Seawolves and SCSU: MacGyvering a Preview

It's hard to get started on this stuff sometimes.  I was looking back at some earlier weeks and noticed lots of enthusiasm and daily posts and creative opposition bashing and ... and did I say enthusiasm ... I've got no excuses for not providing a couple of articles this week.  So you're stuck with just this one.  To be honest, I started something yesterday and then just stared at the screen.  I guess I lost my muse?  Has anyone seen my muse?  It wasn't the greatest muse but it was mine.  I need a new muse?  Oh well ... I'll just use this paper clip, tape and chewing gum I found on my desk.

The St. Cloud Huskies should have to give up their man cards (if they ever had any).  Why?  Nothing specific.  I just find them to be soft.  The one "tough" thing I've heard of seen any of them do in the last couple of years was this stupidity by Aaron Marvin.  Um ... Aaron; I've seen faster movement from a constipated hippo, so when someone blows past you (18 times a game) you've got to learn to accept it buddy.  Don't follow them down the ice mumbling to yourself ... hoping that they stop somewhere so that you can hit them.  Deal with the lead in boots.  And quit listening to Garrett Roe when he calls you a bender.  He's the bender.  You're just slow ... but your ankles are mostly straight.  Acceptance of your limitations is important in life son.  I'm just sayin ...

I really shouldn't embed this.  Oh yes I should.  Watch the whole thing.  Really.  Don't bail from it because it's one of the stupidest things you've ever seen.  It has 58 views as of now.  That's about 50 more than it should, but hey ... even these two doofii (plural of doofus?) probably have mothers that watched it a couple of dozen times each.

Stupifying eh? Do I really need to point out that these buffoons will never get a job doing this.  This is an example of St. Cloud's broadcast/communication department?  I can't really blame 20-something dorks from Stearns County for being dorks.  It comes with the territory.  But I know there has to be a faculty editor/advisor hanging around there somewhere.  Post production at least?  That's truly some F- work there.  You two pudknockers better get your shit together and do good on your final.  The "Lasch-inator" ... really?  Really?  And with a ridiculous Ahrnold impression too?  Here's a hint morons ... hockey players typically just throw a "Y" onto the end of name when coming up with a nickname.  So this week when you're putting together you next lame coverage just go with something like "Laschy was completely owned by Clarky in both games."  K?

This weekend is likely to be all about goaltending.  So far this season Bob "Britannia Jeans" Motzko has been rotating his goaltender assignments between freshman Mike Lee and Dan Dunn.  Dunn however is hurt and so this weekend the rookie will see all the action.  Lee was forecast by some SCSU fans to be the next greatest thing since sliced bread.  So far, he's shown some potential, has reasonable stats but overall is 2-4-2.  I'm guessing that we'll see Jonny O both nights this weekend unless Bryce's reported knee bruise was really superficial.

The main point I wanted to make about goaltending though is that neither the Seawolves or the Huskies have exactly been tearing it up offensively.  They are 7th and 8th in league scoring @ 2.5 and 2.3 respectively.  So if either goaltender can limit the other team to 2 goals on either night they could find themselves with a win.  I'd also like to think that there will be some pressure on the SCSU freshman goalie.  He knows there is no real fallback if he has a bad outing.  I assume the Huskies have a 3rd string goaltender.  I don't know his name.  I bet lots of St. Cloud fans don't know his name.  So everything is on Lee's freshman shoulders this weekend.  The last frosh goalie up here facing that situation was Adam Murray.  Likewise, if Jonny O has to go both nights there's a bit of pressure on him.  In the who's likely to handle pressure better ... I'll take Olthuis over any freshman.

Yes ... I'm going to say it again.  Wait for it ... This weekend is the most important series of the season so far.  The Seawolves really need the four points.  Really ... need ... four ... points.  They don't play another game after this weekend until January.  4 points is a virtual necessity.  There are 28 WCHA league games in a season.  This weekend the Seawolves play #13 and #14.  You can't really think much about or plan or perhaps even hope for home ice if you go into the break with less than 12 points.  Don't get me wrong.  Even 12 points at the halfway point will require the team to pick it up substantially in the 2nd half in order to get home ice.

So um ... yeah.  4 points is real important.  The good news is that Luka Vidmar doesn't have a season ending knee injury.  Josh Lunden's shoulder was MRI'd this week but there aren't any reported results.  So he won't be playing this weekend.  I feel like its redundant to point out that the guys have more than a couple of good self-referential examples to teach them exactly what sort of effort is needed this weekend.  The losing on Friday crap has to end.  Whatever has kept the team from putting the sort of effort out that we've seen on so many Saturday's this season has to be a thing of the past.  Pretend tomorrow is Saturday night if that's what it takes.

I'll try to make sure I have a relatively decent Game Day Section on Friday with whatever previews I can find and all the usual stuff.  I will also put up the low rent chatroom up before I head out to the game.