North Dakota/Denver Game

Go Denver.

1-1. Denver tied it with .2 left in the 1st from behind the net.

Threadjacking: did the intermission report just say Darius Morris will ENTER the NBA draft?  That is a misleading phrasing unless something has changed.

Call me crazy, but I am excited about the playing the #1 team in the nation in their own back yard.

Let's see what we're made of. 

I'm hoping UMD makes the finals so we can run train on the WCHA and take out 4 teams from the "best" conference on our way to Michigan's 10th National Title!!!

The bits of seen, these guys look like the best team in the country to me (which I guess as the last one seed alive, they probably are) and they're at home  Gotta say I wish we were on the UMD/UNH/ND side

4-1 now

North Dakota scares me.

beat UND

is really, freaking good.  They're very physical and very skilled.  They probably have a little bit of a size advantage, I think we have a touch more speed.  They have several dangerous players and lines and their defense is pretty simlar to ours, good defensively and also quite good at jumping into the play.  Their goalie, I believe, leads the NCAA in GAA.  They also have a pretty large senior class, if I remember correctly.  At the beginning of the year, I would have said that, on paper, it should be Michigan vs. NoDak for the title.  Michigan, based on what maybe could have been, lost a few games they maybe shouldn't have.  UND really didn't miss a beat.  But Michigan has been playing better the last several weekends (games at the Joe not counted).  It should be a great game and whoever wins will probably be the favorite in the final against UM-D/Notre Dame/UNH.  (Sidenote:  If UNH makes it, the Frozen four will have one 1, one 2, one 3 and one 4 seed)

The good news is, Denver played them pretty tightly a couple times and played UND pretty evenly in this game's first period.  In the second UND had the advantage and that's even more so, so far in the third.  But remember that Denver had a 2OT game last night, which isn't helping them stay with UND late.  While Denver was keeping up with them, UND got most of their chances from odd-man rushes, they scored the shortie and then missed a 2-on-1 but were able to set up a bit and get a goal from a scramble soon afterwards.  I saw their PP goal, but can't remember too much about it, I was distracted.  I don't think our team, make-up wise, is so different from Denver's, except for they have quite a a few freshman and we have quite a few seniors. 

UND, all game, has been feasting on Denver turnovers (mnay of which were created by the Sioux).  If Michigan can avoid a lot of those, they stand a good chance of winning, especially if they can grab a goal or two lead.  If Michigan can play like it did against CC and Hunwick can out-play (or at least stalemate) with Dell, they stand a good shot.  I think the last few games of Michigan's special teams and from what I've seen so far of UND's, their pretty even and most of it is going to come down to 5x5 play.  But Michigan will have to play all of 3+ periods.  If they have any sretch of play like the first against UNO, it's going to be very, very tough to come back against a big, physical, senior-laden UND team.

Another note is that, although I said that I don't think special teams will be too much of a factor, UND plays a very physical style, so with certain refs (read Eastern, who tend to call more than Western refs), that could be a factor and lead to a couple extra PP opportunities for U-M, assuming Michigan can avoid taking similar dumb penalties.  Even if that doesn't lead to a special teams advantage for Michigan, if Michigan does get a lead, it will make it that much more difficult for the Sioux to come back. 

Odds that this game will be 7-5 two minutes into the 2nd period?

But Notre Dame up 2-0 on UNH after 2 periods.  UNH has been dominant at times, while ND has not done too much, but they lead 2-0.  Johnson's playing well and ND is just getting the bounces, UNH is missing their best chances and ND's goalie with a couple big saves.  I will say, that during ND's second goal, with about 5 seconds left in the second, there was an ND player, without the puck, with both skates completely in the crease, pretty much behind UNH's goalie, while the goal was scored.  The appropriate rule, from the NCAA rule book is as follows:

(The goal shall be disallowed if:)

7. If any member of the attacking team (other than the player in
possession of the puck) was in or skating through the goal crease
when the goal was scored from outside the crease, unless:

i. The goalkeeper was outside the crease when the puck entered the
net; or
ii. An attacking player was in the crease but, in the opinion of the
official, did not prevent the goalkeeper from defending the goal.

The UNH goale was definitely in the crease.  He was interfered with a little by the ND player before the goal, but it might have been far enough before for the ref to not disallow it.  I couldn't tell if the UNH coach asked about it, but a couple of the UNH players immediately looked to the ref.  I'm not sure that it should have been waved off and maybe this is just because I've seen Wings goals waved off because Holmstrom looked at the crease (yes I mean "at"), but I probably would not have counted it. 

I'm saying, if Michigan beats north dakota, we got the National Championship. That's my prediction. We can do this. I'm fucking hungry for that hardware and white banner to hang in Yost. GO BLUE!!

UNH has been awwwwwwwwwwwful in the 3rd period.  How on earth did they beat Miami?!