Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Robert, insight part 2?

The first two periods looked a lot like yesterday. Duluth had UW on their heels even more so than yesterday in the 1st Period; in the 2nd, a couple power play opportunities finally got them going. An early 3rd period goal, I was hoping the 3rd would play out like yesterday as well. It didn't. A couple of pucks that need to get cleared away but weren't cleared turned into Duluth goals; one in the crease that Watts left alone, thinking the D would get there, and then a Campbell rebound that just sat far enough away from UW sticks for Duluth to get to and put away.

And then came the final minute...

They are just not playing well right now. The heroics at the end today might wipe some of that away... until Monday video review, when I'm sure MF will impress that fact on them.

Hey, outright WCHA champs! The last minute heroics keep the Gophers from claiming a share of the title. That is something to celebrate all by itself!

(At crucial moments, it was Shirley-Roque-Watts again. But for most of the game, it was the recent 'usual' combinations.)

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

A reminder:

Even though UW has next weekend off, tomorrow 8:30 AM is the first chance (for season ticket holders) to request NCAA quarterfinal tickets.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

The first two periods looked a lot like yesterday. Duluth had UW on their heels even more so than yesterday in the 1st Period; in the 2nd, a couple power play opportunities finally got them going. An early 3rd period goal, I was hoping the 3rd would play out like yesterday as well. It didn't. A couple of pucks that need to get cleared away but weren't cleared turned into Duluth goals; one in the crease that Watts left alone, thinking the D would get there, and then a Campbell rebound that just sat far enough away from UW sticks for Duluth to get to and put away.

And then came the final minute...

They are just not playing well right now. The heroics at the end today might wipe some of that away... until Monday video review, when I'm sure MF will impress that fact on them.

Hey, outright WCHA champs! The last minute heroics keep the Gophers from claiming a share of the title. That is something to celebrate all by itself!

(At crucial moments, it was Shirley-Roque-Watts again. But for most of the game, it was the recent 'usual' combinations.)

Thanks a ton for the analysis. Is there any issue with Soup that you can see? Any regrettables? They are not any where near "peaking at the right time". They could very well not win another game this season and that is not an exaggeration. It is good to see Roque/SS/Watts/Curl come through in clutch times the last few games after not being clutch @ BSU or Kato.

That Watts OT winner was SICK. Also her goal from laying on the ice was kinda sweet too.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Is there any issue with Soup that you can see? Any regrettables?

It's hard to separate out how much is better D in front of her last year vs this year as opposed to her not being as good individually this year. Some of both, I suspect. One of the 3rd period goals from Brodt today was a two-on-one where Steffen took away the pass, but Brodt beat Campbell clean. One of those you hope she stops, but... there were others she made really good saves on today. The Duluth TV guy (who was actually pretty insightful at times) said that UW kept Duluth outside and away from the slot yesterday, and Duluth needed to attack the net more today, which they were able to do.

Yeah, they could go out early, or win five in a row; Who knows. Somebody's gonna win three or four or five in a row. Why not us?

 

[D2D]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Yeah, they could go out early, or win five in a row; Who knows. Somebody's gonna win three or four or five in a row. Why not us?

Because eventually - likely on March 8th - you'll have to play the Gophers, and they owe ya!

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Because eventually - likely on March 8th - you'll have to play the Gophers, and they owe ya!

UW vs Minnesota this year: 2-1-1
UW vs Ohio State this year: 2-1-1
Minn vs Ohio State this year: 2-2
Minn vs Duluth this year: 2-1-1
Ohio State vs Duluth this year: 1-2-1

I'm not counting anybody in or out.

(And Bemidji vs Duluth: 2-2)

 

[NMH]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Hats off to Wisconsin - and their fans - for leading the nation, both in the number of fans overall and in average attendance. Need to point out, however, that said figures are very much distorted by the one "Fill the Bowl" event. Kudos to Wisconsin for having it once a year at where the men's team plays, instead of their own rink. But without this one special event the attendance numbers between the Badgers and the Gophers would be pretty much a wash. And one could argue that Wisconsin's numbers should be higher than they are, considering the fact that they've been ranked No. 1 for most of the season.

All that said, I do wish our women's D1 hockey sport (which we all love here) generated much greater fan interest and attendance numbers than is currently the case. When looked at it this way, Wisconsin and Minnesota are leading the way.

Right- they wouldn't be leading in total attendance, but taking away 14,351 and then adding back the 2,2273 (for a total attendance of 31,112) they'd have had for a sell out in LaBahn for that game, they'd still be tops with a a 2,222 average over 14 games. Sure, a wash with the Gophers I'll buy, but that means they averaged 51 fewer fans than LaBahn's capacity, so I'm not sure there's a lot of room for "should be higher."

 

[NMH]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

It's hard to separate out how much is better D in front of her last year vs this year as opposed to her not being as good individually this year. Some of both, I suspect. One of the 3rd period goals from Brodt today was a two-on-one where Steffen took away the pass, but Brodt beat Campbell clean. One of those you hope she stops, but... there were others she made really good saves on today. The Duluth TV guy (who was actually pretty insightful at times) said that UW kept Duluth outside and away from the slot yesterday, and Duluth needed to attack the net more today, which they were able to do.

Yeah, they could go out early, or win five in a row; Who knows. Somebody's gonna win three or four or five in a row. Why not us?

It thought she probably should have stopped the third goal. It was from basically even with the goal line and snuck under her pads somehow and squirted in. It was a low percentage angle and Campbell was playing it the whole way, she just didn't get her blockers down tight enough I guess? IDK, but that and the snipe on the breakaway were the two I'd think she'll be rewatching.

The shorty and goal four were both defensive breakdowns with loose pucks and trailing players not getting picked up.

I actually thought overall it was one of Soupy's better games. She made a lot of second and third chance opportunity stops and stops from scrums in close.

 

[Offsides Guy]

It thought she probably should have stopped the third goal. It was from basically even with the goal line and snuck under her pads somehow and squirted in. It was a low percentage angle and Campbell was playing it the whole way, she just didn't get her blockers down tight enough I guess? IDK, but that and the snipe on the breakaway were the two I'd think she'll be rewatching.

The shorty and goal four were both defensive breakdowns with loose pucks and trailing players not getting picked up.

I actually thought overall it was one of Soupy's better games. She made a lot of second and third chance opportunity stops and stops from scrums in close.

Soup = overrated

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Soup = overrated

She pitched an NCAA shutout. She probably sleeps OK.

 

[Puckdrop14]

She pitched an NCAA shutout. She probably sleeps OK.

She’s a good goalie who has had a tough season. She will be heavily relied upon over the course of the next few weeks and I would expect her to bounce back.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Soup = overrated

You can't take away or argue against what she did last year based on the facts and no one is pontificating how great she is this year, so I don't get where the over-rated comes from. I think she'll be the first to say it's been an up and down year.

I just am very concerned that this team is so badly under-achieving right now I'm not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel. In the pairwise discussion, it seems that UW has MN covered, even if MN wins the wwcha and UW loses to UMD in the semi, so maybe my worry is for nothing and UW is locked into the 3rd spot at worst and the top spot at best. I really just want that ncaa home game. That is always my goal for UW. that gives you the best chance to win into the FF where anything can happen.

 

[Bonzo]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

The USA team for the World Championship in Nova Scotia have been announced. I'm surprised Annie Pankowski did not make the team. She was one of the better players at World's last year and I thought had solidified a spot on the roster within the past year. Is there a story behind her not making it? Instead both Abby Roque (no big surprise) and Britta Curl (somewhat surprising even though she played in the US-Canada rivalry series) made the team. Decker, Knight and Cavallini (Rigsby) are other former Badgers on the roster. Grace Zumwinkle from the Gophers also made it. Canada's roster hasn't been announced but I would image Nurse, Clark, Turnbull and Desbiens make it.
https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1089948

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Is there a story behind [Pankowski] not making it?

She's in the middle, towards the end of her first year in verteranary school. Maybe she felt like she couldn't afford the time away from classes, etc.

 

[vicb]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

The USA team for the World Championship in Nova Scotia have been announced. I'm surprised Annie Pankowski did not make the team. She was one of the better players at World's last year and I thought had solidified a spot on the roster within the past year. Is there a story behind her not making it? Instead both Abby Roque (no big surprise) and Britta Curl (somewhat surprising even though she played in the US-Canada rivalry series) made the team. Decker, Knight and Cavallini (Rigsby) are other former Badgers on the roster. Grace Zumwinkle from the Gophers also made it. Canada's roster hasn't been announced but I would image Nurse, Clark, Turnbull and Desbiens make it.
https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1089948

With the corona virus getting worse, wonder if any consideration to cancelling this. They are already talking about cancelling the summer Olympics in Japan. Just scary.

 

[Lindsay]

The USA team for the World Championship in Nova Scotia have been announced. I'm surprised Annie Pankowski did not make the team. She was one of the better players at World's last year and I thought had solidified a spot on the roster within the past year. Is there a story behind her not making it? Instead both Abby Roque (no big surprise) and Britta Curl (somewhat surprising even though she played in the US-Canada rivalry series) made the team. Decker, Knight and Cavallini (Rigsby) are other former Badgers on the roster. Grace Zumwinkle from the Gophers also made it. Canada's roster hasn't been announced but I would image Nurse, Clark, Turnbull and Desbiens make it.
https://teamusa.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1089948

7 college players this year compared to 9 last year. I’ve always wondered what the pay set up is and if that influences who makes the roster. I don’t know how big the pool is if players who get paid, like maybe it’s bigger than 23, and someone not on the roster still gets paid.

I’ll miss watching Pankowski and won’t be surprised if she’s back on the roster at a later tourney. She was obviously instrumental in winning Worlds last year. It’s tempting to say USA was foolish to leave her home, but they haven’t lost a tourney since the 2014 Four Nations so it seems any roster mix works for them. And yet so many tourneys come down to shootouts and OT... who knows, but I sure hope the tourney isn’t cancelled as was mentioned down thread.
I

 

[upfromtheminors]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

Because eventually - likely on March 8th - you'll have to play the Gophers, and they owe ya!

We'll see. Hopefully this senior class can continue their dominance of the Rodents! They are 12-5-3 in their career against the gophers! Then again, the gophers could end up not having the most laughs..but the last one.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

That fandangled chart looks like a lot of work to fill in. Under what circumstances, if any, can UW topple Cornell?

Carried over from the Pairwise thread, because it is so UW specific:

After Saturday's games, the basics remain the same: Wisconsin needs to win the WCHA, and Cornell needs to lose one.

The dilemma comes with the Duluth-Bemidji game Sunday. If you think Wisconsin might have a better chance to win the WCHA tournament with a semi against Bemidji, you might root for Bemidji on Sunday.

But a semi win against Bemidji is not worth as much in terms of Pairwise and RPI as a win over Duluth would be, because of 'Quality Win Bonus', etc.

In particular, If Cornell's loss comes in the final of the ECAC tournament, and Bemidji makes it to that semi-final game, there is just about no chance for Wisconsin to catch Cornell (unless Lindenwood makes the CHA final, and maybe some other unlikely results).

If Cornell loses their semi-final, Wisconsin can still catch them, even if it is Bemidji in the semi-final game.

So, either an 'easier' path to the WCHA championship (if that is even true) but little chance to get the #1 seed overall; or a tougher WCHA path, but a chance at @1 seed overall.

Fortunately, I learned long ago that what I hope for has VERY little effect on what actually occurs. Que sera, sera.

 

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

So, either an 'easier' path to the WCHA championship (if that is even true) but little chance to get the #1 seed overall; or a tougher WCHA path, but a chance at @1 seed overall.

The team that you will play has already played over 199 minutes this weekend with at least 60 minutes left to play. Whatever chance either team initially had of beating Wisconsin next weekend, it is safe to say that chance has been significantly compromised.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2019-2020 Season Thread

So UW gets UMD. Assuming a UW win knocks the Dwagettes out of the NCAA's, but usually the 1-4 match does that to the 4. It's almost an inconsequential game in regards to the NCAA's for UW, and to me it's all about getting home ice for the NCAA's. Winning trophies along the way is fine and dandy, but it's a bonus. I have a very low confidence factor going into this. If the Dwagettes win the wwcha, they are headed to Madison or Rodentapolis, correct?