November 10, 2010

What to talk about...

I've been pondering the start the Sioux have had to their season.

I don't think any of us thought they would be undefeated at this point. Certainly we knew there would be a couple issues to look for. And while they have had their struggles, I think there's a lot of positives to take away so far.

But has the team underachieved?

I'm not sure. I think there's areas where the team certainly hasn't looked strong. Take a look at the goaltending. Eids was definitely the clear cut starter at the beginning of the season, but a couple lackluster performances have forced Hakstol to go to a goalie rotation. I'm not downing the idea of rotating goalies, but Dell hasn't exactly been spectacular either. Neither goalie has stood out as a stand-up, make-huge-saves type of goalie.

The defense has not been spectacular. A lot of opponent goals have been scored off of turnovers. They are too prone to giving the puck away and letting the opposing forwards walk in. This has to stop.

The offense has been dynamite some nights and other nights, they just can't seem to catch a break. Notice I didn't say bad. There have been a ton of opportunities (see the DU Saturday night game) where forwards like Gregoire, Kristo, and Frats make plenty of opportunities but either the goalie stands on his head or just a bit of bad puck luck.

I think the Sioux are in a good position. There's a lot of room to improve, but the team I'm sure is up to the task of doing so. This upcoming stretch against Wisconsin and Nebraska-Omaha is going to be a good test of what this team is capable of.

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