about leaving, but you have to go. Loyalty is important, but not above happiness and financial security. There are a lot of things that I would love to do, that feel better than what I do, and would make others happier, but bottom line...I gots to get paid. I wish KO tons of luck, I wish it wouldn't have gone down like this, I wish the Islanders and the Gophers weren't acting like children. KO already seems to understand that its a business, I hope he also realizes that the rink isn't always whiter.

I bet they all think that Kessel is better than Jonny too.

The more that i've thought about this, you can't blame Okposo. Unless you really have your sights set low, your dream is not to play college hockey. I've got great coworkers and a great team that I am a part of at work, but if I got a call from somewhere else offering me my dream job at a compensation rate that could take care of my entire family, possibly forever if I work hard and am careful with my money, I'd be gone that minute. Yes, it is unfortunate, but loyalty doesn't pay the bills. The bush league comments are in poor taste. KO should've said, "It has been an honor to play for the Golden Gophers this past year and a half. After much thought, I have decided that it is the right time for me to move on and pursue my dream of an NHL career. I wish my teammates, friends, coaches and the Gopher program the best of luck for the rest of the season, and I apologize to those who feel that I am letting them down." Garth Snow should've said, "We are happy to have KO on our roster, we look forward to continuing advancing his development." Can't fault a kid for chasing his dream and getting rich in the process. "Want loyalty? Get a dog." - Gordon Gecko

Anyone who doesn't think that Parise and Toews are the real deal NHL style is a moron. Typical Gopher arrogance. The three highest scoring former WCHA players in the show right now: Heatley, Stastny and Parise. How on earth can anyone believe that we can't recruit. It must be tongue in cheek. I believe there was a thread that noted that without pro losses, we would've fielded a team in 2005 that would've had Parise, Toews, Zajac, Stafford, Murray, Oshie, Duncan, Greene, Smaby, Chorney

Any reference to Gretzky and the Kauker makes me smile I can't believe those guys are still around. I remember being little and those guys hanging around Purpur (then it was City Arena) for Pee Wee games and Apollo Park for little league. My mom used to worry about my safety around them until she realized how harmless they were.

Patrick, Murray, Baron, Commodore, Blake, Parise, Zajac, Toews, Jones, Greene, Stafford, Belfour, Casey Broten, Broten, Broten, Erickson, Millen, Rasmussen, Hendrickson, Vanek, Leopold, Martin, Ballard, Johnson, Kessel Carle, Stastny...oh yeah Heatley!!!! I don't think the WCHA is failing to develop players

WCHA solidarity. Andy Murray blasted our program for failing to develop Brady. The majority of the NHLers are products of the CHL and are border line illiterate. Nice guys, but not exactly winning any spelling contests. The franchises are run by these guys, who don't like the fact that the kids have to concentrate on things other than hockey. They tolerate the college programs only with the hope that the players will develop without the clubs having to pay them. As much as I blast the Gophers and old Delta Don, you can not question the program, tradition or coach. The Gophers and Don Lucia are top tier. Yes, Johnson and Kessel left after one year, yes KO is leaving now, yes Chucko is looking like an NHL bust, but Thomas Vanek had 40+ goals last year in the show. Leopold has logged regular ice time for 6 years, Martin logs a regular shift, Ballard too. Question: Is this the NHL's way to save the Great One some face for his wasted #1 pick on Wheeler...get the whole NHL to think that the Gopher program is terrible at develping players so Wayne can not be criticized? If Wayne Gretzky, who is not only the greatest hockey player of all-time, but also the crown prince of Canada and the president of hockey canada, had drafted or was even paying attention to a player on my team, I would make sure they developed. Fortunately for us, the only players from UND that hockey canada has paid attention to in the past decade are Zajac and Toews, who I think have proven that they were well developed at UND!

Before i get corrected, obviously ZPar didn't play in the WJC last year, it was 2004

Discussing the terms of a players contract during negotiations would never happen. Either way, it doesn't matter. As for WJC talent...I seem to recall a few Sioux on that team last year...Oh yeah, Taylor Chorney was captain wasn't he, and oh yeah, Zach Parise was the first American to be tourney MVP since, well, EVER. Tough loss for the Gophs. They don't have anyone who can play physical down low without KO and Stoa

Leaving mid-season is a horribly selfish thing to do to your teammates. That being said, however, I wish KO the best of luck at the next level. He is an outstanding hockey player who seemed to always work hard. His strength was sick. MN will definitely be hurting down low without Stoa and now Okposo. Wheeler is big and skilled, but not very strong. I just don't know if the Gophs have anyone who can fill KO's shoes. You can't fault a kid for taking the money. If the league rookie max is thrown at you, you'd be nuts not to take it. A player only has so many years in his legs.