My Great Weekend

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

You know, with everyone talking about their favorite memories from this weekend, I thought I'd share one of mine. One of the funniest things that I thought happened was in the student section. A few college-aged Gopher fans are sitting in the student section, and every time the Gophers scored on Saturday this stupid girl would stand up, scream, and point her fingers in the air (one of them was big and foamy) with a look on her face that said "Somebody please remove this stick from my ass." UND students (mostly male) responded by standing up and turning their backs to the ice to face her while chanting "Ugly Gopher" clap, clap, clap clap clap. Friggin hilarious! Her friends were smart enough to stop standing up to cheer after the first Gopher goal.

Ah yes.....I remember well. When they showed the girls that sit across from us in Sec. 109 (they're in the little penalty box subsection, so to speak) on the big screen we should have started doing ugly-hot, like the goalie-sieve cheer. Unfortunately, I came up with idea after Saturday's game...oh well, if the opportunity ever arises again....

[Goon]

Listening to the weekly CC talk show and they had USHO WCHA correspondent on. He thinks that UND will not be in the mix at the end of the year due to goaltending and road heavy schedule in second half. I thought both Brandt and Parise played well, just the one weak goal on Saturday. Much better than Minnesota. He also commented that Suter kid from Wisconsin has been most impressive rookie. He must be good if he gets nod over Murray or Stafford who I think have been impressive.

I am not sure who that C.C. Announcer thinks is going to be there if UND is not there, would have to say that UND is one of the top teams in the WCHA this season. UND can role three-four solid lines and has a stiffling defense... UND only has like 14 games on the road this season and after the first of the year we have 6 games at home and 8 on the road.

Why am I so positive? We play UAA, MTU a total of 6 games and we do not have to travel to C.C. either. I think our schedule isn't that unfavorable.

[CoteauRinkRat]

Listening to the weekly CC talk show and they had USHO WCHA correspondent on. He thinks that UND will not be in the mix at the end of the year due to goaltending and road heavy schedule in second half. I thought both Brandt and Parise played well, just the one weak goal on Saturday. Much better than Minnesota. He also commented that Suter kid from Wisconsin has been most impressive rookie. He must be good if he gets nod over Murray or Stafford who I think have been impressive.

Imagine that, it doesn't surprise me one bit.

[yzerman19]

I am UMN alum, but a GF native and die hard Sioux hockey fan. Having lived in the TC for 10 years, the biggest thing I can't stand about Gopher fans is their unwarranted arrogance. The whole state of hockey crap and all of that blah, blah, blah. The avg Gopher hockey fan honestly believes that it is everyone's dream to wear the maroon and gold, that MN is the homeland og hockey and that MN is the only place where junior level hockey exists. They have obviously never heard of the O the W or the Q. Anyway, it was great to watch the POI fall apart. They think that they are despised because they are the best, when actually it is because they have stupid fans. Instead of being happy to have an elite college hockey program they have to act like they are the only college hockey program. You just can't reason with them...7>5, or three years ago...7>3 and they respond with some stupidity about 25 year old candians or padded stat sheets. Anyone who makes that comment is obviously recycling garbage from an hockey ignoramous. Has UND ever had an NCAA rules violation? I certainly can't think of one. Anyone remember the CLem Haskins deal...you don't think any UMN hockey players got the same kind of help do you? No, never. Gopher fans don't listen to facts, they listen to Woog and Mozzaco (sp) and Sid. I just needed to sound off a little and remind any Gopher fans that their team is terrible. A little school with a much smaller enrollment and a much smaller balance sheet beats them repeatedly at the game which they pretend to own. Parise for President! He isn't on the scoring sheet as much so far this year only 9 points in 7 games (only) , but he is impressing the hell out of me in his play away from the puck. He isn't forcing things, he is just making it happen, and realizing that when he can't, he can still draw a crowd so that BM and BB can do the damage! His backcheck and take down of Vanek in the slot was one for the ages, especially from an offensive force like he is.

[PCM]

There's a tendency in sports to assume that what happened last season will also happen this season.

Who knows? Maybe the Gophers will again rise from the ashes and capture their third straight national championship. Maybe the Sioux will again run out of gas after a fast start.

I think there are enough differences between WCHA teams to assure that this season's outcome won't resemble last season's. If some people want to believe that Blais is still coaching last year's Sioux team, that's fine with me. Let them find out the hard way.

[dagies]

It's not unprecedented for a team to have a horrid start and return to respectability later in the year. The most frightening thing about that will be how badly they will want revenge on teams who gave them the most pain early on.

PCM is right, this isn't last year's team. I think those fans who think the Sioux will hit a wall when they hit the road will be unHappy.

[Goon]

There's a tendency in sports to assume that what happened last season will also happen this season.

Who knows? Maybe the Gophers will again rise from the ashes and capture their third straight national championship. Maybe the Sioux will again run out of gas after a fast start.

I think there are enough differences between WCHA teams to assure that this season's outcome won't resemble last season's. If some people want to believe that Blais is still coaching last year's Sioux team, that's fine with me. Let them find out the hard way.

I like your line of thinking. Let them find out the hard way.

[sioux fan in phoenix]

I am not sure who that C.C. Announcer thinks is going to be there if UND is not there, would have to say that UND is one of the top teams in the WCHA this season.

No big deal, but I think "7>4" was referring to the USCHO beat writer, Todd Miliewski (sp), who made that comment. Dunno, that's just the way I read it...

[redwing77]

I am UMN alum, but a GF native and die hard Sioux hockey fan. Having lived in the TC for 10 years, the biggest thing I can't stand about Gopher fans is their unwarranted arrogance. The whole state of hockey crap and all of that blah, blah, blah. The avg Gopher hockey fan honestly believes that it is everyone's dream to wear the maroon and gold, that MN is the homeland og hockey and that MN is the only place where junior level hockey exists. They have obviously never heard of the O the W or the Q. Anyway, it was great to watch the POI fall apart. They think that they are despised because they are the best, when actually it is because they have stupid fans. Instead of being happy to have an elite college hockey program they have to act like they are the only college hockey program. You just can't reason with them...7>5, or three years ago...7>3 and they respond with some stupidity about 25 year old candians or padded stat sheets. Anyone who makes that comment is obviously recycling garbage from an hockey ignoramous. Has UND ever had an NCAA rules violation? I certainly can't think of one. Anyone remember the CLem Haskins deal...you don't think any UMN hockey players got the same kind of help do you? No, never. Gopher fans don't listen to facts, they listen to Woog and Mozzaco (sp) and Sid. I just needed to sound off a little and remind any Gopher fans that their team is terrible. A little school with a much smaller enrollment and a much smaller balance sheet beats them repeatedly at the game which they pretend to own. Parise for President! He isn't on the scoring sheet as much so far this year only 9 points in 7 games (only) , but he is impressing the hell out of me in his play away from the puck. He isn't forcing things, he is just making it happen, and realizing that when he can't, he can still draw a crowd so that BM and BB can do the damage! His backcheck and take down of Vanek in the slot was one for the ages, especially from an offensive force like he is.

I held the same opinion before I logged onto this site. There are certain Gopher fans who frequent this board and post that I think are not those kind of Gopher fans you desdain so much.

The Gophers are down and out at the moment and well, to some, Ignorance is Bliss. It's like the average drunk. They go out and spend all their money to get drunk every night because they can escape reality for a few hours that way and it helps them cope. I'm not saying all Gopher fans are alcoholics (although if they continue losing it could get interesting at the AA meetings in the Twin Cities), but you must realize that devotion to one's team can get that crazed. I'm sure there are Sioux fans who are the same way. Green Bay is full of them for their NFL team. Hey, look at the Cubs! They have a rabid fan base for a team who rarely sees October as part of the playing season!

These fans happen, that's why we go out and look for those fans who can root for their team but are able to admit that their team isn't as good as they want them to be and simply admit the other team was better. Reality is that the Sioux and the Gophers cannot win Championships every year. Expecting Minnesota to 3 peat and 4 peat and so on is unrealistic, just like it is unrealistic to expect The Cubs to win the World Series next year. They might, but it is unlikely.

[Smoggy]

We've been spending so much time lately talking about the goofs and how the rest of their season will go, that I thought I might chime in on us.

We're beginning this season much like last. Fact is that we have the the same crappy all home beginning and all road ending. I think some people are getting nervous that the same fallout might happen to us this year. I personally don't see it happening.

Watching last year I felt the beginning was a fluke. I was converted as they kept rolling, but then like every Minnesota pro franchise they decided to bow out early. I think we are forgetting that even when we were losing, WE WEREN'T BAD. I have never seen a team have so many unlucky breaks as we did last year. Were our goalies great? No. Did we struggle at times? Yes. Were we failing to put the puck in the net? YES.

When we were losing we hit more pipes than the other team had goals. This seems so impossible, but even when I was at the first round of the NCAAs, I think we hit three pipes against Ferris State. Imagine if one went in and the change of momentum that would've happened. You could see the guys sink lower every time you heard the clang. Plus the other goalies always seemed to play out of their minds against us.

While breaks like these can't necessarily be controlled, I just don't see it happening this year. This year we are deeper with better goaltending. Our guys are hitting the net and right now we aren't relying on Parise. This team has so much potential it's scary. No matter what, it'll be fun to watch.

That Murray kid is going to be great. Bo to score, Parise to pass, and I think Murray could do it all.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

yzerman19...careful about how you talk about Minnesota hockey in general. I am a Minnesota native and while a Sioux fan, I'm still all about Minnesota hockey (except the Gophers). It IS the Sate of Hockey, only Michigan can HOPE to dispute that. Compare how many Minnesotans play at the D1 level or the NHL with any other state. Granted there are some VERY ignorant fans in Minnesota, but that is true at all levels everywhere. WPoS, Greyeagle, sagard, and a few other Gopher posters actually do know the game and post with a point of view that is only a little through maroon and gold glasses. And the Gophers do have a winning record all time when it comes to the Sioux (as just about every other team in the NCAA).

BTW...NOBODY in Minnesota actually considers Sid a credible source. Especially when it comes to hockey. I think he actually gets his info from Shooter, who throws darts a board to determine what is going on.

All that said...Here's to pounding the puppies into submission this weekend.

[Taz Boy]

I really like this thread. jk's tremendously detailed recap makes me a little embarrassed to have once considered myself a knowledgeable hockey fan. Very interesting!

Any mention of another Sioux slide late in the season is simply wishful speculation. Would it have been better for the program had they lost one or both last weekend? Absolutely not. As I recall from Saturday, Dean and his boys left the ice pleased, and Lucia's lads were less enthusiastic. Apparently they did not understand the new rule that early season victories automatically disqualify you from late season greatness.

Let's suppose a championship-caliber UM team showed up and UND got swept with 1-goal games, perhaps in overtime. Well, then, the Goofer press would have praised the effort of North Dakota, declaring them a definite force to be reckoned with down the road. The series would have "set the stage" for another heated battle, or "showdown" if you will, at the Mariucci later this season. What a "clash between two hockey powerhouses in the WCHA. Both storied programs with the potential to bring home the hardware in April." Blah blah blah.

Where have we seen this talk before? One of the main themes in the Bison-friendly press after the NDSJC loss to North Dakota in football was how great it will be when these two teams meet again in the post season. In fact, the Bison now had an edge for such a game-- a greater incentive to win. You'd have thought the Bison master plan was playing out exactly by design. Sadly, it did not.

The truth is, no one can say with any certainty who of the top teams is going deep this year. Way too many variables for that. What you can say is that it is a good thing to win hockey games and collect points, no matter what time of year it is. Last weekend was a good thing for the Fighting Sioux. A very good thing. And, I enjoyed myself completely.

taz digs it, baybay

[yzerman19]

Calling MN the state of hockey is liking calling Manitoba the province of basketball. It is still their game up there. We just play it. Aside from Phil Housley and Neil Broten MN hasn't produced a top end NHLer for a while. Langenbrunner (who i happen to know) even left MN prep hockey to play in the O, because he knew that Canada was the best route to the show. As much as we all love college puck, for most of these guys it is the beginning of the end. A couple of years in the East Coast league or the AHL and then it's over. Top end American born players in the show right now...Modano, Roenick, LeClair, Tkachuk, Amonte...hmmm...none hail from MN. MN does produce the occassional grinder...but not as good as ND...ala the RP!

[redwing77]

Calling MN the state of hockey is liking calling Manitoba the province of basketball. It is still their game up there. We just play it. Aside from Phil Housley and Neil Broten MN hasn't produced a top end NHLer for a while. Langenbrunner (who i happen to know) even left MN prep hockey to play in the O, because he knew that Canada was the best route to the show. As much as we all love college puck, for most of these guys it is the beginning of the end. A couple of years in the East Coast league or the AHL and then it's over. Top end American born players in the show right now...Modano, Roenick, LeClair, Tkachuk, Amonte...hmmm...none hail from MN. MN does produce the occassional grinder...but not as good as ND...ala the RP!

Perhaps, but how many ND players (meaning players born and raised in North Dakota) are in the NHL currently? To my knowledge there is one (Ryan Kraft from Bottineau, ND). Sure, soon there may be more (Schneider, Massen, maybe Fylling and Panzer), but we really do have a minority status to Minnesota.

When people from Minnesota call it the State of Hockey, they mean anyone from the state of MN regardless of where they play hockey. Using that definition, there are more players from MN than you think. Yes, after Zach Parise leaves UND, he'll probably be considered a Minnesota product regardless of school.

Let Minnesota have their "state of hockey" slogan. It's not a fight, in my opinion, that is worth fighting about. I say endorse that slogan and then steal all of those guys from under UM's nose

[redwing77]

P.S. Just an after thought:

If Minnesota wants to claim a grinder and hall of famer as their own, they need only look to Brett Hull. The former UMD standout maintains a residence in Duluth. Just an FYI.

[yzerman19]

Krafty was a buddy of mine in school, and yes, Redwing77, you are correct he was born in ND, but he learned hockey in Moorhead. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten much of a shake in the NHL, despite being rookie of the year, all-star fastest skater, etc. in the AHL. Jason Blake actually spent his elementary school/early jr high years in GF-I played on his Pee Wee team. So he is more of a ND native than Krafty (in my opinion). I have never claimed that ND has the same quality of hockey/hockey player as MN at the prep level. Mike Peluso form UMD via Bismarck ND has played a couple games in the NHL, but anyway. Brett Hull does have a summer home on Island Lake in Duluth...I ran into him getting on a private jet at the St Paul airport two summers ago...very nice guy...he is definitely not a MN though. If having a summer place in MN counts, then I guess Paul Newman and Tom Cruise are MN too. The Shattuck factor is interesting, but I equate that program to the developmental team in Ann Arbor. Those kids are residents of a bus, not a state. I do like stealing players from under MN's nose. I remember talking to Nick Checho at a party in college (he hated Woog by the way) and he was telling me that Woog used to have players slated to wear the Maroon and Gold in Bantams. That is why the Gophs missed so many good college players, if you were a late bloomer or didn't get any exposure until you were an upperclassmen in prep, Woog wouldn't notice you. Good for us! Michigan and Mass continue to produce high level hockey players at the same rate as MN...regardless they can't compete with the canadian major jr ranks.