For comparison's sake

[PCM]

There have been comparisons made to where this year's Sioux team is after 28 games compared to last year's team. While that's an interesting comparison, it's somewhat misleading because the 04-05 Sioux were a veteran-heavy team.

I think a better comparison is the 01-02 Blais-coached Sioux team that started the season with 12 freshman on the roster. After that team's first WCHA loss of the season to an older, more experienced Wisconsin team, Blais said, "We

[Goon]

There have been comparisons made to where this year's Sioux team is after 28 games compared to last year's team. While that's an interesting comparison, it's somewhat misleading because the 04-05 Sioux were a veteran-heavy team.

I think a better comparison is the 01-02 Blais-coached Sioux team that started the season with 12 freshman on the roster. After that team's first WCHA loss of the season to an older, more experienced Wisconsin team, Blais said, "We

[keikla]

I think it's interesting to note that the young 01-02 team also had some obvious difficulties playing at home.

[redwing77]

I think it's interesting to note that the young 01-02 team also had some obvious difficulties playing at home.

I would say MORE difficulties playing at home.

4-7-1 vs 7-6-0 are hardly alike.

It's kind of amazing that we expect the Sioux to be unbeaten at home when we've had a REALLY tough home schedule this year.

On thing of interest. Last year it looked like we couldn't win on the road. This year we're doing well on the road. I guess I see that as a positive.

[PCM]

On thing of interest. Last year it looked like we couldn't win on the road. This year we're doing well on the road. I guess I see that as a positive.

I agree, especially given UND's schedule for the remainder of the regular season.

[MafiaMan]

I agree, especially given UND's schedule for the remainder of the regular season.

2 series left on the road and 3 at home. Final Five on the road and then West Regional at home. Seems to me...the home schedule is starting to be more important.

[redwing77]

I agree, especially given UND's schedule for the remainder of the regular season.

Yeah. Our only road series left before the playoffs are both in Colorado. I don't like that at all. CC is falling but they may right the ship before we play them (and I do believe lately we haven't faired well in the Springs area lately) and DU seems to always be able to turn it on late in the season. Not to mention the emotion that goes with that series.....

If we go 8-2-0 on these last 10 games, I think we'll be doing VERY well. Maybe it is wishful thinking that we'll win out at home and split both road series...

We'll end up being 13-6-0 at home and 12-6-1 on the road this season. That's respectable.

[schmidtdoggydog]

If we go 8-2-0 on these last 8 games

Huh?

[redwing77]

Huh?

Yeah, the 2 losses don't count

Fixed.

[PCM]

2 series left on the road and 3 at home. Final Five on the road and then West Regional at home. Seems to me...the home schedule is starting to be more important.

What I'm saying is that our two toughest opponents are on the road where we've played well. Our weakest opponents are at home where -- up until this past weekend -- we haven't played as well.

[PCM]

Last season after 30 games, the Sioux were 15-12-3 overall and 10-11-1 in the WCHA. Practically everyone wrote off the Sioux after they were swept at home by DU.

This season after 30 games, the Sioux are 17-12-1 overall 10-10-0 in the WCHA. They have the same number of points in the league, despite having played two fewer league games.

Here are some more interesting stats comparing this year's UND team to last year's team after 30 games:

2004-2005

Overall

2.73 goals for per game

2.50 goals against per game

WCHA

2.45 goals for per game

2.45 goals against per game

2006-2006

Overall

3.23 goals for per game

2.50 goals against per game

WCHA

3.50 goals for per game

3.05 goals against per game

There are two major differences between last year's Sioux team and this year's Sioux team. This year's team is much better offensively, averaging a goal per game more in the WCHA. It hasn't played as well defensively in the league. But given the youth of the defensive corps, that stat shouldn't be much of a surprise. I am surprised that overall, this year's goals against average is the same as last year's after 30 games.

[shep]

I just can't see how last year's team and this year's can be compared in a meaningful way.

Half the apologists on here say that this year's team is full of freshmen and they need time to get better etc.

True they are freshmen and last year's team, especially on D, was senior laden or experienced. As far as I can tell, the only way the two teams are similar is that they both donned a Sioux uniform.

Red, you never fail to surprise me with your unbridled (and sometimes virtually unrealistic) hope, but do you really think this team will go 8-2 over the last ten??? I don't know what the bookies have those odds at, but I'd love to buy into some of that action.

[PCM]

As far as I can tell, the only way the two teams are similar is that they both donned a Sioux uniform.

There are some important similarities:

• Both teams were coached by Dave Hakstol, Brad Berry and Cary Eades.
  
• Both teams had Jordan Parise and Philippe Lamoureux in goal.
  
• Both teams had Matt Smaby and Kyle Radke on defense.
  
• Both teams had Drew Stafford, Travis Zajac, Rastislav Spirko, Chris Porter, Mike Prpich and Erik Fabian playing regularly as forwards.
  

Other than that, you're right. It's difficult to compare a veteran team with a young team. For all I know, the inexperience on this year's team could cause it to falter at a time when last year's team peaked.

But in spite of their youth and inexperience, the 05-06 Sioux are ahead of where last year's team was at this time. They are better offensively and very close to where last year's team was defensively, and that was an outstanding defensive team. I see that as more reason for optimism than despair.

Edited January 30, 2006 by PCM

[redwing77]

There are some important similarities:

• Both teams were coached by Dave Hakstol, Brad Berry and Cary Eades.
  
• Both teams had Jordan Parise and Philippe Lamoureux in goal.
  
• Both teams had Matt Smaby and Kyle Radke on defense.
  
• Both teams had Drew Stafford, Travis Zajac, Rastislav Spirko, Chris Porter, Mike Prpich and Erik Fabian playing regularly as forwards.
  

Other than that, you're right. It's difficult to compare a veteran team with a young team. For all I know, the inexperience on this year's team could cause it to falter at a time when last year's team peaked.

But in spite of their youth and inexperience, the 05-06 Sioux are ahead of where last year's team was at this time. They are better offensively and very close to where last year's team was defensively, and that was an outstanding defensive team. I see that as more reason for optimism than despair.

Right. It appears to me that we still have all the tools, it is just getting those tools to show up at the right times that is our main issue.

Inconsistency is the BIGGEST problem our team has right now. Inconsistency is a STRONG indicator of youth. We have 9 freshmen in the lineup on any given night at least. That's more than any other team in the WCHA with the possible exception of UMD. It may be more than any other team in DI that isn't called RIT.

[SiouxTupa]

How could those numbers not give some hope??? It basically says that we were in the SAME position last year, if not a little worse. Offensive numbers are better, and defensive numbers are roughly the same. We were bickering about last years team struggling with consistency too. Hakstol coached this team to the F4 last year, which proves he is a capable leader. The experienced team last year was a large underachiever until Feb, so why is a team with so much youth also considered an underachiever when they are in a slightly better position?? It's not talent either...I don't care how many 1st round picks you have, this is a different game than they were used to. Learning it, and learning about the teams you play takes time. That's why experienced teams usually do better than the alternative. As someone said, as of this point, how many people thought they'd be significantly better than they are?

We'll see what happens the next few weeks, but for sure last year's team (and many others) proved that you can make the dance as a 5th place WCHA team, having a bad record.

Let's get a few more wins, and see where that gets us. Enough b*tching and moaning, though. Thanks to all who are still on the bandwagon. The Sioux are just about where most thought they'd be.

I told my significant other, the other day, that every time the Sioux lose I die a little inside. It's completely true, I usually feel sick (like many of us do) and unwilling to go to the bar or wherever fun things are happening. The crazy thing is that it doesn't change my resolve for the next week. I don't feel lethargic, I think that no matter who the Sioux play, no matter what their record is, and no matter how they have been playing, they can win on that night. That's why we go to the games and cheer for them, no matter what the score.

[shep]

I go to the games hoping. I really do. In fact I EXPECT them to win.

But, I've been so disappointed at times by the play on the ice, I can't watch. I go the bar to drown the pain. I just can't watch it sometimes.

I felt so pis*ed after the second Goofer game that I couldn't stand it especially watching all the smug bastard Goofer fans celebrating.

Yes, sometimes I bring that anger/hostility/disappointment here and I may share more of my gut wrenching disappointment than some want to hear, but this is SIOUX HOCKEY and I just expect more.

[sagard]

One outstanding difference between last years Sioux and this years Sioux is the defensive play. Last season the Sioux were elite defensively in WCHA. Third in the league with 67 goals allowed trailing UW (64) and CC (66). When the Sioux started scoring consistantly at the end of the season, it was not that surprising why they were able to handle the Eastern teams and the Gophs. It was my impression that DU was very well suited to handle the Sioux forecheck with Carle and Skinner taking primary roles.

This year the Sioux are currently sixth in league play defense nine goals behind the Gophs in fifth.

This year's Sioux is a far better team than the '02 team in my opinion. Better goalies, better recruits, better results.

After seeing CC up close I don't think they are any better than UND and UND has an advantage in nets. If UND makes the field they will have a good chance at the Frozen Four.

[PCM]

This year's Sioux is a far better team than the '02 team in my opinion. Better goalies, better recruits, better results.

That's true, but we only know it in retrospect. The 01-02 class was considered very good and expectations for them were quite high. Andy Kollar was expected to carry the load in the nets. Between some of the freshmen not performing as expected and goaltending issues, that team ran into problems it couldn't overcome.

This season, Parise and Lamoureux have performed as expected and the freshmen have, by and large, played up to their potential. Last season, we reached a critical point in the season where the veterans had to step up their game and lead the team. They did.

Now we're at a critical juncture where we not only need the veterans to step up, but we also need the freshman to continue to improve. There aren't enough veterans on the team to do it alone. Whether both groups rise to the challenge as a team remains to be seen.

[redwing77]

That's true, but we only know it in retrospect. The 01-02 class was considered very good and expectations for them were quite high. Andy Kollar was expected to carry the load in the nets. Between some of the freshmen not performing as expected and goaltending issues, that team ran into problems it couldn't overcome.

This season, Parise and Lamoureux have performed as expected and the freshmen have, by and large, played up to their potential. Last season, we reached a critical point in the season where the veterans had to step up their game and lead the team. They did.

Now we're at a critical juncture where we not only need the veterans to step up, but we also need the freshman to continue to improve. There aren't enough veterans on the team to do it alone. Whether both groups rise to the challenge as a team remains to be seen.

Correct. And the problem is, there may not be enough veterans to step up.

[sagard]

That's true, but we only know it in retrospect. The 01-02 class was considered very good and expectations for them were quite high. Andy Kollar was expected to carry the load in the nets. Between some of the freshmen not performing as expected and goaltending issues, that team ran into problems it couldn't overcome.

There were a lot more people in my camp questioning the '01-'02 Sioux recruits/Kollar then there are questioning the '05-'06 Sioux recruits/Parise. It may not mean much to you all, but it does reflect something in my opinion.

But those who choose to doubt Parise and a class with three 1st round picks could only do so with maroon glasses.

[PCM]

But those who choose to doubt Parise and a class with three 1st round picks could only do so with maroon glasses.

I suppose that's part of it. Having 20/20 hindsight also helps a great deal.

Going into the 01-02 season, Kollar had one of the best winning percentages of any goalie in UND history. He was a big part of UND reaching the Frozen Four in 2000 and had played well in relief of Goehring throughout his career. Are you claiming that before that season started, those maroon glasses helped you see into the future? If so, you knew a lot more about how Kollar was going to perform than Dean Blais did.

It's easy to sit here now and say that this year's freshman class is heads and tails above the 01-02 freshman class. I doubt that UND has ever had a freshman class with so many NHL draft picks. Back in 2001, everyone knew that Blais was an excellent recruiter. He was known for reloading, not rebuilding.

Fournier, Bochesnki and Massen were expected to have an immediate offensive impact. Only Bochenski did, and it took him a while to get going. Combine that with a goalie who didn't play as well as expected and a young defensive corps and it's not difficult to see why the 01-02 Sioux struggled.

[HKNTSMN]

As I recall they played the Gophers in the Hall of fame game. Spiewak Lundbohm and Notermann's line were on the ice for 4 goals for the Sioux and played well, They never played together again after dominating the high profile lines of BC, and Michigan state the year before. The next time they were reunited it was in the 3rd period of the Ferris Game. They scored a goal and hit two pipes in the final 9 minutes of the game.

Andy Kollar let in a couple of long bombs. I think the main variable is the goaltending. They scored quite a few goals that game but couldn't stop the gophers.

I think he should have kept O'Leary and Hasbargan and made the special freshman earn their slots...

Hindsight is 20-20 after the year Andy Kollar had the year before I think they thought he would hold up along with the veteran Defense of Schneekloth, Mazurak and Lienweber back...

I think two many freshman getting the roles and assumption that they were the stars was the problem

Quite sure I watched Hasbargan and O' Leary compete pretty well in a National Championship Game.

Recruiting and Promises are the problem...

O'Leary and Hasbargan were hard working walkons and never let coach down.

They just didn't have the promises.... or Promise whatever that is!!!!

IE Massen and Fournier... How did they pan out. I think Bochenski and Schnieder & Jones were the creme of that crop... I would take O'Leary and Hasbargan over the other two any day on character and work ethic.

Coaching at such a high profile program you find yourself wanting the fancy toys. Sometimes fancy doesn't cut it as much as hard work....

[sagard]

Coaching at such a high profile program you find yourself wanting the fancy toys. Sometimes fancy doesn't cut it as much as hard work....

Didn't you used to say this about the Gophers constantly until April of '02?

[HKNTSMN]

Didn't you used to say this about the Gophers constantly until April of '02?

I will say it forever. I think it iis the unquestionable truth. Hard Work beats skill when Skill doesn't work.