fightingsioux4life

It seems like the whole "one and done" format doesn't stop Denver from having frequent national-level success. I am tired of that excuse being posted on here. If some of you want to cling to that as some sort of coping mechanism, go ahead. But I am simply done acknowledging it. And enough about "parity". Denver didn't get that memo, did they? And no, success in this tournament isn't about "luck". That is an excuse for not winning the big games when you have the chance. We used to mock Minnesota for choking in the spotlight during the Woog (RIP) era. Now we are the ones using the same lines Goofer fans used to use when they failed to complete the mission in April. Ralph Engelstad himself stated that "The harder I work, the luckier I get". I think a lot of people on this forum would tell him he is wrong if he was still around. This whole mentality took hold in our fan base after all the Frozen Four failures under Hakstol. It continued during the second half of Berry's tenure, when we had some teams that would win a lot of games in the regular season and then take a big dump in the postseason. 2016 was such a shock to all of us because we had become accustomed to being disappointed. I would love to get to the point where we expect (and usually get) victories in March and April. I do think this coaching staff will get us there, but this was such a huge disappointment and letdown. And enough of this nonsense that Denver or anybody else "sandbags the regular season for success in the postseason". Does anyone on this forum actually believe it would be better if we finished third or fourth, barely earning home ice for the first round? That is total nonsense. I just don't understand the logic. You play to win every game. There is absolutely no reason why we can't have the same level of success as Denver. None. The idea that "we just can't expect those results here" is insulting to long-time fans of this program like myself, not to mention all the quality players, athletes and people who have worn the jersey over the many decades. Too many fans on this forum have bought into the idea that we aren't that program anymore and we need to accept our "place" as a stepping stone for other teams on their way to glory. Enough is enough already. I am tired of being "envious" of other programs while we get left behind and in the dust. I am confident in the future of the program, with Jackson and his staff, because they seem to know how to recruit in this era of college hockey. And the speed in which they rebuilt this program is incredible. But we absolutely must reassert ourselves as a national power in the next few years. Not winning Nattys is detrimental to the program, even if people on this forum like to pretend otherwise. It's all people remember in the long run. The white banners are nice and should be hung with pride, but they are no substitute for the legacy and prestige of green banners. I just had to get all of that off my chest. I will be taking a sabbatical from this forum for a while, as the level of disappointment I am feeling is several notches higher than in 2024. Carry on.

I was only talking about today's game, but I like your version better!

If we play like we did against Quinnipiac, we'll win.

Until the players get too expensive. Then the Pohlads will have another fire sale.

That's outrageous. There's no good reason for that.

I have never taken anything for granted. But you are right, enjoying the moment is important.

That was a very dark period for this program. We were standing on the edge of an abyss. Kudos to Jackson and his staff on turning this around so quickly.

This is what I think as well. The toughest teams to play in this tournament are teams from your conference. They know you inside and out. It's no secret that our toughest game in the 2016 tournament was Denver. Michigan doesn't know our team as well as Denver. I also think Michigan is very offensively oriented. I think their defense can be scored on. Grab an early lead, play shut down defense and have Spoons cover for any mistakes and I think we beat Michigan.

You can disagree with how these people are expressing their frustration, but the program IS a dumpster fire right now. And I am curious as to how the coaching staff is planning to clean it up.

Politics can make for strange bedfellows. And sometimes, so does college athletics.

Yes he did. But imagine what he would have done if the rules on fighting were more lax.

And when a Niagara player took two extra steps in the 3rd period so he could clobber Kollar, I went absolutely ballistic. If the rules on fighting weren't so strict, I think Mike Commodore would have wiped the ice with him.

You should have gotten an usher to deal with it.

I know I don't poke my finger into the child of an opposing fan after my team lost. One of the more ridiculous stories told at the final Hoggsbreath brunch last year. I also don't trash talk a rival after my team gets shutout. That happened to me following the Goofs losing 3-0 to Colorado College at the 2013 WCHA Final Five. Are there bad UND fans? Sure there are (one of them got in trouble in Omaha in a playoff series). But I have never dealt with a fan base with more Richard Craniums than Minnesota's Crap on Ice. I can't speak on Michigan's fans, as I haven't had much interaction with them.

Just like Gopher fans.

if he goes #1 overall, I think he would sign immediately.

Thanks. I have changed my original post.

Any chance Gavin McKenna sticks around Penn State for another season?

You know that the SEC and ACC will have good years in the future in FB, MBB and WBB. The B1G isn't going to dominate all sports every year. The women's hockey championship has been dominated by Ohio State and Wisconsin for years now; not exactly breaking news. I think UND beats Wisconsin; they are better up and down the lineup. Denver will have a tougher time with Michigan, but they are more than capable of beating them.

Only so much disposable income and free time for people to allocate. I imagine it has a harder time getting attention than UND hockey does in Grand Forks.

I would guess it's third behind FB and MBB. If WBB there ever takes off, it will get pushed down to fourth.

The grass isn't always greener someplace else. A lesson some people have to learn the hard way.

It's tough to repeat last year's success. Your program isn't going anywhere; you'll be back.

I'll be pulling for UConn tonight, that's for sure. And if Michigan survives Denver in the semifinals, we'll take care of them in the title game.

Anyone think Duluth will lose anyone in the portal?