SIOUX vs DENVER

[HaksHomey]

Let's hope that it is. The ticket office says that it's sold out.

I tried for 2 gopher tickets on ticketmaster and when I didn't get them in the 1st minute, I immediately tried for this Saturday's game and couldnt get tickets better than the upper upper deck. I think people correctly predicted that a 2nd half home series with the ugly-logos was going to be huge.

I was disappointed not getting the minny tickets, but this series is so much more meaningful... I can't wait

[Stack]

Denver drives me crazy. They play what I would call a modified trap. Not as obvious as Tech or Wisconsin but they play it. The main difference is they counterattack very well. With Ruegsegger, Rakhshani, and now Maiani and Colborne that have some top skilled players. They also have a Duncan clone in 5'7" 150 pounds Luke Salazar so our defense needs to play well.

With 12 games left they still only play 5 of those 12 on the road. At the end of the regular season they will have played 35 games and only have played 12 games on the road. Due to the unbalanced scheduled they only play North Dakota and Minnesota one series each. Wouldn't it be nice to have that schedule. But this team has allowed the fewest goals in league play so we'll have our work cut out for us.

The biggest question though is what will George Gwozdecky wear each night. Maybe Malone?

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8315584?source=bb

I just do not like Dasher George.

[fightingsioux4life]

Denver drives me crazy. They play what I would call a modified trap. Not as obvious as Tech or Wisconsin but they play it. The main difference is they counterattack very well. With Ruegsegger, Rakhshani, and now Maiani and Colborne that have some top skilled players. They also have a Duncan clone in 5'7" 150 pounds Luke Salazar so our defense needs to play well.

With 12 games left they still only play 5 of those 12 on the road. At the end of the regular season they will have played 35 games and only have played 12 games on the road. Due to the unbalanced scheduled they only play North Dakota and Minnesota one series each. Wouldn't it be nice to have that schedule. But this team has allowed the fewest goals in league play so we'll have our work cut out for us.

The biggest question though is what will George Gwozdecky wear each night. Maybe Malone?

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8315584?source=bb

I just do not like Dasher George.

Well, that means that Denver won't be as battle-tested for the playoffs when you can't be a home all the time. And as for having our work cut out for us, that statement applies to most of our opponents in the league and nationally. If we're going to hang a banner, we will have to beat teams like this, especially at home. I am looking forward to it. Bring it on, Pios!

[siouxweet]

Well, that means that Denver won't be as battle-tested for the playoffs when you can't be a home all the time. And as for having our work cut out for us, that statement applies to most of our opponents in the league and nationally. If we're going to hang a banner, we will have to beat teams like this, especially at home. I am looking forward to it. Bring it on, Pios!

I thought I did see or hear that 7 of their next 9 are on the road.

[burd]

With 12 games left they still only play 5 of those 12 on the road. At the end of the regular season they will have played 35 games and only have played 12 games on the road. Due to the unbalanced scheduled they only play North Dakota and Minnesota one series each. Wouldn't it be nice to have that schedule.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8315584?source=bb

I think you flipped it, Stack. Denver has 7 of its last 12 on the road, including 5 straight in Feb. Their schedule from this point on is not an easy one. I think if the Sioux take two this weekend, Denver will end up in our rearview.

[jk]

Due to the unbalanced scheduled they only play North Dakota and Minnesota one series each. Wouldn't it be nice to have that schedule.

UND basically does have that schedule: one series each with DU and MN.

[luapsided]

A little confidence and gain the zone with some poise and control and sioux will have a big weekend! Eff dumb and chase!

[greenwinger_13]

Throw in our past history with Denver and the battle for first place, I am ALMOST as excited for this weekend as the gopher series. I hope everyone else is as pumped as me and the Ralph is ROCKIN.

Had the same feelings starting this morning.. makes for a long work week! Playin the current wcha #1 and the whole situation has me emotionally on par with the gophers series, its gonna be a long week of reading about and waiting for friday at 5pm when i get off of work!

[yzerman19]

Biggest series of the year. Not only does it put us in the driver's seat for the WCHA title and first round at home, but it will ripple across the PWR. We keep winning, we keep climbing. It's that simple.

Very pleased to see Marto stepping up. His goals were snipes on Sat. The kid has always impressed me with his skating. It is nice to see him get rewarded for hard work, and it means a ton to the team to have Jake producing offensively. It means we have 3 d-pairings with guys who are legitimate scoring threats on the blue line: Jake, Chay and Miller. I have to believe that having Big Joe starting to play to form takes a huge load off guys like Marto and Lapoint. They can play "their" game now and not have as much pressure.

Denver might be the only team in the WCHA as deep as we are. If we win it will be due to the play of the 3rd and 4th lines. DU's top two lines can definitely light it up, so if our top two lines play even hockey with them, look to the Zajac, Martens, Watkins, Toews, Kozek players to be the heroes. I'd really like to see Watty get out of his scoring slump. The guy has worked hard and gotten some great opportunities through that hard work, but is just snake bit. All that said, the top two lines have to bring their "A" games too.

BE is going to be tested big time. He needs to control those rebounds. That seems to be his biggest opportunity for improvement. Let's hope the shutout gave him the confidence he needs to get in the zone. Big Joe and Rage Black Out need to manhandle the shifty Denver forwards, clear the front of the net and tie up their men. Forwards have to be prepared to help out too and put pressure on Denver's point men, get them to turn it over on both ends of the ice.

Man, I'm excited for this one. As pessimistic as I was early on, I am seeing something pretty special in this team. They didn't have the big expectations like those teams that looked like the NHL young stars game. They are winning as a team, not as a single line.

[AZSIOUX]

denver will miss bozak in a series like this as hes so damn good. they may be able to get away without having him against lower standing teams but if the sioux come out like 2 weekends ago it will be a nice weekend or even 80% of that will make for a hell of a series. the sioux are in a prime spot to jump to the top of the wcha after this weekend but this is a dam good denver team with brad pointing out this info

Denver is 9-1-1 in the last 11 games and the Pioneers have won seven straight WCHA games. The Sioux are 9-2-1 in the last 12.

Denver has the No. 1 scoring offense and No. 1 scoring defense in the WCHA (both in league games and overall).

Sophomore goalie Marc Cheverie leads the WCHA in goals-against average, save percentage and win percentage (both in league games and overall).

if kozek is out still then davidson or mario will get a shot. maybe both play again as both played well vs tech.

sioux sweep

[AZSIOUX]

great news for everyone around the country with direct tv, dish or digital cable with the sports tier

Both UND-DU games will be televised by Fighting Sioux Sports Network and Fox Sports Rocky Mountain.

[brianvf]

Biggest series of the year. Not only does it put us in the driver's seat for the WCHA title and first round at home, but it will ripple across the PWR. We keep winning, we keep climbing. It's that simple.

Very pleased to see Marto stepping up. His goals were snipes on Sat. The kid has always impressed me with his skating. It is nice to see him get rewarded for hard work, and it means a ton to the team to have Jake producing offensively. It means we have 3 d-pairings with guys who are legitimate scoring threats on the blue line: Jake, Chay and Miller. I have to believe that having Big Joe starting to play to form takes a huge load off guys like Marto and Lapoint. They can play "their" game now and not have as much pressure.

Denver might be the only team in the WCHA as deep as we are. If we win it will be due to the play of the 3rd and 4th lines. DU's top two lines can definitely light it up, so if our top two lines play even hockey with them, look to the Zajac, Martens, Watkins, Toews, Kozek players to be the heroes. I'd really like to see Watty get out of his scoring slump. The guy has worked hard and gotten some great opportunities through that hard work, but is just snake bit. All that said, the top two lines have to bring their "A" games too.

BE is going to be tested big time. He needs to control those rebounds. That seems to be his biggest opportunity for improvement. Let's hope the shutout gave him the confidence he needs to get in the zone. Big Joe and Rage Black Out need to manhandle the shifty Denver forwards, clear the front of the net and tie up their men. Forwards have to be prepared to help out too and put pressure on Denver's point men, get them to turn it over on both ends of the ice.

Man, I'm excited for this one. As pessimistic as I was early on, I am seeing something pretty special in this team. They didn't have the big expectations like those teams that looked like the NHL young stars game. They are winning as a team, not as a single line.

Nice synopsis. I agree about Marto and Eidsness.

Regarding the bolded text...isn't this the same team that "has no talent"?

[yzerman19]

Sioux winning is very tasty crow

[GeauxSioux]

DU's Bozak sets return for playoffs

Slugging Sioux.

North Dakota has a pattern of turning games against DU, Wisconsin and Minnesota into fightfests that have led to questions about referees keeping control of the game.

The Sioux slugged it out with each of those teams last season and again against the Gophers on Jan. 10 in Grand Forks.

Last February against DU, North Dakota's Kyle Radke fought the Pioneers' J.P. Testwuide, but neither was given a game misconduct. Radke came out of the locker room following the second- period buzzer and pummeled Brandon Vossberg.

"I don't think we're going to prepare for anything other than we normally do," DU coach George Gwozdecky said. "This league is a tough, fast, physical league, and whether you play Minnesota, North Dakota or Wisconsin (on the road), we expect those things."

[dagies]

DU's Bozak sets return for playoffs

Yeah, UND turns the games into fightfests. The other teams never contribute.

North Dakota Hockey: You start it, we finish it.

[jk]

Yeah, UND turns the games into fightfests. The other teams never contribute.

North Dakota Hockey: You start it, we finish it.

We didn't get to finish that one between MN and St. Cloud last week.

[Goon]

Yeah, UND turns the games into fightfests. The other teams never contribute.

North Dakota Hockey: You start it, we finish it.

Yeah I know I am sick and tired of hearing about that.

So what do they expect the Fighting Sioux players to do when a goalie smacks one of our players, or an oppostion give them a face wash or a cross check? Our guys are not going to back down.

[siouxhockeyfan11]

I'm not gonna say we have no part in the fights happening and what not but really this is one of the biggest series of the season and all the guy has to write about is that the Sioux like to fight. Get real I think there are more important things to talk about.

[Goon]

I'm not gonna say we have no part in the fights happening and what not but really this is one of the biggest series of the season and all the guy has to write about is that the Sioux like to fight. Get real I think there are more important things to talk about.

I hope we beat them on the score board. I don't think we will see any fights this weekend.

[dagies]

We didn't get to finish that one between MN and St. Cloud last week.

Or the one in Wisconsin with CC where 2 guys from each team were involved and each got double minors and one each misconducts. That after Friday's game with the Bucky player got a penalty for slashing the goalie and Gabe Guentzel got a roughing minor in response? I'm sure Eaves was plenty ticked about the big bad Tigers gooning it up, just like last year.

Now we see why Guentzel was forced out of MN. One coach's kid defends his goalie, the other coach's kid....

[Goon]

Or the one in Wisconsin with CC where 2 guys from each team were involved and each got double minors and one each misconducts. That after Friday's game with the Bucky player got a penalty for slashing the goalie and Gabe Guentzel got a roughing minor in response? I'm sure Eaves was plenty ticked about the big bad Tigers gooning it up, just like last year.

Now we see why Guentzel was forced out of MN. One coach's kid defends his goalie, the other coach's kid....

[Irish]

A little confidence and gain the zone with some poise and control and sioux will have a big weekend! Eff dumb and chase!

Agreed - count the 12 goals we hung on the goophers - how many came from the dump/chase/cycle and how many came from carrying the puck into the zone, working for odd man rushes, crisp passing and playing Blais style offense. If we play like that, we look like worldbeaters.

[summy1977]

http://letsgodu.blogspot.com/2009/01/du-to...on-team-to.html

[AZSIOUX]

http://letsgodu.blogspot.com/2009/01/du-to...on-team-to.html

i love his blog. he does a good job and actualy makes a blog for once original and funny. its hilarious to read weekly actually. like dirtys

[siouxweet]

Marto is the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Good job Jake.