Kato GDT

[MafiaMan]

28 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Didn't see the games, but looking at what that #1 seed NCAA tournament team brought back and knowing who their coach is makes them a contender in my book.

I wish they were in the NCHC.  They play hockey the right way under Hastings. 

I think Mankato will learn from last year’s post-season loss and bring some angst with them into this year’s tournament.  

[Siouxphan27]

1 hour ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

Yeah, but they were just plain lucky that the Byzantines were knocked out in the first round by the upstart Bulgarians, and UMD got the easy Frozen Four draw against the Bohemians.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1018

Plus, it was difficult for anyone to get any film on them to prepare. 

[siouxfaninseattle]

While I think this year's team will be better than last year's team, I'm still not so sure they will be a lot better. Friday they gave up two 2 goal leads and a lead in the third period to settle for a tie. Last night they must have sent the first line back home because they sure weren't visible on the ice. And it looks like they played against the best goalie in the universe (again). 35 SOG and one goal. Deja vu all over again. 

[bale31]

From an MSU perspective, I understand why people that don't get to see this ream regularly are skeptical. Yes, we have a gaudy record since Hastings got here, but only one season was in the old WCHA. The new WCHA isn't as good as the old one, obviously. It's also not as bad as it seems. The traditionally worst three teams, UAA, UAH, and UAF, are historically bad. I don't mean to take digs at them, but it's a fact. Last year the WCHA went a collective 22-44-6 out of conference. Those 3 teams went 1-22-1. When you take those three out, the rest of the conference is basically .500. That's still not great by any means, but it does put a little bit of a different spin on where the conference stands in comparison to the rest of the conferences. Now, that does also mean that MSU is playing 3 very bad teams quite often. The WCHA schedule is a grind with potentially 2 or 3 trips to Alaska and Alabama. There are very long bus rides as the only ones that MSU flies to are the Alaskas. That means 9-12 hour bus rides are the norm and the closest conference game is Bemidji at roughly 5 hour drive. The next closest is Houghton coming in at a paltry 7.5 hour drive. I don't say any of that to make excuses, but there is a travel factor that comes into play.

As to the MSU record from 2000-2012 to judge MSU's 2019 team on....I mean, really? That just doesn't make sense. Back in 2012, Miami (OH) was good, Christian Ponder was the Vikings quarterback, Zach Parise just signed with the Wild for 13 years, and Barack Obama was just elected for his second term. That was a long time ago. MSU, both as a team and a program, has changed a ton since then. From the new locker rooms to the arena to the style of play to the financial support to the types of players that are coming through are a ton different.

Admittedly, it all comes down to what we do when in crunch time. 2 years ago, we lost on a goal that our own guy blocked from going in with his butt to the eventual national champion. Last year we got put in a regional with as a 1 seed with a 4 seed 7 miles from their campus and blew a big lead. This team has that monkey on their back and they need to prevail or people will question them....maybe rightfully so. Are they a #1 or #2 seed? In my mind there is no doubt. MSU has done well in the non-conference the last 2 years and there is no reason they shouldn't be able to in the tournament. Now, they just need to show it. Will they do it? I sure hope so. I think so, but we will see.

[Sodbuster]

1 hour ago, bale31 said:

From an MSU perspective, I understand why people that don't get to see this ream regularly are skeptical. Yes, we have a gaudy record since Hastings got here, but only one season was in the old WCHA. The new WCHA isn't as good as the old one, obviously. It's also not as bad as it seems. The traditionally worst three teams, UAA, UAH, and UAF, are historically bad. I don't mean to take digs at them, but it's a fact. Last year the WCHA went a collective 22-44-6 out of conference. Those 3 teams went 1-22-1. When you take those three out, the rest of the conference is basically .500. That's still not great by any means, but it does put a little bit of a different spin on where the conference stands in comparison to the rest of the conferences. Now, that does also mean that MSU is playing 3 very bad teams quite often. The WCHA schedule is a grind with potentially 2 or 3 trips to Alaska and Alabama. There are very long bus rides as the only ones that MSU flies to are the Alaskas. That means 9-12 hour bus rides are the norm and the closest conference game is Bemidji at roughly 5 hour drive. The next closest is Houghton coming in at a paltry 7.5 hour drive. I don't say any of that to make excuses, but there is a travel factor that comes into play.

As to the MSU record from 2000-2012 to judge MSU's 2019 team on....I mean, really? That just doesn't make sense. Back in 2012, Miami (OH) was good, Christian Ponder was the Vikings quarterback, Zach Parise just signed with the Wild for 13 years, and Barack Obama was just elected for his second term. That was a long time ago. MSU, both as a team and a program, has changed a ton since then. From the new locker rooms to the arena to the style of play to the financial support to the types of players that are coming through are a ton different.

Admittedly, it all comes down to what we do when in crunch time. 2 years ago, we lost on a goal that our own guy blocked from going in with his butt to the eventual national champion. Last year we got put in a regional with as a 1 seed with a 4 seed 7 miles from their campus and blew a big lead. This team has that monkey on their back and they need to prevail or people will question them....maybe rightfully so. Are they a #1 or #2 seed? In my mind there is no doubt. MSU has done well in the non-conference the last 2 years and there is no reason they shouldn't be able to in the tournament. Now, they just need to show it. Will they do it? I sure hope so. I think so, but we will see.

Hey, thanks! that was a very interesting read.

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

8 hours ago, bale31 said:

From an MSU perspective, I understand why people that don't get to see this ream regularly are skeptical. Yes, we have a gaudy record since Hastings got here, but only one season was in the old WCHA. The new WCHA isn't as good as the old one, obviously. It's also not as bad as it seems. The traditionally worst three teams, UAA, UAH, and UAF, are historically bad. I don't mean to take digs at them, but it's a fact. Last year the WCHA went a collective 22-44-6 out of conference. Those 3 teams went 1-22-1. When you take those three out, the rest of the conference is basically .500. That's still not great by any means, but it does put a little bit of a different spin on where the conference stands in comparison to the rest of the conferences. Now, that does also mean that MSU is playing 3 very bad teams quite often. The WCHA schedule is a grind with potentially 2 or 3 trips to Alaska and Alabama. There are very long bus rides as the only ones that MSU flies to are the Alaskas. That means 9-12 hour bus rides are the norm and the closest conference game is Bemidji at roughly 5 hour drive. The next closest is Houghton coming in at a paltry 7.5 hour drive. I don't say any of that to make excuses, but there is a travel factor that comes into play.

As to the MSU record from 2000-2012 to judge MSU's 2019 team on....I mean, really? That just doesn't make sense. Back in 2012, Miami (OH) was good, Christian Ponder was the Vikings quarterback, Zach Parise just signed with the Wild for 13 years, and Barack Obama was just elected for his second term. That was a long time ago. MSU, both as a team and a program, has changed a ton since then. From the new locker rooms to the arena to the style of play to the financial support to the types of players that are coming through are a ton different.

Admittedly, it all comes down to what we do when in crunch time. 2 years ago, we lost on a goal that our own guy blocked from going in with his butt to the eventual national champion. Last year we got put in a regional with as a 1 seed with a 4 seed 7 miles from their campus and blew a big lead. This team has that monkey on their back and they need to prevail or people will question them....maybe rightfully so. Are they a #1 or #2 seed? In my mind there is no doubt. MSU has done well in the non-conference the last 2 years and there is no reason they shouldn't be able to in the tournament. Now, they just need to show it. Will they do it? I sure hope so. I think so, but we will see.

Good stuff,
if all trolls were like you, this would be a better world!

[bale31]

2 hours ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

Good stuff,
if all trolls were like you, this would be a better world!

Thanks....I think??

[Blackheart]

2 hours ago, bale31 said:

Thanks....I think??

Bale,  I think people on here who read your stuff think you're pretty even keel.  I have no problem with your post.

[bale31]

9 hours ago, Blackheart said:

Bale,  I think people on here who read your stuff think you're pretty even keel.  I have no problem with your post.

Ha...no worries. I just thought the way it was put was funny. People are going to much worse to me than call me a troll to offend me.

Honestly, I just need my fix of college hockey talk. I can only take so much on GPL of who the Gophers 4th line right winger should be against teams that are below .500 in the AHA. I just ignore that and come here. Of course, I ignore the stuff here that I don't find interesting too. I try not to be that !@#!$! that needs to tell everyone they are wrong. You're all probably just lucky that I was stuck in a combine all weekend and could go to the games. I may have had people sharpening the pitchforks otherwise. 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

13 hours ago, bale31 said:

Thanks....I think??

It was meant as all compliment.
Enjoy reading your posts, keep stopping over!

And you were on a combine, soybeans I gather? Real wet here. I always enjoyed running one, it's like you worked all year to get to that point.

[bale31]

12 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

It was meant as all compliment.
Enjoy reading your posts, keep stopping over!

And you were on a combine, soybeans I gather? Real wet here. I always enjoyed running one, it's like you worked all year to get to that point.

I figured so, it was just worded in a way that I thought was funny.

 

Yes, I finished soybeans on Friday night and started corn on Saturday. My second job gets quite exhausting at this time of year.....and gets in the way of seeing some of the best hockey series that we have all year.

[scpa0305]

On 10/20/2019 at 9:15 PM, Wilbur said:

Didn't see the games, but looking at what that #1 seed NCAA tournament team brought back and knowing who their coach is makes them a contender in my book.

I wish they were in the NCHC.  They play hockey the right way under Hastings. 

Yep....that team was good.  Tough team to play against that early in the season.  Oh well.  Need to win a bunch of games either way to get in.  MSU will so I don't think last weekend will hurt us too bad.