Blowing sunshine up your...

After watching the Sioux play in an exhibition game against the Manitoba Bison last night I have to say that there is a lot to be positive about. The overrated senior team captain and 2007 Hobey Baker Memorial winner Ryan Duncan (that is how some WCHA fans describe him) looked really good on a line with Chris VandeVelde and Brad Miller. Got that Ducan haters? Even without T.J. Oshie or Toews flanking him, Ryan Duncan managed to score two beautiful goals helping the Sioux to a 6-2 route of the Manitoba Bison.

Also, there is some positive mojo emitting from the Fighting Sioux hockey team getting a balanced attack as 10 of the 14 forwards factored into the games scoring. Granted there were two extra forwards because the game was listed as an exhibition and the Sioux could dress as many players as they wanted. None the less; the Fighting Sioux hockey team looked small (aside from Malone and Davidson), quick and moved the puck around nicely dominating a much slower Manitoba game. The speedy Sioux appeared to run out of gas in the third period but that is to be expected since the Sioux have only had one official practice going into the game.

He’s here…

Jason Gregoire scored the first goal of the game with an impressive shot and gave us a glimpse of why I am feeling good about this year’s version of the Fighting Sioux hockey team. Also adding to my enthusiasm, Evan Trupp returned from a season ending injury to race up and down the ice giving the opposition fits. I expect a much bigger role from Trupp if he can stay healthy. According to Tim Hennesy during the pregame radio Trupp has gained some more muscle in the off season. I don't know he still looks small, but fast.

Team Weakness?

Coming into this season there is no mystery that the Fighting Sioux have three question marks; the unproven goalie trio of Aaron Walski (sr), Brad Eidsness (fr), and Graeme Harrington (fr). Some one from this untested group of goalies has to step up and be the man between the pipes.

Personally I think that is the one of the few weakness of this other wise very solid hockey team. League wide the Denver Pioneers will probably also experience the same growing pains as they break in a relatively green goaltender in Sophomore Marc Cheverie.

While not having a proven goaltender could be a big mountain to climb at first I think people also forget that the C.C Tigers won a majority of the games behind a relatively unknown and unproved goaltender in Richard Bachman, while the Minnesota Golden Gophers settled on Alex Kangas after demoting Jeff Long Island Frazee to the bench after a series of on the ice melt downs.

Predicting the Finish

This past week we saw the hockey experts at INCH predict that UND could finish as low as 7Th in the WCHA, As a homer blogger wearing Kelly green and white shades I just don’t see that happening not with this team, UNLESS we have a major sieve fest in the net this season. If that prediction actually came to fruition they would run head coach Dave Hakstol and his staff out of Grand Forks on a rail. I predict it would get ugly if you know what I mean? We had people asking for Hakstol head after he lead his team to a 4th Frozen Four in a row and lost, can you imagine the anger if his NHL prospect laden team finished 7th?

All pontifications aside I believe that UND has a top five team and possibly could finish in the top two positions, I believe there is no way they can over take the much heralded and powerful Colorado College Tigers or so we have been told. From what I have been told is that the league has told the Tigers to hold onto the cup because there is no way anyone else even has a chance of taking the MacNaughton Cup from the Colorado College Tigers this season. That being said the TIGERS are good...

Misc Ramblings.

I have finally landed back in Grand Forks last night waking up in my own bed after being gone since last Wednesday (well except for one night on Sunday). I had to go to Duluth Monday to take my daughter to the doctor at the Duluth Clinic and thank god for vehicle warranty plans. You know that light in your vehicle that comes on and says service engine soon, ah they mean nothing. I have heard about people that actually put tape over them so they don’t have to look at them. One of my buddies has been driving around for like 25,000 miles with his service engine light on. Well my wife would have nothing to do with playing the odds. Mrs. Goon said, “You’re getting it checked out before we leave Duluth.” I guess the thought of being stranded along highway 2 didn’t seem like an attractive offer to Mrs Goon. So I find out that my engine cooling fan was going and it would have been like $900.00 dollars if I hadn’t bought the service plan. My price after deduct able was $100.00, sweet. Thank you Luther Chevy…

One could say this past weekend was quite a trip. I was able to meet so many of the WCHA bloggers that I chat with on-line. It was interesting because you are able to finally put a face to some of the bloggers names as well. Unfortunately there will be no pictures. This is to protect the guilty. LOL…

This is who I met this past weekend in no particular order: Amy from Lets Go Mavs, Heather from Win-Twins, Beth aka MeanEgirl (wasn’t there a movie with Mean girls or something like that?) from the Michigan Tech Hockey Blog and Donna from RWD’s and her husband A.J.; I also had the opportunity to briefly meet the legend Fire Helmet guy.

Here is an interesting post that I found on USCHO.COM. First off anything can happen in a one and done tourney, lose and you go home. I am not sure why people think the Sioux can't beat DU. First off DU has to get by Wisconsin. This view is sumed up well by:

SiouxFanatic
It's kind of funny. Since the loss to Denver in the Final Five many people have deemed the Sioux's post-season doomed saying we don't have a chance if we get around Princeton and have to play Denver in the regional final. I'm not at all convinced that Denver isn't beatable. Honestly, I think Wisconsin is going to give them a very good run for their money in the semifinal game.

I think Denver is a good team but I think if the Sioux have the chance to play them again I think it'll be a whole different game than what we saw at the Final Five.

So if the Sioux get past Princeton; Good luck watching the game on Sunday evening. Apparently ESPNU is not very available if you have midco.

The Sunday game is being broadcast exclusively by ESPNU, and the Fighting Sioux Sports Network has been unsuccessful in its attempts to obtain rights for the game.

ESPNU is not available on Midcontinent Communications, the major cable carrier in this area. But it is available on DirecTV (Channel 609) and Dish Network (Channel 148).

Several local food and beverage establishments with satellite dishes plan to carry the game.

I have been calling Midcontinent for years about them carrying ESPNU in their digital cable line up and they basically said that they don't intend on carrying the channel because they would lose money or it's not profitable for them to carry it. Apparently ESPN channels are expensive to carry. What we should do is swamp the lines and threaten to swtich to DirecTV.

Conspiracy theorists in the CCHA.

I saw this article on the blog that Yost built first and I think the black Helicopter is circling at the Joe in Detroit. You have to check this article from the NMU out. I think Michigan is going to beat NMU because they are a better team, I don't think the refs are going to have much of an impact on the game.

On offense, no one can claim that they are as good as Michigan. Senior Kevin Porter should be easily the Hobey Baker winner. If not, then the NCAA is a bunch of crooked goons. He sports fantastic numbers (28 goals, 28 assists, 56 points) which lead the nation. You’ll see him in the NHL for Phoenix next season. Chad Kolarik is not far behind with 46 points. On defense, Mark Mitera, Carl Hagelin and Chad Langlais are also pretty damn good. The only true weakness really comes down to grit and toughness. All hockey players are tough. But with all this talent and speed, the brain becomes conditioned to playing pretty. So if a team can rough these boys up, then the Wolverines can be pushed around and challenged.

HOWEVER, the key is the refs. We’re not going to mention the Ref by name at the Berry Events Center last fall when NMU and Michigan played. I know this site complains about the refs, but after you read this story, you will know why. Last October, two eye-witnesses saw the Ref in the locker room prior to the NMU-Michigan game on Friday night wearing Michigan Wolverine suspenders. That ref then proceeded to call 10 penalties on NMU, giving Michigan 9 powerplays to NMU’s 5. This was at home mind you. Fans were irate and sick with what was being called. Fortunately, Yoopers are kind souls and easy-going otherwise this Ref would have had the snot kicked out of him in Motown or New York City. SO, next time you don’t believe in CCHA Ref conspiracy, think of this story. This is not a CCHA Democracy, it is a dictatorship of Michigan and Michigan State.