jk

Uh, no. I think these were your thoughts, and were the kind that had so many people coming to the team's defense: Seriously, if you had posted something with the tone of skateshattrick's message, no one would have had a problem with it and a good discussion could have followed. skateshattrick, thanks for your reasoned analysis of concerns. I have a few comments: 1. Big and slow. Just in looking at the additions and subtractions from last year's team, it's hard to see the Sioux as slower this year. Out: Parise (not necessarily a burner, but a terrific skater) Bochenski (better than advertised, but still not a great skater) Lundbohm (seemed to be one of the slower forwards) Hale (good speed, but not quickness) In: Zajac (better than Hale and Lundbohm, maybe equal to junior-year Bochenski) Spirko (nice agility, not sure about speed. Any opinions?) Kaip (at least Hale-like, with good speed when he gets going) Radke (haven't seen enough to know, but was advertised as a skater) Having Murray out might not help the appearance of team speed, as you take out the fastest skater and replace him with Canady, Fabian or Foyt. Also, Stafford seems to me to have lost a step. On the other hand, both Porter and Schneider seem a step quicker to me this year. 2. Discipline. Of course I have no choice but to agree, because to argue on the side of an ill-disciplined team is folly, but I think it is just not that simple. You said: "It is simply an excuse to blame the new rules, because everyone knew that they were coming and you have to adjust." Although the same rules apply to everyone, it is unfortunate that they came in a year when UND has (I believe hands-down) the biggest, most physical defensive group in the country. It's easy to tell a defense that didn't check much anyway: "don't check." But it's another thing altogether to tell that to a defense that punished the opposition mercilessly last year. In the Saturday debacle against MN, Woog correctly marveled at how open the middle was for the Gophers' forwards, and wondered where the thicket of long arms and sticks was from the previous year. I'll tell you where they were: trying not to take a penalty. I know there is a lot of room to be physical without going over the line, and that a lot of the cross-checks are certainly avoidable, but I think it all fits together and still needs to be sorted out. However you want to analyze the effect of the rules, I do know that I considered Jones and Greene the best defensive pair of defensemen in the country last year, the ones you would want on the ice late in the game. This year, they have not been nearly that, and might have been a liability so far. On this topic, I have to say that I find suggestions that Greene is selfish and doesn't care about the team to be unfair. I have heard that he has really been struggling with the adjustment, trying to stay out of the box and still play the good defense he has been known for. 3. Recruiting. If you want to get smaller, next year will be the year for you. Lots of smaller forwards, and the defensive group will change even more. I have to admit to hoping that Ryan Duncan can be a Dave Hoogsteen type player. Overall, I'm concerned but still hopeful. I've only seen them live for the two games against CC, and I thought they looked very solid, with the potential to be excellent. In the Friday game (which unbelievably ended up a loss), I said to someone: "Geez, if the Sioux suck, what does that say about CC?" because it really was the men-against-the-boys for most of that game.

I agree with Diggler. Relax a little. I'll still be here when things turn around, knowing I was on board the whole time. And you're wrong on Kessel; there was no shot there, Blais or not.

Two weeks ago I don't think it was so much the record that caused concern as it was the seemingly pathetic performance on both offense and defense. I believe they are well on their way to righting the ship in that regard, and they now look like a team that will be competitive most of the time. I think the league is so tough that 8-4 for the next twelve will be tough to accomplish, especially if Murray is out for a lot of that.

The two MN teams sqaured off in the finals of the Elite League invitational tournament this weekend, with the "Sioux" team (oddly enough featuring a Lucia) losing 5-3 in the finals. The goalies for the winning team made a combined 56 saves. Here is a link to the tournament summary: http://www.hselitehockey.com/index.asp?Typ...1-B73A00A7202B}

I had a good time at the games this weekend. We don't seem to see it too often around here anymore because UND has been churning out early departures to the professional leagues, but sometimes a player reaches his senior year and really steps his game up. The first player who really struck me with his senior dominance was Chris Jensen in the mid-80s. He was a very good player throughout his career, but as a senior he ruled the rink on every shift. Jeff Panzer was a terrific junior, but his senior year he too took it to another level; just watch the final game of his career (if you can take the pain) and watch him set up good scoring chances every shift. Other times the step-up comes from a player who was not previously a star. The best recent example for me is Tim Skarperud, who went from a role player on the third and fourth lines to a first-line forward who finished as one of the WCHA's top five scorers. Jason Ulmer is a similar story. This year UND may be fortunate enough to have two players make the senior jump, Genoway and McMahon. Genoway put the numbers up last year, but I wasn't a believer, based on my limited viewings. Having watched him this weekend, I am beginning to come around. He is big, smooth and calm. He seems very comfortable on the PP point, which is a big reason why the PP looked as good at times this weekend as I have seen in a few years. He had one unfortunate pass in the offensive zone on Friday that turned into the rush that tied the game, but mostly he is making good decisions (usually the simple, safe choice) with the puck. I noticed they are using Genoway to bring the puck through the neutral zone to establish offensive zone possession on the PP, relying on his good decision-making. I had heard McMahon had been one of UND's best players so far this year, but again I wasn't convinced. I thought: oh, he must be checking particularly well. I'm coming around here as well. I don't expect a player to add another gear in the speed department at this age, but McMahon seems quicker than I recall. As with Genoway, when he is heading to the corner for a 1-on-1 battle for the puck, I fully expect him to come away with it. Other notes: I agree on Porter's unusual mix of size and speed, but I have to add that his size is not just "measured" size. There are plenty of guys with his size on paper, but few that are so solid. He is a brick shouthouse on skates. He absolutely splattered Mark Stuart behind the net once, and that is a guy not easily rocked. I also agree on Zelkin. I would gladly have him officiate every Sioux game for the rest of the season. We commented on his style Saturday, even after the 5-on-3's. We actually got to watch hockey as we knew it. One funny moment: Zelkin called a penalty on CC with about five minutes left on Saturday. The CC player held his hands up, gestured to the scoreboard, and said, "There are only five minutes left!?" As in, how can you call a penalty in the last five minutes? Mostly I thought Zelkin let them play, but I also thought the play was cleaner than last year, so he didn't need to call as many penalties. I also thought his resume, the one with NHL games on it, carried a lot of weight with the players, as he was definitely in charge of the rink at all times. When CC was called for "holding the stick" one new fan behind me commented: "How can he play without holding his stick? Everyone's holding their stick." Her friend let her know the penalty was for holding the Other Guy's stick. It must be a source of great pride for McMahon, Prpich and Schneider to kill 5-on-3's. They killed the first one, then stayed out after the whistle and killed the second one. I expected Murray and Stafford to be the team's best forwards this year, and they will need to be very good for the team to make any real noise. Murray obviously can't help it right now, but Stafford has not been at the level I expected. What made Stafford special last year was a burst of speed that seemed out of synch with his size. A few times each game, it would allow him to gain an advantage on an unsuspecting opponent. I didn't see that burst this weekend, but it could have been me. I'm glad he put in the GWG Saturday, but really, that play was Genoway beating his man on the faceoff. I'd also like to see more from other upperclassmen like Fylling and Massen. Note to any offended parties: I freely acknowledge that I don't know what I'm talking about. Just commenting on what I see. I was not surprised to see Bina sit on Saturday because I thought he got beat in his own zone a few times Friday. I know he is small, but he has to be able to win those physical battles to be an effective defenseman. Overall I'm still a big supporter of Bina, as I like the skills he brings to the rink, and I like it when he surprises bigger guys who suddenly find themselves on the ice looking up at the hobbit. I also thought Prpich was not particularly effective Friday, but everything that he wasn't on Friday, he was on Saturday. I thought he had a great game. Overall, I think this team will be good enough to beat anyone at the end of the year, but I don't think they'll necessarily be favored against some teams. Maybe a national 6-10 kind of team. The difficult thing will be surviving a super-tough WCHA. Remember that Denver barely qualified for the national tournament last year. It's a little unfortunate that UND has all these tough conference games early, while they're still adjusting to the officiating and suffering through a few injuries. But that's the way it is, and they will need to win enough along the way to be there at the end.

No time for a big recap right now, but I was able to attend the game last night and I thought the Sioux played really well. I commented when the shots were 32-13 in the third that the game seemed quite a lot like the 6-0 MN game, with one team completely dominating the other. I also noted that the difference was the score was only 2-1 instead of 5-0. It's too bad things didn't quite go their way last night, and they made a few mistakes down the stretch that cost the game. But this was a completely different effort from the MN series. In the second MN game, the Sioux probably made 50 mistakes compared to the few last night. This looked like a team that has a chance to be very good later. Of course I'm disappointed with the result, but I'm encouraged by the play. It's fair to note that Parise struggled last night; I agree with that. I think it's silly and insulting to suggest that he has played because Zach was here. I think CC will play better than last night. I'm not sure UND can play much better than they did for most of last night, because they were mostly very good. Hopefully the hockey gods can start rewarding the effort.

I'm typically opposed to talking on one message board about information on another, but I'm breaking my own rule for this one, as a public service. There is a thread on USCHO called "goaltending commentary" that includes a great educational discussion on goaltending techniques and theory. It is a terrific read if, like me, you don't know much about the position. You actually have to concentrate more than for the average message board discussion, but it is worth it.

I don't know Matt, but I have to wonder how thrilled he is that he came back this year. It's funny that perhaps the wrong guy turned professional last year, as Parise would love the open ice at this level, and Greene would thrive in the AHL's physical game. Hopefully Matt can overcome these early difficulties through a combination of his own adjustment and a partial easing of the officiating, and once again be the dominant defender he was last year. Also, PCM, thanks for the great work. I really appreciate it.

Since there has been some discontent about UND's lousy 4-2-2 start after six road games and two at home, I thought I would start a thread for criticizing the coaches. This way we can keep it out of all the other threads and have a central repository for it. I'll start. Among Hakstol's problems: 1. Sometimes when he talks on the radio, Hakstol sounds like he might be from Canada. 2. He keeps cross-checking guys in front of the net when the team's already shorthanded. 3. I had ten cub scouts ready to come over to my house to watch the lunar eclipse last week, but it was cloudy. I think it's Hak's fault. Criticize not just Hakstol but also Berry and Eades. If you haven't gotten it out of your system yet, criticize Blais for some good-old-days fun. Sorry I can't bring myself to start this section. Even on an anonymous internet board, those guys are just too menacing for me to go there. Also feel free to add advice. Then we can make sure they see the thread and perhaps they will incorporate some of our suggestions. An example would be: On the PP, bring the goalie up and plant him in the slot in the offensive zone. With all his gear on, he would make a perfect screen.

Last weekend was obviously horrible and showed that the list of problems to address is long. But after the 6-0 slide extended to 10-0 on Friday night, they seemed to finally turn it around. They pressured, controlled play and actually scored. Most of all, they seemed to get the penalty issue under control. Then they extended that solid play into tonight, really controlling play and the scoreboard through two periods. Then they ran into the penalty problem in the third again, ended up short-handed, ran out of gas at the end of the weekend, and let the home underdog get some third-period momentum. To their credit, the Sioux came back out for the OT and really carried the play. This weekend was a step forward for the team. They hit rock-bottom last weekend, and recovering from that is not an immediate thing. They took a step forward, and I think they will continue to get better now.

I wish you folks would just give it a rest. Building a team is a process, and things don't always go exactly as you expect. I personally believe that they will pull through this trying time and be very good later in the year. They are playing without quite a few regular players now, at the end of a weekend when they played a great team last night while NE was off. Nice fair-weather fans.

Nice night in the BCHL for a couple future Sioux. Kozek was 3-1-4 for Surrey, and Watkins was 2-1-3 for Vernon; both teams won. Salmon Arm also won, but Duncan was scoreless (a rarity so far this year).

From last night's Albany game in the AHL: SCORING SUMMARY Period 1 Albany - David Hale (Zach Parise) 4:32

I thought (read) Vanelli skated away without a scratch. Guess not.

I guess it's not a laughing matter, but your succinct summation of UND's new breakout scheme has me chuckling.

Some of this is included in Sprig's and dagies's posts above, but here is a summary of how some of the kids did this weekend: Surrey went 3-0, outscoring the opposition 16-8. Kozek went: 1-1-2 1-0-1 0-4-4 Salmon Arm was 1-1, with a scoring margin of 11-8. Duncan was: 0-2-2 2-1-3 Vernon was 1-1-1, with total scoring of 8-7. Watkins went: 1-1-2 1-0-1 1-0-1 Brad Miller finally got on the board for an apparently bad Green Bay team, scoring a goal this weekend. Perhaps he is starting to adjust to the league.

Not excuse-making, just trying to figure out what's going on. I honestly don't think the Sioux know how to play the game with the new officiating system. Woog keeps noting (correctly) guys not picking up their man on defense, and I think it is because they are just tentative on defense, trying not to pick up the penalty. I'm sure they were notified after Friday night to stay out of the box, and I think they are just bewildered right now. Greene sounded that way on the radio before the game. Say what you want about needing to suck it up and play by the rules, but you are asking the guys to change the way they have been taught to play for fifteen years. This is an adjustment period, and I'm pretty sure they won't stink all year. They just need to get through it. I started to see a bit of Radke's offensive talent and I'm excited to see him play more. Porter was the only Sioux forward who seemed to play well every shift tonight. Spirko had his moments. Murray was mostly MIA, and Stafford was completely absent. Tough weekend coming next week, with the way they are playing now.

After 5-0, the Sioux finally started moving their feet at least a little. Give thanks to Parise for saving two points from this weekend of standing around. It should be interesting to see how the team responds to this. I'm sure we'll be able to read about UND's thuggish Canadians, but if you're going to facewash as Vanelli did, you had better be prepared for the next step (which he obviously wasn't, as he got pounded).

No doubt this is as bad as UND has looked since 01-02. Look at it this way. UND was better than anyone in October and November the last two years, and look what it got them. Pretty tough to watch right now though. Looks like Hak gets to earn his pay now by righting this ship.

I had the exact same thought during the game, not just for 02, but the next two years as well. Just some nasty offensive players very well coached to run the PP.

I think either MN is going to finish a lot higher than predicted or UND is going to finish lower, because the Sioux didn't look like a dominant team tonight. Considering the experience advantage on defense (forwards are actually about even experience-wise), UND should have had the territorial advantage and limited MN's chances more than they did. Getting badly outshot is not something I am used to, and I don't think I like it. In the Sioux's defense, being on the downside of five 5-on-3's in the game (one early in the first, one in the third and about three straddling the first intermission) will mess up the shots allowed statistic. MN is going to be their usual nasty self this year, as they are definitely reloading rather than rebuilding. Given the magic that Lucia regularly works over the course of a season, count on them being tough to beat at the end of the year. Heck, they're tough to beat now. It's strange after the last few years to say that UND won because they out-goaltended the opponent, but that is definitely the case tonight. I don't know how Hakstol will pick his goalies, but I think Parise has played his way into a regular role. I think I'm going to really like Kaip. He's just a few games into his career, but I think he's going to out-McMahon McMahon and out-Prpich Prpich. I thought UND's defense did a much better job than last year of getting the puck past the first defender on the point shot. Obviously Smaby's shot turned into a goal, but there are just a lot of things that can happen if that shot gets into the slot area, and most of them are bad for the defending team. I didn't see much from Chucko, but he is very young, like Stafford was last year. It's funny that he ripped up the BCHL, while Gordon did little in the USHL last year and seemed to be very present tonight. I guess that's why they pay the coaches the big bucks, because I know I am not alone in the Twin Cities in wondering whether Gordon was even going to earn ice time this year. Irmen is a chippy, cocky, hard-nosed SOB. Man I wish he were wearing green. I think a big part of why the Sioux seem out of synch is the new officiating system. I do realize that it is the same for all teams (like complaining about the ice), but games right now are played in one of four conditions: 1. On the PP, never UND's strength. 2. On the PK, usually solid for UND, but tough against a Lucia team. 3. On the 3-on-5, seemingly only for UND. 4. Even strength, but not playing your usual physical defensive game because you're worried about picking up your next penalty. It is number four above that I think UND is really struggling with. I wonder how UMD is handling it, because they seem to be similar to UND in their tight-checking approach to forcing turnovers. A couple troubling things: Maine lost to SLU, so we're still not sure how good Maine is, casting a little doubt on the fantastic first weekend. UMD lit up Mankato, making last week's struggles seem even more glaring, and making UMD seem more formidable. Of course, all these impressions are after just a few games, and things will surely be different later this year. UND has had their share of losing games when they outshot their opponent 40-25, hitting pipes and missing nets, so it's nice to see one go the other way. You just can't count on winning those kind of games all the time. OK, complete the sweep tomorrow and all will be well.

oetkb, I disagree on who carried the play. Sioux had good PP chances, shots from the point getting through, generally solid. You just can't expect flow when they are PK so much. I have not cared for the complaining throughout cyberspace about the officiating this year, but now I have to join in (to my future regret I'm sure). This has gotten ridiculous. Last year's Final Five game between these two was as good a college game as you will see. They are capable of that still, but not in a game like this. Blais would have completely blown a gasket by now.

jloos, Thanks so much for this report. Actual comments on play are probably what I like to read most here, so stuff like this and Farce's report on the Mankato series are much appreciated. (I don't mean to leave others out; thanks to all for their input.) [Other poster types: those that like to hear themselves talk so they post opinions and projections (me), those that like to stir the pot, friendly visitors (and trolls) from other teams, and of course the occasional stalker and puck-bunny ("LuvUZach").] --------------------------------- "From what I saw the only problem with him is, he only turns it on about 10% of the time. He was easily the most skilled forward in the tourny." --- You mean we might have our own Vanek? It's great to hear about Willert. I met him a few years ago at a Sioux game, and he was a big kid even then. I had heard that his family was pretty big on the high school experience, and if that meant a post-HS year in the USHL to catch-up, then so-be-it. As a parent I can't argue with the approach, although I certainly understand the desire to fast-track. You could argue that by playing in Summer festivals and the Elite League he is getting quite a lot of high quality ice time against top players. Thanks again.

Not sure on scores or results, but I have a few things I'll be looking for: * Last year, Ballard and maybe Harrington were hurt for this series, so the Sioux forwards had a free shot at an inexperienced defensive unit for MN. They took full advantage and scored plenty of goals, with territorial and puck possession advantages as well. Sioux forwards get another crack at inexperienced MN defensemen again this weekend. Will they be up to the task of giving this group of MN kids a rude introduction to WCHA play? The Sioux play in Mankato suggests some doubt that they will punish MN as they did last year. A couple things may help UND, though: First, they're finally at home. Second, they're on the "little ice," and I still think they just don't play their game on the big ice. Third, it is MN, after all. * UND is clearly having trouble adjusting to the new officiating, as I believe they have been shorthanded more than their opponent in every game so far (haven't checked, but it sure seems that way). Penalty-killing has been great so far, but Lucia is a PP master, and MN will probably score some PP goals. * I think looking for 5-1 type scores this weekend will be like looking for them last weekend. MN will be looking to make a statement this weekend, and I don't think they'll just roll over. (I will be happy to be proven wrong here.) * Who the heck does Hakstol start in goal? He has expressed a desire to get down to two goalies, and I can't see any of the three playing their way out of the rotation. Good problem to have, I guess. Off-topic: Congrats to Rylan Kaip on his first career point Saturday.

If that is accurate that is unbelievable. As astounding as UND with 56 weeks is Michigan with just 2 (and one of those was last week).