College Hockey pickem

[martinslanding]

My gut feeling is that it will be one and done for UND. Just seems like this team is lacking heart. Getting swept by Denver losing to Duluth on Friday. Johnson is letting a lot of goals in lately seems like the scouting report is to keep puck high on him. Defense has to make the other team earn them goals.

IMO the NorthEastern game is the most important one on the road to Tampa…not just because it’s the first one…but because it’s a great measuring stick against Hockey East. This is a team that won Hockey East with wins against BC and Umass-Lowell that’s impressive…it wouldn’t surprise me if we lose traditionally we have struggled against Hockey East, but this teams different…it’s build more like a BC team with more speed and skill than tree trunk D-men…and our D is very offensive minded. So with that being said, when we when there will be no excuse for winning it all. Mich might put up a good fight but BG10 hockey is about as bad as BG10 BB over inflated numbers…other side of the bracket will be Duluth or another Hockey East team so we can beat them…honestly our first round frozen 4 match up against DU or ST. Cloud will probably be the toughest game…all however are winnable for this team.

 

[tikkalover]

Yep, just might have to watch it in a BAR somewhere!!:;:rockit;:;boozer

 

[NDwalleyes]

Notre Dame just left Hockey East for Big 10...AZ St is still out there too. I don't think AZ State goes to Big 10....but someone else is.

 

[Migrator Man]

UND does have a different team than the past. I compare the old UND type of team to UMD of the present . NE is not a big hitting or obstruction type of team. UnD is not the big hitting team of the past. They are more of a speed and crisp passing kind of a team similar to the east teams. You won't see the hitting you saw in the UMD game so you we may be surprised. I know the team will be out at their best. Losing last weekend may be the blessing in surprise!

 

[Ristorapper]

Pickem Hockey is what i'm using for another group. This is the first year we've used it though so I don't have any good feedback other than a friend suggested it because he's used it in the past.

Used it in the past as well. worked great...

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Our defense as has been said has more or less gone from the "old" UND style of big, slow defensemen to the speedy more offensive minded; similar to the teams out east that we had trouble beating in the past NCAA tournaments. Berry has this D corp ready I think, and with lines 2,3 and 4 showing up on occasion throughout the year, anything is possible.

I know the UM assistant coach (from EGF) kept whining about the 7-8 freshmen that held them back this year. Our 11 or so Freshmen are gonna have to give us a boost (again) if we want to get over the hump this season. We are young, but something tells me (other than the past three weekends) that this is the year. Those past three weekends may be enough to light a huge fire in the guts of these young men to get it done. Hope so anyway.

 

[sl1000794]

Notre Dame just left Hockey East for Big 10...AZ St is still out there too. I don't think AZ State goes to Big 10....but someone else is.

ASU is an Independent: http://collegehockeyinc.com/d1teams

Steve.

 

[Migrator Man]

Arizona is an independent as hey transition. They are looking for a conference to join and will be either big ten or nchc

 

[nxtgeneration]

So are we doing a bracket then or what? Anyone have an opinion of what site we use for it (other than not using ESPN)?

 

[sdwxman]

I'm as big a Sioux Hockey fan as anyone, but until this program can prove they can sack up and win in these one and done tournaments I don't think they get beyond the second round. Its been 16 years and its the same every year. They look awesome at home, win, and when its time to get serious, they get outplayed and out hustled. Goaltending suddenly becomes questionable as well.

I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see it happening this year. St. Cloud State is a better team, I hate to say it.

 

[Duckslayer100]

I'm as big a Sioux Hockey fan as anyone, but until this program can prove they can sack up and win in these one and done tournaments I don't think they get beyond the second round. Its been 16 years and its the same every year. They look awesome at home, win, and when its time to get serious, they get outplayed and out hustled. Goaltending suddenly becomes questionable as well.

I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see it happening this year. St. Cloud State is a better team, I hate to say it.

I'm with ya. As much as I'd love to think this is the year, I've been let down too much in recent history to 100 percent have faith. I hope they can find whatever has been missing during do-or-die time...

 

[WormWiggler]

I think UND was a little slow to evolve from the big punishing defensemen to the elite skating offensive style. But I also think that the WCHA style of physical hockey was a hindrance because at the tournament time, the refs would be "east coast" vintage and call the rough stuff that western teams were accustom too. Any thoughts?

 

[nxtgeneration]

I think UND was a little slow to evolve from the big punishing defensemen to the elite skating offensive style. But I also think that the WCHA style of physical hockey was a hindrance because at the tournament time, the refs would be "east coast" vintage and call the rough stuff that western teams were accustom too. Any thoughts?

Absolutely agree with this. I would say this is one of the reasons we have transformed into more of a skilled team vs a bull nosed old school hockey team.

 

[NDwalleyes]

I think UND was a little slow to evolve from the big punishing defensemen to the elite skating offensive style. But I also think that the WCHA style of physical hockey was a hindrance because at the tournament time, the refs would be "east coast" vintage and call the rough stuff that western teams were accustom too. Any thoughts?

This is very true. Even now the NCAA refs call penalties on the NCHC teams because of the physical style we are used to. You watch this weekend they will call the dumbest penalties.

 

[camper]

All ready blaming the refs. HAHAHA:;:lame

 

[Colt45]

"Real" class B schools cant win in basketball because of the religious and native schools, UND cant win the big one in hockey because of the refs.......... I propose we don't keep score in any athletic event then no one will get butt hurt and everyone is a winner!!! YYYAAAAAA!!!

 

[NDwalleyes]

Ohhh and the Bison fans are here with their cute little class B football trophy!

"What? We're not the national champions? Alabama is? Why didn't someone tell us this?"

I just did.

 

[camoman]

This is absolutely the reason UND falls back early and has to scramble at the end of the game and typically comes up short. I've liked the team thus far this year, but the UMD game was NOT our game. They came out looking to play the body and the boys were obviously not prepared for that, for whatever reason. They looked lost in that game. Hopefully coach has them firing on all cylinders and the boys come ready for a shootout against NE. The score in this first game will hardly look like a hockey score if it goes down the way I think it will.

 

[camper]

Ohhh and the Bison fans are here with their cute little class B football trophy!

"What? We're not the national champions? Alabama is? Why didn't someone tell us this?"

I just did.

How did the Bison get into this? Butthurt much. HAHAHA

 

[Ristorapper]

''I think we've got good depth and could wear teams out.''

I've always thought the same in the many years we skated well with four lines. Unfortunately most of these games will be televised and the TV time outs will allow the other teams to catch their breath during those timeouts. At least that is my opinion when the NCAA tourney fires up. If we can't wear other teams out then, lets just get more pucks by their goalie while we are trying to wear them out.

 

[sdwxman]

I wonder who Uncle Steve likes in the tourney....