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scpa0305

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Posts posted by scpa0305

  1. Mark MacMillan is listed at 6 feet 168 pounds- this means in reality he is probably 5'11 and 160- that is a THIN college hockey player. He has some great skill and potential- imagine if he was 20 pounds heavier? 180 would not slow him down at all, but would give him that extra mass when going to the net and getting ridden by a dman. Right now he is likely giving up 40 pounds to the average WCHA defenseman...that is a lot...maybe he needs to go lay brick with Fratty's old crew in Alberta- that'll put on 20 pounds of muscle in a summer (I know, I did it laying concrete roads one summer in college).

    Actually I rode an elevator with MacMillan and Corban Night at last year's Final Five and Mark is a legit 6'1''. I am a conservative 5'11'' and he was definitely taller than me. I also bet he was like 175 at the end of last year. Hopefully going into this year he can at least get up to 180-185 lbs. He is slender though.

  2. Your breakdown of Dell' s skill set is mostly spot on. There are a couple of things I would challenge;

    First, I would classify his positioning as better than above average. From my view Dell had some of the best positioning I have ever seen on the college level.

    Second I think it is a bit of an over statement to say he had "major" problems with puck control. While puck control was one if his weaknesses, I would put hiss skill in this area as more like slightly below average.

    I will throw in one more of each a plus and a minus in the Dell assememt.

    He did not have the big save element to his game. Mostly in the big glove category.

    He did have very good psychology. He didn't get flustered very often and kept very cool under pressure. And attribute that is quite significant in the book of good tending.

    So I think he has potential to get better and have some kind off pro career. He would probably be a good goalie coach as well.

    I will throw on my SIOUX jersey and make the 25 mile trek north to the Budweiser Events Center and give him a cheer for the Sioux fans.

    Fair. I like your added assessments....but his rebound control I will hold at my very low rating. Lucky for him he had Blood, Macw., and crew to swat away those rebounds. Your exactly right about the big play ability. He never bailed his team out that much....he could make the first save on an average shot but could not get to the upper corners quickly nor was he great with breakaways. But, again, I agree with your assessments.

  3. Could not agree more. See Jeff Frazee. Scouts said he was the best American goalie prospect in years to come along but he was total headcase. It doesn't matter that his physical talent is better than most.

    And then the year he bolted from MN he went on to be an AHL all-star and (I believe) AHL goalie of the year...could be wrong on the second piece. Either way, almost got called up to the show until he imploded the next year.

  4. I think that luck and timing are involved. But I think that focus and maturity and consistency are often what separates the ones that make it from the ones that don't. That's why goalies often take longer to make the NHL. The good ones have to be on 60 or more minutes per game, 60-80 games per year or even more depending on the playoffs. A lot of goalies have enough talent to make it. They just have to learn how do it night in and night out.

    True....that can be said with all positions within the game. I grew up with some really good hockey players....but they simply couldn't bring it that much. A lot changes when hockey becomes your job.

  5. This made me think about that list of goalies and how long it took a lot of them to get to the NHL and stay there. Makes me wonder if there are almost too many good goalies out there and luck and timing seems to play a big part in how far they go. Or are there just really little things that seperate goalies in the N from the A and the A from the E?

    I know a scout and he has said the same thing many times...what is different now, from 10-20 year ago, is that there are a lot of good goalies who have great fundamentals. Most likely because they focus on one sport, or play year round, or are trained from day 1. But they have to because the game has evolved so much. But, there are always the new types of goalies that make me reconsider this....Rinne, Quick, etc.

  6. Sorry to just get back to you, but seriously? ??? There are 486 players on that list...do you really think that I know the careers of all of them? What little research I had time to do...at least 7 of them did and that is leaving off in the B's.

    Which either way, your original statement said that there was no chance of going anywhere. Unless I quoted you wrong? The point of my original post was to say that there is a CHANCE of going somewhere else. Is it small? Yes. Does Dell have a chance? Yes. Do I think it is a huge chance? No. However, even a 2-5% chance is a chance.

    Sorry to rain on your parade but the goalies you listed (I believe that was you) were great goalies on some pretty terrible teams before the made in further professionally. This simply weren't noticed or were drafted and stuck behind layers of good goalies in the minors. There is a big difference, Dell was on a great team. Lets get one thing straight here, while Dell wasn't terrible for us (except for the beginning of last year) by no means was he an absolute stud. He is a big goalie with above average positioning but has major puck control problems which most people that pay a lot of attention to the game can see. This is most likely why no AHL team signed him and why he bounced to the E a year early....because Gothberg will end of stealing his job and he will be out of other options.

    • Upvote 1
  7. So you are saying that Phil was much better than Dell who holds the team record for 30 wins in a season? To each their own I suppose.Right now Phil is without a team I believe. Be interesting to see how far Dell goes up the pro ladder or if stays where he is at. They are both former Sioux so all is good.

    I believe he plays in Austria, where he makes much more than he would in the E. He won the ECHL goalie of the year a few years back as well.

  8. Phil better than Dell? I beg to differ. The Floppin Frenchman scared the hell out of me when he was inthe net. Good goalie but I wouldn't give him the edge over Dell.

    Hahaha, funny nickname. But yes....Phil was much better.

  9. The ECHL isn't quite the hockey career graveyard that many people make it out to be, specifically for goalies. The following goalies in the 2012 NHL Playoffs played in the ECHL: Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas, Mike Smith, Joey MacDonald, Johan Hedberg, Martin Biron, Alex Auld, Jason Labarbera, Thomas Greiss, Jaroslav Halak, Braden Holtby, Michael Neuvirth, Dany Sabourin, and Thomas Vokoun.

    That's a pretty big list and just from the teams who made the playoffs.

    There are some good goalies in there.

  10. Dell was a great college goalie, my favorite at UND since Goehring, and really only Goehring and Belfour are in the discussion since I started watching in the 1980s. His success was not a product of a good team in front of him; he was in fact a huge reason the teams in front of him were good. He had some easier playoff games and did his job, but he also had difficult ones and did an exceptional job keeping the team in those games. Memorably, the team had no legs left in OT in the 2011 Final Five title game against Denver, but he held on while the team recovered. One year later, UND was completely outclassed for 35 minutes against MN, and should have trailed by much more than 3-0; only Dell made it possible for UND to mount that historic comeback.

    I doubted him when he first took over for Eidness. His first appearance that year was shaky, and I remembered subpar efforts from the year before. But he won me over with his play (not numbers). No overcommitment, very quick recovery and most of all, he didn't spend a lot of time laying in the crease hoping the puck didn't find the wrong stick. With his size and sound positioning, he blocked a lot of shots just by being there.

    I personally think he will play in the NHL eventually. His route out of college might seem a bit unorthodox, but I think he'll succeed in time. I thank him for his huge contributions the last two years and wish him nothing but the best.

    We'll have to agree to disagree. His positioning is slightly above average but his rebound control was well below average. He played good this year in the playoffs and I felt he played really well against U Mich in the Nat'l Championship two years ago. But to say he is as good as you are saying I cannot agree with. Also, Phil L. was better than Dell.

    • Upvote 1
  11. Did you read the post I quoted? Obviously you didn't. It said "Those type of kids are steered, without exception, to Major Junior,". That is a patently false statement, as I pointed out in my post. I listed 7 exceptions, plus there were a few European players that I didn't list. So the post that said they play Major Junior without exception can't possibly be true. That's what happens when you make absolute statements, they can be very hard to support because there are usually exceptions of some kind. In my post I also said that the vast majority do play Major Juniors. That is a fact. No one is disputing it. But there are players that don't go through Major Juniors and still are top end talent. They are rare, but they do happen. If you could see through your Major Junior obsession you would see that.

    Actually, now that I read your post, I still slightly disagree, because more and more kids ARE steered the major junior route. Hopefully with these fines coming down there will be a more level playing field. Also, more and more Europeans ARE coming to the CHL. For time's sake, google the last 3-4 drafts and check out where the kids came from and/or where they are going to play. From a kid I skate with that played for the NTDP a couple years back, their "advisors (or agents I call them)" really push hard for the real good kids to go play in the CHL. But you are correct in that a small amount of top end kids do come to the NCAA, hopefully that number continues to grow again. I miss the middle 2,000's where a decent number of top end kids started coming to college...then as fast as it started, it stopped. On the filp side, I'm starting to notice that more and more late bloomers are coming out of college and really making an impact in the pros. I like that as well.

  12. Did you read the post I quoted? Obviously you didn't. It said "Those type of kids are steered, without exception, to Major Junior,". That is a patently false statement, as I pointed out in my post. I listed 7 exceptions, plus there were a few European players that I didn't list. So the post that said they play Major Junior without exception can't possibly be true. That's what happens when you make absolute statements, they can be very hard to support because there are usually exceptions of some kind. In my post I also said that the vast majority do play Major Juniors. That is a fact. No one is disputing it. But there are players that don't go through Major Juniors and still are top end talent. They are rare, but they do happen. If you could see through your Major Junior obsession you would see that.

    Sorry, you're right....I didn't read the entire post. My bad. I have simply been reading the same biased posts for 3 months now so I assumed you would be bashing major junior and saying how college hockey is the best way to go. I read your post....makes sense.

  13. But if this could be your one shot at following your dream would you not take it? This may sound a little off color but maybe he also left because of an insight as to how Hak was going to treat him this season. He saw what Hak has done to others in a similar situation as himself. He saw how Brad was treated and maybe he figured the same thing was in store for him. He may not make the big bucks in the E but he is chasing his dream and probably has as good of a chance in Colorado, if not better, than he would have had here. I like guys who have the cajones to go for the ring.

    Yeah, this makes sense. He may only have a year left in school so he can always get that done relatively quickly. And you are correct, I believe if he would have struggled early at all (like last year's debacle) he would have lost his job for good. Makes sense.

  14. So who does everyone think is going to be the #1 Goalie going into the season? Gothberg seems to be the favorite, but Saunders may compete for the #1 spot. Should be a good battle. I don't see Maris beating wither of those guys out. I would bet they split games for the first 3 months till one of the two breaks out and proves they are the guy. Should be a great battle!

    While I believe Gothberg will come out the starter, I agree with your statement. Let him and Saunders split time until one of them proves they should be the starter. Should be fun to watch.

  15. So I have felt the whole time that we are getting a goalie in Gothberg that will be an instant improvement over Dell. I also know that Saunders is supposed to be a hard worker and could challenge for some minutes; but what absolutely blows my mind is that Dell left for the ECHL....who does that? I mean, I have absolutely no concerns with him leaving, but I am more interested with his thought process. Yes he had decent stats here but it was only because of the team in front of him (as many teams he worked with obviously found out this summer). I still find it shocking that he takes off for the ECHL, I simply have never heard of this. Does anyone know if he was finished with school?

  16. So the rumor is they also tried to lure the Schmaltz bros...I wonder if they cooperated with the investigation? Subsequently, Jordan Schmaltz (1 rd pick) was cut in the first round from the U-20 tryout camp....everyone knows the Development team is run by guys who love the CHL/NHL. Just speculation only but I'm still having a real hard time grasping that Schmaltz was cut that early when he is a legit blue chip prospect but yet they keep some 3rd and 4th rounders. He should have been the 2nd or third best dman on the team, let along not making the top 7.

    • Upvote 2
  17. Yeah, I'd say that if Brad is that plugged in to give it 1%, then the coaches probably have even more information. Hey, if Dell still needs a little leverage for negotiations, why not give him that edge when he has performed so admirably here. Not saying that is going on, but I am sure the coaches aren't in the dark for this upcoming season, and ultimately that is the key factor.

    Believe me....the coaches will not be worried with who they have coming in. There was no way Dell would be the sole starter with Gothberg (blue chip recruit) coming in. No matter who else is here....Gothberg starts at least half the games this year. Either way Dell or Saunders would get their minutes significantly cut. I'm sure Saunders has no problem with that but Dell's stock (being undrafted) would take a serious hit.

  18. Nice p!$$ing contest you all have here. Football/basketball rule everywhere in ND except the northeastern side which roots for hockey....UND is on the eastern side which most of you are from that is why you are rooting for the hockey argument. I am a die hard Sioux hockey fan and grew up playing hockey my whole life, but after leaving GF, I have fully excepted that those other sports rule. However I would say the most popular team in the state (which the original article was talking about) would be either the VIkes or Sioux hockey. NDSU/UND basketball teams are not very good (comparing them to other D1 basketball teams) and their football teams play AA (which no one outside of ND cares about....sorry guys had to be the one to inform you).

  19. There are Bison football fans that are UND hockey fans. Are there UND fans that are bison fans?

    Yeah I rooted for the Bison against the Gophers in football and last season when they were in the JV'chip. I'll root for UND when they play the Bison though.

  20. I think this article makes sense. UND hockey is huge for us hockey fans and for the eastern side of the state but the Vikings pretty much rule the state. My family is originally from the western side of the state and they don't really follow hockey whatsoever, but every sunday they watch the Vikes. It would be close between the two....that is why they are correct in mentioning both of them. They need to correct the UAA division 2 hockey thing....they are D1

    FYi they go state by state. Not top teams in the country.

  21. I saw JT Miller made the team right out of the gate. Would have been nice to have him.

    JT played for the team last year I believe....yeah he would have been real nice. Most likely WCHA rookie of the year.

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