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Wisconsin Hockey 24-25 Improving With All Due Haste.

One other thing. Players from USNTDP and their future colleges:

Denver 3
Minnesota 3
BU 3
Michigan 3
Notre Dame 2
Harvard 2
Nodak 2
CC 1
BC 1
ASU 1


Wisconsin 0

Edit: Wisconsin does have one recruit on the U17 USNTDP roster (Lukas Zajic).
 
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WiscTJK said:
I watched nearly every game. The shots the Badgers take are low percentage for a majority. The quality of opponent shots are way better. Some of that is related to poor defense, and silly defensive zone turnovers, but the point remains. And that d-zone turnover issue not been cleaned up either year (partially due to injuries to be fair).

I also think the dearth of talent Motzko has / had at Minnesota makes it much easier to turn things around and stay at the top of the conference (17 current draft picks, 14 each in Motzko's first 2 years). I don't see that level so far here in the recruits Hastings / Knott have gotten. Draft picks for Badgers (and I know that isn't 100% correlated to win %): Final year of Granato 11 draft picks, last year 13, this year 8. Next year will likely be similar to this year with losing 2 draft picks from the roster and maybe gaining a couple / three.

I have to keep it real. I am not going to sugar coat anything or be looking at it with cardinal tinted glasses. I'll relax when we are consistently winning 20 games per season. I am patient for one more year.
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Agreed that they need to take higher quality shots. They also need to get guys into the crease area to create chaos. Hopefully some of the bigger players can get in there and be disruptive.

Motzko had 14 draft picks in his first 2 seasons and he could barely be above .500? Look at Motzko’s first 20+ win season. His highest point scorer was Ranta with 31 points in 31 games. We had 2 guys score at a higher rate than that this year. The difference is that Motzko had a 2nd line that all scored 25+ points. After our big 3, the next high point scoring forwards had 17, 15, and 12 points. Scoring depth is more important than draft picks. That’s why I really like the Canadian major junior players we are pulling in for next season.

I think there’s a big difference between rose colored glasses and realizing this year was destined to be mediocre at best with a lot of scoring leaving the team from year 1 to year 2. Don’t think that should bring out the pitchforks for Hastings. He has had 2 years. That’s barely any time to make a dent on building a quality hockey program.
 
digitalbooya said:
Agreed that they need to take higher quality shots. They also need to get guys into the crease area to create chaos. Hopefully some of the bigger players can get in there and be disruptive.

Motzko had 14 draft picks in his first 2 seasons and he could barely be above .500? Look at Motzko’s first 20+ win season. His highest point scorer was Ranta with 31 points in 31 games. We had 2 guys score at a higher rate than that this year. The difference is that Motzko had a 2nd line that all scored 25+ points. After our big 3, the next high point scoring forwards had 17, 15, and 12 points. Scoring depth is more important than draft picks. That’s why I really like the Canadian major junior players we are pulling in for next season.

I think there’s a big difference between rose colored glasses and realizing this year was destined to be mediocre at best with a lot of scoring leaving the team from year 1 to year 2. Don’t think that should bring out the pitchforks for Hastings. He has had 2 years. That’s barely any time to make a dent on building a quality hockey program.
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You are correct that the other than Denver, the high draft pick / high octane teams have not had NCAA championship success recently and why I thought Hastings would be successful in the big7. I suspect that streak gets broken this year, but then again maybe a team like Western Michigan, etc. wins it all.

I expected a lapse in scoring. I didn't expect a lapse / no improvements in the basics where they are still making errors in the d-zone, turning the puck over too much, and worst of all the undisciplined play / lack of energy the last several weeks. Those are hallmarks of the Hastings' teams, and they have not gotten better and worse in a lot of cases. That is deeply concerning to me. Pitchforks, no. But concern, yes.
 
WiscTJK said:
I didn't expect a lapse / no improvements in the basics where they are still making errors in the d-zone, turning the puck over too much, and worst of all the undisciplined play / lack of energy the last several weeks. Those are hallmarks of the Hastings' teams, and they have not gotten better and worse in a lot of cases. That is deeply concerning to me. Pitchforks, no. But concern, yes.
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This is the most troubling. Fine, your scoring has a slump or your goalie has a slump, that's life. But if your fundamentals and discipline are strong you won't be devastated by either of these.
 
www.collegehockeynews.com

2024‑25 Wisconsin Statistics Advanced Metrics

2024‑25 Wisconsin Statistics Advanced Metrics
www.collegehockeynews.com www.collegehockeynews.com

For those that are curious, take a look at the advanced goaltending stats presented on that page.

The expected save percentages for our goaltenders (based on a 3 year rolling average of shots from those locations across the NCAA):

Scarfone .938
Gramme .934
Castro .949

Scarfone with an atrocious -30.8 xGA +/-, where + is performing better than expected and - is performing worse than expected.

Our team PDO is insanely low at 97.86 (100 is “even”).

Just a lot of fun stats to look at that can all be traced to really poor goaltending.
 
digitalbooya said:
www.collegehockeynews.com

2024‑25 Wisconsin Statistics Advanced Metrics

2024‑25 Wisconsin Statistics Advanced Metrics
www.collegehockeynews.com www.collegehockeynews.com

For those that are curious, take a look at the advanced goaltending stats presented on that page.

The expected save percentages for our goaltenders (based on a 3 year rolling average of shots from those locations across the NCAA):

Scarfone .938
Gramme .934
Castro .949

Scarfone with an atrocious -30.8 xGA +/-, where + is performing better than expected and - is performing worse than expected.

Our team PDO is insanely low at 97.86 (100 is “even”).

Just a lot of fun stats to look at that can all be traced to really poor goaltending.
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It sounded like they wanted to give Tommy the day off last week, but when holding poor performance accountable, they had to yank the other 2. I wish I could tell if skaters are losing ice time due to being accountable to not playing well.
 
solovsfett said:
What a weird night. All 3 lower seeds in the b10 won.
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All the home teams have nothing to play for NCAA-wise and that is the ultimate goal. The post season tournament is kinda meh with the pairwise being so transparent. It would be awesome for all 3 to close it out tonight.

I missed a lot of the game as I was watching the women play on BTN+, but my daughter had it on the tablet on the coffee table and I did see all the goals scored. We were also watching OSU's women's team get crushed by the rodents on her phone, what a fun night of hockey viewing.
 
Timothy A said:
All the home teams have nothing to play for NCAA-wise and that is the ultimate goal. The post season tournament is kinda meh with the pairwise being so transparent. It would be awesome for all 3 to close it out tonight.

I missed a lot of the game as I was watching the women play on BTN+, but my daughter had it on the tablet on the coffee table and I did see all the goals scored. We were also watching OSU's women's team get crushed by the rodents on her phone, what a fun night of hockey viewing.
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Michigan might fall out of the tournament field if Penn St sweeps.

Minnesota’s goaltender threw their game. If you need a chuckle watch their highlights. Shot from center ice goes in their net. The goalie passed right to the ND player for an another goal against. Seeing big Sam Rinzel do well makes me wish that Laatsch was able to play.
 
solovsfett said:
What a weird night. All 3 lower seeds in the b10 won.
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Another weird aspect of this weekend is that the games are at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus instead of on the Ohio State campus. There's very little if any home ice advantage for OSU, attendance was a mere 1500, and feels like even less than that considering the arena fits 20,000.
 
Timothy A said:
All the home teams have nothing to play for NCAA-wise and that is the ultimate goal. The post season tournament is kinda meh with the pairwise being so transparent. It would be awesome for all 3 to close it out tonight.

I missed a lot of the game as I was watching the women play on BTN+, but my daughter had it on the tablet on the coffee table and I did see all the goals scored. We were also watching OSU's women's team get crushed by the rodents on her phone, what a fun night of hockey viewing.
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For as much as the NCAAs is the goal, hockey is streaky. Just ask the 2023-24 Badgers. Swept by OSU in first round. 18 Days off and landed with a dud in the NCAAs vs. Quinipiac.

I don't think any coach wants 2+ weeks off between games this time of year.

I'd like to return the favor to OSU tonight. Teams playing with house money are dangerous.
 
WiscTJK said:
It’s unbelievable really. This year is cursed. More injuries with paladachek and Horbach out.
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It really does feel cursed. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
srkbadger said:
To put icing on the pile of sh**, Finley failed to stop the pass from below the goal line to the slot that was put in the net.
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I don’t understand why Finley is even out there late defending a 1 goal lead… Defense isn’t exactly his best attribute.
 
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