2023-24 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[brianvf]

A few on here have been requesting Perron on the top PP unit...they moved him up there last night with success:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/unds-new-look-power-play-is-sharp-in-win-over-minnesota-duluth

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Louis Jamernik V scored on a rebound with the man advantage. Riese Gaber, Cameron Berg and Jackson Blake all hit the post. UND racked up 12 shots on goal (which does not include the posts) during its five power-play opportunities.

"We definitely should have had a few," Gaber said. "We were pretty happy with it. We had some pretty good looks and we started right away. Our intensity and urgency was really good. We took our looks and that was a big part of the game tonight."

UND moved rookie Jayden Perron up to the top unit and put him on the left side. It moved Gaber back to the right side, where he spent much of last season as the Fighting Hawks converted at a 27.3 percent rate — the second-best mark in the country.

Rookie Jake Livanavage ran the unit from the top, Jackson Blake started in the middle and moved around, while Jake Schmaltz won key faceoffs and played alongside the goal line.

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After Schmaltz left the game late in the second period with an upper-body injury, Berg took his spot on the top unit.

The second unit featured defenseman Garrett Pyke, forward Owen McLaughlin, Berg, Jamernik V and Abram Wiebe. Hunter Johannes took Berg's spot when he was moved up to replace Schmaltz.

Agreed with the earlier post about Livanavage having difficulty holding the blue line a couple times while on the PP, but he'll get comfortable back there and do very well.  You can already see his skill coming thru...he's going to be an impact player for sure at the collegiate level as he gets older.

[burd]

18 hours ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Yeah, I remember the debacle at Canisius a few years ago.

It is also true that nearly all teams can play very good hockey on any given weekend.   Cliche' but true.  It's not as much keeping in mind that even weak teams might beat you if you take them lightly, it's that even a weaker team can play like a strong team capable of beating you even if you don't take them lightly.  

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Sure nice to see Ludvig towards the top of active goalies with a .925 save %. Another player, granted through only 4 games, is Mr Jakob Hellsten sitting at .939 for UNH.

[Kevin G]

With ten games played of 36 regular-season games scheduled, UND is just past the quarter pole for the 2023-24 season. So far, UND is averaging:

• 3.2 goals/game, which is tied for 20th in the nation
• 2.0 goals allowed/game, which is tied for 5th best in the nation

I really thought we'd be scoring more goals than we're scoring and that we'd be allowing more goals (quite a bit more) than we're allowing. In other words, I thought our offense would be a little better and I thought our defense would be worse.

By comparison, last year's team scored 3.3 goals/game (9th best in the nation) and allowed 2.8 goals/game (29th in the nation). So this year's team is scoring about the same as last year's team but defending much better. 

Probably related: Last year's save% was .886 (57th in the nation). This year's save% is .922 so far (7th in the nation).

[scpa0305]

A lot has to do with our goaltending. So far…he’s been very good. 92% + save percentage is exactly what we needed. Masks a lot of D breakdowns.

But…PP has to get going. Also, some guys need to get going.

[BigGreyAnt41]

1 hour ago, Kevin G said:

With ten games played of 36 regular-season games scheduled, UND is just past the quarter pole for the 2023-24 season. So far, UND is averaging:

• 3.2 goals/game, which is tied for 20th in the nation
• 2.0 goals allowed/game, which is tied for 5th best in the nation

I really thought we'd be scoring more goals than we're scoring and that we'd be allowing more goals (quite a bit more) than we're allowing. In other words, I thought our offense would be a little better and I thought our defense would be worse.

By comparison, last year's team scored 3.3 goals/game (9th best in the nation) and allowed 2.8 goals/game (29th in the nation). So this year's team is scoring about the same as last year's team but defending much better. 

Probably related: Last year's save% was .886 (57th in the nation). This year's save% is .922 so far (7th in the nation).

Also interesting is that shots allowed per game is about the same so far this year as it was last year.  Last year they allowed 24.6 shots per game average.  This year so far it's 25.6 shots per game.  One shot MORE per game, but save percentage is that much higher.  Says a lot about Perrson.  It doesn't say anything about the quality of the shots, though.  It could be that there are far fewer high quality shots and that this year they're keeping them more to the outside.

[Hayduke1]

This #2 ranking concerns me a bit.  They’ve improved and keep on improving, but I’m not so sure about this high ranking. 
 

hopefully they’ll get the four wins up to the Denver series. Then let’s see how they do at Magnus 

[The Sicatoka]

1 minute ago, Hayduke1 said:

This #2 ranking concerns me a bit.  They’ve improved and keep on improving, but I’m not so sure about this high ranking. 

I'd rather ride comfortably under the radar in that 4-5-6 area, good but could be better. 

[Kevin G]

34 minutes ago, BigGreyAnt41 said:

Also interesting is that shots allowed per game is about the same so far this year as it was last year.  Last year they allowed 24.6 shots per game average.  This year so far it's 25.6 shots per game.  One shot MORE per game, but save percentage is that much higher.  Says a lot about Perrson.  It doesn't say anything about the quality of the shots, though.  It could be that there are far fewer high quality shots and that this year they're keeping them more to the outside.

Good point. Raw SOG totals can be misleading, especially if the goalie gets hung out to dry on a consistent basis. Which seemed like what happened alot last year: bad turnover led to a breakaway or poor d-zone coverage led to an opponent left alone in front of the net. But at the end of the game, we had only allowed like 23 shots on goal.

[stoneySIOUX]

42 minutes ago, Hayduke1 said:

This #2 ranking concerns me a bit.  They’ve improved and keep on improving, but I’m not so sure about this high ranking. 
 

hopefully they’ll get the four wins up to the Denver series. Then let’s see how they do at Magnus 

Having watched every team play, UND is absolutely deserving of their current standing in the polls. What makes you think we shouldn't be ranked that high? We've beaten the currently ranked No. 1, No. 6, No. 8 team, not to mention solid programs like UMD and Minnesota State. 

[The Sicatoka]

4 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

Having watched every team play, UND is absolutely deserving of their current standing in the polls. What makes you think we shouldn't be ranked that high? We've beaten the currently ranked No. 1, No. 6, No. 8 team, not to mention solid programs like UMD and Minnesota State. 

So versus UMn, UMD, and MSUM, UND is 4-1-1. 

Have some work to do against SCSU and Bemidji and UMD but that Minnesota Cup is in sight.  

[fightingsioux4life]

A lot of bearish comments on here.

I for one am very bullish on this team right now.

[burd]

1 hour ago, Hayduke1 said:

This #2 ranking concerns me a bit.  They’ve improved and keep on improving, but I’m not so sure about this high ranking. 
 

hopefully they’ll get the four wins up to the Denver series. Then let’s see how they do at Magnus 

Truth is, under all that fluff we suck.   Haven't played a full 60 since '87.   Music sucks these days too.   Miss the Bee Gees.  

[The Sicatoka]

2 minutes ago, burd said:

Truth is, under all that fluff we suck.   Haven't played a full 60 since '87.   Music sucks these days too.   Miss the Bee Gees.  

You forgot ... " ... now get off my lawn!"  

[brianvf]

21 minutes ago, burd said:

Truth is, under all that fluff we suck.   Haven't played a full 60 since '87.   Music sucks these days too.   Miss the Bee Gees.  

Heavy Metal Hockey

[tnt]

1 hour ago, Hayduke1 said:

This #2 ranking concerns me a bit.  They’ve improved and keep on improving, but I’m not so sure about this high ranking. 
 

hopefully they’ll get the four wins up to the Denver series. Then let’s see how they do at Magnus 

The thing is, it doesn't matter much anyway because very few teams stay put from week to week.  I am also of the opinion that it is best to just hang around in the 4-7 range and let other teams have the bullseye on them.  

[burd]

2 hours ago, brianvf said:

Heavy Metal Hockey

Just like the NCAA tourney:   Stayin' alive, Stayin' alive

                                                  Ah ha ha ha

[thUNDer]

Geez man, we have so much fun sometimes reading posts here……thanks for the entertainment!!!!!!!

[Tbone]

3 hours ago, brianvf said:

Heavy Metal Hockey

Ian Kidd wants to go to Detroit toooo!

[brianvf]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/some-und-players-begin-wearing-neck-protection

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More than half of UND's players began wearing neck protection during last weekend's series at Minnesota Duluth.

The undershirts with turtlenecks arrived in Grand Forks on Thursday and equipment manager Dan Johansson had them shipped to Duluth in time for Friday's series opener.

Of UND's 19 skaters who dressed against the Bulldogs, 12 wore the new undershirts including the Fighting Hawks' entire top line — Owen McLaughlin, Jackson Blake and captain Riese Gaber.

"I didn't even notice it, honestly," Gaber said. "They're really comfy and obviously they're a good option for us to have."

 

[fightingsioux4life]

1 minute ago, brianvf said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/some-und-players-begin-wearing-neck-protection

This is fantastic news! The last thing I want to see is someone getting their throat cut by a skate blade.

[burd]

33 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

This is fantastic news! The last thing I want to see is someone getting their throat cut by a skate blade.

Will we see the Return of the Dickie?

[The Sicatoka]

14 minutes ago, burd said:

Will we see the Return of the Dickie?

Dickey?
Did you wear yours with an onion on your belt?

 

[The Sicatoka]

It's a standard underlayer shirt with a Kevlar "turtleneck" added. I suspect some of the lads wore them in youth hockey. 

I wish they had them in ancient times* when I got hooked high and it rode off my shoulder to my Adam's apple.

 

* @burd, before you ask, no onion on the belt. Neither belts nor onions had been invented yet. 

[brianvf]

Noice!