yzerman19

I agree, with the shot barrage. I posted elsewhere that I thought we were definitely trying to be too pretty. Clearly Chorney, Duncan and Toews can pick corners with the best of them. Bottom line, Sioux need to have offensive production out of the 2-4 lines. We need goals from those guys or else we will lose.

Just put a picture of a B-52 up! Of course I am a Sioux fan, but if we lose, I am the biggest fan of whoever is playing the Gophers

We definitely tried to be too pretty at times. The drop pass from the D is about as stupid as it gets!!!! Drop pass to the D not from the D. Where was the Fabian Kaip connection last night? Porter played well on the pk, but we were definitely spending too much time killing penalties. MN shut down our high powered O. They played an unusual style for Gopher hockey last night. I used to think that POI stood for Prima donnas On Ice. Last night they looked like a grind it our working class team. That is scary. Who needs to step it up: Brad Miller. The man has been a non-factor down the stretch run. Come on buddy!!! Best player in the WCHA skill wise: Jon Toews. Best defenseman in the WCHA offensive skill wise: Taylor Chorney Best sniper: Ryan Duncan Most fun to watch: TJ Oshie Let's go Sioux

Appreciate the post Wookie! Good Luck! Michigan and North Dakota combined: 3+ times as many national titles as MN

Thanks for the backing I was trying to be reasonable in my assessments. It is clear that reason is out of the question for many Gopher fans. I gave props to Lucia and to Wheeler for the win. I bashed the officiating, because there were clearly some bad calls. The extra penalty for Chorney after the cheap shot on Duncan really got me going. To argue that the waived off goal supports fair officiating is ridiculous. That call is not subjective; as all goals are reviewed, and Lucia definitely was harassing Phil. Was it the most blatent GT interference ever? No, but he was definitely in the crease and made contact with Phil. The subjective calls, penalties, were heavily lop-sided towards the Goofs in that first period. It started to even out, but 8 to 5 is not right. MN is clearly an elite program, but many Gopher fans seem to believe that it is the only elite program. When you challenge that with statistics such as the fact that three teams in the same conference have won more NCAA titles you get comments back like "you're dumb". Many Gopher backers don't seem to know hockey. Many do, and they are usually fine to deal with. It is the others, like the ones who want a Big ten hockey conference, who frustrate me. I guess due to being the laughing stock of the big ten in football and basketball, the Gopher sports clowns have moved their support to hockey. The logic is always so corrupt, before the wins in 2002 and 2003, MN hadn't won a title since 1979. That's 23 years by my math, I was educated at the U of M, so maybe my math isn't the best, but I think I'm right. You'd think that without winning in 23 years you would be somewhat humbled, but not so with la Gophere. MN won two very close contests this weekend. I don't know how much they have left.

Michigan is an interesting draw. The Goofs pounded them back when the Goofs were really rolling, but Michigan beat Wisconsin. Leads me to the conclusion that if we can get them into a run and gun affair, we can beat them just like last year. I think Red likes to open it up, so this one could be a high scoring event. The Sioux coaches need to watch plenty of tape from last night's game and figure out how we can get more open ice for our top forwards. Surely Red will be watching that tape, as MN and Denver are the only teams that have been able to leg one out with us. Conditioning will also be a huge factor, as you have both the end of the season and the altitude to deal with. Number one for us is to stay out of the box, but not change our aggressive play.

I am U of MN alum, Carlson both undergrad and grad school, and I have always hated the rouser. I don't like the name calling. Make a statement, don't call me dumb. It is infantile. Also, this is the Sioux board, I am not posting on any Gopher sites. I did hear the comments, and I was bashing what I heard. The shot was a miracle. I gave Wheeler props for the effort, but to just take a whack at the puck and have it pick the far corner, one in fifty, maybe one in a hundred.

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.