CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

[Billy Blanks]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

This is going to be the longest week ever!!! I wish it was Friday!

For those of you on campus, how is the atmosphere? Are students talking about the team? Is there a buzz?

Is NMU doing anything to promote the game? They should send out a University wide email.

I'm going to an Alumni function/cocktail party tomorrow here in Scottsdale and President Wong is the special guest. I'm going to bring it up to him over a scotch and see how he feels.

[redhawkman10]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

lol how quickly times change for billy....

anyways, good luck to both teams this weekend. For my money this is the series I would want to see the most. Don't see anyway this doesn't go 3 games.

[Billy Blanks]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

lol how quickly times change for billy....

anyways, good luck to both teams this weekend. For my money this is the series I would want to see the most. Don't see anyway this doesn't go 3 games.

10 straight years of substandard outcomes is enough to drive one crazy!

I'm extremely pleased with where the program is at right now. Things may get a bit rough next year though if we lose Olver on top of Stewie...

Making the NCAA's should do wonders for recruiting though and will certainly help put us back on "the proverbial map".

[MOJO]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Glad to see these two teams matchup in the playoffs. It should be a fun weekend. In my opinion, if NMU doesn't take their foot off the gas they will cruise to a sweep and continue on to The Joe with tons of momentum. There is no such thing as a sure thing and I have hesitations with my prediction but know that the team can do it!!!

I'm in agony here in Florida getting ready for the series. While I'm having a blast and will be in Fort Lauderdale and The Keys this weekend I won't be very far from my Blackberry...

Best of luck to the Wildcats! I hope the community and students show up in droves and represent the way that I know they can...make me proud...and I'll do the same in Motown!!!

[birdman]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

The Nanook's momentum? They have ONE solid win in their last 10 games and have a sub .500 record on the road. We've only lost one game at home since October. I'm a little confused by your post...sandbagging a bit?

NMU should sweep this series. I'm hoping for a huge turnout from the Marquette/NMU community, as this is really one of the best teams we've had in 10+ years.

Maybe we could save a few thousand dollars of travel money, stay in Fairbanks and just mail in the results. Seems we haven't got a chance of winning a game, or even scoring against this top ranked opponent MNU. Oh what the heck lets play the games just for the heck of it, worse case we lose two get some pasties and come home. Billy Banks the original creator of "locker room quotes". Thanks

[kariya]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Is Olver and the two Sweds leaving after this year? Why? Did they exhaust all their eligibility in three seasons like Buddy Smith did?

Hopefully the Cats can do it in three. Really not sure about this one?!? Special teams will be the key to the series. I don't think there will be a lot of penalties by either team. I predict a very low scoring series 3-2, 2-1 and 4-2; Northern!

[Hockey4Life]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Olver is drafted by Colorado and they would have to sign him early for him to leave NMU. With the new NHL collective bargaining agreement most NHL teams try to sign their good prospects prior to their senoir year. If Colorado believes that he is a good prospect they will likely try to sign him.
Gustafsson and Hanson are both free agents. Gustafsson was a CCHA 1st team all star last year and will probably be selected again this season. It is certainly possible for an NHL team to try and sign him this year.
Hanson is a good player and is showing continued improvement but has not had the type of season that typically would attract NHL free agent interest.

[NMU8405]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Olver is drafted by Colorado and they would have to sign him early for him to leave NMU. With the new NHL collective bargaining agreement most NHL teams try to sign their good prospects prior to their senoir year. If Colorado believes that he is a good prospect they will likely try to sign him.
Gustafsson and Hanson are both free agents. Gustafsson was a CCHA 1st team all star last year and will probably be selected again this season. It is certainly possible for an NHL team to try and sign him this year.
Hanson is a good player and is showing continued improvement but has not had the type of season that typically would attract NHL free agent interest.

I think its best to lay off this talk until the offseason. Thanks guys and gals.

[AnchorsAway]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

A trip to the semifinals is on the line, but the winner of this series also may just earn itself an NCAA bid. UAF could still possibly get a bid if it loses in three games, but NMU would definitely be on the outside looking in with a series loss.

UAF might be 8-0-2 in its last 10 games, but NMU is 7-1-2 in its last 10 (and 11-3-4 in its last 18).

Both of the previous matchups in Marquette saw the home school jump out to early leads before UAF rallied. NMU led 2-0 in the Friday game before the Nanooks came back to tie, outshooting the WIldcats 12-2 in the third period and overtime. NMU zipped to a 3-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes of the Saturday game and held on for a 3-2 win. (On the other hand NMU used third-period goals to earn ties both nights in Fairbanks, including a two-goal rally the second night.)

The Nanooks have outscored their opponents 27-8 in their current six-game win streak (an average score of 4.5 to 1.3).

Mark Olver 19-27-46 is probably the top forward in the CCHA and senior Brian Stewart has been strong in net (2.39 gaa, .926 save percentage, 15-9-7).

UAF has perhaps the conference's top line in Andy Taranto (17-24-41), Dion Knelsen (19-21_40) and Dustin Sather (10-14-24) --- dont know if they line has a nickname but I might suggest the Dandy Knection as a combination of their first names and Knelsen/Connection -- and sophomore goaltender Scott Green-eggsand-ham has similar numbers to Stewart (2.12 gaa, .922 save percentage, 18-9-9).

Olver the top forward in the CCHA? If you are talking talent wise, then I hope that is a joke.. I'll take Camper, Wingels,Miele, Palmer, Dalpe, Tropp and Caporusso over Olver every day of the week...he's a nice player don't get me wrong but the only reason he's leading the CCHA in scoring is because he's a puck hog.......Should be a good series but I'd be quite surprised if Alaska wasn't heading to the Motown the following weekend.

[richl49]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Olver the top forward in the CCHA? If you are talking talent wise, then I hope that is a joke.. I'll take Camper, Wingels,Miele, Palmer, Dalpe, Tropp and Caporusso over Olver every day of the week...he's a nice player don't get me wrong but the only reason he's leading the CCHA in scoring is because he's a puck hog.......Should be a good series but I'd be quite surprised if Alaska wasn't heading to the Motown the following weekend.

I haven't watched anybody play this year (I've only seen UAF once and that was against UAA, but was extremely impressed with the skills and awareness of that top Nanooks line), so am mostly going on word of mouth and point totals. I don't know how good his back-checking or defense are, but I would think if he was a compete puck hog he wouldn't have 27 assists.

After Miami, NMU and UAF might be playing the best hockey in the CCHA right now so this should be a great series. UAF has had its problems winning in Marquette, but I believe almost all of the games have been close. They met in the first round of the CCHA tournament way back in 2003-04 and NMU won 3-1, 3-2. NMU also ended UAF's season last year winning 2-0 in the third-place game.

[redhawkman10]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Maybe we could save a few thousand dollars of travel money, stay in Fairbanks and just mail in the results. Seems we haven't got a chance of winning a game, or even scoring against this top ranked opponent MNU. Oh what the heck lets play the games just for the heck of it, worse case we lose two get some pasties and come home. Billy Banks the original creator of "locker room quotes". Thanks

Yea Alaska hasn't played anyone during their current streak, thats why they shot up the PWR standings over the last month. Nice try billy, want to come up with something else?

Sweeping Anchorage was a very impressive feat, since Anchorage has been a giant killer at times this year. NMU needs these games more than Alaska for the tourny but Alaska is playing as well as anyone in the country. And like I said on another thread now that Alaska has seemed to find some consistant scoring they are one of the most dangerous teams in the country.

With that said, NMU always finds a way to get to the Joe somehow so you can never count them out. Walt Kyle is a heckuva coach, sure glad the administration didn't listen to billy and fire him , and always has his team playing its best at the right time. This team will live and die with how stewart is playing. When he is on he can steal games like he did in oxford last year. But when he is off he is really off and gets pulled. He has played really well lately and no reason to suspect he won't this weekend either.

Best series of the weekend if you ask me.

[Billy Blanks]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Yea Alaska hasn't played anyone during their current streak, thats why they shot up the PWR standings over the last month. Nice try billy, want to come up with something else?

Best series of the weekend if you ask me.

Well, no one did ask you.

Nice try? Please look at Alaska's schedule and show me a good team that they've beaten on this "streak". Since JANUARY 1ST, they've beaten Nebraska once and Michigan State once. Wow, I'm really impressed!!!

NMU sweeps.

Next.

[richl49]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Please look at Alaska's schedule and show me a good team that they've beaten on this "streak". Since JANUARY 1ST, they've beaten Nebraska once and Michigan State once. Wow, I'm really impressed!!!

NMU sweeps.

Next.

Since UAF and NMU last met this is how each team has fared:

UAF
W 2-0 vs. Michigan State
T 1-1 vs. Michigan State
W 4-1 at Ohio State
T 3-3 at Ohio State
W 4-0 vs. Lake Superior
W 5-1 vs. Lake Superior
W 7-4 @ Alaska Anchorage
W 3-2 vs. Alaska Anchorage
W 4-0 vs. Western Michgian
W 4-1 vs. Western Michigan

NMU
T 3-3 @ Ferris State
W 4-0 @ Ferris State
W 7-2 vs. Western Michigan
W 2-1 vs. Western Michigan
W 3-1 @ Michigan
L 5-4 @ Michigan
W 2-1, OT vs. Lake Superior
W 3-0 vs. Lake Superior

I'm sorry, but I think there is very little to differentiate in the quality of competition down the stretch (Ferris State was 3-7-4 in its last 14 games so a win and tie there isn't as impressive as it looks IMO and while a win at Michigan is good, Michigan was only one spot above Ohio State in the standings). The results against Western and Lake State are a wash. Not trying to argue that UAF is better, or hotter than NMU or that they will win the series, just that the results down the stretch would indicate they are pretty even, as would the three ties and one-goal loss in their four matchups this season.

[Methodical]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

Well, no one did ask you.

Nice try? Please look at Alaska's schedule and show me a good team that they've beaten on this "streak". Since JANUARY 1ST, they've beaten Nebraska once and Michigan State once. Wow, I'm really impressed!!!

NMU sweeps.

Next.

As an Alaska fan I'm obviously hoping for a victory. Your just making that proposition sweeter to me.

If you can't see how evenly matched these teams are, you need to take your blinders off. It will come down to who is feeling better, NMU's home ice advantage, and luck.

[Billy Blanks]

Re: CCHA Second Round: Alaska @ NMU

That's my job! Alaska is the enemy as far as I'm concerned and I will show them no mercy. :-)

NMU holds a huge advantage here, HOME ICE. Discount that all you want and say that these teams are evenly matched, blah, blah, blah. NMU is VERY GOOD at home and Alaska is extremely average to below average on the road.

Sweep.