NCHC Final Standings

The second season in the NCHC is over, the final standings are now set. The second season now begins.

The NCHC playoff matchups are all set. I included a screen shot of last season's final standings so you can compare them. The stat that sticks out the most for me is that UND is only 10 goals short of last season's total.

UND Clinches at Least a Share of the Penrose Cup! (Circle of Sticks)

How sweep it is. Traditional circle of sticks.

A photo posted by Eric J. Burton (@eric.burton.94801) on Feb 28, 2015 at 7:33pm PST

UND is the 2015 Penrose Champs. They have clinched at least a tie for the title. With one point next weekend, UND will win it outright.

Warriors for life. #UNDPROUD

A photo posted by Eric J. Burton (@eric.burton.94801) on Feb 28, 2015 at 7:44pm PST

Tonight's win, along with Miami's loss at DU, means UND has clinched at least a share of the Penrose Cup! #UNDproud pic.twitter.com/RggJL0EoOq
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) March 1, 2015

UND vs. WMU game one Lines

WMU Injuries Nolan LaPorte (9g-11a—20pts) lower-body injury. Checking the Broncos lines he's in tonight. Must have made a speedy recovery. We'll have to watch that. Same lineup for UND as last week.

Officiating and what to do: A response to recent criticism and foul officiating

by Redwing77

Let me be clear on a few things:  First, I did not get to watch last weekend's series between UND and DU so I will not be specifically commenting on any plays or acts NOT embedded on this site.  Second, I know I'm a frequent commentor about the poor quality of officiating but hear me out.

Recently, Goon48 posted a story stating that NCHC Officiating has to be better.  He makes a few points, but he also states a few unrealistic solutions.  In a perfect world, is solutions would be right on and we'd not read my post, but here goes.

Clear the Bridge, DIVE DIVE DIVE!!!!

Diving has been a problem in hockey for quite some time.  It's also a problem in basketball (though in my opinion, that's because toughness is hard to come by in the NBA).  But the same issues in basketball officiating falls on hockey officials as well.  If the ref isn't going to call it, why not do it?

Your job is to provide your team with a competitive edge.  Diving becomes more enticing if you are the "little guy" as well.  If your team isn't playing so hot, or if your team, in this matchup is the "butter" and the opponent is the "hot knife," then you have to even the field somehow.  In the WCHA, Greg Shepherd quietly pushed for situational officiating to help even the field (The WCHA called it "parity").  If you flop a bit and the ref responds in your favor, then it's going to happen again until it is called or the game ends.  Whichever comes first.

And even then, it isn't black and white.  It's hard to determine the difference between being crushed in an illegal hit, or pulling an act similar to a Looney Tune character undergoing a cartoony death scene.  Some officials buffer this insecurity in the call by calling offsetting penalties.

So Goon sponsors post game punitive measures including suspensions and perhaps fines of coaches.  I'm not so sure fining coaches would be effective.  I remember how Mike Eaves (UW) had everyone convinced that Robbie Earl fell easier than most because he skates on his toes.  How would the NCHC (or B1G in the case of UW) prove that Eaves' assertion was incorrect?

Also, 1 game suspensions for something that normally would be a 2 minute minor is a bit over the top.  There are complicated solutions like banning the player for a period.  There isn't a good solution to this issue.

The best I could see would be an officiating directive issued after the game towards the following week's officials stating that X Player dove in the last contest and, should question arise as to whether diving is occurring, err on the side that diving did occur.  So, if the ref feels that it could have been diving, then it was and the penalty is called and the infraction that caused the dive is erased.  Like I said:  too complicated.

Video Review of Major Penalties

I like this, but I'd use the same rule as they do in targetting penalties in college football.  If a major penalty is called that could warrant ejection, then the replay is made and a decision is made via review.

What cannot happen is a missed call occurring and the ref going back "in time" to review the hit and making a call that way.  It makes things too messy.  Also, if that were the case, why have officials anyways.  Just have ARs to drop the puck and call icing or offsides and that's it.  Do the rest via video review.  Too much.

On-Ice Officials quality

I think that here's where I deviate the most.  I love the NHL situation room format with reviews, but the NCHC doesn't have that kind of money.  If they did, they'd have one.

I also believe that the league should be SEMI transparent.  I do not believe the league owes the fans anything in terms of explanations, but they DO owe the member institutions involved.  For the waved off goal, for example, I do not think we as fans or Goon or whomever is owed anything.  However, Hakstol does deserve an explanation.  The same goes with disciplinary action.  Hakstol could choose to divulge the results if he wants to (and so could the league) but there should not be an expectation to beyond that of "the league has taken discilinary action against those involved."

The truth is, though, on ice officials DO need to be better and with that comes paperwork.  I think evals should be filled out by coaching staffs after every weekend's matches evaluating the officials.  If complaints arise, then this is the time for them to be aired.  They can submit questionable calls (every game is recorded so they could state the circumstances and the approximate game time that the situation occurred for further review).  They can also request that the official officiate their games more often or less often.

Biddco and RWD Your NCHC Fans of the Week

Congrats to our co-@SportNgin #NCHCFan of the Week, @Biddco & @runwiththedogs, who saw the #FFTrophyTour @UMDHockey pic.twitter.com/U6f4lvg4Gq
— The NCHC (@TheNCHC) February 17, 2015

I couldn't resist this one.

NCHC Hockey: A look at the Standings

The standing will probably change a few times before the season is over, you can bet on it. But UND takes the lead for now. Stay tuned, developing.

NCHC Hockey: A look at the Pairwise Rankings (Updated)

The NCHC isn't going anywhere but up.

I know I am getting ahead of myself and there's a lot of time left before the NCAA tourney. The Pairwise Ranking are very fluid and they will change some before selection Sunday, but the NCHC is looking real good with about five weeks remaining in the season.

There's a very good chance that one or two of the NCHC teams at the top of the Pairwise Rankings won't make the Frozen Faceoff  but will make the NCAA tourney. That happened to SCSU last season.

NCHC Suspends Omaha’s O’Rourke and UMD’s Toninato (Video)

The NCHC took action against two of it's players today following incidents from Friday night's games. If I come across video, I will post it.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) has issued suspensions to both Omaha senior defenseman Brian O’Rourke and Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Dominic Toninato, in accordance with the conference’s supplemental discipline policy, the NCHC announced Saturday, Jan. 17. The suspensions stem from illegal hits during their respective games on Friday, Jan. 16.

O’Rourke was suspended two games after a review of the play in which direct contact to the head was made with a Colorado College player at 5:32 of the first period of UNO’s game against CC Friday. O’Rourke was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference on the play. O’Rourke will miss Saturday’s series finale with the Tigers, as well as Omaha’s next game on Friday, Jan. 30 against North Dakota. He is eligible to return on Saturday, Jan. 31 in the series finale with UND.

Toninato was suspended one game following a review of the play in which knee-on-knee contact was made with a Western Michigan player at 13:31 of the first period of Friday’s game with the Broncos. Toninato was issued a five-minute major for kneeing on the play. He will be required to serve the suspension during Saturday’s series finale with WMU and is eligible to return next weekend, Jan. 23 against Bemqidji State in the North Star College Cup.

UND vs. UMD - Lines game two

You can see there's some changes in the UND lineup tonight. Tucker Poolman is back on the wing. Senior defenseman Andrew Panzarella is back in the lineup and paired with junior Keaton Thompson. This is a big game for UND, one might say that it's gut check time. I also think this is a must win game as well.

NCHC Hockey: Taking a look at the KRACH and Pairwise Rankikngs

By Eric Burton

3	Minnesota-Duluth	562.6	.8067	16	12-6-0	0.6667	2.000	1	281.3
5	Miami	443.8	.7722	9t	14-6-0	0.7000	2.333	6	190.2
6	North Dakota	438.8	.7705	6	13-4-2	0.7368	2.800	9	156.7
7	Nebraska-Omaha	435.4	.7693	13t	12-5-3	0.6750	2.077	3	209.6
13	Denver	287.3	.7010	12	11-5-1	0.6765	2.091	20	137.4
21	St. Cloud State	164.5	.5980	37t	7-10-1	0.4167	0.714	2	230.4
29	Western Michigan	107.2	.5137	36	7-9-2	0.4444	0.800	21	133.93
48	Colorado College	28.76	.2687	56	3-13-1	0.2059	0.259	30	110.9

Here’s the NCHC teams from the KRACH rankings. You can see that Minnesota-Duluth has the hardest strength of schedule to date. St Cloud State University has the second toughest SOS. Nebraska-Omaha comes in with the third toughest.  

You can also see from the Pairwise Rankings that the NCHC is doing pretty well right now and that the top-10 is full of NCHC teams. This weekend's match-up between UMD and UND is going to be important for the Pairwise Rankings. While a weekend doesn't make a season, a sweep for either team would be huge. 

3	Minnesota-Duluth	56	12-6-0	.6667	16	.5983*	3
4	Miami	55	14-6-0	.7000	9t	.5899*	4
6	Nebraska-Omaha	53	12-5-3	.6750	13t	.5861*	6
8	North Dakota	51	13-4-2	.7368	6	.5805	8
15	Denver	44	11-5-1	.6765	12	.5587	15
26	St. Cloud State	33	7-10-1	.4167	37t	.5180	26
36	Western Michigan	24	7-9-2	.4444	36	.4919	36
46	Colorado College	13	3-13-1	.2059	56	.4445	46

North Dakota vs. Denver Game One lines - With Links

North Dakota Forward lines

9 Drake Caggiula–16 Mark MacMillan (A)–15 Michael Parks (A)
21 Brendan O’Donnell–8 Nick Schmaltz–27 Luke Johnson
29 Bryn Chyzyk–28 Stephane Pattyn (C)–11 Trevor Olson
26 Coltyn Sanderson–13 Connor Gaarder (A)–14 Austin Poganski

North Dakota Defense Parings

6 Paul LaDue–24 Jordan Schmaltz
20 Gage Ausmus–3 Tucker Poolman
4 Keaton Thompson–22 Andrew Panzarella

North Dakota Goalies

31 Zane McIntyre
33 Cam Johnson

Denver Forward lines

8 Trevor Moore–19 Daniel Doremus–20 Danton Heinen
16 Zac Larraza–27 Quentin Shore–12 Ty Loney
26 Evan Janssen–9 Gabe Levin–23 Matt Marcinew
14 Larkin Jacobson–25 Matt Tabrum–39 Grant Arnold

Denver Defense Pairings

21 Joey LaLeggia–11 Nolan Zajac
7 Will Butcher–4 Josiah Didier
28 Adam Plant–6 Matt VanVoorhis

Denver Goalies

31 Evan Cowley
36 Tanner Jaillet
30 Greg Ogard

Bryn Chyzyk returns to the lineup tonight after missing five games due to injury. Andrew Panzarella goes in for the injured Troy Stecher.
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) December 12, 2014

Updated TV info for tonight: US: ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain, DirecTV (683), DISH Network (414) Canada: TSN 2, TSN GO (live stream)
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) December 12, 2014

UND vs. DU, a Series Preview http://t.co/oTPiSWRODR #THW
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) December 12, 2014

Former Moorhead star Brian Lee announces retirement from NHL | INFORUM http://t.co/qz4cSUAEcL
— Chris Murphy (@SeeMurphsTweets) December 12, 2014

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