Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:54 pm
Let's take the maroon and gold glasses off for one second. DmanDad1980 is right.Tigers33 wrote:Stop making excuses for them.
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Let's take the maroon and gold glasses off for one second. DmanDad1980 is right.Tigers33 wrote:Stop making excuses for them.
There is a difference in giving excuses and giving reasons. I'm doing the latter. It would be an excuse if I said "The Gophers are lucky that UND wasn't healthy or they would have lost." I said that it wouldn't have mattered if they were healthy because they came out so flat. Gophers deserved the win. You'd be a little crazy to think that a team that basically only had 18 skaters since christmas break wouldn't be fatigued by NCAA tournament time. UND wasn't sitting on any extra D or Forwards. If you dressed, you played. They completely out performed themselves this season.Tigers33 wrote:Stop making excuses for them. Knight, Kristo, and Nelson are probably considered to be one of the top lines in all of college hockey. I think they put up 130+ points this season. Not bad?
As for their defenseman - I specifically remember Macwilliam, Blood, Forbort, Mattson, and Panzarella playing quite often. I also believe Simpson played a bunch, he was on their top pp. Gleason played forward obviously. Senkbiel was also dressed.
I distinctively remember this stuff happening to the U of M and Don went out and got extra players for this reason in the past. We are sitting on 3/4 extra forwards and 2 extra defenseman. Didnt Schmitt have to play forward last year cause of injuries and lack of depth. This isnt uncommon.
I would not have played Nelson on the 4th line if I were them. They were getting loads of tv timeouts which were up to two minutes in length. 3.5 lines should have been fine. I think the gophers 4th line played 3 shifts the final period, with one of them being the last 30 seconds of the game. I would argue the Gophers basically played 3 lines as well. Bottom line is our 2nd and 3rd lines outproduced their top line.
Obviously you'd like to see them all come back. That first line staying together for another year could be down right scary. Honestly, I was a little surprised that Nelson put up the numbers that he did this year. I knew he would be good but I didn't think he would really break out until his junior year. I heard rumblings in Warroad that it was a real possibility that Nelson would go pro after this year. I really hope he stays because I think he could be a Hobey Baker contender. You couldn't really blame any of those kids for leaving early though. I don't think any of them have that much more development that needs to occur for them to be successful at the next level.Tigers33 wrote:
What are the Sioux fans thoughts on Kristo, Brock, Knight, and Forbort going pro?
The thing about Kristo is that he can become a free agent if he leaves this summer. Huge deal. If he sticks around in school Montreal will keep his rights, where as if he leaves this summer (4 years after he was drafted and not yet finished with school) Montreal has a month to sign him and if they fail to do so he is a free agent. IF he's good enough isnt the question, the opportunity is pretty hard to turn down.Tigers33 wrote:Is Kristo really ready? I dont know much about him, but I dont see an electrifying type of player that you see in Zucker and JT Brown that just signed and will be debuting in the NHL this week. I know Kristo is good, but is he fast enough...strong enough...mature enough?
I would think Brock is ready to go pro.
Completely agree on Forbort, I just know he has the NHL size for a defenseman and was a high draft pick.
Agree on Knight.
Do as many east coast players leave early as it seems WCHA players are going? I mean Brown, Zucker, another from UMD?, two from st cloud, one from Nebraska, any others?? Than throw in the possibility of Bjugstad, Haula, and Budish from the Gophers. Also, the possibility of ND players. The list continues to grow each year.
Schultz from Wisconsin won't be coming back. The only reason he hasn't signed yet is because if he waits til this summer he is a free agent and able to sign with any team he wants as opposed to if he signs right now... So there is another leaving early from WCHATigers33 wrote:Is Kristo really ready? I dont know much about him, but I dont see an electrifying type of player that you see in Zucker and JT Brown that just signed and will be debuting in the NHL this week. I know Kristo is good, but is he fast enough...strong enough...mature enough?
I would think Brock is ready to go pro.
Completely agree on Forbort, I just know he has the NHL size for a defenseman and was a high draft pick.
Agree on Knight.
Do as many east coast players leave early as it seems WCHA players are going? I mean Brown, Zucker, another from UMD?, two from st cloud, one from Nebraska, any others?? Than throw in the possibility of Bjugstad, Haula, and Budish from the Gophers. Also, the possibility of ND players. The list continues to grow each year.
The one person answered already. I suppose you could make an argument that Kristo isn't ready. He doesn't come across as the most emotionally mature kid in the world. That's for sure. My reasoning is based more on the fact he can become a free agent and pretty much pick a better landing spot if he sees fit. He'll get big money no matter where he goes and he could pick his own spot. That's a good spot to be in. I highly doubt he stays at UND.Tigers33 wrote:Is Kristo really ready? I dont know much about him, but I dont see an electrifying type of player that you see in Zucker and JT Brown that just signed and will be debuting in the NHL this week. I know Kristo is good, but is he fast enough...strong enough...mature enough?
It sounds like the Islanders will take him if he wants to go. But won't push him to leave. So I guess it comes down to whether he feels he is ready. Hakstol seems to do a pretty good job of "stealing" another year out of guys that could go pro so it wouldn't surprise me if the kid stays. That's why I said 50/50.I would think Brock is ready to go pro.
I'm not a big Forbort fan. He has the skill and size but there just seems to be something missing too.Completely agree on Forbort, I just know he has the NHL size for a defenseman and was a high draft pick.
I don't think you'll see Haula or Budish leave. The Wild are going to be signing a number of other young guys this off-season and they are going to be getting an influx of youth as it is. They are already seeming to be concerned about spreading out the time frame when these guys hit a possible 2nd contract and signing Haula isn't going to make that situation any better. My bet is he comes back next year and signs after the season is over.Than throw in the possibility of Bjugstad, Haula, and Budish from the Gophers.
I would say loosing Praise, Toews, Stafford and Oshie by early depatures is getting hit hard.Tigers33 wrote:North Dakota will finally get hit hard by early departures. Brock gone, it sounds like Kristo will leave, it makes you wonder what Knight will do.
Actually both Parise and Toews left after their Sophomore years.....Oshie and Stafford left after their junior yearTigers33 wrote:How many of them left after their sophmore season?