Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Nanooks were CHN's team of the week. Granberg and Morley were the offensive player and rookie of the week respectively for the CCHA.

Northern is on somewhat of the same streak we are on, including a win and a tie versus a Miami team that owned our lunch in December. Dallas has never beaten them. And he knows it. Going into this series though, I think Alaska has more momentum.

Also of interest, the year the 'Nooks made the NCAA tournament, they were 10-7-5 at this point in the season. The 'Nooks are 10-8-4 now this season.

[Squarebanks]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Nanooks were CHN's team of the week. Granberg and Morley were the offensive player and rookie of the week respectively for the CCHA.

Northern is on somewhat of the same streak we are on, including a win and a tie versus a Miami team that owned our lunch in December. Dallas has never beaten them. And he knows it. Going into this series though, I think Alaska has more momentum.

Also of interest, the year the 'Nooks made the NCAA tournament, they were 10-7-5 at this point in the season. The 'Nooks are 10-8-4 now this season.

The article that CHN wrote was great. If we can get past NMU and Miami with at least a couple more wins, the rest of our schedule sets up very nicely: Home vs. tOSU, at Lake State (always a tough trip, the travel alone for that one is a killer, as is going to NMU), and home vs. Michigan State, followed by the Anchorage series.

It's hard not to be reminded of 2010, but I am keeping my expectations grounded...that seven game winless streak, along with the atrocious loss to Canisius in October (which allows Niagara to have common opponent scoreboard in the PWR), may come back to bite us at selection time if we are still in the mix in two months. Too much hockey to be played between now and March. Need to focus on slaying the NMU monkey now; if we have some success this weekend I may start believing.

[Squarebanks]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

I can get used to this whole not losing thing.

I'll be interested to see how things shake out down at Miami this next weekend. The Redhawks took our lunch money and gave us a wedgie in Fairbanks back in November, but the Nooks are playing a very different brand of hockey now. I don't think another sweep is a realistic expectation but don't be surprised if we take one of the games outright down there. Our guys are fearless on the road right now, and confidence can go a long way.

[Schlacker Rat]

I can get used to this whole not losing thing.

I'll be interested to see how things shake out down at Miami this next weekend. The Redhawks took our lunch money and gave us a wedgie in Fairbanks back in November, but the Nooks are playing a very different brand of hockey now. I don't think another sweep is a realistic expectation but don't be surprised if we take one of the games outright down there. Our guys are fearless on the road right now, and confidence can go a long way.

Well said and I agree. Go Nooks!

[Squarebanks]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Our own Chad Johnson just pitched his first NHL shutout, a 4-0 win for Phoenix over Nashville. Good for him. I still remember his herculean 50ish-save shutout against OSU in the CCHA playoffs that sent the 'Nooks to Joe Lous Arena in Dallas Ferguson's first season.

Western College Hockey Blog highlighted the 'Nooks in their weekly Pairwise breakdown, basically noting that our #11 rank is somewhat precarious due to a lower RPI. Just keep winning. Alaska makes their move in latest Pairwise rankings

[UncleRay]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Are two UAF threads really necessary?

[Methodical]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Both Miami games will be carried live on Fox7 in high definition.

[Schlacker Rat]

Both Miami games will be carried live on Fox7 in high definition.

Very Cool! Go Nooks!

[Squarebanks]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

John Keeney was named the CCHA Rookie of the Month for January. Well-deserved.

[fairbanks hockey puck]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Okay, HOPEFULLY just a little bump in the road. Game was a 2-1 game Friday with two empty netters scored to make final 4-1. Nanooks tied Saturday game at 2, only to give up the lead for good 90 seconds later. Keeney did not look good on the games final three goals. He gets his mulligan and will be MORE than ready for Ohio State this weekend. Nanooks need to take care of business in the final six league games and things will be good. The teams below them have wins and points to make up and if Alaska plays like they should, they will be OK

[Squarebanks]

How we do against OSU this weekend should go a long way in determining what was more of an aberration: the undefeated January or going O-fer against Miami.

I think we'll bounce back, personally.

Okay, HOPEFULLY just a little bump in the road. Game was a 2-1 game Friday with two empty netters scored to make final 4-1. Nanooks tied Saturday game at 2, only to give up the lead for good 90 seconds later. Keeney did not look good on the games final three goals. He gets his mulligan and will be MORE than ready for Ohio State this weekend. Nanooks need to take care of business in the final six league games and things will be good. The teams below them have wins and points to make up and if Alaska plays like they should, they will be OK

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Well if that was any indication, the 'Nooks rebounded well. Colton Beck told Jaime Schwartzwald after the game how excited he was, but "...we have to put it behind us and get ready to go tomorrow night."

Well put, sir. After getting the hat trick, he still has his priorities straight. I hope he at least celebrated a little bit. Kunyk also played a phenomenal game last night. A lot of us have mentioned he's exhibited some laziness over times, but his passing is spot on. All Beck had to do on those goals was just get the tape on it and its in the back of the net. Unreal last night.

The 'Nooks torched the 2nd ranked defense in the CCHA, #10 in the country in goals allowed per game for 6 goals last night. An unbelievable showing for that Nanooks team, especially rebounding the way they did. Should be a great second game as they look for the sweep.

Also of interest, over on my blog I took a look at next years WCHA composition and tried to analyze how strong that conference would be. Give it a read if you're interested. http://nanookhockey.blogspot.com/201...look-wcha.html

Long story short, the Nanooks should be number 1 in that conference.

[West Texas Wolverine]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Bummer tonight. 110 minutes of awesome hockey this weekend. Go 'Nooks!

[Squarebanks]

Re: Alaska Nanooks 2012-2013: Going Out With a Bang

Buckeyes deserved that one. We took some bad penalties in the 2nd and made a couple of bad mistakes in the 3rd that made it 3-1. Keeney looked bad on the last two goals.

Drygas alluded to this on the radio broadcast, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we shake up the goaltending situation at Lake Superior. If history is any indication I think Keeney gets a shot at redemption on Friday but if we drop another one Friday I bet Thompson gets some time Saturday.

Tough loss; we really needed at least a tie tonight for a variety of reasons. Unless OSU and Ferris really stumble this loss pretty much eliminated any chance at a bye. It also knocks us to #15 in the PWR. If we drop much more than one game the rest of the way we can forget about going to the tourney.

[UAFHockeyFan314]

Buckeyes deserved that one. We took some bad penalties in the 2nd and made a couple of bad mistakes in the 3rd that made it 3-1. Keeney looked bad on the last two goals.

Drygas alluded to this on the radio broadcast, but I wouldn't be too surprised if we shake up the goaltending situation at Lake Superior. If history is any indication I think Keeney gets a shot at redemption on Friday but if we drop another one Friday I bet Thompson gets some time Saturday.

Tough loss; we really needed at least a tie tonight for a variety of reasons. Unless OSU and Ferris really stumble this loss pretty much eliminated any chance at a bye. It also knocks us to #15 in the PWR. If we drop much more than one game the rest of the way we can forget about going to the tourney.

I don't know about eliminating the chances at a bye. Ferris lost to NMU Saturday so 4-5-6 are all one point apart. The other side to that coin though is the games in hand situation. Ohio State has a tough schedule left with WMU, a recovering Michigan team, and at Miami. Ferris State has a tough BGSU team to deal with before visiting Yost. Definitely not out of a bye yet by any means. Remember top 5 get byes, but ideally not being in the 5th seed would mean home ice second round.