NCHC Hockey: Updated standing

Here's the updated NCHC Standings. UND has a 4-5-0 record in the NCHC play. Breaking the conference record down further, that's 1-3-0 at home and 3-2-0 on the road.  Overall, UND is 2-2-2 in non-conference play. That's, 2-1-1 at home in non-conference play and 0-1-1 away from the REA in non-conference play.

Saturday Morning Post: UND Hockey Moving on up

Good Morning… Last night, the University of North Dakota (6-7-2, 4-5-0 NCHC) Hockey team beat the Western Michigan University Broncos (6-6-3, 2-3 NCHC) 3-2 in a grind out hockey game in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

If I had to describe last night’s game, I would also use the words penalty feast. Both teams beat a path to the penalty box. I was thinking they might have to oil the doors on both penalty boxes at Lawson Ice Arena, this is due to all of the use that they got last night.

It’s ridiculous.

Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada once said, “Fans don’t come to the game to watch the officials call a game, the fans come to the game to watch the players play a hockey game.”

There seems to be a correlation between the number of penalties called, and head of officials Don Adam attending a NCHC hockey game. Last weekend, Don Adam was in the Ralph Engelstad Arena press box and there were a high number of penalties called last weekend as well.

Western Michigan took nine minor penalties for 18-minutes and North Dakota took 10 minor penalties for 20-minutes.  UND was 2/7 on the power-play and Western Michigan was 0/7. To date, Western Michigan has yet to score a power-play goal in league play. The Broncos are 0/24 on the power-play in NCHC play. UND on the other hand is 8/38 (21.1).

Links of Interest

Some Saturday morning tidbits on the @UNDMHockey travel blog 

Grand Forks Herald: UND grinds out 3-2 victory over Western Michigan

WMU hockey team unable to finish scoring chances in 3-2loss to North Dakota

Johnson emergence a good sign for UND

(Video) North Dakota goals versus Western Michigan; Hakstol interviewed on the bench

CBSSN in-game analyst Shireen Saski interviews UND head coach Dave Hakstol on the player’s bench. I never thought we would see that. I am also not a big fan of that, at all. It's like coming to someone office and interviewing them. It was also kind of funny, Saski couldn't say Hak's name without stumbling. 

UND freshman forward Luke Johnson had a breakout game for UND (2g-0a—2pts). The UND defense continues to rack up the points as well. Sophomore defenseman Jordan Schmaltz had another strong game for UND on the backend as he had (0g-2a—2pts). 

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Jordan Schmaltz Growing Into His Role (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Sub-Par Faceoff Numbers Plague Team (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Making the Case for Dave Hakstol (thehockeywriters.com)
• Where's all the antipathy coming from in regards to UND head coach Dave Hakstol (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

UND Hockey: The Weekend Ahead (12/6 -12/7

This weekend, the University of North Dakota travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan to play Western Michigan Broncos in an important two-game NCHC series. Last weekend, UND split their non-conference series with St. Lawrence Saints of the ECAC (2-5 L, 3-2) at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Matchup: North Dakota (5-7-2, 3-5-0 NCHC) versus Western Michigan (6-5-2, 2-2-0 NCHC).

Date: December 6-7, 2013.

Time: 6:36 p.m. Central Friday / Saturday 6:05 p.m. Central

Radio: UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM)  The Fox

Radio: WMU Friday's game will be broadcast on the Bronco Radio Network: 96.5 FM; Saturday's game will be on 590 AM WKZO.

Webcast: undsports.com

TV:  CBS Sports Network, Friday (DirecTV 221, Dish Network 152)

All-Time Series History

UND leads the All-time series 5-0-0 (1.000). In Grand Forks, ND, UND leads the series 2-0-0 (1.000). In Kalamazoo, Michigan, UND leads the seris 2-0-0 (1.000). Neutral sites, UND lead the series 1-0-0 (1.000). Under coach Dave Hakstol: UND leads the series 1-0-0 (1.000).

Players to watch

North Dakota: Forwards: Rocco Grimaldi (5g-7a—12pts), Michael Parks (3g-6a—9pts), Drake Caggiula (4g-5a—9pts), Luke Johnson (1g-4a—5pts), Brendan O’Donnell (3g-2—5pts). Defense:  Dillon Simpson (1g-5a—6pts), Nick Mattson (1g-5a—6pts), Troy Stecher (1g-4a—5pts), Paul Ladue (1g-4a—5pts), Jordan Schmaltz (2g-2a—4pts).  Goaltenders: Clarke Saunders 2-2-0, GAA 3.60 and .900 save percentage, Zane Gothberg 3-5-2, 2.75 GAA and .908 save percentage.

UND injuries: Colten St. Clair (Out), Mark MacMillan (Questionable)

Western Michigan: Forwards: Shane Berschbach (7g-12a—19pts), Justin Kovacs, (5g-9a—14pts), Josh Pitt (3g-6a—9pts), Chase Balisy, (1g-8a—9pts). Defense: Jordan Oesterle (2g-5a—7pts), Dennis Brown (2g-3—5pts). Goaltenders Frank Slubowsk 5-4-3, 2.23 GAA, .925 save percentage, Lukas Hafner 1-1-0, 0.50 GAA, .978 save percentage.

UND official Web Page

Western Michigan Web Page

Weekend Match-Ups (by Donn)

I’m a little late posting my predictions this week, I’ve been way too busy, so it will be short and sweet.

Of note, this is the first full weekend of NCHC games in league history!

 

NCHC STANDINGS 2013-2014

Team………………………W-L-T………Points

Nebraska-Omaha…………5-1-0…………..15
St. Cloud St……………….4-1-1…………...13
Denver…………………..…3-2-1…………..11
North Dakota………………3-5-0……….….9
Minnesota-Duluth…………2-2-0……….….6
Western Michigan………..2-2-0…………...6 
Miami……………………….2-4-0……….….6
Colorado College………...1-5-2…….….….6
 

NCHC Games

#16 Nebraska-Omaha @ Colorado College
Last weekend the Tigers were swept (6-2, 3-0) by the UNH Wildcats in Colorado Springs and the Mavericks were enjoy a holiday weekend of rest.

SPLIT – UNO wins Friday and CC wins Saturday

 

Denver @ #12 Miami

Last weekend the RedHawks took 3-pts (4-4ot, 6-3) from the Beavers in Bemidji and Pioneers were resting up in the mile high city.

RedHawks Sweep

 

#2 St. Cloud St. @ #20 Minnesota-Duluth

Last weekend the Bulldogs split the Gophers in Minneapolis and the Huskies had a bye weekend to gobble up the turkey.

SPLIT – SCSU wins Friday and UMD wins Saturday

 

North Dakota @ Western Michigan  

Last weekend NoDak split with the SLU Saints (5-2L, 3-2W) and the Broncos tied Northeastern 1-1 and beat Huntsville 1-0 in the Shillelagh Tournament.

SPLIT –UND wins Friday and WMU wins Saturday

VIDEO: Blues' Patrik Berglund winds up, falls on face

s/t to the score. Ouch! Patrick Berglund falls flat on his face taking a slapper.

Max Pacioretty boards Johnny Boychuk (Video)

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was given a two-minute minor penalty for this dangerous, but not really malicious hit, against Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk. I do not like this hit. I also think that Pacioretty should have been given more than a two-minute minor penalty. Not dirty, but it was worthy of a five-minute major. Boychuk was taken by ambulance to a Montreal hospital.

HNIC - Coach's Corner - Nov 30th 2013

There's some good issues on last week’s HNIC Coach's Corner that are worth listening to.  Personally, I think that the lawsuits with the concussions in some cases are a money grab.  When you play a professional sport, you assume the liability and you know the risks associated with the sport you participate in. No one held a gun to their heads and made them play professional sports. It's the same if you drove a race car or were a boxer. 

Saturday's game between UND vs. WMU on UND Insider

Good new for UND hockey fans. This weekends games will between UND and Western Michigan University will be on CBS Sports Network on Friday night and on the webcast on Saturday night. You can watch the game by going to this link on Saturday night.

UND Hockey: Freshman Defenseman Paul LaDue cited for noisy party

According to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, UND freshman defenseman Paul LaDue will sit out Friday's game against the Western Michigan Bronoco's after recieving a citation for a noisy party.

LaDue out Friday

UND freshman defenseman Paul LaDue will be benched for Friday’s game against the Broncos after receiving a citation for a noisy party this week.

LaDue, 21, has one goal and four assists in 14 games for UND. He has not missed a game this season.

In his absence, freshman Keaton Thompson is expected to stay in the lineup. Thompson, of Devils Lake, was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference rookie of the week for his two-point weekend against St. Lawrence.

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Dynamic Duo Bright Spot for UND (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Long Video Review Confirms Goal (thehockeywriters.com)

Refreshing our memories: Hakstol the second half coach

The question UND fans want to know, will there be a second half run?

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Making the Case for Dave Hakstol (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Dynamic Duo Bright Spot for UND (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Long Video Review Confirms Goal (thehockeywriters.com)
• St. Lawrence Pastes North Dakota (insidehockey.com)

2014 Team USA WJC Camp Roster

s/t to Minnesota Hockey Central for the Roster. You can to to the USA WJC page for the official roster.

Antoine Roussel Dirty Elbow on Jonathan Toews

Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel was given a two-minute minor for his dirty elbow on Jonathan Toews. These are the kind of hits that I don't like, not one bit. This clown is going after a star player, with a high elbow, who's had concussion issues in the past.

The question I ask, do we want to see the NHL star players knocked out of games at the hands of third or fourth line players? There needs to be stiffer penalties for hits that target the head. This is why Andrew Shaw went after him earlier in the game.

Middle Weight Bout of the Night: Andrew Shaw vs. Antoine Roussel

Apparently, the Chicago Blackhawks didn't like the hit that Antoine Roussel put on Patrick Kane in the last game. Only the fifth fight of the year for the Chicago Blackhawks.

USCHO Poll

Minnesota Wild: Amazing Save by Josh Harding

Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding makes an amazing save as he robs Jakub Voracek. By the way, Harding is leading the NHL in shutouts and goals against average. Harding was also named one of the "Three Stars" for the month of November.

Montreal Canadiens: PK Subban Nice Goal-Line Save vs New Jersey Devils (Video)

Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban can play defense as well. Wow! Nice play.

UND defensemen Stecher, Thompson honored by NCHC

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota defensemen Troy Stecher and Keaton Thompson have garnered weekly honors from the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) for their play in North Dakota’s non-conference split with St. Lawrence last weekend.

Stecher was named the NCHC Defenseman of the Week while Thompson was named the league’s rookie of the week. Miami junior forward Austin Czarnik was named NCHC Offensive Player of the Week and Western Michigan junior Frank Slubowski was named NCHC Goaltender of the Week.

Stecher, a freshman from Richmond, British Columbia, was a +1 each night against St. Lawrence and assisted on Connor Gaarder’s go-ahead, power-play goal late in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 victory. Stecher helped UND hold the nation’s top power play scoreless in three chances on Saturday and was UND’s only defenseman to register a positive plus/minus in the series.

With a goal and four assists through 14 games this season, Stecher is tied for the team scoring lead among freshmen.

Thompson, also a freshman defenseman, scored his first career goal in Friday’s 5-2 loss. The Devils Lake, N.D., native, who was playing in just his fourth collegiate game, was also a +1 on the night. He posted an even rating the following night in UND’s 3-2 win.

In five games this season, Thompson has one goal and one assist and leads the team with a +2 rating.

UND returns to conference play this weekend with a road series at Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday.

UND’s NCHC Honorees in 2013-14

Nov. 18: Dillon Simpson, Defenseman of the Week

Dec. 2:   Troy Stecher, Defenseman of the Week

              Keaton Thompson, Rookie of the Week

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Age is Just a Number (thehockeywriters.com)
• NCHC Hockey: Dave Starman Shares His Thoughts On The Historic Weekend (thehockeywriters.com)
• NCHC Hockey: Breaking Down the Numbers (thehockeywriters.com)

Mike Chambers: Rules against fighting in NCAA hockey don't deter cheap shots

Nice article by Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. I agree with a lot of what is said here. I have been watching college hockey for a very long time, and some of the dirtiest acts of violence, I have seen,  have happened on the ice during college hockey games.

I don’t know how many times I have seen a play where I have said, "I guarantee that guy doesn’t do that in a league where there’s fighting." Do we want to see bench clearing brawls in college hockey? Nope! Not saying that at all.  

Mike Chambers, Denver Post – If that player came from the NCAA ranks, he's more likely to be a loose cannon, because college hockey has such stiff penalties for fighting, which draws a game misconduct and ensuing one-game suspension. The NCAA also mandates full facial protection with a mask. While that might seemingly make the NCAA game safer, Mitchell said what it does is encourage more cheap shots, because players don't fear retaliation.

"If you take fighting out of the game, you're going to have guys taking liberties on your top players, and trust me, that thought is in the back of their minds: 'Hey, if I'm going to go out there and do something stupid, I might have to answer the bell. Someone is going to be come looking for me,' " Mitchell said. "So if (fighting is) out of the game, they have no worries."

The semi-pro Canadian Hockey League (major junior) mimics the NHL regarding its rules, including fighting, and offers a choice of cages or visors. NCAA hockey is often dubbed "gladiators on ice," with players less fearful of opponents because of the severe fighting penalties and added facial protection. Cross checks to the face mask are delivered instead of punches to the face.

Since fighting is not part of the college game, the majority of concussions hockey players suffer are a result of contact to the head from a shoulder or elbow or having a head smashed against the boards or glass. Moreover, NCAA players often get away with landing glove punches, but just because it's not a bare fist connecting with a open face doesn't mean it isn't damaging to the head.

I had an ex-college hockey player once tell me. “I can go up and smart off to the biggest guy on the ice, because I know I don’t have to fight.”

A Couple of Nice College Hockey Goals

Former Grafton North Dakota product and current Air Force Academy Cadet forward Chad Demers, scores the game-tying goal against Bentley on a nice rebound. That's goal number seven on the year for Demers. Demers is a junior and spent last summer training at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.



Gophers forward Seth Ambroz scores the game winning goal with 26-seconds left in the game to give Minnesota the victory. That's also goal number seven on the year for Ambroz.