Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

[Timothy A]

It's a great day for hockey!

Insightful article on Madison.com about Bowlby. She played 30.5 minutes in the last game @ Mankato. The 3rd D pair uber playing sparingly, even against MSU, so they won't see the ice this weekend for sure. Sure wish we had a timetable on Buchbinder return. Too bad they can't call up Harvey from the minors for the 2nd half of the season. These next 4 games are all hands on deck.

It's really sinking in that we can't attend the games right now with a home game being played today. Apparently they are letting 2 relatives per player in to watch. Do any players whose parents can't make it need a surrogate Dad or sister? I speak Canadian eh it that helps.

I'm really not feeling very well, I may not make it much past 2 this afternoon, I'll try and stick it out though.

[D2D]

Insightful article on Madison.com about Bowlby. She played 30.5 minutes in the last game @ Mankato. The 3rd D pair uber playing sparingly, even against MSU, so they won't see the ice this weekend for sure.

MJ won't get by playing just two sets of D. They would get too worn out chasing the very talented and super-determined Buckeyes' forwards all over the ice, so much so that the Badgers' legs would be gone by the 3rd period. Is Wisconsin really that thin at D?

[ARM]

MJ won't get by playing just two sets of D. They would get too worn out chasing the very talented and super-determined Buckeyes' forwards all over the ice, so much so that the Badgers' legs would be gone by the 3rd period. Is Wisconsin really that thin at D?

I've been impressed that they've held up defensively as well as they have w/o Buchbinder, who IMO is their best defensive D. Bowlby and LaMantia might offer a little more offensively. As for playing four D, Minnesota did that for most of 2017-18 and managed to win the WCHA tourney. Cornell used to play people like Fortino and Rougeau about 40 minutes a game.

[Timothy A]

MJ won't get by playing just two sets of D. They would get too worn out chasing the very talented and super-determined Buckeyes' forwards all over the ice, so much so that the Badgers' legs would be gone by the 3rd period. Is Wisconsin really that thin at D?

That is what he did last week. Toft and Kotlowski are not, trying to be nice, a typical player that MJ would land. If he didn't trust them against MSU, he's not going to trust the against OSU. Maybe with having the last change he can sneak them into favorable spots, but that seems risky.

[robertearle]

That is what he did last week. Toft and Kotlowski are not, trying to be nice, a typical player that MJ would land. If he didn't trust them against MSU, he's not going to trust the against OSU. Maybe with having the last change he can sneak them into favorable spots, but that seems risky.

I'd relay what I was able to see with regard to D players and shifts when they played Ohio State in Nov, but that was - of course - essentially nothing. :-)

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

No score after 1 period. OSU outshooting Wisconsin 10-6 and getting it done in the face-off circle as well. Good game so far.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

1-0 OSU leading after 2 periods. Wisconsin is now outshooting OSU 21-20.

[robertearle]

1-0 OSU leading after 2 periods. Wisconsin is now outshooting OSU 21-20.

I was thinking that Wisconsin was having little success stringing together passes, that theor chances were all coming on individual efforts. And then they put together a couple passes, and we're tied.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Two goals in the third period for Wisconsin and they win 2-1. Nice comeback by them.

[robertearle]

I was thinking that Wisconsin was having little success stringing together passes, that theor chances were all coming on individual efforts. And then they put together a couple passes, and we're tied.

And then one of those individual effort chances comes through, and UW wins 2-1. Could easily have gone the other way. Good stuff.

[robertearle]

Sure wish we had a timetable on Buchbinder return.

In case you missed it, during the BTN 'broadcast', Brian Posick said that Buchbinder is recovering from an injury (so not COVID, etc) and hopes to be back soon, maybe in time for Minn next weekend.

[robertearle]

Do I have this right? Tie game after regulation means one standings point to each team, and the 3-vs-3 is for the extra point?

[robertearle]

Do I have this right? Tie game after regulation means one standings point to each team, and the 3-vs-3 is for the extra point?

I have been staring at the WCHA standings page for much longer than you would think it should take, and I *think* this is the answer to my question:

A regulation time win is a win, and is worth three standings points.

A regulation time loss is a loss and is worth zero standings points.

If the game is tied at the end of regulation, each team gets a standings point, and there is a third point available during the 3-vs-3 period. If a team scores during the 3-vs-3, they get that extra point, and the game is listed in the standings as a full "win", along with regulation time wins (and the loss is listed as a full 'loss). So when you look at the standings, the number of wins you see might and might NOT all be worth three points.

If the game is still tied after 3-vs-3, the third standings point is still available, is decided by the shoot-out, and the game shows in the standings as a tie.

So, right now:
Ohio State shows as a 5 win 3 loss record, but only 14 points, because one of the wins is a "two point overtime win"

Wisconsin shows as a 4 win 2 loss record, but with 13 points, because one of the losses is a "one point overtime loss".

Bemidji (really some fun) shows as a 1 win 6 loss 1 tie record, with 5 standings points because their win is a two-point overtime win, one of the losses is a one-point overtime loss, and the tie was a two-point shootout win. 2 for the 'win' plus one for a 'loss' and two for the shootout 'tie'.

Looking at the USCHO Pairwise page, a 3-vs-3 loss is the equal of a normal loss, and a 3-vs-3 the equal of a normal win.

And that means a shootout tie/win that shows as a Pairwise tie is worth as much to the WCHA as a 3-vs-3 OT win that is a full win in the Pairwise.

That is messed up.

(Of course, this has much or little meaning as 'standings points' and 'Pairwise rankings' will have come March; perhaps a great deal, perhaps none at all.)

[Timothy A]

I was thinking that Wisconsin was having little success stringing together passes, that their chances were all coming on individual efforts. And then they put together a couple passes, and we're tied.

I was only able to watch yesterday's game. This is the current theme of the team. They cannot get out of their zone on a string of passes. They cannot create scoring chances on a string of passes. The best line at having success is the top line. The first period was almost unwatchable it was so bad. The 2nd period was better and the 3rd seemed better, but still not up to the standard.

The thing that saves them is Blair, she is as good as Soup or ARD, their d zone play is solid.

Toft and Kotlowski played a fair amount, so I'm not understanding TDM's comments about how much they played last weekend.

It is very hard to understand how the PP is so bad. They could have sealed that game up yesterday with a couple ppg's in the 3rd.

The awful first period is a bad trend from the OSU series, being outshot 10-6 and 14-7.

[Timothy A]

MJ had some pretty scathing (for him anyway) comments at Madison.com about yesterday's game. I have never seen him be openly critical of the team like that.