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Saturday Gameday: Denver at the Ralph part 2


cowboys5xsbs

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The zone entry on the 4th goal was very close to be offsides from Gaber. Thankfully DU didn't challenge but I think from their view on the bench they didnt notice. 

Nevermind. That was the 1st entry on that shift. The puck left zone after it. 

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On 1/27/2024 at 9:15 PM, Oldguy said:

The boys seem to have taken a sudden step forward.  I don't know how they managed to conjure this speedy, defensively solid identity all of a sudden, but keep it going, and you can hang some banners.  Looked great this weekend.

We had this in the beginning of the season a little bit, caught a funk, and the past two weekends we got back to it. I said it Friday and it held up on Saturday... elite, championship-level defense.

Starts with the tremendous poise of guys like Pehrson, Weibe and Zmolek (Seriously, how good has this kid been? Absolutely dominant defensive player) nearly always making the patient, easy smart play in d zone. Also, the solidly consistently play in net by Persson. He did enough this weekend to help us get two massive wins.

The past two weekends saw a huge difference in all four lines constantly getting back into plays on the backcheck. Blaker has basically done a 180 on this. Huge for them. All effort, all 120 minutes this weekend. 

Let's not forget how dynamic and game-breaking our offense is. My goodness, this power play. So many guys can make the big play and I think that is a big piece of what can be a big run. Think 2016... elite defense, top line studs, but scoring through the last forward group. This weekend was the formula personified.

Cannot undersell what our D did against DU's top line. Unreal performance. 

Of course, check the boxes on the way out, but this weekend legitimized what this team can be. If the country had any doubt that UND can be there in St. Paul in April, holding the best offense in the country by far to under 3 goals for the first and second times all year proves who this team is. Any bumps along the way, just get back to this weekend's play. Play like this, and we're celebrating in a big way in April.

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On 1/27/2024 at 8:38 PM, nodakvindy said:

That ppg to take the lead has a chance to go into UND lore. The cycle power play game. Really feels like a turning point. 

My goodness, the building was just so ready to explode and another pure snipe did the trick. So memorable.

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On 1/27/2024 at 9:49 PM, jk said:

Pretty amazing that Denver has 10 freshmen and is the second youngest team in the country.  Man was I ever looking forward to them slipping when Monty left, but looks like I'm going to have to wait for Carle to go to the bigs for my next shot.  I imagine his WJC gold got some attention up there.

On the contrary, they feel like a 1.5 line team with 3 really great defensemen. We shut down their big boys this weekend and we all see what happened. Very good team, but our depth is better. Not really a shot at DU, but more of kudos to UND's staff constructing this year's squad.

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On 1/28/2024 at 10:07 PM, stoneySIOUX said:

Think 2016... elite defense, top line studs, but scoring through the last forward group.

Watched Friday's game live, then finally saw the whole Saturday game on the Midco replay Monday night, and this was my thought as well.

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1 hour ago, Dustin said:

It's possible that the playoff road to the title goes through Grand Forks (NCHC quarterfinals), St. Paul (NCHC semifinals and championship), Sioux Falls (NCAA Regionals), and then back to St. Paul (NCAA Frozen Four).  That has to be a geographical travel advantage to UND.  Plus, at those venues, the crowds would skew heavily towards UND fans.  Let's do this.

are you lobbying for an asteric?

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47 minutes ago, 90siouxfan said:

I stand corrected on the spelling,  and apologies for the overly vague quip.  I was contending that the upcoming natty you showed the route for will be in the record books with an asterisk due to the preferential game sites.

Like UW the last time they won a title. 
If I remember correctly, they didn't have to leave the state of Wisconsin for their entire NCAA run.

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On 1/31/2024 at 11:01 AM, Dustin said:

It's possible that the playoff road to the title goes through Grand Forks (NCHC quarterfinals), St. Paul (NCHC semifinals and championship), Sioux Falls (NCAA Regionals), and then back to St. Paul (NCAA Frozen Four).  That has to be a geographical travel advantage to UND.  Plus, at those venues, the crowds would skew heavily towards UND fans.  Let's do this.

Total travel for that UND scenario ... better than most years, but its still 1800 miles, round tripping and all. 

17 hours ago, brianvf said:

Like UW the last time they won a title. 
If I remember correctly, they didn't have to leave the state of Wisconsin for their entire NCAA run.

At least the Badgers did have to leave town... to go to Green Bay for regionals and Milwaukee for the NCAA.   Total travel ... under 500 miles.

Minnesota 2003:   didn't even have to leave town.  WCHA in St Paul, regionals at Mariucci, and Frozen Four back in St Paul.   Argh.

CC hasn't won a NCAA title since last the tournament was held at the Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs.   (They did come close ... 1996. Sigh.)

Denver is another that won a hometown FF.   BU of course.  Never even left hometown.   

 

16 hours ago, fightingsioux4life said:

And don't get me started on the "home" regionals Boston College gets. :angry:

Over and over, the arguments for moving teams around from one regional to another really only favors the Boston schools, and the NE teams.  So its not surprising that the NE based mouthpieces like Adam Wodon, don't want any change to a system that favors them.  

I say lets make sure the Frozen Four never offers a team a home crowd advantage.  No more Boston, Albany, Providence (St Paul, Denver)... yes to Tampa, Dallas, Las Vegas.  If the Regionals have to be "neutral ice", then the Frozen Four should be too.

/end rant

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1 hour ago, farce poobah said:

Total travel for that UND scenario ... better than most years, but its still 1800 miles, round tripping and all. 

At least the Badgers did have to leave town... to go to Green Bay for regionals and Milwaukee for the NCAA.   Total travel ... under 500 miles.

Minnesota 2003:   didn't even have to leave town.  WCHA in St Paul, regionals at Mariucci, and Frozen Four back in St Paul.   Argh. 

CC hasn't won a NCAA title since last the tournament was held at the Broadmoor Arena in Colorado Springs.   (They did come close ... 1996. Sigh.)

Denver is another that won a hometown FF.   BU of course.  Never even left hometown.   

 

Over and over, the arguments for moving teams around from one regional to another really only favors the Boston schools, and the NE teams.  So its not surprising that the NE based mouthpieces like Adam Wodon, don't want any change to a system that favors them.  

I say lets make sure the Frozen Four never offers a team a home crowd advantage.  No more Boston, Albany, Providence (St Paul, Denver)... yes to Tampa, Dallas, Las Vegas.  If the Regionals have to be "neutral ice", then the Frozen Four should be too.

/end rant

Let’s just play all the NCAA games in Australia so we truly have neutral sites with no fans there to upset the pure neutrality of the competition. Doesn’t that sound exciting?

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All I was saying (pointing out, really) is that UND has a great opportunity this year to play in front of their fans at all the important games with very limited travel, especially for a western team, which has been pointed out, and that could/should work to our advantage.  No asterisks, just a tremendous opportunity.  And I'm super excited to watch it.

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3 minutes ago, Dustin said:

All I was saying (pointing out, really) is that UND has a great opportunity this year to play in front of their fans at all the important games with very limited travel, especially for a western team, which has been pointed out, and that could/should work to our advantage.  No asterisks, just a tremendous opportunity.  And I'm super excited to watch it.

I am betting that it is going to play out just like you described. Conference tournament, Regional in Sioux Falls, back to St. Paul for the Frozen 4. This year I have tickets for those events.:D Kind of giddy already just thinking about it!

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13 hours ago, farce poobah said:

Minnesota 2003

In 2002, The Frozen Four was in St. Paul, but their regional was in Ann Arbor.

In 2003, Mariucci hosted a regional, but the Frozen Four was in Buffalo.

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10 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

It's amazing how age and time cloud our memories.

Yes.  I initially thought (and wrote, which I later deleted) Minnesota had to play Michigan in Yost to get the F4 in 2002, but that matchup was actually the F4 semifinal.

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1 hour ago, Dustin said:

In 2002, The Frozen Four was in St. Paul, but their regional was in Ann Arbor.

In 2003, Mariucci hosted a regional, but the Frozen Four was in Buffalo.

I witnessed the 2002 F4 final in St Paul from the pressbox. (good to have connections)  How Adam Hauser didn't get called for a slash at the end of the game/OT? is beyond me.  At least they kept the majority of the riots in Dinkytown. :)

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Just now, Blackheart said:

I witnessed the 2002 F4 final in St Paul from the pressbox. (good to have connections)  How Adam Hauser didn't get called for slash at the end of the game/OT? is beyond me.  At least they kept the majority of the riots in Dinkytown. :)

That whole season was a disaster. Right through the final game. :sad::angry:

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