One hour to game time

[Fedorov]

Thank Greene for that one,.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it isn't a penalty to hold someone against the end boards, it isn't a penalty to hit them.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

As the last few seconds were winding down, the ESPN announcers revealed that Matt Greene's elbow had been bothering him all through the playoffs. They claimed that he only had the strength of a 10 year old in that arm yet he was still able to out-muscle all other players. I haven't lost hope that he will give us one more year.

[Fedorov]

Gwozdecky had an ugly outfit.

[Slap Shot]

I really don't believe the better team won tonight. The last I heard, Minninie had 40 saves tonight. That tells me the Sioux was definitely the better team tonight.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

UND played a hell of a game, but I thought Denver may had a slight edge in overall play and they were 4-0 this season against UND. I think if you asked most people they'd say DU is probably the better team of the two, although the margin wouldn't be great.

[Fedorov]

What was said on the postgame show with TH? I forgot to listen.

[siouxyeahyeah]

Was anyone else thinking that this game looked eerily like our first half of the season? Waaay outshooting our opponents only to lose the game in the end... I kinda felt early on like it was resembling our early season woes. Back to the cliche, but this time it works: We ran into hot goaltending.

A few thoughts:

1. I'm just glad it wasn't Minnesota out there celebrating an NC.

2. I'm pretty ticked at how much tv time Paukovich had...he was famous because he broke someone's neck. Gag me. He shouldn't have been on the ice tonight.

3. Parise still had a solid game. The stats may not show it, but he was still "hot" tonight, his defense just hung him to dry a few times.

4. What a year for Hak...he got them to THE game, and we played with Denver. They just got some lucky breaks that we weren't fortunate enough to get.

5. Can't wait until next year! Who's the geek who is going to find out just how many days until we drop the puck again??

Great season, Sioux! You made us proud! Classy all the way to the end. Thanks for the memories...it's been a really fun ride. GO SIOUX!!!

BTW: Who's game for going out to the airport to greet the team when they get back? I feel we should SHOW them how proud we are and thank them for a great run... I'm planning to go...who is with me??

[PCM]

UND played a hell of a game, but I thought Denver may had a slight edge in overall play and they were 4-0 this season against UND.  I think if you asked most people they'd say DU is probably the better team of the two, although the margin wouldn't be great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hate to admit it, but you're right. Put a healthy Brady Murray, Robbie Bina and Rylan Kaip on the Sioux team and it's a different story.

[BigGame]

Congrat to UND on a great finish to the season.

DU may be the better team, but they certainly didn't outplay UND tonight. The game was very even, DU just had a couple things go their way.

[dagies]

DU is the defending champion, and was probably playing the best hockey at the end of the year.

IMO they beat the Sioux at the game the Sioux have been beating other teams at the last month+. They were just as physical and won many small puck battles, especially in the offensive zone. Mannino was outstanding.

Talking with SODAK SIOUX FAN, we both agreed that DU matches up very well for the type of game the Sioux were playing at the end of the year. Still, the Sioux gave them a game for 60 minutes tonite. Instead of a 4-1 game I see it as a 3-2 win for Denver. The Sioux would like to have the no-goal called their way, and we'll remove the empty netter just so it looks better.

I think the Sioux wrung as much out of their team as they could here at the end of the season, and left nothing on the ice. They got beat by a better team (IMO) and played about as well as they could have played tonite. They didn't get the bounces. What if DU's first goal bounces a different direction off Smaby's skate? What if the puck doesn't bounce over McMahon's stick on the 2-1? What if the ref is standing where Fabian was on the no-goal?

I have no issue with the no-goal. Sure, I believed it PROBABLY did cross the line based on the replays I saw, but I can understand why it wasn't called in real time, and I can understand why it wasn't overruled.

Ahhhh. Thanks, Sioux, for the memories.

[mksioux]

UND played a hell of a game, but I thought Denver may had a slight edge in overall play and they were 4-0 this season against UND. I think if you asked most people they'd say DU is probably the better team of the two, although the margin wouldn't be great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You might be right. They won the game so they are the better team by definition. However, the Sioux outshot DU and probably had more scoring opportunties/quality chances (haven't seen the final stat on that), but I've never been one to make excuses about a hot goaltender. Having said that, I can't resist saying that DU is one of the most unimpressive "powerhouses" I've ever seen. I simply can't believe this team has won back-to-back NC's.

[jk]

Still in shock here in Ohio, because I thought they'd pull it out. I'm surprised to see so many opinions in cyber-space that Denver was clearly the better team, because it didn't seem that way in the rink, and neutral fans I visited with never offered that opinion up. I think the teams were pretty much dead even, and a real key to this game would be which team could get to the third with a lead and apply the python death grip. It turns out it was DU, but they didn't exactly keep UND away from the scoring areas in the third. I haven't heard what the shots were in the third, but UND must have had 20. DU got some bounces, and converted some nice scoring chances. How many grade A chances did UND generate tonight? A bunch ... breakaways, close deflections.

A few things Denver did really well from my view: on the PK, they picked off those off-target shot-passes UND loves to send in from the point. The Sioux scored on one, but DU got in the way of a lot of the rest of them. Also, the few times that there was a rebound or loose puck near the net, every UND player was tied up. Denver also won a ton of short races to the puck. Not that UND wasn't trying as hard as it could in those cases, but DU was just there a stick-blade ahead of UND. Even with those things DU did well, UND still played very, very well. The officiating did not cost UND the game, but I wish it had been called differently. Once the parade to the penalty box started in the second, UND seemed to lose its momentum.

I'm quite disappointed, and I'm sure the team is down too. But they gave it a heck of a run down the stretch. Congrats and go get 'em next year.

[farce poobah]

Mannino was good AND lucky. He was beat cleanly on several pucks that went high or wide, and just barely got to about 5 more. If we finish on just one of the multiple chances in the first 40 minutes, the 3rd period looks totally different.

DU's skill players made a couple great plays on their 2nd and 3rd goals, and they got a bounce on that first goal. We didn't get any bounces, and that as they say was that.

Most of our lineup had good games again ... DU was a bounce better.

Nice momentum for next year. I hope none of our coaches turns pro.

[PCM]

I'm surprised to see so many opinions in cyber-space that Denver was clearly the better team, because it didn't seem that way in the rink, and neutral fans I visited with never offered that opinion up. 

When a team beats you four times in a season, including the most important game of the season, I think you have to conclude that it's the better team. I don't think the Pioneers are significantly better than the Sioux in any one area, but they did win the WCHA regular season championship, the Final Five championship and the national title. I'd say that they're pretty damn good.

I'm not putting down the Sioux in any way because they proved that they had real heart. A couple of bounces here or there and it could have been a totally different game. But ultimately, it's the score on the scoreboard that matters.

[Slap Shot]

You might be right.

[dagies]

I'm a little more disappointed this morning in not winning the game than I was last night. Still just as proud of this team, however. I didn't realize they put 23 shots on Mannino in the 3rd period. Unreal. But Denver did a great job of clearing out second chances, and most of the second chances the Sioux had were in tight.

Still comes back to bounces. Denver got them this time, and the Sioux didn't.

Mannino was just a slight bit more lucky than Parise.

[PCM]

Still comes back to bounces.  Denver got them this time, and the Sioux didn't.

Mannino was just a slight bit more lucky than Parise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All I can say is: Yep.

[sprig]

Still in shock here in Ohio, because I thought they'd pull it out.  I'm surprised to see so many opinions in cyber-space that Denver was clearly the better team, because it didn't seem that way in the rink,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Didn't seem that way on TV either, although more even than the prior three Sioux NCAA games. Very good effort by the Sioux, bounces beat them. Denver also seemed to have the reviewed goals luck all year, as I remember they got 4-5 wins this year that they may not have, had the goal review not gone their way.

Denver is a good team, but had the puck luck all year. Was hoping they'd used up the puck luck against CC with the 6 PP goals, most of which found their way through sticks, skates, etc, and into the net. But, for one last time, the bounces went their way.

[sprig]

If you want to say the shot total of one game overrides a 4-0 record against UND be my guest, but I think DU showed over the course of an entire season they are the better team - although I repeat the margin isn't that great. I would also be surprised if the quality chances in that game was anything but near 50-50. There's no shame in humility.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last year, a 1-0 Denver win (although Denver was not the better team then either) overroad 3-0-1 in the regular season. Last night Denver was the luckier team, I wouldn't rate them better, in that one game. Their record throughout the year along with the McNaughton, Broadmor, and NCAA titles make them the best team start to finish, however.

[PCM]

I'm not saying Denver was "clearly the better team." But the object of the game is to put the puck in the net, and the Pioneers did that better than the Sioux. They played the Sioux four times and did it better every time.

There were three areas in which the Pioneers were better than the Sioux.

The first, obviously, was goaltending. I'm not blaming Parise for anything because he played great. There were three goals (I'm including the empty netter) that he could do nothing about. But when Manino lets in only one goal on 43 shots, you have to give him full credit for playng better.

The second was the ability of DU's defensemen (Carle and Skinner, in particular) to play like forwards at times and put shots on net from the blue line. They killed CC doing that and they killed UND doing it, too. Fuher, Jones, Schneider and even Greene tried to make similar plays, but they just weren't as good at it as Skinner and Carle.

The third is the intangible factor of puck luck. DU had it in spades against CC and just enough against UND to make a difference. Part of the game is being lucky at the right times. That's why, as Jason Notermann once said, "Hockey is a funny game."

[Slap Shot]

Last year, a 1-0 Denver win (although Denver was not the better team then either) overroad 3-0-1 in the regular season. Last night Denver was the luckier team, I wouldn't rate them better, in that one game. Their record throughout the year along with the McNaughton, Broadmor, and NCAA titles make them the best team start to finish, however.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree.

[mikejm]

I think DU played Fighting Sioux hockey a little better than the Sioux were able to last night. They clogged the crease and knocked down a lot of pucks. I know the Sioux had a lot of scoring "chances" but really, how many clear opportunities did they have?

As much as I hate to say it, the Pioneers are a very talented team. They certainly didn't outplay the Sioux; they just got the bounces the Sioux didn't.

Great season by a great bunch of young men. This team truly embodies the Fighting Sioux tradition.

Can't wait for October.

[jk]

After traveling home, I was thinking about the comparison between UND and Denver. Denver won the regular season, won the Final Five and won the national title. Of course they're the better team. They also beat UND and CC in the Final Five, then three weeks later beat CC and UND in the Frozen Four. What more could they do to prove their superiority than that?

My sentiment last night was that Denver didn't seem any better than UND last night. Denver didn't "outplay" UND. Since then it has occurred to me how stupid it is to argue about whether a team outplayed another. A team won, period. I guess, for me, it was best summed up by Hakstol when he said something to the effect of "we played as well as we can play. There was nothing left in the tank." I felt the same way watching it. They weren't perfect, but they played hard and well, and things didn't go their way. I was proud of the effort and performance.