Its better to be the hammer than the nail (2nd addition)

Dustin Strand has a saying on the back of his DTRA Midwest Modified, "If It Doesn't Make you Whine It Aint Mine." I think that saying goes a long way in explaining how the Fighting Sioux's season is going. The Sioux are 10-0-1 in their last 11 games and have caused a wake of destruction on their way to the top of the WCHA standings.

With each weekend comes new complaints about UND's rough and tumble style of play. It almost makes you think we should change the UND Fighting Sioux team name to Murder INC. Funny thing was no one was really complaining about the Fighting Sioux until the Sioux got hot and went on a 11 game unbeaten streak. Also, I have not heard a lot of complaining about UND from its non-conference opponents.

The one complain that I find the to be the most humorous is big Joe Finley legal check on DU player Marcuzzi.

dggoddard "Clean hits" that result in concussions are not acceptable IMO. The hit needs to be looked at by the league office.

Yeah! Right, now fans want the WCHA to suspend people for legal hits, they don't even suspend people for illegal hits. I don't think that is going to happen, and it shouldn't. No one seemed that concerned Brady Murray or Jason Blake were hurt by legal hits. Injuries are a part of the game.

This should be taken as a badge of honor. I am actually glad that UND has finally gotten the moxie back, when the Ralph first opened teams seemed too giddy or comfortable coming in to play the Sioux. Teams should not want to come play the Sioux whether it is in the REA or in the other team's rink. I think Hakstol and company have the Sioux going in the right direction. Seems the better they get the more complaints they get.

Puck Swami said; think it's even a bit more than just 'not backing down' or 'sticking together'. Many teams have that. With UND, there are escalating levels of a more proactive violent edge to the Sioux game that all is about violence as intimidation.

Here's how..What makes the Sioux so effective over the years is that they have three more advanced levels of pro-active violence that they can draw upon to intimidate and win. It starts at Level 1 "check-them-cleanly-but-violently-all-the-way-through-the-boards philosophy (Kris Porter/Matt Smaby/Mike Commodore)" that tries to establish the Sioux as masters of the physical domain. Nobody checks harder than UND, and this is often enough to keep opponents in check.

If that's not enough to win, the Sioux will then often go to Level II, which is a more irritating, psychological/physical escalation. This of this level as a "stick-em-in the-nuts" or "bump em in their face after the whistle" - a kind of old school, brute force intimidation. This is the kind of play we see from guys like Mike Prprich or a Joe Finley. The message here is "don't mess with us or we'll hurt you, badly. ." Level II pushes the line from legal to illegal, but it's highly effective.

If that doesn't do the job, the Sioux have no problems going to Level III, which is good, old-fashioned, beat-down punch you in the face until you bleed. This is the domain of a Jim Archibald or Kyle Radke.

The Sioux can, and do, recruit players that can fit all three levels, and escalate this up the chain as needed to win. And they do it better than anyone else.

Chris from Western College Hockey has created a flame feast with his post; color me surprised.

The Gophers fans didn't want to be left out so they got into the act as well.