Why Did it Seem..

[werewolfoflondon]

Why did it seem that this past season was off when their record was extremely similar to Hakstol's other seasons? They really did as good as other years with less it seems.

[Prison_Mike]

Their strength of schedule was weaker than those other years thus the poor PWR.

[nodak651]

canada

[werewolfoflondon]

canada

No 24 year olds?

[runaroundsioux]

No big names.Not the usual expectations. Small senior class? Good question.

[siouxforce19]

Their strength of schedule was weaker than those other years thus the poor PWR.

I will debate that strength of schedule argument until I'm blue in the face. I did not find our schedule weak at all.

[siouxfaninseattle]

Because they didn't have "It". I said the same about last year's team. In spite of a killer run they had several chances to win big games and didn't win them. A home game to win the conference championship, a home playoff series against the weakest team in the conference (losing the second game nearly ended the season) and a playoff game against the team that finished 8th in the conference. It looked like maybe they were getting "It" when they beat Wisconsin and Ferris but it didn't work out that way. Now, next year I like the chances of the team having "It"!

[siouxweet]

I will debate that strength of schedule argument until I'm blue in the face. I did not find our schedule weak at all.

BU,SLU,NMU and BSU were extemely weak and only going 4-2-2 against them didn't help.

[werewolfoflondon]

BU,SLU,NMU and BSU were extemely weak and only going 4-2-2 against them didn't help.

Looking back through Hakstol's reign they played a lot of games against "weak" teams. MT, AA, Robert Morris, etc. and did not do that great always against them. Maybe they just did not look that great this past season because they did not play with any real excitement. More grinding than flashy.

[tnt]

I will debate that strength of schedule argument until I'm blue in the face. I did not find our schedule weak at all.

Totally agree. Get a little better help from Omaha, CC and Miami, and that strength of schedule is very different. True, would have, could have, but when you have a talented team like Miami in last place in your league, that doesn't really compare to any of the lesser teams in other leagues. The fact that a team that finished last place in our league and is already being projected as a top five team in the nation next year speaks volumes.

[fightingsioux4life]

Totally agree. Get a little better help from Omaha, CC and Miami, and that strength of schedule is very different. True, would have, could have, but when you have a talented team like Miami in last place in your league, that doesn't really compare to any of the lesser teams in other leagues. The fact that a team that finished last place in our league and is already being projected as a top five team in the nation next year speaks volumes.

The fact that we needed "a little better help" from other teams in the NCHC tells you that our schedule wasn't all that strong this year. Not beating the weaker teams on our schedule was a much bigger liability this year than in previous years.

[siouxweet]

The fact that we needed "a little better help" from other teams in the NCHC tells you that our schedule wasn't all that strong this year. Not beating the weaker teams on our schedule was a much bigger liability this year than in previous years.

exactly, take the two ties against BU and BSU and UND is in a much different positon at the end of the year.

[UND-RedSox fan]

We went 2-2-2 against a group that included the worst non Huntsville team in the WCHA, the team that looked like the worst one in Hockey East, and a bottom half ECAC team. We were blown out 4 times. Add that to the fact that this team was more boring than most teams we had in previous years due to the fact we had no superstar forwards and no big hitters. These all combine to form an abnormal Sioux team.

The weirdest thing for me this year was how easy it was to get good seats in the student section. Last year I showed up at door opening because that was the only way to get good upper bowl seats. This year I showed up 15-20 minutes before each game and got good seats up there.

[werewolfoflondon]

exactly, take the two ties against BU and BSU and UND is in a much different positon at the end of the year.

Well we were in the Frozen Four so what really would have been different? Everything really worked out well in the end for us. Lucky? Is Winnie-the-Pooh a chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff?

[SWSiouxMN]

We went 2-2-2 against a group that included the worst non Huntsville team in the WCHA, the team that looked like the worst one in Hockey East, and a bottom half ECAC team. We were blown out 4 times. Add that to the fact that this team was more boring than most teams we had in previous years due to the fact we had no superstar forwards and no big hitters. These all combine to form an abnormal Sioux team.

The weirdest thing for me this year was how easy it was to get good seats in the student section. Last year I showed up at door opening because that was the only way to get good upper bowl seats. This year I showed up 15-20 minutes before each game and got good seats up there.

I had an instance where I came to a game alone and got there about 45 minutes before puck drop and got ice seats.... I told several friends who were multiple year student ticket holders in the past and they were like what has happened to that place!

I think with Denver at home, more knowledge, a preseason top 5 ranking, potential top 3 preseason and national title expectations, more of the natural rivals backloaded instead of frontloaded. This coming year will be more of a fluke than a trend.... I hope

A weird year no doubt, but almost was the finish we wanted.

[siouxweet]

Well we were in the Frozen Four so what really would have been different? Everything really worked out well in the end for us. Lucky? Is Winnie-the-Pooh a chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff?

I know, but they were also an Ohio State overtime goal away from not making the tourney. and if they were placed in a different region they might not have ended up in Philly.

[werewolfoflondon]

I know, but they were also an Ohio State overtime goal away from not making the tourney. and if they were placed in a different region they might not have ended up in Philly.

Hence my lucky question and confirmation that they were lucky.

[Goon]

I will debate that strength of schedule argument until I'm blue in the face. I did not find our schedule weak at all.

Agreed, it was because of teams like UNO, DU and C.C. had poor out of conference records. C.C. didn't win an out of conference game last year. UNO losing to Bentley actually cost UND.

[Walsh Hall]

Agreed, it was because of teams like UNO, DU and C.C. had poor out of conference records. C.C. didn't win an out of conference game last year. UNO losing to Bentley actually cost UND.

I agree as well. Our record, and some bad losses, wasn't what hurt the SoS. If was the cumulative poor losses by the NCHC teams. 2/3 of the way into the season the die had been cast. All the NCHC teams had a low SoS and hence a lower ranking, so playing each other (when they were playing much better than their SoS indicated) just had everyone treading water.

[Mariucci]

I think this past season will actually turn out to be the worst season the NCHC has in some time. Too many good programs to not be a great conference. Once DU, CC, UMD, and Miami get their programs back on track the conference should be outstanding. Rough first year though.

[burd]

You can say all you want about draft picks, but this team did not excite because they did not have exciting offensive talent outside Grimaldi, who is more a playmaker than a sniper. There was excitement at the end of the year because, IMO, Hakstol did a wonderful job getting them to the FF. Next year looks a little different, but you never know.

[werewolfoflondon]

You can say all you want about draft picks, but this team did not excite because they did not have exciting offensive talent outside Grimaldi, who is more a playmaker than a sniper. There was excitement at the end of the year because, IMO, Hakstol did a wonderful job getting them to the FF. Next year looks a little different, but you never know.

Hakstol scored the Ohio State overtime goal? He did not get them there.

[fightingsioux4life]

Hakstol scored the Ohio State overtime goal? He did not get them there.

He means Hakstol did a good job of getting us to Philadelphia as a #4 seed, which I believe he did.

[werewolfoflondon]

He means Hakstol did a good job of getting us to Philadelphia as a #4 seed, which I believe he did.

Beg to differ on that. How did he do such a great job when what got them there was an overtime goal in a game UND was not in? If OSU had won that game no regionals for UND.

[keikla]

Beg to differ on that. How did he do such a great job when what got them there was an overtime goal in a game UND was not in? If OSU had won that game no regionals for UND.

He didn't have anything to do with whether Ohio State or Wisconsin scored that overtime goal. But it was in reference to getting to Philly and, once in the tourney, he did a decent job getting the team through the regional.