SIOUX @ Western Michigan - SATURDAY Gameday

[MoreSiouxForYou]

Excuse me, but pointing out that we frittered away a 2 goal lead for the second consecutive Saturday is not "jumping off" the bandwagon.  It's stating a fact.  And it has become a disturbing trend for this team when they have a one or two goal lead in the third period.

 

Being objective does not make someone a bandwagon jumper.

They had their foot on the gas Friday night in the third.

[Oxbow6]

Good series that ended the way it needed to.....in a sweep and 6 points. Next weekend it just gets tougher w Jan Brady U playing well and coming to town.

[burd]

LOL

 

I missed the game due to company being at our house, so I read the thread from beginning to end to "watch" the game.

Reading everyone freaking out and then all rejoicing minutes later was quite the roller coaster ride.

This quote summed it up perfectly. 

 

Nice sweep Sioux!!

Ever visit the Blackhawk site on HF Boards?   If the Hawks are losing, coach Quinn and every player on the team is a slacker not worthy of AHL wages.   Until they win.   Hilarious. 

[jk]

I just watched the highlights, and watched all of Friday night's game, and I think WMU is a good, solid team that played well enough to earn points this weekend.  In the future, if people ask when a Sioux goalie has ever stolen a game, the road trips to WMU the last two years are a good answer.

[scpa0305]

Drake>>>Jason

That may be a stretch.  Jason was pretty dang good; hockeydb him. Pretty useful player.

[scpa0305]

Signing at your peak makes sense when you are stepping into big money -- that is, into NHL money, not AHL money. While AHL money is good money to most of us, it so pales to NHL pay as to not even be worth considering in the decision.  The goal should be to choose the path most likely to result in an NHL career. Given his age and size, Caggiula's a few years from the NHL, so the question is: where are those years best spend in trying to get to the NHL?  If it's the AHL, so be it.  But that's a tough league full of grown men chasing the same dream.  A year of getting stronger might not be a bad idea.

 

I've been on record this year thinking both he and Stecher have a shot at being two of the rare small guys who might actually make it in the NHL.  I hope they do, after getting draped in some green and white glory.

What if Caggs were to take a career ending concussion next year?  Believe me I want him to stay....because I want UND to be the best they can be next year.  Now if I were him, I may take the money.  The signing bonus plus the AHL money is still good money compared to what he'd be earning in an entry level contract.  It will soley depend on where he feels he is with his development and what more he needs to work on.

 

Gregoire was done with school and I am not sure one more year of college hockey would have materially changed the outcome on his hockey career.  It is what it is with him.

[yzerman19]

Gregoire did not have NHL skating- that's it...he does everything well, but he doesn't do it at NHL speed.

 

I think Drake is a better skater.

 

Agree that Drake is more highlight reel and Gregoire was more quietly effective.

[Oxbow6]

This is getting off on a tangent but write down the top 6-9 forwards that Jason skated with as a Jr in 2010-2011 and look at the top 6-9 on this year's roster. Drake would have put up same if not better numbers as Jason playing with any of those 2010-2011 forwards.

[brianvf]

It seems to me that WMU was a formidable opponent and if Zane wasn't out of this world today it would have been a split weekend, not a sweep.  I can't take WMU that lightly knowing the goalie had to bail 'em out.

 

Hot goalie?

[stoneySIOUX]

Hot goalie?

Brian, isn't a shot at you, btw.

I just don't buy it. I think we definitely deserved 6 points this weekend. Zane was certainly a part of it, but not the end all, be all.

I feel like so many of us are looking for excuses to degrade this team. This team has lost 6 freaking games! Why does it matter if it's by 3 goals or 13? We are going to need to grind out teams en route to No. 8. I doubt we blow anyone out the rest of the year and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that if we keep winning.

[yzerman19]

WMU played a great series- Andy Murray is a great coach.

They used their physical presence to stay with us. They kept working and almost stole one from the #1 team in the country.

That said, we found a way to leave the zoo with 6 pts and sole possession of first in the NCHC.

We've almost secured a #1 seed in the NCAAs. Win 3 games and we win the conference.

[farce poobah]

It seems to me that WMU was a formidable opponent and if Zane wasn't out of this world today it would have been a split weekend, not a sweep.  I can't take WMU that lightly knowing the goalie had to bail 'em out.

 

WMU played a great series- Andy Murray is a great coach.

They used their physical presence to stay with us. They kept working and almost stole one from the #1 team in the country.

That said, we found a way to leave the zoo with 6 pts and sole possession of first in the NCHC.

We've almost secured a #1 seed in the NCAAs. Win 3 games and we win the conference.

 

I think this is one of Andy Murray's better coaching jobs.    He has recruited strong skaters, who like contact, and are happy to wear down their opponents, their conditioning seems excellent, but they simply don't have the top end talent that UND does.    Nor is their goaltending as good.   He's getting the most out of that bunch.   Kinda scary to think where they might be if they got a couple high end talents (if Austin Czarnik and Riley Barber led their top line....)

 

I think UND showed very good discipline up and down the roster.   We played patient, positional hockey.  I commend the guys for holding their punches during the Friday scrum.   That meant we had a full lineup on Saturday.   We took their late hits, hooks, checks from behind and got powerplays because we didn't retaliate.   This weekend, we showed a lot of character, which I really like.

 

And, yes, its time to start a full fledged "Zane for Hobey" campaign.

 

Both nights, while the score was 0-0, he made some saves ...  off the goal line, diving to a puck before WMU could get to it, that were huge in the final outcome.

[burd]

I think this is one of Andy Murray's better coaching jobs.    He has recruited strong skaters, who like contact, and are happy to wear down their opponents, their conditioning seems excellent, but they simply don't have the top end talent that UND does.    Nor is their goaltending as good.   He's getting the most out of that bunch.   Kinda scary to think where they might be if they got a couple high end talents (if Austin Czarnik and Riley Barber led their top line....)

 

I think UND showed very good discipline up and down the roster.   We played patient, positional hockey.  I commend the guys for holding their punches during the Friday scrum.   That meant we had a full lineup on Saturday.   We took their late hits, hooks, checks from behind and got powerplays because we didn't retaliate.   This weekend, we showed a lot of character, which I really like.

 

And, yes, its time to start a full fledged "Zane for Hobey" campaign.

 

Both nights, while the score was 0-0, he made some saves ...  off the goal line, diving to a puck before WMU could get to it, that were huge in the final outcome.

 

This. 

[stoneySIOUX]

This.

Yup. Spot on.

[as15]

Is it possible for us to clinch the Penrose next weekend?

 

We sweep SCSU.

UMD/Omaha split

DU/Miami split.

 

UND 47 pts

Miami 41 pts

DU 38 pts

Omaha 38 pts

Duluth 37 pts

 

Only question would be is if we own the tie-breaker with Miami no matter what the outcome of the last series is.

[SWSiouxMN]

Is it possible for us to clinch the Penrose next weekend?

 

We sweep SCSU.

UMD/Omaha split

DU/Miami split.

 

UND 47 pts

Miami 41 pts

DU 38 pts

Omaha 38 pts

Duluth 37 pts

 

Only question would be is if we own the tie-breaker with Miami no matter what the outcome of the last series is.

 

Yes, I found 1 scenarios where UND can clinch Penrose outright last night

UND Sweeps SCSU

Omaha cannot sweep Duluth (Duluth needs to get at least a point)

Miami can only get 1 or 2 points from Denver

[southpaw]

Is it possible for us to clinch the Penrose next weekend?

We sweep SCSU.

UMD/Omaha split

DU/Miami split.

UND 47 pts

Miami 41 pts

DU 38 pts

Omaha 38 pts

Duluth 37 pts

Only question would be is if we own the tie-breaker with Miami no matter what the outcome of the last series is.

We would clinch at least a share of the Penrose but would be the number two seed of we got swept at Miami.

[UND-RedSox fan]

I think they are as good as CC. Not a lot of talent but they work their tails off. Again, UND dominated both third periods this weekend. It took two empty netters to get it to OT. Skill won out in the OT.

Back handed compliment of the century to WMU right here   

 

And I completely agree. The NCHC has 6 teams that are at least really good and then two other teams that there is a reason they already have the 7th and 8th spot in the conference locked up.

[Cratter]

Gregoire did not have NHL skating- that's it...he does everything well, but he doesn't do it at NHL speed.

 

I think Drake is a better skater.

 

Agree that Drake is more highlight reel and Gregoire was more quietly effective.

 

Drake skates a lot like ZPar.

[dagies]

I think this is one of Andy Murray's better coaching jobs.    He has recruited strong skaters, who like contact, and are happy to wear down their opponents, their conditioning seems excellent, but they simply don't have the top end talent that UND does.    Nor is their goaltending as good.   He's getting the most out of that bunch.   Kinda scary to think where they might be if they got a couple high end talents (if Austin Czarnik and Riley Barber led their top line....)

 

I think UND showed very good discipline up and down the roster.   We played patient, positional hockey.  I commend the guys for holding their punches during the Friday scrum.   That meant we had a full lineup on Saturday.   We took their late hits, hooks, checks from behind and got powerplays because we didn't retaliate.   This weekend, we showed a lot of character, which I really like.

 

And, yes, its time to start a full fledged "Zane for Hobey" campaign.

 

Both nights, while the score was 0-0, he made some saves ...  off the goal line, diving to a puck before WMU could get to it, that were huge in the final outcome.

Coaches often talk about "timely" saves.    And this weekend Zane was big time

[fightingsioux4life]

They had their foot on the gas Friday night in the third.

Um, I was talking about the last two Saturday nights.  I never said a thing about Friday night.

 

Blowing a two goal lead in the third period in the regular season costs you points in the NCHC race.  In the playoffs, it can end your season.  That is the point I was trying to make.

[UNDBIZ]

Just watched the highlights from Saturday night...... why did nobody mention we wore our black jerseys??

 

[Emerald joker]

Look at Kristo...he doesnt seem able to make the show.

Id take Caggiula over Kristo and day. My opinion but i think Kristo was too hyped coming in and didnt live up to it

[stoneySIOUX]

Id take Caggiula over Kristo and day. My opinion but i think Kristo was too hyped coming in and didnt live up to it

 

Really? That dude was a BEAST his senior year. Caggs has work to do to get on that level, IMO. What do you think set Caggs over Kristo?

 

As a Rangers fan, I've followed Kristo very closely. I don't think it has a lot to do with Danny but the players that the Rangers have in their system. He has lit up the AHL for two years now and every comment from the coaches says he's still developing his defensive game and that he's very close. He plays the exact style of play that the Rangers want and he'll be in the show soon, IMO. They are loaded with talent and that's hard to beat sometimes.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Id take Caggiula over Kristo and day. My opinion but i think Kristo was too hyped coming in and didnt live up to it

 

I'd say Kristo did just fine in his 4 years as a Sioux: 68 goals, 93 assists, 161 pts.

 

I love watching Caggiula play as much as the next guy but Kristo's production at UND was pretty ridiculous. Not sure how he didn't live up to the hype with those type of numbers.