yzerman19

Gregoire will be a solid freshman. He is among the leaders in the USHL in scoring and is a drafted player. Toews, well the name alone gives me hope Cichy is a top-end skill guy. Hextall has been a horse for his team, especially in the playoffs.

The Goofs at the Blarney Stone, to my knowledge, were not cited by Minneapolis PD. The season was done!!! These guys are now just college kids having a good time until next fall. Would it be different if they were celebrating number 8 with a loud party?? People on this board would come unglued if they were cited under that circumstance.

I'll disagree. I think it was the right call. The forward clearly kicks the puck (albeit towards his stick rather than towards the goal) and the angle of that action results in the puck going into the net. I realize that the rule states it needs to be directed toward the crease, and it was "sort of". I think the question is would you allow it if it was the game winner with 0:03 seconds left? I think not, because it was debatable. While this call clearly influences the outcome of the game, it did not "give" a win or a loss. The key piece is that the BC defenseman ties up the ND forwards stick and drives him to safety. If he failsin that endeavor it is a tap-in goal that would stand regardless.

We've got some big time scorers coming up. We did have a goalie in the wings, and he is now in the OHL. Agree that we need some more speed. While I am not on the bannish Hextall to Kamchatka band wagon, I do believe that there are some issues that we really need to address as far as style of play. We were beaten to a pulp by a team that resembled...the 1997 Sioux: A bunch of little, skilled forwards who can flat out fly. More than personel, however, I am starting to move away from the system. This is critical, as for any system to work, the players have to believe in it 100%. A high breakout is ridiculous. It is an attempt to open the ice east/west to beat a neutral zone trap, but it flat out doesn't work. 1. If the forechecker(s) are top end skaters, they will cut off the passing lanes and force the defenseman to skate the puck up (how many times did we see Marto or Chay or Taylor have to do this?) then you end up with four Sioux at the offensive blue line, actually helping the opponent clog up the ice. From that point it is basically a stop and start into the attack zone, so you are not carrying any speed or the right number of players into it. 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 is fine into the attack zone, it allows room to manuever. 4 on 4 or 4 on 5 or 5 on 5 at the offencive blue line is not a transition game, it is pick-up hockey. 2. If you try and force the outlet pass on the high break out, you are going to give up a ton of neutral zone turnovers. Even if you hit the forward, the pass is going to have to be a bullet to get there, meaning that there is a high likelihood of it not being able to be caught cleanly. Add to it the fact that at that kind of velocity if the pass is off even a tiny bit, the puck is going to be in the skates or off the boards, it isn't going to be on the tape. 3. We need to shorten up the passes and establish a good clean breakout. Good positional hockey. I don't want to see a forward past the hash while the puck is still behind our net. Next Point is the cycle. Man, how many times do we have to see it not work! Proponents will show the few times a year that it does work or tout how it wears down the opposition...JUNK. I never again want to see three forwards below the goal line or on the same side of the ice. Wingers roam the circle on your side of responsibility, go into the corner to dig or drive your post with your stick on the ice. That's it. Weak side wingers find an open spot with a nice look at the net, keep your feet moving so you can go into the corner or drive the net or get at a loose puck, again keep the stick on the ice and be ready to shoot. This is fundamental positional hockey. Centers should be all over the ice like a coked up lunatic, diging for the puck and looking to make passes. How do we never effectively run a give and go by the way? For cripes sake, we learned how to do that well in Pee Wee. I thoroughly believe that the criticism of Brian Lee, Derek Lapoint, Joe Finley and even Taylor Chorney some this year is less their fault than the fault of the system and of the forwards. I belt Wade Redden would have trouble transitioning a breakout if his forwards were up past the red line. I also think that very breakout led to those clogged up offensive blue line situations where a good poke check springs the other team into transition and leaves those d-men out on an island. That being said, our defensemen need to be more aggressive. Anyway, that is my take. We will reload and be just fine personnel-wise. I think we need a system reload to go with it.

only in a college town of 50,000 in a state of 600,000 is this an issue. Come on. GFPD get off the hockey team. What an absolutely pointless issue. Those who think the guys should sit alone in their rooms and feel badly about laying an egg in the F4, get serious. I would be the first one to crank it up. The sun will rise tomorrow, they lost, they are disappointed, time to have a good time and look forward to next year.

Kids doing their best? That's a little too warm and fuzzy for a powerhouse division 1 hockey program, don't you think? What was the line from 'The Rock"? Your best? Losers whine about doing their best, winners go home and f@%* the prom queen.

Flags flying, band playing: Freedom of Speech!!! This isn't China, this isn't Nazi Germany or the former Soviet Union! This is America! And to quote the great Bill Murray, you know what that means? That means that our ancestors were kicked out of every decent country in the world. Some people need to get a grip. We lost, it was a bad loss. Today we continue with our lives and look forward to the start of the 2008-2009 campaign.

I am optimistic based almost solely on the fact that we are bringing in a Toews!!!!!!

I wouldn't be surprised if Edmonton has their team doc take a look at Taylor, do any necessary procedures, and draw up the rehab plan. I will definitely miss Chorns...

Erik Johnson was the best player in college hockey last year.

I also hate the cycle. I am a big fan of always, and I mean always, have a shooter somewhere in the slot. If you've got three forwards deep cycling, and you lose a battle, all it takes is for one person to win a foot race and you're dealing with a 3 on 2 odd-man coming back the other way. One guy into the corner or along the end boards, win the one on one Pete Forsberg style and look for one guy in the slot and the other guy driving the far post. Also, how about following your shot. Don't they teach that anymore? The only guys who I see do that effectively are TJ and VV.

Fire Hakstol? No, a good public tar and feathering would be much more appropriate What makes winning championships so special, is the fact that you don't win one every year. If you won it every single year, not only would it be boring, but also it would fascist. We had character guys...anyone want to tell me that Kyle Radke and Rylan Kaip didn't have green tears as they sat in that locker room and thought about untying those laces? We had skilled players...tons of draftees, two Hobey Finalists, a Hobey Winner In the end it wasn't our year. Now as far as a change in coaching, I agree. DO NOT CHANGE THE COACH, however, change a couple little things. I don't like the high break out. I don't like the sloppy play on the blue line in the offensive zone, I don't like how easily we surrender our defensive blue line.

Have you ever been in a situation where all you want in the entire world is a do over? Let's start again? The team was shell-shocked. They were out of it before they ever even got in it. It is hard to keep playing when you know its already over. 1 goal-no big deal, 2 goals-we can do it, 3 goals-its been done, 4 goals-goodnight. As much pride and love you have for a game, your teammates and the program, its hard to suck it up. Think about this, however, despite being outplayed by BC, it was a 2-1 game if you throw out that horrible first period.

I thought that Malone and Zajac also played fairly well in limited action. Zajac when moved up due to penalties played really well IMO

I will officially bash myself, yzerman19. I am the worst Sioux hockey fan ever. I rip players, coaches, staff, fans, small children and Ralph himself. I take the name of Parise in vain, and I don't despise BC.

You're not going to hook a senior goaltender who lead the nation in all goaltending statistics. The one Gerbe goal (3-0)was the only bad goal. The first goal was a 2 on 1, the second was a breakaway by a 30 goal man, the fourth was a total screen. Gerbe's back hander was unstoppable and the 6th goal was a beautiful saucer pass that was backhanded into the upper corner near side. The Sioux were dead at 4-0, hooking JPL wouldn't have changes anything.

The Caps are in the playoffs. Next year...

They've made a pact to let Chris Porter stay in their condos around the country whenever he'd like. TJ, Chorney and Big Joe are 100% gone

I don't have a problem with Dave. I do think that he could use a top-end assistant like Berry back, although we did lead the nation in team defense. You win some, you lose some. If its a 7 game series, who knows the outcome. BC did not handle us from the drop of the puck. They handled us from halfway through the first period on. You know, its a game of inches and bounces some times. If Genoway's pipe shot goes in, we've got a 2-1 game, and everything changes.

Radke would only fight if it made snse. You DO NOT FIGHT in the frozen four, especially in a blow out. Acccept beinf inferior and move on

How about Blaiser as the highest paid team psychologist in NCAA history!

The third goal was a backbreaker as much as the fourth. We were carrying the play, made a mistake and its 1-0. We have a chance to even it up, make a mistake, and its 2-0. Lammy has one he'd like to get back and its 3-0. crazy bounce, traffic in front and its 4-0 after 1. At that point its already too late. Jerry York had class in the interviews and said it was an anamoly, and the game was closer than 6-1. But in reality it wasn't. We were never in this hockey game. A ton of credit to BC, they flat out beat us. We made a couple mistakes early, and they capitalized on every one. Next thing you know its an insurmountable lead. We rode JPL through the regional, so you can't throw him under the bus. Even though I'm sure he'd love a do over. Thanks for carrying this team to another F4. Oshie, thanks for the memories. I will enjoy wwatching highlights of you in the show. Chorney, I hope you are ok. I am sure you will do well in the show. Bina and Radke, thanks for always giving it. You both play fighting sioux hockey. If I'm thinking about next year, Duncan and Kozek have jobs if they come back. Watkins, Frattin, Zajac, Martens, Trupper, Malone, Marto, and Jones also have job security. Lapoint, Finley and Miller are all in my doghouse and have to earn their spots. After tonights performance, I would be very surprised if Finley stays. The Caps will want to try and develop him. A number one who performs this poorly on the big stage needs a change od scenery. Bad loss, but surprisingly i am pretty cool with it. We weren't in it, and the players sure didn't play like they wanted it. I was much more heart broken when the Vikes lost in '98.

Mikey, Welcome to SS.com and thank you for serving.

I've got no problem with those lines. I'd like to see Trupp replace Miller, but I can live with the lines as posted. IF Trupper is truly hurt, then I do believe that is the best product we've got. I think we see a big game out of Frattin. He strikes me as a gamer. Maybe its the goal he scored vs MSU to start the season, maybe its the 40 goals in MJHL as well as being drafted, but I think he is a guy who will step up. I'm not too woried about our forward lines stacking up. I am a bit concerned about the d being able to keep those shifty little bastards from BC on the outside and not get beat. If Gerbe gets a step, he is gone. Defense can not get turned around. I would actually prefer (unlike my typical preference) for our d corps to be collapsing full speed to the bottom of the circles and then stepping up. If they step up at the blue line, I can just see Gerbe dancing around Joe wide and outside, then cutting in at the circle uggghhh. Can't give them good looks. Can't surrender odd-mans. Play strong d, be strong on the stick, don't be afraid to bang. This time of year, there are no ugly goals, just goals. I'll take Kaiper's goal in Madison just the same as I'd take the old TJ drop pass to Duncs to hit two pipes and in. 8.5 hours

Staying in it early is going to be huge. I watched that BC/Miami game, and man those teams were flying. We have a history of slow starts, so we better come out ready to play. Gerbe is an exceptional player without a doubt. So, he needs to get to know Joe and Rylan early and often. If you're not wearing white, you're hurting tonight! needs to be the theme (call me Johnny Cochran) Coaches didn't give JPL the first team WCHA goalie, because Bachman's stats were slightly better IN CONFERENCE GAMES. UND played the toughest schedule in hockey, and did the same thing he did to the likes of MN and Denver and CC to BC, MI State, etc. What a joke. I'd love to see UND vs well, UND and let all the idiot pundets go cry somewhere.