NORTH DAKOTA vs. UMD - Friday

[LuvHockey]

Just back home from the game. Wow were we outhustled tonight, over and over. We score 4 goals out of sheer talent. They score 4 out of great hustle and team play. Did not see that coming. I hate watching my team not skate, not hit, and stick out the stick instead of hustle...

The no call on Rocco getting boarded was hard to swallow. Not even a 2! But when there were also no calls for the puppy dog dives toward the end- might have made up for it.

The team really has to stop playing like gophers- with "my talent will win the day effort". We should be outworking every team with the depth we have. They CAN do it, as we've seen several prior Fridays. Lets hope we see it Saturday, and from now on.

[passit_offthegoalie]

The no call on Rocco getting boarded was hard to swallow. Not even a 2!

Where are all the "experts" that were defending the 5 minute major call on Scmaltz?

I thought if a player saw a guy's numbers he was supposed to hold back or he would get called for a 5 minute major....That's what I was told by some of the blowhards--er, I mean experts, around here.

Does that rule only apply to no-good dirty rotten UND players?

[Frozen4sioux]

What i saw at the game tonight was a lazy team and especially on defense....very lazy and just generallu unawatebof their surroundings....

A more talanted team would have throttled UND tonight.

Other thoughts

1) pattyn .....again on multiple occassions goes for a hit instead of playing the puck, reultabin an easy transistion and they worked it down to a good scoring chance.

2) defence along the boards when UMD would go fornloose pucksbnear rhe line the dman could not step up and challenge as much as hey needed to because they didnt get any help falling back..seeemed very common and systematic....i think ir would have helped to keep more of those in and put more pressure on tired dogs in their end.

3) maybe toom much fancy dancy pass attempts going to the net.....thwy are unbelievable when thwy work i.e. drake to kristo tonight......but thwy arent getting their shots off.

4) the officiating........

Its not just the non calls then the ticky tack calls the five second delayed offside call but a general laxk of control and or composure over thw game... the unbelievable hit to grimaldis head and the two hnd lumberjack chop across kristos back....the dive on macwilliam interference call, its difficult to believe thwy are that incompetent and easier to beliece they call thw game for effect.

5) Still way way to early to panic but is like to be seeing some improvement on d instead of sliding backward.

[Frozen4sioux]

6) my god my spelling is terrible on the phone keyboard.....sorry

[SiouxTupa]

I think there's been a major improvement in offensive play from the Defense. How often have we seen this much blue line scoring and getting pucks on net? They're not trying to shoot it through the net every time...just getting any shot on net. But in their number one responsibility zone, they have been pretty weak. Defensive zone coverage is weak across the board, though, forwards included. The team was standing around in the d-zone right from the puck drop tonight. The dogs looked like a team that really wants to win their first league game.

[yzerman19]

Lazy, poor passing, no team play, standing around in our own zone...poor, poor effort.

Agree with the posters on the lack of results from Bubba. Defense needs work, big time.

Gleason needs to sit- he was brutal. BRUTAL, and has been the past few weekends.

Schmaltz looks like a boy playing with men in the physical department.

Our breakout continues to suck as well as our powerplay- hmmm- defense and powerplay sucks...that's on Berry. Breakout still sucks, year over year, that is on Hak.

Now, I know we "always" turn it around, but the 3 biggest issues right now are coached. I'd actually say 4, because effort has been lackluster too.

I don't call for Hak's ouster ever, but this teams current issues are on him. Time for him to figure it out.

[Biddco]

What happened to the old tv guys? It was nice to see a timer for the power play and I thought it was in HD now? I understand if that doesn't translate to Fox College Sports but just wondering.

[burd]

OK, I'm going to take a shot at an analogy that is probably complete bullshiat, and I'm sure you guys will tell me if it is.

Remember that old Stiga table top hockey game? We used to have tournaments in the dorm using a wind-up kitchen timer for 5 min. periods. When you had one or two players who were not very skilled, the game was usually pretty slow, because it took them a while to find the right levers and then couldn't get control of the puck very well. They often had goals scored on them while they were looking for a lever to match the man nearest the puck.

If you had two players with skill, the game could be incredibly fast, with the puck flying around, rarely staying on a players stick for more than a brief second. Some goals were crazy good and some werre pure lucky bounces.

But if you had two skilled players, the game could also be pretty slow if one of them was a control person. When their winger got control, played slowed to a near stop while he set it up for the winger to either take the shot or get a pass to the crashing center. It would be wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . BANG, shot on goal. In those games the puck would fly around until the control guy got control with his winger or dman and then it would slow right down. Those players were often very skilled and could actually play the face-paced, crazy game pretty well--they just were more comfortable with the control game.

I like Hak a great deal. Outside of York, I think he is one of the best program coaches in the country. But his is a control type personality. He teaches a perimeter game in the Dzone, including the breakout. (everybody does, but he moreso) He is more comfortable having his Dmen hold the puck just a little too long out of caution and then chipping along the boards to a winger who is covered, resulting in a scrum inside the blue line because it is a low-risk play. If his guys understand their roles, work hard, and mind their coverages, there will be few goals scored against them from crazy plays and odd-man rushes. On the other hand, sometimes that system seems easy to forecheck, and if not everybody plays their part or hustles enough, it will seem like they are chasing around, always a step late in their own zone all the time.

I didn't see last night's game--sounds like it was up-and-down. You would think with the speed and skill this team has (along with not much size at forward) they would welcome race horse hockey. But I don't think Hak is real comfortable with that kind of game tempo. He does it, I don't mean to say he doesn't, but I think his basic personalilty is to use caution and control first. A little like the guy who preferred to play his tabletop game that way. If Hak made his living playing tabletop hockey, I think he would be a control guy. It's just his personality.

[homer]

I think the team spent the offseason listening to everyone talk about how good they were going to be.

[Oxbow6]

Lazy, poor passing, no team play, standing around in our own zone...poor, poor effort.

Agree with the posters on the lack of results from Bubba. Defense needs work, big time.

Gleason needs to sit- he was brutal. BRUTAL, and has been the past few weekends.

Schmaltz looks like a boy playing with men in the physical department.

Our breakout continues to suck as well as our powerplay- hmmm- defense and powerplay sucks...that's on Berry. Breakout still sucks, year over year, that is on Hak.

Now, I know we "always" turn it around, but the 3 biggest issues right now are coached. I'd actually say 4, because effort has been lackluster too.

I don't call for Hak's ouster ever, but this teams current issues are on him. Time for him to figure it out.

Nothing to disagree with here...this team is marginally average right now. Not grit and totally got outworked last night, but the coaching and schemes are at the root of this team's play right night. Giving up the most SOG in 7 years say it all. Berry has totally put our Dman in retreat mode all the time IMO. There were numerous times when there was a 50/50 puck in open ice and our D constantly backpeddle immediately. No pinching whatsoever. PP is just flat out brutal. Our guys have no clue as to how to get the puck thru a clogged neutral zone. Without question this one of the hardest game to watch at the Ralph in a long time...very disappointed with the overall effort.

Individually:

Gleason has to sit...awful is sugar coating it.

Rowney gives the top line very little. He has basically become a non-factor most nights. And Knight doesn't look like Knight from last year.

Really liked Colton with Drake and Rocco...Colton has some size and can skate. Drake is better than I thought he would be. Let Bryn center 4th line...maybe minus Pattyn. He really is just looking to lay the wood to someone and UND needs better than that from him.

MacMillan was great last night and outside of Kristo is our most consistant forward every game.

Clark was very good last night, but misplayed a cover up that lead to goal 3 and should have had goal 4. That was right in front of us. Seemed to over challenge and got caught flat footed. Would like to see Zane get time but not with the D play as it is.

Watched Parks in warm-ups and looked tentative. Thought carried over in 1st period. Looked like a shoulder injury forced his early exit.

46 SOG vs. a Dog's team that has lower half WCHA offensive skill IMO is unacceptable. With effort last night and our Saturday night funk to date, not very comfortable about tonight's game. No doubt there was one team disappointed with one point last night and one team that was probably happy to escape with a point.

[Vegas_Sioux]

Where are all the "experts" that were defending the 5 minute major call on Scmaltz?

I thought if a player saw a guy's numbers he was supposed to hold back or he would get called for a 5 minute major....That's what I was told by some of the blowhards--er, I mean experts, around here.

Does that rule only apply to no-good dirty rotten UND players?

It doesn't help when you have the littlest Shepard telling Hak it wasn't from behind when he hit him in the head. Then there was the cross check to the back of kristo that Anderson didnt call but waited until there was retaliation to take them both on roughing calls. Or the cross check into the goal that Anderson thought about calling delay of game on but didnt.

[Oxbow6]

It doesn't help when you have the littlest Shepard telling Hak it wasn't from behind when he hit him in the head. Then there was the cross check to the back of kristo that Anderson didnt call but waited until there was retaliation to take them both on roughing calls. Or the cross check into the goal that Anderson thought about calling delay of game on but didnt.

The cross check to Kristo included at stick blade under his chin as well. How that sequence was a wash I have no clue...but then again neither did 'lil Shep or Anderson.

[jk]

I think they need to take the body a lot more, which is why I don't mind one bit Pattyn choosing a check over the puck. It's also why I won't complain about MacWilliam taking penalties. They're almost always for hits, and I can take that. Rodwell was supposed to add that physical element as well, but I haven't seen it much this year. Subtracting Blood and Mario (and also Parks, who throws his body around some) is something this team hasn't adjusted to yet physically. Panzarella and Jim might help in that department as well. Not sure who you take out, but I'm sure they can find someone who wasn't going full speed.

It was disappointing to see the all-senior top line bottled up in their own end in the third by a line with two freshmen.

[breakin face]

Defensive Zone - Our forwards are an absolute train wreck in the defensive zone, it appears we're playing a collapsing coverage when the puck is high and we're standing at the points when the puck is low. I would put the fault primarily on our wingers. A weakside defenseman should never be able to take eight strides and fire a shot from the dot, ever, period.

Offensive Zone - All sorts of talent however no real integrity to the forecheck they are trying to run. We seem to be scoring on talent alone as a previous poster has stated. Our forwards were caught numerous times below the puck last night, it seemed every rush we had was 2-3, 3-3. Contrarily Duluth seemed to catch us in odd-man situations time and time again.

Lineup - Rowney brings us nothing on the top line at this point. Grimaldi may be held back playing in his current role. I would like to see them move Rowney back to center where he excelled last year possibly between O'Donnell and Gaarder. This would still leave us of Caggilua MacMillan and Chyzyk for tonight. Most importantly this would put Kristo-Knight-Grimaldi together which should account for 65% of this teams goals, and put our defensive liabilities on one line as opposed to holding our breath every shift.

Ambiance - There should be a statewide referendum banning Thundersticks. Those wore out there welcome with Heely shoes and Jnco jeans.

Here's to a split? A TWIN? We need a name for a tie and win.

[gfhockey]

Another year and aanother year of mediocre results with no title

[Oxbow6]

Lineup - Rowney brings us nothing on the top line at this point. Grimaldi may be held back playing in his current role. I would like to see them move Rowney back to center where he excelled last year possibly between O'Donnell and Gaarder. This would still leave us of Caggilua MacMillan and Chyzyk for tonight. Most importantly this would put Kristo-Knight-Grimaldi together which should account for 65% of this teams goals, and put our defensive liabilities on one line as opposed to holding our breath every shift.

Bryn can center 4th line. Colton w Drake between Easy Mac would be great IMO.

Rocco with Kristo is a mismatch like BC throws out there every yr.

[Frozen4sioux]

Excellent point on the forwards defensive positioning.

Im confident hak and crew will correct but unless the players work harder....much harder...its going to be muchnof the same results.

[bigskyvikes]

Another year and aanother year of mediocre results with no title

It's November jackass!!

[neoflex]

Yesterday's game was by far one of the poorest defensive games I've seen by a Sioux team in a very long time. Offensively the team has amazing skills, particularly the top line; however without defense setting up the offense, the team struggled to get the puck out of our own zone. Yesterday was yesterday, so hopefully we will see a return to the team we know that is capable of playing solid hockey on both ends of the ice.

[yzerman19]

Tonight I would like to see:

Knight with MacMillan and Kristo

Grimaldi with Caggiula and St Clair

Rowney with Gaarder and O'Donnell

Chyzk with Pattyn and Rodwell

Mac and Panzo

Forbert and Schmaltz

Simpson and Mattson

Zane

[siouxfaninseattle]

What happened to the old tv guys? It was nice to see a timer for the power play and I thought it was in HD now? I understand if that doesn't translate to Fox College Sports but just wondering.

New TV contract= new announcers - and they are lousy. And no HD.

Another year and aanother year of mediocre results with no title

Ah, so you're giving up on the team in November? OK....

[gfhockey]

Its a classic hak coached team. Struggle in first part if year. Kill it in the middle of the year and lay an egg in the ncaa playoffs.

Enough said

[Oxbow6]

Tonight I would like to see:

Knight with MacMillan and Kristo

Grimaldi with Caggiula and St Clair

Rowney with Gaarder and O'Donnell

Chyzk with Pattyn and Rodwell

Mac and Panzo

Forbert and Schmaltz

Simpson and Mattson

Zane

IMO MacMillan has flurished since he has moved to center. I'd swap him and Rocco.

[Uncle_Rico]

I'm surprised more people didn't see this coming at the beginning of the season. This is just the way Hak teams play in the first half of the season. I'm always prepared for a first half stinker. I used to doubt Hakstol like everyone else with his slow starts but after last year, with a depleted roster, finishing the way they did I refuse to doubt him. This team will be playing its best hockey in the second half. I guarantee it. FYI, the 2010-11 team started 5-4-1 through the first ten games. Tonight will be game ten for us and we are 4-3-2 right now.

[AZSIOUX]

Sloppy D and breakouts. Do something with the line combos and lets see Panz in. Gleason deserves a night off or back to forward if he can't use his one major strength and that's skating. Go get those dogz tonight boys!! UND breaks out of sat funk...go Sioux