MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Well, this sucks. If the nooks get the next, it's over. We have a God awful offense.

That's 40. Spartans trail 3-0.

Puck down, and we're underway with the third period. Spartans trailing 3-0.

SCORE! SORENSON!

Now 4-1 UAF.

15:00 left. Still some time, but there's still a heck of a gap. 4-1 UAF.

5-on-3 and the power play gets nothing

I get down voted for telling the truth? Suck deeeeeeez nuts.

That's it. UAF ties the series. Spartans go 0-for-9 on the power play tonight and give up a shorthanded goal.

4-1 final.

To answer my previous question, the crew tonight was Brian Aaron and Brian Hill. Yes, Brian Aaron. The same Brian Aaron that called 40 penalties for a pedestrian Miami v. MSU game back in 2008.

So, that explains things. One, Aaron has no balls whatsoever. Two, Aaron loves blowing that damn whistle of his.

A_Allen, thanks for the updates. 277Gunson is absolutely correct. We can't score goals, but we have some talented forwards who can score. It is really good to see Sorenson step up against the team his dad played for. Hope that continues. But here's the thing if the Spartans want to make a statement tonight and end the season:

1. Pretty sure Will is done for the year anyway, although I don't doubt (without seeing the game) that our forwards were likely not backchecking well. The travel schedule is such that you're likely to play with a little more jump in the Friday game than the Saturday. So, the travel lag probably hit everyone last night.
2. Our only hope to score goals and, again, I didn't see the last two games, is to get 'em dirty. This team needs to put the puck down low, behind the net, and play with at least two guys in front, extending one of those guys to open up in front.
3. Our penalty kill has been excellent all season so take advantage of that by playing very physical for at least the first period. Let's start stepping into people in open ice and rattling some fillings to force them to keep their heads up. In front of our net, they need to pay a price if they think they are going to stand around in front without anyone laying a hand on them. We'll take the penalties in the first period. Let's be aggressive on the forecheck, too. Dump, chase, and bang their D as they try to gather the puck. We aren't scoring a lot of goals, anyway, so trying to slow them down with physical play in the first period is a good strategy, I think.
4. After that, we gotta execute #2 if we have any hope. After you're playing down low for awhile, you can do a "low-high," that is put the puck low and then pass to the "high" player, usually the point man.

I don't know what else to say without seeing these last two games. A_Allen, how did we win the first game and seemingly play so poorly last night? Did we look tired? That may have been the biggest reason.

Hard to win games getting nothing off the power play and even giving one up, especially on the road, in the playoffs, against a better team that is fighting for NCAA consideration. If you've watched the CCHA playoffs over the years, as the road team, the goal is to force a third game. 3 games in 3 days tends to create odd results as legs gets heavy. Just live to play another weekend. State and Bowling Green are both forcing their series to Sunday. No reason to leave anything in the locker-room. As always, go State!

What is gonna happen to Alaska hockey once the big10 starts?

Will schools still travel up there to play games?

Will anyone care if those alaska schools simply stop playing hockey?

Excellent post. As long as oil revenues continue to infuse both schools, they are both in fine shape.