jk

Bit of a wakeup call for the boys tonight. All the talk of how far ahead of the curve they are may have gone to their heads. Next weekend will be really tough, with a very experienced and tough Wisconsin team, one that's waking up, in town. The tough part about tonight is that you have to take advantage of scheduling breaks, and getting a shorthanded DU team tonight was an opporunity to get a few more points.

There's always the Eddie Belfour don't-camp-in-the-crease stick swing. You know, the one that starts on the ice and goes straight up, until ...

I wasn't party to the on-ice conversations, but I guess I wouldn't be at all surprised if the tough Sioux defensemen last year, especially the captain, did have plenty to say. It also may be pretty accurate that last year's Sioux team was that type of team, where intimidation played a big role on the ice. That may be why some teams wanted nothing to do with the crease after a period or so of pounding. I wouldn't say it in the press if I were him, because it seems pretty inflammatory. But it doesn't seem wildly off the mark.

I don't think he said anything wrong. What would you expect him to say at this point? p.s. Not saying he's a good guy.

dagies, thanks for saving me the time typing. You expressed my sentiments perfectly.

I'd personally rather beat them straight up, with full rosters. I think the Spirko and Irmen injuries will ultimately benefit both teams, as younger players are getting opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have. Later, plug in the recovered star and the team is that much better. This assumes the team in question wins enough along the way to make the second half matter.

gibber from uscho has posted some photos from the weekend: http://www.joshgibney.com/hockey/photos.html There's one particularly nice one from Saturday of Smaby crushing someone at the blueline.

It sounds like it was not a nice play, but before complaining about chippiness I try to remember that UND plays a pretty physical game that does get chippy and at times even slips into the "illegal" category. I'm glad UND has an edge to their game. If I were a Northeastern fan, I would want that too, just with a little more restraint than was shown this weekend.

I see no reason to rush to anoint a number one goaltender. Both guys will see plenty of rubber this year, if early indications hold true. Why not keep both guys involved throughout the year, so you have a very stable situation if one ends up injured for a while? When the time comes, ride the hot one (talking hockey here).

I pretty much don't participate in the flame wars, but I've seen enough to give you some advice: Don't ask a question like the number of games played unless you're sure you're going to be right. Just a quick check shows Craig Ludwig with 1,256 NHL games played, and James Patrick with 1,280 NHL games. I can see how you missed them, though, since they aren't in Larson's ballpark for games played. edit: gasp ... redwing beat me to it

I wish Murray all the best and I'm sure he did the right thing when faced with a good offer in an unusual situation (the Swiss league eligibility deal), but Panzer signing there brings the irritation to the surface just a bit for me. I thought Murray had a chance to be the next Panzer, which, to my eyes, is huge praise. Panzer going to play with Murray reminds me that Murray left without becoming the next Panzer. Such is life, I guess.

This excuse will be all worn out soon enough, but it's real fresh in October. (Returning players versus freshmen) Miami - Forwards 11-1 Miami - Defense 3-3 MSU - Forwards 9-3 MSU - Defense 6-0 UND - Forwards 7-5 UND - Defense 2-4

terbele, thanks for the on-site reports. Most of us said that it could be a little rough at the start, with hopes of the team coming together in the second half. It's one thing to say it, and another to actually have to suffer through the rough times. The UNH, DU, UW stretch that's approaching very quickly is looking a little more like a freight train right now. The main objective now, though, is to GET BETTER, and win enough along the way to make the second half matter. Reults like Sunday don't bother me, as long as the team is learning and getting better. Here's a comparison to the last cycle: 2000: Great team. National Champs. 2001: Subtract some stars, and a limited team loses in the title game. 2002: Add a huge freshman class, rebuild, and struggle. 2004: Great team. Shoulda been national champs. 2005: Subtract some stars, and a limited team loses in the title game. 2006: Add a huge freshman class, rebuild, and ... I think 2006 will differ from 2002 in two ways. First, the primary weakness in 2002 was goaltending. It wasn't the only problem, as the entire team needed to grow and learn to play together (as evidenced by early season poundings delivered by SCSU and Mankato), but it was the one area expected to be solid heading into the year. But Kollar slipped, and Brandt wasn't ready, then Siembida just wasn't good enough. And the team wasn't mature or good enough to overcome that. This year, between Parise and Lamoureaux, it appears that UND can at least count on solid goaltending while the team tries to come together. The other difference is that the 2006 team is probably simply more talented than the 2002 team. Both had returning role players (2002: Spiewak, Notes. 2006: Prpich, Porter, Kaip). Both had offensive stars (2002: Bayda, Skarperud. 2006: Zajac, Stafford, Spirko). Can Toews, Oshie, Duncan et al outperform Bochenski, Massen, McMahon et al? Time will tell, but early indications and NHL draft positions suggest that they can. My main early impression is that Oshie and Lee certainly have a presence, coming as they have directly from high school hockey to the WCHA. Also, Zajac, Stafford and Spirko are absolutely going to have to score for this team to succeed. I'm not sure how much the uncertain team defense affects the ability of the offense to execute, but I don't expect that trio of players to go scoreless in two games against the CCHA (Stafford's e.n.g. doesn't count).

Darcy Zajac at Salmon Arm had a nice weekend. In three wins, he scored five goals and added two assists.

I think this would be Willert's senior year of high school. Is that correct, ND high school hockey followers? I'm very interested to see how he does this year in the USHL, as he's flying in under the radar, coming from Minot. Last Fall, someone here (jloos?) thought he looked good in the Elite League, so it's possible that he could step in and have a good USHL season. I actually met Jordan and his dad a few years ago at a Sioux game at the REA, and he was a big kid even then. I'm always a fan of having a Western ND presence on the team, so it would be nice if Willert could continue to develop, reach WCHA status, and maybe hook up with UND.

Funny thing is that Porter assisted on UND's first goal of the season. Didn't he go about four months last year before he recorded an assist?

I started listening five minutes in, and it's been all specialty teams since, so I have no idea of the lines.

Tessier is listed as being from Moncton, NB. Someone said: "I would expect that they may be given a second chance, though they may not deserve it." In what world should 15 year olds not be given a second chance? What should we do with them, write them off? People make stupid mistakes, and usually eventually they have to suffer the consequences, as these guys are no doubt doing. Imagine that phone call to your parents. In terms of their hockey careers, I would guess that someone somewhere will find room for them on a team, within Hockey Canada's rules. I don't know what it ultimately means to their chances of choosing the college route, but it doesn't seem like this development helps.

I don't agree on UND versus MN departures. Leopold is MN's great example of a player who stayed an extra year, and it paid off handsomely. There are plenty of good examples both ways. Jason Blake returned for his senior year. Hale, Greene and Smaby have all stayed for an extra year. For MN, Martin, Ballard, Taffe and Vanek all left early, similar to Commie, Parise, Bochesnki, etc. This last offseason, Greene was SO ready for the next level. Based on his play near the end of the year, Potulny seemed clearly not ready physically for a higher level of hockey. Fans of both teams would puke to even consider it, but the programs are more similar than different in this and other ways.

I love that line. I've talked about the phenomenon before, but never with such a great line. Of the two choices, I prefer the current strategy (which was made possible in large part by the building), but it's plenty tricky. As long as you keep bringing in the top talent, I think the window pretty much stays open. But if you have a down recruiting year, and all the top talent from the previous few years happens to leave early, you could have a pretty empty cupboard. I feel like UND is in a great position to compete for about the next three years, but after that probably all the early-round NHL picks currently on the team will be gone, and the years following will be dependent on continuing great classes.

Message board chatter has Genoway as a very smooth skater. Sorry, can't help much beyond that. 2007-08 is after graduation of the Stafford class (or whatever's left of it). It's interesting because this is the second 2007 offer we've learned of (Genoway and Mario). There will probably also be some early departures that Summer, so I wouldn't mind getting a few names on the sheet. Hmm ... Zajac says his brother is chippy, while sitting next to Prpich, who is a senior. Your Fighting Sioux agitator replacement?

I've now read the stories. The story detailing TJ's career and personal development is really terrific. PCM, I don't know what your day job is, but you could do this for a living. This story was very, very well written. Thanks. Oh yeah, and is anyone else getting pumped for hockey??

I'll read the article in a moment, but I have to comment on the photo accompanying the "Controversy" article: Now THAT is hockey hair. Way to go TJ.

I send them e-mails from time-to-time praising them for their entertaining work. Seriously. I'm pleased to have another place to go for college hockey reading, and some of their stuff is very funny. They showed their much-noted (here) anti-UND bias by predicted them to finish second in the WCHA this year. I can't believe they picked UND lower than first.