SIOUX vs Pioneers - Friday

[ticklethetwine]

That was offsides. I was freaking out.... glad I wasn't the only one that noticed it. The replay showed it was offsides too, so it wasn't just the booze or my kelly green shades that made me see it that way. Thankfully it didn't change the outcome of the game. ...

Go Sioux, get the sweep tomorrow....

There is no question that was offside. When the play happened I thought his positioning looked odd but on the replays of my DVR he was for sure offsides. Blown call. Overall I thought refs called a good game.

[yzerman19]

I liked that the refs let the boys play. They started off only calling penalties if it prevented a legitimate scoring chance (I think Gregoire drew both). They then called a heavy, slightly high hit establishing the boundary that the boys can hit each other, just keep the elbows down and watch the head. The hook called against the Sioux was too obvious not to call, and considering Gwoz, I am sure the officials were hearing it. All in all good officiating. The blown call on offsides is tough...it is hard to tell when a player carries the puck in and makes himself offsides in the process. It is really hard when that player is turning and you can't tell where the puck is in relation to the blue line.

My takeaways:

Gregoire was a force. His balance and strength on his skates is remarkable. He generated a ton of opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Knight also played a great game. He is becoming one of those guys who isn't flashy, but he ends up on the score sheet a couple times each night...not saying he's Toewser, but that was how I used think about him...you'd barely notice him out there half the time, but when you'd read the box he'd have 3 points, be a +4 and have gone 6 for 7 at the draw.

Hextall completes that line. It is a workman line with lots of talent. I like how they play. Good hard, fast, both ends of the ice, physical, and skilled. It is our most complete line.

Frattin needs to shoot. He tried being unselfish and playing good heads up hockey, but with his rocket, he just needs to fire away.

Kristo needs to get space before he shoots, he continues to get his shot blocked way too much. He did play hard and more physical than I have seen him play in a while. It is just a matter of time before he and Nelson take off. I see them really blossoming in the second half.

Defensively we have issues. It has been present for a while now (years) that we struggle transitioning the puck and breaking out. We also struggle once the opponent establishes the forecheck and sets up. There needs to be some work done.

Goaltending is a big question too. Dell let in two he'd probably like to have back. The first goal was a defensive breakdown by Brock Nelson. Not Dell's fault.

[mikejm]

Defensively we have issues. It has been present for a while now (years) that we struggle transitioning the puck and breaking out. We also struggle once the opponent establishes the forecheck and sets up. There needs to be some work done.

Goaltending is a big question too. Dell let in two he'd probably like to have back. The first goal was a defensive breakdown by Brock Nelson. Not Dell's fault.

Once again I find myself in agreement with yzerman 19.

I'll add two thoughts as additions, not corrections nor disagreements:

1. We are leaving way too many opponents wide open and all alone in the slot. I don't know if the d-men are simply losing track, or if our forwards need to step up their play. But it's been a problem that leads directly to easy goals and needs to be fixed a.s.a.p. The Sioux did a good job of clearing the slot in the second period last night, but the third was more of the same; and

2. When I look at the extreme talent this team has at both forward and on defense, I can't help but wonder why we've not been able to land a world-class goaltender. I've not felt completely comfortable about any Sioux goalie since the new Ralph opened. The fact that Eddie was honored before Friday's game just pushed the issue to the frontal lobe again.

[siouxweet]

The fact that Eddie was honored before Friday's game just pushed the issue to the frontal lobe again.

I'll disagree with this to a point in that Eddie wasn't that stellar, his stats weren't mind boggling by any sort of the imagination and it doesn't hurt when you have a team that averages 5 goals a night either playing in front of you. now what he did in the NHL, that is another story.

[Vegas_Sioux]

I'll disagree with this to a point in that Eddie wasn't that stellar, his stats weren't mind boggling by any sort of the imagination and it doesn't hurt when you have a team that averages 5 goals a night either playing in front of you. now what he did in the NHL, that is another story.

Eddie also played in the small pad era though too. So you are going to have a few more goals a game.

[Walsh Hall]

Belfour was a first team all-american and first team WCHA. You can't compare his numbers to current college goalies. That would be like comparing the top scorers from that era to the top scorers now.

[yzerman19]

There was no left wing lock, no neutral zone trap...it was up and down hockey.

Eddie went 29-4 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.4 GAA on the way to All-American, All WCHA, and a NCAA title. Eddie was sick.

We need to finish the sweep this weekend.

UMD has pulled two out in OT so far this year and are tied with us...

[stickboy1956]

I liked that the refs let the boys play. They started off only calling penalties if it prevented a legitimate scoring chance (I think Gregoire drew both). They then called a heavy, slightly high hit establishing the boundary that the boys can hit each other, just keep the elbows down and watch the head. The hook called against the Sioux was too obvious not to call, and considering Gwoz, I am sure the officials were hearing it. All in all good officiating. The blown call on offsides is tough...it is hard to tell when a player carries the puck in and makes himself offsides in the process. It is really hard when that player is turning and you can't tell where the puck is in relation to the blue line.

My takeaways:

Gregoire was a force. His balance and strength on his skates is remarkable. He generated a ton of opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Knight also played a great game. He is becoming one of those guys who isn't flashy, but he ends up on the score sheet a couple times each night...not saying he's Toewser, but that was how I used think about him...you'd barely notice him out there half the time, but when you'd read the box he'd have 3 points, be a +4 and have gone 6 for 7 at the draw.

Hextall completes that line. It is a workman line with lots of talent. I like how they play. Good hard, fast, both ends of the ice, physical, and skilled. It is our most complete line.

Frattin needs to shoot. He tried being unselfish and playing good heads up hockey, but with his rocket, he just needs to fire away.

Kristo needs to get space before he shoots, he continues to get his shot blocked way too much. He did play hard and more physical than I have seen him play in a while. It is just a matter of time before he and Nelson take off. I see them really blossoming in the second half.

Defensively we have issues. It has been present for a while now (years) that we struggle transitioning the puck and breaking out. We also struggle once the opponent establishes the forecheck and sets up. There needs to be some work done.

Goaltending is a big question too. Dell let in two he'd probably like to have back. The first goal was a defensive breakdown by Brock Nelson. Not Dell's fault.

Our defenseman did not have to leave the front of the net wide open to chase a DU player behind the goalline, who was not an immediate threat. Nelson's the one who looks bad, this is what got us in trouble in Maine - D being out of control and leaving the middle of the rink wide open. Goal 3 was the same - both D ended up on their butt when all they had to do was stay calm, stay on their feet, and keep the play outside so the goalie has a poor angle stop to make.

Blood was a pylon on goal 2.

[yzerman19]

Our defenseman did not have to leave the front of the net wide open to chase a DU player behind the goalline, who was not an immediate threat. Nelson's the one who looks bad, this is what got us in trouble in Maine - D being out of control and leaving the middle of the rink wide open. Goal 3 was the same - both D ended up on their butt when all they had to do was stay calm, stay on their feet, and keep the play outside so the goalie has a poor angle stop to make.

Blood was a pylon on goal 2.

I agree that Blood got flat beat on the second goal. That first goal, however, the assignment was the center's to take that third DU player driving the net. Nelson was a step slow in his defensive assignment. The game is fluid and the center position is the hardest to play. These things happen, and it isn't a knock. I'm sure Hak will point it out in film, and I am sure that Nelson already knows it. You could see it on his face last night.

That doesn't mean that the dmen played perfectly...they have some work to do.

[Oxbow6]

Blood was a pylon on goal 2.

Thought of your 6 Dman, he struggled the most.

Simpson's the real deal IMO...even without the goal last pm.

[The Whistler]

From my slow motion replay, he left his feet and made helmet to helmet contact. To me Denver got off easy on that one. One contact to the head missed. I know it was on replay, but I suspected contact to the head to begin with, that's why I replayed it in slow motion.

It was a shoulder to shoulder hit. He was doing something with his feet, but he certainly didn't jump. After the hit the bodies went flying.

I thought it was a clean hit and I'd be pissed if that call went against us.

[siouxforce19]

It was a shoulder to shoulder hit. He was doing something with his feet, but he certainly didn't jump. After the hit the bodies went flying.

I thought it was a clean hit and I'd be pissed if that call went against us.

I think it's seen differently from person to person. I know a lot of people thought it was clean and a lot of people that thought it wasn't. I, initially thought it was a borderline head shot. But... I've only seen it once and without having seen it again I can't really evaluate it either way to determine if I was wrong or not. Either way I think it was borderline and my first impression was actually that it was a pretty dumb time to take a penalty with so little time left in the period.

[jodcon]

I thought we played pretty well last night, carried the play the first 2 periods, especially the second where I think Denver only got off 1 shot (although it went in). We could have easily been up 3 or 4 after the second but couldn't quite connect, the shots were there and often almost point-blank.

Gregoire was everywhere, and Knight was in the right place most of the night.

Hated the third period, looked like hockeys version of the "prevent defense", I hate when teams start playing "not to lose" and then have a hard time turning it back on when the game tightens, makes me break out the Crown (again).

[burd]

Defensively we have issues. It has been present for a while now (years) that we struggle transitioning the puck and breaking out. We also struggle once the opponent establishes the forecheck and sets up. There needs to be some work done.

Frustrates me every year when our D have trouble on the first break-out pass under a decent forecheck. I know it is part of Hak's scheme to keep the puck on the perimeter inside the zone, but that winger halfway up along the boards usually always has company, and there's often someone in the passing lane in front of him. In the end, it wins games, that's been proven well enough, but it's still frustrating not to see a quick transition game, given the talent the Sioux have.

We play a lot of games on NHL ice, and that affects the amount of space on the breakout, but still . . . .

[stickboy1956]

I agree that Blood got flat beat on the second goal. That first goal, however, the assignment was the center's to take that third DU player driving the net. Nelson was a step slow in his defensive assignment. The game is fluid and the center position is the hardest to play. These things happen, and it isn't a knock. I'm sure Hak will point it out in film, and I am sure that Nelson already knows it. You could see it on his face last night.

That doesn't mean that the dmen played perfectly...they have some work to do.

Watch an NHL game an see how rare it is that the D leave the front of the net open when the other team has the puck. They play the game from the middle out.

The center is supposed help down low but you can't hold him responsible when the D blows his assignment.