Radio guys quit making excuses

[Snake]

It's different because it's not the same team. The 04-05 team barely averaged three goals per game. The Spirko-Zajac-Stafford line didn't really become the "men among boys" line until near the end of the regular season. That was two freshmen and a sophomore providing much UND's offense. What got the Sioux by that year was Parise's goaltending and a big, physical, experienced defensive corps. It also helped that by playoff time, guys like Fabian, Massen, Canady, Genoway and McMahon who hadn't been scoring much started popping in goals. Just because the puck isn't going in the net now doesn't mean it will stay that way the entire season.

Last season, the Sioux had Zajac, Stafford, Spirko, Towes, Oshie and Duncan up front, yet they were hardly an offensive jugernaut, averaging about 3.7 goals per game. With the exception of the 01-02 season, none of the Sioux teams under Blais ever averaged under 4 goals per game. The Sioux struggled much of last season, but made it to the Frozen Four with the help of Parise's goaltending and Smaby being the experienced anchor on defense. And once again, the offense started coming around by season's end.

This season, some of the key elements that made UND's defense good the past two seasons are gone. We don't have as many big, physical defensemen as we did the past two seasons. We don't have Parise. And I'm not saying that neither Lamoureux nor Grieco are capable of filling his skates. I am saying that their job is a lot more difficult without an experienced D-corps in front of them and without much support from the offense.

As Hakstol said, when the team is scoring only 2 or 3 goals a game, the margin of error is very slim and every defensive mistake is magnified. He's exactly right. The team's style of play and mindset changes when not making any mistakes that cause goals becomes more important than scoring goals. Hakstol understands what Blais understood: The best defense is a good offense. If you don't have a great defense, you sure as heck better have the offense to compensate for it.

We know that some of the players who were expected to do a lot of scoring haven't been. We know that some of the forwards who were expected to step up their scoring haven't done it. And although this year's freshman class isn't last year's, I see signs that Forney, VandeVelde, Zajac and Genoway will contribute more offensively as they gain experience.

This leads me to another point. The past two weekends, I've heard the coaches of teams that swept the Sioux talk about how maturity and experience factored into their success against UND. I don't care what anyone says, there's no escaping the fact that this year's team is young. There is no substitute for maturity and experience in the WCHA.

I think this is a good summary. I'd also like to add that I think this is the year where we're really feeling the impact of Brady Murray leaving early. Man, would he look good in Green right now. Couple that with Spirko leaving early and there are two players most everyone on this board thought would be playing all 4 years. We just don't have an upper classman that can make a significant impact on the scoreboard. Spirko and Murray would have been those guys this year. Instead, we're stuck relying on Frosh and Sophomores to carry the load offensively.

[stickboy1956]

It's different because it's not the same team. The 04-05 team barely averaged three goals per game. The Spirko-Zajac-Stafford line didn't really become the "men among boys" line until near the end of the regular season. That was two freshmen and a sophomore providing much UND's offense. What got the Sioux by that year was Parise's goaltending and a big, physical, experienced defensive corps. It also helped that by playoff time, guys like Fabian, Massen, Canady, Genoway and McMahon who hadn't been scoring much started popping in goals. Just because the puck isn't going in the net now doesn't mean it will stay that way the entire season.

Last season, the Sioux had Zajac, Stafford, Spirko, Towes, Oshie and Duncan up front, yet they were hardly an offensive jugernaut, averaging about 3.7 goals per game. With the exception of the 01-02 season, none of the Sioux teams under Blais ever averaged under 4 goals per game. The Sioux struggled much of last season, but made it to the Frozen Four with the help of Parise's goaltending and Smaby being the experienced anchor on defense. And once again, the offense started coming around by season's end.

This season, some of the key elements that made UND's defense good the past two seasons are gone. We don't have as many big, physical defensemen as we did the past two seasons. We don't have Parise. And I'm not saying that neither Lamoureux nor Grieco are capable of filling his skates. I am saying that their job is a lot more difficult without an experienced D-corps in front of them and without much support from the offense.

As Hakstol said, when the team is scoring only 2 or 3 goals a game, the margin of error is very slim and every defensive mistake is magnified. He's exactly right. The team's style of play and mindset changes when not making any mistakes that cause goals becomes more important than scoring goals. Hakstol understands what Blais understood: The best defense is a good offense. If you don't have a great defense, you sure as heck better have the offense to compensate for it.

We know that some of the players who were expected to do a lot of scoring haven't been. We know that some of the forwards who were expected to step up their scoring haven't done it. And although this year's freshman class isn't last year's, I see signs that Forney, VandeVelde, Zajac and Genoway will contribute more offensively as they gain experience.

This leads me to another point. The past two weekends, I've heard the coaches of teams that swept the Sioux talk about how maturity and experience factored into their success against UND. I don't care what anyone says, there's no escaping the fact that this year's team is young. There is no substitute for maturity and experience in the WCHA.

So the season's over?

P.S. - FYI (from this year's USCHO stats - min 5 games)

UM (non - goalies)

FR - 9

SO - 4

JR - 5

SR - 2

UND (non - goalies)

FR- 4

SO- 11

JR- 3

SR- 2

[82SiouxGuy]

Exactly....It was so obvious of a call to make and he (official) didn't make the right call.... not long after the missed call (and subsquent touchdown) the Ref in the Vikings game was nailed in the mellon by a wiskey bottle from a fan....doh!

I am pretty sure that the game was in 1975 not 1978.

[A.B.T.G.]

I am pretty sure that the game was in 1975 not 1978.

Upon further review it was 1975...hence the use of circa in my original note

[sagard]

So the season's over?

P.S. - FYI (from this year's USCHO stats - min 5 games)

UM (non - goalies)

FR - 9

SO - 4

JR - 5

SR - 2

UND (non - goalies)

FR- 4

SO- 11

JR- 3

SR- 2

I think experience at the blue line is the most underrated aspect of a college hockey team. This year the Gophers have three upper classmen and the #1 NHL draft pick playing the lions share of the minutes. They still make mistakes, but when they are all on their game they are very smooth in going D-to-D and moving out of the zone with speed.

The '04-'05 Sioux blueline took a while to adjust to the rules (or was it the rules adjusting to them?) and then when they started clicking only DU (who was loaded) could play with them.

Last year Parise and the offense in my opinion made a lot of the mistakes your seeing this year go away. Next year even if you lose Toews and Oshie I would expect that the Sioux defense will have turned a corner and will have a much better start than this year.

[PCM]

So the season's over?

Did I say that? I believe that I have been saying the exact opposite.

P.S. - FYI (from this year's USCHO stats - min 5 games)

UM (non - goalies)

FR - 9

SO - 4

JR - 5

SR - 2

UND (non - goalies)

FR- 4

SO- 11

JR- 3

SR- 2

Yes, I'm well aware that Minnesota is winning with a young team, and congratulations to the Gophers for their mid-season excellence. They had a young team last year, too, and we all know how that turned out. If they win a national championship with a team that young, they will be the exception to the rule that maturity and experience are important factors in a team's success.

I also remember a young, talented team that went 19-1-4 until the second week of January and then went 3-8-2 for the next two months. Some will remember how that Sioux team struggled to get home ice, barely beat Denver to make the Final Five, was bounced out of the Final Five by UMD its first game and bounced out of the NCAA playoffs by Ferris State.

[stickboy1956]

Did I say that? I believe that I have been saying the exact opposite.

Yes, I'm well aware that Minnesota is winning with a young team, and congratulations to the Gophers for their mid-season excellence. They had a young team last year, too, and we all know how that turned out. If they win a national championship with a team that young, they will be the exception to the rule that maturity and experience are important factors in a team's success.

I also remember a young, talented team that went 19-1-4 until the second week of January and then went 3-8-2 for the next two months. Some will remember how that Sioux team struggled to get home ice, barely beat Denver to make the Final Five, was bounced out of the Final Five by UMD its first game and bounced out of the NCAA playoffs by Ferris State.

I guess I'd rather be a young, talented team than a young, we don't know if we are talented or not, team.

[PCM]

I guess I'd rather be a young, talented team than a young, we don't know if we are talented or not, team.

So the season's over?

[Sioux_Hab-it]

So the season's over?

P.S. - FYI (from this year's USCHO stats - min 5 games)

UM (non - goalies)

FR - 9

SO - 4

JR - 5

SR - 2

UND (non - goalies)

FR- 4

SO- 11

JR- 3

SR- 2

What your list doesn't reflect is that UND lost the better players last year and that UMTC brought in the better players this year.

[GeauxSioux]

So the season's over?

I held off as long as possible with this.

Nothing is Over.

[stickboy1956]

What your list doesn't reflect is that UND lost the better players last year and that UMTC brought in the better players this year.

Exactly

[GeauxSioux]

Serious post following the light post. I'm one of those weird people who won't read the newspaper the next day after a Sioux loss. After the loss to Wisconsin the week before last I was despondent. My wife just looked at me and shook her head. All that being said, "No excuses, just go out do your job and win!"

The true Sioux fans are there win or lose. Go Sioux!!

[ScottM]

I held off as long as possible with this.

Nothing is Over.

I hate Illinois nazis ...