Fighting Sioux Coaches Show

[PCM]

Disclaimer: This is a summary of the weekly Fighting Sioux Coaches how. It is NOT a verbatim transcript of the show. Comments by the show's hosts and the coaches are paraphrased to the best of the author's ability and are NOT direct quotes. This summary contains selected highlights from the show and is NOT a comprehensive account of all topics covered or discussed. This broadcast summary represents the interpretation of the author and is not associated in any manner with SiouxSports.com, the University of North Dakota or US College Hockey Online. This summary MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED without the written permission of the author.

Live from Joe DiMaggio's Restaurant in beautiful downtown Grand Forks. Tim Hennessy and Scott Swygman are the hosts with Coach Dean Blais.

Tim started by sending his condolences to WDAZ sportscaster Pat Sweeney who got hit in the forehead by a puck at practice today. Blais said they started practice and shot went up and hit him. He went down immediately. Brad Berry saw it and ran to get a trainer. They took him to the hospital for stitches.

Tim said that Mankato might be what the Sioux need because they

Edited February 19, 2004 by PCM

[Fedorov]

He said that there

[Cratter]

It

[tboneund]

He said Lamoureux and Karl Goehring are like two peas in a pod.

I like the sound of that!

I might have to stick around another 4 years and get a couple more degrees!

Thanks PCM!

[jk]

Some people need to give it a rest. Let's pick apart everything Blais said and criticize him for it.

He's basically saying it's tough to pick the starting goalie when you have two good ones, and someone picks at his words.

Then he says the Duluth weekend will be tough, and now he's giving up, so expect to be swept. If he had said he was planning to sweep, I guarantee someone would come here and call him overconfident, so expect to get swept with that cocky attitude. Do you really think he's telling the team to go for the split? This is the public presentation, not the game plan.

Thanks as usual PCM.

I think Sioux fans are too busy whining about the coach (of the top PWR team in the country) to cheer at the games.

[UMDDogz]

However, the Bulldogs haven’t faced much adversity and haven’t lost at home. He hopes the Sioux can ruin it and bring the cup to Grand Forks.

Blais said Sandelin has done a great job with the Bulldogs and that Lee Davidson has been a good addition there.

Blais must have forgotten that St. Cloud beat us twice at home, our only 2 home losses this season. Adam Coole was pumped up to beat his old team.

[PCM]

Do you really think he's telling the team to go for the split?  This is the public presentation, not the game plan.

Good points, jk. Blais also talked about how if the Sioux win their last six games, the league title would be theirs. He said that it comes down to team leadership and which team wants it more. I don't think he's conceding anything.

[sioux fan in phoenix]

Blais said they

[Cratter]

I know it ain't an exact phrase, but his "goal" was to get a split. He didn't say he going to sweep them or going to get swept. He said his goal, what he's aiming for, was to split. The players listen to the coaches show and read these boards. You put it into their minds that their goal is to split and that is what they aim for.

[forecheck]

You put it into their minds that their goal is to split and that is what they aim for.

OR they get fired up to prove everyone wrong and become more determined to sweep in Mankato. Different coaching styles work for different players.

I think Blais's comments tonight are more aimed at trying to keep the fans' expectations at a reasonable level than voicing his goals.

[tboneund]

I think Blais's comments tonight are more aimed at trying to keep the fans' expectations at a reasonable level than voicing his goals.

Agreed, he's just being realistic...a sweep would be nice, but UMD is a great team so a split would be acceptable too.

[brianvf]

Great job as always PCM.

I'll second that.

[Wilbur]

I think first things first they have to get a sweep in Mankato. Mankato is a team that has been struggling all year long and there is no excuse not to go out and completely dominate them like Minnesota did earlier this year. If Duluth goes down to CC and gets a sweep they absolutely deserve to win the league. I'm hoping that UND can get a sweep this weekend and possibly go into Duluth tied with the Dogs for the league lead and then worry about getting a split. UND has the advantage of playing their final league games of the year at home against Tech, and if the Sioux are tied with Duluth going into the last weekend of the year, I like our chances.

UND's remaining schedule

@Mankato

@Duluth

Tech

Duluth's remaining schedule

@CC

UND

@UW

Colorado and Wisconsin are tough places to play, I'll say advantage UND up to this point, but the Dogs are a darn good hockey club that could win all of their remaining games.

[NorthDakotaHockey]

Duluth is a darned good club. Every good club has their periods of stumbling a shade. See last eight Sioux games.

This said, here is saying that the Dogs stumble into St. Paul reeling from a 1-5 closing conference run. This will make them particularly snarly in St. Paul, assuming, of course, that they get there.

Thanks from me too PCM. No doubt that you make all JackRabbits proud.

[CoteauRinkRat]

Sweeney must have been smoked by that puck.

Thanks PCM

[PCM]

Thanks from me too PCM. No doubt that you make all JackRabbits proud.

Yeah, they're lining up to shake my hand.

[dagies]

Blais could be sending the message to his players that Duluth is very good and that we cannot assume we'll win.

This team was ranked #1 in the country most of the year. A short while ago Blais commented that some of the younger players were thinking all they had to do was show up and they would win.

So he's reinforcing that Duluth is a team to be reckoned with. Maybe then the kids will get the message that they need to be ready to face the challenge.

Sometimes underdog teams do better than the favored.

[SFSIOUX#1]

Interesting to see that it looks like the Sioux are going to change some line combos again this weekend. It would seem to me that at this time of year it would be nice to have some stability and consistency within the lines but who am I to judge. I think having Bo and Lundbohm together has the potential to be as dynamic as Parise and Murray. With that being said, Bo will probably be back with Parise and Murray after the first shift on Friday night. Should be a good weekend for the Sioux to get back on track!!!

[dickgraham]

Let's see, our record against Duluth this year is....3-0. I don't know if that will work for us or against. Knowing that we have beaten them in the past should give us the confidence to go into Duluth and play well. On the other hand the 'dogs are going to be particularlly snarly knowing the have dropped 3 straight to UND. It was after the series in Grand Forks that Sandlin was upset, about which we don't know.

DG

[Goon]

OR they get fired up to prove everyone wrong and become more determined to sweep in Mankato. Different coaching styles work for different players.

I think Blais's comments tonight are more aimed at trying to keep the fans' expectations at a reasonable level than voicing his goals.

I think I like your take on the coaches show better. I thought Blais took many tough questions and field them pretty well. It was almost like CB was on the hot seat. I think maybe we need to take a deep breath and not put so much pressure on the team. Like Coach Blais said this is a relatively young team still.

[forecheck]

I think I like your take on the coaches show better. I thought Blais took many tough questions and field them pretty well. It was almost like CB was on the hot seat. I think maybe we need to take a deep breath and not put so much pressure on the team. Like Coach Blais said this is a relatively young team still.

Holy crap Goon, we agree! Now let's just see how this team responds to the pressure.

[Goon]

Holy crap Goon, we agree! Now let's just see how this team responds to the pressure.

Thanks. I just think everyone was getting too excited and the team has responded with balanced scoring and good goaltending. Now for the sweep tomorrow night.