jk

They're also perhaps more willing to be ready to come in, even if it means waiting a year to get stronger and better.

I respectfully disagree that Kleven is physically ready. It takes big guys a while to grow into their bodies, and he still has that gangly colt look to him at times. I could see his path being junior year UND, senior year AHL, then breaking into the NHL. If he learns to use his length in the defensive zone and continues to get stronger, he could be a monster at 25.

That's really something, says a lot about him and UND. It's easy to see now that the conversation between SJ and him might have been quite a bit different in the fall than it was in the spring. Earlier, it may have been an offer to turn pro and see where you fit in the organization. After they saw him, it might have been: We think you can be our fourth line center. While it still leaves a hole in UND's lineup, it's hard to blame a late-round pick older player for moving on and cashing big game checks.

And, while it's instinct, dumb play by the goalie to stick his hand out. You want to miss most of the year with a broken hand?

Since the refs made the right call in letting them play on, smart play by Schmaltz to go high bare hand.

Man, Hastings knows how to run a program. The season has barely started and they've already taken a big PWR step to getting into the tournament.

After 15 minutes, I kinda liked the squad. Hard to comment on individuals since I spent the whole period looking up roster numbers. A little sloppy later.

I have the game.

It is for me.

Would love for the hockey board to get back to hockey. The Nashville arena requirements are relevant, as people need to know. But whether they should exist just brings us back to the tired old debates on covid, vaccines and mandates. This thread should basically be dormant until the week of the game.

This will be the first opening exhibition in a long while that will actually tell us anything about the team and new players. Everyone looks good when you're outshooting the grazing Bisons by 40.

Um, no kidding. Wanted to be a gopher since he was a little kid. We appear to have gotten inaccurate information here (on a message board? No way!). Once again, don't ever be surprised when a metro kid picks MN.

There are a lot of decisions to make in assembling a team, older or younger, super-talents or late bloomers, MN or Canada, but the proof is ultimately in the pudding. UND finished the last two seasons #1 in the PWR, and likely the top seed in the NCAA tournament both years. They must be doing something right. Also important is how you make up for recruiting misses, and adjusting to things like unexpected departures. A few years ago when Jost left surprisingly, they missed the tournament by one game (flip a loss to a tie or a tie to a win). This year, rebuilding from important departures was aided by the transfer portal, but there's again a surprise hole at 1C. We'll have to see if they can overcome it. Back to recruiting, we don't even really know, with a few exceptions, who they were after or offered. It sounds like they wanted Chesley and missed, then they went and got Livanavage and Strathmann, who sound like top guys also. As for MN kids, and metro kids in particular, when has UND had much luck with them ever, in the absence of a real inside connection? The top guys off the top of my head to choose UND outright over MN were Parise and Boeser. Parise wanted to be the best, and Herb Brooks sent him on his way. Boeser was deciding as the weight of Lucia's anchor dragged that program down. Unless the kid's dad is a former UND All-American, I'm never surprised when a metro kid picks MN. UND has gotten other great players from MN, like Mark Senden currently. I don't think MN was after him very hard, even though he's exactly what that program needs. As for his importance, how crucial could he have been in the 5OT game last year?

For his development and my enjoyment, I'm glad he's here this year, but he definitely could be a full-time NHLer this year. Reminds me of Oshie's third year and Vanek's second in that regard.

No it's not. Yeah it is. No it's not. Yeah it is. Now we can skip all those posts.

Not sure they squandered it. 2020 didn't even give them a chance to squander, and in 2021 fate conspired to give their lower ranked opponent a bye while they played a late game the night before. But it was their window, for sure.

We have never seen a college team with that kind of talent, though. Four of the top five overall picks in one draft, plus other guys. Truly unprecedented. It will be the ultimate test of 19 year old supertalent against 23 year old workers and late bloomers.

Wow, that could really change things.

Looking back. It's shocking and a bit criminal that UND did not win a title with Toews and Oshie. I think the D and G were deficient. I want to not look back at Sanderson the same way. It's possible the F and G will be deficient this year, although maybe the portal will help there. Sanderson is that kind of player. Anything I say will put the expectations too high, but he was seriously dominant at the end of the year. At 18. At D. Imagine this year, stronger, more experienced. He could tower over the league. Looking back again, we seriously had a team with Zajac, Oshie and Spirko on a line, and Stafford, Toews and Duncan on another.

The Morrow move hurts, perhaps more for future years than next year.

Would love that and I see it as possible. Driscoll has to be good, and I think they'll have the league's best player in Sanderson, at a position where he can heavily influence play.

For next year anyway, they're pretty easy picks to finish top 3 in the NCHC. Yikes, the league is going to be a nightmare. DU and Omaha perhaps challenging UND for fourth, with Miami and CC trailing. As someone mentioned, nonconference games will be even more important than usual.

It will be interesting to watch Sanderson and Power next year, especially if Power goes 1OA this year in the NHL draft. Different draft years, but Sanderson is only four months older. That might be the hobey race.

This gets to the heart of how I think UND's tournament preparation suffered from the NCHC schedule. 2021 weekends against UMD, SCSU and WMU would have hurt the team's record but stiffened its spine. Playing CC and Omaha, with a diminished DU sprinkled in, did them no favors. Two clarifying points. 1. UND was still very good, played well against UMD, and deserved a better fate that morning. 2. I don't blame the NCHC, as organizations had to choose the path they thought best in an unusual time.

Congrats to JBD. Thanks for the terrific career at UND.