Swept at home by a mediocre team?

[johndahl]

OK, I know our goalie is not up to the standards we've been accustomed to and our defenseman are young and inconsistent, but since when can't we put a couple goals in the net on a Saturday night at home?  

I'd hate to be a player participating in Dean's practices this week -- I have a feeling he'll try to teach the team how to skate hard for a few hours at a time.  If we want home ice for the WCHA tournament and a realistic shot at the Final Five, we need to stay ahead of Mankato and Wisconsin.  We've lost Mankato, it will be interesting to see what happens in Madison next weekend.

John

[dagies]

I agree.  I wouldn't have been so concerned if they would have bounced back tonite, but with this wimpering effort I am concerned with where this team is going.

After the game Hennessey is saying that Blais mentioned he may bring in another goaltender at Christmas time if goaltending doesn't improve.

This team apprears to me to be in a downward spiral.  It needs some solid leadership.  Blais was down on one of his senior captain defensman after the game.  Really down on him.  

I hope this team turns around awfully quickly.

[leifolson]

this team needs to turn around quickly...at this moment, I have very little faith in the Sioux against almost anybody.  In the past, it has always seemed that Dean could put nearly anyone out there and get an excellent performance from him.  This season, even the people we're supposed to be able to depend on are playing like Pee Wees.

Here's to a kick-ass second half of the season (praying under my breath).

[Goon]

I wounder why Blaiser did not put Brandt, I have a hard time believeing that Sofie is better than Jake. Anyone have any insight on that...

[ScottM]

Well, color me lost.  I have no idea what is going on with this team.

There seems to be profound lack of leadership and motivation across the board.  Goaltending is pathetic, special teams (what are they?) and offense seem wishy-washy at best.  Now, I know Blais was quoted as saying he was shooting for top-5 finish in the WCHA, but I'd like to think the team didn't use it as an excuse to take the past few series off.

Unless they get 2-3 points in Madison, I think the season is going to be very long given the teams we have to play in January and February.  

Unreal, and completely unacceptable.

[WildSioux]

Blais needs to go back to the basics.  You can't bring in mostly all freshman and expect them to show stellar performance.  They showed some of that during the CC series.  They are playing like the Vikqueens now.  No effort what so ever.  They just stand around and let them take shots.  My take on Brandt is that I have only seen him play in a couple of games.  And he did show promise.  I don't know what happened to Kohler from last year or the year before that when he got the Sioux past the final five.

[Wantagh]

My vote is for putting in Brandt.  He has showed more confidence in the net than kollar and Sofie.  However, I do believe that Sofie should be the back up goalie behind brand because he plays the puck into the corners instead of giving up rebounds right back into the slot.  But the biggest problem is their play without the puck.

[dagies]

I read that Kollar basically skated straight off the ice after that second goal.  It's been said that Blais pulled him but also that Andy pulled himself.

Now, its gotta be embarrassing to let a second goal like that go in in a year, but I wonder why Andy would have pulled himself.  If that is actually the case.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

I don't want to crumb on Andy, or anyone else.  I will be critical of players from time to time but if they are down I am not going to pile it on if I can help it.  They are still amateur athletes.

Just curious if there is something going on with Andy or if anyone knows what happened in Saturday's game.

I think someone somewhere once quoted Goehring as saying that Blais was difficult for a goalie to play for, or something that could have been interpreted that way.  Could it be that Blais has put too much pressure on Andy?

I don't know, just throwing stuff out there for discussion.

[choyt3]

Andy definitely skated right off after that goal. I was watching him and it looked like something was wrong. He kept looking at his glove, then his skates. He wasn't in any hurry, either. Then I wondered if he was hurt or something. He went straight to the locker room as far as I know. Talk about a strange chain of events.

As someone said above, I don't think Blais had TIME to pull Andy as he was already down the runway before anyone really noticed.

[Wantagh]

I would be leaning more to the fact that Andy pulled himself.  Sofie wasn't even close to getting ready til Andy was off the ice.

[ScottM]

So if Andy had the "courage" to pull himself and leave his team hanging, will he leave the team too?  Geez ... what in the world is wrong with these guys?

[Wantagh]

Scott,

I believe that we need to look further than the goalie for these problems.

[WildSioux]

I totally agree with you Wantagh, you can't stop every shot and can't do any better if your defense isn't helping.

About Kolher, he pretty much was halfway to the bench when that shot was coming towards him.  So I don't know if he was injured or what.  And he did go to the locker room, but did return and sat with the team and watched the big screen, so no I don't think he is leaving.  And as I said above, he proved he was a good goalie a few years ago.  So there may be more to it this year.

[The Sicatoka]

Listening to KKXL this morning Tim Hennessy interviewed Dean Blais. Coach Blais reported that Andy Kollar told him he couldn't see the 'grenade' that five-holed him and caused him to leave the game.

That almost would make sense. Saturday, on the replay of the first goal, it was like Andy didn't react until he heard the pipe behind him as the puck went it. He wasn't screened. The 'grenade' goal was another case of "where is it?" by his posture.

[WildSioux]

I forgot to add that Kohler was skating to the bench because there was a delayed penalty on Mankato...

[dagies]

Wait a minute, WildSioux.  Give us the sequence of events here...

If there was a delayed penalty on Mankato, wouldn't the goal have been disallowed because play would have stopped when the Mankato player gained control of the puck?

OR, was the delayed penalty called AFTER the puck was in the air, but before the goal was scored?  That seems like an awfully tight timeframe.  IF this is the case, then there is no need to speculate on whether Andy can see the puck.  However, it would not seem reasonable that this is the explanation.

Not dissing you.  But more details, please.

[WildSioux]

It happened so fast so it is kind of hard to explain why it was allowed.  I don't know why the mankato player was called but I think it might have been interference.  The call was already made because Kohler was skating to the bench and at that time a Mankato player was going after the puck which was right in line with Kohler and the net.  And he shot it, and it hit Andy and went right in.  And by then he was already in the locker room.  

I wish I had a better explanation of what happened and why they allowed the goal.  But I don't think it would have mattered with the final outcome of the game.  Did anyone else see what I saw?

[The Sicatoka]

There was no delayed call pending.

Proof?

1. 'dagies' is right. An MSUM touch of any kind stops play if a delayed call is pending.

2. Where's the call after the goal? It's not there. The next penalty call is nearly a minute later.

http://www.collegehockeystats.com/boxes/mmnkndk1.d01

Kollar was moving out of the net, as normal and taught, because it looked like play was coming down the right (his left) side. The 'grenade' was tossed. The linesman's arm (not the referee's) went up because the shot was coming from beyond the red line (about 130' from the goal) and ICING was going to be called, then a short-hop and a goal.

WildSioux: The arm you saw go up was on a zebra that was straddling, or very near, the red line right? I saw that icing (not penalty, because it doesn't have orange stripes) arm go up too. That was pre-signal* for icing, not a penalty, call.

* Pre-signal meaning the up-ice linesman signalling the down-ice linesman that the shot/pass came from beyond the center red line so if it gets to the end line before it is touched it is icing.

(Edited by The Sicatoka at 4:51 pm on Dec. 4, 2001)

[TheSiouxFan]

I have watched the tape of the goal and Andy was not coming toward the bench.  Kollar always storms into the locker room after being pulled, happened last time too.

[WildSioux]

Ah, I must not have been watching that part, I could have sworn it was a delayed call.  All I saw was an arm go up, Kohler skating to the bench area, and a goal.  It happened so fast I didn't know what happened other than they scored and Kohler was off.  That is true that it would have been a no goal if the Kato player touched it.  My bad.

[Wantagh]

If in fact there was a delayed penalty being called, I think it would have been on Bayda because he was holding the stick of the Mankato player.  

[ScottM]

Penalty or no, Kollar pulling himself demonstrates volumes about his commitment to this team.  If  he's not up to the task, he should step aside.  

Granted, hockey is a team sport, but if the goal tender cannot/will not play to his potential all of the "blue chippers" under the sun won't put too many wins in the bucket.

[iluvdebbies]

I wounder why Blaiser did not put Brandt, I have a hard time believeing that Sofie is better than Jake. Anyone have any insight on that...

I wondered the same thing!

[MafiaMan]

Whoa whoa whoa...Goon has 21,000+ posts? Good heavens!

[siouxkid12]

I wondered the same thing!

you have been wondering for the past 12 years?