Sand bagging in Denver

The Tigers are 0-6 against teams outside of their conference, there is NO WAY this team beats the mighty Denver Pioneers. You can mark that one down and come back to it later. An epic upset is not in the cards this season there is no Holy Cross in this years tourney.

Star goalie Marc Cheverie, making a save against Michigan Tech this season, will lead DU into the East Regional on Friday. (Jack Dempsey, AP )The best scouting report on the University of Denver hockey team's first-round NCAA Tournament opponent is coming from Air Force coach Frank Serratore.

Serratore's Falcons played the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers four times this season.

"They have good, competitive depth, and they're an older team," Serratore said of the Tigers, who went 2-2 against Air Force during Atlantic Hockey Association games. "They're plenty good enough to go up and down the ice with Denver, but I would be shocked if Denver doesn't penetrate and get more quality shots than teams from our league."

Top-seeded Denver (27-9-4) and fourth-seeded RIT (26-11-2) meet Friday in the East Regional opener at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The Tigers, who have won 10 consecutive games, are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance — just five years after becoming a Division I program.

RIT, seeded 15th overall, and 16th-seeded Alabama-Huntsville of College Hockey America are the only teams in the 16-team field that would not have qualified for the NCAA Tournament without an automatic bid as a conference tournament champion.

Air Force won the three previous AHA playoff championships and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed. The Falcons came close to upsetting Minnesota in 2008 and Miami (Ohio) in 2009 before beating Michigan 2-0 a year ago. Serratore, whose 2009 team came within an overtime goal of advancing to the Frozen Four, expects RIT to pose a similar threat, but he's picking the Pioneers because of goaltender Marc Cheverie. The junior starred in DU's 2-1 overtime win at Air Force last month.

"(RIT's) goalie, Jared DeMichiel, was our first-team all-conference goalie. But I don't know how much he was tested in our league, and they never won a nonconference game (0-6)," Serratore said. "If Denver takes them lightly, which I know they won't, RIT is more than capable of knocking them off. But if everything else is equal,
I'd take Cheverie over DeMichiel."

[Read the whole article]

I stand by my argument that the AHA is a brutal league that some of the bottom teams would lose to the power house teams of Division III. This year the AHA went an impressive 8-41-4 against the big four conferences. Thanks for playing. The funny thing that caught my attention this week on the INCH Podcast, was one of the participants (I think it was Gladdy) said that 'since there is only going to be 5 leagues in the NCAA next season the NCAA should give the regular season league champion of each league an auto bid.' This inclusion would give the horrible to mediocre AHA an auto bid as well, their logic was because the AHA was now going to be a 12 team league, they now deserved two bids for the NCAA tourney. I am going to say not.

I am sorry but that league does not deserve two bids because they put 12 teams in the AHA, if an AHA team wants to make the tourney they should have to earn their way to an at large bid based on their Pairwise Rankings and by beating teams from the big four leagues like NU did back in the early days of the CHA.

Anton Volchenkov pounds Daniel Carcillo

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, I have to say that was a nice hit Volchenkov. I think when you skate up and down the ice taking liberties with the opposition players eventually someone is going to catch you and burry you in the boards with a nice legal stiff check. This video just made my whole day. Daniel Carcillo is one of the biggest hacks in the NHL and nice to see him on the receiving end once in a while. [Stick tap to Puck Daddy]

Wednesday Linkorama

Tough break (no pun intended) for Denver University as they found out that their 4th leading scorer might be done for the season.

Bad news out of the DU locker room today. Junior wing Anthony Maiani, who blocked a shot with his right index finger last week against North Dakota, will have surgery Tuesday to rebuild the ligaments and bones in the finger. If he doesn’t have surgery soon, he risks losing the bone and future use of the finger. [Denver Post]

DU is also having a power outage from their top players the past four games. DU's top line also has 45% of their points this season.

DU’s postseason stats sheet explains its 2-2 playoff record, including the two unenthusiastic wins over WCHA last-place Michigan Tech. Rhett Rakhshani, who leads the team with 50 points, has just two points (one goal) in four playoff games. He has a minus-1 rating. Linemate and fellow senior Tyler Ruegsegger has just one point, an assist, and is even. The final member of that line, sophomore Joe Colborne, has two points (one goal) in the four playoff games, and is minus-1. [Denver Post]

Patrice Bergeron is concerned about his fellow teammate Marc Savard.

Meanwhile, Bergeron's Bruins teammate Marc Savard is slowly recovering from a Grade 2 concussion he suffered March 7 in Pittsburgh, the result of a blindside hit by the Penguins' Matt Cooke. The Bruins have come to the realization that they will be without their top playmaker for the remainder of the season, which is a crushing blow to a team fighting for a postseason berth.

Savard remains at home, and the only moving around he's been doing is going to the hospital for examinations; according to coach Claude Julien, Savard has made little progress.

"He's still far behind," Julien said. "When we say 'better,' it's marginal; it's not a big, big step right now. But it's nice to know at least it's going in the right direction, and for him, that's important. Right now we can't even be considering him as a guy coming back soon."

Even if there was a possibility Savard could return this season, the Bruins aren't about to sacrifice his well-being. This isn't the first time he has suffered a concussion. [ESPN.COM]

Here is Husker Mike's take on the fire storm left by Patrick Reusse's rumor that miraculously appeared during the Final Five.

KSTP's Patrick Reusse (1500 AM in Minneapolis) raised a bit of a stir this weekend by tweeting about rumors that Minnesota was thinking about firing Don Lucia and hiring UNO head coach Dean Blais. For what it's worth, it would be hard to blame Blais for returning to his alma mater, but it wouldn't be good for UNO after only one season. While it's still a rumor at this point (Lucia still has a job), the rumor mill was running quite strong in Minneapolis this weekend at the WCHA Final Five. Trev Alberts was asked about the situation, and felt flattered that that UNO's hockey coach was the subject of these rumors. Until Lucia is actually fired, it's just speculation, but it's pretty clear that it's more than just "internet idiots" talking about it. (Yes, I'm looking at you SpamMania. Before you start labeling people as "idiots", at least get your source straight. The idiot might turn out to be the guy in the mirror...)

Cornell Senior Goalie Ben Scrivens is on Hot Streak at the Right Time [Slap Shot Blog]

UND Fighting Sioux goalie Brad Eidsness was on yesterday with Dan Hammer on AM 740 out of Fargo, ND. [Click to listen to the podcast]

Reading for the Yale series

Here was a story I found on UND Fighting Sioux's next opponent the Yale Bulldogs. Seems there was some monkey business with the pairing for the NCAA Hockey tourney.

Instead of a flight to the midwest, the Bulldogs will stay close to home. Worcester — hometown of Yale coach Keith Allain — is a two-hour bus ride from Ingalls Rink and gives Yale’s strong New Haven fan base the opportunity to make the short trip. Last March, Yale’s game against Vermont in the East Regional was a sellout at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport.

The caveat is the Bulldogs are now in a regional with two of the hottest teams in the nation, and facing the fifth overall seed instead of the eighth.

The NCAA hockey selection committee, which rarely strays from its seeding formula, was expected to match the Fighting Sioux with No. 12 overall Michigan in the opening round. In a move likely made to boost attendance both in Worcester and Fort Wayne, Yale and Michigan were swapped.

North Dakota (25-12-3), a seven-time national champion, won three straight to capture the WCHA title over the weekend. Boston College (25-10-3) has reached the Frozen Four eight times in the last 12 years with two national titles and is unbeaten in its last nine games.

Yale has lost all three games against North Dakota, losing at Ingalls Rink in 2002 and a two-game series in Grand Forks, N.D., in 2003.

“They’re one of the big faces of college hockey,” Yale captain Ryan Donald said. “That’s tough to match. Just watching the ESPN (selection show), I don’t think they even mentioned anything about our team. That’s fine with us. Hopefully, we can use that to our advantage and maybe they’ll take us lightly, too. At the same time, this is one of the top 16 teams in the country. Everybody is good, and everybody deserves to be there.”

North Dakota was 13-11-5 on Feb. 12 before catching fire. It has won 12 of the last 13 games, including victories over Minnesota-Duluth, Denver and St. Cloud State on successive days to capture the WCHA tournament title.

“To be honest, it really doesn’t matter where we are,” Allain said. “Logistically, Worcester is a little easier. It will be fun playing a team with the tradition and history of North Dakota. And it’s home for me. We’re just thrilled to have the opportunity to compete for a national championship [Read the rest of the story here]

Wirtz wanted Ovechkin out for season

I saw the game in question, the hit on Campbell was a bad hit, there could have been a more meaningful, meatier and longer suspension for Alex Ovechkin but NHL fans should know by now that NHL stars like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby don’t get 5-10 games suspensions or longer because there are separate and different rules for superstars than there are for the tough guys and goons in the NHL. The NHL isn’t going to take their money makers and suspend them for long periods of time because they put asses in the seats. That is the brutal reality. If Derek Boogaard or Milan Lucic had did what Ovechkin did to Brian Campbell the NHL would have had the book thrown at them.

I believe that there should be the same rules for Sidney Crosby, Milan Lucic and Colton Orr. Do the crime you do the time.

Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz believes Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin knew what he was doing when he injured Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell on March 14, and Wirtz believes Ovechkin should have been suspended for the rest of the season.

Ovechkin was suspended two games for the hit, which resulted in a fractured clavicle and rib. Campbell is expected to miss seven to eight weeks.

During a taping of an upcoming Crain's Business of Sports video, Wirtz said the suspension should last as long as the injured player is sidelined.

"If any one of our great players put Ovechkin out for the season, he should be out for the season, too," Wirtz told Crain's. "Make it commensurate. [ESPN.COM]

Board of Governors approves hit to head rule

I think it's the first shot in the right direction. It would make the bush league hit post above by Matt Cooke on Savard illegal. Of course this rule does nothing to help Marc Savard right now.

TORONTO (AP) - The NHL is one step closer to a new rule on blindside hits to the head.

The league's board of governors has unanimously approved the proposed penalty that would ban hits to the head against on an unsuspecting player.

According to a statement released by the NHL, the timing and details of implementation are being worked on by the league's hockey operations department and the players' Association. General managers first proposed the rule earlier this month.

Florida Panthers forward David Booth missed 45 games this season after getting hit by Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards - a play that was legal at the time, but will no longer be tolerated under the new system.

An unpunished blindside hit by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke against Boston's Marc Savard on March 7 also increased pressure to enact a new rule. Savard sustained a concussion that will likely sideline him for at least the rest of the regular season.

The GM meetings began the day after Savard was hit.

The new rule also needs approval from the 10-man competition committee, which is comprised of five players, four general managers and Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider

One of the longest fights in NHL history.

According to Hockeyfights.com this is one of the longest fights in NHL history; Cam Janssen versus Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. It made me tired just watching it.

Cam Janssen and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond were tireless Saturday night, trading punches back and forth in one of the longest fights in NHL history. It went back and forth, one punch at a time for two and a half minutes.

N.D. Supreme Court hearing on Sioux nickname is today

Here is the latest on the Fighting Sioux nickname. Let's just hope the State Board of Higher Education does not pull the rug out from under the nickname supporters down on Standing Rock that have worked hard to get the 1000 signatures on the petition.

A state Supreme Court hearing that’s been holding up a decision to end the use of UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname is scheduled for today.

The court will decide whether the district court in Devils Lake decided correctly when it ruled against nickname supporters from the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation. The plaintiffs had filed suit to block what they consider an illegal early retirement of the nickname by the State Board of Higher Education.

The board had indicated it favored early retirement last fall, but the lawsuit and the temporary restraining order it triggered forced the board to pause. After the judge ruled in favor of the board, the board still took no action because the plaintiffs had appealed to the Supreme Court.

Thrown into this mix is the potential for the nickname to go on the ballot at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Nickname supporters there turned in a petition with 1,004 signatures, a significant number considering about 1,900 voted in the last tribal election.

The main reason board members favored retiring the nickname was they weren’t seeing any movement toward such a ballot measure at Standing Rock.

UND needs the blessings of both the state’s Sioux tribes to keep the nickname, as stipulated in the settlement between the state and the NCAA, which considers American Indian nicknames offensive
[Grand Forks Herald]

More Cindy Crosby antics

I am so sick and tired of Sidney Crosby's antics, I mean really. Crosby is a great hockey player and one of the best in the game but watch the video, Crosby cross checked Henrik Zetterberg about four times. In my opinion Crosby deserved a good beat down for that and good for Jimmy Howard for stepping up.
[Stick Salute]

Everyone is picking on the poor Gophers

I would have to admit that I have enjoyed or probably reveled in the Gophers' troubles. In fact I have enjoyed watching the implosion. They have no one to blame but themselves. The coach they should have forced out was John Hill and not Mike Guentzel I don't think it's a mystery why the Gophers have stumbled. Also, contrary to public belief the WCHA Final Five made it without the Golden Gophers in attendence this past weekend, people still showed up to the games without you.

KICKING THE GOPHERS

It almost seems some people revel in the Gophers' troubles. And they have had plenty the past three seasons.

On Friday, several people in the press box at the Xcel told me that sophomore defenseman Aaron Ness had signed with the New York Islanders. That would have been another body blow.

Checked my sources, finally reached his dad who insisted Ness is coming back. This is at least the second Ness rumor I have had to follow. Shortly after sophomore defenseman Sam Lofquist left, there were reports Jordan Schroeder would be turning pro and Ness would transfer to North Dakota.

Not sure if it's because the U has had so much success, or maybe people dislike Don Lucia, but there seem to be those hoping it all blows up.

As for Ness, young men change their minds. I believe his dad. I have no reason not to. But if Ness left in the offseason, it would not be a huge surprise as long as Garth Snow remains the New York Islanders general manager.

He ripped Lucia on the development of his players two seasons ago when Kyle Okposo signed with the Isles at the holiday break.
[Goal Gophers]

How did I do part two - pre season rewind.

Here was the pre-season poll that I did for the now defunct Illegal Curve. The teams that are lined out are the ones that didn’t make the NCAA tourney. I was put "On the Radar" for not putting UMass Lowell higher and that I picked Vermont 7th. Ha! How did that work for them? While I did expect more from UVM at least they made the NCAA tourney. Unfortunately; it was probably at the expense of Ferris State and UMD.


1.) Denver University – 27-9-4
2.) Miami University – 27-7-7
3.) Notre Dame – 13-17-8
4.) University of North Dakota – 25-12-5
5.) Boston University – 18-17-3
6.) University of Michigan – 25-17-1
7.) Vermont University – 17-14-7
8.) University of Minnesota – 18-19-2
9.) University of Wisconsin – 25-10-4
10.) University of Mass Lowell –
11.) University of Minnesota Duluth – 22-17-3
12.) Boston College – 25-10-3
13.) Yale University – 20-9-3
14.) Princeton University – 12-16-3
15.) University of New Hampshire – 17-13-7
16.) Northeastern University – 16-16-2
17.) Saint Cloud State University – 23-13-5
18.) Northern Michigan University – 20-12-8
19.) Cornell University – 21-8-4
20.) U.S. Air Force Academy – 16-15-6

Poll Monday (UND fourth in both)

Talk about meaningless the end of the season polls. The only poll that matters now is the winner of the NCAA championship.

Final USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[March 22, 2010]
1 Miami (28) 27- 7-7 924 2
2 Denver ( 6) 27- 9-4 865 1
3 Boston College ( 8) 25-10-3 854 4
4 North Dakota ( 4) 25-12-5 827 5
5 Wisconsin ( 2) 25-10-4 816 3
6 Cornell 21- 8-4 713 7
7 St. Cloud State 23-13-5 688 6
8 Yale 20- 9-3 556 9
9 Northern Michigan 20-12-8 520 12
10 Bemidji State 23- 9-4 517 10
11 Michigan 25-17-1 497 17
12 New Hampshire 17-13-7 363 13
13 Ferris State 21-13-6 355 8 (NIT)
14 Minnesota-Duluth 22-17-1 294 11 (NIT)
15 Vermont 17-14-7 263 14
16 Union 21-12-6 251 15 (NIT)
17 Alaska 18-11-9 244 18
18 Maine 19-17-3 176 19 (NIT)
19 Michigan State 19-13-6 156 16 (NIT)
20 RIT 26-11-1 117 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Colorado College 31(NIT), Boston University 24(NIT), Mass.-Lowell 7(NIT), Nebraska-Omaha 6(NIT), Alabama-Huntsville 5, Minnesota 5(NIT), St. Lawrence 5(NIT), Brown 1 (NIT)


-------------------------------

USA TODAY/USA Hockey men's poll
[March 22, 2010]
1 Miami (Ohio) (23) 27-7-7 486 2
2 Boston College (7) 25-10-3 457 4
3 Denver (3) 27-9-4 453 1
4 North Dakota (1) 25-12-5 436 5
5 Wisconsin 15-10-4 415 3
6 Cornell 21-8-4 338 7
7 St. Cloud State 23-13-5 312 6
8 Yale 20-9-3 239 9
9 Bemidji State 23-9-4 206 10
10 Northern Michigan 20-12-8 202 12
11 Michigan 25-17-1 179 NR
12 New Hampshire 17-13-7 111 13
13 Alaska (Fairbanks) 18-11-9 65 NR
14 Vermont 17-14-7 57 14
15 Ferris State 21-13-6 52 8 (NIT)
Others receiving votes: University of Minnesota Duluth, 25 (NIT); Union College, 23(NIT); Rochester Institute of Technology, 15; Michigan State University, 5 (NIT); University of Maine, 4 (NIT) .

Brad Malone Says Hi To Ryan Lasch

Nice check.



And by request here's a replay of a slick move by Evan Trupp. Too bad he didn't score.



Sorry this video isn't working yet. I hate youtube. Back when I was a kid we didn't have internet services that were inexplicably unreliable.

It does work on my youtube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWhistlerOFND?feature=mhw4

Alabama Huntsville Bumped CCHA Power Michigan State

At last something to feel good about.

Alabama Huntsville is a NCAA hockey program without an home next year. Their conference is folding up. The other teams in that conference, such as Bemidji State found homes in other conferences. The WCHA didn't really want another team but they stepped up and made room for Bemidji.

The CCHA refused to help Alabama Huntsville.

Alabama Huntsville won the last CHA tournament and got the autobid that comes with that. So they're going as well as Bemidji who played well enough (and then some) to make the tournament as an at large bid.

Nobody expected the CHA to take two places in the 16 game field. Some might think that's unfair.

But what goes around comes around. Not only was it a CCHA team that lost to them, it was one of the prominent programs, Michigan State, that found their season ended.

One would think that Michigan State would have a lot of influence in the CCHA. After all for years the CCHA didn't have a lot of depth. It was either Michigan and Michigan State that seemed to win it every year.

I wonder if Michigan State was one of the schools that blocked Alabama Huntsville from joining the CCHA. It would be fitting if that were the case.

So where is the outrage?

So I wonder if this hit will be reviewed by Bruce McLeod, probably not! Look at the picture it's a hit to the head. What do yall think? Stick tap to Sioux Rube.

Trev talks WCHA, Blais, arena, etc.

This past week Patrick Reusse started a rumor about Dean Blais going to the Gophers and Trev Albert addressed the media on the subject yesterday, I wouldn't start celebrating in Minnesota just yet. Personally I don't think Blais is going to coach in Minnesota IMHO. Stick salute to Husker Mike.

I talked to UNO AD Trev Alberts on Sunday, not too many hours after he had returned from St. Paul to take in the WCHA's Final Five.

Even though the 2009-10 hockey season is over for the Mavs, the school will have plenty on its plate this spring and summer as it begins the process of moving from the CCHA to the WCHA.

As always, Trev had lots of interesting things to say after his weekend in the Twin Cities. So let's break things down by subject and share his perspective on a number of hot topics:

Alberts on the rumors that Minnesota already is talking to coach Dean Blais about taking over the Gophers:
"They (reporters) asked me about it up in St. Paul. First of all, I have not had a phone conversation with (Minnesota AD) Joel Maturi. And I have had only positive conversations with Dean, and I know he's out recruiting this week. I think, for all Maverick fans, we ought to be flattered that people mention our coach. If nobody ever wants your coaches, and nobody thinks much of your coaches, then maybe you need new coaches. When we hired Dean, we understood that he was a known and proven commodity that certainly would be a coach people would be interested in. I feel like it's our job — my job — at UNO to try and create a culture and a situation that Dean and (his wife) Jackie so appreciate and so enjoy that they're not interested in any other opportunity. We'll work hard at doing that. We certainly expect and look forward to having Dean as our coach for a long, long time."

Alberts on the long-held speculation that Blais came to Omaha with plans to take over at Minnesota if the job opened:
"We would not have hired somebody to lead our hockey program that we didn't believe was going to be here for a good length of time. I think Dean and I are a little bit alike in that (we both came to UNO) because we love a challenge. I think Dean wants to build something special. So we'll see. Like I said, I think our fans and the community ought to be flattered that our coach is going to be mentioned any time there is an opening — or not even openings — and people are still attaching his name to it. At the same time, it's a crazy world we live in, and people are given opportunities, and that's just business. Like I said, it's our job to build an environment that coaches are going to want to be a part of."
[Omaha.com]

Post game comments from the Sioux

Ben Blood was asked the question, how much gas do you have left in the tank? Ben Blood's reply, "Zero!"

Yesterday's presser after selection Sunday. [click to view]

Press conference after the Final Five; Sioux players [Click to view]

Press conference after the Final Five; SCSU Players. [Click to view]

Sunday pontifications; Seen and heard at the Final Five

Thursday night after returning from the hotel lounge I was waiting for my elevator when I noticed one of my fellow Sioux fans passed out in one of the chairs in the lobby. That was one of those times that I wish I would have had a sharpie marker in my pocket because It would have been real tempting to have drawn a mustache on that person sleeping passed out in the hotel lobby.

Just a word of advice; when you put on your school's jersey you're a unofficial representative of that institution, so if you going to get so drunk that pass out in an random hotel lobby in downtown Saint Paul, please take off your jersey or hoodie that identifies you with said team. This is not the kind of P.R. that the University of North Dakota needs and you’re really not doing a very good job representing our favorite team. It's also ok to cut yourself off before you get to the point of passing out in public. If this was the south they could arrest you for public drunkenness.

Contrary to public belief I do remember all of the Final Five and it will go down as being one of the more exciting ones that I have witnessed. I have attended every Final Five since 1998; I am also going next year. I think believe that every good WCHA hockey fan should attend the Final Five.

Seen and heard at the Final Five

I was reading the Star and Tribune this morning when I ran across this gem by Sioux goalie Brad Eidness. This was one of the more funnier things I have read this season.

"I looked up at the clock somewhere around the eight- or nine-minute mark," Eidsness said, "and I looked at our bench and I had a feeling I probably should not let in another goal. The boys wouldn't be too happy with me if they had to go into overtime."

Here is the format for next years WCHA Final Five.

With the conference expanding from 10 to 12 teams next season, with the addition of Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha, there were will be six first-round series. And the winners of those will advance to St. Paul.

Among other pertinent details:

• The four lowest seeds in the field will play on Thursday in two quarterfinal games played back-to-back in one session. Tentative times are 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

• On Friday, the two Thursday winners will face the top two seeds, the MacNaughton Cup champion and the WCHA regular-season runner-up. The so-called "Minnesota rule" will remain, meaning if the Gophers are playing, they will be in the late game both nights.

• On Saturday, the championship game will be played at 7 p.m. as usual, but the afternoon third-place game has been eliminated.

Not only did Denver lose both games this past weekend at the Final Five they also lost one of their top forwards to a finger injury.

Junior wing Anthony Maiani, who is DU’s fourth-leading scorer, will miss today’s WCHA Final Five consolation game against Wisconsin and might not play again this season. He sustained a finger injury in Friday’s 4-3 loss to North Dakota in the tournament semifinals. [Denver Post]

Patrick Reusse from KSTP AM 1500 in the Twin Cities started a fire storm with these two twitter posts. First off why would someone from UND be mentioned in this conversation, Blais works for UNO. Also; I would love to see who the source of this rumor is.

Blais has told Minnesota, “I don’t want any open job search, I just want the job if you are going to give it to me. None of the B.S.”
-------------
E-mail from Fargo: “Plugged-in” UND sources say the Gophers have already called Dean Blais in Omaha about replacing Don Lucia.

Fighting Sioux Three Stars from the Final Five

Evan Trupp (3g-3a-6pts)at the Final Five.

Jason Gregoire recorded his 20th goal of the season March 18th against the Duluth Bulldogs.

Brad Eidsness 3-0 during the Final Five and recorded a shutout. While I tend to be hard on goaltenders I must give credit where credit is due; Brad made some big saves and was solid when he had to be. Brad also hasn't given up more than three goals since February 12th, 2010.

Goals From Broadmoor Title Game

Sorry for the poor quality. I had an heck of a time getting this uploaded. Still better something like this than nothing at all.

Here's Corban Knight's goal that got us going after we had given up two sloppy goals in the first minute. (I don't think that was in the gameplan.)

This video that follows has the other four goals to total our five. Sorry I cut off the first assist on the Malone goal, but then so did Fox Sports. What happened was that Hextall just cycled the puck down low as he was going off on a change. The puck came to Trupp who made a nice feed to Malone.

Redwing77's Final Five Wrap Up

Ok, I wanted to do this with my NCAA Outlook but I thought it would be too long of a post and they don't fit together.

The Final Five

Despite Goon's attempts to get me to attend, I did not attend this year's Final Five. I think I should have. It sounded like a great time, even if Goon and his squad (The Goon Squad) may only remember parts of it. :D

The biggest surprise to me was Denver not even trying. What little attempts at winning they displayed against UND they completely abandoned against UW. Cheverie goes out having a terrible Final Five and questions become apparent about this team pulling a Craig Dahl-esque swoon job in the NCAAs.

The biggest disappointment for me was having my Sioux end the Bulldog's season. I really like the Bulldogs. They play a standup game. Sandelin is an amazing person and a great coach. He makes me think that he's the collegiate version of Andy Murray. Knows what he's doing, gets the best out of the players he can manage to recruit, despite not always being able to get the best of the best.

The All Tourney Team

The first thing that struck me on this list was that Evan Trupp made MVP but did not make the team as a whole. Now, I don't think there's a rule that says that the MVP must come from the All WCHA Tourney Team, nor do I think that it is a snub on Evan Trupp. I actually like the fact that Trupp isn't on the Tourney Team because it allows one more player to be added that could have been argued belonging on the list in the first place.

Here's the All Tourney Team:

Goaltender - Brad Eidsness (UND)
Defense - Garrett Raboin (SCSU)
Defense - Ben Blood (HA HA HATERS TAKE THAT!)
Forward - Blake Geoffrion (UW)*
Forward - Chris Vandevelde (UND)
Forward - Tony Mosey (SCSU)
MVP - Evan Trupp (UND)

Ok, right off the bat I can tell you Eidsness, Vandevelde, Trupp, and Mosey belong in the list. Geoffrion had 2 goals and no assists in the tourney. But let me put this on the table:

Drew Shore (DU) - This forward had 3 assists on the weekend.
Jesse Martin (DU) - Had 1 goal and 1 assist on the weekend

Ok, neither of these guys potted a Game Winning Goal this weekend, where Geoffrion did. So, I can see that weighing heavily in Blake's favor, but I think Drew Shore played fantastic on a team that seemed at times not to give a darn. The unfortunate thing for Drew is that he wasn't credited for the John Lee goal in the UND game. If he was, he'd've HAD to be named to the All Tourney Team. Anyways, if the rule stood that the MVP had to come from the All Tourney Team, then it is obvious to me that Geoffrion would've been the last one in and the first one out and Trupp would've been named in his stead.


Defense can be a bit more subjective and so I'll leave that be....mostly. All I can say, again, is HA HA! EAT THAT HATERS! Ben Blood all in your FACE! Ok, I'm not sure Ben was the best D on the ice this weekend, but he certainly stood out. And the officials knew it calling two phantom calls on him and one correct call.

The Title Game

I'll get to the "correct call" right away so I don't leave people scratching their heads, but first, a little back story.

SCSU lost the game because of Garrett Roe. You heard me. Roe didn't play. SCSU lost the game. Why didn't he play? He got injured, taken off on a stretcher (for precautionary measures I'm told) after he got hit in the game against Denver. Now, unfortunate? Maybe. WCHA USCHO correspondant Spisak even suggested that the severity of the hit in question was brought upon by Roe. Normally, I'd say "Wait a minute" but the Robbie Earl Memorial Trophy winner is KNOWN for such actions, so, I have to give Spisak the benefit of the doubt.

Had Roe been in the game, however, Lasch wouldn't have had to dive, letting Roe do the job for him and that would have gotten Blood a major and a game instead of a Boarding minor. You could clearly tell the inexperience of Lasch at the contest of Frozen Water Diving. Before Blood hit Lasch, Lasch looks right at Blood coming and turns his back. He does NOTHING with the puck, he simply waits to be hit. He had time to pass the puck or turn away. He could have skated towards the blue line.

When he was hit, I thought "That's a major and he doesn't deserve it." And then I thought "Well... at least give Lasch a diving penalty on top of it." No dice. Instead, Shepherd, situational official that he is such a pro for doing, called a boarding penalty on Blood. Had Roe been there, he'd've done a Earl impression, getting the trainer on the ice, and forcing Shepherd to use his gullible side and kick Blood out of the game.

SCSU had already embellished earlier in the game and had it work (Hextall knocked a stick out of the guy's hand). I'm sure Lasch was surprised and Roe corrected him after the game.

So, I call this a "correct call" solely based on the fact that Shepherd and *unt didn't kick Blood out of the game. Was it the correct call according to the rule book? Well, welcome gray area.

It was a Checking from Behind penalty set up by the voluntary action of Lasch. He knowingly turned his back on an oncoming defenseman and waited to get hit. That's unethical. Unfortunately, I don't think that's against the rules. There's no rule against being stupid along the boards.

But in any case, Mike Lee got chased, Dunn came in and showed that he was the real deal RIGHT NOW all along (I maintain Lee will become a good goaltender eventually) and that's all she wrote.

In other officiating news: Campion didn't make the WCHA playoff officiating roster but Don Adam and Marco *unt did. Sorry, inconsistent as he may be, I'll take Campion any day of the week over *unt and Adam.