Sioux vs. Pioneers

[siouxguyinFF]

Hey, by the way, we played against a very good team this weekend. 3 points before the weekend started would've been a great thing. I'm pretty happy about what happened this weekend. I couldn't ask for more than 3 points against Denver.

[Goon]

Hey, by the way, we played against a very good team this weekend. 3 points before the weekend started would've been a great thing. I'm pretty happy about what happened this weekend. I couldn't ask for more than 3 points against Denver.

My friends and I pick the games each week in a pool and I am happy with 3 points, I have see years past where DU ran us out of the building.

[DAR]

Hey, by the way, we played against a very good team this weekend. 3 points before the weekend started would've been a great thing. I'm pretty happy about what happened this weekend. I couldn't ask for more than 3 points against Denver.

Sure you could have...you could have asked for four. The Sioux did not come to play tonight so 3 is sufficient.

[Smoggy]

The league have backed off calling the games the way the NCAA mandated at the beginning of the season. Anderson lost his composure a few times during the games this weekend. The officals almost lost control of the game yesterday. The WCHA teams are going to be in trouble again when they get to the NCAA playoffs.

I agree with this totally. Tonight I had third row view and Anderson was letting slashes and hooks go and then Campion would have to do the call and he was the back official that had no business making the call. The first period was ugly for Anderson. Also when we had the 5 on 3 PP and Denver was allowed two blatant trips.

[brianvf]

Sure you could have...you could have asked for four. The Sioux did not come to play tonight so 3 is sufficient.

I asked for five points. The Sioux couldn't do it though, they just don't have the talent to do that this year.

[Stromer]

Yeah Anderson had a rough series. He seemed to call everything. Seriously, Campion hardly got to make a call this series but overall I can't complain with the reffing. Sure it wasn't as good as if D Shep would have been out there but still a pretty even series. I will take 3 out of 4 anyday. I am more concerned with Minnesota anyways as they have an extremely cake schedule the rest of the way. Should be an interesting end to the season.

Also I have to give props to the Denver players who came out to the bars tonight. Have to give respect to people who would wear their Denver gear out after only getting 1 point in the series. Pretty ballsy but I respect that.

[siouxhockeyfan11]

Yeah Anderson had a rough series. He seemed to call everything. Seriously, Campion hardly got to make a call this series but overall I can't complain with the reffing. Sure it wasn't as good as if D Shep would have been out there but still a pretty even series. I will take 3 out of 4 anyday. I am more concerned with Minnesota anyways as they have an extremely cake schedule the rest of the way. Should be an interesting end to the season.

Also I have to give props to the Denver players who came out to the bars tonight. Have to give respect to people who would wear their Denver gear out after only getting 1 point in the series. Pretty ballsy but I respect that.

I agree. I love opposing fans who can come out and have a good time no matter what happens.. I give props to the DU fans who came out again tonight.. you have my respect for being a legitamate college hockey fanbase..thank you!

[siouxprideforever]

Obviously, I am impressed with how the Sioux have turned their season around and would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the coaching staff for their efforts. However, as others above have noted I too am a little concerne about the officiating during this run. I think it was in the Minnesota series or perhaps one earlier the WCHA officials were quoted as saying that they were going to let the teams play.... This in contrast to the early season onslaught of whistle after whistle. If Greg Shepard has called off the wolves and has made a conscious effort to move away from the tight calling it may not bode well for WCHA teams in the post season - as Mr. Goon has noted. I find it extremely concerning because this new less stringent mentality has definitely played into our hands. This is our style of hockey. I hope the whistle hiatus is not temporary or our frustrations could return.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

We're getting to that time of year when goaltending means everything, and it's huge that BE had the kind of game he had tonight. He's been very good this year, but this was he first showing that he can be the difference maker against a playoff caliber team. The point is nice, but getting that game out of Eidsness is bigger IMO.

Speaking of points, is anyone else a little concerned that pairwise points might be hard to come by from here to the FF, given the low rankings of the teams we will play from here on out? I don't understand the system very well (even Algebra made my head hurt), but there don't appear to be many point-rich weekends ahead.

I am as well and I hope the weekend in Duluth doesn't come back to bite this year's team.

[burd]

I am as well and I hope the weekend in Duluth doesn't come back to bite this year's team.

Falling below the cut-line would be especially hard for this team, since it is starting to play like the team we all were expecting this year (solid D and goaltending and scoring up and down the lines). This could be a very good tournament team, especially if BE can be that big-game player, but I'd hate to have to rely on winning the conference tourney to get in.

[ksixpack]

I think Hak made a mistake by not playing our 4th line more (Malone, Lammy, Toews), especially in the last half of the 3rd and OT. They had three shifts in the 3rd and really had some jump in all three but didn't see the ice for the last 13 minutes of the game. They were banging and crashing the net hard and had fresh legs. They could have made the difference as we were clearly tired at the end of the game with all the penalty kills. Anyone else agree?

[jk]

No disrespect to anyone, but I thought having Mario in for Kozek made it a "4th" line instead of one of 4 equal lines. I'm glad they shortened the bench because Denver was bringing it too hard for me to trust that line. Again, I'm really pleased with everyone on the team and think they're doing great, but the circumstances were unusual in that the opponent was really inspired. Just my opinion.

[sagard]

That was a big time game last night. Your guys responded very well to a strong team who brought their "A" game.

For me it was a perfect result. Neither team got too far up the road.

[Dden1]

Won't get any easier for the Sioux next weekend. St. Cloud had a very good result taking 3 points at Colo College and winning by big margin on Sat night.

[The Sicatoka]

OBSERVATION 1

Denver changed strategies Saturday.

They realized after the first goal that they just can't skate with North Dakota.

So, they pulled out the game plan from the DU v. Maine championship game a few years back.

And the officials allow those tactics to play.

OBSERVATION 1A

The officials (on ice and league) had better pray the NCAA doesn't look at that game.

The "focus" on obstruction and holding was, shall we politely say, more than blurred.

OBSERVATION 2

"Curious George, the Dancing Dasher Monkey" (attribution unknown) should have cost his team a game.

The minute his shoes hit the ice, officials with (again, politely) gonads would have forfeited Denver on the spot.

OBSERVATION 2A

Curious George's stunt was dangerous and he should be sanctioned more harshly than "Birdman Hak" was.

No helmet, on the ice, by the dasher: Remember UM at MSU-M in last year's playoffs?

Ol' GG (pronounced "Gi-Gi") was out of control and the league must respond.

With malace.

OBSERVATION 2B

The officials are weak.

No official should put up with, much less acknowledge, such treatment.

Anderson and Campion should have sent their linesmen down the tunnel when GG hit the ice, and then followed.

And then sent the message of OBSERVATION 2 back up the tunnel from their room.

No official should put up with an out of control "look at me" one-ups-manship display from a coach like that. Ever.

Punish it. Harshly. So that it never happens again.

OBSERVATION 3

Brad Eidsness ain't a freshman.

Not any more.

[yzerman19]

We can only worry about ourselves in the PWR. Keep winning and things will work out. Win the WCHA F5 and we're in automatically. That has to be our approach.

It is a different situation this year. OVer the last couple years we hav ebeen out of the McNaughton race, but sitting pretty in the PWR. The early non-conference performance has driven that in both directions, positive in year's past, and outside looking in now.

It is often stated that PWR is not as accurate as KRACH, and that certainly appears to be true. The Sioux team that shellacked MN, DU and Cornell for 30 goals is not he team that couldn't buy a goal vs UMASS

We've come a long way this year. We still have a long ways to go.

I agree that having Kozey out there makes that 4th line a legitimate scoring line. To DU's credit, they shut down our pp and shut down the top line last night. BE was the star of the game, but Chevrie also played extremely well. The paddle save on Hexy's wide open net in the first was big. I believe it would'v ebeen 2-0 Sioux at the time if it went in.

[dead_rabbit]

Yeah Anderson had a rough series. He seemed to call everything. Seriously, Campion hardly got to make a call this series but overall I can't complain with the reffing. Sure it wasn't as good as if D Shep would have been out there but still a pretty even series. I will take 3 out of 4 anyday. I am more concerned with Minnesota anyways as they have an extremely cake schedule the rest of the way. Should be an interesting end to the season.

Also I have to give props to the Denver players who came out to the bars tonight. Have to give respect to people who would wear their Denver gear out after only getting 1 point in the series. Pretty ballsy but I respect that.

Did I wake up in Bizzarro world today? Since when has Derek Shepherd been the benchmark for good officiating???

[Goon]

Did I wake up in Bizzarro world today? Since when has Derek Shepherd been the benchmark for good officiating???

Believe it or not Shepherd and Hunt have been the two best officals this season. Have you ever heard the saying when your surrounded by $#!t it isn't as hard to shine.

[brianvf]

Won't get any easier for the Sioux next weekend. St. Cloud had a very good result taking 3 points at Colo College and winning by big margin on Sat night.

Impressive, especially being that it was at CC.

The Tigers are tanking hard...something like 3-10 in their last 13 games. Kind of surprising given the talent on that roster...Bachman, Rau, Sweatt, Walsky. I guess they aren't getting any production aside from their top line and Bachman is not having a good soph season (compared to last year).

[jk]

... Bachman is not having a good soph season (compared to last year).

He hasn't been the same since reality introduced itself in the WCHA third-place game last year.

[Siouxman]

No disrespect to anyone, but I thought having Mario in for Kozek made it a "4th" line instead of one of 4 equal lines. I'm glad they shortened the bench because Denver was bringing it too hard for me to trust that line. Again, I'm really pleased with everyone on the team and think they're doing great, but the circumstances were unusual in that the opponent was really inspired. Just my opinion.

I wholeheartedly agree. Mario cost the team a power play in the first with a stupid penalty. He was countinuously outmuscled for the puck all game long. Also, Malone played a little close to the edge, and actually over it a couple of times, late in the game. The officials let him get away with it, but he was a potential liability after teh Gwoz antics caused the officiating to tilt against the Sioux. Malone did have a some positive spots in the game, but I believe that it was wise by the coaching staff to not use them late in the game.

Kozek was greatly missed, both his speed and physicality.

[Oxbow6]

Kozek was greatly missed, both his speed and physicality.

Totally agree. Ran into Kozek in between periods as he was signing a young girl's jersey. Heard him say he could have gone last night but is not 100%.

[Stromer]

Did I wake up in Bizzarro world today? Since when has Derek Shepherd been the benchmark for good officiating???

He used to be a very bad ref. However, he has improved and after watching him in the Minn series, I think he is the best one out there. He doesn't seem to ref with the bias (perceived or otherwise) that he once did. That being said, my least favorite ref has been, is, and will be Anderson until the day he is done. His performance in the playoff series against Mankato 2 years ago should have been the last straw but yet here we are 2 years later and he is still here.

[yzerman19]

Kozey was injured, so maybe he aggravated his leg in Friday's game? I don't know. He is a legitimate scoring threat everytime he is on the ice, and he certainly isn't afraid to play the body. I actually think that he and little Toews were starting to show some chemistry too.

The Lapoint question is an interesting one. I have been openly critical of his play many times. Is it a situation where we need him to get game speed reps to try and develop for next year? The problem is he doesn't seem to be improving. More than one time this weekend he looked desperate and panicked out there. In our end when we need to break the puck out, he tends to either chip it or play hot potatoe with it and send it over to Marto. At this level you have to make decisions quickly, but it seems that he makes them too quickly and doesn't make good decisions. I don't want to rip the kid, but he seems to be really uncomfortable in our end, especially against an aggressive forecheck.

I also know that the 5 straight penalties took a toll on the legs, but it seemed like we were out of gas in the third period. In the playoffs you have to play 6 periods in a weekend in 5th gear. I think we played 3 in 5th, 2 in 3rd, and 1 in 2nd. I hope none of the boys read this and come hunt me down, but If I were Hak, this might be a conditioning Tuesday practice.

[jk]

I have had the same concerns about LaPoint, but I feel like he is a much better player now than two months ago. He seems more comfortable all the time. And last night was the most aggressive forecheck the Sioux have seen this year. When is the last time you saw a team carry the play that much against them? Probably BU is the only other time this year.