Where do we go from here?

[Bleed Green]

I am interested to see how everybody thinks the regular season for the Sioux will pan out. I have looked at the standings but trying to do the math and predictions gives me a headache .

Do the Sioux have a reasonable shot at a 3rd place finish?

Who are the Sioux most likely to play in the first round?

Will that first round be at the Ralph?

Any other general thoughts/questions welcome . . . Here is hoping we wake up from this nightmare . . . SOON

[Siouxrock]

I am interested to see how everybody thinks the regular season for the Sioux will pan out. I have looked at the standings but trying to do the math and predictions gives me a headache .

Do the Sioux have a reasonable shot at a 3rd place finish?

Who are the Sioux most likely to play in the first round?

Will that first round be at the Ralph?

Any other general thoughts/questions welcome . . . Here is hoping we wake up from this nightmare . . . SOON

why r u askin us?

what do u think?

[Bleed Green]

Just want to get a consensus of what everybody thinks . . . and I guess some casual thoughts on Sioux hockey and where and what the Sioux can do/go the rest of the regular season.

Maybe I am just trying to make conversation and want to tap the wealth of knowledge out there . . . sorry for asking

[southpaw]

NoDak is currently 4th in the WCHA with 28 points. Here are the standings as of Sunday 2/23.

WCHA Overall

Team GP W-L-T Pts.

1 Colorado College 24 16-3-5 37

2 MSU-Mankato 26 14-5-7 35

3 Minnesota 24 13-6-5 31

4 North Dakota 24 12-8-4 28

5 Minnesota-Duluth 24 12-9-3 27

Denver 24 11-8-5 27

7 St. Cloud State 24 10-10-4 24

8 Michigan Tech 24 6-15-3 15

9 Wisconsin 24 5-15-4 14

10 Alaska-Anchorage 26 0-20-6 6

Here are the possible finishes for UND from 2nd to 3rd and what it would take for that to happen.

2nd - UND must win remaining 4 games, get 8 points for 36 total. MSU-M must lose both games to CC. UMN can only get 4 points in their final 4 games (Denver, SCSU).

3rd - UND can either win remaining 4 games, MSU-M loses both to CC, and UMN picks up 5+ points in final 4 games.

- Or get 4 points more in their last 4 games, than UMN gets. Possibilities for that are:

UND 7, UMN 3

UND 6, UMN 2

UND 5, UMN 1

UND 4, UMN 0.

- However, if Denver gets 1 more point that UND does in the final 4 games, then UND drops to 4th.

There are way to many different possibilites for 4th through 7th...however just to add this:

CC wraps up 1st place if they take 2 points from MSU-M, because they lose the tie-breaker if they only get 1.

MSU-M can get 1st place by taking 3 points at CC.

UMN can get 1st by winning final 4 games, CC getting no more than 1 point from Mankato, MSU-M getting no more than 3 points from CC.

CC cannot finish worse than 2nd.

MSU-M can get anywhere from 1st to 4th.

UMN can get anywhere from 1st to 7th. (Lose final 4 games, UND gets 4 points, UMD gets 5 points, Denver gets 5 points, SCSU gets 8 points.)

UND can get anywhere from 2nd to 7th.

Basically it comes down to playing well, and getting some teams to work for them.

UND wants UMN to lose, and lose badly. They also need CC to kick MSU-M's ass hardcore. Not to mention, UND needs to kick some Duluth/Wisco ass.

I think Denver and SCSU can each take 3 from UMN, which would give UND 3rd place if they do well. Bad news for UND is, even if they sweep both Duluth/Wisco, they can still finish 4th. However, if they sweep both, they can do no worse than 4th.

Ok, i am done with my stats. Let me know if i did anything wrong.

[Bleed Green]

Mory00 . . . thanks for the stats. Hopefully the boys can come together and play good hockey. I guess third is quite a long shot . . . what a bummer.

It will be interesting to hear what Blaise has to say Wednesday night about the team and what he has planned for the Duluth series.

Thanks again for the legwork . . . these last couple weeks are going to be interesting to say the least.

[farce poobah]

I wouldn't characterize 3rd as a longshot possibility.... we just have to win games that we should win, namely UMD and WI. In fact, if this team has shown anything this year, it is a very good ability to beat teams that we should beat. (Saturday MTU the lone exception.)

After that,

* CC sweeping Mankato is the most likely outcome ...

* or Mav's getting a point or more BUT UM-TC getting less than 5 points from DU and SCSU.

Of couse, i'm perenially optimistic.

[paul62]

CC wraps up 1st place if they take 2 points from MSU-M, because they lose the tie-breaker if they only get 1.

With the remaining games, the most points possible for Minnesota is 39. The most points that MSU-M could have is 39 (IF they sweep CC). With that said,

CC Can wrap up the WCHA if they take three points out of the next four games (giving them 40 points). Not an easy task against MSU-M or our archrival Denver.

I would rather see CC sew it up this weekend than be put in a position where we HAVE to beat Denver.

Also--I would rather NOT face North Dakota in the first game of the final five--so here's hoping that North Dakota runs the table.

[bertibm]

Look for the Standings to Almost Stay the Same. I think the GOPHERS will stay in 3rd, unless CC sweeps, then they have a good chance of getting 2nd place.

My thought are that UND will Split with Duluth, and then Sweep Bucky(Dont Blow it like SCSU)

Duluth will Split with UND and Sweep and sweep Tech. Leaving them 1 point behind UND

As for Denver, they only get 1 point vs Gophers if not 0 points, then maybe getting 1 vs CC.

I see ND playing SCSU 1st round which will not be a easy series. Very Tough.

[jk]

I'm not giving up on the Sioux's ability to play well and pick up points in the last four games, but I think catching MSUM with a 7-point lead, and MN (a team that is playing well) with a 3-point lead, is too much to expect. Although much could still happen to shake things up, I think the WCHA's first-round pairings are actually starting to get settled.

I expect CC to host UAA.

MN and MSUM should host Wisconsin and MTU. Who finishes in the 2/3 and the 8/9 spots I don't know, but I think these four teams are together.

UND, Duluth, Denver and SCSU will make up two first-round pairs. Who gets whom (is that right?) and where, I don't know.

The one-point road trip that just concluded was disappointing, of course, but the reason UND is not still in a realistic fight for third (again, JMO) is that shoudn't-have-happened home loss to MTU.

Most of all, the Sioux need to keep playing well and start earning points. Win some games and let the seeding take care of itself.

[Stack]

We need a sweep this weekend against Duluth. If we sweep, Mankato and CC splits, and Denver splits with Minnesota we have a 3 point lead on Denver and 4 on St. Cloud. That may guarantee us home ice for the playoffs. Then the best case scenario after that would be for us to sweep Wisconsin and Minnesota and St. Cloud split. Hey we're in 3rd place.

Right now though I just want a win this Saturday afternoon. We need this team to get off the shnide. They need a win over a good Duluth team to remind them what they can do. We all knew that this stretch of the season was thr toughest and we knew that we could lose the games we did. But it's been the worst case possible for the last 3 weeks.

If we can win 3 of the last 4 games we get home ice for the playoffs. That's our first goal. Then we win two more games and reach the Final Five. Most likely we'll end up playing the Thursday play-in game. If we win the play-in game we still make the NCAAs. That's all we want to happen. Then we have a chance.

So here's the stretch run and I'll be there cheering for my team. How about you?

[Goon]

If we win the play-in game we still make the NCAAs. That's all we want to happen. Then we have a chance.

I want UND to make the playoffs and make a serious run at the title. UND doesn't have to win it all just make a serious effort. Reason being next season it will prepare them for the NCAA tourney dominance that I think is coming with this team. This might be a little cocky but it is possible.

[PHE]

I'm wondering what the tie-breakers are if the Sioux and Gophers tie for third. I'm sure the first tie-breaker is head-to-head (even up at 1-1) but what is the next one?

Anybody know?

[jimdahl]

From the WCHA web site:

In the event that ties are encountered in the determination of WCHA ranking or designation of home teams for playoff purposes, the following procedures will be used in the order given to break the ties:

a) If two or more teams are tied, head-to-head competition during the regular (conference) season will be used to break the tie

b) If two or more teams are still tied after (a), the highest seed will go to the team with the most WCHA (conference) wins during the regular season

c) If two or more teams played a two or four-game series during the regular season and the teams have the same win-loss records for those series and the same number of WCHA wins, the team having the the least number of goals scored against it in the two or four-game series shall have the higher rank

d) If two or more teams are still tied after applying the provisions of (a), (b) and ©, the team having the greatest 'winning margin' during the regular season will have the higher rank. Winning margin = WCHA goals for during the regular season minus WCHA goals against

e) Games played against WCHA opponents in holiday tournaments will not be counted in the above determinations.

[BAM]

I have to agree with Goon. I would like to see them win it all, but getting to the playoffs and stepping up to where they should be and better would be great. I too believe the team is good and will be better with the players they have now. A little green, but all good things come to those who wait.