Goon's World

Saturday, March 03, 2012

Barnstorming and a Hat Trick

It has been a tumultuous season for the USHL's Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, even more so on the road. Plagued with injuries, the team found themselves with a 19-18-8 overall record, 6-14-3 on the road, headed into their game last night in Lincoln. After ending the regular season on top last year, it is difficult to stomach being buried in 5th in the league. Yet something lit these guys on fire last night as they took on the 27-14-4 Lincoln Stars at the Ice Box, led by 19 year old forward Davey Middleton, in what can only be called an exhibition of well-executed play.

Gerald Mayhew led the attack with a goal in the 1st period that was answered in the second by Stars forward Markus McCrea. It was Davey Middleton who came out swinging in the third, kicking it off with an early goal. When Stars forward and Grand Forks native Luke Johnson responded in kind, Davey lit it up two more times to complete his hat trick, rounding out his night with an assist to Ryan McGrath on an empty net goal.

Middleton started his season with the Tri-City Storm having an almost silent single goal and single assist record in his 10 games played. Since coming to the RoughRiders, Davey has played 23 games scoring 7 goals and 7 assists. He has been a quiet, but effective force for the RoughRiders to date. He does not have an announced college commitment.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Dell backstops Sioux to a 4-2 victory over Mavericks

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athl...

Image via Wikipedia

Grand Forks, ND – Minnesota State University came into this series as one of the hotter teams in the WCHA. Coming into the game the Mavericks had gone an impressive 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

While they started the season with a dismal 3-13 record and are currently the 11th-placed team in the WCHA standings. But the Mavericks aren’t as bad as their record shows as the start of their season was decimated by a rash of injuries. Those players have returned and the Mavericks have improved as the season has gone along, going 9-8-1 in their last 18 games.

The North Dakota Fighting Sioux have been hot themselves 6-3-1 in the last 10 games, making tonight’s game a contest of two in-form teams.

The Mavericks are led offensively by a pair of prolific freshman players in Jean-Paul Lafontaine (Oxford, MI) and Matt Leitner (Los Alamities, CA). This dynamic duo lead the team in points, but tonight the duo would be held to just a single point.

The Mavericks came out of the gates fast and were on the scoreboard early, with Leitner scoring the first goal at the 01:37 mark of the first period.

The early marker against didn’t rattle the Fighting Sioux.

As the season has progressed, this year’s Fighting Sioux hockey team have become accustomed to giving up the first goal of the game. If anything it’s been a recurring theme.

The Fighting Sioux have given up the first goal in 20 out of 33 games that they have played this season. But by the same token, the Fighting Sioux have a record of 8-3-2 at Ralph Englestad Arena when giving up the first goal of the game.

“It’s not the first time that we have given up the first goal in the first five minutes or so of the game,” UND forward Michael Parks said. “A couple months ago we wouldn’t have responded the way we did tonight, but we have matured quite a bit as a group, and we came out and responded really well to giving that first one early.”

After the Maverick’s first goal, the Fighting Sioux would score three unanswered goals of their own, and would not surrender the lead the rest of the game.

The second period was a little less dramatic than the first period as both teams had some good chances and the Mavericks appeared to have more jump in their step. Both goalies played well and gave neither team anything.

The Mavericks would outshoot the Fighting Sioux 9-7 in the second period and would get many great chances that were repelled by Fighting Sioux junior goalie Aaron Dell. With the win tonight, Dell was able to record his 44th win of his career tying him for 10th all-time at UND.

“He [Dell] played great,” junior forward Danny Kristo said of his goalie’s performance. “He made three or four saves that could have been goals.

“Awesome for him. He has been sick and battling injuries for the last two weeks, so he came in to night and played good. Everyone is happy for him.”

The third period was more action packed, as both teams were able to light the lamp and give the home team fans something to cheer about and the Fighting Sioux were able to gut out a 4-2 win.
Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol was pleased with his team’s effort.

“I thought our ability to answer back after giving up the first one early in the game was very important,” Hakstol said.

“We got a couple of grinding goals down low on the crease, after that. Once they [Mavericks] made it a one-goal game in the third period, we had a couple of guys that made a big play to extend it to a two goal lead again.”

With the loss tonight, the Mavericks dropped to 12-21-2, 8-17-2 WCHA record. The Mavericks remain in 11th place of the WCHA standings and they travel to Minnesota Duluth for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

With the win, the Fighting Sioux secured fourth place in the WCHA standings and will play the ninth-placed team in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, the Fighting Sioux improve to 19-12-3, 15-11-1 WCHA.

The same two teams play tomorrow night.

Fighting Sioux vs. Mavericks game one

Fighting Sioux Forward Lines

29 Brock Nelson–10 Corban Knight (A) –7 Danny Kristo
16 Mark MacMillan–27 Carter Rowney–15 Michael Parks
Stephane Pattyn 28 –9 Mario Lamoureux (C) – 20 Joe Gleason
8 Dan Senkbeil–13 Connor Gaarder– No forward.

Fighting Sioux Defensive Pairings.

4 Derek Forbort – 24 Ben Blood
2 Andrew MacWilliam (A) – 5 Nick Mattson
18 Dillon Simpson–22 Andrew Panzarella

Fighting Sioux Goalies

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

UND Injuries: Forwards Taylor Dickin is out (lower body injury), Rocco Grimaldi is out (season knee surgery), Brendan O’Donnell is out (season ending surgery), Derek Rodwell is out (season shoulder surgery).

Fighting Sioux Players Stats

MSU-M Mavericks Forward lines

23 Michael Door (C) - 19 Zach Lehrke - 8 Max Gaede
12 Jean-Paul Lafontaine - 18 Matt Leitner - 25 Eriah Hayes
24 Adam Mueller - 26 Joe Schiller - 22 Johnny McInnis
15 J.P. Burkemper - 29 Eli Zuck - 14 Justin Jokinen

Mavericks Defense Pairing

16 Tyler Elbrecht (C) - 2 Josh Nelson
7 Zach Palmquist - 17 Evan Mosey
3 Cameron Cooper - 27 Brett Stern

Maverick Goalies

30 Phil Cooke
1 Austin Lee

Maverick Player Stats

Radio: UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM) – The Fox.
Webcast: www.fightingSioux.com
TV Friday: UND Sports Network, Fox College Sports Central, MidcoSN3
TV Saturday: UND Sports Network, Fox College Sports Pacific, MidcoSN3
*Note this weekend’s games will not be on DirecTV.

Devin Setoguchi's epic fail.

Minnesota Wild forward Devin Setoguchi scored the game tying goal with ten seconds remaining in the third period of last night's game against the Montreal Canadians. Setoguchi's goal tied the game to send the game to overtime. The Wild and the Canadians didn't score during the extra session.

Setoguchi was able to go from hero to goat in about ten minutes in time with this epic failure. Fast forward to the shootout, the Wild forward Setoguchi has a chance to extend the shootout, but he falls flat on his face during his failed attempt in the shootout.

Fighting Sioux nickname debate makes Fox News

The Fighting Sioux nickname debate has picked up national exposure and not all of it's very possitive. There are many stories on line, almost too many to count. All you have to do is run a search on google.com with Fighting Sioux nickname and logo and you will get thousands of hits.

One common story is this one -> The NCAA is saying don't bring the nickname and log to the playoffs.

Here is my suggestion, if you're going to have a debate about an issue on national television, at least have the facts right when you come to the table to debate. None of these three had all of their facts straight and basically makes the argument pointless. I would at least expect a person that is arguing as a legal scholar to a least have the facts right before you go on camera.

The one person that was the most informed of the three on the issue, was Fox News host Jenna Lee. While she was the most informed one of the three, and the most prepared for the debate and she still was missing a few of the key important facts.

Franklin's letter says if UND's use of the nickname and logo forces the school to forfeit games, the NCAA may demand that the university reimburse it for its travel and meal costs in connection with the championship. "It is the spirit of the NCAA's championship policy that the competing student-athletes (both North Dakota and its opponents) not be distracted or disrupted during the championship by debates about when and where your institution's Native American imagery or nickname may be displayed or worn," Franklin said in the letter. [read the whole article]

Here is another story that is flat out wrong. This time in the Hockey News.

Of course it’s the players who lose out here. The men’s team has “neutral-themed” jerseys on order in case the squad makes it to the Frozen Four – and with 15 NHL draft picks on the roster, including first-rounders Brock Nelson and Derek Forbort, that’s not a stretch – but state law would prevent them from wearing the alternative sweaters. What, exactly, is the university’s sports department supposed to do?

No where in the nickname law does it say that UND can't wear the alternative sweaters, I don't know where that person is ever getting this incorrect fact?

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Future Stars - Amlong and McGrath

The USHL has been a breeding ground for the up and coming stars of the NCAA and the NHL. Next year, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are losing two good ones, Greg Amlong and Ryan McGrath, to the UMass-Lowell River Hawks. The River Hawks are having a respectable season at 14-0-6, standing 5th in Hockey East. It will only get better with these two in their stable.

After playing together in the 2009-2010 season for the St. Louis Jr. Blues of the CSHL, McGrath and Amlong both came to the RoughRiders for the last 2 years and they have been very powerful for the team.

Ryan McGrath is a 20 year old forward from O'Fallon, MO. After suffering an early season wrist injury, he has played only 24 games this year, but has come back with a vengeance holding 7 goals and 11 assists in that time. This has been pretty consistent with his 18 goals and 24 assists in 58 games last year. Ryan is a leader on the ice with an infectious energy that permeates the team.

Greg Amlong is a 20 year old defenseman also from O'Fallon, MO. Greg has played 44 games this season with 9 goals and 15 assists. Perhaps more impressive is his 94-mph slapshot that seems to fly through the goalie on its way into the net. Greg is focused on the ice with his eye always on the puck as he protects the crease and his goalie.

Sioux vs. Mavericks series notes

Image via Wikipedia

The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux entertain the Minnesota State Mavericks at Ralph Englestad Arena March 2-3, 2012.

Game Time: 7:37 pm CT Friday and 7:07 pm CT Saturday Night

Records and Rankings: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (18-12-3 overall, 14-11-1 WCHA); The Fighting Sioux are ranked 14th in the USCHO poll and 15th in the USA Today Poll. North Dakota split their weekend series against Denver University (4-3 W, 3-5 L). OfficialRelease

Minnesota State University Mavericks (12-20-2, 8-16-2 WCHA) are not ranked in either national poll. The Mavericks were idle last weekend. Official Release

Series History: The UND Fighting Sioux leads the all-time series against the Mavericks 35-10-7. Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol owns a 20-3-2 record against the Mavericks. The Fighting Sioux is 16-1-1 in the last 18 games against the Mavericks.

Radio: UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM) – The Fox.

Webcast: www.fightingSioux.com

TV Friday: UND Sports Network, Fox College Sports Central,MidcoSN3
TV Saturday: UND Sports Network, Fox College Sports Pacific, MidcoSN3
*******Note this weekend's games will not be on DirecTV.**********

Players to Watch:

For UND: Forwards: Danny Kristo (15g-21a—36pts), Corbin Knight (12g-20a—32pts) and Brock Nelson (22g-16a—38pts), Carter Rowney (16g-9a—25pts). Defense: Nick Mattson (5g-11a—16pts), Dillon Simpson, (1g-14a—15pts), Ben Blood (2g-14a—16pts). Goaltenders: Aaron Dell .891 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average. Brad Eidsness .914 save percentage and a 2.30 goals against average.

UND Injuries: Forwards Taylor Dickin is out, Rocco Grimaldi is out (season knee surgery), Brendan O’Donnell is out (season ending surgery), Derek Rodwell is out (season shoulder surgery).

For Minnesota State: Forwards: Jean-Paul Lafontaine (13g-15a—28pts), Matt Leitner (8g-18a—27pts), Eriah Hayes (13g-10a—23pts) Michael Dorr (8g-10a—18pts). Defense: Zach Palmquist (6g-12a—18pts), Evan Mosey (2g-8a—10pts). Goaltenders: Austin Lee .905 save percentage and a 3.20 goals against average Phil Cook .890 save percentage and a 3.50 goals againstaverage.

Other games in the WCHA: Wisconsin at Minnesota, DU at Nebraska Omaha, Michigan Tech at Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth at Saint Cloud State, Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage

Goon and Lucic agree on Fighting

Image via Wikipedia

Huh! I looks like Boston Bruins tough guy Milan Lucic has the same stance that I do when it comes to Fighting in Junior Hockey. In fact he is saying many of the same things that I have.

“I’m totally against it,” Lucic told The Province on Wednesday.

“I think there will be more injuries because there’d be no fear of fighting. The game will become dirtier. And, for myself, I don’t think I could have made the NHL the way I did without it.”

Lucic, maintains, though, that fighting in junior “kept me out of trouble because it’s a way of getting my aggression out.” . [The Providence]

A "Dirty" Hit that wasn't (RW77)

Last night, I watched the Dallas vs. Pittsburgh game (unfortunately, Pittsburgh won in a shootout). However, during the game, there was a hit that got everyone talking.

I do not know how to embed but: Here is the video.

The Stars (and former Michigan star) Eric Nystrom hits Pens Defenseman Kris Letang high-ish.

Mike Milbury (aka the idiot in this post) and Jeremy Roenick (who usually is the idiot but in this case was right on) had an on air argument over this hit.

Here's the pros and cons on it being a dirty hit:

1. Pro: Nystrom makes no move to get the puck.
2. Con: If Nystrom made head contact, it was the brushing of his shoulder on Letang's chin.
3. Pro: Injury to the head occurred.
4. Con: Injury was more to the effect of the big hit rather than the shoulder.
5. Con: Main impact area is Letang's shoulder/collarbone. He got rocked and the impact alone would have knocked most guys out of the game anyways, imo.
6. Con: Letang was coming out of the corner and his head was down.
7. Con: Letang was away from the boards and his back was not turned to Nystrom at the time of impact.

In the end, Milbury ended up having a stroke on air (exaggeration) because even incidental or the brushing of the head should be a suspendable offense. Roenick correctly stated that if there is fault for the hit, it rests on Letang. Nystrom did not leave his skates nor made any distinguishable upward motion of the shoulders to attempt to headhunt.

Milbury went on to rant that hits like these should be eliminated from the game. This was NOT a head shot! It was whiplash due to the extreme and sudden change in direction of Letang's right shoulder exaggerated by the helmet hitting the ice.

This hit cannot be made illegal or the slippery slope will become a cliff.

My stance against banning fighting

There is a lot of talk about eliminating fighting from the game of hockey. In fact this call is at an all time high right now. Unless you live in a vacuum, you will know that there are a fair number of hockey pundits (most of which have never played the game of hockey) that are racing to jump on the eliminate fighting from all levels of hockey, band wagon. It's getting crowded fast.

I for one am not a big fan of this idea. I think it's highly flawed, short sighted and flat out wrong.

Here is why. I believe that there are a lot of “Rats” in hockey, you know the ones, these are the gutless pukes that have no regard for their opponents, players like Matt Cooke, Max LaPierre, Jordin Tootoo, Jarkko Ruutu, Alexandre Burrows and they will run wild, if left unchecked, especially if they don’t have to face the music or look over their shoulder.

These types of players will flourish and morph, if they know they don't have to face the music and don’t have something to keep them honest.

I am dead serious, you will also see more of these “Rats” surface "if" hockey is transitioned to non-fight sport.

If fighting is eliminated from hockey, this will be the direct cause of a lot of gratuitous. unneeded and brutal violence. Eliminating fighting will cause injuries will spike as well.

This is because a player won’t be able to settle differences on the ice like men and you will see also see a lot more of the dangerous checking from behind and boarding incidents, many of which will lead to serious injury.

One could make the argument that this is the reason you see some many of the dangerous hits in the NCAA, which is a non-fight league. I guarantee that you would see a lot less of the extra after the whistle garbage from the agitators in the NCAA, if these players had to answer for their antics on the ice, once in a while.

How many times have we seen a game where there is a fight and after the fight the games settles down and the teams play hockey again.

As we have seen this past season, we can not count on the NHL to protect the players and most of the concussions that players have suffered this season are as a result of dangerous dirty and or high hits.

I broke it down recently in this blog post with my favorite team, the Boston Bruins, which currently has 3-4 players currently out with symptoms that would suggest that they have post concussion syndrome. None of these guys were injured in fights but injured with high hits. So what next eliminate checking from hockey?

I don’t agree with Bob Boughner on a lot of things. But I do think he is right in this situation.

We’re on a very, very dangerous slope,” Boughner said. “We’re preparing guys for the next level and if you toughen the rules and get rid of it (fighting) in the game, it would have to coincide with the NHL and AHL. “If they’re not doing it, then you’re putting kids (looking to go pro) in a tough situation.” Taking fighting out of amateur hockey might also take away an enforcer’s ability to battle for an NHL roster spot [The Windsor Star].

I also think before we run off and drastically make unneeded changes to the game of hockey maybe they need to talk to the hockey people first.

“When you eliminate the opportunity for players to quote-unquote defend themselves, there’s significantly more stickwork, significantly more bullying or verbal abuse, where a player knows if he does something he can get that other player out of the game,” said Kelly McClintock, who as general manager of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association is in charge of amateur hockey in the province. [New York Times]

Goon's WCHA Picks 3/01/2012

Fri 03/02/12

Denver at Nebraska Omaha 6:37 p.m. CT (TV-NBCSN)
Wisconsin at Minnesota 7:07 p.m. CT (TV-FSn)
Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State 7:37 p.m. CT (TV-Charter)
Minnesota State at North Dakota 7:37 p.m. CT (TV-FSSN,FCSc)
Michigan Tech at Colorado College 7:37 p.m. MT
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage 7:07 p.m. AT (TV-GCI)

Sat 03/03/12

Denver at Nebraska Omaha 7:07 p.m. CT
Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State 7:07 p.m. CT (TV-Charter)
Minnesota State at North Dakota 7:07 p.m. CT (TV-FSSN,FCSc)
Wisconsin at Minnesota 7:07 p.m. CT (TV-FSn)
Michigan Tech at Colorado College 7:07 p.m. MT
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage 7:07 p.m. AT (TV-GCI)

Denver at Nebraska Omaha – Split
Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State – Split
Minnesota State at North Dakota – UND Sweep
Wisconsin at Minnesota – Minnesota Sweep
Michigan Tech at Colorado College – Tech Sweep
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage – BSU Sweep

Last Week 8-4 Record for the season 135 - 84

Blow out of the week - The Game between the Badgers the Gophers on paper one could suggest that this series won’t even be close. I have no idea why the Badgers are even making the trip to Minneapolis this weekend… I actually think that this will be one of the more exciting series this weekend.

Weekend Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

Here we are, the last weekend of the WCHA regular season. Either the Bulldogs or the Gophers will be crowned the 2011-12 MacNaughton Cup champions. The other interesting contests are for spots 5-8, with those teams currently separated by two points. Here is what we do know is for sure, the top three teams have secured home ice and the bottom four teams will be on the road next weekend. So there are five teams trying to secure a top six finish.

WCHA STANDINGS

Team…………………...……W-L-T………Points
1. Minnesota……………….19-7-0…..……38
2. Minnesota-Duluth……16-6-4….…….36
3. Denver…………..……..…14-8-4………..32
4. North Dakota.……….….14-11-1….……29
5. Colorado College ……..13-12-1……….27
5. Nebraska-Omaha……..11-10-5……....27
7. Michigan Tech……….….11-11-4………26
8. St. Cloud St……………. 11-12-3……….25
9. Wisconsin…....……….10-14-2…..……22
10. Bemidji State…..…….9-14-3…….….21
11. Minnesota State………8-16-2………..18
12. Alaska-Anchorage…...5-20-1………..11

WCHA Games (#’s are current Pair Wise Rankings)

Michigan Tech @ #21 Colorado College
Last weekend the Huskies split with the SCSU Huskies in Houghton and the Tigers were swept by the Bulldogs in Duluth.

This is a big series this weekend. Only one point separates these teams, with that one point being the difference for hosting a first round playoff series or hitting the road next weekend. It is possible that these teams could be playing each other again next weekend too. The Tigers are reeling right now, only winning once in their last seven games, going 1-5-1. The Huskies have also been sliding, they too have only one win in their last six games, going 1-3-2. CC has been good at World Arena this season sporting a 9-5-2 record at home. The Huskies have been okay on away from Houghton going 5-8-2 on the road this season. Both need points this weekend to try and secure home ice. SPLIT

#1 Minnesota-Duluth @ St. Cloud State
Last weekend the SCSU Huskies spilt with the MTU Huskies in Houghton and the Bulldogs swept the Tigers in Duluth.

The Bulldogs are on a five game unbeaten streak with four wins and a tie. SCSU has come on strong going 4-2-0 in their last six, giving them a shot at hosting games next weekend. The Huskies still have an outside chance at home ice in the first round but need some help. The Bulldogs have been outstanding on the road this season, going 10-2-4 away from Duluth. UMD can finish either first or second in the league, and SCSU can finish anywhere between fifth and tenth. Realistically it looks like the Huskies with either end up seventh or eighth place. UMD needs a sweep to keep the pressure on UM, and increase the Bulldogs chances of clinching the league title. BULLDOGS 3-pts

Bemidji State @ Alaska-Anchorage
Last weekend the Beavers were swept by the Badgers in Bemidji and the Seawolves split with their in-state rivals Alaska in a home-and-home series.

Both teams are locked into the bottom half of the standings and will be on the road next weekend (UAA is locked into last place). The Beavers have been slumping, and are currently on a four game losing streak. BSU only scored five goals over their last four games that has to increase if they want to leave Alaska with some points. The Seawolves are 2-2-0 in their last four games. SPLIT

Minnesota State @ #14 North Dakota
Last weekend the Mavericks were resting up in Mankato and the Sioux split with the Pioneers in Denver.

The Mavericks are 4-2-1 in their last seven contests, with wins over BSU, MTU, and UAA. MSUM is 6-10-0 away from the Verizon Wireless center in Mankato. The Sioux (I think I can still use that name, but I’m not sure…) are 6-2-1 in their last nine outings and are 12-4-3 at home in Grand Forks. UND can lock up home ice with a win on Friday night. The Mavericks need to shake of the rust from the bye week early or this could be bad weekend for them. UND needs to stay out of the penalty box, if they want to get a win or two this weekend. If the Sioux can avoid bad penalties they should be able to host some games at home next weekend. SIOUX SWEEP

Wisconsin @ #7 Minnesota
Last weekend Badgers swept the Beavers in Bemidji and the Gophers swept the UNO Mavericks in Omaha.

The border battle is revived. The Badgers will be looking to spoil the Gophers chances of winning the league title. Back in November these teams split their series in Madison, with UW winning Friday 4-1 and UM winning Saturday 4-1. The Badgers are starting a streak; they have won three in a row, after losing the previous five games. The Gophers are on a four game win streak and have won seven of their last ten. The Badgers need to score first in these games, to get the crowd out of the game. The Gophers only need two points to secure a share of the MacNaughton Cup. I don’t see the Badgers sweeping the Gophers this weekend, but I don’t see UW phoning it in either. SPLIT

#11 Denver @ Nebraska-Omaha
Last weekend the Mavericks were swept by the Gophers in Omaha and the Pioneers split with the Sioux in Denver.

The Pioneers have locked themselves into home ice next weekend and the Mavericks are looking to do the same this final weekend. UNO can finish anywhere from fourth to eighth place, but most likely to either be fifth or sixth. If DU wins Friday night they will lock up third place and could rest people on Saturday, with nothing to play for, other than pairwise rankings. The Mavericks will be playing hard on Friday night too, wanting to stay in control of their own destiny for home ice. SPLIT

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Vlasic hit on Briere

Check out this hit by San Jose Shark Marc-Edouard Vlasic on Flyers forward Danny Briere.

To be honesty with you, I am confused. The Hits that are allowed to go unpunished by the NHL is mind numbing. This is the types of hits that are unacceptable and should go by the wayside. This is a dangerous hit and worthy of a game or two suspension. I don't know how anyone can defend this hit? According to Frank Seravalli of Philly.com, there will be no hearing for Vlasic.

UPDATE (1:45 pm EST): According to a league source, no hearing has been scheduled by the NHL for Vlasic's hit on Danny Briere in Tuesday's loss to San Jose. It does not appear that one will be scheduled, either, since the Sharks are back in action tomorrow, and Brendan Shanahan rarely does game-day hearings with the exception of back-to-back situations. Therefore, it appears a suspension is not coming for the hit.

Letter from the NCAA to UND

For those that were questioning whether the NCAA is fooling around or not, that question was answered today, when the NCAA sent the University of North Dakota this letter. As you can see by this letter; the University of North Dakota is now going to feel the affects of NCAA sanctions because they've retained the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Drew Stafford's goalie not happy with the Gaustad trade

I couldn't resist... This story caught my eye. This story involves the teammate of Former Fighting Sioux forward Drew Stafford; apparently his all-world goalie Ryan Miller isn't happy with the team trading away Paul Gaustad. I have also noticed this season that Ryan Miller has become a bit of a complainer. Hockey is a business and sometimes teams trade players to get rid of salary or to better their teams.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ryan Miller and Paul Gaustad are the closest of friends. They've been roomates. They've traveled through Europe together. They were teammates for a decade -- a run that ended Monday when the Sabres sent Gaustad to Nashville.

Miller is not happy with the transaction.

"It was a pretty tough day," Miller said today after practice in Anaheim Ice. "I’m not going to lie. I’m not real happy about the way it all turned out. But that’s the business of hockey.
"Like I’ve said, we don’t make those decisions. That’s more proof because if I had any more influence Paul would still be here. I appreciate the way he plays. He’s been one of my best friends for a long time there. Obviously, that’s going to continue, but it was nice to have him as a teammate and have those other intangibles."

So is this bulletin board Material?

Yesterday while I was on the tread mill Tim Braun aka the shirtless guy pinged me with this article from the Colorado Springs Gazette… Tim took issue with something that the C.C. Tiger's beat writer Brian Gomez had put in a newspaper article that he had written this week. You can read the paragraph in question and see for yourself.

So did the Colorado Spring Gazette offer up some bulletin board material?

It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to assert CC (16-14-2, 13-12-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) no longer resides on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Its bubble may have burst in a 4-3 overtime defeat and a 5-2 trouncing over the weekend – setbacks that dropped CC to 21st in the PairWise rankings used for picking the 16 NCAA Tournament qualifiers. Now, all that’s left is a weekend home series against mediocre Michigan Tech.

Personally, I wouldn’t have written that throw away line, it’s not really needed for his article, but it’s his first amendment right. I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up on the Huskies black board in the locker room… Honestly, I don’t really have a dog in this fight other than I was pinged by Tim on Twitter. It did peak my interest though.

For the most part I think that Brian Gomez is a fair and decent journalist and I don’t think he had any malicious intent to disrespect the Michigan Tec Huskies. I think Michigan Tech is a much improved hockey team and they should be applauded for their improvement.

I also think that the Huskies are going to be a tough draw for any team that faces them down the stretch and they could just show up at the Final Five. I am hoping and praying that I don’t have to watch them play a 2-3 game series against my favorite teams.

So what if we keep the name? A devil's advocate look at the nickname.

The UND track team is the first team to suffer as a result of the University of North Dakota resuming use of the Fighting Sioux nickname. Someone posted the link to this Associated Press article over on Sioux Sports this morning.

IOWA CITY --- The University of Iowa has decided not to invite the University of North Dakota to an April track meet because of the school's Fighting Sioux nickname.

Associate athletic director Mark Abbott Monday said Iowa decided against the invitation when UND reinstated the name earlier this month.

Iowa policy prohibits the athletic department from scheduling competitions with schools or attending tournaments hosted by schools using Native American mascots, unless those mascots are approved by the NCAA.

So where are we going from here?

I get it; I don’t like being told by an out of control hypocritical organization like the NCAA what our nickname should be. The NCAA is out of control and there are much more pressing issues facing college sports than this, but this is where the like minded organizations (Minnesota, Iowa, Wiscosin) who think the same way as the NCAA, can get back at the State of North Dakota for thumbing it’s nose at the NCAA.

These schools and the NCAA could care less if the nickname petition drive was conducted by people from both Sioux tribes. The NCAA and like minded organizations could also care less about a state wide vote on the Fighting Sioux nickname. The only thing that matters is that both tribes approved the use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and Standing Rock didn't give UND the approval.

Why should the NCAA and these institutions care? They have a signed settlement agreement by the the Attorney General of the state of North Dakota and UND is in violation of that legally binding agreement.

Small cost right; for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname? Right? I mean it's only the track team right? Recently, I have read a lot of comments from people that said have said, “So what if the University can’t host NCAA playoff events.” It’s a small price for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Is it?

These are just the first teams to suffer the wrath of the NCAA sanctions, if the BSC doesn’t kick UND out of the conference, eventually the football team is going to qualify for the FCS football playoffs, sooner rather than later, but they won’t be able to host an NCAA football game because UND is under NCAA sactions as a result of UND using the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I have also read comments like this, “Who cares if the Woman’s team has to travel to Fargo to host an NCAA hockey series?” Well this is proof that the Fighting Sioux nickname will cost the University of North Dakota. Playing at home would have a big advantage as opposed to going on the road.

Next season there is a very good chance that the Fighting Sioux woman’s team is once again going to be a national power in Woman’s Divsion I hockey and the advantage of playing at home could mean the difference between winning and losing an NCAA series.

Small cost for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname. Right? Tell that to the women that play on that team.

Again, you won’t find a bigger fan of the Fighting Sioux nickname, I wear the logo in some form almost every day’s of the week. I have many ball caps and stocking caps, tee shirts, golf shirts and hooded sweat shirts, I am currently wearing a golf shirt with the Fighting Sioux logo on it, as I type this.

I am considering getting a tattoo on my left calf in honor of the Fighting Sioux nickname.

That being said, I also recognize the damage that is being done to UND because we are keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname. I am a proud alumnus; I have two degrees from the University of North Dakota, 1996 B.A. and 1999 MA. I want to see this university succeed both on and off the playing field.

Not one of my diplomas says the Fighting Sioux on it. It says the “University of North Dakota.”

I will also cheer and support this school no-matter-what they call us. I will also continue to cover UND/Fighting Sioux hockey for whoever and whenever, as long as I can.

I will also support the Native Americans and their law suit against the NCAA, because I think it’s a fight worth having. The NCAA is an out of control tyrannical organization, but we have to play by their rules as long as we are a member of the NCAA.

I will also help them raise money for the lawsuit if they want my help.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Trade Deadline: The Yawner 2012 (RW77)

NHL on the Fly's Trade Deadline Special was right when it said that the major news was the trade that didn't happen.

Rick Nash wasn't traded. He's the latest Joe Thornton, it appears. Apparently he was to be traded to the New York Rangers but the price was too high (which anyone could have told you that. Rick Nash IS the Blue Jackets. Without him, you basically have no team).

There were some intriguing trades though.

What do you all think of the Wild's trades? They acquire Steve Kampfer and Tom Gilbert for Greg Zanon and Nick Schultz. So, this probably means that Schultz and Zanon were UFAs after the season, right? Perhaps Gilbert and Kampfer were under contract a bit longer? Kampfer is alright and Gilbert is too, but this seems to be a lateral trade rather than an upgrade. They didn't even get any picks.

However, the BEST trade of the day was made by the Chicago Blackhawks. They got a 2012 5th round pick for boxer on skates John Scott. This is almost like (RIP, buddy) trading Boogaard for a 1st round pick. Chicago got WAY THE HELL MORE VALUE than Scott. Someone tell me that the Hawks wouldn't have settled for a 6th or 7th round pick or even a conditional 2013 5th rounder (with conditions that will obviously not be met) for Scott. It's almost like the Rangers GM was Glen Sather... oh wait. Ok, I get it now.

In the end, though, Chicago didn't get what they need: a goaltender, so they won't be there in the end. Detroit traded Commodore for another Dman who won't play.

In the end, believe it or not, the winner overall I think is Vancouver. Sure, they trade Hodgson away, but they got two good players in Kassian Sulzer, pick up Pahlsson and Gordon for depth. Win I say.

Buffalo comes in second.

Boston got this year's Mark Recchi in Brian "when I was a rookie, Crosby's parents were still in middle school" Rolston (which is younger than Mark "I played pond hockey with Moses" Recchi and Chris "I skated with Jesus Christ" Chelios... or perhaps Gordie "I was there when God told me he was having a kid with some chick in Bethlehem" Howe).

Former Sioux Mike Commodore and Brian Lee are now teammates with the Lightning.

Corvo expects Turris to answer the bell.

The @injuryninja visited the Boston Bruins again as both Joe Corvo and Johnny Boychuck left the game on Saturday night after big hits. The Chris Neil hit on Johnny Boychuck was clean, the Kyle Turris hit on Corvo was a dirty hit that warranted supplemental discipline from the NHL.

True to form the Senior VP of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan did nothing again and proved that he is no better than the guy that preceded him. Hell, let's bring back the Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice.

If we learned anything from Shanahan this season, we have learned that if you're a player that plays for the Boston Bruins or the Minnesota Wild, don't expect the NHL to protect you, because your fair game and the NHL isn't going to do anything a player that takes a run at a player from either team.

The Boston Bruins now have three to four players on the shelf with post concussion type syndrome. In my opinion, three of the four hits where of questionable and of the dirty variety, lets review the hits, there was the Tom Sestito hit on Nathan Horton, the sneaky elbow by Hal Gill on Richard Peverly and of course the elbow by Kyle Turris on Joe Corvo (video embedded above) all questionable hits that should have warranted some kind of supplemental discipline in my opinion., I mean the could have at least humored us and given the offenders the max fine.

This morning while I was reading my twitter feed today I saw this tweet come up today. Apparently, Joe Corvo is expecting Kyle Turris to answer the bell and fight him on Tuesday Night. That ought to be an entertaining slap feast that will be an instant non classic on Youtube.com

Personally, I would rather see Milan Lucic beat Kyle Turris to a pulp so the Boston Bruins can send a mess that it's not acceptable to run one of their players, especially if the League isn't going to protect them.

With all of the talk from the hand wringing puritans that want to banning fighting in the NHL, lets point out to them, that none of the four players listed above suffered a head injury from a hockey fight, three of the four player were hit and concussed with questionable, dirty checks, that I would classify as bush league and hits that need to be eliminated from the game of hockey.

Poll Monday - UND 14th and 15th

The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team is ranked 14th and 15th in both national polls this week.

Goon's World Extras

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