Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Injuries end Alex Kangas' college hockey career...
As a Sioux fan I am saddened by the departure of Alex Kangas from the college hockey ranks, his career has ended due to a lower body injury. Alex Kangas has sure been good to the Fighting Sioux. According to Roman from Goal Gophers Kangas is one of the better goaltenders to ever put on a UM jersey.
Kangas Ranks
1st: in save percentage, .912
3rd all time: in minutes played, 6,359,
3rd all time: in saves, 2,802,
3rd all time: in games, 108;
3rd all time: in consecutive starts, 51 in freshman and sophomore seasons.
4th all time: goals-against average, 2.56
Sweet shootout goal by Mason Raymond’s
Check out this sweet shootout goal by former UMD Bulldog forward Mason Raymond. Apparently the Islanders goalie Kevin Poulin thought it was a showoff move… If the NHL is going to continue to use the shootout to decide games players are going to find creative ways to score goals.
So you don't like our refs?
I found this comment over on INCH's first shift to be interesting. All I would say is welcome to the club buddy; most of us in the WCHA nation aren't all that thrilled with the quality of our officials either.
In the first half I can only think of three games when we were in the box a lot, the game against Brown and two games at St. Cloud, but we were a road team against the WCHA in those.”
One of the topics of conversations in last week’s ECAC Hockey notebook was that Quinnipiac is among the least-penalized teams in the nation. Bobcats head coach Rand Pecknold offered the above reflection on the first half of the season with a chuckle months after the fact. It’s not a criticism of the officials, but we felt it was worthy to share simply for the reason that a number of other coaches and fans are probably saying, “Yeah, I’ve seen that movie before.”
A few things on hump day...
Here is this weeks review from Goal Gophers. I personally can’t fault Roman on this because he is not the first one to get the town or the school location of the Fighting Sioux wrong. During the 2008 Final Five the WCHA had hand outs with UND being NDSU… EDIT: Roman has since changed it but I will leave it up so you can see it. Enjoy!
Putting the wraps on the SCSU incident
While there seems to be more stuff coming out from the SCSU incident in Florida, I have had a few people basically say so what? Adults over 21 can drink, so what’s the big deal? I say this, “look at it from this angle.”
While it’s legal for people older than 21 to drink, if the older teammates are bringing the beer or alcohol back to the hotel rooms and giving it to other students that aren't 21, then it becomes a legal problem... The fact that someone showed up in an area emergency room is in it’s self a problem.
There are other things to think of as well, if you’re part of an prestigious or public organization you're in the public eye 24/7 whether you want to admit it or not, and you’ll always be under observation and public scrutiny. Everything you do is up for review, by the media and fans a like, that’s part of being an adult in the real world... The fact that the SCSU athletic department and hockey team has tried to covet this incident up makes it more suspicious because there is no transparency, what the heck are they really hiding?
Let’s put the foot on the other shoe, can you imagine if this had been the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team and it was coach Hakstol’s and his assistants that were driving the team van but also if this had been the Sioux players that were kicked off of the team or had been in trouble? There would be all kinds of blow back from an event like this, like there was from past events. I can think of a couple of different fan bases that would have had a field day with it. Fans are still making jokes about elevators and or lawn mower tossing’s.
What do think the impression or reports would have been like if the Fighting Sioux Hockey team was loading up on beer on the team bus or van with the coach driving after a hockey tourney? I can only imagine it would have been a major media circus. It gives the appearance that the coaches are sanctioning the behavior… It would probably be different it the bus had been a hotel bus or a taxi that a player had rented. Also the SCSU coaches are state employees of the Minnesota State and College and University system so wouldn’t that vehicle they are driving be under state control and then you’re opening up a whole other can of worms. I know from my college football days this wouldn't have been acceptable.
Here is an update on former Fighting Sioux forward David Toews.
Gophers at North Dakota
The No. 2-rated Sioux are on an nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) and twice last season completely manhandled the Gophers in the first game of a series in Grand Forks. But this is a desperate U of M team, one that was up and down the first half of the season. One with only one proven college goalie that's healthy.
After 4-0 and 6-0 drubbings last season, the Gophers tied and won the next game. So give the opener to the Sioux, and the maroon and gold win on Saturday. That would make for a happy bus ride home. Gophers coach Don Lucia said his team needs points from the trip to Fargo. So to sum up, at the Ralph these teams will ... Split
Putting the wraps on the SCSU incident
While there seems to be more stuff coming out from the SCSU incident in Florida, I have had a few people basically say so what? Adults over 21 can drink, so what’s the big deal? I say this, “look at it from this angle.”
While it’s legal for people older than 21 to drink, if the older teammates are bringing the beer or alcohol back to the hotel rooms and giving it to other students that aren't 21, then it becomes a legal problem... The fact that someone showed up in an area emergency room is in it’s self a problem.
There are other things to think of as well, if you’re part of an prestigious or public organization you're in the public eye 24/7 whether you want to admit it or not, and you’ll always be under observation and public scrutiny. Everything you do is up for review, by the media and fans a like, that’s part of being an adult in the real world... The fact that the SCSU athletic department and hockey team has tried to covet this incident up makes it more suspicious because there is no transparency, what the heck are they really hiding?
Let’s put the foot on the other shoe, can you imagine if this had been the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team and it was coach Hakstol’s and his assistants that were driving the team van but also if this had been the Sioux players that were kicked off of the team or had been in trouble? There would be all kinds of blow back from an event like this, like there was from past events. I can think of a couple of different fan bases that would have had a field day with it. Fans are still making jokes about elevators and or lawn mower tossing’s.
What do think the impression or reports would have been like if the Fighting Sioux Hockey team was loading up on beer on the team bus or van with the coach driving after a hockey tourney? I can only imagine it would have been a major media circus. It gives the appearance that the coaches are sanctioning the behavior… It would probably be different it the bus had been a hotel bus or a taxi that a player had rented. Also the SCSU coaches are state employees of the Minnesota State and College and University system so wouldn’t that vehicle they are driving be under state control and then you’re opening up a whole other can of worms. I know from my college football days this wouldn't have been acceptable.
Here is an update on former Fighting Sioux forward David Toews.
The Prospect Park --- David Toews (NYI 2008 3rd) was the only prospect to see action on Tuesday night and it was yet another heartbreaking loss for Toew's Brandon Wheat Kings as they fell to the WHL's best team the Saskatoon Blades 5-4 in the shootout.
Toews registered his 10th goal of the season as Brandon make a great third period comeback from down 4-1 only to fall short. Got to feel bad for Toews as while he is doing his best, it is hard when you are playing on a last place team.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Aaron Dell is WCHA defensive player of the week
For a second time this season Fighting Sioux SOPHOMORE goalie Aaron Dell has been named the WCHA defensive player of the week. It would be an understatement that Dell was impressive last weekend giving up only one goal in sixty four shots and was about 19 seconds away of having three shutouts in a row.
WCHA.COM ---- University of North Dakota goaltender Aaron Dell, who came within :20 seconds of posting back-to-back shutouts in two victories over visiting Robert Morris and also extended his shutout streak to 224:31 – the second longest mark in school history – has been named the Red Baron® WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Jan. 11, 2011. He also earned the award on Nov. 16 for his performance at Wisconsin.
A 6-0, 190-pound sophomore from Airdrie, Alberta, Dell stopped 63 of 64 shots on goal in the series for a .984 saves percentage, recorded five shutout periods, blanked the Colonials on all nine of their power-play opportunities, and earned the No. 2 star of the game in each contest. He stopped all 32 shots in North Dakota's 8-0 win last Friday (Jan. 7) for his second straight shutout. He then lost his bid for a third straight shutout with just :20 seconds left in the third period on Saturday (Jan. 8) when Robert Morris scored an extra-attacker goal. Dell finished the game with 30 saves as the Sioux prevailed 2-1 to run their unbeaten streak to nine games at 8-0-1. Robert Morris' late goal last Saturday ended Dell's shutout streak at 224 :31 seconds, the second longest in school history and just 25 minutes shy of a 57-year old school record.
Potter: Senior SCSU hockey players 'crossed the line'
Now we know the rest of the story. Sounds like there was a big party down in Florida after the SCSU Huskies won their holiday tourney the Florida College Classic and the president of SCSU doesn't blame the coaches for the incident in Florida. Porter says he is proud of them. Apparently the beat writer for the Florida Everblades Naples News Woody Wommack saw the SCSU Huskies loading up the team vans with beer. I am not an expert with NCAA rules but I can't imagine the NCAA looking to fondly at this incident.
Potter also told the paper that he's "proud of my coaches. I'm proud of my athletic director. We had a couple young men, who are seniors and should have known better, and they crossed the line."
This is where things get interesting for me. Following the tournament's championship game, I finished my work and was headed home. I stopped for gas at the new Race Trac gas station near the intersection of Daniels and I-75. Also there were three 15-passenger vans carrying the entire St. Cloud State team.
As I filled my car up with gas, I watched player after player leave the store with beer and get into the vans. I figured the team was celebrating the tournament victory, but I also wondered how team officials, who were driving the vans, could allow players to buy large amounts of beer and bring them on the team van.
Normally, I would keep this information to myself, the team won the tournament and they wanted to blow off some steam. But for the St. Cloud State president to put all the blame on the players and say his staff was innocent is a little irresponsible.
What do you think? Are you happy the Everblades signed Mosey or do you think they should stay away from players with sketchy backgrounds?
Lucia: North Dakota is nation's best college hockey team
How dare Golden Gophers head coach Donny Lucia say that UND is the best hockey team in the nation. I guess he didn't get the memo? Lol!!!
Goal Gophers ---- Gophers coach Don Lucia said North Dakota fans will fill the Ralph and make it a tough place for his team to win.
"They give their team a great advantage," Lucia said on Monday during his weekly radio show on WCCO. "There is no question the games will be sold out. They will be all excited that we are coming in because we are their greatest rival. But beyond that, they have a very good team.
"I really, truly believe, they are the best team in the country. They've got all facets of what you are looking for: good goaltending, a big, strong, vetereran D-corps and a group of forwards that can score and can play physical, too.
"They have a bunch of guys that decided that we all are going to come back because they felt that this team could win a national title. And I am sure for this group that anything less will be a disappointment for them. They are kind of geared up for it this year."
The Fighting Sioux were picked to win the WCHA regular-season title and, at the halfway mark, are in first place by two points over UMD and Denver. North Dak
More Matt Frattin goals...
This is an awesome video that is making it's way around the Internet right now. Like I said in another blog post; "Golden Gopher goalies, you can watch all of the film you want, it’s not going to make a difference, you're going to be in the butterfly and Matt Frattin is going to release his howitzer and all you're going to feel is the puck zinging by your ear as you wave at the puck. Then we will hear the horn and see the fireworks going off."
Keith Ballad hit on Drew Miller
Since it's Gopher vs Sioux week I thought I would include a check by former Golden Gopher Keith Ballard as he give former MSU Spartan Drew Miller a ride with a marvelous hip check. Unfortunately for the Gophers none of the current Gopher defensemen or forwards can hit like this.
Little Caesars AAA Hockey Tournament info...
My friend Kyle wanted me to pass this information along.
The Hockey Academy at The Ralph Engelstad Arena will once again be hosting the Little Caesars North American Classic AAA Hockey Tournament, to be held the weekend of January 20th to the 23rd. Some of the best midget AAA programs in Canada and the US will be featured, including Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Little Caesars from Detroit, MI. Both programs produce a great many collegiate players and future NHL’ers, and have a history of providing recruits for the Fighting Sioux.
Other teams participating include; Alliance Bulldogs (Dallas, TX), Thunder Bay Kings, Pursuit of Excellence (British Columbia), Edge Academy (Alberta), Okanagan Hockey Academy (British Columbia), Marquette Electricians, Capital Center Pride (Lansing, MI) and the Northwest Regulators (Salt Lake City, UT).
There are several Fighting Sioux connections with the teams, as former Sioux Dixon Ward coaches the Okanagan Hockey Academy team and James Greene (father of former Sioux captain Matt Greene) is the manager of the Capital Center Pride. In addition to the Sioux connections, there are two Grand Forks players coming back to play, with Jake Davidson skating with Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Mitchell Byrne tending the nets for the Northwest Regulators.
Admission to this event is free, and Reebok will be on hand to display samples of their new equipment lines. Come out and watch some great hockey and see the next generation of college hockey players live!
The Hockey Academy at The Ralph Engelstad Arena will once again be hosting the Little Caesars North American Classic AAA Hockey Tournament, to be held the weekend of January 20th to the 23rd. Some of the best midget AAA programs in Canada and the US will be featured, including Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Little Caesars from Detroit, MI. Both programs produce a great many collegiate players and future NHL’ers, and have a history of providing recruits for the Fighting Sioux.
Other teams participating include; Alliance Bulldogs (Dallas, TX), Thunder Bay Kings, Pursuit of Excellence (British Columbia), Edge Academy (Alberta), Okanagan Hockey Academy (British Columbia), Marquette Electricians, Capital Center Pride (Lansing, MI) and the Northwest Regulators (Salt Lake City, UT).
There are several Fighting Sioux connections with the teams, as former Sioux Dixon Ward coaches the Okanagan Hockey Academy team and James Greene (father of former Sioux captain Matt Greene) is the manager of the Capital Center Pride. In addition to the Sioux connections, there are two Grand Forks players coming back to play, with Jake Davidson skating with Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Mitchell Byrne tending the nets for the Northwest Regulators.
Admission to this event is free, and Reebok will be on hand to display samples of their new equipment lines. Come out and watch some great hockey and see the next generation of college hockey players live!
They said what?
You have got to be kidding me Aaron Dell is a Sophomore, you could have gotten that from checking the roster at College Hockey News... Edit: The author has since changed his post but this is the same guy that RWD took issue with earlier this season for another post he wrote.
The Fighting Sioux have scored four or more goals 13 times, the Fighting Sioux are ranked 5th in the nation offensively and are ranked 12th nationally on defensive, I am not sure how you can come to any conclusion other than they are good, based on their strength of schedule of the games that they have played. The Fighting Sioux are one of the best defensive teams in the country, this was achieved by playing WCHA teams, there is no shame in losing to UNO, DU and UMD who are all in the top ten of the PWR. I mean seriously; the Fighting Sioux outscored their opponent last week 10-1 and won the last three games by a combined score of 15-1, how is that not flashy?
Edit: Here is the comment that I find amusing, they (Yale) aren’t putting up big numbers against bottom-of-the-barrel teams. Really? What's your definition of bottom-of-the-barrel? Let’s review some of the teams they have played; Sacred Heart 3-13-5, Vermont 3-11-4, Brown 5-6-4, Colgate 3-16-1, Holy Cross 7-11-2, Harvard 3-11-0. They lost to Air Force Academy 8-8-3.
2. North Dakota (16-5-2, 11-3-0 WCHA)This article is incoherent, UND has played the toughest schedule to date and compiled a record of 16-5-2 and have the most wins in division I hockey. What do you mean, "they aren't flashy?" What the hell is that? You're not going to be flashy playing WCHA teams, every game is a war.
Have there ever been questions about North Dakota’s legitimacy? The team is not flashy on offense, nor defense, but the returns of seniors Matt Frattin and Chay Genoway have given way for the Sioux’s younger stars, such as Danny Kristo, to have off-nights once in a while without having to worry about the offense suffering. And for the most part, freshman goalie Aaron Dell has been sturdy when it has. They’ve split weekends with league foes Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, and Nebraska-Omaha, but have edged all three in the standings. In those three losses, they’ve been outscored 7-2, which is a cause for concern heading forward, but the Sioux are atop the WCHA standings, and with a history of second-half domination, there’s little reason to believe that will change.[Click to read]
The Fighting Sioux have scored four or more goals 13 times, the Fighting Sioux are ranked 5th in the nation offensively and are ranked 12th nationally on defensive, I am not sure how you can come to any conclusion other than they are good, based on their strength of schedule of the games that they have played. The Fighting Sioux are one of the best defensive teams in the country, this was achieved by playing WCHA teams, there is no shame in losing to UNO, DU and UMD who are all in the top ten of the PWR. I mean seriously; the Fighting Sioux outscored their opponent last week 10-1 and won the last three games by a combined score of 15-1, how is that not flashy?
Edit: Here is the comment that I find amusing, they (Yale) aren’t putting up big numbers against bottom-of-the-barrel teams. Really? What's your definition of bottom-of-the-barrel? Let’s review some of the teams they have played; Sacred Heart 3-13-5, Vermont 3-11-4, Brown 5-6-4, Colgate 3-16-1, Holy Cross 7-11-2, Harvard 3-11-0. They lost to Air Force Academy 8-8-3.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Who is the biggest diver in college hockey; we have a winner...
Ordered by number of votes:
1. Jacob Cepis (7 votes)
1. Garrett Roe (4 votes)
3. Brett Hextall (2 votes)
4. Harry Zolnierczyk (Brown), J. Connelly (tUMD), C. Smith and J Murray (UW), J. Barriball (UMN), Mike Lee (SCSU) (all with 1 vote each)
Poll Monday; Sioux second in both polls
USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[January 10, 2011]
1 Yale (45) 14-1-0
2 North Dakota ( 2) 16-5-2
3 Boston College ( 3) 15-5-0
4 New Hampshire 12-3-4
5 Minnesota-Duluth 14-4-3
6 Denver 13-5-4
7 Michigan 13-6-4
8 Notre Dame 14-7-3
9 Wisconsin 14-7-3
10 Rensselaer 12-5-3
11 Nebraska-Omaha 12-7-1
12 Miami 11-8-3
13 Maine 9-6-4
14 Union 13-6-3
15 Merrimack 10-4-4
16 Boston University 9-5-6
17 Colorado College 12-9-1
18 Western Michigan 11-6-5
19 Ferris State 11-8-4
20 Alaska 9-7-4
Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 44, Ohio State 36, Dartmouth 26, Minnesota State 20, Clarkson 4, Robert Morris 4, Minnesota 3, Rochester Institute of Technology 1, St. Cloud State 1
____________________
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll
[January 10, 2011]
1 Yale University 14-1-0
2 University of North Dakota 16-5-2
3 Boston College 15-5-0
4 University of New Hampshire 12-3-4
5 University of Minnesota Duluth 14-4-3
6 University of Denver 13-5-4
7 University of Michigan 13-6-4
8 University of Notre Dame 14-7-3
9 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 12-5-3
10 University of Nebraska Omaha 12-7-1
11 University of Wisconsin 14-7-3
12 Miami University 11-8-3
13 Union College 13-6-3
14 University of Maine 9-6-4
15 Merrimack College 10-4-4
Others receiving votes: Boston University 53, Western Michigan University 10, Colorado College 8, The Ohio State University 3, Dartmouth College 1.
[January 10, 2011]
1 Yale (45) 14-1-0
2 North Dakota ( 2) 16-5-2
3 Boston College ( 3) 15-5-0
4 New Hampshire 12-3-4
5 Minnesota-Duluth 14-4-3
6 Denver 13-5-4
7 Michigan 13-6-4
8 Notre Dame 14-7-3
9 Wisconsin 14-7-3
10 Rensselaer 12-5-3
11 Nebraska-Omaha 12-7-1
12 Miami 11-8-3
13 Maine 9-6-4
14 Union 13-6-3
15 Merrimack 10-4-4
16 Boston University 9-5-6
17 Colorado College 12-9-1
18 Western Michigan 11-6-5
19 Ferris State 11-8-4
20 Alaska 9-7-4
Others Receiving Votes: Princeton 44, Ohio State 36, Dartmouth 26, Minnesota State 20, Clarkson 4, Robert Morris 4, Minnesota 3, Rochester Institute of Technology 1, St. Cloud State 1
____________________
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll
[January 10, 2011]
1 Yale University 14-1-0
2 University of North Dakota 16-5-2
3 Boston College 15-5-0
4 University of New Hampshire 12-3-4
5 University of Minnesota Duluth 14-4-3
6 University of Denver 13-5-4
7 University of Michigan 13-6-4
8 University of Notre Dame 14-7-3
9 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 12-5-3
10 University of Nebraska Omaha 12-7-1
11 University of Wisconsin 14-7-3
12 Miami University 11-8-3
13 Union College 13-6-3
14 University of Maine 9-6-4
15 Merrimack College 10-4-4
Others receiving votes: Boston University 53, Western Michigan University 10, Colorado College 8, The Ohio State University 3, Dartmouth College 1.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
INCH Power Rankings
1. Yale
2. North Dakota — The Fighting Sioux have won seven straight games, are unbeaten (8-0-1) in their last nine, and are 11-1-1 since a Nov. 6 loss to Minnesota Duluth. WCHA series against Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, and Colorado College precede an early February bye weekend. 16-5-2 (11-3-0 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Robert Morris, 8-0; W vs. Robert Morris, 2-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota, vs. Minnesota
3. New Hampshire
4. Boston College
5. Minnesota Duluth
6. Denver
7. Michigan
8. Rensselaer
9. Nebraska-Omaha
10. Union
11. Notre Dame
12. Merrimack
13. Wisconsin
14. Miami
15. Maine
16. Boston University
17. Western Michigan
18. Ohio State
19. Colorado College
20. Alaska
Dropped out: Robert Morris, Clarkson
Bubble-licious: Dartmouth, Ferris State, Princeton, RIT, Robert Morris
As always I post the INCH Power Rankings because they are interesting and fun to look at, I like the INCH staff and what they bring to the table. Like I have said in the past the only poll that matters is the PWR after the conference tourneys, there are no trophies for racking up wins in November, December and January...
In this week’s power ranking I don’t think that there are a lot of surprises here.... The INCH Rankings will mirror the USA and USCHO polls that will come out later today. Recently, there has been a national debate amongst college hockey fans on whether Yale is legit or for real? Yep, the Yale Bulldogs are the best in the ECAC, there is no doubt about it. Recently, the ECAC fans have gotten defensive when making a case for the ECAC.
Personally, being a western hockey fan and a WCHA guy, I think that right now, the UND Fighting Sioux are one of "the best teams" in the nation right now today as I write this, the Fighting Sioux have played by far the toughest schedule in college hockey and went an impressive 16-5-2 and the Fighting Sioux has lost one league game on the road. In case anyone is confused they buried the UMD Bulldogs 5-0 on December 30th, who is also one of the better teams in the WCHA. This is the same UMD Bulldog team that went out to Postdam, New York and took the Clarkson Knights to the woodshed.
2. North Dakota — The Fighting Sioux have won seven straight games, are unbeaten (8-0-1) in their last nine, and are 11-1-1 since a Nov. 6 loss to Minnesota Duluth. WCHA series against Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, and Colorado College precede an early February bye weekend. 16-5-2 (11-3-0 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Robert Morris, 8-0; W vs. Robert Morris, 2-1. THIS WEEK: vs. Minnesota, vs. Minnesota
3. New Hampshire
4. Boston College
5. Minnesota Duluth
6. Denver
7. Michigan
8. Rensselaer
9. Nebraska-Omaha
10. Union
11. Notre Dame
12. Merrimack
13. Wisconsin
14. Miami
15. Maine
16. Boston University
17. Western Michigan
18. Ohio State
19. Colorado College
20. Alaska
Dropped out: Robert Morris, Clarkson
Bubble-licious: Dartmouth, Ferris State, Princeton, RIT, Robert Morris
As always I post the INCH Power Rankings because they are interesting and fun to look at, I like the INCH staff and what they bring to the table. Like I have said in the past the only poll that matters is the PWR after the conference tourneys, there are no trophies for racking up wins in November, December and January...
In this week’s power ranking I don’t think that there are a lot of surprises here.... The INCH Rankings will mirror the USA and USCHO polls that will come out later today. Recently, there has been a national debate amongst college hockey fans on whether Yale is legit or for real? Yep, the Yale Bulldogs are the best in the ECAC, there is no doubt about it. Recently, the ECAC fans have gotten defensive when making a case for the ECAC.
Personally, being a western hockey fan and a WCHA guy, I think that right now, the UND Fighting Sioux are one of "the best teams" in the nation right now today as I write this, the Fighting Sioux have played by far the toughest schedule in college hockey and went an impressive 16-5-2 and the Fighting Sioux has lost one league game on the road. In case anyone is confused they buried the UMD Bulldogs 5-0 on December 30th, who is also one of the better teams in the WCHA. This is the same UMD Bulldog team that went out to Postdam, New York and took the Clarkson Knights to the woodshed.
Cal Clutterbuck blows up Stephane Robidas
I had the misfortune of watching tonight’s game between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars. This is was one of the few highlight from tonight’s game, the Minnesota Wild’s came out and looked like a bunch of pylons and left their goalie out to dry all night long. Having NHL center I was able to watch the game from the Dallas Stars cable network FSN Southwest, these two guys Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh were absolutely brutal, they are worse than the two homers from the Duck FSN crew, these two guys were continuously whining about Cal Clutterbuck and his how he loves to check, almost as bad as Clutterbuck's other fan... None the less, hockey is a contact sport and hitting is legal and part of the game and if you don’t want to get hit, avoid the check…
Scores from Saturday, January 8 2011 and links...
AHA
Air Force 2 at Sacred Heart 4
Mercyhurst 9 at Connecticut 4
Niagara 1 at Holy Cross 5
RIT 5 at Army 2
CCHA
Ferris State 3 at Bowling Green 1
Miami 2 at Ohio State 5
Notre Dame 3 at Northern Michigan 1
Michigan State 0 at Michigan 4
Western Michigan 2 at Alaska 0
ECAC
Brown 1 at Dartmouth 3
Clarkson 1 at Union 8
Cornell 3 at Quinnipiac 2 OT
St. Lawrence 3 at Rensselaer 5
Yale 4 at Harvard 2
Hockey East
Maine 1 at Merrimack 7
Boston College 3 at Providence 1
UMass Lowell 1 at Northeastern 3
New Hampshire 3 at Massachusetts 1
WCHA
Michigan Tech 1 at St. Cloud State 5
Nonconference
Bemidji State 3 at Alab-Huntsville 4
American Int'l 2 at Minnesota State 5
Canisius 5 at Wisconsin 6 OT
Robert Morris 1 at North Dakota 2
Exhibition
USA Under-18 Team 1 at Minnesota Duluth 4
From the INCH Chat Friday 7 January.
Apparently Gopher's sieve Alex Kangas' career might be over at UMN.
College Hockey news has more on Yale forward Chris Cahill; Eligibility of Yale Player Questioned...
Air Force 2 at Sacred Heart 4
Mercyhurst 9 at Connecticut 4
Niagara 1 at Holy Cross 5
RIT 5 at Army 2
CCHA
Ferris State 3 at Bowling Green 1
Miami 2 at Ohio State 5
Notre Dame 3 at Northern Michigan 1
Michigan State 0 at Michigan 4
Western Michigan 2 at Alaska 0
ECAC
Brown 1 at Dartmouth 3
Clarkson 1 at Union 8
Cornell 3 at Quinnipiac 2 OT
St. Lawrence 3 at Rensselaer 5
Yale 4 at Harvard 2
Hockey East
Maine 1 at Merrimack 7
Boston College 3 at Providence 1
UMass Lowell 1 at Northeastern 3
New Hampshire 3 at Massachusetts 1
WCHA
Michigan Tech 1 at St. Cloud State 5
Nonconference
Bemidji State 3 at Alab-Huntsville 4
American Int'l 2 at Minnesota State 5
Canisius 5 at Wisconsin 6 OT
Robert Morris 1 at North Dakota 2
Exhibition
USA Under-18 Team 1 at Minnesota Duluth 4
From the INCH Chat Friday 7 January.
Matt (Chokio, MN)
Tell me that the Fighting Sioux are not the best team in the nation right now? Yale??? C'mon man I know they have only one loss but look at who they have played!
Joe Gladziszewski--- (2:26 PM)
The Fighting Sioux are not the best team in the nation right now. There. OK, as the Yale doubters have become more vocal in recent weeks (especially in regard to the schedule) let's put forth a little bit of a defense for the Bulldogs. Sure, their schedule hasn't been as difficult as some other teams. They also have four fewer losses than North Dakota. There are schedule limitations that every Ivy League team faces. If Yale could play 6-10 more games, they'd take on some bigger series for sure. But in that limit, they did travel to Colorado College and Air Force. They're not dodging people, they're handcuffed by some rules. And the results are convincing. Not a lot of one-goal squeakers in there.
_____________________________________
Chris (Boston)
Prediction. Yale will not win a single postseason tournament this year.
Joe Gladziszewski --- (2:30 PM)
Daring prediction, considering that the maximum number of teams that can do that is six out of 58
Apparently Gopher's sieve Alex Kangas' career might be over at UMN.
College Hockey news has more on Yale forward Chris Cahill; Eligibility of Yale Player Questioned...
NoDak vs. Minny pontifications (Redwing77)
Since my posts are so often misconstrued as being those of Goon's, I'll come right out and say that Goon didn't write this. He probably will wish he did though. I spell better than him. (:D)
Just the Facts Jack
The University of North Dakota enters this series on fire. They've had a great first half with only a few hiccups along the way. They're very highly ranked and busy living up to the preseason hype. Sophomore goaltender Aaron Dell has been a surprise and Matt Frattin has been on fire. Corbin Knight has emerged as the scorer that many had thought him capable of when UND got his committment out of the AJHL.
It has been discussed here, I believe, that cohesion is a big factor in UND's success. This team does play like a team. Everyone seems to know his place and his role and, though perfection isn't there (nor do I expect it will be), they work hard and try to get as close to it as possible.
The University of Minnesota enters this series after whalloping the U-18 team. They're operating barely above water as they are just one game over .500 overall. They're better on the road (they're sub-.500 at home). Coach Lucia has come out with having some emotional issues apparently, but whatever it takes to take the heat off of the most incompetent coach in DI hockey (John Hill), I guess tDon will do whatever it takes. Baffles me as to why though.
The Gophers play a finesse style of hockey that can be dangerous if they are able to execute their game plan without too much disruptions or mistakes on their part. Though it is true that they've had a lot more down seasons than most of us (even those of us who dislike the Gophers with a passion) can believe. Looking at their talent, one would wonder what in the world is going on in the Twin Cities that could make all that talent underperform. Again, I look to Hill.
My take Jake
You can argue that special teams and goaltending have been questionable for the Gophers as of late, but I don't think so. I still maintain that Kangas is a good goaltender who has been hung out to dry more often than would be acceptable to maintain sanity. There is no doubt as to why his numbers have declined or his performance deteriorated as of late. It sometimes seems as though Kangas has to steal the game in order for the Gophers to win. The result of this complex that Kangas has been put through, Kent Patterson, who has been abysmal vs. the Sioux, has wrested the starting role away from Kangas.
My take is thus: The Gophers will go nowhere without Team Defense. Their Team D the past few years has been nothing short of a punchline. You get physical on them and they fall apart and eventually fold in on themselves much like a flimsy Wal-Mart folding chair at fat camp.
Look, they're a lot more talented than they've shown on the ice. Only a moron would disagree with that. They just can't put it together. This is a function of leadership and personnel. And again, I return to Hill. I'm going to do a bit of assuming when I say that Hill has a large hand in recruiting (much like Hakstol did when Blais was coaching at UND). They seem to have the opinion that the best on the table is better than the best for the team. For example, UND jumped at Robbie Bina because of the way he played the game and what he brought in leadership. I don't see Minnesota recruiting this type of player because he's nowhere on the radar of any NHL teams nor does he have the hype etc. that players like Leddy, Ness, Fairchild, etc. had/have. Personnel wise, they just don't seem to hold much faith in role players and lunch pail type players.
I really feel that the Gophers don't have any Lamoreauxs, Martos, Davidsons, Genoways, Hextalls, Malones, Rowneys, or Rodwells. They only seek out players like Knight, Gregoire, Frattin, and Kristo. Sure, I love players like Kristo, Knight, Gregoire, and all. I loved having Parise, Panzer, Toews, Oshie, Bochenski, Stafford, and so on but they don't work if you don't have a full team behind you and a team concept.
What to expect
I expect a tightly checked game. I expect a lot of hits and a lot of penalties. I think the officials will switch off. Friday night, UND gets the benefit of the doubt. Saturday, the officiating is much more swung to the other side. I think that hits that were legal on Friday won't be legal on Saturday. I also feel like diving could make its appearance in the game.
Leading 2011 Robbie Earl Memorial Frozen Water Freestyle Diving Candidate Jacob Cepis is swiftly running away with the award after defending champion Garrett Roe seemingly hitting a regression in his diving abilities. Look for Cepis to firm up at least a berth as a finalist this weekend as he heads to Grand Forks.
Expect big hits, crying Gopher fans, complaining Sioux fans (regarding what is sure to be a plethora of missed calls and buffoonery by the officials). The river will the thawed out in a good stretch in case a Sioux or Gopher player is to be sent down the river after making a bad play or not being as much of a fan favorite as he should be compared to fans preconceptions and draft position.
UND wins on Friday
UMN wins on Saturday
Fire Hakstol threads appear 12:01am Sunday.
This post will update as the week goes on so stay tuned!
Just the Facts Jack
The University of North Dakota enters this series on fire. They've had a great first half with only a few hiccups along the way. They're very highly ranked and busy living up to the preseason hype. Sophomore goaltender Aaron Dell has been a surprise and Matt Frattin has been on fire. Corbin Knight has emerged as the scorer that many had thought him capable of when UND got his committment out of the AJHL.
It has been discussed here, I believe, that cohesion is a big factor in UND's success. This team does play like a team. Everyone seems to know his place and his role and, though perfection isn't there (nor do I expect it will be), they work hard and try to get as close to it as possible.
The University of Minnesota enters this series after whalloping the U-18 team. They're operating barely above water as they are just one game over .500 overall. They're better on the road (they're sub-.500 at home). Coach Lucia has come out with having some emotional issues apparently, but whatever it takes to take the heat off of the most incompetent coach in DI hockey (John Hill), I guess tDon will do whatever it takes. Baffles me as to why though.
The Gophers play a finesse style of hockey that can be dangerous if they are able to execute their game plan without too much disruptions or mistakes on their part. Though it is true that they've had a lot more down seasons than most of us (even those of us who dislike the Gophers with a passion) can believe. Looking at their talent, one would wonder what in the world is going on in the Twin Cities that could make all that talent underperform. Again, I look to Hill.
My take Jake
You can argue that special teams and goaltending have been questionable for the Gophers as of late, but I don't think so. I still maintain that Kangas is a good goaltender who has been hung out to dry more often than would be acceptable to maintain sanity. There is no doubt as to why his numbers have declined or his performance deteriorated as of late. It sometimes seems as though Kangas has to steal the game in order for the Gophers to win. The result of this complex that Kangas has been put through, Kent Patterson, who has been abysmal vs. the Sioux, has wrested the starting role away from Kangas.
My take is thus: The Gophers will go nowhere without Team Defense. Their Team D the past few years has been nothing short of a punchline. You get physical on them and they fall apart and eventually fold in on themselves much like a flimsy Wal-Mart folding chair at fat camp.
Look, they're a lot more talented than they've shown on the ice. Only a moron would disagree with that. They just can't put it together. This is a function of leadership and personnel. And again, I return to Hill. I'm going to do a bit of assuming when I say that Hill has a large hand in recruiting (much like Hakstol did when Blais was coaching at UND). They seem to have the opinion that the best on the table is better than the best for the team. For example, UND jumped at Robbie Bina because of the way he played the game and what he brought in leadership. I don't see Minnesota recruiting this type of player because he's nowhere on the radar of any NHL teams nor does he have the hype etc. that players like Leddy, Ness, Fairchild, etc. had/have. Personnel wise, they just don't seem to hold much faith in role players and lunch pail type players.
I really feel that the Gophers don't have any Lamoreauxs, Martos, Davidsons, Genoways, Hextalls, Malones, Rowneys, or Rodwells. They only seek out players like Knight, Gregoire, Frattin, and Kristo. Sure, I love players like Kristo, Knight, Gregoire, and all. I loved having Parise, Panzer, Toews, Oshie, Bochenski, Stafford, and so on but they don't work if you don't have a full team behind you and a team concept.
What to expect
I expect a tightly checked game. I expect a lot of hits and a lot of penalties. I think the officials will switch off. Friday night, UND gets the benefit of the doubt. Saturday, the officiating is much more swung to the other side. I think that hits that were legal on Friday won't be legal on Saturday. I also feel like diving could make its appearance in the game.
Leading 2011 Robbie Earl Memorial Frozen Water Freestyle Diving Candidate Jacob Cepis is swiftly running away with the award after defending champion Garrett Roe seemingly hitting a regression in his diving abilities. Look for Cepis to firm up at least a berth as a finalist this weekend as he heads to Grand Forks.
Expect big hits, crying Gopher fans, complaining Sioux fans (regarding what is sure to be a plethora of missed calls and buffoonery by the officials). The river will the thawed out in a good stretch in case a Sioux or Gopher player is to be sent down the river after making a bad play or not being as much of a fan favorite as he should be compared to fans preconceptions and draft position.
UND wins on Friday
UMN wins on Saturday
Fire Hakstol threads appear 12:01am Sunday.
This post will update as the week goes on so stay tuned!
Tom Kostopoulos suspended 6 games for this hit...
For this hit Tom Kostopoulos was suspended 6 games by Colin Campbell... There is no excuse for these types of hit in any league of hockey, I am all for hitting but the Redwings Defender Brad Stuart didn't even have the puck when he was freight trained... Tom Kostopoulos is not known for his offensive prowess and has (4g-4a-8pts) points in 43 games.
NHL.COM----Calgary Flames forward Tom Kostopoulos has been suspended for six games and will forfeit $29,569.92 in salary for delivering a blow to the head of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart in NHL game #609 on January 7, the National Hockey League announced today.
"A number of factors were considered in reaching this decision," said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. "Kostopoulos delivered a blow to the head of an unsuspecting and vulnerable player. As well, he targeted the head of his opponent and, while the hit was not from the blindside, the head was the principle point of contact. The fact that Brad Stuart was not in possession of the puck when the blow was delivered and the serious nature of the player's injury were also considered in my decision."
Gopher goalies beware - Matt Frattin is in the house...
Golden Gopher goalies, you can watch all of the film you want, it’s not going to make a difference, you're going to be in the butterfly and Matt Frattin is going to release his howitzer and all you're going to feel is the puck zinging by your ear as you wave at the puck. Then we will hear the horn and see the fireworks going off. Here is the video of the goal that Matt Frattin scored on Friday night... Matt Frattin is leading the nation with 20 goals in 23 games for the season.
We can finally turn the page on our nonconference schedule where the Sioux went 5-2-2 and return to league play. This week the much hated and our heated rival the Minnesota Golden Gophers come to the Ralph Englestad arena riding an unimpressive record of 1-3-2 in their last 6 games. Fresh of their unimpressive 3rd play tie in the annual Dodge Holiday Cupcake Classic, where the Minnesota Golden Gophers lost to Union and tied Ferris State University. Gopher head coach Don Lucia even decided that he has seen enough and canceled the shootout.
If you have seen it Ryan Cardinal of the Gopher Puck Live has this little paragraph on the up coming series between the Gophers and the Sioux.
Next weekend, Minnesota kicks off the second half of their schedule in a big way as they head to Grand Forks to take on the first place Fighting Sioux. It will be the first meeting of the season between the two rivals, and the last since the Sioux ended Minnesota’s season last March in Grand Forks.
The Sioux are playing Robert Morris at home this weekend but have just one loss in their last 11 games and have played the toughest schedule in the nation. They have upperclassmen and depth up and down their lineup, so this will be the best team Minnesota has played all season long. Big games have brought out the best in the Gophers at times this year (wins vs. UMD and Michigan come to mind) but the Sioux have absolutely owned Minnesota over the last five years or so, and the Gophers cannot afford a pointless weekend at the Ralph.
Arguably the biggest key to success for the Gophers will be matching the intensity the Sioux are sure to bring to the table, which is a big reason they have had a ton of success vs. the Maroon and Gold in recent years.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
WCHA Buffoons Blow Another Replay
How many is this now? I thought that the instant replay was supposed to be used to get it right rather than making things worse.
Anyway this video has the Trupp goal that was disallowed by the buffoons on ice, otherwise know as Adam and Mason. The first view of the disallowed goal is clear that the puck was in the net BEFORE the whistle blew.
As you can see the puck went DIRECTLY into the net. There is no conceivable way that the referee could have blown the whistle before the puck went in.
The referee was on the side of the net the puck went in. Because of that he may not have seen the puck go in. But the goal judge certainly did. Why do we even have goal judges.
Coach Hakstol said he was told by Buffoon Adam that they weren't sure enough the puck went in before the whistle. Well the overhead camera is definitive and they certainly should have a feel for how fast the puck went into the net.
Anyway, just to cheer you up, we won the game. The difference maker is at the end of the tape which was Matt Frattin's goal of beauty. It won't go down as the game winning goal, but there's no doubt that this was the crucial play.
Goon documented the WCHA buffoons screwing up the instant replays over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Here's one where Buffoon Anderson disallowed a Frattin goal that was called a goal on ice.
Here's where the Buffoon officiating crew allowed a goal that was disallowed on ice to tie the game.
And here's the Buffoon head of officials' lame excuse for their buffoonery. As was pointed out by PCM, there is no way they can say the Notre Dame player didn't interfere with our goalie without calling a penalty.
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