Zamboni_14

there's more than 1 factor going on with the 'Hawks. (add all of these up and it really explains things) 1) Crawford isn't "stealing" any games... at all! He's being "average" at best 2) Defense hasn't showed up to support Crawford. Average+all day in the slot=goals 3) 3rd line is simply awful! This actually goes back to the Wild series in how Haula looked like the best player for the Wild vs the 'Hawks, and now the 'Hawks have to face a better 3rd line on the Kings and they still have no real answer for them. So to sum up.... average goalie+D allows all day in the slot+a whole line not showing up=elimination

Can I remind you of this come playoffs?

let me start off by saying, good for the Canadian womens team for not giving up and taking advantage of the PP in OT. They don't make the calls, and they (nor anyone else) would say to the ref; "naw, we shouldn't be on the PP.. please make another call so it's not a PP."That said, I've never seen worse officiating than this years womens hockey in the Olympics. I believe it was 4-5 games where the refs directly impacted the way the game would end (with waving off good goals, allowing non-goals, getting in players way, etc.) With this game, they actually did it TWICE... once for each team (and I'm not talking about non-penalty calls.) First; they did a great job of getting in the way of the Canadian D-man allowing the US to take a shot down the ice (I was glad it hit the post once Canada tied it up, because if not... they would have handed the US the gold medal.)Second; the slash... warned or not, unless you are talking about a clear slash to the hands or head (or even torso) this call should NEVER have been made. Was it a "make-up" call? Ok, I can swallow that. But then the "cross-check" shouldn't have been called since A) it wasn't a cross-check and their feet got tangled up (that's the only part that touched between the two players.)

But if it's your "first time away from home" then you see more of the "shock" factor. Sure going from Univ of MN to Winnipeg was probably different, but not nearly as different as you might assume only because the Univ. of MN is like another city within a city. And even though he was the "top athlete" on campus, it's very easy to not be noticed in a student population of 30,000+ I think it probably has more to do with adjusting to the AHL and his linemates then moving up to Canada. (side note; speaking of moving up to Canada... living in Minnesota is probably the closest thing to living in Canada as you can get. )

Jordan has been away from home for a while now. He left high school early to head to the USHL and the US team in Michigan. After that he was at the Univ. of MN which isn't exactly "next door" to his folks place (he's closer to downtown Mpls and St. Paul then his parents place.) So that argument is rather weak (no offense)

Jordan didn't really "transfer" from BYU. He was taking extra classes so he could graduate early from high school through BYU so he could go to the Univ. of MN.

It's Jordan... Jor-dan... say it again.. Jor-dan. Yes the correct way to pronounce it is Shray-der

it would have been just SICK to see him play against people his own age in HS or college. Here's a set of clips from the '06 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament. Schroeder is seen at the 0:13 mark with a guy literally hanging over his back.

you have no idea how upset I was at the Wild for passing on him! I saw him play as an 8th grader against other kids that were 18 and he made them look like pee-wees, it was SICK! And also keep in mind that he graduated early so that he could play for the Gophers. So he had just turned 18 at the start of the '08/'09 college hockey season (when he made Stoa look so good) so he was playing again he was playing against guys that are almost all older then him... in some cases 3-5 years older. Yet he still was able to set up Stoa time and time again.

He actually did improve the players around him. Ryan Stoa was on his line during Jordan's first year (Ryan's 3rd year) and doubled his output from his (Ryan's) first year (his 2nd year Stoa missed all but a couple games due to injury.) I will say that wasn't ALL Jordan's doing, but how often do you hear about a player missing a year and doubling their point production? Stoa (who's still fighting to get ice time) out produced Kyle Okposo (Islanders), Blake Wheeler (Bruins) and Alex Goligoski (Pens) when they were at the Univ. of MN. This past NHL season Stoa lit up the league with 12 games played... and 3 points. Meanwhile all 3 of the other players I mentioned were not only higher draft picks, but also aren't "fighting" for a roster spot (Goligoski is usually found on the 3rd line.) The other person on the Schroeder/Stoa line was a guy by the name of Jay Berriball, who went from being a "every other gamer" to a PPG player. Jay was supposed to stay with Jordan, but a season ending injury early in the season took care of that idea. But you are talking about this past season and not the previous one. So we dive into the person playing with Jordan more often then not... Tony Lucia. He's the son of the coach, as I said before he's AT BEST a checking line player in american college hockey... and he was playing with the top player on the team. But here's the best part... Tony was good for a point every other game (which in college hockey isn't all that great. Not terrible... but you don't want that on your top line.) With Jordan, Tony suddenly improved from .500 to .711... that's a 21% increase for a guy who (again) isn't exactly a "scoring machine." Now that all of that is out of the way (sorry this is so long, but there is a lot more then just #'s going on right now.) Yes, the Gophers are one of the "elite" US college hockey programs. But don't let that fool you into thinking they get to pick the top players every year to "reload" their team after every season. Ney, ney. Hockey... is very political in MN. WAAAAAaaaaaay more then it should be. On one side you have the fans/boosters wanting to win. On the other side you have the Univ. that also wants to win. Here's where it gets messy... both sides keep pulling for only the local kids to be on the roster. That means, more often then not if a kid is from Michigan, Mass, etc. they will be passed over for a Minnesota kid. Not always a bad idea... except both the boosters and the Athletic director (the Univ.) wants to bring in the "flashy" big name kids from around the state. End result... you get a "Rangers" type of team during the late 90s when they would sign every big name they could... yet still miss the playoffs. So here you have a team full of the top players from around the state, used to getting 50% of the ice time and being able to dance around people... going up against a team that is an actual TEAM and not just all flash and no grit. And then you have goalies... long story short, it's been over 20 years since the Gophers actually landed the top goalie in the state. This coming season will be the first time since the late 80s that has happened. And for good reason, goalies are usually left hung to dry and they are POORLY coached (to say the least) while at the Univ of MN (especially the past 10 years.) So to ask why they didn't have more talent around him, isn't the right question.

he wasn't in the USHL except for when he was plying for the US National Team Development Program... and he was 16 at the time (just turned 16 at the start of the '06 season.) So here you have a 16 year old playing against guys that were as old as 20/21. Now as for his final year at the Univ of Minnesota... I've already gone into this several times in this thread (although they were MANY pages ago.) The nuts n bolts of it was that Jordan was playing with a kid who was a "checking line" player AT BEST a lot of the time.. now I don't mean a NHL level checker either. Also consider that a boat load of talent has left early to sign a contract in the NHL (not to play for the NHL club... but so they could play in the AHL.) There is a reason for all these kids leaving early.

due to size, the american he reminds me of is Neal Broten except stronger. I don't want to over rate him, nor under rate him either. I think a lot will depend on his first few years and how quickly he'll adapt to the faster and bigger NHL players.

I was pissed that the Wild passed on him for Nick Leddy. Not because I didn't think Leddy would pan out, but because it's not every day you see an 8th grader make seniors in high school look like squirts. I was online the day he (Jordan) got drafted and started filling people in on who he was and his abilities. It's going to be hard for me to not cheer for him when he's against the Wild.

you can be strong as an ox, but if you are lazy on the ice due to being apathetic... you're still being lazy. Do I think he'll always be lazy? Heck no, that's why I stated how his play at the Univ of MN this past season is not his "normal" type of season (saying how he was a workhorse in every level he's been in till just this past NCAA college hockey season.) Any chance the Wild could trade PMB and Shultz for Jordan? We'll throw in Sheppard as well.