jk

Right, Croal could be fighting for a fourth line spot or playing a ton of minutes in all situations in the USHL. I know which I choose.

It's not so easy to have a pipeline where everyone can be deferred if needed. If guys are good enough to come in, they may leave if there's no room. As for MI and MN, their devoid of fifth-year player rosters were beaten by a team with seven. There's no one right way to win. One thing I haven't seen brought up is the possibility this is part of a plan. If you're in a four-year window where older players from any team may be available to you, should you leave room to add guys that you may think can make the team better? I haven't seen much of Berg besides the games at the end of the year, but he may have more of an impact than all but a handful of freshmen around the country. Or a few handfuls. I know the comeback: how's the plan working? Not well last year, check back in a year. I just fundamentally disagree that the program is broken at all. I really like last year's freshmen, and the pipeline looks like one that is going to produce some very exciting teams over the next few years.

Hate to mention it, but that finishing move also brought back Kolanos memories.

Everyone has their thing. UND has unfortunately made losing in the last second their own specialty, so much so they tried to do it again last year against Notre Dame. But MN has chosen to make "lose on the first rush in OT" their own. Sports can suck, not sure why we do it.

If UND was playing this third period like MN is, Sioux fans would be losing their minds.

Two really good teams but kind of a boring game. Not much in the way of scoring chances either way.

I'm sure some are more well versed on this, but I think he was not pleased to have to play UND in the Fargo regional a few years earlier. I also think he was complimentary after the title game, saying it's unusual to have guys with the NHL skill the top line had who also played as hard as they did.

One thing I'm taking away is there's more than one way to assemble a team, as these two couldn't be more different. Q has seven fifth-year players and I don't think MN has any, though I haven't checked. One is younger and is going to end up with a lot of NHL games played, while the other is older and has seen a few things along the way.

Someone pointed out to me before the second game that Q is a lot like Mankato, the older team that can handle the young phenoms. Two years ago, Mankato ended MN's season and it wasn't close. Then when a much better MN team drew Mankato in last year's tournament, I expected a reverse result, but again it wasn't close. So perhaps this is a tough draw for MN after all, contrary to my earlier hope for MI to take them out.

This is each person's own preference, but I'll have to pull for MI now, as they're probably the only team that can keep up with MN. Sorry for disrespecting Q, but they pretty much got worked by OSU in the regionals. The cost is high, a potential additional title for MI, but it's one I would pay.

I have thought of that team when looking ahead to the upcoming year, in this unfortunate way. That team probably had the best top 6 UND has seen since the early 80s, but the young defense was not ready and as a result they fell short of a title. This year should have a very good forward group, but will history repeat itself on the back end? Not that this year's forwards will compare to 2005-06. Zajac, Oshie, Spirko and Stafford, Toews, Duncan. Ridiculous, even if young.

Some Badgers might be hitting the portal soon also. Just a guess. If the Mavs displace some guys.

I'm sorry but this is incredibly sad. I'm totally on board with Hastings movin on up in the world, but does he have to tear the program apart on his way out the door?

They probably decided they wanted him after that one-man PK shift. It has to be in a very particular role, but there can be room for a big guy who can skate. Hopefully he can carve out that niche.

As for portal signings, UND may have gotten one of the top two available players at each position so far. At forward, I can run with the current group. If they have to add another one or two, whether that's Albrecht or a minor portal grab to get the numbers up, that's fine. But I can draw up awesome lines from the current roster. At defense, UND appears to need one more player who can anchor a line. Then you can go with two portals and four frosh, with another frosh in reserve. And probably add another portal to get the numbers up. In goal, either Hobie or a portal to be the backup, but largely set here. The last few days have set the team up for an exciting year. Exciting (scary) early and hopefully exciting (we are winners, mf'er) by the end.

I might be imagining things that don't happen, but I would guess Anaheim would have a pretty good idea of what it will take to sign Caulfield before trading for his rights. Not tampering or anything like that, but agents and GMs have a way of getting their messages across. So I'll be surprised if he doesn't sign.

You'll have to outbid the Vancouver Canucks for him, as he already signed.

I'm just relieved they got one of them. My uneducated view is the gap between them may be small, but the gap to the next option beyond these two is huge. They may also have felt they absolutely know Person, having seen a lot of him over the years. Which is different from last year.

Lol

We needed a day like this. The team, yes, but especially the message board.

If Knott stays, there's a chance it keeps rolling.

brianvf, thanks for presenting it by class like that. It's exactly how I like to think of it. Also, I think Pyke should be listed as a Gr, although I'm open to discussion on that.

Whether Motzko could meld his talent at finding and developing older players with the young superstars he'd have access to at MN was an open question, since answered. Now we'll see if Hastings can do it. I'm guessing yes.

That three-week stretch beginning mid-October against MN, Mankato and BU should be an eye-opener for the new defense.

One thing 2001-02 has in common with this year is Brad Berry, who was an assistant from 2000-06 and probably had much to do with that defensive group becoming so good.