North Dakota vs BU - Grand Forks welcomes the Terriers

[passit_offthegoalie]

I love the interview! He was a kid coming back to where he is from after making it big. May or may not have been drinking, I don't care. I'm glad he still makes the trip back.

Maybe you're right. I think I have a weirdly low tolerance for awkwardness and embarrassing situations. I literally can't watch that interview.

[gfhockey]

WWhats live spelt backwords? Sweeney! Haha

[richthorpe]

I think the interview was awesome! We all know these guys have a life off the ice. TJ Oshie was never Jonnie Toews on/off the ice!

I love both players, but they are very different!

[Sioux2007]

At least the audio lines up with the picture.............hahaha.....(ok it was a joke)!!

[OETKB]

Hak says Rocco will probably not be playing with Knight & Kristo on the top line, so I'm guessing he'll be on the "All freshmen" line again. That makes three dangerous lines, and a 4th line that nobody wants to play against.

[Oxbow6]

Hak says Rocco will probably not be playing with Knight & Kristo on the top line, so I'm guessing he'll be on the "All freshmen" line again. That makes three dangerous lines, and a 4th line that nobody wants to play against.

Who then??? Don't think O'Donnell is the answer after last series.

[as15]

Who then??? Don't think O'Donnell is the answer after last series.

Unless someone is to play their off-wing, the choices are pretty limited. MacMillan probably won't be split up with Rowney so that leaves O'Donnell, Caggiula, and Chyzyk as the possibilities as the first line LW, personally I like O'Donnell there, and I really like the 3rd line as is with Caggiula, Rocco, and St. Clair.

[Oxbow6]

Unless someone is to play their off-wing, the choices are pretty limited. MacMillan probably won't be split up with Rowney so that leaves O'Donnell, Caggiula, and Chyzyk as the possibilities as the first line LW, personally I like O'Donnell there, and I really like the 3rd line as is with Caggiula, Rocco, and St. Clair.

Like O'Donnell there? Not so much but based on your analysis he probably is best option if Rocco isn't.

[as15]

Like O'Donnell there? Not so much but based on your analysis he probably is best option if Rocco isn't.

I really didn't mind him there this weekend, he played solid hockey, but I agree that normally isn't enough to play on the top line for this team. Obviously his talent level is a step down from Knight and Kristo, but so is everyone else' besides Rocco.

I really want to keep Rocco on the 3rd line, he is a home run threat every time he touches the puck. As long as he gets the puck, he does not need anyone else' help to create offense at this level. He makes whoever he plays with substantially better, but I don't think the opposite can be said. Why not have him make Caggiula and St. Clair a lot better instead of making Knight and Kristo slightly better?

[Oxbow6]

I really didn't mind him there this weekend, he played solid hockey, but I agree that probably isn't enough to play on the top line for this team. Obviously his talent level is a step down from Knight and Kristo, but so is everyone else' besides Rocco.

Exactly...either stack top line or balance out a couple. Hak feels latter is best now. Was very evident tho Rocco would make top line probably a top 3 overall line in college hockey.

[as15]

Exactly...either stack top line or balance out a couple. Hak feels latter is best now. Was very evident tho Rocco would make top line probably a top 3 overall line in college hockey.

I agree, Grimaldi-Knight-Kristo might be the best line in college hockey. But whoever with Knight and Kristo is still at least a top-10 line, MacMillan-Rowney-Parks is probably a top-10 second line, and just by having Rocco on the third line probably makes it close to the best third line in the country. No other team in the country is going to have a point-per-game player on their third line.

[siouxforce19]

I agree, Grimaldi-Knight-Kristo might be the best line in college hockey. But whoever with Knight and Kristo is still at least a top-10 line, MacMillan-Rowney-Parks is probably a top-10 second line, and just by having Rocco on the third line probably makes it close to the best third line in the country. No other team in the country is going to have a point-per-game player on their third line.

Having Grimaldi on the third line would also IMO make it a complete mismatch for a lot of teams to defend. He's first-line talent playing on the third line.

[Wilbur]

Nice thing about having depth is you can put Rocco on the third line, and if need be put him on the top unit late if its a two line hockey game in the third or OT.

I'm all about spreading the wealth line wise. But when push comes to shove the coaching staff will make the right move. Rocco is a good enough player to click with anyone he plays with. I think we'll see him play with all sorts of guys this year.

[tnt]

Who then??? Don't think O'Donnell is the answer after last series.

I don't think chemistry is born overnight. Not sure how long before Knight and Kristo started clicking together, but O'Donnell has the speed and skills, he just needs to play with them for a while to see if something can build. Caggiula played with them but he wasn't given much time to build chemistry either. I think no matter who you put there, time to build would probably be needed. They did have a nice highlight goal together, but it didn't seem to carry over very well. Kristo was a part of thee goals the night before, but he didn't seem to have his best game on Saturday either. I don't want to call it a complete failure when the team as a whole didn't have their "A" game.

[dagies]

Let's remember that O'Donnell is coming back from missing most of last season with an injury. He's a talented player with a very good end potential. With some time to get his skates underneath him he may be a good complement to Knight/Kristo.

I'm willing to give him some time.

[scpa0305]

Having Grimaldi on the third line would also IMO make it a complete mismatch for a lot of teams to defend. He's first-line talent playing on the third line.

But he's stuck with two players who cannot keep up....IMHO. I have started to notice that. That type of line works against poor competition but against the Goofs or other top notch teams they won't even be noticed most likely. I believe he should be playing with Kristo and Knight and they would be a top 2 line in the country. Park-Rowney-Mac is a top ten line and their third and fourth lines would have some solid you skill and time to build chemistry going into future years.

[Snake]

But he's stuck with two players who cannot keep up....IMHO. I have started to notice that. That type of line works against poor competition but against the Goofs or other top notch teams they won't even be noticed most likely. I believe he should be playing with Kristo and Knight and they would be a top 2 line in the country. Park-Rowney-Mac is a top ten line and their third and fourth lines would have some solid you skill and time to build chemistry going into future years.

That's just it...with Parks in the lineup it changes the dynamic quite a bit. Having him get healthy is huge. Without Parks to make the 2nd line a very legitimate scoring threat you run the risk of becoming a one-line team with Rocco on the top unit.

[SWSiouxMN]

Looks like we got ourselves some BB material:

Ben Rosen ‏@BRosen8

Just landed in North Dakota...nothing out here but 4 points

just... bring it BU

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Looks like we got ourselves some BB material:

Ben Rosen ‏@BRosen8

Just landed in North Dakota...nothing out here but 4 points

just... bring it BU

Someone should tell him it is a nonconference series, no points at stake.

12,000 of us will be 'out here' friday and saturday nights making things rough for you and your team!

[craw84]

Looks like we got ourselves some BB material:

Ben Rosen ‏@BRosen8

Just landed in North Dakota...nothing out here but 4 points

just... bring it BU

A little cocky, aren't we Mr. Rosen? Let's hope this pumps up our guys...and the fans. It'd be great to run these Boston guys out of town after dropping two to UND. Hoping for a fun series...

[SWSiouxMN]

Im sure he will be "politely" reminded of this statement throughout the weekend by our fans...

[Blackheart]

Maybe someone will remind him wicked haaaahd...Nomar!

[SWSiouxMN]

Maybe someone will remind him wicked haaaahd...Nomar!

Just what I need, a chance to throw my terrible Boston accent around this weekend and be a pest... My friends are going to hate me after this weekend

[siouxforce19]

Someone should tell him it is a nonconference series, no points at stake.

12,000 of us will be 'out here' friday and saturday nights making things rough for you and your team!

Don't tell that to the Twitter handle @HockeyPhotos.

Melissa Wade ‏@HockeyPhotos

@Billy_Pederson @INCH @TSNBobMcKenzie @BRosen8 Maybe you should #thinkbeforeyouspeak; BU's playing 2 games at North Dakota which means 4 pts

WOW. I didn't know we could now get points in Non-Conference games! Mind blown.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Don't tell that to the Twitter handle @HockeyPhotos.

Melissa Wade ‏@HockeyPhotos

@Billy_Pederson @INCH @TSNBobMcKenzie @BRosen8 Maybe you should #thinkbeforeyouspeak; BU's playing 2 games at North Dakota which means 4 pts

WOW. I didn't know we could now get points in Non-Conference games! Mind blown.

Wow she has no clue does she? I read some of her tweets and she isn't too impressed with the Ralph. Get his, she says it has bad spots for photographers and "leather seats instead of vinyl, big deal". You can't make this stuff up! Also, ther are some twitter battles going on, all started by the BU kids' comments. Love it!