fan1234

Actually we came out pretty well...two quick 1st period goals on blatant defensive breakdowns will put any team back on its heals...

When we win in the future...by the way this team is built...it won't be seniors leading the way...I would bet that in every one of the past championships, it was seniors who lead the way...the way things seem to go now the best players leave early and the only seniors who stay are supposed to be character guys who have more to bring to the table than talent.

The hockey name "Goon" implies you are a fighter...based on your comments I think you got punched in the head a few to many times...or need to be... Jeff "Jeffie" Panzer is 5'8" 155lbs...Drew Stafford is 6'3" 210lbs...I think they are different players...Panzer was a prototype college player who, because of his size will probably never make an impact in the NHL...Let's wait a few years and compare these two as NHL'ers... Jeff Panzer was 20 years old as a freshman...he scored 5 more points than Stafford who was 18. Drew Stafford will not be 20 until 1/4 of the way through his junior year. To say age doesn't matter is also to say that players don't develop. Because of their profile the Sioux attract good young players who leave early...Zach, Brandon, probably Stafford, Zajac, Toews...you name it...Toews won't even be 18 until his sophomore year...this is 7 (SEVEN) years younger that Panzer was as a senior leader...it was a different time...none of these current young players will be around when they are seniors...remember also the Sioux were shutout in the biggest game of the year last year, with Zach (soph)and Bo (Jr) in the lineup and Blais behind the bench... By all accounts the Sioux outplayed CC last week. The fact that they lost is tough, but games and series like that happen. The sad part is that they have lost games they should have won to teams they should beat. Who was on the ice in the last minute tie and eventual loss to CC in Grand Forks?...Seniors...who was on the ice in the last second defensive breakdown in Duluth?...Seniors...who was on the ice when Mankato won with 3 seconds left?...Seniors...Can you blame the coach for putting seniors on the ice in these situations? Anybody that has been around college or high school sports realizes that a team is only as good as its upperclassmen...to expect 17-18-19 year olds regardless of ability to lead players who are in some cases (Canady) almost six years older, is unreasonable. I've heard that one of the Sioux "so-called" traditions is that seniors don't even talk to freshmen...this may have been okay in the old model, but when you have underclassmen expected to contribute right away, the dynamic should change... This team can still come together and have a great year. It's up to the upperclassmen, regardless of ability, playing time or anything...they set the tone and culture of the team...

Stafford needs to shoot more and be more physical on the forcheck; however, he set up Zajac at the back door and Zajac wiffed. He set up Porter for the breakaway and Porter hit the post. He set up Porter on Porter's goal. It's early in the season, the bounces will start to go our way. Anyone who thinks that our offense wasn't going to miss Zpar and Bo is nuts. I think we have several gamebreakers who just need to mature.

He grew up in Toronto. His dad works in Atlanta. He's been at Shattuck 3 years.

They didn't play anybody else...my only point was that if you divide the season up Stafford finished in the top 3 scorers over the last 10 games...it's not like they choose the teams they play!

Stafford's quiet finish... Last 10 games played... Parise 16 pts Bochenski 13 pts Stafford 11pts Murray 9 pts

Stafford played center at Shattuck. He could easily make the transition.

It was actually Prpich not Stafford that missed the open net on a pass from McMahon...Virg got that call wrong in the paper...

Murray got 2 assists passing to Parise. He is a good offensive player, but he's not big or strong enough to play effective defensive hockey. He loses a lot of 1 on 1 battles for the puck and gives it away on the breakout quite a bit. Playing pretty much every shift of the season with the probable Hobey Baker winner is definately not a bad thing. Not to take anything away from his puck skills and skating, and he certainly has helped Zach too, but...

I think they missed Stafford.

While Murray has played with Parise every game since game 1, has been on every power play since game 1, and seen significant ice time in every situation, Stafford has played with pretty much everyone. The games he has been with Parise he has produced like in Houghton. When he played with Purpich, Purpich had a hat trick in Denver. When he played with Mcmahon and Fyllying, Fylling had a career weekend. He assisted on both of Genoway's goals last weekend. I think, and I agree, that the coaches are more conerned with keeping Bochenski going, since Bocheski is a right wing and Stafford is a right wing, Stafford's icetime is limited. He has not been on the first power play unit at all, and has not been on power play at all for the last month. Points are not the only part of production.

From: US Hockey Report National Junior Team Nearly Set Head coach Mike Eaves and the staff of the U.S. National Junior Team hoped to have this year

Blais said on the coaches show that he was giving the upper classmen a chance and that perhaps a freshman would take their place if they don't produce. I think it's only a matter of time before Stafford is on the PP but in the "pecking order" of players they already have one Freshman (Murray) so the others will get a chance. How many 200lb potential first rounders with soft hands and a scoring touch are not on their college teams' PP?

DMT The PP goes 0 for 9. The line from heaven produces one goal, and you pin the loss on a guy (Porter)who plays regular shift? If you're going to give credit when the scorers score, can't you criticize when they don't?

If the other team scores... Tom Petty -- "Even the losers get lucky sometimes"

I checked...Smaby is a 10/14/1984...happy birthday matt!!

Smaby is a 1984 birthday, May I believe. Stafford is a 1985 birthday, about a year and a half younger. If Stafford opts in to the 2004 draft he will lose his college eligibility. He probably won't, so he'll be in the 2005 draft.