This one was close.

Wideman on Malkin in last nights game between the Pens and the Bruins. These kind of hits make you hold your breath every time you see a hit like this. Looks like it wasn't a deliberate knee on knee hit. What do you think?

Classic Bruins and Habs

Ah yes the good old days. I love watching videos from the old days in the NHL, where players settled their differences on the ice. There wasn't the stupid instigator rule. This video is a blast from the past, Habs and Bruins.

Jean-Philippe Lamoureux 4 the Hobey Baker.

Here are some of links for Phil Lamoureux's Hobey Baker Campaign. If you take a serious look at the numbers there is no reason Jean-Philippe Lamoureux isn't a legitmate Hobey Baker candidate. Jean-PhilippeLamoureux has not stacked his stats playing a mediocre schedule, he has done this playing the toughest strenght of schedule in college hockey this season to date.

Here are some of Phils accomplishments (per Grand Forks Herald)

-- Posted four shutouts in the first five games, becoming the first Western Collegiate Hockey Association player to achieve the feat.

-- Allowed just one goal in seven of the last eight games.

-- A save percentage that would rank as the best single-season mark in Sioux history, breaking Jordan Parise's .929 from two seasons ago.

-- A goals-against average that would be second-best in school history, trailing only Bob Peters' mark from the 1950s.

And don't forget, he's accomplished all of this against the most difficult schedule in college hockey according to both the KRACH and PairWise ratings.

Links

Grand Forks Herald

AZ Sioux's Phil 4 Hobey

MEN'S HOCKEY: Tops in stops

Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde

This weekend the Fighting Sioux 17-8-2 play the Denver Pioneers 19-8-1 in an important WCHA series. This series will help decide where the two teams end up in the league standings as well as the all important PWR rankings. Here is a look at the Pioneers past 8 games and it would appear that DU has been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team. The Pioneers have a record of 3-4-1 during the new year. In the four loses the Pioneers have given up 20 goals and score 7 goals. In the 3 wins the Pioneers have scored 11 goals and gave up 5 goals. I don't know what DU Pioneers team to expect this weekend, however, this weekends series will not be a cake walk that some Sioux fans have suggested it will be. Anytime UND and DU strap it on it is ussually a hard fought and highly contested series and more than likely a split is probable result. I just don't see either team running away and hiding this weekend.

January (2-2, 2-2)
11 #17 Wisconsin * W, 3-2
12 #17 Wisconsin * L, 7-2
18 @ Air Force L, 5-2
19 Bemidji State W, 4-2
February (1-2-1, 1-2-1)
1 @ Minnesota State * L, 5-1
2 @ Minnesota State * L, 3-2
8 #20 Minnesota * T, 1-1 OT
9 #20 Minnesota * W, 4-1

Peter Mannino Pictured aboveis a four-time Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 16, Nov. 6, Nov. 20, Feb. 12) honoree and candidate for Lowes Senior CLASS Award
for accomplishments on and off the ice. Mannino is tied for first all-time at Denver in shutouts (13), second in saves percentage (.918), third in goals against average (2.32) and tied for sixth in wins (56). He is 1-4-1 with a 3.61 GAA and .875 Sv% in his last six starts.

Pioneers must deal with fast line change.

Here is an interesting article from the Denver Post on players like Trotter leaving their college team early. While it hurts to lose players during the season I don't see a need to have any unnecessary rules on saying how long a player has to stay or when they can leave. From Lucia's comments in this article it would appear that Lucia would like to get rid of the one and done players like Phil Kessel and Erik Johnson.

Say for a moment if there was a rule like this then in UND's case the Sioux probably don't get players like Jonathon Toews, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac or David Toews. I would rather have these players come play in the WCHA for one and two season instead of not having them play in the WCHA at all. Whats good for Minnesota is not alway good for the rest of the league. If that was the case the Gophers don't get players like Erik Johnson or Phil Kessel because they end up going to Major Juniors in Canada instead.

(Read the whole article right here)

NCAA hockey is one of three major development entities for the NHL, but the only one that is unprotected from absorbing in-season player departures to NHL contracts.

If Trotter or Okposo played in the Canadian Hockey League, otherwise known as major junior, or a European elite league, they would have been prohibited or deterred from signing NHL deals.

"There is no deterrent with us at all," Western Collegiate Hockey Association commissioner Bruce McLeod said. "We have to come up with a deterrent, whether you can't sign after the season starts, or even like July 15, because it's hard to replace a guy after that.

"But, of course, we can't deal with money. We can't impose fines like the (International Ice Hockey Federation). It has to be a rule like major junior."

In major junior, an NHL prospect learns his full-season status after the first 10 NHL regular- season games. He sticks with the NHL club or is sent back to major junior for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

If an NHL club signs an IIHF player and that player does not play in the NHL, the team that signs him compensates the IIHF team up to $150,000.

"We have to inject some rules to protect college hockey," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. " (DU's) situation is a little different than ours (with Okposo), but we have to find a common ground. Other leagues are protected and ours isn't. . . . We don't hold any cards, and therein lies the problem. We don't have any leverage."

This is an interesting article and it is something to think about. I am not so sure that we need to have another rule detailing how long a player needs to agree on staying in college. I guess coaches might have to make sure they are communicating with their players through the season.

Want to know why goals are down in the WCHA?

I have read where a lot of people are concerned about the numbers of goals that are being scored in the WCHA this season. I think I might have a reason why. Look at the National statistics for goalies. That is impressive in my opinion.

Goals Against Average: Minutes GA GAA
1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux North Dakota SR 1594:53 46 1.73
4 Michael-Lee Teslak Michigan Tech JR 783:16 24 1.84
5 Richard Bachman (DAL) Colorado College FR 1498:24 46 1.84
12 Mike Zacharias Minnesota State JR 1542:51 54 2.10
15 Alex Stalock (SJS) Minnesota Duluth SO 1576:03 56 2.13
16 Alex Kangas (ATL) Minnesota FR 1094:54 39 2.14
17 Peter Mannino Denver SR 1565:09 56 2.15
24 Shane Connelly Wisconsin JR 1614:35 62 2.30

Save Percentage: Saves GA Save%
1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux North Dakota SR 652 46 .934
2 Michael-Lee Teslak Michigan Tech JR 319 24 .930
4 Richard Bachman (DAL) Colorado College FR 601 46 .929
12 Alex Kangas (ATL) Minnesota FR 468 39 .923
14 Alex Stalock (SJS) Minnesota Duluth SO 661 56 .922
16 Mike Zacharias Minnesota State JR 630 54 .921
17 Peter Mannino Denver SR 652 56 .921

Troy Jutting makes an appearance on CSTV's at the Rinks

I think Troy Jutting is a good coach and is doing one hell of a job coaching the Minnesota State Univeristy Mavericks. While I am sure there are some Mankato Mavericks fans that will disagree with me I think Jutting has done a good job recruiting and coaching in the shadow of the University of Minnesota. It wasn't that long ago Mankato was transitioning from a Division II powerhouse to a legitimate division one team.

I can remember watching MSU-M and BSU play in the John S. Glas Field House for the first time as a Division one team. Now Jutting has the team on the cusp of a NCAA tourney bid. Troy Juttings team play a hard nosed style of play that I admire. I just hope my Sioux don't have to play them until the Final Five.

Here is a question that was posed to Coach Jutting from a North Dakota Mavericks fan. Hum, I wonder who he is? I wonder if I know him.

Mav's fan, ND: Coach, Would you say that your team play this year will get some of the nay sayers off your back?
Troy Jutting: I don't know. To be honest, I don't worry about that. I put far greater pressure on myself than anybody else can. I try to do the job best that I can. Everybody wants to be an expert, and there are a lot of people who have great ideas. I just want to do the best job that I can.

Where has this kid been all season?

Seth Lang's play Monday night should make his case in solidifying his hold on the starting goaltending position for Central High School. Seth Lang a sophomore until recently had been wafting in the wings for his opportunity to show what he can do. That opportunity finally presented itself on Monday night as Lang and the Central Knights put up blue collar effort to beat the Fargo South Bruins 2-1 in overtime. It would appear that the questions to the goaltending situation at Central High School have been answered!

Central grabs third seed
By Brad Schlossman, Herald Staff Writer

After a 5-19 finish last season, Tony Bina set the lofty goal of a third-place finish for his Grand Forks Central boys hockey team.

It took until the final second of the regular season, but the Knights fulfilled their coach's wish.

Joel Riopelle scored an overtime goal to lift Central to a 2-1 win over Fargo South on Monday in a game that decided the East Region's third seed.

“It's so big for us to get the win, especially going into the playoffs,” said Bina, whose team finished the regular season 12-8-1 overall and 8-5-1 in region play. “We thought that we could finish in the top three in the (East Region), and we did it through hard work.”

The Knights used strong goaltending from sophomore Seth Lang and timely goals by Riopelle and Klockmann to beat the Bruins in overtime for the second time this season.

Lang stopped 24 shots to lead a strong defensive effort by the Knights, who had allowed 17 goals in the last two games.

“We had to bounce back from those games,” said Lang, who made 11 saves in the third period. “It's good to leave the regular season on a good note.”

Central plays sixth-seeded Fargo North on Thursday in the first round of the region tournament, while Fargo South plays fifth-seeded Devils Lake.

The Bruins appeared to be in position to take the third seed on Monday night after Ian Powers tied the game when his wrist shot from the boards went off a Central defenseman's stick and into the net with 4:50 left.

South outshot the Knights 12-3 in the third period and only needed to muster a tie.

But in overtime, Central needed just one scoring chance.

Riopelle carried the puck in the zone on his forehand along the right wing. He fought off a check from a Bruin defenseman and took it to the net hard. At the last second, he moved the puck to his backhand and flipped it past goalie Scott Buchholz on the short side at 1:22.

“On a play like that, you just try to drive to the net and hope to get a rebound or draw a penalty,” Riopelle said. “Once I saw it go in, I just laid there on the ice. I knew that the game was over. That's probably the best feeling I've ever had as a Central hockey player.”

South coach Dean Wilson said he felt his team had chances to win but didn't finish. As for not getting the third seed, he's not overly concerned.

“In order to get to state, we'll need to beat Red River, Grafton(-Park River) and Central anyway,” Wilson said. “And Devils Lake, too, for that matter. We play them first.

“We're looking forward to the challenge.”

This weeks picks: Misc Ramblings/Rants

Friday:
St. Cloud State at Alaska-Anchorage
Minnesota-State at Wisconsin
Denver at North Dakota
Minnesota-Duluth at Michigan Tech

Saturday:
St. Cloud State at Alaska-Anchorage
Minnesota-State at Wisconsin
Denver at North Dakota
Minnesota-Duluth at Michigan Tech

Some people think I have the ability to jinx or put a hex people's hockey teams. That theory was proven wrong this past weekend when the Mav's swept the hapless UAA Sea-wolves in Mankato just as I predicted. I am also back to level par and even Steven with Sioux7 as Donn dared push his luck and make a bet with me again. HA!

This week I will prove that in fact this theory wrong again as I have picked the UMD Bull Dogs and SCSU to sweep. Drum roll please.

The Commodore trade.

Here are a couple of interesting articles that I found about the Mike commodore trade. I am kind of torn because I really liked the Hurricanes and I enjoyed their exciting run through to the Stanley Cup finals Also as a Fighting Sioux fan I loved watching Commodore winning the Stanley Cup. Also, one of the major reasons that I liked the Hurricanes was the fact that former WCHA stars Mike Commodore, Brent Heican and Matt Cullen played for canes. I can't cheer for the Ottawa Senators, it is like selling your soul to the devil. I know it is a business and the Canes are floundering so I am sure it had to be done.

As we found the out the Carolina GM wasn't messing around.

As Eric McErlain reported last month, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford expressed regret in a radio interview that he had kept so many players from the Hurricanes' Cup team together, and threatened to shake the Canes out of their season-long "underachieving" by dealing away "popular players." Well, today Carolina has traded defenseman Mike Commodore -- arguably the fans' most cherished player, maybe even more than Eric Staal -- and forward Cory Stillman to Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves.

The Cason Blog looks at the Mike Commodore trade

Thank you Mike Commodore. You really grew up as a Cane. The Flames showed you no love, but you found it in droves as a Hurricane. You are truly a bigger-than-life guy. The Ottawa clubhouse just got a lot more fun. I wish you were heading to the Russian Super Secluded Siberian League. I sense pain on the horizon for many a Cane forward.

This Week in the WCHA (Sioux 7)

The results are in from last weekend, and there is still a pile of teams in the race for home ice. Both UW and MSUM are on hot streaks, UND was on a bye week, and UM continued its down ward spiral. Here are the current WCHA standings.

1 CC....22..16-5-1..33
2 ND....22..14-7-1..29
3 DU....20..13-6-1..27
4 MSU..22..9-9-4...22
4 UW....22..9-9-4...22
6 UMD..20..7-8-5...19
7 UM....22..6-11-5..17
8 SCS...20..7-11-2..16
8 MTU..20..6-10-4..16
10UAA..22..3-14-5..11

As you can see still only 5-pts separate the 4th place teams from the 9th place team, so home ice is still up for grabs. Which brings us to this weekends match ups.

This week Colorado College and Minnesota are on bye weeks. CC could be caught by UND this weekend if they sweep DU, but CC would have 2 games in hand. If the Huskies, either of them, pick up a point or two this weekend, could send the Gophers down into 9th place.

Mavericks at Badgers

This series can go along ways to determine who will get home ice. IF, one team can get a sweep they will have the inside track to home ice and on 4th place. These teams come into this weekend on good streaks, the Mavs, winners of 6 in a row, and Bucky 5-1-3 in their last 8 contests. The thing I see here is the Mavs have won 5 games at home, and 1 on the road. Now they take to the road, and the Kohl center is tough place to play. I STILL see UW sitting in a tie for 4th place come Sunday, by getting a win, but I also see the Mavs taking a game too, so heres to the 4 place tie and a split.

Pioneers at Fighting Sioux

The Sioux come in from their last bye week of the season and on a 9-game unbeaten streak 8-0-1. Denver is trying to get back their early season form, they took 3 points from the struggling Gophers last weekend. Normally if you beat UM like that I'd say you are doing good, but since the UM is "off" this year, it is ho-hum. Denver really needs to get some points to hold on to a top 3 finish, especially when 5 of their last 8 games are on the road. I'm thinking the Sioux might show a little rust on Friday night, but will take care of business and put DU further in the mirror, Sioux Sweep.

Bulldogs at Huskies (MTU)

Tech is at home again this weekend, they need to get more than one point in this series against the Bulldogs. The Huskies are 1-4-3 in their last 8 league games, not the record you want, when you are trying get into the top 5 for home ice. Meanwhile back in Duluth the Bulldogs have compiled a 2-3-3 record in their last 8 WCHA games. This too is a big series, if Tech doesn't get at least a split, they will be on the road for the first round of playoffs, sorry MeG :( But with all the ties these teams have collected as of late, I say, the series will tie, splitsville, a game a piece.

Huskies (SCSU) at Seawolves

Here lies what could be called "The Battle for the Bottom" series. SCSU is sitting tied for 8th and UAA is in the basement. SCSU did just beat the Tigers in CC, giving them their first home loss this season. So, have these Dogs finally been kicked enough and are finally starting to bite back? I think the Dogs will be a little tired after all this traveling, but will take a game from the Seawolves. Another split. A split will pretty much lock Alaska into the basement, being 5pts out of 9th place and having only 4-games left on the schedule. They can probably start looking for a good airfare deal to Colorado Springs for the first round of the playoffs.

RIT and Canisius Hockey Brawl

Edit the first viedo was removed. This video isn't as good as the first one. Finally there is a tape posted of the much talked about hockey brawl that took place on February 9th 2008. This is what I would call an old fashion get after it hockey brawl taht we really haven't seen since the 1980's.

Folks this is a text book definition of a hockey brawl, they are very rare. This video of the RIT and Canisius brawl. For those people that say that fighting has no place in hockey take note that you will not hear any one person booing, as ussual the fans go nuts. The RIT, RIT, RIT cheer is a nice touch. I think number two from Canisius Carl Hudson is going to get himself a long suspension from the AHA because he skated across the ice from the penalty box to re-join the fray. In the NHL if you leave the penalty box you probably get at minimum a 10 game suspension.

Check out this third period box score. By hockey definition this is impressive if you were measuring it by NHL standards but this is a college hockey game. This looks like a Philadelphia Flyer's game during the broad street bully days.

3rd Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CNS-5 Peter MacDougall (2-Boarding) 3:55
RIT-5 Mike Janda (2-Roughing) 3:55
RIT-6 Mike Janda (2-Roughing) CNS 1x4 3:55
CNS-6 Jason Weeks (2-High-Sticking) RIT 1x4 10:01
CNS-7 Taylor Anderson (2-Leaving the Crease) 12:33
CNS-8 Taylor Anderson (5-Fighting) 12:33
CNS-9 Taylor Anderson (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
CNS-10 Josh Heidinger (5-Fighting) 12:33
CNS-11 Josh Heidinger (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
CNS-12 David Kasch (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-13 David Kasch (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-14 David Kasch (10-Misconduct) 12:33
CNS-15 Phil Rauch (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-16 Phil Rauch (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-17 Cory Conacher (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-18 Cory Conacher (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-19 Cory Conacher (10-Misconduct) 12:33
CNS-20 Jason Weeks (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-21 Jason Weeks (2-Roughing) 12:33
CNS-22 Jason Weeks (10-Misconduct) 12:33
CNS-23 Carl Hudson (5-Fighting) 12:33
CNS-24 Carl Hudson (10-Misconduct) 12:33
CNS-25 Carl Hudson (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
CNS-26 Carl Hudson (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
CNS-27 Phil Rauch (10-Misconduct) 12:33
CNS-28 Josh Heidinger (2-Roughing) (Served by Greg Brown) RIT 1x5 12:33
CNS-29 Josh Heidinger (2-Roughing) (Served by Greg Brown) RIT 2x6 12:33
RIT-7 Louis Menard (2-Leaving the Crease) 12:33
RIT-8 Louis Menard (5-Fighting) 12:33
RIT-9 Louis Menard (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
RIT-10 Ricky Walton (5-Fighting) 12:33
RIT-11 Ricky Walton (10-Game Disqualification) 12:33
RIT-12 Tyler Mazzei (10-Misconduct) 12:33
RIT-13 Stephen Burns (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-14 Stephen Burns (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-15 Stephen Burns (10-Misconduct) 12:33
RIT-16 Anton Kharin (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-17 Anton Kharin (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-18 Justin Hofstetter (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-19 Justin Hofstetter (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-20 Justin Hofstetter (10-Misconduct) 12:33
RIT-21 Brent Patry (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-22 Brent Patry (2-Roughing) 12:33
RIT-23 Brent Patry (10-Misconduct) 12:33
RIT-24 Anton Kharin (10-Misconduct) 12:33
RIT 4 - 1 6x5 PP Dan Ringwald (2) (Simon Lambert, Bobby Raymond) 14:47
RIT: 6,18,21,17,27,G33 CNS: 5,8,10,23,G33
RIT-25 Matt Crowell (2-Holding) CNS 1x5

Sioux third in the Rink Rat Rankings...

Wow, UND is sitting third in the The Rink Rat Rankings: Season 2, Edition No. 14 I have to admit that this is funny.

3. North Dakota - Nothing new from the Sioux this week, so that means I get to use my other joke about Dave Hakstol's "salute" to Don Adam a couple of weeks ago. Ready? OK...here goes...

I guess the logo and nickname aren't the only things that are "hostile and abusive" at UND!

Thank you, I'll be here all week. Tip your bartenders. OK, here's one thing that's not a joke: Jean-Philippe Lamoureux now leads the nation in both goals-against average and save percentage. It's quite the roller coaster for Lamoureux, from "Maybe he's not the weak link after all," to "OK, maybe he is the weak link after all" back to the former. Keep your eye on this team, and expect to see a lot of them in Colorado this spring.

My only question to Elliot is; how do we get Phil into the Hobey Baker tracker? One of your goalies on the Hobey Baker Tracker got lit up for 9 goals this weekend and look poor on national television on Friday night.

Two seconds in...

Two seconds into the game Former Badger's forward Adam Burish takes on Canucks tough guy Byron Ritchie. That was a great fight and an exciting way to open a game. Check out Burish's other fight this week. I would have to admit that I like the way Burish plays the game.

Steve Downie vs Jarkko Ruutu

So Downie is known for not taking his shield off. This is how you get Downie to take his helmet off. Ruutu just reached over and pulled off his helmet. This was also a pretty good game as well as Pittsburgh has found a way to win even without Sid the kid playing.

Why not Jean-Philippe Lamoureux for the Hobey Baker

Fighting Sioux goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has started every game for the Fighting Sioux this season and has amassed a 17-8-2 record; most people don't even know who the Fighting Sioux have as their back up. In fact someone asked me who the back up was during the Gophers series. I said, “Does it matter?” Just for the record the UND back up goalie’s name is Aaron Walski Junior from Fargo, ND. Lamoureux is sitting atop of the national rankings and is hardly getting a look for the Hobey Baker Memorial award.

It is puzzling to me that Jean-Philippe Lamoureux is getting no love on the CSTV Hobey Baker Watch or at the INCH Hobey Tracker. I can imagine that Sioux fans probably are scratching their head as well and wondering why Phil isn't on the list? Statistically Lamoureux is one of the best in the country per the NCAA Stats. Here is how Jean-Philippe Lamoureux compares to the other goalies listed on the Hobey Baker watch.

Save Percentage:
1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux North Dakota SR 652 46 .934
3 Billy Sauer (COA) Michigan JR 677 51 .930
4 Richard Bachman (DAL) Colorado College FR 601 46 .929
5 Jeff Zatkoff (LAK) Miami JR 559 43 .929
18 Peter Mannino Denver SR 652 56 .921

Goals Against Average:
1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux North Dakota SR 1594:53 46 1.73
2 Jeff Zatkoff (LAK) Miami JR 1481:59 43 1.74
5 Richard Bachman (DAL) Colorado College FR 1498:24 46 1.84
6 Billy Sauer (COA) Michigan JR 1656:18 51 1.85
17 Peter Mannino Denver SR 1565:09 56 2.15

This is my definition of a brawl

This past week there was a lot of discussion of what actually constitues a brawl during a hockey game. This would be my text book definition of an old fashion hockey brawl.

So I am watching this video and wouldn't you know it; Steve Downie is right in the middle of it. Alright, the next thing I want to know; does Steve Downie still with his face shield on? Yep he does.

Here is the second period box score for this game.


02:43 Cote, R. : Interference - 2 min
12:33 Orr, C. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:33 Cote, R. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:33 Tyutin, F. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:33 Downie, S. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:33 Hollweg, R. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:33 Dowd, J. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:59 Prucha, P. : Roughing - 2 min
12:59 Richards, M. : Roughing - 2 min
12:59 Avery, S. : Misconduct (10 min) - 0 min
15:15 Jagr, J. : Interference - 2 min
17:48 Dubinsky, B. : Hi-sticking - 2 min
20:00 Dubinsky, B. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
20:00 Richards, M. : Fighting (maj) - 5 min

Hale vs Adams

Craig Adams and former Fighting Sioux David Hale go toe to toe.

USCHO sums it up pretty well...

Check this piece out, Finally someone in the Media has the balls to say it. I also think USCHO really hit the nail on the head with this article. Hello, USCHO just said what a lot of us in the blog-sphere have been saying all season long. Finally! I would imagine this guy better expect to take some heat for saying it as well, however, it is what it is... The numbers speak for themselves. My advice to the CCHA is get out and start playing some other teams in the other major conferences.

Mauled in Miami
Ray Bartnikowski
For many around the country, Friday's marquee match-up ended up exactly the way they expected. To them, second ranked Michigan's victory was more than just a win over a highly-touted conference foe. It was a referendum on what many see as an overrated team who has benefited from an extremely easy road. Though their strength of schedule is 24th nationally — Michigan’s is 17, not much better (at least on paper) —before Friday their only quality competition had been conference foes Michigan State and Notre Dame.

They played them each two times, sweeping the defending champs in East Lansing and splitting at home with the Fighting Irish. And whereas Michigan's non-conference schedule included games against Wisconsin, Minnnesota (twice), Boston University (twice), and resurgent squads from Providence and Michigan Tech, Miami went 8-0 against teams — Vermont, Canisius, Rensselaer, St. Cloud, and Ohio State (in a tournament) — who sport a combined record of 36-56-18 (.327).

By comparison, the top 10 teams in strength of schedule all hail from the WCHA. No disrespect to the RedHawks’ — they can only play who is lacing them up in the other locker room — but after Friday’s 4-2 defeat on home ice (and subsequent fall from the top of the CCHA standings, the PairWise, and likely the national rankings), Saturday’s tilt becomes a must-win. Oxford, though, was not the only location where drama unfolded in the CCHA

Jutting has the Mavericks on a roll...

Last year I read where a lot of Maverick fans were upset with Troy Jutting and wished the univeristy would cut ties with the Maverick coach. Personally I think Mr Jutting is doing a good job and has the Mavericks looking like a NCAA playoff team.

After all the calls for Jutings head, the Maferick coach Troy Jutting has the Maverick fans thinking twice for calling for his head. I can imagine hearing Troy Jutting say, "how do you like me now?" Currently the Mavericks are riding a 5 game winning streak and have gone 9-4-1 in the last 14 games. The Mavericks are tied for fourth in the WCHA with the Wisconsin Badges and are sitting 11th in the PairWise. I am sure there are not a lot of teams out there wanting to face the Mavericks now.