Leddy wants to play smart vs. Sioux, buddy Kristo

ONE DAY UNTIL THE SIOUX HIT TOWN ...

Nick Leddy's first college hockey series was against North Dakota in mid-October in Grand Forks.

"We didn't have the best weekend we could the first time we played them," the freshman defenseman said. "Now we are playing better."

* Memories, nightmares from that series? "It was unbelievable," he said. "It was crazy. It was a crazy atmosphere. It is super loud even from the get go when they did the [video] before they [announced] the starting lineups.

"They had that big screen showing their guys hitting our guys in the past," Leddy said. "I couldn't really see, but I knew what was going on. [Fans] were going crazy. They did it to get the crowd into it and they definitely did."

* Impressions of North Dakota? "They have always been a good team and they have a really good recruiting class [this season]," Ledddy said. "From top to bottom, they are really a good team."

* There are six Minnesotans on the Sioux, are you friends with any of them: "Danny Kristo, I am pretty good friends with him. He actually played at Eden Prairie before he went to Ann Arbor. I played with him on a bantam A team. ... He played awesome [at World Juniors]."

* Have you completely recovered from the broken jaw? "I feel even better than before because sitting on top and watching the play [while recovering], you can notice things that you don't normally notice just sitting on the bench."

* What does team have to do against NoDak: "We definitely have to come out flying, do all the little things like headman the puck when you should and forechecking well and backchecking."

* How do you like having senior David Fischer as a defensive partner: "It's awesome. It's nice working with a senior. He can teach you things and help you out when you need him."