College Hockey: Super Bowl Links

Matt Semisch of USCHO Fame filled in for Husky beat writer Mick Hatten this past weekend when SCSU traveled to UNO. Here’s how Matt saw the series. Here’s his gamers: Men's hockey: Nebraska-Omaha 8, St. Cloud State 6 and Men's hockey: Gravel's go-ahead goal key for SCSU's victory over Nebraska-Omaha


 Since the turn of the New Year, SCSU is 3-4-1 in their last eight games. They’ve also split their last four games that they’ve played in.

UMD radio voice Bruce Ciskie explains his take on the Marshall hit on Austin Farley. Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Keep Strong Play Going With Nice Farley-Less Road Win

The race just heated up in the NCHC, now there are three teams tied for second place with 24 points. UMD is right behind in fifth place 23 points, so it looks like this race might go down to the wire. One could say that it's going to be a dog fight.

While this article is a couple of days old, Jason Gonzalez of the Star Tribune makes the case for video review of major penalties.

This past week I covered, NCAA Hockey: There needs to be a Review Process for Game Misconducts

Related articles

• NCHC Hockey: Breaking Down the Numbers Half Way Point (thehockeywriters.com)

Nazem Kadri boards Cody Ceci and then assists on Toronto Goal

Toronto Leafs forward Nazem Kadri hits the Senators Cody Ceci from behind and then passes the puck out front to forward Joffrey Lupul who scores a goal. However, there should have been no goal on the play. Kadri should have been given a penalty on the play. This goal tied the game 2-2.  The Leafs would go on to win the game 6-3.

(Video) Habs forward Brandon Prust vs Lightning goalie Ben Bishop

The box score will read.
17:02 MTL Brandon Prust Unsportsmanlike conduct - 2 min
17:02 TBL Ben Bishop served by B.J. Crombeen Goalie leave crease - 2 min
17:02 MTL Carey Price served by Daniel Brière Goalie leave crease - 2 min
17:02 MTL George Parros Misconduct (10 min) - 10 min
17:02 TBL Radko Gudas Misconduct (10 min) - 10 min

Former UND goalie Aaron Dell on a Roll

Aaron Dell holds down the fort to improve Utah to a league-best 12-2-2-2 since Christmas in the 5-2 win tonight. pic.twitter.com/T4qiCwwSZv
— Utah Grizzlies (@UtahGrizz) February 1, 2014

Sounds like former UND goalie Aaron Dell is on a roll right now. Dell is now 13-3-0, has 2.09 GAA and a .920 save percentage... Sounds like his team is doing okay as well.

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Clarkes Saunders Fills in for the Injured Zane Gothberg (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Goalie Zane Gothberg out Indefinitely with Lower-Body Injury (thehockeywriters.com)

(Video) MSU vs. UMN Joe Cox Shootout no-goal

So, the moral of the story just is -- just kick the net off  -- if you feel like the opposition is going to score on you in the shootout. Right? I have to say, that the officiating in the NCHC, for the most part has been pretty good, except for the second game of the DU vs. UND series.

That being said, it seems like the B1G has been getting some brutal officiating this season. Thoughts? I guess we could say that the shootout is a work in progress.

From SBN College Hockey: Spartans head coach Tom Anastos said to SB Nation's Nate Wells after the game that the referees told him "the net was not in its place when the puck crossed the line." So, the ref spends 4+ minutes reviewing a video and that's the explanation the coach gets. Wow!

Looking ahead to the Olympics

Post by Shane Jenkins

Even though every single nation feels as though they have a chance to win the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics in hockey, most experts believe it will come down to the top three. Russia, Canada and The United States all have the depth and star power to make a deep run in the beginning of February. Most of their players will be taking a break from their fantasy hockey production in the NHL to represent their country. So how do the top three squads stack up against each other?

Host Russia had a disappointing 2010 Olympics in Canada. They will be hoping to reverse their fortunes now that they are getting the play on their home soil. They have perhaps the best individual talent in the world in Alex Ovechkin, but they also have some key players at other positions as well. If they can put up quite a few goals to give their defense a cushion, the home team could pull off the victory.

Defending champion Canada figures to be a very formidable opponent for any team that goes up against them. Not only do they have some of the best fantasy hockey players in the NHL, but they have plenty of depth as well. When you have all starts coming off your bench, you know that your team is deep overall. Just like Russia, they are also stacked with forwards who should be able to score quite often. Their defense is a little stronger, as Roberto Luongo will be asked to man the net in most of the important games.

Finally, the United States put up a valiant effort in 2010 only to come up short against Canada. They are considered to be the 3rd best team coming into the Olympics, but when playing well they can compete with anyone. Their goalie situation is a little bit up in air right now, but it appears as though Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick will share the duties. They will also need some big play from their best goal scorer Patrick Kane.

Minnesota Wild: Jamie McGinn hit on Nate Prosser and then John Mitchell scores a weak goal

Big hit by the Av's Jamie McGinn on Wild defenseman Nate Prosser. To add injury to insult, the Avalanche forward John Mitchell scores a weak goal on Minnesota Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper.

UND vs. DU shenanigans

I've had a few video requests for some of these calls from the message boards.  So, I put this video together today.

Weekend Match-Ups (by Donn)

This weekend is a light schedule for this time of year, but hey, it is what it is…

NCHC STANDINGS 2013-2014

Team………………………W-L-T-SW………Points

North Dakota………………8-6-0-0……….….24
Denver…………………..…7-5-2-1…………..24
St. Cloud St……………….7-3-2-0…………...23
Nebraska-Omaha…………6-4-2-1…………..21
Western Michigan………..6-5-1-1…………...20
Minnesota-Duluth…………5-6-1-1……….….17
Miami………………………4-9-1-1….…….….14
Colorado College……….. 3-8-3-1…….….….13

NCHC Games

#5 SCSU @ Nebraska-Omaha

Last weekend the Huskies lost to Minnesota (4-1) in St. Paul and beat Minnesota State (6-4) in the North Star College Cup in St. Paul. The Mavericks were off last weekend. 

The Huskies are road warriors this season, crushing their opponents, in their own house, owning an away record of 9-1-0.  The Mavericks are 5-7-0 this year at home in the CenturyLink Center.  The Mavericks are still within sniffing distance of the dawgs. If they get swept at home, they still be in decent shape at five hundred.  HUSKIES SWEEP

Minnesota-Duluth @ #20 Western Michigan

Last weekend the Bulldogs Beat Minnesota State (5-4ot) and tied Minnesota (4-4) in the North Star College Cup in St. Paul. The Broncos were off last weekend. 

The Bulldogs looked good offensively last weekend in St. Paul, but defensively there is still room for improvement.  UMD has been decent on the road going 6-4-0 in road games, and after last weekend 1-0-1 at neutral sites.  The Bulldogs last four games have gone to overtime.  The Broncos are 5-4-1 at home in Lawson Ice Arena in Kalamazoo (did mention how fun it is to say Kalamazoo).  I did ever mention that the head coach of WMU, Andy Murray, use to coach the LA Kings, and his son, Brady played for the Fighting Sioux?  These teams played a series in Duluth back in mid-December, with WMU winning the opener and UMD winning the closer.  I think the visitors win the first game again before the home team settles the score.  SPLIT

Bye Week

Colorado College
#16 Denver
Miami
#17 North Dakota

Islanders Brock Nelson scores against the Rangers

Former UND forward Brock Nelson scores his 10th goal of the year against the New York Rangers during the Stadium Series in Yankee Stadium. Former DU Pioneer Matt Donovan also assisted on Nelson's goal.

Lets Fill the Bowl for UND Woman's Hockey this weekend.

Sioux vs. Gophers this weekend at the Ralph. Women's hockey...

Florida Panthers: Tim Thomas snaps on Carl Soderberg

Former Boston Bruins and current Florida Panthers goalie Tim Thomas made his return to Boston tonight and Timmy's new team didn't do very well against his old team. In fact the Panthers were shell 6-2 by the Bruins. Check out Thomas, as he goes Paul Bunyan on Boston Bruins forward Carl Soderberg.

Rocco Grimaldi checks in at number two - NCHC Top 5 Goals of the Week - 1/28/14

UND sophomore forward Rocco Grimaldi checks in at number two this week.

Related articles

• NCHC Hockey: Breaking Down the Numbers at the Half Way Point (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND's Comeback Sinks Northern Michigan (insidehockey.com)

Derik Johnson: Another Example of Diving

This is a dive that would make Olympic diver Greg Louganis blush, you can't defend this. UMD defenseman Derik Johnson would be ashamed of himself. Yes, I have seen  hockey players from other teams take a dive, it's bad sportsmanship.

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• 10 Olympian Traits to Master the Olympics of Your Financial Future (turbotax.intuit.com)

Austin Farley's Academy Awards winning dive

Speaking of Academy Awards winning moments... I was going to cover this earlier, but I have been side tracked by other things. This is the kind of crap that really gets me. Embellishment. Diving and or embellishment is bad sportsmanship. First, I am not an apologist for the Minnesota Gophers, but this was a legal shoulder-to-shoulder check, not worthy of a five-minute major. Second, nice acting job by Austin Farley as he throws his stick and then leaps to the ice grabbing his head. Shameful.

USCHO Poll: UND moves up to 17th.

One thing that doesn't make sense to me, how does DU stays above UND in the poll? I wonder how many of the pollsters actually watched the game?

NSCC Action: J.P LaFontaine no goal

From this past weekend, the North Star College Cup, here’s a GIF a MSU-M goal that was ruled no goal. From the GIF, you can see that St. Cloud State goalie Ryan Faragher makes the initial save on a shot by Maverick forward J.P LaFontaine. Maverick forward Teddy Blueger going hard to the net, interferes with Faragher. LaFontaine gets the rebound  from his shot and shots the puck past Faragher.  

The referees conferred, and ruled that it was a no goal based on goalie interference by Blueger. From watching the shot on TV and seeing this GIF, I think that the refs made the correct call.   Thoughts?

GIF courtesy of (@cjzero)

Union and RPI Line Brawl

Union has given their head coach Rick Bennet a two-game suspension and I wouldn't be surprised if it's longer after this is all sorted out. Old time hockey at the Mayor's Cup Game. Here's what I want to know, why are the players from RPI coming off of the bench while there's a melee going on?

USCHO.COM --- ECAC Hockey officials are looking into the series of on-ice incidents at the end of Saturday’s Rensselaer-Union game in Albany, N.Y., one of which involved the head coaches getting in a heated dispute.

Videos showed that shoving started as soon as the Engineers won a last-second faceoff in its zone to seal a 2-1 victory over the third-ranked Dutchmen and escalated as Rensselaer players came off their bench to celebrate.

Union captain Mat Bodie is seen delivering a high cross-check to Rensselaer’s Brock Higgs after the faceoff, and other players assemble to create a mass of bodies.

The things that on-ice officials say to the players

The on-ice official tells the Penguins Jussi Jokinen and the Maple Leafs Dion Phaneuf "F#ck both of you guys" and then sends them to the penalty box.

(Video) Mark MacMillan and North Dakota Strong

This was on last night's broadcast that was on CBSSN... Mark MacMillan has done some great community service.

Related articles

• UND Hockey: The Weekend in Review (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: The Weekend in Review (thehockeywriters.com)
• North Dakota Comes Back to Beat Colorado College (insidehockey.com)