jk

Yeah, I don't know. Without going back and checking, I think the pitchforks and torches were out for Berry, not Spicer.

I'll admit to still being a little frosty because Blake's timeline didn't line up with mine (mine was thinking smaller player and legacy would lead to another year). But it's his life to lead, and when I get over it I'll consider him one of the most memorable players I've watched. Just uncanny deception. When he had the puck, there was always a chance of something magical happening. (Sometimes for the other team if he coughed it up at the blue line with no one back, but he got better with experience.) I recall he had a goal questionably disallowed as a freshman, so when he scored again later that period, he adamantly gave the referee's goal signal, pointing at the net. Classic.

Maybe one of THE coaches' kids. Don't take a DNA test.

Didn't see it, but they could have killed the penalty without giving up three.

Not so much suggesting it as trying to find a way for him to continue to take faceoffs if he was moved. It seems unlikely that he would be.

Then they could play on the same line, with Omac at center but Berg taking selected draws, especially in the defensive zone.

The thing is that most people posting here, on both sides, are right. Those who are frustrated with the lack of success in the NCAA tournament are right; UND should do better. Those who point to non-trivial measures of program strength such as league titles (in one of the best leagues) or consistently strong Pairwise finishes, are right; UND continues to be one of the nation's top programs.

Does Costantini bear any responsibility for the course of events? He was given plenty of opportunities, up the lineup and on the PP, and had nothing. If he had contributed regularly on the scoresheet, he would have spent all year on the top lines. I don't know how the coaches are at fault for trimming the ice time of an unproductive player. Good for him that he turned it around, but he had a terrible year.

Nah, I feel like UND is right there with them all right now, just need to play a little better at the end.

I really liked last year's roster last off-season, because I had heard good things about Pyke and Zmolek. Once again, I think next year's team is going to be very good. (If Blake had returned, it was going to be in powerhouse territory.) Subtract some difference makers at forward, but add some as well, with the returners all hopefully stronger, faster and wiser. You can construct an awfully potent top nine with that list of players. There are three returning defenders that are already very solid, and the four new additions all sound ready to contribute. Goaltending seems at least solid. At least at forward, next year might be the last chance to contend for a little while. There are a bunch of important players playing out their eligibility, and a few younger guys who may get pro offers. It's a "win now" year.

Wasn't Schmaltz just on the fourth line? How is that no way? As for Senden and Hain, there were few options that year. There are now a plethora of better choices, and as demonstrated last year, the better choices end up higher in the lineup.

I know no one is saying this, but, hmmm, bringing in the next Boeser and Blake would be ok.

The edgy style is definitely gone, but it's tricky and I don't have the answer. The college game is called very tight now, and UND was one of the least penalized teams in the country. Considering how much special teams play determines who wins, having more PPs than the other guy is a great formula for success. And it worked, overall, this year. But I miss being hard to play against.

They played both these teams and kept up fine.

It seems like people have forgotten the recruiting landscape, which really hasn't changed much in many significant ways over decades. For the most part, MN has first choice on Minnesota kids. BC and BU fight over the best in the northeast. Michigan and MSU get their state and the national program. UND has its own sparsely populated area and is a player in western Canada, along with Denver, which also now has the west coast. There will always be exceptions, but generally it's going to be hard to steal kids from someone else's area. UND can pitch facilities, tradition, development, and competitiveness as well as anyone, no doubt. But those others can just as well. Depending on where and how they grew up, Grand Forks may not feel like a good fit for many kids. But it will for someone from Crookston or Alberta. Which is why UND's hit rate is higher on those players. Thankfully UND has hit on some non-traditional recruits like Pinto and Boisvert, but I expect that to always be a big ask. So when people see a shiny kid go elsewhere and wonder why UND didn't get him, it's probably because he can get most everything UND offers in a place he likes better than UND.