UND signs Toews

[jk]

The enthusiasm is commendable but reality escapes you.  Denver CLEARLY was playing the best hockey in the country at the end of the year.  sometimes reality bites but at least the Sioux were clearly playing better than the Gophers at the end of the year.

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I appreciate your thoughtful post but respectfully disagree that it was so clear Denver was the best team at the end of the year. (Going on memory on the seeds here, so might be off a bit:) In the tournament, Denver struggled with the #15 seed and had a tough game with #8 before dispatching #3 relatively easily. UND simply dominated the tournament's overall #1, #4 and #10 seeds. Going into the final game, UND in fact was playing the best hockey of any team in the country.

As for the final game, if that game was enough for Denver to clearly demonstrate they were playing the best hockey, if they were that dominant, then we just have different standards for that conclusion. I have yet to read a game story that failed to mention how brilliant Mannino was in goal for Denver; a goalie doesn't get the chance to be brilliant if his team dominates a game. I can agree that Denver was a great team, and they played especially well with the lead, but halfway through the third period the game was 2-1, and the two Denver goals bounced in off a skate and Stastny's butt.

Don't misunderstand, Denver was a deserving champion. They got the bounces, their goaltender played great, they tightened up defensively with the lead (allowing UND just 45 shots on goal), and most importantly they scored more goals than UND. However, I don't think they were CLEARLY playing the best hockey in the country at the end of the year.

[NorthDakotaHockey]

Well said, jk. Well said. The beauty, and the agony, of sport is that the best team does not always win.

The Sioux took it to everyone who stepped on the ice with them from mid-February on. Championship game included.

It was a great great run, and you do a nice job of pointing out that out to Five Holer.

[PCM]

Don't misunderstand, Denver was a deserving champion.

Edited April 26, 2005 by PCM

[sprig]

I agree with jk's post also.

As far as Denver being clearly better in the REA series, I wouldn't go that far, but can't deny that the Sioux didn't out play them by any stretch in the REA. Denver's picking payed off big time in that series.

I was worried about Denver's PP luck after the CC game, because their PP goals that buried CC were all bounces and seeing eye goals, and they scored 3 or 4 of them. When you add that kind of luck to the skill Denver has, they were no doubt destined to repeat.

[Goon]

Don't misunderstand, Denver was a deserving champion.  They got the bounces, their goaltender played great, they tightened up defensively with the lead (allowing UND just 45 shots on goal), and most importantly they scored more goals than UND.  However, I don't think they were CLEARLY playing the best hockey in the country at the end of the year.

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It will be very interesting to see if Mannino and Fisher can stand up to the pressure next season. I don't see them winning three in a row. Denver definately has won two in a row with awesome goaltending. The part that sucks for me is DU's goaltenders weren't really much better than ours, however, DU has gotten all of the breaks to go their way. I hope and I think the luck can change for UND and we too will see a NCAA title in the next couple of years. I like the fact that we will probably see a two headed monster in net for the Sioux. I also think that Parise and Phil are both better than Fisher. I will be interesting to see if Mannino can stand the heat a second time around.

[#1Hakfan]

I think Mannino is a big time goalie and will be one of the best in the country. Fisher on the other hand is like Briggs. He is an average goalie that benefits from being on a good team. or in Denvers case a great team with GREAT defensemen.

Also, The Sioux goalie situation isn't looking to bad for next year. The competition will make both of them better because they are such great competitors.

[Five-HoleFrenzy]

You are certainly entitled to your opinions but it does not change the fact that the poster who said North Dakota was clearly playing the best hockey at the end of the year is wrong. If North Dakota was playing the best hockey how did they lose to Denver? If you tell me reasons why instead of acknowledging that the better team won then you have entered the excuse zone. A zone that manyGopher fans live in I might add.

If you win the WCHA title (tie with CC), the WCHA final five title, and the National title (back to back) then you have put an exclamaiton point on who played the best hockey not only at the end of the year but for the 2004/2005 season. End of story.

[petey23]

Very good point. UND was playing their best hockey at the end of the year. Truth be told, if we had played DU 10 times this year, DU would probably would have won 7 or 8...................if the same game played out that was played in the National Title game 10 times, UND wins that game 9 times. That's hockey.

[Blackheart]

Well said, jk.  Well said.  The beauty, and the agony, of sport is that the best team does not always win.

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Copyright: Brendan Morrison

[#1Hakfan]

Here is another good reason to be happy that we got Toews over Kessel.

I found this on a canadien website. The WHL draft is coming up and there are planty of articles about it. Here is what I found.

"David Toews, a highly rated 1990, is expected to go in the late rounds of this years draft. Toews may have been the number one overall pick in this years draft, however Major Junior teams are worried he will follow his older brother Jon to the University of North Dakota in two years."

Hopefully he follows his brother. Usually once one family member becomes part of the Sioux family, the rest of the family follows (if they are good enough players).

[brianvf]

"David Toews, a highly rated 1990, is expected to go in the late rounds of this years draft. Toews may have been the number one overall pick in this years draft, however Major Junior teams are worried he will follow his older brother Jon to the University of North Dakota in two years."

Hopefully he follows his brother.  Usually once one family member becomes part of the Sioux family, the rest of the family follows (if they are good enough players).

He must be a really promising player as well to be a potential #1 pick in the WHL draft. Hopefully the family enjoys having Jonathan play close to their home and David chooses to follow his older brother to UND. They could play together for a season or two (depending on if/when he leaves early).

Does anyone have any info about David?

[Siouxhockey78]

[ABER]

[I Ranger]

What league is he playing in? Anyone know if he will follow his brother to Shattuck?

[sprig]

David plays for the SSM Tier 1 bantams. His team leading 151 points is followed by Kelsey Tessier (133 points, Moncton, NB), and Jordy Murray (99 points). Jordy is Brady's younger bro. All three listed are high school freshmen, 1990 bdays, David by far the largest of the three at 5-10, 170.

The team's record this year was 61-7-1.

SSM Tier 1 bantam site

[mikejm]

This is clearly a case of the Sioux signing one brother to get the other. Just like Zach Parise was brought in to make sure Jordan would come to Grand Forks.

[siouxnami]

[#1Hakfan]

David Toews was a 6th round pick, number 117th overall. by the Brandon Wheatkings. To fall this far he must have indicted that he may want to play college hockey. The WHL draft was yesterday.

[redwing77]

David Toews was a 6th round pick, number 117th overall. by the Brandon Wheatkings.  To fall this far he must have indicted that he may want to play college hockey.  The WHL draft was yesterday.

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Not really. He fell that far because the threat on Jon came true: Commit to a US University and your brother's draft position will fall.

Those three 1990s would make great additions to UND in 2008

[ScottM]

Not really.

[dagies]

I don't think it was any sort of threat, just pragmatism.

If the older brother goes college, good chance the younger brother will too, so why waste a top pick?

[redwing77]

I don't think it was any sort of threat, just pragmatism.

If the older brother goes college, good chance the younger brother will too, so why waste a top pick?

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Sure, I agree, but the tone of the articles I've read told me that it was utilized as more of a threat than mere pragmatism.

[brianvf]

David plays for the SSM Tier 1 bantams. His team leading 151 points is followed by Kelsey Tessier (133 points, Moncton, NB), and Jordy Murray (99 points). Jordy is Brady's younger bro. All three listed are high school freshmen, 1990 bdays, David by far the largest of the three at 5-10, 170.

It would be sweet to pick up both the younger Toews and Murray brothers.

[siouxnami]

It would be sweet to pick up both the younger Toews and Murray brothers.

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Throw in a Chay Genoway, Mario Lamaroux, and a Darcy Zajac as well...

[#1Hakfan]

Maybe we need 2 teams.