Nanooks @ Spartans

[Schlacker Rat]

This is the test that everyone outside Alaska is wanting to see (if the Nanooks are for real). I believe in my team.
I've seen them in the past sweep MSU up here, but pulling out a couple of wins on the road this weekend will really set the tone I'm hoping for. MSU will not be easy. They played some great hockey this past weekend agains Maine. Bring home a few more W's boys! Go Nooks!

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

I am excited to see this series play out as well. Alaska had some pretty stingy defense last year and it appears that all of their games are pretty low scoring/low shot affairs so MSU will find out a few things about their offense. Alaska is predicted to be pretty solid this year but I was happy with how we skated with Maine and anticipate that we can at least split.

[Schlacker Rat]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

This does not belong at the bottom of the second page. Just giving it a bump up!

[owslachief]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

It is going to be IMHO every bit as tough for MSU to get points from Alaska as it was to come away with a win against Maine. We are still feeling out what our 2nd-through-4th lines will look like and to find a power play that looks consistently good. I think our goalie Palmisano is starting to find his groove. I think he gave us a chance to win on Friday. But the Spartans had a little luck on their side on both nights. A couple of pipes rung by Maine in both games and a somewhat questionable disallowed goal and the opposite result could have easily been reality. In short State won because of said luck and a lot of hard work.
I don't like what we've seen so far from a couple of higher profile players (Grant especially).
State needs to skate better, stay out of the penalty box and improve its power play. I think if this series were a month from now, I'd have more confidence. Let's say Alaska wins 3-1 or 4-2 on Friday, and State finds a way to tie 3-3 or win in overtime on Saturday.

[1/2 nook]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Whoever's power play wakes up this weekend will win the series. The title of this thread should have been Battle of the anemic PPs. .067 vs .133

[mmf]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

You Spartan fans don't talk trash any better than as us Nook fans. MSU owns us all time (12-37-2). The last couple of years have been a little different, and I hope that trend continues.

It's early in the season, but so far I really like the way our team looks. Good team speed, not too small, good skills, solid goaltending, and they play a well coached disciplined game. We historically haven't been a particularly good road team, but I believe we will give you a run for your money. We just need to play our game all 60 minutes.

Haven't heard if we have any injuries. We've had four tough nc games so wouldn't be surprised if we have a couple guys banged up. That’s all I got. The closest thing to trash talk I have is my old gif. So that's what you get.

*****http://i130.***********.com/albums/p248/mmffbks/MSU-Final-1.gif******

Go Nooks!

[owslachief]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Ha!

Nice animation but it looks like your boy is bouncing the puck down the ice!
Besides, all you managed to do was destroy our old brand image

Now I know this isn't pick to click, but I'm gonna predict Leveille and Palmisano will be my stars this week (Leveille points, Palmisano a win).
And in the hopeful thinking department (he's on my FCH team) - I'm going with Taranto for most points for AK

[owslachief]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

I'm not even going to say it.

"Interesting" shootout aside, I'll just state that Palmisano was MSU's best player tonight. Greenham held up to a barrage on a couple occassions, but Palmisano's sprawling saves near the end of overtime helped us get a point. There were a few weaknesses on both ends of the ice, but the Spartans were much better controlling the puck than they were last weekend. A pretty even game and the score was witness to that.

We'll see who's more inspired tomorrow, and who deals better with the short rest.

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Alright so nothing comes easy against Alaska. They skate pretty well and put up a wall defensively. It says we got like 20 shots in the second period? It really didn't feel like that. I thought the second period was dominated by Alaska as we had many defensive breakdowns. However, i felt like we put up a lot more than 5 in the first so i guess it evens out.

I didn't think we played particularly well but Alaska influenced a lot of that i think. I also thought that in the latter stages of the game it looked like we were wearing down, especially the last few minutes of overtime. Hope we can open things up tomorrow night because we aren't gonna win getting 5 shots on goal in the 1st and 3rd periods. Oh well, all in all a relatively evenly played game but i think we can improve on a lot.

The Izzone campout free admission thing was genius. Attendance looked pretty great once everybody showed up which always seems to take 'til the second period However, i feel like if all of those students hadn't been there then attendance would have been a little underwhelming.

Chelios' disallowed shootout goal was maddening. They cited lack of forward progress but i don't believe that to be the case. Looks to have just been a very bad call. Frustrating. We will not win many shootous this year, let alone any where we start with -1 goals.

Palmisano was great tonight. Did all that was expected this year of him. Hope he brings that every night.

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Oh! also it looks like Maine took a thrashing to NoDak tonight. Good sign considering i thought we skated wonderfully with that Maine team for most of last weekend. Last i saw Michigan was getting thumped 4-0 too. With the Mavericks' sweep of the gophers last weekend and what appears to be a dominant showing at Yost, are they potentially an early season contender for a NC?

[mmf]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

I'll agree with owslachief about it being an evenly played game. And a well played hockey game. We'll have to see who wants it more (which really means executes better) Saturday afternoon.

As usual, not sure the SOGs mean much. It seemed momentum ebbed and flowed a little for both teams. Sometimes I thought MSU was figuring us out and taking it to us, and at other times I thought the Nooks had finally found their stride. Both goalies played well. I thought the Nooks might have had a few more quality scoring chances, although MSU slammed the door a couple times when I thought we had something going.

MSU almost won it in regulation on Gazley's breakaway late in the 3rd. UAF almost won with :35 left in regulation and with :35 left in OT. Good effort by both goalies to take it to the shootout.

The shootout – yuk.
I wouldn't argue the call on Chelios goal if went either way. Nice move. It had a hitch but I don't know if it was illegal. Pulling the puck back for control is usually not an issue. Chelios pulled the puck back but then continued to drift away from the goal (sideways) while still controlling the puck away from the goal for a second or so. Not sure that means anything.

I'm glad to get extra conference point. In our cluster that point could make a difference. I hope the Nook mojo more flows than ebbs today and we make sure the shootout doesn't happen again.

Go Nooks!

[Pirateasaurus]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Well that was fun! MSU outplayed the Nanooks just about the entire way. The second period just looked unfair. I had noticed after a couple of the shovel breaks that the end by Palmisano yielded absolutely no snow because it was so rare for anybody to be skating down here. At about 4 minutes left, Alaska put one on Palmy and i was seriously unsure if it was their first shot of the period or not. Turns out it was the first and only.

There isn't even much specific i can point out because I thought we just looked great all the way around.

Krug can really dance around at the point. He can make great moves around guys pressuring him and can create very well.

Great two weeks against ranked teams!

[Rms123]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Didn't see or watch the game. Sounds like we got thrashed. This shoveling of the ice thing is about the stupidest thing ever. It can kill any momentum a team has. It's ridiculous. I understand that during some games this happens for TV timeouts, but if it’s not being televised don’t disrupt the flow of the game.

[Squarebanks]

Didn't see or watch the game. Sounds like we got thrashed. This shoveling of the ice thing is about the stupidest thing ever. It can kill any momentum a team has. It's ridiculous. I understand that during some games this happens for TV timeouts, but if it’s not being televised don’t disrupt the flow of the game.

I didn't see or hear it either but on the twitter feeds it sounded like we lost our composure in the 2nd and 3rd with a lot of penalties and MSU capitalized. You can't spend half of a period in the penalty box and get outshot 18-1 and expect to win a hockey game. After seeing those stats I'm amazed it was only 2-1 after 2.

[Gomer]

Re: Nanooks @ Spartans

Well that was fun! MSU outplayed the Nanooks just about the entire way. The second period just looked unfair. I had noticed after a couple of the shovel breaks that the end by Palmisano yielded absolutely no snow because it was so rare for anybody to be skating down here. At about 4 minutes left, Alaska put one on Palmy and i was seriously unsure if it was their first shot of the period or not. Turns out it was the first and only.

There isn't even much specific i can point out because I thought we just looked great all the way around.

Krug can really dance around at the point. He can make great moves around guys pressuring him and can create very well.

Great two weeks against ranked teams!

I can point out something specific. On an MSU PP, one of our D-men lost an edge and a nook skated in entirely unmolested from the top of the circles, dropped Palmy with a sick move and flipped in over him. Except it didn't make it! Palmisano threw something up in the air (I want to say it was his glove, but the shot was blocker side) and just caught a tick of it popping it over the net.

That was huge... and so was Krug's cannon after we had another goal stolen from us by a quick whistle. That kid was tied for my second favorite player last year (tied with Gazely, behind Rowe). He teed off that shot with something to prove and just buried it.

I would love to have an audio feed of his chirping during the game. Aggressive smaller guys can really unsettle other people... especially if they run their mouths a little bit (I've firsthand experience). I am more worried that someone is going to lose it and go too far trying to shut him up than I am about his PM.