Sports Thoughts have Addition for Hobey Baker Award

Top CCHA player Snubbed for the Hobey

Kyle Whitney's Opinion on the Snub of Mike Santorelli Kyle has a valid point that is hard to refute: Both Duncan and Mike Santorelli shouldn't have been left off of the Hobey Baker Voting Ballot and there is no excuse for it.

I would imagine that NMU could get Santorelli on the ballot like Ryan Ducan with some pressure from the local media or the school’s sports information department. The fan voting is just one of the ways these kids get selected for the Hobey Baker. It does seem mind boggling that a player of his skill and talent would be left off the ballot since he is first in the CCHA and second in the nation in goal scoring, maybe there is some politics that we don't know about. I think there is something to the argument that if he played for a big school or his team was leading in the league would be getting more love for the Hobey Baker.

Nonetheless this doesn't make this any less of a travesty. Lets look at this more closely; Mike Santorelli doesn't make the ballot with his impressive stats but Blake Wheeler of Minnesota a second or third line player in WCHA makes the ballot with 27 points in 29 games. Mind you Wheeler barely squeaks into the top 100 in points per game nationally while Mike Santorellis is tied for 15th nationally. I guess playing for a bigger school makes hell of lot of difference.

Duncan Added to the Hobey Ballot

Duncan
Duncan Added To Hobey Balloting

Sioux forward Sophomore Ryan Duncan has been added to the Hobey Baker Memorial ballot. I would say that this action is long over due; this is a travesty and Ryan should have been on the ballot from the start. I think adding Ryan to the ballot is the right move based on Duncan's play so far this season with 21 goals and 15 assists for 36 points. Vote for Ryan Duncan at Hobey Baker

Here is what INCH had to say about Duncan:
Read about it at INCH Article

We started building a case for Duncan, who leads the WCHA with 21 goals and shares the league lead in scoring with 36 points, after naming him our Player of the Week for his efforts in the Fighting Sioux's sweep of Minnesota. Though his play against the Golden Gophers was particularly impressive, the diminutive forward (the Calgary native's listed as 5-foot-6, 158 pounds) has been the one constant in the lineup for a North Dakota team that's ridden the roller coaster this season. His more heralded classmates, T.J. Oshie (4-7—11 in his last five games) and Jonathan Toews (3-9—12 in his last six) have started to come around and may once again dominate the headlines, but Duncan's the one who's got them to this point.

Duncan Is Tops

Just for general accounting purposes Ryan Duncan is on fire; Duncan is tied for first with in the league with 36 points tied with SCSU’s Andrew Gordon and Andreas Nodl. Ryan Duncan is also leading the league with power play goals with 11 nationally Ryan Duncan is ranked 4th nationally in goals for game. For all of the stats log on to NCAA Stas

Toews and Oshie Charged with Under Age Drinking

Ryan Bakken is reporting on his blogBakken's View

Two of UND's top forwards, T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews, have been charged with minor in possession after being spotted in Judy's Bar recently by the cops. Coach Dave Hakstol to the surprise of nobody said he had no comment and that the matter would be handled internally. I'm guessing Sioux fans would be all for the two being suspended for this weekend's games. (If you didn't know, UND has the weekend off.)

So what does a coach do when his players are caught drinking alcohol, which is not exactly a news flash for college students? So they get a two-minute minor or a five-minute major or a 60-minute unsportsmanlike? Or, maybe double-secret probation.

Behavior the Norm for College Students

With the incidents that took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota last season with Gopher hockey players getting into trouble at a local watering hole, I am sure this story is going to sprout legs and get some airtime, especially on opponent’s messages boards around the league. My opinion on the matter is this is part of college life college kids get busted for under age drinking all of the time and I am sure that head coach Hakstol will handle the matter off ice and out of the media’s eye. I could care less, as long it doesn’t affect their play on the ice, and they don’t get caught re-offending. These young men will go to court and pay a fine for their lack of judgment.

NHL Player Moves

Here is an Interesting PerspectiveWaiting for Stanley

Waiting for Stanley looks at the recent Vancover Canucks move.
I guess Michael Forney isn't the only one that is being refered to as Joe Glass.

The Most annoying Comercial of All Time.

I have NHL Center Ice and recently they had a promotion to get more people to sign up for the NHL package. The first time that I saw this commercial I thought it was funny, after watching the commercial at least twenty times in one night it wasn’t funny anymore.

On the Flip Side

This is the opposite of annoying commericals, Shania Twain the NHL probably could sell more tickets with comericals like this.

High Lights from the NHL Young Stars Game.

Check out some of these goals from Former Fighting Sioux player Zach and as well as former Golden Gopher player Phil Kessel light the lamp dur the young starts game. These all star games are fun but there is no hitting what so ever. I bet the goalies aren't all the fond of them. Parise ended up being the MVP of the game.

The Hockey Show Adds Audio of their shows

The Hockey Show Kicks off on the Web

After a few glitches the Hockey Show is finally up and running as they get going and now they will have the replays of previous show on the web. Join Moose Richards and Scott Williams as they discuss CHA hockey. the Hockey Show

Ryan Duncan Left off the Hobey List

Here is the List
Sean Bentivoglio, Niagara
Brian Boyle, Boston College
David Brown, Notre Dame
Ted Cook, Niagara
John Curry, Boston University
Nathan Davis, Miami
Ryan Dingle, Denver
Eric Ehn, Air Force
Brian Elliot, Wisconsin
Joe Fallon, Vermont
Glenn Fisher, Denver
Bobby Goepfert, St. Cloud State
Alex Goligoski, Minnesota
Andrew Gordon, St. Cloud State
Kyle Greentree, Alaska-Fairbanks
Jocelyn Guimond, RIT
Brett Hemingway, New Hampshire
T.J. Hensick, Michigan
Jeff Jakaitis, Lake Superior State
Erik Johnson, Minnesota
Ryan Jones, Miami
Michel Leveille, Maine
Pierre Luc-O'Brien, Sacred Heart
Mike Lundin, Maine
Travis Morin, Minnesota State
Alex Nikiforuk, Nebraska-Omaha
Kyle Okposo, Minnesota
T.J. Oshie, North Dakota
Scott Parse, Nebraska-Omaha
Mike Radja, New Hampshire
Les Reaney, Niagara
Dan Rosen, Brown
Cory Schneider, Boston College
James Sixsmith, Holy Cross
Trevor Smith, New Hampshire
Sean Sullivan, Boston University
Jonathan Toews, North Dakota
Bear Trapp, Sacred Heart
Mark Van Guilder, Notre Dame
Blake Wheeler, Minnesota
Brock Trotter, Denver
Brandon Wong, Quinnipiac
Steve Zalewski, Clarkson

Someone (besides a Gopher fan) please tell me how Ryan Duncan was left off the Hobey Baker voting? Ok Eric Johnson is a good hockey player but isn't even worthy of getting a vote for the Hobey in my opinion.

Adam Wodon Gives UND some Love.

Check out this Article

Adam Wodom isn't traditionally known for giving UND much love, I always thought he had a hard time seeing past the EZAC, but I have to give him credit Adam does write a good article on the Sioux's play this past weekend. Check it out hereCHN Link

I really like this piece right here.

The Gophers have now lost four of six. It shows why you can't anoint national champions in January, no matter how good the team looks. The Gophers are in a major funk, first offensively, and now defensively. The old goalie concerns, which had been muted most of this season, and which it appeared might finally have been taken care of for good, are rearing their ugly head again. Minnesota didn't score an even strength goal on the weekend.

This one is even better. Kind of sums up what I thought of UMN's porus goaltending.

UND defenseman Robbie Bina, while killing off a penalty, cleared it down the ice from 190 feet, and the puck bounced a few times before bouncing over Jeff Frazee's stick and in. Frazee did not come out to challenge the puck and it cost him. He was eventually replaced by Kellen Briggs, who didn't fare any better. Not having Tyler Hirsch anymore as a playmaker is clearly hurting Minnesota, but can it really mean this much?

Power Rankings: Did they watch the same games.

INCH; you can’t be Serious.

Tell me what’s wrong with this picture, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux go to Minneapolis Minnesota sweep the number one team in the country and we only move from from 15th place to 17th in the INCH power rakings. You can't be serious. no really trying saying that with a straight face. This is why Sioux fans think that inside college hockey have no credibility. The one that is even more funny is the fact that UND shreds the so called anointed number one team in the country and they only drop from number 1 to number 3. This is why you get hate mail from Sioux fans. It’s this out right hatred for UND. It almost makes you wonder if their office is right next to Gregg Sheppard’s.

Link to the ridiculous: INCH Debacle

Here is my letter to INCH.

To whoever,
How the heck can a team go into the Number one teams arena sweep the number one team in the country and only move from 15th to 17th. On the flip side after looking like pylons all weekends the Gophers only fall two spots from 1 to 3. That is a joke; it’s almost as funny as the Bracketology over on USCHO.

Signed the Goon
http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/

Robbie Bina Goes Down Town.

Frazee Makes History


Gopher’s sophomore goalie Jeff Frazee gained some unwanted fame Saturday night. Frazee will go down in college hockey history as giving up one of the freakiest goals of all time. Funny thing it seems that Gopher goalies are always making history for giving up freakish goals. Lets examine the storied history; the Legg goal in the NCAA playoff against Debus, the Holy Cross Crusader goal that shocked the college hockey world last season and now this.

Junior Defenseman and local folk hero Robbie Bina was playing on the penalty kill for the Fighting Sioux. The puck makes its way to Bina, who then shoots the puck down the ice and on net. Sleeping in the Gopher goal was goaltender Jeff Frazee; the goal for the Sioux was a momentum killer for the Gophers. In the game the Gophers were gaining the edge in play and had just scored three unanswered goals on the power play, the Sioux were reeling and it looked like the Gophers might get on track and put the game away. Bina’s goal changed the momentum of the game and the Sioux went on to score 4 more goals against the once vaunted Gopher defense and goalie.

Sioux Win Big Series

I heard all week how UND had no chance against the mighty Gophers. Briggs was the top goalie in the NCAA; in fact I got some crap from Gopher fans for saying that Briggs was the same sieve different year. However, in retrospect I was right on. In fact Briggs game up 9 goals for the weekend is staggering. This guys is one of the best in Gopher history are you kidding me. You know we heard the same thing last spring before the regional last year how the Sioux were going to be run out of the REA. I heard Gopher fans walk into our arena and say Marriucci west. Funny thing they were saying the same thing when they left.

Fast forward to this past weekend, we heard the same rhetoric. Someone were lecturing me on why the Fighting Sioux need not to show up for the series this past weekend. Some of these same fans then said that the Sioux winning on Friday night was a complete fluke and the Sioux would be promptly defeated on Saturday night something like 6-2. In fact the television on FSN had said basically that there was no need to play the game either because the Gophers alway ended up winning on Saturday night. The Fighting Sioux are now 3-1-0 in their last four games at REA East. In fact this time it was the Gophers that were run out of the building.


This sums it up best over on USCHO:
Marriucci Meltdown

For the last couple months, ‘How good is Minnesota?’ has been the most popular – and important – question asked around college hockey. In posing the quandary, many looked at their lackluster schedule, underwhelming performances against inferior opponents, and an inexperienced, if heralded, freshman class as evidence that the Gophers impressive run – now nine weeks atop the USCHO national poll – belied some major weaknesses.

Sioux take Game one From the Gophers

Sioux come out on top

All week long we heard how the game wasn’t even going to be close the Gophers were going to run the Fighting Sioux out of the building. In fact there was no reason for the Sioux to even show up. The Sioux spotted the Gophers an early two-goal lead then scored the next five goals taking game one against the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota has lost the last three Friday night games. The Fighting Sioux spent most of the night on the penalty kill finishing 2/11 on the penalty kill.

The Fighting Sioux have been playing better as of late going 7-1-1 and own the countries best-unbeaten streak at 5-0-2.

Breaking down the Numbers.

For his career Kellen Briggs is 8-12 against the fighting Sioux in 20 games.
The Fighting Sioux are the only WCHA team Don Lucia doesn’t have a winning record against.
North Dakota is currently ranked 35th nationally on the penalty kill after hovering around 54th earlier in the season.
North Dakota is currently ranked 5th nationally on the power play.
North Dakota is currently ranked 20th nationally in scoring.
Minnesota is currently ranked 5th in nationally in scoring.
Junior Robbie Bina has as many goals as super sophomore Jonathon Toews both players have 7 goals.

The Golden Nation: Brooms and Shovels

The Golden Nation: Brooms and Shovels

This review is a hoot: Satnu from the Golden Nation Reviews this Weekends Upcoming Series

One could say that Satnu has an interesting perspective on this weekend games between Minnesota and UND. I would have to catagorize him as being a satorist. Check it out click on the link at the top of the article. If the Goofers don't sweep this weekend I would be glad to serve Satnu some crow hot off of the grill. Do you like BBQ sauce on your crow.

Seriously its almost silly how the Goofer fans are predicting that UND shouldn't even show up this weekend. Some have said the games aren't even going to be close. I know Minnesota is a really good hockey team but the Fighting Sioux aren't bad either. I hope the Gophers, Pioneers and Husky players are this cocky as the Gophers fans are.

Gopher Fowards Finishing Checks

More of this to come?

I found this video over at Let's Go DU hockey blog I wondering if the Gopher forwards are planning on going to the net hard and finishing their checks on the Fighting Sioux goaltenders this weekend? Things could get interesting if they do.

The Sioux and the Gophers

The Match Up
7>5

The Clock is Ticking

First off; I wish I were going to be at the game this weekend. Nothing beats some good smack talk between Sioux and Gopher fans at a hockey game, however, I have to work and there will be no trip south this season. Lucky for me I will however be able to see the game on the TV at work. My brother called last night to rub in the fact that he has two tickets to the game on Saturday night at the John. I sure he could probably get top dollar for those tickets too. I would love to see a sweep of the Gophers by the Fighting Sioux, however, I will settle for a split or a couple of ties. The Sioux need to get points to avoid a first round tilt in Madison Wisconsin against the Badgers, a team they do not match up well against because of the style of hockey they play.

No Prediction this Weekend

There will be no bold predictions for this weekend because I really can’t put a finger on this years Fighting Sioux team. I am carefully optimistic that the Sioux can pull one off this weekend. As of late the Sioux have played better but their level of competition hasn’t been that high. The Sioux currently are ranked 14th in the PWR rankings and a win would bolster their playoff chances and probably get them off of the NCAA bubble. The Sioux have 10 WCHA games left for the season and I believe the Fighting Sioux would have to go 7-3 or 6-4 and get to the Final Five to get off the NCAA bubble.



Tough Task Ahead: (per inch)
Inside college hockey breaks down the prospects for the Badgers over taking the Sioux in the standingsINCH Link. This is going to make every Fighting Sioux hockey important because of the poor play in the first half of the season. Each game that the fighting Sioux lose is going to have the ramifcaitions. Its going to make every game have the feel of a game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

If the WCHA playoffs began today, Wisconsin would have to go on the road, but despite their current standing in the lower half of the league standings, there's optimism for a strong finish among many Badger fans. Wisconsin has played two fewer league games than fifth-place North Dakota (which the Badgers currently trail by a point) and four fewer league games than Alaska Anchorage, with which it is tied for sixth place. Eight of Wisconsin's 12 remaining league games are against teams at or below the Badgers in the standings.

The Week In Hockey

Goon’s Ramblings

I was looking at the Bracketology: for Jan. 24, 2007 over on USCHO Bracketologyand I find a few things that crack me up. Jayson Moy seems to be giving the EZAC way too much love and has two teams making the tourney. While I do agree that Clarkson and is decent hockey team Moy is giving SLU way too much credit. Isn’t this the same team UND beat 4-1 earlier last month during the tourney in Hanover, NH. So am I to believe the logic that UND if they keep winning is going to be left out of the tourney, while St. Larry gets in, hardly. Lets just say there are almost a month and a ½ left of the season. I think we should just wait and see how the rest of the season plays out. Let's not punch those tickets for the big dance just yet. There are going to be many twists and turns in the game ahead. I would also predict that there are going to be a few shockers to come with the conference tourneys during the third week in March. Also, a few other team like Miami seem to be sinking to the bubble fast. I also don’t see the CCHA getting 4 teams in the tourney this year.
Last night B.C. lost to Boston University, hence UND moved up to 14th in the power rankings I guess that throws a wrench in the equation.

Over on Western College Hockey

Chris Dilks has the footage of the Minnesota Riots after the NCAA championship.They know how to throw a party in Minneapolis Minnesota That will teach you to park your car downtown after the Gophers win a big game. I wonder if they will riot if Brewster leads the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten championship in college football. Funny thing when UND won the National Championship in college hockey there were no riots in the streets.


Hammy’s perspective on the DU and Minnesota Fight that Almost Happened

An interesting read. Hammy is right the reffing in that game was really poor, the refs missed a lot of calls and let the game get out of control in the first period. Hum, Gopher fans bringing up the short comming of the on ice officials. I am not about to label Gopher fans as being Halo's just yet, but Hammy is just stating what Sioux fans have been saying for some time, the WCHA is a first class league with second rate officials. Hammy's Blog

* The Denver series was certainly entertaining in a number of respects. I don't tend to say much about the quality of the refs on a weekly basis because I find it to be a very tiring excuse that some fans use quite often. But this is an exception. The games were called relatively poorly this weekend. When Ben Gordon (a player hardly known for being a tough guy) gets a fighting major for wrestling around and then getting punched while on his back, you know something is amiss. That may have been the worst reffed series the Gophers have played in this year.

* Gopher forward James O'Brien may have run into the goalie anyway since he was given a push from behind but the added effort he gave in hitting DU's Glenn Fisher was uncalled for. I have to admit that a part of me didn't feel quite as sorry to see it happen given Fisher's bush league act toward Blake Wheeler at the conclusion of Friday's game but it still should not have happened. When it comes to getting back at a goalie for trash talking, there is no better way to do it than to put pucks in the back of his net and tagging the guy with a loss. Scoring five goals on him and hanging him with a loss is revenge enough.

I have to hand it to the Gopher forward if your going to run a goalie you might as well make it count. I wonder if the Gopher forwards will continue running over the goalie this weekend when the Gophers play the Sioux down in the John down in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I would venture to guess that if any Gopher forward runs over one of the Sioux's goalies there is going to be a brawl. The Fighting Sioux will not take that laying down. All I can say is bring it, if that is the type of game the Gophers want to play. Any exchange of players lost to a DQ only helps the Sioux.

Jeff Dubay Loses Job over telling the Truth

Jeff Dubay aka Puffy from KFAN’s morning show PA and Dubay lost his job at FSN for his off air comments that were directed at the WCHA’s on ice officialsLink to the article This one really chaps my ass. Jeff Dubay’s termination from FSN sports borders on being ridiculous or just plain silly. My question is; are the WCHA officials so thin skinned that it can’t take feed back about the performance of its on ice officials? Maybe Greg Sheppard should actually look at what his officials are doing on the ice and quit complaining about how the public views it’s clowns in stripes. I watched the game between the Gophers and the Pioneers twice and the performance of Todd Anderson was pathetic, Anderson made the game about him and ruined a good match up between two good teams. While Dubay might have been out of line I don’t believe he deserved to be fired, I think Jeff should be given an award for his honesty. Have the league officials ever listened to Gopher radio announces or UND’s Tim Hennesy for that matter? Hey Sheppard are you going to ask that they be fire next?

Bruce Ciske Takes on the Issue of Officating

Not to hammer the officials (yeah right) but here is another interesting perspective of the performance of officials in the WCHA and how we could get them to address some of the issues surrounding their performance or lack of performanceThe Ciske Blog I really like what Bruce had to say in this article.

Frankly, I think it's high time that the league either take visible steps to improve the level of its officiating, or allow coaches to speak publicly on the matter. No one is questioning the work ethic of the officials or their supervisor, Greg Shepherd. No one is questioning the integrity of this crew.

But we're spinning our wheels right now. Too often, the officials take center stage, either for a controversial decision or a questionable penalty call (or non-call) or how the review process is handled.

Already this year, we've seen some extremely bizarre calls that had great bearing on how games ended.

(The two calls in the Gopher-UMD Friday game - one of which took away what appeared to be a UMD goal, and the other taking a late faceoff outside the UM zone when it was apparent that the Bulldogs should have received either a power play or a penalty shot - along with the controversial goal at the end of Saturday's game in St. Cloud, just to name a couple. Oh, and I'm still bitter about that goal ruling in the playoff game in Denver last March.)

It's one thing for coaches to criticize the officials. They aren't allowed to publicly, and they shouldn't be. That would lead to anarchy. But when respected writers who have covered this league as long as Virg Foss has feel the need to speak up, you have an issue on your hands. Simply trying to dismiss the comments of a guy like Foss really doesn't help much.

I'm not calling for anyone's head here. Just saying that Foss has a point, and I'd love for the league to acknowledge that they would like to get their officiating to a higher level.

Same Sieve Different Year.

Sieve, Sieve, Sieve...
I thought I might as well get the smack talking going, this one is for Slap Shot. Its been way too civil and I am getting tired of ripping the refs so I will move on to a new subject, ah, lets the do the Gophers goaltending. Incase anyone has forgotten this is the same Sieve that lost to Holy Cross just a different year. Its funny how the media in Minneapolis has tried to paint a picture of how Kellin Briggs is this great goalie. Personally it kind of reminds me of the Grand Forks print and radio media talking about some of our players. You know the same old story on and on about Kellin being a goalie for the ages if not statisically the best goalie of all time. Snicker, not much of an endorsement of Minnesota's goalies is it? I am sorry Stauber was one of the best goalies Minnesota ever had and Briggs isn't worthy of sniffing his jock.


One last point, some are going to come on here and tell me about how poor of a goalie Lammy is. Well it probably is a valid point, until recently he hadn't played well this year. However the numbers don't lie, for his career Philippe Lamoureux 2.36 GAA and a .911 save percentage on the other side of the ice Briggs has a career GAA of 2.43 and a save percentage of .908. Flame away come on here and discuss it with me.

Bruins and Sabres Kessel Gets two.

Bruins and Sabres
I watched this game via NHL Center Ice last week; Former Gopher Phil Kessel gets his sixth and seventh goals of the season. The seventh goal was a thing of beauty. If the Bruins coaching staff keeps putting Savard and Kessel together you will see a few more high light real goals.

NHL Plays of the Week.

Seems like the first time you won't see a former Fighting Sioux hockey player on them. What a week of hockey in the NHL.

A blast from the past Vernon and Roy.

The Whistler tackles the Reffing in the WCHA.

The State of Officiating in the WCHA
The Whistler from Say Anything Blog Link to The Whistlers Article
Takes on the issue of the officiating in the WCHA. I know it is a touchy issue as many WCHA fans have brought it up almost weekly, however, its not just the fans, there has also been a lot of and dissatisfaction with the level of officiating from time to time from the coaches in the WCHA as well, which finally lead to a WCHA coaching confronting the game official after the game and hence getting into a profanity laced altercation with that game official.

Locally Sioux fans that bitch (I am one of them) about the officiating have been called halos by opposing teams fans. Some think its just sour grapes or entitlement hockey but that isn't the issue. The issue is the officiating and the on ice official’s performance that can be dismal at times. I believe the WCHA officials have to be better because I believe the fans deserved better. After watching the game between the Gophers and the Pioneers last night I believe the officials in that game should be suspended and publicly scorned. Todd Anderson totally took the game over and made the game about him. There was no flow to the game and the first period took almost an hour to finish. I would love to see the grade that Greg Sheppard gives Anderson for his weekend performance. Oh by the way third man in is a game misconduct not a two minute minor.

The fans pay hundreds of dollars to watch college hockey only to have to witness the performance of the paid officials hit all time lows. So if the coaches are saying it anonymously then it’s as bad as it looks to the fans as well. In the WCHA I believe the worst of the officials are in no particular order: Don Adam, Todd Anderson, Marko Hunt, Derrick Sheppard. I believe the only way to change the officiating is too clean house and start over, starting at the top with head of officials Greg Sheppard. The fans and administrations of the WCHA schools should demand this.

Mission Accomplished. Sioux Sweep Beavers.

 

The After Bina's Goal

The Sioux Sweep the Beavers

No Seriously, that’s not a typo, the Sioux sweep. The Sioux swept an opponent for the first time since the Sioux swept the Mankato Mavericks during the last week of October down in Mankato. It’s only the second time UND fans have been able to see the stick salute at center ice by the players.

The Streak

Fighting Sioux its current modest streak to 6-1-1 in the last 8 days. During those 8 games the Sioux have only given up three goals twice. The Sioux are getting good defense, decent goaltending and are scoring timely goals. The key to the success is that for the most part the Fighting Sioux are staying out of the penalty box. The Sioux killed off 11-13 power plays this weekend. They also were 5-16 on the power play going 4-10 on Saturday night.

D.O.T. Line on Fire

Finally the D.O.T. line is re-igniting (I can’t think of a better word), should we say that it’s starting to catch fire just at the right time. Breaking down the scoring, T.J. Oshie had a goal and four assists, Jonathon Toews had two goals and two assists, and Duncan chipped in with two assists. Originally Oshie had been given the second goal in Bemidji but after further review Toews was ruled to have scored the second UND goal. That is 10 points on the weekend for the D.O.T. line. Wouldn’t you know it Duncan, Oshie and Toews are sitting on top of the statistics for the Fighting Sioux? These guys are going to have to carry the load if the Sioux are going to be successful this weekend.

Sioux Defense Likes Scoring Too

Robbie “the Rock Star” Bina had a two goal weekend adding more points to his growing season total, however, that's not the only positive from this weekend; Taylor Chorney said, “hey I like scoring too” as he chipped in two goals this weekend as well. Who would have ever thought that Robbie Bina would have the same number of goals for the season as the heralded Jonathon Toews? The Robbie Bina conquest continues as he improves to 8th on the team in scoring; for the season Robbie has six goals and has added 8 assists for 14 points. That figures out to be a point every other game.