jk

A lot of the disputes on these related topics (strength of schedule, UND's pairwise predicament) are due to the NCHC's poor performance in non-conference play and qualitative opinions on whether those results reflect the real strength of the conference's teams. There's really no arguing the math, which is based on the results of all the games played. At this point, the only way to support an argument in favor of the NCHC's quality beyond its results would be for its one to three NCAA tournament participants to do well there. In any typical season in the last 15 years or so, the NCHC's teams would have done well enough that the top two or three would be NCAA locks, with others having a shot at qualifying. Whether this season is an abberation or a sign of things to come will need to wait for future results. The "eye test" tells me CC last weekend was about as good as the CC team that went on a run through the WCHA tournament last year, beating UND and MN (foreshadowing Yale) before falling to Wisconsin. Their record was abysmal, though, so bad that UND winning two of three drove its PWR down to the extinction zone. I suspect we will see a similarly impressive Miami team Friday.

He probably would be a big part of this team, had he stayed. I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see him blossom in the second half. But what's done is done, and everyone has moved on.

It's tricky getting a read on guys when they play about two thirds of the game. They don't play the way you'd like them to, with a motor always running. Instead, there's a fair amount of coasting, and energy conservation. When Yon had the puck, he was off to the races, with good speed. His shot is very good already, with a super quick release; plus it was low and hard, which leads to rebounds. Away from the puck, not as impressive, but I can chalk that up to all the icetime, as I mentioned above. My only pre-Sioux exposure to Oshie was in the state tourney as well, and I thought he needed a year in the USHL to learn what it was like to play all-out for 45 seconds, instead of off and on for two plus minutes. I was pretty badly wrong on Oshie, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Also, I'm not comparing him to Oshie as a player, just as a guy playing two thirds of every game.

The most famous execution of this play for modern Sioux fans was Goren's pass off the goalie to Ulmer for the GWG in the national championship game.

Or, as Harold Ramis would have written it: Lighten up, Francis.

I disagree. Canada was hands down the most talented team there, and if they played well no one was going to touch them. Guess what, they played well. The U.S. played well in every pool game, and gave Canada a run, but couldn't get it done. It wasn't for lack of effort or heart. I can't judge anyone for their performance in a third place game when they came for first. Who on Team USA would even have made Team Canada? Maybe Quick or Suter. Kessel might have that kind of talent, but he's not a Team Canada kind of guy, not physical and not a good enough checker. Ditto for Kane. Canada could send a "B" team that might medal. Now the women, that's a different story. The better team lost that one.

A long time ago (probably when he was a committed recruit), I was doing some internet scouting and saw that Oshie had success at US roller hockey festivals. I don't really have the time to track it down again, but I believe he won one of the skills competitions a couple years in a row -- the shootout.

That game, John Hyduke. Must have been post-Rick (the rock) Kosti.

I listened to the comeback against UMD on the radio; the game was in Duluth. Hennessy was beside himself, as you can imagine. The 75 Years of Sioux Hockey book has a few tidbits. Behind a Brett Hull hat trick, UMD had a 6-1 lead after one period. The Sioux outshot UMD 34-7 in the third. That fits my recollection, that the Sioux dominated but couldn't get the puck across the line. They eventually did.

It sounds like a different game, but I can nail down the exact date for a similar event. I saw a great comeback against that great group from NMU. I don't recall it being from five down, but I do recall it being one of those stunning home events. The other reason I remember the day is that we went home after the game and turned on the World Series, and promptly saw Kirk Gibson's one-legged walk off, and Tommy Lasorda jumping without leaving the ground. The internet tells me it was Saturday, 10/15/88.

I don't see much difference in the talent level of the forwards between the two years. If you line up the guys, there are a few better on each side. I'll agree that the top end may have been a touch better two years ago, with the depth better this year. Rocco is growing as a player. The aspects people criticize are real, but they are diminishing. He has a motor and forechecking work ethic that reminds of Parise. I think I will like the defensemen on this team, at the end of the year, better than two years ago. Schmatlz is going to be really good, in a future NHL player way. Stecher is going to be really good eventually, in a college star way.

I don't really care, but just from a presentation standpoint, if I were arguing for him to be let go, I would bring out this table. To me it clearly shows waning performance. Almost all his best years were in the first half of his tenure, with almost all his poor years in the second half. The average performance has also gone on long enough now that it's not just an anomaly.

It's also unusual to have a year like the last one where no one is lost to injury for an extended time. Usually "too many players" resolves itself due to misfortune for one or two.

To each his own, but I'm taking Tony Hrkac.

We're pencilling guys in the top two lines that most of us have never seen play? I'll admit, I'm an internet scout from way back, but I try to actually see them before giving them the plum spots.

Schmaltz got worked in his own end, but physical maturity will help with that. On offense, I thought he was terrific, and far ahead of the usual freshman defensemen. He handled the puck at the blueline a lot, and rarely fumbled it or had it go the other way odd-man. I think he's going to grow into a very good college defenseman offensively, and I hope he's able to get there in his own zone.

The only one I thought actually clicked was Mark, just before Christmas. Kristo was feeding him gimmes, and he was putting them away. Getting into space to receive those is a skill, and he seemed on the same page with them. I think they wanted Mark centering a line, and maybe they wanted him to get someone else going (Mitch or at times Rowney). Although Parks had a good first game up top, I never felt like he got it going up there.

I think this one didn't hurt as bad because this wasn't as good a team, for whatever reason, and the result, the better team that day winning, seemed just. It reminded me of 1999 in that BC that day was just better; a very good Sioux team couldn't get anything going all day. Looking back at the "outs", the ones that kill me are the ones where UND outplays the other team and leaves the ice having played their last game. Looking back, 1998: Karl gets injured in practice and UND goes down in flames, giving Yost probably its most fantastic moment. The Sioux played hard and well, but goaltending was a problem. 1999: BC stifled a great team, and pretty much deserved to win. 2001: An unbelievable performance by Jeff Panzer led a great Sioux effort, one that should have probably led to the first back-to-back in a long time. Scott Clemmenson said otherwise. 2002: No NCAA game. 2003: The Sioux played hard and had the puck a lot, but Ferris Wheel State flew around and converted a number of high energy plays in a blowout. 2004: Tied for the worst result ever, UND has the puck the whole game, and Denver scores on a deflection on their first shot of the period with 3+ minutes left in the game. This one would take a long time to get over. 2005: A Sioux team, a mash unit, whatever. Immediately post-Bina, this team went on a run, won the beanpot and left a trail of terrified forwards in its wake. Another game where the final score didn't reward the team that had the better of the play and chances. DU goaltended their way to another. 2006: The kiddie-corps of forwards was brilliant, but the defensive group of four young freshmen plus Smaby was in over its head. Even so, this team was doing everything right except scoring, while BC was picking corners on odd-man rushes. The bad angle goal JP gave up in the second put the brakes on the comeback until it was too late. 2007: DOT played well but Brian Boyle's long reach kept breaking plays up. If not for some extremely unfortunate plays/calls late in the third, this could have gone UND's way. 2008: Neither 2006 nor 2007 were embarrasments, but this one was. You could see this coming when Princeton skated circles around UND in the regionals only to suffer their unjust loss. 2009: Shaking my head at how UNH had no answer for a brutish top line (created for that game) of VV, Frattin and Malone, then 0.01. It felt like UND was the better team but had trouble keeping UNH at bay in the third. The 0.01 made this one linger ... and linger. 2010: Yale hadn't played in two weeks and looked like they were shot out of a cannon, and UND was tired and looked every bit of it. They were game and made it close, but this was not one where Yale lucked into the win. 2011: See 2004. Not really over it yet. 2012: Worn out, overmatched, used up their miracle, but this was a hell of an effort by everyone involved.. 2013: No excuses like fatigue, just outplayed by a team that deserved their win. Had a few bounces gone differently, the result could have been different. I wonder if the Frozen Four might have gone like 2008. The best teams here? 1998, 1999, 2004, 2011. Maybe 2006/2007 a notch lower. Soul crushing defeats (played great and deserved better): 2001, 2004, 2005, 2011. Played even at best, or outplayed. Not an unfair result: 1999, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013.

Really had nothing to do with this weekend, though, as the goaltending was the best part of the weekend.

The question is whether you dump it or try to carry it. You carry it if you can, otherwise you dump it. At all advanced levels of hockey. Including teams like BC and Lowell.

I do know from his body of work that Berry is a very good coach and recruiter. He built probably the best defense we have seen in the post-Gino era with the group referenced in my signature. Those guys, Greene, Smaby, all got a lot better while at UND as well. In fact, It seemed to me that Forbort, Simpson and Schmaltz were all quite a bit better players at the end of the year than the start. Goaltending, what most worried about, was very solid all weekend. I think the pressure of winning one for the program is weighing on them, and it shows in their tourney performance. I'm not sure what gets you out of that trap, a special group of players I guess. Hak runs a heck of a program, that much I know. Even the very best programs, like Mn,DU and Wisconsin have missed the tourney multiple times recently. He recruits well, has a good culture (the guys care), players get better, teams improve and usually peak late in the year. Really everything but the titles. At the very least then he's a fine GM. Thanks to the seniors.

The situation determines whether its carried or dumped. Parise and koivu basically said the same last week. Plenty of things to complain about, but this isn't one of them.

I am totally hosed as well. No idea if it will be back. Not happy.

Ditto. This tourney is a lot different than 10 years ago.

Maybe it was the fact that they generated one even-strength goal in the five games before he split them up. Whatever the reason, I'll let the experts do their job, and trust that they know it far, far better than I do. I'm pretty sure Hak couldn't do my job, and it would be pretty funny if really anyone here thought they could.