I have been looking through the latest Bracketology article on USCHOThe Link to the article and I think its funny to read how the so called flat belly experts think UND isn’t going to put it together and make the NCAA tourney, lets just say this is a work in progress. Actually if the Fighting Sioux can pull things together and get on a mini run they can still qualify for the NCAA playoffs. The reason being is the teams they face are sitting pretty high in the PWR and RPI rankings the Fighting Sioux sit tied in 14th place after blowing in the first part of the season. The Sioux play next weekend at Minnesota, February 23rd at Denver and March 2nd and 3rd at SCSU at least 3 or 4 wins against those three teams or a least a sweep of one of the three would really set up the Fighting Sioux nicely in getting them closer to the NCAA playoffs. Third or fourth place in the WCHA standings is not out of the question.
In looking at the numbers more closely I don’t think the ECAC (aka the EZAC) warrants two or three teams getting into the playoffs some team have only played nine league games and that is a joke in my opinion. I also don’t think that Hockey East will not put 6 teams in the NCAA tourney, talk about an east coast bias. Anyone want to put odds on UNH folding in the NCAA playoffs?
I think when push comes to shove; the ECAC gets 1 team and the Hockey East is going to get 4 or 5 bids for the NCAA tourney. This the time of year where teams go on runs and teams get hot and others cool off. I am hoping the WCHA proves once again that they are the pride of college hockey. The last five titles have gone to the WCHA and I would like to see it stay that way as long as the Gophers don’t win it. Just kidding, no really.
The Time is now
I don’t like to use a lot of clichés, it’s just not my style, however, I am going to string a few of them together. Lets try these on for style. There is no time like the present. Just win baby. It’s a marathon not a sprint, or at least in this case it’s a middle distance 10 Kilometer race. The Time for Fighting Sioux hockey team to make a move is now.
If the Fighting Sioux finish in the lower half of the WCHA standings fail in the WCHA playoffs and don’t make the NCAA playoffs, Dave Hakstol is going to have some serious questions to answer. I know the Fighting Sioux lost a lot of talented players but so did Minnesota, one could make the argument that Minnesota lost more than the Sioux. I read a post over on Siouxsports.com From Skateshattrick Here are some of the major points of this post that I think hit the mark. This person bring up some legitimate questions that are going to be hanging out there in the off season if this season doesn’t have a happy ending.
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4. I'm so tired of hearing how we lost all these great players. Guess what? So did everyone else. UM lost its top 4 scorers in Potulny, Kessel, Irmen and Harrington. Denver lost 3 of its top 4 scorers with Matt Carle (the best player in the country last year), Gabe Gauthier, and Paul Stastny. UW lost its top 5 scorers with Pavelski, Earl, Burish, Gilbert and MacMurchy. CC lost Joey Grubb and its 2 Hobey candidates, Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling. Other than SCSU, UND arguably had the most returning. Yes, UND lost Stafford, Zajac, Spirko and Smaby, but they returned their 3, 4 and 5 scorers in Oshie, Toews and Duncan.
We have almost no contribution from our freshmen class. UM has Barriball (26 points), Okposo (24), E. Johnson (15), Flynn (9), Carman (9), Lucia (8), O'Brien (6) and Schack (6). Denver has Brock Trotter (26), Rakhshani (24), Ruegsegger (22)and Gifford (10). CC has Connelly (14) and Sweatt (12). SCSU's leading scorers are freshmen. What does UND have? Other than Chay Genoway's respectable 13 points, we have Zajac with 4, Forney with 2 and Vande Velde with 1. That is pathetic.
6. If Toews (who cannot score because he gets keyed on and has no help) leaves as expected, and TJ leaves as well, what do we have left?? The sophomore class other than Toews, Oshie, Duncan and Chorney has been a major disappointment, and this freshman class looks weak. We better have a great incoming freshmen class next year, or the Sioux are going to find themselves in the lower half of the league.
7. Let's take the kids gloves off and quit blowing smoke up everyone's collective Asses, shall we? It is unacceptable for the Sioux not to be in the top 1/2 of the WCHA every year, making the NCAA tournament and competing for a national championship. We have the facilities, the tradition and success, and what every recruit wants--a proven track record of winning and of players making it to the next level.
8. So tell me, what excuse is there EVER for losing to AAU and MTU in the same year and getting swept at home by MTU??? The answer is none. We still have more talent than AAU and MTU combined. They would kill to have Jonathan Toews, let alone TJ Oshie, Ryan Duncan and Taylor Chorney. Name a player on either team (with the possible exception of Justin Bourne) who would even skate on the first line?? The answer is none.
9. What is the problem? Well, as politically incorrect and blasphemous as it is to say this, the bucks stops the chief or head coach. They underachieved last year for most of the year with the most talented team in the country, and this year is pathetic. I'm not saying that he needs to be fired, but that situation needs to be closely monitored. There is no way on earth that Duke in BB, Ohio State or USC in football or Michigan or Minnesota in hockey would put up with this garbage. It's bad enough getting swept by UW and Maine at home, but MTU is a new low.
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