Interesting take on Kristo and Cichy at the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp

In case you haven't see this it's worth a look. I really hope that soon to be Fighting Sioux sophomore Mike Cichy can get his act together and play up to his potential. Last December at the Sioux Boosters Luncheon head coach Dave Hakstol said that Cichy came into camp a little behind in his conditioning. Maybe his trip to the Hab’s development camp will wake him up.

At the Montreal Canadiens 2010 development camp, the one ingredient in short supply is passion.

For the most part, it has been a quiet, polite affair. After two days, the most intense person on skates has been Habs' assistant coach, Kirk Muller.

An exception to the rule is Danny Kristo who has approached every task with enthusiasm. He also seems to be injecting some creativity in repetitive drills. While Kristo navigated the cones like everyone else, he banked the puck off the boards to give the exercise an additional challenge.

Kristo seems to be enjoying himself and is showing some leadership qualities by chatting otherwise silent teammates.

The forwards went through a number of skating drills on Wednesday morning. Kristo has good acceleration but it was Joonas Natinnen who excelled with powerful cuts and excellent body control. Gabriel Dumont and Michael Cichy were clearly the weakest of the group. [Read the rest of the article]

Boll vs Commodore

This is a perfect example of what happens when you take a run at the oppositions skilled players. Boll took a run at Redden and Former Fighing Sioux defenseman Mike Commodore settled the score with Boll immediately. I don't have a problem with that type of hockey the players police the game and they don't have to rely on the refs to keep them honest.

What kind of game do they think hockey is?

Check out this comment I found over on CHN

UND are a bunch of thugs this season led by Hastol, Finley, Genoway and others. They have repeatedly behaved as thugs in mutliple games this season. Did you see what UND did in the first minute of the game vs St. Cloud this year. Duncan should have been thrown out of that game as well. Then they go ahead and recruit more thugs like Hextall and others. Too bad...they used to be a great program to watch. Hastol should be out.______, Waterloo, Iowa

This one is just too good to not comment on. This is hockey which is a contact sport and it is not for the faint of heart. I would use the analogy that it is better to be the hammer than the nail and the Fighting Sioux for most part this season have been the Hammer. I am beginning to think UND should wear this new found reputation as a badge of honor, one thing people can’t accuse them of being is soft hockey team.

Let’s rewind to last spring; didn't the Duck win the Stanley Cup by basically beating their opposition into submission? That style of play works for me and many other Sioux fans. The Ducks won the Stanley Cup by being one of the most physical, penalized team in hockey. The Fighting Sioux are beginning to play the same way.

In looking at this ridiculous comment; where do I start? My first response is; you’ve got to be kidding me? You’re not serious right? Where do they dig up these people? What rock did he crawl out from under? My next question would be; what type of players does this fan and others in the league want UND to Recruit? As a rule the Fighting Sioux does not recruit a bunch of pretty boys that are afraid to hit because it might crease their jerseys. Wait till the opposition sees Ben Blood next season, I am sure we will hear a bunch of crying about him as well, he might make Finley look like a choir boy. Also, I am pretty sure that Joe Finley was recruited by the Gophers and other WCHA teams. These are the same fans that say that Finley is a hack/goon and then try to tell you that Stu Bickel is not. I like many Sioux fans would take Finley over Stu Bickel any day. Also, players like Brett Hextall keep opposition players honest and their head on a swivel. I think Hextall will be a nice replacement for Rylan Kaip. I can hear the crying now.

Fire Hakstol! Yep; UND should immediately fire Dave Hakstol as coach of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. It is obvious that Hakstol has no idea what he is doing. Everyone knows that Dave Hakstol can’t coach a lick. How many trips to the Frozen Four has Dave Hakstol led? I believe the Fighting Sioux are up to (3) three. Of course all three were an utter fluke. I would be willing to be that Hakstol’s firing is not going to happen. Let’s look at the Fighting Sioux a little closer: UND 17-8-2 good for 2nd place in the WCHA with a conference record of 14-7-2, 5th in the PWR rankings.

The TJ Oshie hit Prosser

Thanks for RedFrog of ND for posting this video, I was at work and only caught a glimpse of this hit, I would refer to this has as a bone crushing hit game changing hit and it's plays like this that has the NHL drueling. Wow, is all I can say...

Jean-Philippe Lamoureux of North Dakota Named National College Hockey Player of the Month

Finally Lammy gets some love in the form of an award. I think this is well deserved award for a killer month of hockey, who would have thought it was possible after watching him play last season.

I actually thought Phil was going to get the defensive player of the week, but the Minnesota State Mankato goalie Mike Zacharias the Mankato State goalie Mike Zacharias was just as deserving of the award as well.

MADISON, Wis.-- University of North Dakota senior netminder Jean-Philippe Lamoureux was named the National College Hockey Player of the Month on Friday afternoon, as announced by the Hockey Commissioner's Association. Lamoureux has been a huge reason for the early season success of the third-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He has posted four shutouts in the team's first five games in October, becoming the first WCHA player in history to accomplish that feat.

Lamoureux, a Grand Forks, N.D. native, posted a 3-1-1 record last month with a miniscule 0.43 GAA and a .983 save percentage, both of which rank second in the nation. He is a major reason that the UND team ranks first in the nation in team defense allowing only 0.60 goals per game. He currently has started 30 consecutive games dating back to last season, during that time he owns a 20-5-5 record with a 1.93 GAA and a .931 save percentage. He began the season shutting out his opponents for 185:17 in three games against Boston College, Michigan Tech and Northeastern.

Some of the highlights of Lamoureux's month include a 23-save shutout of defending national champion Michigan State in the season opener on Oct. 13 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. Lamoureux also recorded a season-high 31 saves in the 3-0 victory at Northeastern on Oct. 20. in Boston.

Jean-Philippe Lamoureux wins Player of the week.

What does a guy have to do to get the player of the week award? I while I doubt that Phil Lamoureux is worried about silly things like awards, he can leave that to the fans like me, let’s take a look at the 2007-2008 addition of the goalie named Phil Lamoureux; Phil starts the season 2-0-1 stops 78/78 shots and gets snubbed for player of the week by the WCHA. How? I don’t have a clue. Maybe it’s a vast conspiracy against the Fighting Sioux?

In case anyone is keeping score, that’s the Fighting Sioux playing two top tens teams and not giving up a goal in 5 periods of hockey. Phil can’t help it that B.C.’s arena sucks and they had to cancel the game after two periods of hockey. Phil stopped many quality chances and it appeared that he couldn’t see the puck very well in holding B.C. off the board in two periods of hockey.

Let’s break this down further against B.C. and Northeastern Phil stopped may top quality chances brings home three points for the Sioux and doesn't get even a sniff.

This weeks Goon's World player of the Week: Is Jean Philippe Lamoureux from the University of North Dakota.

Goon’s Worlds picks:
UMD and DU Split
MSUM – UAA Split
UND and MTU UND 3 points
BSU and SCSU SCSU Sweep
OSU and Minnesota Minnesota Sweep.

Last week I went 9-5 in my picks.

UND plays MTU next

This week the UND Fighting Sioux play the upstart Michigan Tech Huskies and I think that anything less than 2 points for this weekend’s series is unacceptable. I would hope The Fighting Sioux goes into Houghton Michigan and plays hard, it’s time to lay down some smack on the MTU Huskies, especially after they embarrassed the Sioux last season in the REA. There is no excuse for the Sioux not coming out on fire and hitting and hustling and out working the Huskies. I am one of those people that realize that MTU is improved but I also don't believe all the hype. To take a phrase from the Fighting Sioux coach it is what it is. Sure the Huskies are a 4-7 place team in the WCHA, but UND should win against the Huskies, there is no excuse for losing. Getting swept by this team last season was unacceptable and the Sioux should have a bad taste in their mouth and should play with an edge this weekend.

PCM from Sioux sports on the Matchup this weekend.

I know MTU is better than they've been in recent years, but what have they done this season? They lost to Northern Michigan, a CCHA team picked to finish near the bottom of its conference, and had difficulty beating Lake Superior State, another CCHA team expected to finish near the bottom of the league. They swept MS-Mankato at home, a team the WCHA coaches picked to finish 9th in the league. So while I don't think the Sioux should take the Huskies for granted, I don't think we should be in great fear of them, either.

I would have to say that I agree with PCM on this one. Sure no one doubts that MTU isn't a good team, but they aren't world beaters either and they did lose to a NMU, team that is not very good this season.

Blues Blogger gives Duncan and Oshie props

Duncan and Oshie Shine

Here is an Interesting Perspective by Andy Strickland that I found on hockeybuzz.com. I think it's safe to say that we are lucky to have Dunc and Oshie back for this season and I would expect Oshie to be gone after the season is over. I find it funny that some of the Blues fans are having a tough time understanding why these kids are coming back for their Junior season.

Oshine makes the first team

STRICKEE AWARDS!

First Team-

LW- Michal Birner (Tremendous shot and scoring touch. Versatile player which will help him adjust to the next level. Should score 20-25 in the AHL this season)

C-T.J. Oshie (Should come out now but his headed back to UND. Thinks the game like an NHL’er. Plays the game with passion.)

RW- David Backes (Has the ability to score 20 in the NHL this year.)

D- Erik Johnson ( Makes plays NHL D-man execute with regularity. Needs to play with the best players in the world.)

D- Roman Polak (When he hits you he’s tries to hurt you. Polak is going to be a top four D-man in the NHL for 12-15 years. He’s ok with waiting a year, he’ll play 30 minutes a game in Peoria this season.)

G- Marek Schwarz (cat like reflexes/ tremendous athlete and competitor. This kids has the determination to be a star.)

Ryan Duncan makes the second team

Second Team-

LW- Ryan Duncan (loves to go high glove side, all this kid does is score. Can get feisty if his buttons are pushed)

Oshie shines and now ready to lead the Sioux to eight

STLtoday Picture

Prediction for T.J. Oshie; There has been much speculation around the blog sphere and the Internet that T.J. Oshie will be convinced to change his mind and sign a professional contract with the St Louis Blues. Most of this speculation is from Blues fans and Gopher fans. I believe that it is just a case of wishful thinking. You heard it hear first that T.J. Oshie is coming back to UND for his junior season for the Fighting Sioux.

Camp wraps up on a high Note

By Jeremy Rutherford
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
As team President John Davidson and coach Andy Murray found their seats in the upper rows, fans rose to their feet and applauded. "I thought it was for Bob Plager," Murray joked.

In the finale of the weeklong development camp, the Blue team edged the Gold 4-3 at the IceZone. But it was the overflow crowd, estimated at 3,000, that garnered most of the attention Friday.

"Oh man ... that was exciting," Davidson said. "That was flat-out exciting. I feel bad for the people that couldn't get in, but it's just a small venue. We even looked into trying to add some bleachers at the end of the arena, but it's against fire regulations ... just couldn't do it. To see the support by the city, how quickly it's growing, people are knowledgeable and they appreciate everything, it was about as good as it gets."
Advertisement

Friday was the last chance to see many of the 40-something prospects who attended the camp. Many will return to Sweden or Canada, or head back to college, in the case of T.J. Oshie.

Oshie was hands-down the best player at the camp, but he has decided to play his junior season at the University of North Dakota next season.

When Davidson was asked this week what he hopes Oshie takes home from this camp, he quipped: "I was hoping maybe an NHL contract after watching him practice. This kid is a player. When you see young players come in, you try to compare them to somebody. The way he worked out there and the way he could finish, it reminded me of Brian Sutter. I saw a guy that worked his tail off every single time he was on the ice.

"To see that, you sort of go, 'Hmmm ... boy he'd look good if he'd maybe stick around a little longer.' But no, he's going to go back to college from what we understand, and good for him. If he wants to change his mind, give me a call. Call collect. Whatever he wants to do."

Oshie laughed when told of Davidson's comments.

"Well, I like that they want me," he said. "But it also means a lot that they're behind my decision to go back to school

<

Gare Joyce on Ryan Duncan

Check this out:
Here is an interesting perspective from a great hockey mind, I think it is possible that Ducan might get a look at the next level after his days in college are over. Thank God he is coming back for this year at least though.

Gare Joyce On Duncan

It's a heckuva pedigree. One story listed him at 5'6" and another at 5'8". Betting the former is closer. That's what they list on the team website. UND got off to a rocky start but got rolling later on in the season. In the old NHL I doubt he'd get a look--he didn't, in fact. An '85 birthday, he was eligible for the 2003 draft, when he would have been about 130 pounds soaking wet. Nowadays? Would seem like a worthwhile gamble. Look at that pic -- he's hardly bigger than the player on the trophy.