I didn't see the Friday night game, and saw the first two periods of
the Saturday night game on cable (but then I had to go play, and
haven't had time to watch the third yet).
 
General comments:
 
	-- Minnesota is a better team than Wisconsin. They may be
	   tied for first (but Minnesota has played two less games),
	   but there is a difference in the two teams
 
	-- Minnesota is BIG and FAST. Usually Minnesota is fast,
	   this year they are BIG too. It is the biggest team Woog has
	   ever had (and he was quoted as saying it is the wrong year,
	   since the refs are -- or were anyway -- calling things
	   closer this year).
 
	-- Speculation (at least among the Wisconsin media) is that
	   Woog went for a bigger team and a harder hitting, slower
	   style to try and win in the tournament, since his fast
	   teams haven't...
 
	-- Further speculation by the (Wisconsin) radio/tv guys:
	   will Woog really stick to his bigger hitting, don't play
	   drag-race-hockey strategy? With some of his players, he's
	   got to let them skate and use their speed.
 
	-- Bob Ames has got to be the worst ref in the WCHA.  Worse
	   than Buzzy. He must have taken lessons from Buzzy, and has
	   surpased his mentor (Of course, Buzzy took lessons from
	   Medo...). I haven't seen so much stuff (both ways) ignored
	   by a ref in a long time. And then, surprise surprise,
	   players retaliate, and retaliate, and retaliate, finally a
	   bunch of players get something going at the same time,
	   everyone gets double minors and they play three-on-three.
	   How exiting.
 
	   A bunch of use were watching the game on TV Saturday night.
	   Two comments from the gang:
 
	       "Oh, I see. Binary refs. He must be 'off' for this game"
 
	       "I know they said the refs would eventually ease up, but
		this is ridiculous"
 
	-- Bill Howard's marble theory: When the weekend was over, each
	   team had 29 penalties. (Bill Howard, Wisconsin's goalie
	   coach and color commentator on one of the radio stations,
	   loves to comment on refs who seem intent on calling exactly
	   the same number of penalties on each team, regardless of
	   whats happening in the game. He says the ref keeps track
	   of the balance with marbles in his pockets).
 
	-- Saturday night's game at the Met center set new WCHA
	   and NCAA attendence records for a regular season game (North
	   Dakota v. Wisconsin at last year's Badger Hockey Showdown
	   has the record for any college game. The previous regular
	   season record was Michigan-Michigan State at the Joe Louis
	   Arena).  Minnesota was reported to have made about $200,000
	   on the game (twice the seats, and they didn't have to pay
	   rent). There is already talk about playing at the met center
	   several times next year -- tickets would be sold in a
	   package of all N met center games.
 
	-- Wisconsin has yet to really figure out who is going to
	   score for them.... With Doug Macdonald out, Zent has been
	   trying, and Tucker has surprised everyone with several
	   goals, but not enough, and not consistantly.
 
	-- Wisconsin's power play needs help.
 
	-- Wisconsin took some stupid/freshman penalties Friday
	   night, which hurt. They will learn.....
 
	-- Congratulations to Coach Woog for victory number 200
	   (and 201), the winningest coach in Minnesota Hockey
	   history.
 
	-- It doesn't get any easier for Wisconsin: this week they
	   go to Northern Michigan.
 
--david
 
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david parter					[log in to unmask]
university of wisconsin -- madison		computer sciences department