fightingsioux4life

LOL! Seriously though, you are right, it is a privilege to watch this team. As for "the top teams from the east", I am not scared of any of those teams. The NCHC is, top to bottom, the toughest conference in the country. We'll be battle-tested and ready for whatever comes our way in March and April.

Kieffer Bellows6-1 (185)195 (88)6/10/98LEdina, Minn.U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)2016 Draft EligiblePaul Bittner6-4 (193)202 (92)11/4/96LCrookston, Minn.Portland Winterhawks (WHL)CBJ ('15, 2nd rd., 38th ovr.)Anders Bjork5-11 (180)183 (83)8/5/96RMequon, Wis.University of Notre Dame (HEA)BOS ('14, 5th rd., 146th ovr.)Brock Boeser6-0 (183)192 (87)2/25/97RBurnsville, Minn.University of North Dakota (NCHC)VAN ('15, 1st rd., 23rd ovr.)Alex DeBrincat5-7 (170)161 (73)7/29/98LFarmington Hills, Mich.Erie Otters (OHL)2016 Draft EligibleRyan Donato6-1 (185)181 (82)4/9/96LScituate, Mass.Harvard University (ECAC Hockey)BOS ('14, 2nd rd., 56th ovr.)Christian Dvorak6-0 (183)187 (85)2/2/96LPalos, Ill.London Knights (OHL)ARZ ('14, 2nd rd., 58th ovr.)Scott Eansor5-8 (173)168 (76)1/3/96LEnglewood, Colo.Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)Free AgentRyan Hitchcock5-10 (178)170 (77)3/30/96LManhasset, N.Y.Yale University (ECAC Hockey)Free AgentClayton Keller5-10 (178)170 (77)7/29/98LSwansea, Ill.U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL)2016 Draft EligibleAuston Matthews6-0 (183)199 (90)9/17/97LScottsdale, Ariz.ZSC Lions (National A-Swiss)2016 Draft EligibleRyan MacInnis6-4 (193)185 (84)2/14/96LSt. Louis, Mo.Kitchener Rangers (OHL)ARZ ('14, 2nd rd., 43rd ovr.)Sonny Milano5-11 (180)185 (85)5/12/96LMassapequa, N.Y.Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)CBJ ('14, 1st rd., 16th ovr.)Nick Schmaltz6-0 (183)172 (78)2/23/96RVerona, Wis.University of North Dakota (NCHC)CHI ('14, 1st rd., 20th ovr.)Matthew Tkachuk6-1 (185)188 (85)12/11/97LSt. Louis, Mo.London Knights (OHL)2016 Draft EligibleColin White6-0 (183)183 (83)1/30/97RHanover, Mass.Boston College (HEA)OTT ('15, 1st rd., 21st ovr.)As we figured, Boeser and Schmaltz made the preliminary roster. I think both have an excellent chance at making the final roster.

That is a pattern I have noticed as well. I would urge current college players to listen to the voices of experience and think twice about leaving school early. Unless your last name is Toews, Parise or Oshie, it isn't worth giving up your college years (which will never, ever come again).

<sigh> On that, we agree.

I think he'll get another couple of years to get his team back into the NCAA tournament.

I have said this before, nobody has said it in so many words. However, they make comments such as "Well, it would be nice to win another 'natty', but it isn't all that big of a deal if we don't." That makes it clear that they don't care all that much if we hang another dark green banner or not.

I agree with you. However, more than a few people on this forum seem to not care so much if we do it or not.

I agree with this 1000%. The frustration people had with Hakstol was the inability to finish the job at the biggest stage in college hockey (Frozen Four). And that frustration was built over a period of 10 years. Berry will obviously get a honeymoon period here (something that Hakstol admittedly did not get and should have gotten), but with the expectations our fans have of this program, that won't last more than a few years. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

You obviously didn't read my post; I said this team dumps it in the zone WHEN APPROPRIATE. And no, we didn't dump it in if we had a breakaway under Hakstol or any other coach, that would be boneheaded. However, I have seen many instances this season where one of our guys carried the puck into the zone with two defensemen in front of him. Under Hakstol, he would have dumped it in. Under Berry, he carries it in and it usually leads to some scoring changes. And it wreaks absolute havoc on the opposition as they scramble to protect their goal crease. Putting pressure on your opponent also leads to turnover and mistakes, which can lead to goals. I have never said dump and chase is ALWAYS bad, sometimes it is the only play available and sometimes it is just the right play in that circumstance. This whole conversation started when someone had the unmitigated gall to point out that there are some differences between Hakstol and Berry in terms of offensive tactics. That led to all these defensive comments by some people complaining about "Hak Bashing". THAT, my friend, is MY biggest pet peeve on this site. I do like what this team is doing and I hope they keep on doing it.

Not to mention a couple of tall WRs to stretch the field. Charles Johnson and Mike Wallace haven't done much.

Well, I guess we'll find out in the next couple of years. A lot of coaches in the NHL get fired for reasons beyond their control. Of course, Hakstol will get his money either way.

That is what we used to have in the FB radio broadcast booth with Tony "The Cogswell Cannon" Stein. And I think Brandt is much better than Scott Koberinski was.

I call the B1G's rule against scheduling FCS teams "The Minnesota Rule". You can thank Tim Brewster and NDSU for making that possible.

That was the result of Mr. Tom Buning and his asinine criteria he used to hire Jones to replace Rich Glas. I think it included "minimum five years Division I experience" and "a Master's Degree". The fact is, every coach starts out someplace small and then gets bigger jobs as they build on their resumes. Craig Smith is one example of that.

I got news for you, Mr. Conscience of SS.com, but it isn't our job to come up with the buyout money. It's Faison's...and the Alumni Association's as well. That is how we got rid of Mussman. Of course, our benefactors need to know that the need for buyout funds exists and that once again is on the Athletic Department....not me and not you. As for what I would contribute, I can't contribute much, but I probably would throw in a token check to help move matters along.

I suppose you still think Mussman should have the FB head coaching job? If you answer "yes" to that question, then you really haven't learned the lessons of history, have you? Nice road win, but we'll have to wait and see what happens the rest of the season before we can call this the start of a turnaround.

Bashing? I was merely comparing what looks like two different styles and admitting my preference for one over the other. My comment on Berry being a former D-Man was to make the point that you can have a dynamic offense and still play good defense; you don't have to give up one for the other. There always are style and system differences when you replace one head coach with another. I saw it with the Blais to Hakstol transition and I am seeing it with the Hakstol to Berry transition. The important thing is, we are winning and we are looking good doing so.

Why wouldn't Hakstol do it? Because he refused to budge from his "Baseline Defensive System" no matter what. Under Hakstol, we almost always did the "dump-chase-cycle-cycle-cycle" routine when we got to the blue line. Under Berry, they are carrying the puck across the blue line whenever they can and doing the dump and chase when it is appropriate. I noticed it right away in the Manitoba game. That puts pressure on the opposing teams defensemen and goaltender. That also helps create scoring chances. And as we saw this weekend, you can have a dynamic offense and still play solid team defense. And with a former defenseman in charge of the program (Berry), I don't think defense will ever be a problem for this team. Even if you promote an assistant coach to take over a program, you will have some changes in how the team plays. Two of the biggest I have noticed are carrying the puck across the blue line and shooting more on the Power Play. I think both have been good for this team.

Me too.

And if we pay the next coach of UND MBB (because I don't see Jones being here much longer) based on that standard, we'll get another mediocre D-I assistant who isn't head coach material.

Yeah, don't want that painted green so it blends in with the surroundings.

Took the words right out of my mouth. SUCK PACK SUCK!!!

What was that saying about "other people's money"? Apparently, that principle only applies if everyone else's ox is getting gored.

People are also forgetting that SIU was making an all-out commitment to their FB program when they went after Lennon. New stadium, all new facilities, the whole nine yards. After begging for table scraps at UND, that was too good to pass up.