Hakstol on radio Monday morning

[PCM]

Dave Hakstol was on the radio Monday morning on Tim Hennessy's and Scott Swygman's radio show. Here, paraphrased, are some of this comments about the series at Colorado College:

Hakstol: It was a tough outcome. The final shot attempts Saturday were 70 for UND to 25 for CC. Holding the Tigers to 25 shot attempts and 14 shots on goal was very good. I thought our performance for 120 minutes was very good. To come away with nothing made the plane trip back difficult.

Swygman: Isn't it unreasonable to expect a goalie to give up no goals?

Hakstol: We don't even think of it that way. It was a great performance by Lamoureux and good team defensive effort. Friday night, we had a great second period. I tought the first and third periods were fairly even. We can

Edited January 17, 2005 by PCM

[sprig]

An interesting comparison by TH, looked like playing Canisius

And I think the Sioux need help to finish top 4, even if they could manage to win the rest of their games.

After the CC series in GF and this series, wouldn't be a bad thing for the Sioux to get stuck in CC's region for the NCAA's. Of course, getting off the bubble and into the NCAA's anywhere will take a lot of effort (and goal scoring) the remainder of the way.

[jk]

Thanks, PCM, for this extra bonus coverage from GF. I'm sure Hakstol's comments will very shortly be dissected, and he will be ripped for taking the wrong tone about one thing or another, but it's hard to imagine a "right" thing to say now. They asked the guys to play hard, smart, aggressive hockey, and they basically did.

I've been thinking of UND's postseason prospects, and it looks like recent results have basically changed the focus from the windshield to the rearview mirror. (Thankfully Hakstol is still looking at moving up, even though I'm not.) Ahead in the standings, CC, MN and Wisconsin show no signs of slowing down. Denver had the little hiccup against Tech, but they just have so many more games to play (and they are very good) that they will probably end up far ahead of UND.

Instead of hoping to catch the top four teams, I'm now looking for UND to hold onto fifth. I will be changing my normal weekend cheering interest from hoping for the lower teams to steal points from the upper guys, to sadly pulling for UAA, SCSU, MSUM and UMD to lose.

UND is following in the steps of a few recent teams.

- Two years ago, Denver was on the NCAA bubble with a good but flawed team, and they were eliminated from NCAA tournament contention when they lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs to UND in the REA.

- Last year, CC was on the bubble. They won the first-round series, but were upset by UAA in the play-in game at the Final Five and just missed the NCAA tournament.

- Last year, Denver was on the bubble. Despite losing in the first round of the WCHA tournament, they snuck into the NCAA tournament and did well.

UND is probably looking at a very difficult first-round series, hopefully at REA. If they were to win, they would then be facing another difficult opponent in the play-in game. UND could move off of the bubble and be a certain tournament qualifier with a strong finish, but that just seems unlikely given the remaining schedule and recent results. The remaining schedule is:

Off

BSU

Denver - very tough team; better than a split seems unlikely

Off

at UAA - split with them at REA; they have taken points from most teams

Wisconsin - see Denver; they just win

at SCSU - road sweep seems unlikely.

My perspective is a little depressing, but at this point I think it's realistic until the team starts scoring and winning.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I'm sure Hakstol's comments will very shortly be dissected, and he will be ripped for taking the wrong tone about one thing or another, but it's hard to imagine a "right" thing to say now. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just fail to see why some feel the head coach should be immune to any criticism. There is definitely blame to go around and questions need to be asked about everyone's performance including the coaching staff.

[Goon]

[PCM]

Having watched Friday's game on TV and listened to the Saturday game on the radio, I wouldn't exactly call UND's effort "total domination" of CC.

I agree with Hakstol that the first period of Friday's game was even and that the Sioux dominated the second period. I have a difficult time calling the third period "even" when the Sioux got themselves into penalty trouble at a time when they needed to stay 5-on-5 to tie up the game

On Saturday, the first period did seem fairly even. After that, however, it did sound like total Sioux domination. The stats seem to back that up as well.

What this season will come down to is the Sioux losing points late in games.

1. The Sioux led MSU in the first game at Mankato, but gave up the tying goal late in the third period.
   
   
   
2. The Sioux led against CC late in the first game at home, but gave up the game-tying goal and an OT goal.
   
   
   
3. The Sioux took a 1-0 lead in the third period against UAA, but almost immediately gave up two goals to give the Seawolves the lead and the win.
   
   
   
4. The Sioux tied UMD late in the third period at Duluth, but then gave up a goal in the last minute to take the loss.
   
   
   
5. The Sioux tied MSU late in the third period in the second game at home, but then gave up a goal in the closing seconds to take the loss.
   

There was also the non-conference game against Northeastern in which the Sioux dominated the first two periods, but then gave up two goals in the third to come away with a tie. That doesn't affect WCHA standings, but it will affect UND's pairwise ranking.

Hakstol said on last week's coaches' show that this team needs to develop the killer instinct to put teams away. It hasn't done that. Nor has it learned how to protect a lead or a tie to assure that UND comes out of a game with points.

I agree with Scott Owens that the Sioux aren't far away from being a good team, one that could potentially go somewhere in the playoffs. But some of the problems that dogged the Sioux early in the season remain.

For example, the power play is better, but far from deadly. The penalties have gone down, but still come back to haunt UND at the worst possible times. Scoring, as we all know, continues to be a significant problem. If the Sioux were averaging four goals a game, some of the other problems wouldn't seem as significant as they do now.

Until Hakstol, his staff and the players figure out what they need to do to score more goals, Sioux playoff prospects look dim, at best. I'm not trying to be critical, just realistic.

Edited January 17, 2005 by PCM

[DMT]

Hakstol: We will lose Nick Fuher for one game because of the game DQ penalty at the end of the game. There

[PCM]

I didn't get to listen to Saturday's game.  Was there a fight at the end of the game?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As I remember Hennessy describing it, Fuher slashed a CC player who gave him an elbow to the head right as the game ended.

[dagies]

Nope were not allowed to criticize the play of players or the coaches, even if the players make a stupid play or take a dumb penalty. Apparently we need to be worried that we are going to scare off a stared/prized recruit. It wouldn't be right if potential recruit or is family sees the siouxsports message board and chose not to come to UND and instead go to one of our rivals because the uncalled for criticizism. Players and coaches are fragile and we need to cut them some slack.     

Thank you Goon, I see you are repeating EXACTLY what I said.

[U2Bad1]

Before, everybody kept saying..we still may finish fairly low in the WCHA but we will still make the playoffs and hopefully we can pull a Denver. UND is dangerously close to being left out of the 16 team field.

[tnt]

All I can say is that if the Sioux get outshot badly sometime and win, I don't want to hear naysayers say that they got lucky.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

To offset some of the negative posts here is another plus from the weekend. We held the two NCAA leading scorers and HB candidates to one assist each over the weekend! Fans, in hockey you have to take the lows with the highs. Maybe this year won't turn out the way we had hoped but even the CC coach and fans know they don't want to play out team again.

[Smoggy]

Is Hakstol fooling himself and the team into believing they could finish top three? Now that they need help, I'd rather they concentrated on home ice and getting into the NCAAs.

If this team is still shooting for a top three and doesn't make it, what does that do to their confidence for the playoffs? Though, I doubt their confidence is too high anyways.

[hockeydog]

Lets not forget that Hakstol inherited the team that he currently has.......he was not officially named head coach until mid July and the team lost its 2 top players last summer........the good thing is that he seems to have recruited some very good offensive players for next year....Toews, Duncan, Miller, Kozek and Watkins for next season and Oshie & Vandevelde for 06.......add on the good defensive core group and things should fall into place......we are getting the shots on net and the goals will come........if anything, just get more traffic in front of the net and the pucks will start to go in...

[brianvf]

Toews, Duncan, Miller, Kozek and Watkins for next season and Oshie & Vandevelde for 06.......add on the good defensive core group and things should fall into place.

The defensive trio of Jones, Chorney, and Lee will be fun to watch in the Sioux green and white. But they will have to be relied on immediately with Jones, Fuher, Schneider, and probably Greene gone after this season.

I have confidence that this team can have strong road series against SCSU and UAA, and then maybe surprise us at home against DU and Wisco. They may still finish 5th in the league, but they will be a dangerous team come playoff time if they make it into the NCAA's.

They are currently 13th in the PWR, but if bonus weights are added, that moves them up to 9th. They are still close to being on the bubble though, so they will need some victories.

[dagies]

The strong effort at CC has me feeling optimistic.

Granted, who knows right now if it will happen, but if we can shake the scoring slump we could conceivably win out down the stretch. I don't expect that to happen, even if we start scoring, but I agree with brianvf that we could show very well down the stretch. We played pretty well against WI on the road but got no points. We played CC well on the road with nothing to show for it. We've got Denver and Wisconsin in our building, so that helps.

The opportunity to finish strong is available. We have to take it.

[redwing77]

I think the way PCM put it is definitely true and concise. Critical, but realistic and fair.

I am optimistic that we'll Sweep BSU, SCSU, and UAA and split with DU and UW. I am not such of a guru to calculate where that would put us WCHA or NCAA playoff wise, but that's my hopes.

My biggest comment is, though there were some crashing of the net on Saturday, there isn't enough of it to begin with.

I remember the SCSU Friday game at the Ralph where Zajac simply put himself right outside of the crease and stayed put. Genoway(?) passed him the puck and bangbang, goal. We need Prpich, Zajac, Porter, McMahon, whomever to start (in Zajac's case continue) doing that and we'll do better. I don't see us as the developing goals by picking spots like ZPar and Bo could do. I see our best shot as getting down and gritty and getting goals primarily off the rebound and screens.

[SiouxMeNow]

Lets not forget that Hakstol inherited the team that he currently has.......he was not officially named head coach until mid July and the team lost its 2 top players last summer........the good thing is that he seems to have recruited some very good offensive players for next year....Toews, Duncan, Miller, Kozek and Watkins for next season and Oshie & Vandevelde for 06.......add on the good defensive core group and things should fall into place......we are getting the shots on net and the goals will come........if anything, just get more traffic in front of the net and the pucks will start to go in...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

as I've learned on this board....DOESN'T MATTER...future NOT!! MUST WIN NOW!!!!..(going to crack some cavechick on the head with my club)...okay...beat her skull in and am now ready to converse....MUST WIN NOW!!!!!!!

Face it - the Sioux are average this year...DEAL WITH IT!! Whatever happens with this season happens...maybe they'll pull a surprise in the final 5 or (god willing) the playoffs but for now...we're AVERAGE! We'll be better in the future...the Sioux tradition will never die...does anyone think Michigan will be AWESOME because of their 5 players' performance in the world Jr's??? NO! It's all wide open and frankly UND has done their best (recently) in years where no one expected us to do anything!

[Sioux_Hab-it]

as I've learned on this board....DOESN'T MATTER...future NOT!! MUST WIN NOW!!!!..(going to crack some cavechick on the head with my club)...okay...beat her skull in and am now ready to converse....MUST WIN NOW!!!!!!!

Face it - the Sioux are average this year...DEAL WITH IT!! Whatever happens with this season happens...maybe they'll pull a surprise in the final 5 or (god willing) the playoffs but for now...we're AVERAGE! We'll be better in the future...the Sioux tradition will never die...does anyone think Michigan will be AWESOME because of their 5 players' performance in the world Jr's??? NO! It's all wide open and frankly UND has done their best (recently) in years where no one expected us to do anything!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't watch an average Sioux team play this weekend so you must be talking about the wome's team?

[Goon]

[Cratter]

as I've learned on this board....DOESN'T MATTER...future NOT!! MUST WIN NOW!!!!..(going to crack some cavechick on the head with my club)...okay...beat her skull in and am now ready to converse....MUST WIN NOW!!!!!!!

Face it - the Sioux are average this year...DEAL WITH IT!! Whatever happens with this season happens...maybe they'll pull a surprise in the final 5 or (god willing) the playoffs but for now...we're AVERAGE! We'll be better in the future...the Sioux tradition will never die...does anyone think Michigan will be AWESOME because of their 5 players' performance in the world Jr's??? NO! It's all wide open and frankly UND has done their best (recently) in years where no one expected us to do anything!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would be all fine and dandy if the Sioux didn't win the League last year, and realistically only lost one player unexpectingly (Bo.) And now they'll probably finish 5th place. Realistically a team should recruit the same number of players every year, so there is no extreme highs and lows. And have other players waiting in the wing, need some unexpected departures. CC and UND 3 WCHA titles in a row. Gophers back to back champs. It can be done to be a good team year after year even with departures.

[DAR]

I didn't watch an average Sioux team play this weekend so you must be talking about the wome's team?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bottom line, this team cannot put the puck in the net, that is what the game is all about scoring more goals than the other team. Shots on goal do not earn you any points, part of the Sioux's problem from the games I have seen is too often they shoot the puck right into the goalies chest instead of trying to pick the corners. In my opinion this is a very average Sioux team.

[dagies]

OOPS, I thought that was sarcassum?

Well, I know I was being sarcastic, I wasn't sure about you.

[The Sicatoka]

We complain about "into the chest".

We complain about "shot it wide".

How about quit trying to be pretty and just shoot the puck.

And I've pointed it out here before:

I've seen too many Sioux players get a rebound on the backhand and try to take the time to get the puck onto the forehand and end up not even getting a shot off.

Shoot the backhander!

[sprig]

OOPS, I thought that was sarcassum?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is that genus or species?