Video: New York Ranger: Derek Stepan's Series-Clinching Goal and Hand Shake

The New York Rangers are going back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a second year in a row. Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Derek Stepan scored the series-clinching goal at the 11:24 mark fo the overtime period.

Former #Badgers McDonagh and Stepan have OT goals to help Rangers advance past Washington in Stanley Cup playoffs.

— Andy Baggot (@AndyBaggotWSJ) May 14, 2015

Video: Brooks Orpik levels Dan Boyle

This is the hit Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik put on Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle. Do you think that this is a dirty hit? Is there a suspension coming? Boyle left the game after the hit.

@Dave_Schwartz cheap shot elbow to the head not called.

— GPL (@GopherPuckLive) May 14, 2015

@DRdiabloTHW oh man. That's a lot of elbow to head :S

— Callum Fraser (@CallumFraser18) May 14, 2015

@DRdiabloTHW oh man. That's a lot of elbow to head :S

— Callum Fraser (@CallumFraser18) May 14, 2015

UND Hockey Waiting on Two

The UND hockey team received some good news in the last couple of days. Troy Stecher is coming back for his junior season.

The good news didn't stop there. Leading scorer Drake Caggiula is going to return for his senior season. With these developments, UND should again be one of the top teams in the NCHC based on who's staying and who's coming in.

Now, UND is waiting on two players to make their decision. Jordan Schmaltz and Paul LaDue have yet to make their intentions known. It was thought that Schmaltz was signing with the Blues, but he's not tipped his hand as of yet.

Coveted NHL free agent Troy Stecher says he will return to North Dakota next season http://t.co/h8YOvA9IdS

— Brad E. Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) May 13, 2015

Former 1st rounder Jordan Schmaltz expected to forego Sr. Season at #UND #stlblues

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) April 15, 2015

Family Affair: UND lands Colton Poolman

The University of North Dakota is known for its brother teams. This past year, UND had the Schmaltz Bros (Nick and Jordan). As of today, there will be another Poolman attending UND. Tucker's brother Colton Poolman has committed to UND. I would imagine that he's a year or two out. Here's the link to his Elite Prospects Page.

Congrats to my brother @colt_pools6 for committing to UND! I think your really going to like it here. So happy and proud of you. #sioux

— Tucker Poolman (@PuckerToolman) May 12, 2015

Congratulations to defenseman Colton Poolman (@colt_pools6) on his commitment to UND!

— Fargo Force (@FargoForce) May 12, 2015

Congrats to Colton Poolman on committing to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux!

— EGF Hockey (@EastSideHockey) May 12, 2015

NFL Suspends Tom Brady Four Games #DeflateGate

The NFL has ruled: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended for four games. The Patriots are going to lose a first-round draft choice and will fined a million dollars.

Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.COM -- The NFL announced Monday that Tom Brady has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on the integrity of the game. This news comes less than a week after independent investigator Ted Wells found that it was "more probable than not" that Brady was "at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" regarding the deflation of Patriots game balls used in the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

BREAKING NEWS: @NFL suspends Tom Brady four games, fines @Patriots $1M, strips 2016 1st-rd pick & 2017 4th-rd pick. pic.twitter.com/EIqvPKU3IN

— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) May 11, 2015

Report: Tom Brady to be suspended four games, Patriots fined $1 million http://t.co/puTq3wB4t3 pic.twitter.com/2PrGOnGEGJ

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) May 11, 2015

And now NFL has announced it. Tom Brady suspended four games, Patriots fined $1 million, lose two picks.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 11, 2015

Forum editorial: UND logo process too long

It looks like the Fargo Forum is trolling the UND fan base. Not a bad plan if you need impression and page views. The Forum's editorial board wrote an article that takes issue with the nickname replacement process at UND.  Below is a part that stood out for me.  

Now the committee will cull the accepted list. There were actually two lists, one of acceptable names, one of names deemed not acceptable. But who’s counting? After the cull, remaining names will be rated using a point system. The finalists will be put to a public vote, initially scheduled this month, but likely to be delayed.

The process has been so unnecessarily politically correct and convoluted that (horror of horrors!) the North Dakota Legislature might have done a better job. UND likely would have a new moniker by now had lawmakers taken up the task.

Here’s the reality: No matter how long it takes to replace the old name and symbol, and no matter what emerges as UND’s identifier, a noisy and unrepentant segment of alumni and “Sioux” fans will not be appeased. Meanwhile, advocates for the university’s logo methodology will fall back on the faux thoroughness and fairness of the process. It won’t matter. In that unhappy and well-understood context, a focused, pragmatic committee could have selected a new moniker in a helluva lot shorter time than it has taken. The university would have moved on, and most UND supporters would have, too. (Inforum.com)

USA Phenom Auston Matthews to Spurn North American Hockey?

by Redwing77

I read Eric Burton's Sin Bin Article about how US NTDP phenom and future NHLer Auston Matthews may sign with a team in the Swiss Leagues.

This is baffling news to be sure.

Eric states in his article that he doesn't think that "anyone should be shocked by these revelations."

I beg to differ.  I think there should be two entities and one eyebrow raised at a third that should be shocked.

First, USA Hockey.  USA Hockey prides itself on developing solid American players for North American hockey, be it NCAA or Major Juniors with the aim at marketing that player towards a career in the NHL.  Auston Matthews going to Europe in anything less than the typical (rookie contract expires and does not get re-signed or ages out of NCAA/CHL without a pro contract opportunity) is a slap in the face to USA Hockey.  No way around that.

Second, and most stingingly, to the CHL.  It's rarely news when a top flight prospect, be it Canadian or American, goes to the Major Junior leagues from the position Matthews sits in now.  They parade around the interweb crowing that it is the dream of "every North American and most European" teenager to play for the CHL before they make their pro debut.  But it IS news when they are spurned, not for the NCAA, but for EUROPE and by a NORTH AMERICAN player nonetheless.  I think it stings them more than the NCAA because, in that regard, Eric is right.  No way was Matthews going the NCAA route.  No way.

The eyebrow being raised is by the NHL.  Now, I doubt that this move would really hurt Auston's draft stock, but it isn't going to endear him to the NHL either.  Here's why:

1.  When the NHL drafts a European player (and sometimes even before that player is drafted), that player is pressed to come to the US or Canada to get into North American's style of hockey.  It is very different over in Europe.  It has been stated in the past that those skaters from Europe who refuse such pressure are deemed more of a risk than otherwise.  How will this impact Matthews?  I'm not sure it will because he comes from North American style hockey to begin with.

2.  The Swiss Leagues is hardly a juggernaut in European hockey.  I mean no disrespect to the Swiss Leagues.  Many former UND players have gone there to play.  Switzerland also is a beautiful country with extremely nice and polite people in it.  However, it's not the "go to" avenue in Europe to get to the NHL.  It's considered that the best path in that regard runs through the Elite leagues of Scandinavia: mainly Finland and Sweden.   The Swiss Leagues are mentioned enough in North American to warrant the same notoriety with the DEL (German) and the Czech Leagues.  To be fair, I'd put even the KHL as a better path than the Swiss Leagues if it weren't for the financial peril the KHL finds itself in.

So I want to know:  Why Swiss Leagues?  Is it financial?  If it is displeasure over the WHL team who owns his rights, why not do the typical and use the NCAA as leverage?  Heck, why not just stay in the USHL until his draft year and ask the team who drafts him their advice?  There's every bit of likelihood that whomever drafts him will want him to get seasoned a bit back into the North American leagues and that would mean Major Juniors once he signed... assuming that he doesn't jump immediately into the NHL.

As for that, though, in my armchair scout opinion, I think this move DOES hurt Matthews.Getting used to the pro game AND reacclimated to North American hockey is a lot for a 17 or 18 year old to do.

It's not going to make him drop in the draft any, but I do think it will impact how long it takes him to get to the NHL... by a few months.

'Hab' or 'Hab' Not? That is the Question

by Redwing77

Well, my Wings are eliminated and the questions surround their head coach prevail, but that's not really news.  What IS news is that Tampa Bay is on the verge of total collapse.

Yup.

Game 6 is HUGE.  Why?  Because I truly believe that Tampa has ZERO chance at advancing if the series goes to seven games.  ZERO.

For this reason, Game 6 is must watch.

The series has been  a roller coaster.  We've seen Carey Price play like he's the most overrated overhyped goaltender in NHL History and then, next thing you know, he's invincible.  We've seen Bishop play above his head, and then suck in such epic fashion that you wonder how he even got a pro contract.  And the Montreal power play?  Maybe that's the key to the whole thing.  COMPLETE NON FACTOR in the first three games.

In fact, one may argue that the Montreal Power Play benefited Tampa!

In any case, apart from that, I think the only other item that jumped out to me in this series is that Andrej Sustr is a hot-headed liability.  Montreal's power play is back running and Carey Price continues to be epic, so Tampa Bay isn't going to be able to take careless penalties anymore.

My prediction?  I still believe Tampa can finish Montreal off.  But I'm not betting on Tampa beyond Game 6.

Video: Capitals Disallowed Goal Against the Rangers

Capitals forward Joel Ward thought he had scored the go-ahead goal against the Rangers in the second period of Friday's game. Unfortunately for Ward, the refs ruled that he had interfered with the Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

On the non-goal, the ruling on the ice was that Joel Ward's contact with Lundqvist prevented him from making the save. No penalty. No goal.

— Chuck Gormley (@ChuckGormleyCSN) May 9, 2015

Ruling per the Washington Post

According to NHL rule 69.1, “Goal will be disallowed if . . . an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgement of the Referee(s), and not by means of video replay or review.”

Daily News: Tom Brady will be suspended by Roger Goodell

Any one have a prediction on how long of a suspension that Tom Brady will receive? I have seen were some want Brady to be suspended for the whole season. That would be pretty harsh in my opinion.

Gary Myers, New York Daily News -- Tom Brady will be the highest-profile player ever suspended in the 96-year history of the NFL.

Roger Goodell’s decision is expected to be announced next week, and it is no longer a matter of if the NFL commissioner will suspend Brady, but for how long he will suspend him.

In conversations I’ve had with several key sources who always have a good sense of what goes on at 345 Park Ave., there is little doubt that Goodell considers Brady’s role in DeflateGate a serious violation.

The NFL is convinced, according to sources, that connecting all the dots of the evidence supplied by Ted Wells leads to one conclusion:

Brady cheated.

Finally, are we to believe that the New England Patriots are the only team that cheats? I hardly think so.

According to Myers who talked to multiple sources, Tom Brady is going to  receive a two-game suspension. It also looks like the Patriots are going to be fined $250,000.00

Deflated balls or not, does anyone think that the result against the Colts would have been any different. I am not condoning cheating, but the Patriots beat the Colts 45-7. DeflateGate or not, the Patroits were a better team than the Colts.

(UPDATED) Herald Poll: Vote for the Two "No Nickname" Options

The Grand Forks Herald has an on-line poll where you can vote for the two no nickname options. North Dakota is winning by a large margin. Update: the vote tally keeps going up. Don't forget to vote.

POLL: Of the two "no nickname" options, which would you choose for UND? VOTE HERE: http://t.co/Y3UMa9hVN6 pic.twitter.com/SstxRrYUtM

— Grand Forks Herald (@gfherald) May 7, 2015

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tyler Johnson's Buzzer Beater Puts Habs on the Brink

The Tampa Bay Lightning have pushed the Montreal Canadiens to the Brink of elimination when Lightning forward Tyler Johnson scored the game-winning goal at the one-second mark of the third period.

I must say that I am shocked. I thought that the Habs would have put up a bigger fight in this series. All the games that I have watched in this series have been exciting and full of action.

:-) pic.twitter.com/YysYOlC1JI

— Callum Fraser (@CallumFraser18) May 7, 2015

Picking a Nickname Won't End the Discussion

First, there's about four months will UND's fall sports kick off the 2015-16 season. For those keeping track on the calendar, UND plays a football game against the Wyoming Cowboys in 120 days. The question is, what will UND's sports teams be referred to when next season rolls around?

Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald kind of reinforced an opinion that has picked up steam since UND dropped the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Brad Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald -- There were roughly 2,000 submissions—about 50 pages worth—of people suggesting "North Dakota," "UND," "University of North Dakota," "no nickname," "none," or another variation.

This is an option that should get heavy consideration from the university's Nickname Committee and President Robert Kelley for multiple reasons.

Last month, the Committee laid out criteria for the new name, saying that the main priority is that it promotes a sense of pride and passion, that it is distinctly UND's and that it is a unifying and rallying symbol.

At this point in time, it's hard to believe they can pick anything that will be unifying and rallying. A new nickname is much more likely to creative a divide on campus and among the alumni community. That's not something the school and community needs right now.

One opinion that I keep hearing, UND needs to have a nickname for marketing purposes. Really, I don't see why? In hockey, UND already is a big player on the national stage and is well recognized. The Women's hockey team is quickly getting there as well. I just don't buy it. UND has played without a nickname for three years already.

As an Alumnus of UND, I am very worried that the nickname committee will feel pressured to hurry up and pick a nickname. This is how we will end up with a silly nickname like Sundogs or Flickertails.

"Stick with UND" (so everyone can keep calling them Sioux) http://t.co/g29kAUZvO8 Not the answer.

— SiouxFootballInsider (@SiouxFootball) May 6, 2015

What would you find more marketable, a Richardson Ground Squire or North Dakota? Check out exhibit A. That's a rodent, where do I start? That looks like the mascot of one of our rivals. Yuck! That mascot would cause UND to be the butt of many jokes.

Now if we're looking for good nickname choices, this is one that I could get behind. Introducing Reapers or Grim Reapers.

Finally, selecting a nickname probably isn't going to end the debate. I predict, that things will only get more heated when UND finally decides on a nickname. This matter has been festering for years. It's not going to end here this summer.

You're dreaming if you think it will.

People are still going to yell Sioux at the end of the anthem. It's going to happen. Nothing is going to change that.  There are going to be people that will be unhappy with the final product.

Replacement Nicknames

Yesterday the University of North Dakota released a list of potential names for replacing the UND nickname. There are quite a few entertaining nickname suggestions. There were also some funny nicknames that won’t be used. You could write five or six blog posts from that list as well.

People on social media are having a field day with the story. Of course my friend Donna has had a field day as well. True to form, she has made snarky an art form and that's awesome.

Both lists are organized alphabetically and each submission is listed separately, contributing to the length of the documents.

The most-submitted option for consideration appears to be North Dakota, the name the university has used since retiring the Fighting Sioux nickname in 2012. Other popular submissions on the list of considered submissions included the Flickertails, NoDaks and the North Stars.

Johnson noted the process is not a popularity contest based on the number of times a name was submitted. (Grand Forks Herald)

I am concerned when I read the that process isn't a popularity contest. What the hell are we doing then? Wouldn't you pick the most popular nickname or simply "North Dakota".

This is how UND is going to end up with a stupid nickname that no one will be able to get behind. Are we going to end up picking from three crappy nickname ideas or are we going to be able to pick one of the three most popular?  This is also how we are going to end up with a stupid nickname like Sundogs. I will be following this issue very closely. Thoughts?

UND Nickname Suggestion Released

The UND Nick Name Committee has released its names of that will be up for consideration.

Here are the more popular choices. There are some creative nickname suggestions. 

Here's the link to the nicknames under considerations. 

Aviators

BLIZZARD

Cavalry

Explorers

Flames

Nodaks

North Dakota (by far the most popular)

North Stars

Tsunami

Warriors

Here’s the list of nicknames that aren’t going to be suggested 

Fargo Forum Editorial: UND Fans Still Don't Get It

Per the Fargo Forum: Leafy Spurge for the UND fans still don’t get it. I can't wait to see the letters to the editor.

LEAFY SPURGE: To the unreconstructed University of North Dakota fans who say without shame regarding the discredited and retired “Sioux” logo and nickname, “We will never give it up!” That’s akin to saying “Racism,” we will never give it up! “Homophobia,” we will never give it up! “Bullying,” we will never give it up! “Sexism,” we will never give it up! Get over it, kiddies. Times changes. Mores change. A deeper, more complete and more sensitive understanding of American Indian symbols emerges. After years of discussion, debate and eventually thoughtful consideration, the old logo was scrapped. A too-lengthy process has been underway to find a new name. But people of goodwill on both sides of the logo debate have come to consensus about the old one and the need for a new one. Move on.

Crawford takes a Scandella Slap Shot off the Mask

What a slap shot by Minnesota Wild defenseman Marco Scandella. Also, it looks like the Scandella slap shot stunned Cory Crawford. No quiet room for Crawford.

Minnesota Wild: Vanek Victim of Poor Officiating

Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek was assessed a two-minute minor for goalie interference. You can watch this play all day long and it's still not a penalty. The on-ice officials in this game should be ashamed of themselves. This is brutal, and some of the worst officiating that I have seen in some time.

You can see that Vanek didn't agree with the call either.

Habs vs. Lightning, Winning goal was offsides

At the 02:06 mark of the second overtime, Tampa Bay Lighting forward Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winning goal against the Montreal Canadiens. There is one problem, the play appears to be offsides. You can see the play in question below. After the game, the Habs coach Michel Therrien wasn't happy with the Lightning being offsides on the zone entry.

Video: Parise vs Toews

A nice video tribute to two former UND fighting Sioux Hockey Players Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews.