yzerman19

No doubt about that. I like how they have a virtual cakewalk to the frozen four for Denver and BC and a hornet's nest in Michigan and Minneapolis. The PWR is not the best rating, KRACH is, but that is beside the point. I think MN deserves to be just slightly higher than the Sioux, and based on the last couple weeks, I think Wisconsin should be just behind them. I think all three are better than any team in the ECAC or the CCHA.

INCH is way off. With the 3-2-1 bonus UND is 8th (a number two seed). They also have way too many intraconference matchups posted.

I don't like the perpetual Gopher-loving and Sioux-hating in the polls, but I do like not having any pressure on us.

I've seen that Bluto guy too! UMD fans will be at Senser's in droves. Show up and represent.

I didn't realize it was last week's poll either.

DO these clowns even follow college hockey? Wisconsin should barely be hanging on, not ranked ahead of the Sioux let alone the Goofs. As far as the ECAC and CCHA representation. I would love to have Cornell end up a number one seed and get that draw in the NCAAs. Give me Dartmouth, Ohio State and Cornell and I'll see you in the Frozen Four.

I'm hearing that there is a large group of UMD fans gathering at Senser's in Bloomington all weekend. Sioux Fans need to show up and take ownership of the joint.

If any two of the top four teams get knocked off and the Sioux win, then they do not play the play in.

CC or Denver wins the Final Five. Both the Sioux and Gophers have a better chance at winning the NCAAs than the Final Five. Wisconsin is done.

I think the coaching staff is trying to fill in the gaps well. Lee is the most important piece, as our transition game is really lackluster due to our defensemen.

Really either team's series. I have more faith in Sandy than I do in Dave to motivate the troops. I think that UND's size advantage will help. It'd be nice to see Schwabe get his bell rung a few times, but someone has to catch him first. I think that UND is a deeper team and will win a three game series because of that. Duluth needs to win the Final Five to have a shot at an NCAA bid, so they will definitely have incentive to play. Peluso is a hot-head, so I think Dave should send Prpich out to irritate and see if we can't get Marco tossed. It should be very good hockey. UND wins if they can shut down UMD's first line.

The BC league is known throughout junior hockey as a scorer's paradise. It is VERY wide open. Skill levels in US Tier 1 and canadian tier 2 are very comparable. The tier 2 canadian provincial jr leagues like the BC, A and M generally have better talent than the USHL, simply because the majority of really talented hockey players are canadian, and these leagues are close to home for the kids. The USHL was primarily created to create a developmental system for NCAA hockey. The Canadian leagues often send players to Tier 1 (major junior) teams as well as college teams. A typical progression for a skilled player in the US is high school, USHL, NCAA. In canada you generally go bantams, tier 2 junior then to major junior or NCAA. Of course some kids go other routed ala Jamie Langenbrunner who went from Cloquet HS to Peterborough in the O.

I would've loved for Kessel to have committed to a team like UMD. I heard he went MN because of his girlfriend? SOme hockey player...jeez...

In all seriousness, UMD is a great program and Duluth is a fabulous hockey town. I have a lot of buddies who went there, so I just like to rub in the titles fact. Next weekend is anybody's series. Duluth does need a new facility. In recent years, however, the student section up there has become a great force. Sort of like at the old Ralph. It is a lot of fun to go to UMD home games. It is important that Duluth plays well. I am truly a WCHA traditionalist and hate SCSU and MSU being part of the league.

Definitely not a bandwagon jumper. I was watching the Sioux win from before I could walk. I remember clouds of cigarrette smoke in the concourse at the old winter sports arena so thick It looked like LA in springtime. UMD is a fine program, if you don't get scholarship offers from UND or MN or WI

All in good fun UMDDOGZ , but the last time I was in the DECC, the only championship banners I saw were for women's hockey. MN, UND, WI, Denver and CC have all won many NCAA titles. SCSU and UMD have both been to the dance a few times, so maybe I shouldn't have thrown TECH in, sorry.

Maybe we need some guys like Ed Belfour and Jason Blake to come talk about what a privelege it is to wear the green and white. As far as being sick, that is no excuse. Mike Modano has put together a HOF career playing 90% of his games with the clap.

I always say reloading with our program. It's not like we are Tech or UMD or SCSU, we are an elite program that always is a threat to win.

I'm well aware of the terrible senior class. I was speaking positively about the underclass forwards I mentioned. You're right about the beating to death of our woes. Right now I just hope Wheeler and Kessel are busts!

I agree with Federov on the coaching issue. Blaiser would've had guys crying in his office after some of the performances we've been seeing. If we weren't on the bubble in the PWR I would make an example of some of these clowns. I'd put scholarship info on the chalk board and every guy who didn't play would see his $ disappear in front of the whole team. Leadership has to come on the ice too, and it doesn't look to me like we have any out there.

I agree that a "Denver Run" is very unlikely. We have some horses though, they just aren't running. Murray, Stafford, Zajac and Porter can play on my team any time. Greene is a pro player, not a college player. His game is much more suited for the NHL or Major Junior. If the lockout gets resolved, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go. It is unfortunate that we will be reloading in a year where we are hosting a regional.

PWR is everything right now, all we have to do is get there and anything can happen. Look at Denver last year, they were the fourth best team in the conference. Final Five and all of that is nice, but we've won seven national titles! We aren't Duluth (just happy to be there), we are the second winningest program in D1 hockey (by titles). We expect to go to the NCAAs and we aren't happy unless we have a shot at winning. People tell me how bad we are going to be next year, because we are losing so many defensemen, but tell you what, I'm happy to be getting rid of all of them. Open tryouts should be held. This year is a disgrace. I call for a new coach and a new attitude. I think Hakstol should skate the guys until they vomit at 12:01 on Sunday, just like Delta Don threatened to. Further proof that Parise was the best player in college hockey last year...we can't score a goal without him.

I'm trying really hard to stay positive, but it isn't easy. Nobody can score for us. Oshie, Vandevelde and Lee won't have anything to do after tomorrow night, maybe they should come up early. I'm really thinking that this year might have to be one and done for Hakstol. He obviously can't get anything out of these guys. Stafford and Zajac are number one draft picks for crying out loud. It has to be the system or the coaching.

TJ Oshie and Brian Lee are playing on TV. I don't know who else we are getting. There is a new crop of Shattuck kids and some guys from BC. There is a superstar from Winnipeg who is comingthis way too. Kessel is a fine player. I watched him in the WJC. He is not be all or end all yet. A lot of people thought Barry Tallackson was going to be a superstar in this league and he was a bust. I have to think that Kessel's mind is a little warped after seeing the hype and all that encouraged by his Dad.

Can anybody say Barry Tallackson?