Saturday, December 03, 2011

Saturday morning pontifications...

1
Minnesota
11
9
2
0
18
40
21
12
4
1
72
34
2
Minnesota Duluth
11
8
2
1
17
47
24
10
3
2
61
36
3
Nebraska Omaha
12
6
3
3
15
44
41
7
7
3
54
56
4
Colorado College
10
6
4
0
12
44
36
8
4
0
52
38
5
Denver
10
4
3
3
11
39
34
6
5
3
51
44
Michigan Tech
11
5
5
1
11
33
30
8
6
1
45
38
St. Cloud State
11
4
4
3
11
35
34
6
7
4
56
55
8
North Dakota
11
5
6
0
10
33
34
7
7
1
45
47
9
Wisconsin
12
4
7
1
9
35
43
7
8
1
52
52
10
Bemidji State
11
3
6
2
8
29
41
5
8
2
40
51
11
Alaska Anchorage
11
2
8
1
5
19
43
5
8
2
36
52
Minnesota State
11
2
8
1
5
32
49
3
11
1
37
61
Looking at the current standing in the WCHA; it’s very apparent that this season is going to be a dog fight night in and night out to the end of the season.

I also think that the race for home ice will probably go down to the last weekend before we know how this league is going to shake out.  While some want to pencil UMD and UMN in the title game of the Final Five, I think we should see how the race shakes out before start crowning champions. A lot can happen in the last 12-16 games.

Just for the record Minnesota has inflated their record by playing the 25th hardest schedule. Their schedule will get harder during the second half of the season as the Gophers have to travel to UND, SCSU (X1), DU and UNO. If the elite hockey minds down in “the Metro” area think that the Gophers are going to walk through that schedule unscathed they are delusional.

Minnesota Duluth has a much easier path after their death march  @MTU, @UW, @WMU and @UNO. The Bulldogs stiffest tests will be UND and C.C. at home followed by a trip to finish out the season at SCSU.
 
 After only eight games into the season, there were a lot of people kicking dirt on the Fighting Sioux UND Hockey team. I saw many fans and prognosticators making grandiose predictions about how North Dakota was going to do much of anything this season. Suddenly, this nondescript hockey team has started to find the back of the net with pucks.

After scoring 5, 0, 7, 4, 5 goals in the last five games, the Fighting Sioux North Dakota is now averaging three goals per game, that is much better than their dismal two per game they had earlier in the season.

With the win last night, the Fighting Sioux North Dakota is now ranked 22nd in the Pair Wise Rankings. UND needs to just keep winning and their PWR numbers will improve.

The UND’s top line of Danny Kristo (7g-10a—17pts), Brock Nelson (12g-7-19pts) and Corbin Knight 6g-14a—20pts) is becoming a force to be reckoned with. The top line has scored (25g-31a—56pts). The rest of the team has scored (20g-39a—59pts).

The all freshman line of Mark MacMillan (2g-4a—6pts), Michael Parks (2g-1a—3pts), Brendan O’Donnell (3g-0a—3pts) is starting to heat up.

I predicted last week that this all freshman line ready to break out and O’Donnell goes last night and proves me right by scoring two goals in last night’s game against the Seawolves.  I just hope they can sustain it because UND needs secondary scoring from lines 2, 3, 4.
  
I was also thinking up a good name for this all freshman line and I think M.O.P. would be a good line. Think of the possibilities with that name, they mopped up the ice with the _______, get it… Maybe not!

 
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