What the Coaches Did Right

[luckynodak]

I am golfing, listening to the ocean through the window, and still looking on here to beat people up about our coaching! Not acceptable to dis hak.. not on here, not on a grandforksherald.com blog, apply at www.und.edu for the coaching position (there isn't and won't be one) if anyone negative thinks they are the right know-it-all fit for our "coaching" non-faults against Michigan.

Let's see now; your 1st sentence suggests that your house seconds as a golf cart and your second is that no dissent should be allowed. When you make a bogey, do you write "par" on your card?

wow

[oldralph]

Not that I want to start the Fire Hak thread, but Dave and Co. have an atrocious 1-5 record in the Frozen Four. (Dean was 5-1 in the Frozen Four) I am not in favor of firing them for this, but at some point they need to figure things out. Our team had the most talent and should have won this thing. The comment prior to the Michigan game that sticks out in my mind was something like........we need to worry about ourselves more than anything. We will look into what Michigan does but need to be focused on our system more than anything.

That said college hockey is a crazy sport. Who know's, we could win it next year with a younger, less talented team.

I have to say this is something I've noticed about Hakstol's coaching style over the years...he doesn't worry about the other team. He only tries to prepare his team to play it's best hockey. That's not a bad thing per se, but I would like to tell him he might want to consider attacking the other team's weaknesses and guarding against their strengths, as there is another team on the ice to worry about other than his. You know for sure Red B had a game plan against us and he shut us down. Yorkie in BC loves to exploit our teams weaknesses, but what does our coaching staff do to prepare for the opposition? I'm just saying that in order to win it all you have to cover all the angles and developing a game plan and looking at the tendencies of the other team have to be considered....it's not good enough to just take care of yourself as you end up losing this way. Wake up Hak, everyone is game planning against our Sioux and doing it very successfully. Give it a try sometime and you might just bring home that NC. Other than that Hak's a decent coach and I like the pride he instills in the program, but he/we will never win it all till he prepares for what the other teams do and don't do well, and not just prepare his team to play it's best. Fire Hak? No. But someone please tell him he needs a strategy against the opponents that is special for special games (aka F4). Now, rip away on me. Cya.

[LeftyZL]

I respectfully disagree with your comments .....

I would much rather win 2 titles in 3 trips versus 0 titles in 5 years.

These 5 trips to the frozen four in the last 7 years only proves that getting there frequently doesn't mean you will ever win a title.

Perhaps winning a national title once or twice every 10 years means more to me than just being in the frozen four more often.

I am not saying Hak isn't a good coach but this year was far and away the hardest early exit for me to swallow!

To the boldest part: Wouldn't everyone want what Blais did as compared to Hakstol? Getting there is half the battle now. Back then it only took 1 game to get to the Frozen 4. I feel the more times you do something in life, the more comfortable you get in those situations. And even when you get comfortable, it's still a crap shoot like we saw this year. Hak not getting it done, BC giving up 8 to CC, and UMD wining the title.

I'm not disagreeing that winning a title or two every 10 years would be nice as opposed to just participating in the Frozen 4. Reality is, college hockey has changed a lot in the last 10 years.

And I'm pretty sure the loss to Michigan was hard for everyone to swallow. I was just saying that we played pretty darn well and lost due to a hot goaltender and a bounce off the post. There have been plenty of worse losses in the Frozen 4 recently that I'd care to forget instead of this one.

[Siouxman]

I have to say this is something I've noticed about Hakstol's coaching style over the years...he doesn't worry about the other team. He only tries to prepare his team to play it's best hockey. That's not a bad thing per se, but I would like to tell him he might want to consider attacking the other team's weaknesses and guarding against their strengths, as there is another team on the ice to worry about other than his. You know for sure Red B had a game plan against us and he shut us down. Yorkie in BC loves to exploit our teams weaknesses, but what does our coaching staff do to prepare for the opposition? I'm just saying that in order to win it all you have to cover all the angles and developing a game plan and looking at the tendencies of the other team have to be considered....it's not good enough to just take care of yourself as you end up losing this way. Wake up Hak, everyone is game planning against our Sioux and doing it very successfully. Give it a try sometime and you might just bring home that NC. Other than that Hak's a decent coach and I like the pride he instills in the program, but he/we will never win it all till he prepares for what the other teams do and don't do well, and not just prepare his team to play it's best. Fire Hak? No. But someone please tell him he needs a strategy against the opponents that is special for special games (aka F4). Now, rip away on me. Cya.

I would venture to guess that they do scout the other teams and try to exploit their weaknesses. You don't publicly tell the world and the media your strategies and what you are planning to do when you are in a competition.

[Goon]

I have heard that UND watches a lot of video both players and coaches and have been told that the players leave the REA with a video of a game in hand after home games. I also don't believe the premise that the UND coaching staff doesn't prepare well for playoff games.

[oldralph]

I have heard that UND watches a lot of video both players and coaches and have been told that the players leave the REA with a video of a game in hand after home games. I also don't believe the premise that the UND coaching staff doesn't prepare well for playoff games.

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

[The Sicatoka]

Perspective ... http://host.madison.com/sports/columnists/andy_baggot/article_b3441a6c-13bf-5c91-bc2f-1d14bc187142.html

Would you rather have the performance arc of the Badgers over the past nine seasons or that of North Dakota?

The good for UW: A national title in 2006, a runner-up finish in 2010, with five NCAA tournament berths and five top-three finishes in the WCHA.

The bad for UW: Four seasons in which it failed to place in the top half of the league, secure home-ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs and qualify for the NCAA tournament.

The Sioux, meanwhile, have won three MacNaughton Cups as regular-season champion and finished in the top five every year. But while they

[buckysieve]

Perspective ... http://host.madison.com/sports/columnists/andy_baggot/article_b3441a6c-13bf-5c91-bc2f-1d14bc187142.html

And that's a Badger writer.

And he's wrong, at least according to the logic of Sioux fans. ALL we hear from Sioux fans is..."the only thing that matters is 7>5." Well then in this case all that matters is 1>0 right?

[Goon]

And he's wrong, at least according to the logic of Sioux fans. ALL we hear from Sioux fans is..."the only thing that matters is 7>5." Well then in this case all that matters is 1>0 right?

Run along Skippy, all you're doing is trolling now... Why don't you go back to Gopher Puck Live and pontificate and Nash your teeth on whether Hill is going to remain a coach on UMN staff or not. The only thing that matters is 7>5 and 7>6...

Edited April 14, 2011 by Goon

[dagies]

I would venture to guess that they do scout the other teams and try to exploit their weaknesses. You don't publicly tell the world and the media your strategies and what you are planning to do when you are in a competition.

Well, you should so that the masses of internet experts will know what's going on.

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

Never looks prepared? Like beating Denver 6-1 in the regional final? Maybe Hak quit preparing once they got to the Frozen Four.

[Goon]

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

If you're unhappy with the way things are open up your wallet and offer to buy Hakstols contract out, if you don't have the money start a campaign to raise the money to have him replaced, warning, it's probably going to cost you a few dollars. That's the only way that he is going anywhere unless the professional ranks come looking for him... Dave Hakstol is we regarded by the NHL for developing players, you don't ussually see NHL GM's bad mouthing the Fighting Sioux about their players not developing. From what I have been told the players like coach Hakstol as well. To say that Hakstol's team wasn't prepared is a little short sighted. If this team had looked like say a team that resembled SCSU I might be concerned.

[buckysieve]

Run along Skippy, all you're doing is trolling now... Why don't you go back to Gopher Puck Live and pontificate and Nash your teeth on whether Hill is going to remain a coach on UMN staff or not. The only thing that matters is 7>5 and 7>6...

So I guess it bothers you that Minnesota, Denver, Wisconsin, and now even Duluth has more to show for the last ten years than your program? You just said it your self the only thing that matters is the big one.

[Knickball2]

When you've got the target on your back, and every team is breaking your team down, that team plays it's game and tends not to worry about the

opponent. The Fighting Sioux view every opponent as a threat, from Michigan Tech to Lake Superior State. Now to pretend that the Fighting Sioux don't

prepare for the opponent, is hard to believe. When you're the top, you prepare for everybody, once in while, the opponent will break through, geez, they lost

9 games this season. Hakstol, seven straight appearances in the NCAA tournament, a couple of Broadmoors and a couple of McNaughton cups, and yes,

five losses at the frozen four. His teams aren't exactly embarrassing themselves. Check the Gophers, and just plain missing from the tournament, and extending

Lucia. Thank you again, Ralph Engelstad, for all your generousity for making sure that the tradition continues!

[Goon]

So I guess it bothers you that Minnesota, Denver, Wisconsin, and now even Duluth has more to show for the last ten years than your program? You just said it your self the only thing that matters is the big one.

To be honest with you I should just ignore your childish Bravo Sierra because you're nothing more than just a sock puppet/troll, seriolsy, I don't give a flying ef' who you are... On the flip side of that you could just go hang out over on GPL and read the Gopher fan's pontifications on who is going to sign a professional contract for the gophers and what recruit is coming to the Goofs... The fact remains that UND is in a lot better standing right now since Hakstol took over, if my math is right the Gophers have won nothing since Hak took over.

[Fetch]

we always have a good shot & get to see great hockey in one of the best facilities in the world - It won't be long & the Goophs & Wisco will be sorry they jumped ship - Big 10 Hockey will never be all that or anything I'd envy - just being a contender every year has given us more pleasure than winning the big one once in a Blue Moon - nor would I want to live in Minneapolis or Madison - We have the best Waterfowling & Hockey & People in the USA - what more could you want

[The Sicatoka]

As I sit here having just watched #6 Montreal's Carey Price beat #3 Boston 2-0, and #7 Buffalo's Ryan Miller defeat #2 Phillly 1-0, both on the road, I understand even more how lower seeded Michigan and a performance of a lifetime from Hunwick can happen last Thursday. And this is especially so in a 1-and-done format.

More food for thought (thanks PCM):

http://boardsroom.blogspot.com/2011/04/und-vs-michigan-statistical-analysis.html

[The Sicatoka]

And he's wrong, at least according to the logic of Sioux fans. ALL we hear from Sioux fans is..."the only thing that matters is 7>5." Well then in this case all that matters is 1>0 right?

No, that writer is saying consistent winning performance is what defines a winner and puts a team in position to end their season with two neutral ice weekend sweeps (current format). He would rather see that consistent high-level performance rather than the rollercoaster that he points out that the team he covers has been on. And, you know what, he's right. You have to be a winner to be in position to end with two neutral ice weekend sweeps.

There are 7 "ended the season with two neutral ice weekend sweeps" banners in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

There will be fifteen, ... 15, banners in Ralph Engelstad Arena saying that North Dakota was the season-long highest performing team in the toughest conference in the NCAA.

Fifteen seasons of being, over the course of an entire season, the best of the best.

There's no way you can discount the effort it takes to hang those 15.

And nobody has more.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to point all that out.

[farce poobah]

An amazing stat of the Hakstol years is crushing the opposition in the regionals. 10 wins, 2 losses. Many of those 12 games were a Sioux team that came in lower-seeded but playing hot coming into the NCAA's.

In a four-team regional, the odds are a 25% chance of winning. We've had 3 "extra" trips to the NCAA's because of good performances in regionals.

And yes, I'm a glass-is-half-full kinda guy.

[jojordan23]

Again, I am going to put in my 2 cents worth. I think our coaching staff is great, and I firmly believe they will win the big one eventually. But I am going to have to agree with the person who was talking about "game planning". There might be something to that, and I feel this way only because for the 10-12 days leading up to the Frozen Four, everything was "business as usual" in the Sioux camp. Someone already stated that you don't want to throw your strategy/plans out into the media for just anyone to know about, I would agree. But why is it that we never seem to be ready for what the other team throws at us? Is it just dumb luck on their part, bad luck on our team? If that is the case, I hope the luck meter swings our way soon!

[oldralph]

If you're unhappy with the way things are open up your wallet and offer to buy Hakstols contract out, if you don't have the money start a campaign to raise the money to have him replaced, warning, it's probably going to cost you a few dollars. That's the only way that he is going anywhere unless the professional ranks come looking for him... Dave Hakstol is we regarded by the NHL for developing players, you don't ussually see NHL GM's bad mouthing the Fighting Sioux about their players not developing. From what I have been told the players like coach Hakstol as well. To say that Hakstol's team wasn't prepared is a little short sighted. If this team had looked like say a team that resembled SCSU I might be concerned.

You mean like in the last 3 F4 losses to BC then? We did look a lot like SC. Were you in St. Louis? Were they prepared? Good grief. Yup, Hak does a good job of developing players for the NHL. If you want to be a farm team instead of a NC team then you're in the right place.

[oldralph]

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

Never looks prepared? Like beating Denver 6-1 in the regional final? Maybe Hak quit preparing once they got to the Frozen Four.

Which part of F4 didn't you understand? The regional is one thing, the F4 on the big stage is another, and we don't do well on it. Yup, we make it there but success there has been completely absent. Yes, we ran into a hot goalie but you'd think our PP would have looked better seeing we hadn't scored a goal on it in 4 games prior to the F4. I think I'd have worked hard on that during my 2 weeks off and if we did it sure didn't pay off. We didn't even get any really good shots on it. Can't blame the goalie for that. 5 on 5 we were the better team. Special teams are what win in the playoffs and ours were missing once again. No, I'm not in the fire Hak group but I think the learning curve for him is quite steep. Deano would have brought one or two home by now...without a doubt. I just hope he gets over that hump soon, it's getting harder and harder to get excited for the NCAA's. Of course, I could be a gopher fan and then life would really suck!

[dagies]

As I sit here having just watched #6 Montreal's Carey Price beat #3 Boston 2-0, and #7 Buffalo's Ryan Miller defeat #2 Phillly 1-0, both on the road, I understand even more how lower seeded Michigan and a performance of a lifetime from Hunwick can happen last Thursday. And this is especially so in a 1-and-done format.

More food for thought (thanks PCM):

http://boardsroom.blogspot.com/2011/04/und-vs-michigan-statistical-analysis.html

Wow, thanks for posting this. And thank you to PCM for doing the work. I knew the Sioux dominated the game but these statistics really round out the picture.

[Chewey]

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

You have some legitimate points and I see where you're coming from. I agree about the PP; it was at the very least irrelevant. I disagree with you though about preparation. The Sioux spanked Denver 6-1 in the regionals so Hak and Eades had to have the guys prepared for that. I was stunned that Denver got whipped the way they did but I was not surprised that the Sioux won. But for a hot goaltender, I think Michigan would have been a second Denver for the Sioux. The Sioux peppered Hunwick with some pretty good shots, like Frattin's top shelf glove side attempt, but Hunwick saw everything. Denver had a better goaltender but the pucks were going in. Hunwick's obviously a good goaltender too but I think on any other night he would have been lit up by the Sioux just like the Denver goaltender (who almost stoned the Sioux at the Final Five) at the regionals.

[Goon]

Then why is it the team never looks prepared and pretty much always falls behind at the F4 if you believe they are well prepared? Which F4 other than the first one did our team look prepared ? Even this year that first period stunk. One other thing, if we don't score a goal on the PP in both the WCHA F5 and the NCAA regional, shouldn't that be a point of emphasis leading up to the F4? I'd sure hate to think they worked on that for two weeks considering how it looked. It was just plain bad. Hak had to know the only way Michigan could beat us was to slow us down with the clutch and grab, and our PP should have been the difference, but it was MIA...again. No PP goals in the last 5 playoff games is not good. I guess I choose to disagree on the preparation of the team leading into the F4 as I've said the same thing after the prior 3 F4's too. Oh well, maybe next time he can prove me wrong. Hopefully someday we shall overcome.

Never looks prepared? Like beating Denver 6-1 in the regional final? Maybe Hak quit preparing once they got to the Frozen Four.

Which part of F4 didn't you understand? The regional is one thing, the F4 on the big stage is another, and we don't do well on it. Yup, we make it there but success there has been completely absent. Yes, we ran into a hot goalie but you'd think our PP would have looked better seeing we hadn't scored a goal on it in 4 games prior to the F4. I think I'd have worked hard on that during my 2 weeks off and if we did it sure didn't pay off. We didn't even get any really good shots on it. Can't blame the goalie for that. 5 on 5 we were the better team. Special teams are what win in the playoffs and ours were missing once again. No, I'm not in the fire Hak group but I think the learning curve for him is quite steep. Deano would have brought one or two home by now...without a doubt. I just hope he gets over that hump soon, it's getting harder and harder to get excited for the NCAA's. Of course, I could be a gopher fan and then life would really suck!

Open that check book and write a check to UND and buy out Hakstol contract... He isn't going anywhere unless he decides that he is ready to moveon.

[Goon]

As I sit here having just watched #6 Montreal's Carey Price beat #3 Boston 2-0, and #7 Buffalo's Ryan Miller defeat #2 Phillly 1-0, both on the road, I understand even more how lower seeded Michigan and a performance of a lifetime from Hunwick can happen last Thursday. And this is especially so in a 1-and-done format.

More food for thought (thanks PCM):

http://boardsroom.blogspot.com/2011/04/und-vs-michigan-statistical-analysis.html

My favorite team the Boston Bruins was all over the Habs last night and couldn't buy a goal, it happens. Trust me Claude Julien will be fired by the Boston Bruins if the Bruins don't get to the Conference final this seasons.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Goon