North Dakota vs. Michigan Tech - Best 2 of 3 - Ticket to the X

[AZSIOUX]

Exactly...this series is not about Tech.

Nope not one bit. Play a couple solid games and then worry about the next weekend. Last couple games at The Ralph for a great group of seniors! UND sweeps

[Wilbur]

Why wait until the FF to lose? Didn't Denver lose in the first round of the WCHA playoffs in 2004 and then go on to win the NCAA title a few weeks later?

EDIT: Snake beat me to the punch on this scenario.

Yup......Beat Miami, beat UND in the first addition of UND can't score on this goalie, then rallied back and beat a good Duluth team, then Maine found out what its like to not be able to score a goal like UND did.

That Denver game was the last time Zach Parise and Brandon Bochenski put on UND jerseys. Also last game Dean "In God We Trust" Blais was the head coach of our favorite group.

If UND gets beaten out by Tech, they possibly still make the tournament....We will coin that "The Denver Theory" copywrite Snake.

[Biddco]

From now on lets call it the Duluth theory. Lose out, get rested, and win the national championship.

Does it only work though if you get into a cheap bracket?

It only works if the team everything thinks already has won...doesn't win.

[Siouxperfan7]

Get by Tech and make another run for #4 then off to go for #8.

Score for #4....Skate for #8!!

[yzerman19]

Crazy that our scoring lines are still a guess...playoff hockey is different with all of the TV timeouts and flow stoppages.

In the playoff format, with a short bench, I like resurrecting some old line combos:

Knight with Kristo and Mark Mac

Rowney with Parks and Grimaldi

Gaarder with St Clair and Caggiula

Pattyn with Rodwell and Mitch Mac

This really makes a top 6 and bottom 6

Mark Mac had some chemistry with Kristo and Knight, and it puts two solid faceoff men on the top line (draws will be huge)- I do like Mark Mac at center, but we need two highly potent lines over depth IMO

Grimaldi brings explosiveness to the second line for Carter and Michael to cycle

Third line will be hard to play against.

Fourth line is energy.

[Oxbow6]

Crazy that our scoring lines are still a guess...playoff hockey is different with all of the TV timeouts and flow stoppages.

In the playoff format, with a short bench, I like resurrecting some old line combos:

Knight with Kristo and Mark Mac

Rowney with Parks and Grimaldi

Gaarder with St Clair and Caggiula

Pattyn with Rodwell and Mitch Mac

This really makes a top 6 and bottom 6

Mark Mac had some chemistry with Kristo and Knight, and it puts two solid faceoff men on the top line (draws will be huge)- I do like Mark Mac at center, but we need two highly potent lines over depth IMO

Grimaldi brings explosiveness to the second line for Carter and Michael to cycle

Third line will be hard to play against.

Fourth line is energy.

If you move Easy Mac to top line, I think you keep 4th line as it has been with 3rd line of Gaarder centering Drake and Mark Mac.

[Fetch]

Hope they win - I won't be going - wont attend / support ncaa crappola

For me the F5 is all I need to enjoy the end of the season

[airmail]

Tech is playing decent right now. We are playing inconsistent with flashes of brilliance.

I'll go Sioux in 3, based solely on the level of talent; not hunger or desire which IMO we seem to be lacking.....

[keikla]

Crazy that our scoring lines are still a guess...playoff hockey is different with all of the TV timeouts and flow stoppages.

In the playoff format, with a short bench, I like resurrecting some old line combos:

Knight with Kristo and Mark Mac

Rowney with Parks and Grimaldi

Gaarder with St Clair and Caggiula

Pattyn with Rodwell and Mitch Mac

This really makes a top 6 and bottom 6

Mark Mac had some chemistry with Kristo and Knight, and it puts two solid faceoff men on the top line (draws will be huge)- I do like Mark Mac at center, but we need two highly potent lines over depth IMO

Grimaldi brings explosiveness to the second line for Carter and Michael to cycle

Third line will be hard to play against.

Fourth line is energy.

I liked Mark with Kristo and Knight, but that was before that third line started clicking as well as it has been. They haven't produced a ton of points, but they've been pretty reliable with cycling the puck and generating chances. I don't think you split that up now.

My guess is the bottom two lines are fairly set. And I'd consider the Kristo-Knight and Rowney-Parks combos to be set. So, the only things left in the air are

1) which line does Rocco play on, and

2) which winger do you throw on the opposite line.

Obviously, there's a big difference between seeing a game and hearing the game called, but I sure heard O'Donnell's name a ton listening to TH on Saturday night. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets another shot on that top line.

[Oxbow6]

Time and space...that's what is needed for Danny and Corbin to excel and provide this team with the best opportunity to win. Who so far this season has helped create time and space for them?? To me this is a no brainer...Rocco. The two mentioned above will score way more points than Rowney and Parks with Rocco on the wing. Why potentially limit the effectiveness of your two best players?? IF OD is coming around, you put him on wing with Rowney and Parks. Or you reunite the Macs w OD? Kinda troubling though that at this point in the season Hak doesn't even have his TOP line nailed down.

[4evrSIOUX]

I really want to see Rocco on that top line!!!!!!!!!!! The boys seem to come out with more intensity and our record is good with him on that line. I just don't get why HAK is messing with a good thing?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

A bit off topic but if the Sioux, Gophers, and SCSU win their 1st round game, which Thursday game(night or afternoon) and which Friday game will the Sioux play in? I would assume they would play the Gophers Friday night (assuming a win on thursday) because of the Minnesota rule playing at night and the Sioux would be the best seed with MN being the worst out of them and SCSU. Any help is appreciated!

[Snake]

I really want to see Rocco on that top line!!!!!!!!!!! The boys seem to come out with more intensity and our record is good with him on that line. I just don't get why HAK is messing with a good thing?

I'll go with the "he's messing with the other teams' film study" theory!

[siouxweet]

Time and space...that's what is needed for Danny and Corbin to excel and provide this team with the best opportunity to win. Who so far this season has helped create time and space for them?? To me this is a no brainer...Rocco. The two mentioned above will score way more points than Rowney and Parks with Rocco on the wing. Why potentially limit the effectiveness of your two best players?? IF OD is coming around, you put him on wing with Rowney and Parks. Or you reunite the Macs w OD? Kinda troubling though that at this point in the season Hak doesn't even have his TOP line nailed down.

this is a what if scenario. what if the boys didn't put as much stock into winning a cup or for that matter really worried where they finish. not saying they didn't want to, but instead took this last weekend to try a few different things knowing they were going to make the NCAA. they tried a few different line combos from what had worked the last month, came a way with a split without a whole lot of offense and now they go back to what had worked and flip the switch for an epic playoff run.

[Godsmack]

Perhaps Hakstol determines the line combos based, in part, on whether or not we get the last line change as well as who it is we're going up against?

[keikla]

Even with the changes this weekend, Hak keeps the line combos fluid. Grimaldi was seeing quite a bit of time on the 1st and 2nd lines during the third on Saturday.

[ringneck28]

this is a what if scenario. what if the boys didn't put as much stock into winning a cup or for that matter really worried where they finish. not saying they didn't want to, but instead took this last weekend to try a few different things knowing they were going to make the NCAA. they tried a few different line combos from what had worked the last month, came a way with a split without a whole lot of offense and now they go back to what had worked and flip the switch for an epic playoff run.

I never like the flip the switch scenario. What if they can't find the switch. I think you play the best you can every night because you never play with fate.

[BeazSioux]

I liked Mark with Kristo and Knight, but that was before that third line started clicking as well as it has been. They haven't produced a ton of points, but they've been pretty reliable with cycling the puck and generating chances. I don't think you split that up now.

My guess is the bottom two lines are fairly set. And I'd consider the Kristo-Knight and Rowney-Parks combos to be set. So, the only things left in the air are

1) which line does Rocco play on, and

2) which winger do you throw on the opposite line.

Obviously, there's a big difference between seeing a game and hearing the game called, but I sure heard O'Donnell's name a ton listening to TH on Saturday night. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets another shot on that top line.

I agree with you, especially about OD on the top line. From listening to Coach Hak after the game with Tim-ah, he seemed very pleased with OD being with our two studs. I think OD stays, Rocco continues his double shifting as needed, esp late in the game if we need to score. Not saying I agree but I think this is what Coach Hak feels is best. Plus he never asks my opinion ; )

[ringneck28]

Anyone else see that UND moved up to 4 in USCHO poll.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Anyone else see that UND moved up to 4 in USCHO poll.

More importantly, they moved up to 5 in the pairwise after Sunday's Denver beat UAA, although I'm not sure how or why.

[ringneck28]

More importantly, they moved up to 5 in the pairwise after Sunday's Denver beat UAA, although I'm not sure how or why.

This really suprises me. I checked pairwise last night at 10pm, UND was at 7, nice move up. I really want UND at Grand Rapids for the Friday Sat Games. I can watch them.

[siouxweet]

This really suprises me. I checked pairwise last night at 10pm, UND was at 7, nice move up. I really want UND at Grand Rapids for the Friday Sat Games. I can watch them.

I'm probably in the minority in this in that I do not want them to be in grand rapids with minnesota. I will take our chances elsewhere. If we do happen to make that run and win a 4th broadmoor we end up in manchester as the fourth number one seed in all liklihood, anything else and it is either toledo or grand rapids as a two seed.

[ringneck28]

Actually if we win the broadmoor, I think we take the 1 seed and minnesota ends up a 2. imo

[The Sicatoka]

Me?

I'd like to see Caggiula get out of the slump.

And then something like ...

Knight centering Kristo and (O'Donnell / Caggiula)

Rowney centering Grimaldi and Parks

MarkMac centering MitchMac and (Caggiula / O'Donnell)

Pattyn centering Rodwell and (Gaarder, St. Clair, or "Jim" in that order)

If Caggiula came alive, put him with Rowney and Parks and put Rocco with the Macs (that group would fly).

[Mariucci]

Actually if we win the broadmoor, I think we take the 1 seed and minnesota ends up a 2. imo

If UND wins the Final Five I think both teams get a #1 seed. Im no pairwise expert but it sounds like from the people who really understand it that as long as the Gophers just make it to St Paul they have a lock on a #1 seed.