jk

But he's a junior in high school, and they don't let you into college until you've graduated.

Congrats to Danny Kristo, who captained the US U-18 team to a bronze medal. Kristo had 1-1-2 in the bronze medal 6-3 win against Sweden. Also, Hextall added an ENG to finish the 3-0 win over Camrose, getting Penticton back in the series. Hextall is also the captain of his team.

Just addressing history here: Blais won one title with the 4-line speed team - 1997. He had very similar teams in 1998 and 1999, but they didn't manage to win. 2000 was a very different team - two good offensive lines (Goren/Ulmer and Panzer/Lundbohm) and the rest of the guys playing roles. 2001 was even less deep - five elite players (Panzer, Lundbohm, Bayda, Roche, KG) and a bunch of guys who played roles (some of them, like Spee and Notermann, brilliantly). It seems obvious to me that Hak likes to build a team with guys recruited to play specific roles. That's why they have brought in players like Porter, Fabian, Kaip, Watkins and Malone. It's why this year's class will have scorers (Gregoire, Toews, maybe Cichy) and grittier players (Mario, Hextall). It's why the defensemen in the pipeline include little skaters (Gleason, Mattson) and big bruisers (Blood, McWilliam, Finehage). I like the balance. It lets you play the game any way the opponent wants to. It also helps you survive the WCHA. The liberties some of the older teams in the bottom half would take with a team without grit would be frightening. Also, bigger, grittier guys can have an important effect on games. Down the stretch in 2005, the Canady, Massen, Fabian line changed the momentum of a playoff game countless times. They simply moved the puck smartly up ice, gained the zone and kept it there for the entire shift. The game changed each time, and by the end the opponents were worn out. I don't think this team's finish should damn the concept of a balanced team. For whatever reason, this team was just not playing well down the stretch. Was it injuries, the flu, the WJC , coaching, drinking? Sometimes it's just the way it is. JPL kept the team afloat through most of the lethargy, but when he crumbled, it was over. I look forward to next year's balanced team.

Classified ad: Italian rifle for sale. Never fired and only dropped once.

I don't think the whole team stunk. I don't think they came out flat. I thought they played better than they did in either regional game. (Princeton dominated the Sioux for much of that game, but the Sioux sniped a few and JPL played great.) In this game, the Sioux played them pretty even in the first, but the Sioux shot wide on their best chances, and everything BC put on net went in. It was a goalie's nightmare, similar to the one Sauer had against UND last year. But after 4-0, they lost their composure. The PP that was so impressive early couldn't get anything going beginning in the second. Part of that was due to Chorney's absence. I also thought BC dominated play (territorially and in chances) much more in the second period last year than they did at any time this year. Basically, they just scored on nearly all of their good chances this year. I also don't think the team stinks, or is overloaded with non-skill players. They have a pretty good balance of grit and skill overall. I was happy the team didn't goon it up out of frustration. Just play hard. The team is going to be a lot younger next year, and Sioux fans will probably get to save a little money in April 2009 that they usually spend on Frozen Four trips. No fingers pointed at anyone, but I wonder what effect Brad Berry's absence has had on the team.

That photo is still the wallpaper on my work PC. You wouldn't know it from the picture (you would if you follow TJ), but he was the puck carrier on this play, and the Russian was the one lining up to throw the check. Welcome to TJ's world.

I think Cornell is in GF over Thanksgiving, as noted above, and Harvard might be the very next weekend, at Harvard.

Although Toews is listed on the roster, SSM has scored 16 goals in its first two games, and he doesn't yet have a point. I'm guessing he's not playing.

I like it and that's how I would have it, although I would consider switching Zajac and Martens. Zajac was on that third line in the third period Sunday, and I think he's played well lately.

The good news is, at least they aren't on a big roll right now, and might cool off with the extended break before the FF. Wow, they really only played one good period of hockey all weekend and managed to win twice. BC looked like their usual dynamic selves this weekend, and I think they will be awfully hard to handle again this year. Hopefully the rest lets the Sioux recharge their batteries a bit, and they can have a little jump in their skates.

What a great, great effort by Princeton. Hak said last week the team that plays better wins 90% of the time. How often have they lost 5-1? That said, would you rather they played like crap and won, or played great and had the season end? There are no style points now, only staying alive. I wonder if trying to stay out of the box took some of their aggressiveness away. That will probably return with a WCHA opponent tomorrow. Nice to see Duncan visit his office again. The Sioux never score empty-netters, so that was nice.

There is no justice.

Haven't read the thread, but the better team is losing right now. Sioux have to get the puck deep and force turnovers. If they sit back and play defense, they will eventually crumble. Eidsness is going to have a tough time filling those little tiny skates of Phil's.

Princeton's third liner Cam MacIntyre was, along with darcy Zajac, one of the leaders of the Salmon Arm team two years ago. A big tough kid. If he is on their third line as a sophomore, that tells me they are pretty deep.

"Both North Dakota and Princeton have NHL-sized home ice rinks that measure 200 by 85 inches. The Kohl Center, however, is closer to an Olympic-sized rink as its dimen sions are 200 by 97 inches." Talk about stickhandling in a phone booth!

Princeton won the ECAC title. Another member of that conference just dismantled a WCHA team that UND split with very recently. That should give everyone a sense of the quality of UND's Saturday opponent.

I'm not assigning much relevance to the MSUM/Princeton game, mainly because it was a long time ago, and teams change as the year goes on. The good ones get better, and go on a late run. Princeton has obviously done this. I also know the coaches and players will understand that they cannot take anyone lightly, but knowing it intellectually and believing it in your heart are two different things, and human nature is tough to fight. If they can get past that and skate really hard, things will fall into place.

It's hard not to be down on the Sioux and their chances after yesterday, when they seemed to be the worst of the four remaining teams. It's also hard to imagine the Sioux scoring more than a goal or so today, when you combine their recent troubles in that regard with the wall they'll be facing in Bachman, who really demonstrated his abilities last night. That said, things change. Teams look terrible one night, then look as though they switched jerseys the next. I'm not very optimistic about today, but I'm wrong all the time anyway. On another note, some poor unsuspecting 2 seed (and I hope it's not us) is going to draw the Gophers in the first round, and they're in for a big surprise. MN looks to be on a mission. It's like they finally realized two things: 1) Okposo and Stoa aren't coming back, this is our team and this is how we have to play, and 2) Have you seen Kangas?! We Sioux fans have seen struggling teams find themselves at the last possible instant, and that appears to be what MN has done. With Kangas back there, and still talent better than all but a handful or two, they can beat anyone.

Taking that one step further, maybe what is a surprise to us isn't a surprise to the coaches.

You think the Gophers might be tired?

UND with a ton of good pressure, plenty of odd-man situations, but need to get some in the net soon.

I recall a few bad games or moments for the Sioux, and they included these factors: Against UAA and MN (especially the first series), big opposing forwards were able to push around UND's relatively undersized defense. The Sioux are tough and gritty, but when the other guy has a bigger frame and knows how to use it, you're going to lose some battles for the puck. In that December seres against MN, there were long stretches where UND was just unable to get the puck because they couldn't win those battles. Ditto the Saturday UAA game. UND's opponents this year get to see an odd-man rush most every game off an aggressive offensive play by a UND defenseman. A team with high-end skill guys (like, for instance, all the rest of the elite teams in the country) that can convert those rushes could absolutely play a rope-a-dope strategy: pack it in and keep the GA down, and wait for a glorious chance the other way. Different year, but I'm thinking of the first period of the BC game two years ago, when the Sioux did a lot of things right, generating many good chances, but BC converted their rushes to the tune of a 3-0 lead.

This one wasn't meant to be. No Trupp, Genoway or Oshie, and they still carried a lot of the play. They were playing a nice shut-down game in the third, with just the one flurry by SC with 7 minutes left, followed by the Kaip paip. The late penalty was probably a penalty, but it burns a little after the no-call in Friday's OT, which was much more egregious. No bounces for the Sioux this weekend; have to hope they're saving them up for the playoff push.

Congrats to CC on a great year. They were a force all season long. I hope everyone takes care of business and we get a chance to see the Sioux and Tigers on Saturday night at the X.

Through two periods HM is putting on a clinic on how to neutralize Ness - hit him every chance you get. Lee in goal for Roseau stopped guys in all alone on three separate chances in the second, or it could be worse than 3-0. However, I suspect if Roseau gets one it could get interesting.