yzerman19

Wasn't trying to bash Lee, I just think his lack of physical play can hurt us down the stretch. I definitely do not blame him for the Game winner, which was just a miracle. I said before the game that we needed to score first and score early. Neither happened. The soft goal that Johnson scored was the one that really hurt us. I don't know how that snuck in the five hole. The officiating did settle down after the first period, but the first period was attrocious. I still do not see how you can give the Gophers a power play after they ran Duncan. If they really felt the need to give Chorney the extra 2 for instigating, then the Gopher who ran Duncan should've gotten four minutes also tack on a rough to the interference call. Good Loss? I don't think so. Minnesota has had confidence problems, and a victory by the Sioux would've really hurt their psyche. Now they think they can win it, which is dangerous.

You clearly asserted your superior intellect with the statement: "God you're dumb".

Unfotunately, I don't think playing mad is this team's strength. We play fast tempo, loose hockey the best. Run and gun! MN employed the defensive style to beat us last night. That being said, what the Sioux didn't get last night was any performance out of the second and third lines. We will not lose if the likes of Porter, Watkins, Fabian and Kaip get on the score sheet. We had two beautiful power play goals sniped in by two of our top players. We need production out of the latter lines. Also, our defense is still a weakness. I'd be almost tempted to move Lee up to forward and put Radke back on the point. Lee is not a physical player, and it hurts us tremendously.

If the projections hold true, Go Air Force!!!!!!!!!!! Even though I would like another shot at the Gophers.

You saw a great example of home ice advantage last night, not because of the X being in the metro, but the earned home ice advantage of the last line change. The Okposo line did a great job on the DOT line, and they were out there shift for shift. If we could've had the DOT line out against one of the other Gopher lines, they definitely would've produced an even strength goal. Although JT owned Okposo on the draws, Okposo was draped all over him away from the puck, legally I might add. The defensive style that MN employed last night is not as fun to watch as a horse race, but they were successful with it last night.

By the way, Oshie, Toews and especially Chorney all deserve a ton of credit for how they stepped up after the Duncan cheap shot. Too bad Prpich and Greene weren't still on the team to handle that one. The only bad piece of all of that, is that our studs shouldn't have to be protecting too. I would like to unleash the fury of one 6-7 260 pound beast man on them, too bad he doesn't throw that size around alittle more, but I guess when you get a penalty every time you touch someone, because you are bigger and stronger you have to be careful.

I bet the Goofers were mad the game went to OT, what with the Blarney on campus and it being St Patty's and all. I'd be curious to hear what some of the Sioux players have to say today. I think that this loss, the cheap shot on Duncan, and the overall tone of the game favors UND if they meet again in the NCAAs. Unless, of course, Sheperd is reffing in Denver too.

Couple take aways from the X last night: 1. Gopher fans remain the most arrogant of all WCHA fans. The entitlement attitude is so sickening. The state of hockey? Please, one need only travel straight north about 7 or 8 hours and you'll see a state or province rather of hockey. 2. The officiating in this league is terrible and favors MN. We did not lose because of officiating, we lost because MN played a very frustrating defensive styled game last night and took us off ours. Lucia deserves props, he clearly studied how you beat the Sioux and executed his plan perfectly. It was just like Wisconsin, Tech, Anchorage and Maine did to us this year. He is an outstanding hockey coach. 3. Gopher fans are whiners. You'd think we were watching girls hockey or basketball given the way that they whine over every bit of contact. If you didn't want to get hit, you should've joined the band. 4. Gopher fans honestly do not see talent if it is not in maroon and gold. I actually heard someone say Toews "really isn't that good." Not that good? He is in the top five nationally in points per game, he lead Canada to a World Junior gold medal last year ( his second). Oh, and how old is he? He is still 18!!!!! 5. Gopher fans do not understand the difference between winning and kicking someone's a$$. 3-2 in OT on a miracle goal ( great hard work by Wheeler to get the shot off) in not an a$$ kicking. Wasn't it RE who said the harder he worked the luckier he got? Wheeler finally played like a first round pick this weekend. First time in his career imo. 6. The X is mariucci 2. The X is a great venue, but it is in the backyard of the rodent fans. You can see why the Gophs have had the success there. the stupid M-I-N-N-E... chant was as loud at the X as it ever is in Mpls. It sickens me.

It is tough to win when the opponents have an extra skater wearing black and white. I think the aggressive penalty calling took the Sioux off of their game. Sioux second and third lines didn't get the job done, and the defensive corps (other than Chorney) disappointed. Even though he was penalized for "instigating", the response by Chroney was completely appropriate under the circumstances of the Duncan hit. I like that the team stood up and saif no way to that. Refs should've called 2 minutes on four players and let them skate 5 on 5. The extra penalty was poor officiating. You want to go into the tournament hot, but maybe a loss right now is what we need to get that last bit of gumption in order to win it all. I guarantee that mn doesn't want to see us again, and I desperately want another crack at them.

You have to respect MN,but they clearly have the biggest recruiting advantage in the wcha due to the mn hockey talent at the prep level who are corrupted by woog and mozocco

agreed> MN also is not playing theirbest hockey,and WI has everythingto play for and nothing to lose

Dominant performance, Goepheart (sp) was the only reason it wasn't 11-2. my only concernis still defensive breakdowns. The second goal by SCSU was a PPG, but our D made a very bad play. I believe it was Lee. We are balanced and focused. Toews could"ve had four tonight<Oshie made people look foolish> bring on either of the big ten teams. I would prefer MN< so not to deal with elliot

We knocked Mankato out of a team under consideration and thus hurt our PWR by sweeping. Kind of lame. Not that I am worried about getting in, but I'd like the path of least resistance to St Louis

I was checking out box scores, etc. Why was Oshie's empty netter not counted? Had time expired? Gophers lose : ) What's the word on UMD vs SCSU?

We should run the wcha like the world juniors, where if you finish in the last two places you should get bumped and another team should get a shot fromthe CHA or something. Unless of course you have won seven NCAA titles in which case you are a permanent member

TJ was the most snake bit player on the Sioux team at the start of the season. Last year the pucks that were ringing off the pipe were ricocheting into the net, this year they were deflecting into the seats. That being said, he was still playing good physical hockey and doing the things that he's always done. He was getting chances. As long as you are doing the same things and geting chances, the puck luck will return. I think that we are seeing the beginning of this. I have a feeling that goals are going to come in waves for JTand TJ, while RD will continue to pump them home.

Only two really bad calls in Friday night's game IMO. I was not at Saturday's game. The call on Duncan in the slot was terrible, as he just hit a guy right as he released the puck...how you play defense as coached by every coach I ever had. The other bad call happened in the third, when Gopher stepped on a Sioux player's stick (I think Fabian). He certainly has the right to keep his stick on the ice, and if a player steps on the blade and falls, that is not a trip. Great series all in all. Hakstol lead Sioux have shown struggles to start and fabulous finishes. I think Dave does this on purpose, it gets the guys to buy into the system. Struggles that lead to success equal wins in March and April ( when they matter). TJ Oshie was snake bit the whole first half of the season. The kid couldn't buy a break...pipes, a lucky glove, etc. JT started slow last year too, but then turned it on. If TJ and JT stay hot the rest of the year, the Sioux will go a long way. Defensively, Finley ( who I have often bad-mouthed) is playing like a top end draft pick. I loved how he jawed with Okposo ( talk about a heavy weight bout). Brian Lee still needs to work on his physicality. Bina and Z Jones are just fiesty. Chorney is smooth back there. I think the contributions made by Fabian are often overlooked, but it certainly appears to me that when he gets going, the Sioux get going. Every time he was on the ice he just worked and wore out the Gophjs. This could be another good ending for a slow startig season! Refs don't win or lose games for you, and the Sioux answered the call.

Wow! I have bled Sioux green for almost 30 years, and this could be the worst team I have ever seen. We don't move the puck, we don't play sound positional hockey. Aside from Toews,Duncan, Oshie and Porter, the team is pathetic. They need a big time wake up call. Noone moves their feet. Now Zaba robbed both Oshie and Duncan tonight with the glove, but all the opportunities were generated by the four guys I mentioned. We can't even roll two effective lines.I live in Minny, and I am not going to have a good Monday.

Faces anyone?

Great Thread!!! While I don't think that this year's team is done already and ready to call it a season; I do think that there are some serious fundamental flaws. People have picked out the defense as struggling to build an identity and play well, and I agree with that, however, we are also having a lot of trouble putting the puck in the net. We have not scored more than 3 goals in a game except for against Mankato and Quinnipiac. We've also scored a grand total of 7 goals in our 5 losses. That is pathetic. Obviously the guys aren't clicking. Toews isn't playing like a number three overall, and Oshie is not playing the kid we saw last year. Duncan and Porter IMO seem to be the only two guys pulling their weight.

This is pretty good humor

OK, I am done with my ranting about the penalty shot. A few things from this weekend's series: 1) Sioux goaltending was terrific. I hope Greico drank free last night on his defensemen. 2) Sioux defensive corps need to have a gut check. I am usually the first person to blast Joe Finley, but he played very well this weekend. The Genoway-Bina goal was pretty, but awfully dangerous to pinch two d-men like that. The D need to play better when we have the puck deep in our own end. It appeared to me, that the SCSU forwards beat the Sioux D to the loose pucks in the corner on a very consistent basis. Play the body, play your man, and stick to sound fundamentals. Way too many odd-man ops for SCSU. Brian Lee is supposedly an elite level player, he showed flashes of it last year, he needs to show me more this year. I don't know what happened to Zach Jones, but he reverted back to how he was last year before the playoff run...God awful. The laziness to the loose pucks and the stick checking is worthy of end boards till you puke in my opinion. Win the races and lay the shoulder. Can we get Berry back? Part B: I thought it was the Sioux D, but it might be the Sioux wingers, but we need to be able to break the puck out better. D need to be able to skate by one man, and the wingers need to be low enough to take the pass take two strides and make a pass. Get low, head up, short passes, move the puck quickly up the ice. Part C: Forwards need to play their damn position. I never, ever want to see all three forwards down in one offensive corner again. Too much chasing the puck. SCSU's wingers did a great job at staying home, and it resulted in a couple really good opportunities. 3. PP unit 1. Alright guys, I know you're all super stars, quit playing with it and shoot the puck. We are trying to be way too pretty. 4. Line combinations. I like Porter and Oshie together. I like Toews and Duncan together. Hak has proven to be the absolute master of the late season line cohesiveness, so I will say in Dave We Trust and let that go for now. 5. Strong on the puck, only Toews and Oshie seem to have good leverage when they have the puck. Gophers have really impressed me with how strong they are on the puck this year. 6. Feet moving. Way too many passes hitting coasting players. You need to want and expect a pass at all times and be prepared to do something with it once you get it. Passes do need to be tape to tape, way too many have been off target. We are a decent team right now. I would say that we are under achieving. The skill level on the team should be putting 4 or 5 goals in per game. Hopefully Hakstol can get the boys to peak at the right time again. Gophers are looking awfully good right now, especially considering how many freshmen are getting regular shifts. They will be dangerous in March.

Rules don't say anything about having to be in the clear to warrant a penalty shot. Maybe they should specifically call out that a penalty shot be awarded when a penalty prevents a scoring opportunity and not enough time remains on the game clock to allow for a reasonable power play opportunity. Say less than twenty or thirty seconds. The way it is now, if I am playing D and a player like Oshie or Toews is coming at me one on one with time running out, I'd just tackle him. The SCSU defenseman made a nice play. There are good penalties and then there are great penalties; that was a great penalty.

Should've been a penalty shot. With time running out and a pretty good scoring opportunity, it is the only call that will allow for an equal opportunity to the one that was disrupted by the penalty. Although most people, myself included, generally believe that you have to have a step to have a penalty shot awarded, the rules are actually a bit more generous. Tripping is listed as a penalty shot/optional minor in the NCAA rule book and is followed up by a reference to section 58 b. 58 b states: A player shall not trip or foul from behind a player in control of the puck on the opponent's side of the center red line, thus preventing a reasonable scoring opportunity. I contend that the penalty came from behind, Porter had control of the puck, it was in SCSU's end, and it certainly prevented a reasonable scoring opportunity. So, It doesn't have to be a clear breakaway to warrant the penalty shot.

Toews has been really quiet this series...