UND Second in USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll

February 09, 2015

	Team	(First Place Votes)	Record		Points	Last Poll
1	Minnesota State	(33)	23- 5-1		975	1
2	North Dakota	(11)	19- 6-2		938	2
3	Boston University	( 6)	18- 4-4		934	3
4	Nebraska-Omaha		16- 7-3		827	4
5	Michigan Tech		22- 7-1		795	5
6	Minnesota-Duluth		17-10-1		733	7
7	Miami		16- 9-1		652	8
8	Bowling Green		17- 6-5		651	8
9	Denver		16- 9-1		573	10
10	Boston College		17- 9-2		499	11
11	Providence		17- 9-2		480	13
12	Michigan		16- 8-0		448	14
13	Quinnipiac		18- 8-2		392	16
14	Harvard		12- 8-2		362	6
15	Yale		13- 7-3		273	15
16	Massachusetts-Lowell		16-10-3		246	12
17	Vermont		16-10-2		166	17
18	Robert Morris		20- 5-5		129	19
19	Penn State		15- 7-4		125	NR
20	St. Lawrence		16-10-2		111	NR
Others receiving votes: Minnesota 78, Colgate 49, Merrimack 42, Dartmouth 11, Western Michigan 5, St. Cloud State 3, Bentley 2, Bemidji State 1.

 

NCHC Hockey: A look at the Pairwise Rankings (Updated)

The NCHC isn't going anywhere but up.

I know I am getting ahead of myself and there's a lot of time left before the NCAA tourney. The Pairwise Ranking are very fluid and they will change some before selection Sunday, but the NCHC is looking real good with about five weeks remaining in the season.

There's a very good chance that one or two of the NCHC teams at the top of the Pairwise Rankings won't make the Frozen Faceoff  but will make the NCAA tourney. That happened to SCSU last season.

Cal Clutterbuck check on Torey Krug (video)

This is the hit that New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck put on Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug. If you watch the video, Krug never had possession of the puck at anytime. The hit stunned Krug, but he was able to return to the game.

Should this have been an interference penalty? What do you think?

Jets Evander Kane to Have Season Ending Surgery

View image | gettyimages.com

There’s been a lot of ink written on Evander Kane as of late. Now we find out that he’s going to have shoulder surgery on Saturday and be out 4-6 months. That’s a bad break for the Jets.

Placing Evander Kane on long-term injured reserve does not prevent #NHLJets from a trade. Some believe he'll still be moved before March 2. — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 6, 2015

It also sounds like the Jets could have a bit of a mess in the locker room right now. I wouldn’t be shocked if Kane has played his last game in a Jets uniform.

Chris Johnston, Sports Net -- Earlier in the day, the 23-year-old winger is said to have had a run-in with teammates.

Kane wore a track suit when the Jets players gathered that morning for a meeting — a violation of team policy. Following a brief workout and stretch, Byfuglien is believed to have thrown those clothes into the shower to send a message to his teammate, according to sources.

That was the last the Winnipeg players saw of Kane until the team’s charter flight home.

Byfuglien spoke with reporters on Thursday before Sportsnet’s report surfaced and was asked how Kane’s absence from the game would affect his status inside the dressing room.

This is getting interesting.

Globe and Mail: Are the Refs tough on Subban and the Habs?

View image | gettyimages.com

Here's a great article that I found in the Globe and Mail. Obviously, this article is written from the perspective of a Hab's writer, but it’s still worth the read. That being said,  I do think that Hab’s and P.K. Subban have earned the reputation of being divers. They’re not the only ones, either.

There is an irony to the Subban decision.

In one of the incidents cited on his rap sheet, he was zestily pitchforked in the nether bits by noted miscreant Brad Marchand of Boston. In the second, he fell while turning away on one skate after a light crosscheck from behind by Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers.

Kreider took vigorous exception to Subban falling over, which can happen when ice and skates are involved. Perhaps he would have been more understanding if Subban had barrelled into a goaltender while losing his footing, as Kreider does with alarming regularity.

Neither example is egregious, but trust the NHL and its officials to miss a truly objectionable bit of poor sportsmanship from Subban last month, when he literally dived to the ice after being tripped by Tampa Bay’s Jason Garrison.

Some of the received hockey wisdom about Subban is deserved; he occasionally exaggerates in order to influence the refs (he does it far less than in the past). This does not differentiate him from his peers. (Globe and Mail)

Weekend Hockey Schedule

Ferris State vs. Bowling Green	Feb. 6	7:07 ET	BckSN
Denver vs. Colorado College	Feb. 6	7:37 MT	CBSN	221	152
Wisconsin vs. Penn State	Feb. 6	6:30 ET	BTen	610	439
Ohio State vs. Minnesota	Feb. 6	8:00 CT	BTen	610	439
Niagara vs. RIT	Feb. 7	7:05 ET	TWRoc
Connecticut vs. Providence	Feb. 7	7:00 ET	OSN
Notre Dame vs. Maine	Feb. 7	7:05 ET	WVII
			WPME
			WFVX
			FCSp	623
Ferris State vs. Bowling Green	Feb. 7	7:07 ET	BckSN
Wisconsin vs. Penn State	Feb. 7	2:00 ET	WLYH
Ohio State vs. Minnesota	Feb. 7	7:00 ET	FSN N+	657	444
Michigan State vs. Michigan	Feb. 7	8:00 ET	BTen	610	439
Boston University vs. Northeastern	Feb. 9	7:30 ET	NESN	628	434
New Hampshire vs. Boston University	Feb. 13	7:00 ET	NESN	628	434

 

This weekend, there’s no men’s hockey. There’s many options if you have DirecTV or expanded Cable.  You can also take in the Women’s game against Minnesota this weekend. UND is attempting to break an attendance record that they set last season.

Big 10 Follow-Up

Frustrations have mounted since the Gophers loss to Union (7-4)
in the National Championship game

Before the holiday break, I took a look at the Big 10 conference after reading an article on USCHO that made me laugh on how stricken from reality they were. Now with more games under the conference's belt and only one month left in the season, well before playoffs, let us take another look at the conference and why it could possibly be just as terrible as the Atlantic Hockey Conference.

Let's start with the obvious, the should be conference power houses(Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan) are sitting at the bottom of the league, with the exception of Michigan who is the conference leader. Between Wisconsin and Minnesota (last and 4th respectively) their combined inter conference record is 3-8-5, with all the victories belonging to Minnesota, and two of which came against Wisconsin.

Their conference non-conference record is nothing to write home about either. In fact, it is one of the worst in all of NCAA hockey. The overall record is 38-43-7, very detrimental to their conference hopes in the Pairwise rankings when it comes time to make the NCAA tournament brackets. So basically if you want to make the NCAA tournament out of the Big 10, you have to win the Big 10 tournament. The only team within the top 16 in Pairwise right now is Michigan, but at 14 they are on the bubble, especially with the 16 seed probably going to the Atlantic Hockey auto bid.

Looking at the overall records, you have one team below 500 tied for second in the conference, Michigan State (10-11-2), at 16 points with Penn State. Yes that's right Penn State. Between them and Michigan, they are really the only good things the conference has going for them right now.

The Big 10 should have kept their noses out of college hockey, yes I know it will lead to more expansion in the coming years, but right now the lack of competition is frustrating fans to the point where it is getting tough for conference teams to get people to their arenas to watch them play. If things do not change soon, they will be the cellar conference behind Atlantic Hockey.

Grand Forks has been named America's #1 Hockey Town.

According to @smartasset, Grand Forks has been named America's #1 Hockey Town. #UNDProud https://t.co/UVc5Cqk6Kp
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) February 5, 2015

Here's a new article that came out this week. I am sure the other 58 teams in college hockey will probably offer some argument to why this article is flawed. It looks like they might have a solid method of analyzing the different schools.

Data & Methodology

While the NHL is the premier hockey league in the U.S., there are several others with significant fan bases. In addition to all U.S. NHL towns, we considered every U.S. town or city with a team competing in America’s top two minor leagues (the American Hockey League (AHL) and the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)) or in Division I NCAA hockey. That brought the total of towns in our study to 129.2 For each of those 129 towns we first looked at the overall quality of life enjoyed by residents. Specifically, to develop our Quality of Life Score we looked at the following five factors:

Violent Crimes per 100,000 people.

Property Crimes per 100,000 people.

Disposable Income (median income minus median housing costs).

Dining and Entertainment Establishments per 10,000 residents.

Unemployment Rate.3

Related articles

• America's Best Hockey Towns(smartasset.com)

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Is Evander Kane on Trading Block?

It appears so, check out what's making its way around the blogosphere today. I can think of a couple of teams that he would look good on. You have to wonder if Kane could use a fresh start?

The Winnipeg Jets are reportedly listening to offers on Evander Kane. http://t.co/YHi2G7grCp pic.twitter.com/4xo1xsfBf4
— theScore (@theScore) February 5, 2015

Many questions around Evander Kane and the Jets. Some medical issues to be resolved, but teams are calling and Jets are listening...hard.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 5, 2015

NHL rumors: Jets taking trade calls on F Evander Kane. Is this the year it finally happens? http://t.co/F4uXXwZPpZ pic.twitter.com/TwtyYwgnL4
— Eye on Hockey (@EyeOnHockey) February 5, 2015

Further to @DarrenDreger's tweet, also hearing Jets taking calls on Evander Kane. Big name to have on trade market for sure.
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) February 5, 2015

Winnipeg Free Press: Healthy scratch could be turning point in Kane saga

View image | gettyimages.com

This is a story that has garnered a lot of attention the last few days. To me, it seems a little excessive, but team rules are team rules. Right? On the surface it appears minor, Kane wore sweats to a team meeting.

Here's what at stake, Kane broke team rules and if the coach hadn't disciplined him, it would appear that the coach has two sets of rules. One set of rules for star players and rules for the rest of the team.

Gary Lawless, Winnipeg Free Press --- Kane’s transgression on Tuesday, as it turns out, was fairly was minor. He broke dress code, arriving at the rink for a midday team meeting in sweats, instead of a suit. By gametime, Kane wasn’t a player.

Jets coach Paul Maurice scratched Kane from the lineup and after the game called it a coach’s decision. This is the second time Maurice has made Kane a healthy scratch for disciplinary reasons. The coach has rules and he expects his players to follow them and there are few exceptions. The margin of error for a repeat offender such as Kane is thin. So he got benched.

Track suit and healthy scratch could be turning point in Kane saga - via @winnipegnews http://t.co/oZd4Q2F8rr via @sharethis
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 5, 2015

UND WHKY: Border battle

Grand Forks, N.D. -- Rewind to Nov. 21 of last year and the North Dakota women's hockey was on a eight-game winless skid. The team was swept by the Minnesota Gopher powerhouse and the newly revitalized Bemidji State program. They had a loss and a tie against Wisconsin.

Nothing seemed to be going right at that point in the season. But since Dec. 12, the team has gone 8-1-1. Most recently tallying back-to-back sweeps of Ohio State and BSU. Last weekend North Dakota was able to pull off a in and tie against the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

The games that North Dakota has won as of late haven't been high scoring or glamorous, but the program has done enough of the right things to claw themselves back from sixth place in the WCHA to fourth.

The keys to UND's success have been the defense and being backstopped by junior goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie. Amsley-Benzie has allowed only four goals in the last six games and has three shutouts against nationally ranked opponents. She has also been named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week twice since the beginning of 2015.

Currently North Dakota trails Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA standings by three points and is ranked 10th in the Pairwise with only six games remaining in the regular season.

This weekend North Dakota will face rival Minnesota on Friday at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday at 4:07 p.m.. The Gophers are 17-1-4 with the lone loss to Bemidji in Nov. of last year. If UND plans to be successful this weekend against the Gophers they will need carry momentum from the past three weeks and have exceptional goaltending and defense.

UND is hoping to pack The Ralph and break last year's attendance record. Attendees will receive one of these ridiculously fun(ny) foam stick hats. Tickets are available for $1 at The Ralph box office.

P.K. Subban Fined for Diving

It was only a matter of time before P.K. Subban was fined by the National Hockey League for embellishment. Now with the fine, Subban is now a documented diver. It will be interesting to see if Subban cleans up his act.

NHL.COM -- Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban has been fined $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment), the National Hockey League announced today.

Revised for the 2014-15 season following offseason approval by the League's Board of Governors and the National Hockey League Players' Association, NHL Rule 64 is designed to bring attention to and more seriously penalize players (and teams) who repeatedly dive and embellish in an attempt to draw penalties. Fines are assessed to players and head coaches on a graduated scale outlined below:

Carolina Hurricanes: Brad Malone Scores on the Penalty Shot (Video)

Former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone scored his fifth goal of the season with this beauty on the penalty shot. In 39 games this season, Malone has scored (5g-3a--8pts).

HIGHLIGHT: @Bmalone22 draws a penalty shot and scores for the #Canes last night --> WATCH: http://t.co/HJXh2W8gmc pic.twitter.com/G7E3RMD1bz
— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) February 4, 2015

2015 Beanpot: Harvard No Goal

Game one of the 2015 Beanpot Tournament, BU vs. Harvard.

After watching the video, I don't know? I have no invested interest in either team, I think Harvard scored a goal. Based on what I can see on my television screen. I don't have all of the angles that the refs have. Tough call to make for the officials. I As a result of this goal being waved off, the two teams went to overtime.

Shelby Amsley-Benzie, WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

Congrats to UND junior goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie for being named the WCHA defensive player of the week.

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Jr., G, North Dakota (Warroad, Minn.)

Amsley-Benzie continued her run of stellar play, backstopping North Dakota to a five-point weekend at No. 6 Minnesota Duluth. The junior from Warroad, Minn. recorded her fourth shutout of the season – third against a nationally-ranked opponent – when she stopped all 30 shots faced Friday in a 1-0 victory. She then followed up her shutout performance with a 25-save effort Saturday, helping UND to a 2-2 tie and shootout victory. North Dakota’s netminder helped her team’s penalty kill go a perfect 6-for-6 on the weekend, stopping 10 shots while short-handed. Amsley-Benzie currently leads the nation with a .949 save percentage. Since Jan. 1, she tops the country with both a .971 save percentage and 0.71 goals against average.

Also nominated: Ann-Renée Desbiens, So., G, Wisconsin

UMN vs. UND, Pack the Ralph