Wisconsin Hockey 21-22: Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

[WiscTJK]

Updates after the Penn State series (W 4-1 Fri, L 5-4 Sat)

Record: 5-12-1 (2-7-1-1 – 9 pts, 6th in Big7 (n/c))
USCHO Poll: NR; (NR)
USA Today Poll: NR; (NR)
PWR: 38 of 59; (42) (+5)
RPI: 39; (42) (+3)
KRACH: 30; (34) (+4)
Scoring: 1.83 GPG; (1.56) (53rd of 59) (+2)
Defense: 3.22 GAPG; (3.25) (42th of 59) (-4)
Save %: .903; (.898) T28th of 59 (+5)
Power Play Rate: 15.9% (10 of 63); (11.3%); 42nd of 59 (+11)
Penalty Kill Rate: 65.96% (31 of 47); (63.64%) 59th of 59 (n/c)
Penalty Min per Game: 10.61; (11.19) 36th of 59 (1st is worst) (+6)
Penalty Min: 191; (179) 28th of 59 (1[SUP]st[/SUP] is worst) (+10)
Shorthanded Goals Scored; 2; (2) T11th of 59 (-4)
Shorthanded Goals Allowed: 2; (2) T12th of 59 (1[SUP]st[/SUP] is worst) (+3)
Team Faceoff: 51.8%; (53.3%) 19th of 59 (-8)

 

[Timothy A]

I know you asked Tim, but here is my less than $0.02 opinion.

You're right, it just isn't working. However, I highly doubt he will be fired this off-season (even though it is time), and no chance it happens in season.

I'm for going outside of UW for a coach, a complete rebuild from the ground up, so that leaves no Rohlik. But if he is interested, I am guessing there would be interest from UW.

You have it nailed down. I'm 95% confident TG will be back next year.

When it does come down to a new coach, Rohlik would probably be the best UW product for the job, aside from Donnie Granato. He's been solid at OSU, aside from last year's team (Watts happened last year Hockeybuckeye??) They should definitely find someone who is a proven smaller school D1 coach or a D3 guy and lure him to UW. You can embrace the UW history with a non-UW guy, that's Watts the Marketing Dept. is for. Get a coach who focusses 100% on coaching and not all the peripheral u rah rah Wisconsin stuff. Winning puts butts in seats. That's it.

 

[WiscTJK]

You have it nailed down. I'm 95% confident TG will be back next year.

When it does come down to a new coach, Rohlik would probably be the best UW product for the job, aside from Donnie Granato. He's been solid at OSU, aside from last year's team (Watts happened last year Hockeybuckeye??) They should definitely find someone who is a proven smaller school D1 coach or a D3 guy and lure him to UW. You can embrace the UW history with a non-UW guy, that's Watts the Marketing Dept. is for. Get a coach who focusses 100% on coaching and not all the peripheral u rah rah Wisconsin stuff. Winning puts butts in seats. That's it.

Don didn't like some of the NCAA rules (practice / contact and/or recruiting as I remember it), or at least that has been rumored. Which is supposedly why he left after one year.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

(Watts happened last year Hockeybuckeye??)

I can only offer my 2 cent best guess but we lost our TOP 8 players to graduation, Covid protocols and nobody seemed to step up to be THE guy to make things happen for the team so they tanked. Just didn't see any of the previous season's chemistry. We got some nice pickups in the portal this year and some talented freshmen stepping up seems to be the difference this season. I was worried early on how we'd be this season but after the thumping we gave Michigan Saturday I think we can match play or better with anyone again.
​​​​​

 

[digitalbooya]

I wouldn't mind Chris Brooks or Tim Coghlin. If they have a losing record this season somebody needs to be let go. You can't keep throwing the same thing out there and expecting a different result. Outside of one outlier season with two superstar underclassmen, this team has a cumulative record of 33-50-8 in three of the last four seasons. That's right around .400 for win percentage. This trio has been given plenty of opportunity and something needs to change.

 

[Timothy A]

I can only offer my 2 cent best guess but we lost our TOP 8 players to graduation, Covid protocols and nobody seemed to step up to be THE guy to make things happen for the team so they tanked. Just didn't see any of the previous season's chemistry. We got some nice pickups in the portal this year and some talented freshmen stepping up seems to be the difference this season. I was worried early on how we'd be this season but after the thumping we gave Michigan Saturday I think we can match play or better with anyone again.
​​​​​

That's Watts I was looking for, he had solid records the other years so last year was just one of "those" seasons and not a trend. Knowing this, I would not object to him getting an interview to replace TG. He would need to bring Miller with him.

 

[Timothy A]

The attendance at the Holiday tournament will be fascinating. I've seen ads on TV and Kwik Trip is playing the same ad in their stores. I hope it is decent for the sake of all the corporate partners or it will just die again. I wonder if the casual Milwaukee Metro fans are in the know about how poorly the team is playing.

 

[WiscTJK]

The attendance at the Holiday tournament will be fascinating. I've seen ads on TV and Kwik Trip is playing the same ad in their stores. I hope it is decent for the sake of all the corporate partners or it will just die again. I wonder if the casual Milwaukee Metro fans are in the know about how poorly the team is playing.

I am going with 3 others but we are the few faithful that remain I suppose.....

 

[Timothy A]

I am going with 3 others but we are the few faithful that remain I suppose.....

When I go to ticketmaster, I only see the 4pm games listed to buy tickets for, not the 7:30 ones. Does that mean they are sold out? It looks like they are limiting the 4pm games to the lower bowl only. There are tons of seat available for those, like maybe 60% open.

 

[WiscTJK]

When I go to ticketmaster, I only see the 4pm games listed to buy tickets for, not the 7:30 ones. Does that mean they are sold out? It looks like they are limiting the 4pm games to the lower bowl only. There are tons of seat available for those, like maybe 60% open.

There are only 1 ticket for both games of the day. So that makes sense. I had to look up my tickets.

 

[Timothy A]

There are only 1 ticket for both games of the day. So that makes sense. I had to look up my tickets.

That is not clear at all. All it shows as is 4pm games, it should say 4PM & 7:30PM or BOTH. If that is the case, it's an attendance disaster.

 

[WiscTJK]

That is not clear at all. All it shows as is 4pm games, it should say 4PM & 7:30PM or BOTH. If that is the case, it's an attendance disaster.

I think they are for both games, but you are right, it doesn't say that at all. That's a marketing disaster. So for your $16 to $41 you are getting 2 games, but how would you know?

Does an "attendance disaster" surprise you? It doesn't for me. I've not seen any advertising for it other than during hockey broadcasts.

 

[druzy192]

Players not giving 100% is an indictment of the coaches as much as it is the players. The coaches need to figure out how to extract performance, especially at this level.

He hasn't been able to figure it out on consistent basis in 6 years. You think he's going to magically be able to figure it out now? Seems like the Athletic Department thinks that Granato is close and just needs to change a few things and then everything will be ok. Uhhh no. This change would have happened in year 2 or 3.

It's enevitable that Granato won't ever win and will leave the program. There is no point in waiting. The writing is on the wall in bright pink bold letters. Its like the silent pink elephant in the room that the athletic department won't acknowledge. Need to change coaches before the program gets any lower.

 

[UCBadger]

So.....who's a volleyball fan tonight?

 

[UCBadger]

So.....who's a volleyball fan tonight?

The correct answer was "All Badger fans are volleyball fans tonight!"

Congratulations to Wisconsin Women's' Volleyball team for winning the NCAA National Championship! I told my wife during the last volley of the 5th set that watching volleyball was way too intense for me! lol

 

[WiscTJK]

The correct answer was "All Badger fans are volleyball fans tonight!"

Congratulations to Wisconsin Women's' Volleyball team for winning the NCAA National Championship! I told my wife during the last volley of the 5th set that watching volleyball was way too intense for me! lol

I was so nervous Thursday night and Saturday night. Just unbelievable level of play really from UW, Louisville and Nebraska. What a final four! And Congrats to the Ladies Volleyball! Between Women's Hockey and Volleyball they have some really great teams over the last 5 years plus!

 

[Timothy A]

Congratulations to Wisconsin Women's' Volleyball team for winning the NCAA National Championship! I told my wife during the last volley of the 5th set that watching volleyball was way too intense for me! lol

I too cannot watch them, way too intense. It's like NHLer's playing cross-ice hockey, you could never relax even for a few seconds.

 

[Timothy A]

We've got a game tonight. TG's motivational strategy (paraphrased) is play these games like they are playing for the Stanley Cup. If dudes are not playing hard, just bench them. Play with 8F and 4 D if you have to.

Yale started out 0-6 but is on fire at 3-1 over the last 4 games. They are 0-4 on the road. Their powerplay is worse than us! 2%! 1 for 40. WOW. PK is 90%, which is very good. Let's go RED!

 

[FLHockeyMom]

BA sighting on my bike ride a few days ago down here in SWFL. Let me know if you'd like me to pass along a message to him while he's in good spirits enjoying the FL sunshine.

 

[MadCityRich]

Anybody at the Fiserv? I totally forgot about the game. I see they just won in OT.

Attendance? Sounds like a funeral home.