Duluth visits REA.

[petey23]

14 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

Passion and drive…are we still talking coaching here or have we moved onto the chasing college co-eds category?

[mattim]

On 1/16/2023 at 4:03 PM, gfhockey said:

Inthink everyone can agree the whole grinda approach or experiment isn’t working

 

we need more high end talent

 

was eades bring them all here or who wash 

We need a goalie

[fightingsioux4life]

57 minutes ago, mattim said:

We need a goalie

We need a lot of things.

[JohnboyND7]

Curious how you folks are handling this year.  Pretty strange to see how down things have been the last few years up North

[gfhockey]

3 minutes ago, JohnboyND7 said:

Curious how you folks are handling this year.  Pretty strange to see how down things have been the last few years up North

What happens when we keep getting grindersz

[Going48]

21 hours ago, Green Banner said:

Sophomore class has been very disappointing 

College sports success is 90% recruiting and 10% recruiting.  Facilities, team opportunities for success/history/reputation, coaching "connection" when visiting all matter when the visit occurs.  There is no reason we should be getting out recruited by the goofs or any other program, but we are when it comes to the high end talent.  That, and only that has to change.  

[tnt]

11 hours ago, gfhockey said:

What happens when we keep getting grindersz

Didn't we have more grindaz last year when we won the league.  I would argue that some of the super skilled guys have focused only on one side of the rink, which is leading to our problems.  Scoring hasn't been an issue, but keeping the puck out of our net has.  

[Kevin G]

Scoring and defensive team stats to prep for this weekend's series:

• Duluth, scoring: 
  • Goals/game: ranked 50th at 2.3.
  • SOG/game: ranked 18th at 31.3.
  • Shooting %: ranked 57th at 7.4%.
• Duluth, defense: 
  • Goals allowed/game: ranked 38th at 3.0. 
  • SOG allowed/game: ranked 28th at 28.6.
  • Save %: ranked 41st at .897%.

• UND, scoring:
  • Goals/game: ranked 12th at 3.4.
  • SOG/game: ranked 29th at 29.6.
  • Shooting %: ranked 6th at 11.6%.
• UND, defense:
  • Goals allowed/game: ranked 47th at 3.3.
  • SOG allowed/game: ranked 7th at 24.9.
  • Save %: ranked 61st* at .867%.

*Since Stonehill isn't really playing this season, 61st is last.

[Kevin G]

I think it's fair to say that for Duluth, freshman Isaac Howard (first round draft pick, blue chipper) has been disappointing.

Here's a comparison of Howard and a certain UND player:

• Isaac Howard, freshman forward, first round draft pick: 20 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.35 Points/game, -11 +/-.
• UND player, freshman forward, seventh round draft pick: 14 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.50 Points/game, +3 +/-. 

 

The UND player? Ben Strinden.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

16 hours ago, JohnboyND7 said:

Curious how you folks are handling this year.  Pretty strange to see how down things have been the last few years up North

When you say the last few years are you referring to the conference championship in 2020, 2021 or 2022? 

But yes, this year has been rough.  In my own case, I just put in in perspective that 1) it's a game and 2)I have no control over how good the team is. 

Many on here were talking about how our program was unraveling after 2018-19 as well, then we fielded a juggernaut the next season.  

"Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on -Fred Jung" --InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

[tnt]

1 hour ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

When you say the last few years are you referring to the conference championship in 2020, 2021 or 2022? 

But yes, this year has been rough.  In my own case, I just put in in perspective that 1) it's a game and 2)I have no control over how good the team is. 

Many on here were talking about how our program was unraveling after 2018-19 as well, then we fielded a juggernaut the next season.  

"Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on -Fred Jung" --InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

I think part of the problem is that when you have just about everybody coming back, the expectation is there that you would be better than teams like Omaha and Western who lost just about everybody.  Never thought of them as reload type of programs, but maybe it's in their culture.  And yes, I know that things can turn around in a hurry, at least that is my hope the rest of the way.  

[Wilbur]

 

"So I beg of you....please....please do not let them have the puck right here with less than two minutes left in any period or @MafiaMan will never let me hear the end of it."

#ferdamafia

[tnt]

3 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

 

"So I beg of you....please....please do not let them have the puck right here with less than two minutes left in any period or @MafiaMan will never let me hear the end of it."

#ferdamafia

Umm, maybe they should have been "locked in" while they still controlled their own pairwise destiny. 

[Kevin G]

4 hours ago, Kevin G said:

I think it's fair to say that for Duluth, freshman Isaac Howard (first round draft pick, blue chipper) has been disappointing.

Here's a comparison of Howard and a certain UND player:

• Isaac Howard, freshman forward, first round draft pick: 20 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.35 Points/game, -11 +/-.
• UND player, freshman forward, seventh round draft pick: 14 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.50 Points/game, +3 +/-. 

 

The UND player? Ben Strinden.

As I re-read this post, I think I may have communicated my point poorly. It's not criticism of Strinden--just the opposite. I wanted to point out that Strinden has matched exactly the production of Howard, in fewer games even. So it would be great to see Strinden in the lineup from here on out. 

[hockeytherapy13]

4 hours ago, Kevin G said:

I think it's fair to say that for Duluth, freshman Isaac Howard (first round draft pick, blue chipper) has been disappointing.

Here's a comparison of Howard and a certain UND player:

• Isaac Howard, freshman forward, first round draft pick: 20 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.35 Points/game, -11 +/-.
• UND player, freshman forward, seventh round draft pick: 14 games, 2 G, 5 A, 7 Pts, 0.50 Points/game, +3 +/-. 

 

The UND player? Ben Strinden.

Something sad withing me feels that Both Howard and Spicer are going to have their big season breakout moments this weekend at REA... And none of us will be surprised. 

[Wilbur]

Sandy with a definite party foul when asked if he likes the white sauce on his Red Pepper grinder he replies that he likes "whatever it is they put on it...."

It's war now.....

[JohnboyND7]

11 hours ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

When you say the last few years are you referring to the conference championship in 2020, 2021 or 2022? 

But yes, this year has been rough.  In my own case, I just put in in perspective that 1) it's a game and 2)I have no control over how good the team is. 

Many on here were talking about how our program was unraveling after 2018-19 as well, then we fielded a juggernaut the next season.  

"Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on -Fred Jung" --InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

I dont think UND measures themselves in conference titles with hockey. 

But that's fair. Good teams lose in a elimination fans all the time. 

[brianvf]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/minnesota-duluths-cole-spicer-not-expecting-another-standing-ovation-for-latest-return-home-to-grand-forks

Quote

"I'm expecting a lot of boos," Spicer said.

Spicer, who played high school hockey at Grand Forks Central, signed a National Letter of Intent in the fall of 2021 to attend UND in 2022-23, but the Fighting Hawks asked him to defer his enrollment a year.

He requested and received his release from his NLI in the spring, and a few weeks later committed to Minnesota Duluth for 2022-23.

A 2022 fourth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, Spicer has two goals and two assists in 20 games this season.

"Obviously I'm looking forward to this one," said Spicer, who grew up cheering for Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise and Drake Caggiula. "It'll be a pretty emotional week going home, going back and playing North Dakota. I'm from there, was committed there for forever. I feel I can prove myself and just show that I am ready to play at this level. Hopefully we'll have a good outcome."

 

[brianvf]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-looking-to-help-out-its-goaltenders

Switching up the lines to try to find a mixture of both goals + defensive reliability. 
And then there was much rejoicing on ss.com.   

Quote

Berry is planning to juggle the forward line combinations this weekend.

He said that's being done to spark five-on-five offense and improve defensive play.

In UND's last seven games, it has scored 22 goals — more than three per game — but exactly half have come on the power play.

"I think we're scoring some goals, especially on the power play," Berry said. "We're getting very good production there. Five-on-five, our goal production is coming from some of our depth players or our guys in those situations. Some of our top-six forwards are probably not consistent enough offensively, but I think our biggest thing is making sure we're very good defensively with all four lines and having a blend on each of the four lines. So, we've kind of mixed things up."

 

[MafiaMan]

10 hours ago, Wilbur said:

 

"So I beg of you....please....please do not let them have the puck right here with less than two minutes left in any period or @MafiaMan will never let me hear the end of it."

#ferdamafia

Well, good to know that UND’s Twitter department is in good shape! 

[SiouxFan100]

Not a fan of Duluth

[Wilbur]

5 hours ago, brianvf said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-looking-to-help-out-its-goaltenders

Switching up the lines to try to find a mixture of both goals + defensive reliability. 
And then there was much rejoicing on ss.com.   

 

So the.....wait.....OUR goalies need more help from the (damnit).....OUR defensemen and th....OUR forwards so as to increase the....OUR save percentage. 

I'm glad D zone has become the OUR focus.  Save percentage is definitely a team stat.  

[Oxbow6]

5 hours ago, brianvf said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-looking-to-help-out-its-goaltenders

Switching up the lines to try to find a mixture of both goals + defensive reliability. 
And then there was much rejoicing on ss.com.   

 

So then we can expect to see 21 26 18 29 (and 6) in suits and 10 19 27 together............got it.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

8 hours ago, JohnboyND7 said:

I dont think UND measures themselves in conference titles with hockey. 

But that's fair. Good teams lose in a elimination fans all the time. 

I just thought it was funny you said "how down UND has been".  Sure, we've had some disappointing exits being eliminated by UMD in a 5th OT, losing to Notre Dame, and getting outplayed by a pandemic but I'd say they are anything but down years.  A down year was 2018-19, this year is looking like it'll be one(TBD) but not the last 3.

I'll trot this stat out again, average years between titles: DU 7.9, Michigan 8.2, UND 9.2, Wisco 9.5, Gophers 14.8, BC 14.8, UMD 19.3

For people expecting us to win it all every 4-5 years you're going to be disappointed more often than not. Our last title was 2016, so we'd have to get through the 2027 Frozen Four without winning a title to be "below average"(I'm not counting 2020 as an opportunity for obvious reasons).  

 

[Oldguy]

8 hours ago, brianvf said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-looking-to-help-out-its-goaltenders

Switching up the lines to try to find a mixture of both goals + defensive reliability. 
And then there was much rejoicing on ss.com.   

 

From the article:  "We've had three really good practices here."

UND is doomed!