Here comes another one of the stud teams, so we'd better be prepared. We have had a tough schedule, but you can't worry about that. We just have to concentrate on getting better.

I don't know if we think it's going to be an easy schedule when we are playing teams like Columbus and Chicago. These guys are playing good. They're playing better than us ? better than a lot of teams right now.

Everybody's schedule is tough. I think we have one of the toughest. I don't know if there's another team that plays 17 games in 30 days. But I think the advantage we have built in is we've utilized four lines. We've been a pretty balanced team when it comes to ice time.

Every tournament we go to is a tough one. West Holmes is another. We set up our schedule a few years ago when we had stronger, more experienced teams, and we've just kept most of it. We figure we might as well let our young guys see what's out there.

Everybody is going through the same thing. The way the schedule is, it's tough down the stretch.

Some years the schedule rolls your way and some years it doesn't. There are a lot of very good teams in the conference, so I don't think you can make any assumptions about any teams.