jk

Don't jump to conclusions on flimsy rumors. The grapevine on his surgery is correct, and he may very well be planning on coming back for next year. I'll bet we hear something soon.

Early indications, even if they come from honest opinions of heartfelt beliefs, can change over time. Sometimes people's impressions change when they stop looking back and begin to look forward again. I'll hope all the guys with choices make the best ones for themselves. Selfishly, I'll hope they think it's in their best interests to continue to improve at UND.

This I agree with. Could you imagine the Sioux beating Michigan, MN and BC, only to lose to MSU? And on a game-winner with just 19 seconds left. Ouch. The fanbase will be traumatized for a long time over this one. The BU fans are diggin' it though.

Actually I thought they played a really great period of playoff hockey on Thursday in the third, until things went wacky in the last six minutes or so. They had taken most of BC's chances away, especially compared to the second, which was ridiculous. Then the whole Kaip line got caught deep chasing the puck behind BC's net, resulting in the rush that broke the 2-2 tie. Then the not-smart stuff you referred to.

To tie this in with some of the stuff on the threads about UND/BC, the tightly called game really forced UND to abandon its game plan of wearing BC down physically. MSU was able to play physically, and they played a safe game. It's not in UND's nature to play a safe game like that, but I wouldn't have minded it if it would have had this result. This MSU championship team can sidle right up next to Denver's first team that came from outer space to win the title. It truly shows that anyone who makes it into the tournament can win it. MSU also won the beanpot this year.

Marty Sertich came back for another year.

At the end of the second, I couldn't believe how much BC was outclassing UND; they had the puck all the time. PCM was right though, and I thought UND played outstanding playoff hockey through most of the third period. All the great chances BC had earlier in the game were eliminated in the third, and the Sioux finally started to wear them down. The go-ahead goal was a nice play by BC, but it was one of their first good chances of the period. The rest of the game was wierdly similar to last year's game. Last year the Sioux went on the PK with about 5 minutes left and Zajac got the SHG to cut it to 6-4, then UND took another penalty with 3 minutes left. Lee scored with 12 seconds left. This year Porter goes with 6 minutes left, and Oshie gets the SHG to tie it at 3-3. Then Finley got called right away, and while I thought the call was weak, UND did get the makeup call a minute later. The ENG ultimately was a killer, and I just haven't seen a wide angle view of that one to see what happened. Did everyone go off on a change? Did they think the PP was over and it would be called for icing? Whatever the reason, it was a huge mental mistake that may have costed the hockey game. Oshie is like Scott Dub with mad skills. A big factor in this game was Boyle's ability to contain Toews; on many Sioux possessions, it seemed that Boyle rubbed JT out, and the possession ended. A big difference between these teams occurred over the offseason. While the WCHA powers lost many of their stars, Boyle and Schneider (BC's two best players) inexplicably returned to BC for their senior and junior years, respectively. Take your pick among Zajac, Stafford and Smaby and see if it would have made a difference. Denver and MN could make the same claim. It's not that UND was victimized by early defections, just that BC benefited from avoiding them. Like Jordan Leopold, Boyle looks to make his return count by winning a title. It's not a rip on Toews that Boyle contained him so well. All you need to see to understand it is: Boyle DOB 12/18/84. Toews DOB 4/28/88. Three and a half years makes a pretty big difference in physical maturity. I think the better team probably won tonight, but this game was winnable in the third period despite that, and it's too bad they weren't able to finish it out.

Some of the penalties called on BC haven't exactly been horrible infractions either. The downside of the way it's been called is that it has taken the hitting out of the Sioux gameplan somewhat. That had to be the plan - wear them down by pounding them - but when every check into the boards is a penalty, after a while you have to stop throwing them.

Sioux are getting worked. It looks like BC has reassembled the speed kills Sioux of the late 90s. Sioux have to be smarter with the puck in the third. Don't love our chances, but I'll be hopeful.

Thanks Sagard. Reading the internet the last few days and then watching postgame interviews has left me at odds with myself on how to take this game. I've concluded that the internet doesn't foster friendliness in rivalries. Basically, reading fan exchanges on various websites had left me with some pretty hard feelings towards the Gophers -- worse than my routine hatred. Then I watched MN play their guts out; both teams really played well, and a victory by either would not have been undeserved. And in the postgame interview, Lucia was complimentary and a stand-up guy. I don't really think I hate the hockey team so much as the fans that spew such stupidity on the internet. And of course I know the green-tinted version of the stupidity can be found here in probably the same quantity. The funny thing is that almost all the Gopher fans I know personally (and I'm surrounded by them) are good fans. So I guess I'll try to take the internet with a grain of salt and cheer on the Sioux. And still cheer against MN, but more nicely.

At the risk of offending the faithful ... I'm not sure the best team won last night. I say that not to rip UND but to note that I think Michigan was really, really talented, and easily had enough to go all the way this year. It is a real credit to UND that they stood up to everything Michigan threw at them and won this game unconventionally. A huge part of it was Lammy standing in for the last 39 minutes of the game and stopping something like 25 of 25 shots down the stretch. As horrible as the goaltending and defense seemed early in the game, some credit needs to go to the offenses. Think about the goals: Porter (MI) - a top shelf snipe that Lammy didn't appear to see because of a screen. Not a goalie's fault. Summers - Lammy stopped a clean breakaway, and the rebound got knocked in. Again, the goalie did his job. Porter (UND) - Cleaned up on the second whack at a rebound. Not much Sauer could do at that point. Hensick - A clean look by the nation's leading scorer from 15 feet out. Good luck. Porter (UND) - Nice deflection, not Sauer's fault. Oshie - Nice play by Oshie, but Sauer wants this one back. Toews - On the doorstep on a 5-on-3. Nice offensive play; goalie pretty much helpless. Hensick - Nice move (but with a luck bounce when he fanned) to get around Bina, but Lammy probably wants this one back. Cogliano - Bad goalie play. Bina - A nice shot that the goalie just couldn't see. Kaip - A beautiful rocket with a ton of leverage on it; might be the nicest goal Kaip ever scores. Oshie - A lucky bounce for UND; nice play to get it on net, but these usually don't go in. Oshie - Definitely not the goalie's fault. Michigan was offensively very dynamic; they were big and they hit very hard. I think the main reason UND won was because Michigan got stupid and took a lot of dumb penalties, not hooking and obstruction, but hitting the head and things that are just dumb, and UND made them pay in an epic way. As fantastic as UND's PP has looked lately, part of UND's success on the PP this game was the result of fortunate bounces. As Red said, the puck was just going in the net. It doesn't sound good, but I guess my summary is that UND might have beaten a better team because the other team took a lot of penalties and the Sioux got some bounces. Unsaid there is that UND played an extremely disciplined game (limiting their PK time), they got outstanding goaltending in the last 39 minutes of the game, and they played a very solid third period of playoff hockey. I think Sunday's game will be a lot more like last Saturday's game than last night's. I don't think MN has the offensive sizzle that Michigan has, but they play a more composed game, and they won't take the dumb penalties Michigan did. UND used their bounces up last night, but so did MN, as their third and fourth goals were bounces of the puck as well. Should be interesting and terrifying to watch.

Couple things watching the game again. Lee looked quite a lot like a big-time defenseman tonight. Looking comfortable. Kaip's goal was from Watkins as they changed lines in the middle of a cycle. Last spring two of Kaip's playoff goals were off passes from Watkins on the end boards; both of those came when they were not regular linemates either. Was surprised to see it was Toews that coughed up the puck to Hensick on his first period goal, then I think Toews again on the play that led to Hensick's big breakaway in the second. If I saw that right, that would be two errors from a guy who hasn't made many all year.

Phil might have been the player of the game, believe it or not. Lotsa saves in the last 30 minutes of the game.

Pardon the language, but WTF is going on out there? OMG. I have an idea; let's make it through the first minute of the third at 7-5. As bad as he was earlier, Lammy has kept this lead with several breakaway saves. Michigan sure does gain the zone with speed.

Honestly I think this one comes down to a bounce of the puck. Not sure which way. Each team had the misfortune of drawing an opponent who is one of the 4 or 5 best teams in the country (MN and BC being the others). The Sioux could play great and still lose, and the same can be said for Michigan.

I've only seen the last few minutes of the 2nd OT, but the skating has seemed surprisingly lively for both squads.

I thought UND physically dominated SCSU last Friday, not just on the scoreboard. Maine is doing the same thing. The Huskies look like they just want to go home to mommy. This is where players like Porter and Fabian (and Greene and Jones and Smaby) come in handy.

The good news is that at least the OT was short. Didn't need to burn up the legs for next week in a multiple OT game. This game kind of looked like the #1 PWR and the #8 PWR. I thought UND carried the play pretty well in the first 10 minutes, then after they were on the PK for much of the rest of the period, the game evened out. From then on, MN didn't give UND much room. For whoever is blaming Lee, get over it. It was part great play, part bizarro freaky goal. Lammy stopped a lot of good chances, but might like the first and sort of the second goal back. UND didn't seem to play their best game tonight, but some of that is due to MN. Oddly, the great final a few years ago also featured UND not at its best. (That was a fantastic game, but UND was very loose defensively.) This time, defensively UND was pretty good. MN had a lot of shots, but try to think of how many times Lammy had to flat-out stone someone. Overall, look at it this way: this is UND's second loss since the WJC. Both came in OT, on the road. They're still playing pretty well. I will be troubled and an advocate of a slight change in the bracketing process if UND and MN are in the same bracket, and BC and UNH are in the same bracket, as suggested. We're all sick of seeing our rivals. We just played tonight, and we have to meet again (maybe) in 6 or 7 days?

Sagard, you should just save the keystrokes on the Lucia defense. It's just the way it is on a heated rival's board. As for the team to beat, have you followed what BC has done over the last two months or so? Many very impressive wins over good teams. They appear to be on a mission as well.

I'd love to see Wisconsin again. UND wasn't playing well when they last met, and payback would be enjoyable.

Ness of course has looked great for Roseau, and I wouldn't mind if Landman traded in his green-and-whites for more green-and-whites in a couple years either. That said, I wonder if the best of them might end up being Lee, the sophomore goalie. He admittedly hasn't been tested much, but he seems so composed.

Festler and Marvin are both SCSU recruits. The better of the Hanowski's is being recruited by a lot of people but is said to be a MN fan. LeBlanc will also be recruited by more WCHA schools than just UMD, including some bigger names.

Don't look now, but UND's old nemesis BC is smoking hot right now. They've won 5 in a row, 7 of 8, and 9 of 11. Only loss in the last five weeks was in OT to BU in the beanpot final, which is just one of the laws of nature. They've also done that against good teams, including UNH and Maine twice.

There may have been a time twenty years ago when a UND recruiting pitch focused mainly on hockey, and not academics. That's no longer the case. To avoid retyping it, I'll copy dagies' convincing post from earlier this season:

Mosey to SCSU per Heisenberg.