Blowing sunshine up your...

After watching the Sioux play in an exhibition game against the Manitoba Bison last night I have to say that there is a lot to be positive about. The overrated senior team captain and 2007 Hobey Baker Memorial winner Ryan Duncan (that is how some WCHA fans describe him) looked really good on a line with Chris VandeVelde and Brad Miller. Got that Ducan haters? Even without T.J. Oshie or Toews flanking him, Ryan Duncan managed to score two beautiful goals helping the Sioux to a 6-2 route of the Manitoba Bison.

Also, there is some positive mojo emitting from the Fighting Sioux hockey team getting a balanced attack as 10 of the 14 forwards factored into the games scoring. Granted there were two extra forwards because the game was listed as an exhibition and the Sioux could dress as many players as they wanted. None the less; the Fighting Sioux hockey team looked small (aside from Malone and Davidson), quick and moved the puck around nicely dominating a much slower Manitoba game. The speedy Sioux appeared to run out of gas in the third period but that is to be expected since the Sioux have only had one official practice going into the game.

He’s here…

Jason Gregoire scored the first goal of the game with an impressive shot and gave us a glimpse of why I am feeling good about this year’s version of the Fighting Sioux hockey team. Also adding to my enthusiasm, Evan Trupp returned from a season ending injury to race up and down the ice giving the opposition fits. I expect a much bigger role from Trupp if he can stay healthy. According to Tim Hennesy during the pregame radio Trupp has gained some more muscle in the off season. I don't know he still looks small, but fast.

Team Weakness?

Coming into this season there is no mystery that the Fighting Sioux have three question marks; the unproven goalie trio of Aaron Walski (sr), Brad Eidsness (fr), and Graeme Harrington (fr). Some one from this untested group of goalies has to step up and be the man between the pipes.

Personally I think that is the one of the few weakness of this other wise very solid hockey team. League wide the Denver Pioneers will probably also experience the same growing pains as they break in a relatively green goaltender in Sophomore Marc Cheverie.

While not having a proven goaltender could be a big mountain to climb at first I think people also forget that the C.C Tigers won a majority of the games behind a relatively unknown and unproved goaltender in Richard Bachman, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers settled on Alex Kangas after demoting Jeff Long Island Frazee to the bench after a series of on the ice melt downs.

Predicting the Finish

This past week we saw the hockey experts at INCH predict that UND could finish as low as 7Th in the WCHA, As a homer blogger wearing Kelly green and white shades I just don’t see that happening not with this team, UNLESS we have a major sieve fest in the net this season. If that prediction actually came to fruition they would run head coach Dave Hakstol and his staff out of Grand Forks on a rail. I predict it would get ugly if you know what I mean? We had people asking for Hakstol head after he lead his team to a 4th Frozen Four in a row and lost, can you imagine the anger if his NHL prospect laden team finished 7th?

All pontifications aside I believe that UND has a top five team and possibly could finish in the top two positions, I believe there is no way they can over take the much heralded and powerful Colorado College Tigers or so we have been told. From what I have been told is that the league has told the Tigers to hold onto the cup because there is no way anyone else even has a chance of taking the MacNaughton Cup from the Colorado College Tigers this season. That being said the TIGERS are good...