yzerman19

I think it is ridiculous to say that any of these young players have been disappointing. I think as far as impact however, Oshie made the biggest splash. Kessel, while compiling an armful of points, racked them up in an almost quiet way. Toews had a quiet year up until the last 3 weeks, where he and Stafford have become a dynamic duo. TJ is the most dynamic rookie, Kessel has the most points. Toews may have the biggest upside the way he has played lately. None of these front runners are disappointments. I wonder if Gopher fans are disappointed in Wheeler? I like him when I watch him play, but his numbers are unimpressive. Chucko has to be the biggest disappointment of the recently hyped players.

Didn't Zajac outscore Stastny last year when Stastny was ROY? I'd have to check the stats...

ZP had those same kind of expectations (Kessel has) and he was able to live up to them. I think the difference is heart...Oshie and ZP have the heart of champions, Kessel has the heart of a prima donna. Case in point play in the corners, the defensive zone and away from the puck.

You make a valid point on Denver, however, I think that when we faced them in Denver a week ago we took the play to them. We had a legitimate shot at sweeping the series, but you play shorthanded in the 6th period of a series at that elevation on their home rink in what has become a true rivalry series you are going to lose. Denver desrved to win that second game, but the officiating certainly didn't hurt their cause in the third period last Saturday. I like our chances with Denver in a one game series on neutral ice. I don't like our chances against the Gophs at the X, but I would prefer the scenario of us losing to them in the Final 5 title game to really want some payback in Grand Forks the following weekend.

I happen to put more weight on goals, and especially game winning goals. I think Kessel has had a good year, but I think that everyone who watched the Sioux play came away saying "wow that Oshie can play". If all you do is look at the numbers, Kessel wins going away, if the votes come from the people who watched the games, I think TJ wins. I watched a lot of conference games both UND and MN ( I live in the TCs), and I rarely saw Kessel impact the outcome of a game, where I saw TJ do it a lot. Kessel is a very good player who demonstrated it on the PP, but not so much at even strength. The real question now is who will stay in college longer between the two. Additionally, I was speaking with a scout who was in Denver and thinks that Toews is the number 2 pick right now after Erik Johnson.

Hak needs to feed the boys raw meat for 3 days and then starve them for two. We need to be hungry and smell blood. That is the kind of team that wins titles. I've often wondered what the locker room is like? I mean, who is stepping up and leading the charge.

I believe that the pressure will be on the NCAA to not want 5 WCHA teams to get in, no matter what the PWR says. With that in mind, we will need to make a strong case by winning the Mankato series and by winning at least 1 game in the Final Five. Right now, IMO, the WCHA has to look like this for favorites to win the Final 5: 1. MN 2. UND 3. Denver 4. Wisconsin 5. CC The emergence of the Toews, Stafford, Duncan line as our top line is great, I expect the Oshie, Zajac, Sparky line to give a lot of teams nightmares. I put our third line up against anyone, that Porter, Watkins, Kozek line is a very formidable third line talent and hitting wise. Defense is our achilles heal, the D corps has to keep up the way they've been playing. I like Parise getting 2 shutouts to end the season (that is great for his confidence). The 1-2 PK punch of Stafford and Zajac is as good as we've had since Hrkac and Joyce on the PK. I have little doubt that we will play MN to go to the Frozen Four. I think it is exactly what the NCAA wants for attendence too. I don't look forward to playing the Gophers, but I like the fact that the road to another title goes through GF. MN is the best team right now, and I believe that we are one of only a couple of teams (Denver, BU and Michigan State)that can handle them, and any advantage we can get (home ice) is huge. I don't like how Irmen and Potulny always play big in GF. I also don't like how our D men stack up against that line physically. Both Irmen and Potlny are strong kids who've succeeded at every level of hockey they've been at. They were a force in the USHL. I predict a close game with the first goal being huge.

Hopefully the consecutive shutouts have amped JPar's confidence. It would be great to have a hot goalie here at playoff time. The line combos seem to be have really gelled. Losing Fabian really hurts with that, we are going to have to skate an inexperienced player at his slot. I think the real key has been the maturation of our defensive corps. It is affecting all aspects of the game. Our forwards can break out and play better positionally now, because they can trust that the D will move the puck out with out too much help.

Losing Fabian hurts. He is the kind of grinder every team needs. Maybe a Roseau win next weekend will speed his recovery

I am looking for Zajac to step it up down the stretch here again. He is underachieving as far as goal scoring...Do you think he is deliberatley working on the playmaking part of his game instead of shooting? He stepped up in the MN game. I love that dynamic duo on the pk though Zajac and Stafford...they are so dangerous with open ice.

All done? 10-0 sweep over two games. Both nights we started slow and brought the heat late. We are going to have to play 60 minutes every game from here on out.

Two 10s? What'd he do shoot the puck at the Ref?

I am disconnected, how much time is left?

LOL on the phantom assists I don't know who has more Kessel or Carle

I have to agree with the Poltulny MVP. My picks: 1st team: Potulny, Sterling and Stastny, Carle, Goligoski and Elliot 2nd team: Stafford, Sertich, Pavelski, Smaby, Salcido and Parise 3rd team: Earl, Backes, Irmen Rookie: Oshie, Toews and Kessel I have to put Lee and Chorney on that team too, although I am biased. Oshie is rookie of year, 20 goals is huge. Kessel has a ton of points, but they are mostly power play assists

I think we saw a lot of really good things last night. I think we saw the Sioux playing their game. I read an article talking about how the guys who played in the WJC really needed that time off two weeks ago. I think the excellent play of Toews and Lee and Chorney (particularly in the D zone) made that evident. Oshie has been playing at the next level all year. We saw Stafford skate around everyone and make some great passes, we saw Johnny Toews rifling pucks into the uppers and ringing the hat trick off the crossbar like the NHL stud he is expected to become, we saw Sparky stick handling like Zhamnov out there, we saw Zajac playing his consistent rock solid game on both sides of the ice-even though he was kept off the score sheet, we saw Oshie bringing the 1990 Roenick style of play we all love leveling guys and scoring goals, we saw Porter taking and giving hits every shift and getting a couple decent scoring opportunities (or at least creating them for his linemates). We saw Duncan playing the little Hoogsteenesque sniper. We saw Lee and Chorney and Radke playing good D and stepping into the offensive rush when it was smart. Smaby played the physical leadership role, and Prpich played his instigator role (as this thread is dedicated to) and contributing a working man's goal. We also got solid play out of the lower lines with Kozek sniping a lower and Kaip mucking it up. Even Jones and big Joe actually seemed to hold their own and play decent positionally. We did all of this with a short bench. Jordy came up big when he needed to, but he didn't have to very often, even though I would like him to stay in the net more The post that says the Gophers would like to play the Sioux in March in Englestad is off his rocker. They would like that as much as we would like playing in Mariucci. In a rivalry game with all the chips on the table anything can happen. Even though the Gophs one 3 outta 4, two wins were by one goal. I don't want to play them, and I am sure they don't want to play us on our home ice. Michigan made a living out of winning regionals at Yost when they were a 3 or 4 seed. If the Sioux play like they have the last three games going out, they will be very dangerous, with the possibility of winning it all. The only teams that frighten me right now are MN (equally talented, playing exceptional hockey, and a rival) and BU ( I haven't seen them, but they must be playing well to be where they are at in HE) and possibly Michigan State. Wisconsin is down, we beat Miami, the ECAC is weak.

So we're down two regualr D-men. That hurts.

So are both Sparky and Big Joe out for Friday vs SC Tech? I never saw a box score.

What ever happened to going to a college that could get you a job when you graduate

Syracuse Upstate New York is a hockey hot bed.

When I click on the game on theralph.com it says invalid or inactive product, any have any ideas on that?

Webcast off theralph.com isn't working, any other webcasts available?

But how does all of this relate to Phil kessel

All i know is what I heard. I heard that the fight ofr Toews between the Tri City Americans and UND had some veiled threats about representing Canada. Canada has such an abundance of hockey talent, it wouldn't be hard at all to slide someone else in. Esposito for instance...

I can't believe there are votes for PK. He isn't even the bestplayer on his team.