The Frozen Four-Viva Las Vegas!

[Langster019]

26 minutes ago, Dustin said:

I think it's generally agreed upon that people like John B.'s enthusiasm for the sport, but he's not good at hockey play-by-play (which is a special skill - try doing it for radio when there's no picture to help the listener).  The extent of Bucci's call is "Here comes...(team or player)."  Colby Cohen is just flat out annoying, and I wish he had never won that championship with BU.  It's interesting at how many times he's wrong on something (off-sides call, for instance) before the replay corrects him.  I wonder if John and Colby can't stand each other (or one of them can't stand the other), otherwise, why aren't they both in the booth like a normal PxP/Color combo?  I have nothing against Quint Kessenich. 

Bucci “weibe was drafted by VGK he could play in this building soon” Colby “no, his rights were traded to calgary” …..bucci keeps going ignoring his mistake 

 

but they know mckennas moms maiden name, favorite pet, and middle school crush

 

agree. Like his enthusiasm for the sport, but that’s it. 

[Level B Fishbowl]

Buccigross and Cohen are like nails on a chalkboard. The next time they're assigned to a regional I'm watching, I'll just go without audio

[fightingsioux4life]

It seems like the whole "one and done" format doesn't stop Denver from having frequent national-level success. I am tired of that excuse being posted on here. If some of you want to cling to that as some sort of coping mechanism, go ahead. But I am simply done acknowledging it. And enough about "parity". Denver didn't get that memo, did they?

And no, success in this tournament isn't about "luck". That is an excuse for not winning the big games when you have the chance. We used to mock Minnesota for choking in the spotlight during the Woog (RIP) era. Now we are the ones using the same lines Goofer fans used to use when they failed to complete the mission in April. Ralph Engelstad himself stated that "The harder I work, the luckier I get". I think a lot of people on this forum would tell him he is wrong if he was still around.

This whole mentality took hold in our fan base after all the Frozen Four failures under Hakstol. It continued during the second half of Berry's tenure, when we had some teams that would win a lot of games in the regular season and then take a big dump in the postseason. 2016 was such a shock to all of us because we had become accustomed to being disappointed. I would love to get to the point where we expect (and usually get) victories in March and April. I do think this coaching staff will get us there, but this was such a huge disappointment and letdown.

And enough of this nonsense that Denver or anybody else "sandbags the regular season for success in the postseason". Does anyone on this forum actually believe it would be better if we finished third or fourth, barely earning home ice for the first round? That is total nonsense. I just don't understand the logic. You play to win every game.

There is absolutely no reason why we can't have the same level of success as Denver. None. The idea that "we just can't expect those results here" is insulting to long-time fans of this program like myself, not to mention all the quality players, athletes and people who have worn the jersey over the many decades. Too many fans on this forum have bought into the idea that we aren't that program anymore and we need to accept our "place" as a stepping stone for other teams on their way to glory. Enough is enough already. I am tired of being "envious" of other programs while we get left behind and in the dust.

I am confident in the future of the program, with Jackson and his staff, because they seem to know how to recruit in this era of college hockey. And the speed in which they rebuilt this program is incredible. But we absolutely must reassert ourselves as a national power in the next few years. Not winning Nattys is detrimental to the program, even if people on this forum like to pretend otherwise. It's all people remember in the long run. The white banners are nice and should be hung with pride, but they are no substitute for the legacy and prestige of green banners.

I just had to get all of that off my chest. I will be taking a sabbatical from this forum for a while, as the level of disappointment I am feeling is several notches higher than in 2024.

Carry on.

[Dustin]

6 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

It seems like the whole "one and done" format doesn't stop Denver from having frequent national-level success. I am tired of that excuse being posted on here.

I've never liked that excuse.  It's a whiner's excuse.  I also like to point out that there have been years we've benefitted from this format.  Paging 1997.  I also think it's incredibly exciting to have a "one and done" format.  You can only do so much, no matter what the format is.  The rest is out of your control.

[Kab]

It’s tough to swallow the loss after such a great season

i have always hated the 1 and done but everyone plays with that

i dont think it was as much of a hot goalie as it was that Wisconsin took UND out of its game , 

not a Wisconsin fan but beat Denver 

[Washburn Sioux]

At the very end of each season, only 1 team wins the big one, and every other team has a degree of disappointment. We were close.

[cowboys5xsbs]

21 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

It seems like the whole "one and done" format doesn't stop Denver from having frequent national-level success. I am tired of that excuse being posted on here. If some of you want to cling to that as some sort of coping mechanism, go ahead. But I am simply done acknowledging it. And enough about "parity". Denver didn't get that memo, did they?

And no, success in this tournament isn't about "luck". That is an excuse for not winning the big games when you have the chance. We used to mock Minnesota for choking in the spotlight during the Woog (RIP) era. Now we are the ones using the same lines Goofer fans used to use when they failed to complete the mission in April. Ralph Engelstad himself stated that "The harder I work, the luckier I get". I think a lot of people on this forum would tell him he is wrong if he was still around.

This whole mentality took hold in our fan base after all the Frozen Four failures under Hakstol. It continued during the second half of Berry's tenure, when we had some teams that would win a lot of games in the regular season and then take a big dump in the postseason. 2016 was such a shock to all of us because we had become accustomed to being disappointed. I would love to get to the point where we expect (and usually get) victories in March and April. I do think this coaching staff will get us there, but this was such a huge disappointment and letdown.

And enough of this nonsense that Denver or anybody else "sandbags the regular season for success in the postseason". Does anyone on this forum actually believe it would be better if we finished third or fourth, barely earning home ice for the first round? That is total nonsense. I just don't understand the logic. You play to win every game.

There is absolutely no reason why we can't have the same level of success as Denver. None. The idea that "we just can't expect those results here" is insulting to long-time fans of this program like myself, not to mention all the quality players, athletes and people who have worn the jersey over the many decades. Too many fans on this forum have bought into the idea that we aren't that program anymore and we need to accept our "place" as a stepping stone for other teams on their way to glory. Enough is enough already. I am tired of being "envious" of other programs while we get left behind and in the dust.

I am confident in the future of the program, with Jackson and his staff, because they seem to know how to recruit in this era of college hockey. And the speed in which they rebuilt this program is incredible. But we absolutely must reassert ourselves as a national power in the next few years. Not winning Nattys is detrimental to the program, even if people on this forum like to pretend otherwise. It's all people remember in the long run. The white banners are nice and should be hung with pride, but they are no substitute for the legacy and prestige of green banners.

I just had to get all of that off my chest. I will be taking a sabbatical from this forum for a while, as the level of disappointment I am feeling is several notches higher than in 2024.

Carry on.

Thank you for saying this.  I agree with this 10000%

[siouxfan512]

1 hour ago, TwamleyShuffle said:

Carle should be rewarded with an NHL coaching job 😃 

Carle is almost impossible to dislike. Seems like a good dude, has taken an already good program and still elevated them. Any he is very common sense with stuff like his opinion on regional locations, etc. Love that he isn't afraid to voice his opinion and put people in their place. I was never a Montgomery fan, and I always enjoyed Gwoz, but in a different way. 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Colby makes me miss Melrose.

[cberkas]

1 hour ago, Dustin said:

I think it's generally agreed upon that people like John B.'s enthusiasm for the sport, but he's not good at hockey play-by-play (which is a special skill - try doing it for radio when there's no picture to help the listener).  The extent of Bucci's call is "Here comes...(team or player)."  Colby Cohen is just flat out annoying, and I wish he had never won that championship with BU.  It's interesting at how many times he's wrong on something (off-sides call, for instance) before the replay corrects him.  I wonder if John and Colby can't stand each other (or one of them can't stand the other), otherwise, why aren't they both in the booth like a normal PxP/Color combo?  I have nothing against Quint Kessenich. 

Colby being between the benches is because they want to act like an NHL broadcast team.

They don’t pay attention to what is going on in front of them at all. You could hear the disappointment when Denver won and he had to say it will be reviewed when he didn’t say that on any other goal.

Colby saying Michigan took the lead for the first time at 3-2. Huh? They were leading at 2-1. one of them saying Hicks was the #3 goalie to start the year, no that would be the Geisel. The Freudian slip Bucci had about Michigan moving on while they are in the first OT.

Need the best to be calling these games not 1/32nd time college hockey guys calling games (1/32nd because part time give them too much credit). Don’t need to hear for the 100th time about a blocked shot in the 1st, this player was the MoP of the frozen four last year, this players family tree, how good the chicken parm is at some random restaurant, what team drafted of owns the players rights, etc…..

[Walsh Hall]

1 hour ago, Dustin said:

I've never liked that excuse.  It's a whiner's excuse.  I also like to point out that there have been years we've benefitted from this format.  Paging 1997.  I also think it's incredibly exciting to have a "one and done" format.  You can only do so much, no matter what the format is.  The rest is out of your control.

No question that with a series system that Michigan wins in 1997.  The one-and-done system provides that chip and a chair possibility.  

High level hockey has, by far, the highest statistical probability of the lesser team winning an individual game, or a team that is out-played winning a game.  Even without a statistical deep dive (which I've done) if you look at the odds on individual games, the NHL odds are much more compressed than the other major sports.  Just looking at NBA and NHL lines tonight, there are 3 NBA games where the underdog is a 18-1 dog, and highest NHL line is 2.2-1.

Of professional and major college sports, NCAA hockey is unquestionably the one with the most randomness.  NCAA basketball would be second, but basketball is much more predictable.  After high school, I believe that NCAA hockey is the only level that is one and done.

It is what it is, and it makes every game have the excitement of game 7, but to claim that there is no luck involved in NCAA hockey is straight-up moronic (not aimed at anyone in particular).

[yzerman19]

I also don't like apologists, but there also needs to be some realism.  This season can not be thought of as a disappointment.  Yes the game was disappointing, but to fully appreciate what UND has overcome since 2016 is remarkable.  An expectation to win a national title every year is completely out of the realm of realism.  An expectation to win a NCAA tournament game every year is a solid high bar.  I personally want to be in the spot of the expectation being to get to the Frozen Four...fall a little short you are in the tourney...play great you win a title.  From a recruiting perspective, we are having to build back the expectation that 1.  You will get to the next level by playing here.  2.  You will be on a winning team that has Frozen Four and Natty potential.  3.  You will love the culture here and have a great off the ice experience by playing here.  Getting all 3 of those back can't happen overnight.  We also have to overcome that Grand Forks is what it is, and UND isn't Big10 or Hockey East locations or schools.  We can, but it is going to take a little time...Does Toews come to UND if Parise doesn't?  Probably not. 

[cowboys5xsbs]

7 minutes ago, yzerman19 said:

I also don't like apologists, but there also needs to be some realism.  This season can not be thought of as a disappointment.  Yes the game was disappointing, but to fully appreciate what UND has overcome since 2016 is remarkable.  An expectation to win a national title every year is completely out of the realm of realism.  An expectation to win a NCAA tournament game every year is a solid high bar.  I personally want to be in the spot of the expectation being to get to the Frozen Four...fall a little short you are in the tourney...play great you win a title.  From a recruiting perspective, we are having to build back the expectation that 1.  You will get to the next level by playing here.  2.  You will be on a winning team that has Frozen Four and Natty potential.  3.  You will love the culture here and have a great off the ice experience by playing here.  Getting all 3 of those back can't happen overnight.  We also have to overcome that Grand Forks is what it is, and UND isn't Big10 or Hockey East locations or schools.  We can, but it is going to take a little time...Does Toews come to UND if Parise doesn't?  Probably not. 

It's not out the the realm of realism for other schools?  Why the heck can we not have that standard?

[Dustin]

1 hour ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

success in this tournament isn't about "luck"

Every aspect of life comes with at least a little bit of luck.  It it the individual's responsibility to be prepared to capitalize on what luck is presented.

[yzerman19]

47 minutes ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

It's not out the the realm of realism for other schools?  Why the heck can we not have that standard?

Its out of the realm of realism for every school.  

[scpa0305]

17 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

A shame such a great season has to come to an end like this.  Doesn’t change a thing, boys, we know what the expectations at North Dakota are.  Thanks for a memorable season.  Chins up, brighter days are ahead.  

Amen

[cowboys5xsbs]

56 minutes ago, yzerman19 said:

Its out of the realm of realism for every school.  

Denver keeps on winning 

[Dustin]

Didn't realize it had gotten this bad for Michigan.  That's worse than Dave Hakstol's F4 resume.

[cowboys5xsbs]

2 minutes ago, Dustin said:

Didn't realize it had gotten this bad for Michigan.  That's worse than Dave Hakstol's F4 resume.

They are for sure snakebitten.  Not that I feel bad for them 🤣

[108498]

Part of me wonders how Denver seems to peak every year at the very end. They have been at the top of the mountain winning championships alot. 

[Brett0909]

2 hours ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

It's not out the the realm of realism for other schools?  Why the heck can we not have that standard?

Every coach out there is trying to figure out how Carle does it. Yes, he puts his team in positions to win. But anyone paying attention knows that Denver got badly outplayed both overtimes and almost lost in regulation. Yet most of us expected they would somehow find a way to win (Carle gonna Carle) - and they did. Their players weren’t better prepared, more poised, more confident, more talented, more conditioned, or out chancing Michigan. They didn’t get better goaltending, and systems and coaching didn’t win them that game. They should have lost. It’s frustrating, but short of a deal with the devil it’s hard to define what he’s doing that others aren’t.

Acknowledging that isn’t being a defeatist, or making excuses for UND. Hopefully Jax figures out some new secret sauce that nobody else can match for a time, but for now it is what it is, and those of us being realistic about this being a highly successful year are not just losers accepting it. UND had a bad period and didn’t have it for the night, but were still just a bounce away from winning that game. Denver had at least three bad periods where they looked totally outclassed, and somehow still managed to win against a better team.

Onward and forward, excited for next year!