Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

We're going to get there. We have some quality players. As far as I can tell, we are still just playing USHL level hockey which obviously just isn't going to cut it. It's just going to be a long process for these guys to get where they need to be. Tomorrow's another night, it's going to be tough, we'll see if we gained anything from tonight.

I keep trying to convince myself of that, but it's so hard when they still haven't won, and I was so excited to take more newbies to hockey games this year (of course, I always feel excited before home games). We'll see if we gained anything, but I feel like they were more likely to win tonight than they will be tomorrow. That said, at this point, there is now a 0% chance that they win tonight, and a >0% chance they win tomorrow.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I don't know if we're going to win a game before Christmas. But we're going to play a lot against good players and teams which is what we need. If we had 5 Kevin Schulze's to practice against we'd be a heck of a lot better right now, but we don't. We have a lot of guys who are coming from a level below practicing against other guys who are from a level below... It's really hard to get up to speed doing that no matter what drills etc. you do. You hear it a lot-- Time and Space. It's all happening so much faster when you move up and there just aren't enough of the high quality vets on the team to help these guys get better fast enough. I do think that by January this team will be twice as good as it was tonight regardless of what their record is.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I don't know if we're going to win a game before Christmas. But we're going to play a lot against good players and teams which is what we need. If we had 5 Kevin Schulze's to practice against we'd be a heck of a lot better right now, but we don't. We have a lot of guys who are coming from a level below practicing against other guys who are from a level below... It's really hard to get up to speed doing that no matter what drills etc. you do. You hear it a lot-- Time and Space. It's all happening so much faster when you move up and there just aren't enough of the high quality vets on the team to help these guys get better fast enough. I do think that by January this team will be twice as good as it was tonight regardless of what their record is.

I just can't get on board with the whole freshman/adjustments argument.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Question: does it still feel like UW is not an 0-6 team

http://host.madison.com/sports/coll...cle_401f2d4c-7639-5bf4-9932-67c98550816b.html

I'm tired of this...I'm just ****ing tired of it.

Question for Coach from solo: Why is it that Brock Boeser decommited? Follow-up, can we expect any more decommits? I'm thinking of dumping my season tickets...

EDIT: BEFORE THE ETERNAL OPTIMISTS GET ON M CASE ALLOW ME TO QUOTE THE RECAP

"The Tigers came into the non-conference matchup having lost seven straight and outscored 38-9 in the process. Their offense, defense, power play and penalty kill ranked between 50th and 58th among the 59 teams in NCAA Division I.

But the Badgers failed to seize the moment, enduring a dreadful 5-2 setback before an announced crowd of 7,081 that extended their season-opening losing streak to seven games..."

 

[The-C2]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

On the really bright side, Minnesota lost to the U18s!!

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

On the really bright side, Minnesota lost to the U18s!!

how is that helpful in any way to UW or anyone else in NCAA Hockey? That's non-con (...that is exhibition actually) and right now schadenfreude is not something that's appropriate...at least I don't think so...

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

how is that helpful in any way to UW or anyone else in NCAA Hockey? That's non-con (...that is exhibition actually) and right now schadenfreude is not something that's appropriate...at least I don't think so...

From what I've heard, this is one of the best U18 teams the NTDP has had in a while. (I think that's what I've heard or read anyway; I could be mixing up my thoughts. I should have gone to bed earlier. I'm about to.) It means good things for USA Hockey!

 

[XYZ]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I don't know if we're going to win a game before Christmas. But we're going to play a lot against good players and teams which is what we need. If we had 5 Kevin Schulze's to practice against we'd be a heck of a lot better right now, but we don't. We have a lot of guys who are coming from a level below practicing against other guys who are from a level below... It's really hard to get up to speed doing that no matter what drills etc. you do. You hear it a lot-- Time and Space. It's all happening so much faster when you move up and there just aren't enough of the high quality vets on the team to help these guys get better fast enough. I do think that by January this team will be twice as good as it was tonight regardless of what their record is.

The power of rationalization is strong.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

how is that helpful in any way to UW or anyone else in NCAA Hockey? That's non-con (...that is exhibition actually) and right now schadenfreude is not something that's appropriate...at least I don't think so...

"Shadenfreude"....awesome word. I'll have to have my son translate that when he gets up this AM. I only took German for 1 year in HS. I wanted to take it for 3 years, but we moved and the new school only had Spanish, so I got stuck taking that for 1 year. But hey, how many people can brag they are kinda fluent in 3 lingos?

Solo, you sure are depressed not to take joy in the rodent's loss. Anytime the rodents get embarrassed it's awesome. Of course it looks a little silly to take a shot @ the rodents when UW just lost convincingly to a team just as bad as they are, but it's the rodents. Remember Holy Cross? HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Also the rodent women's team only had 54 sog against Kato last night, UW had 68 on them just a week before (boy did I want 70). Take THAT you stinking rodents.

If you want a little comic relief, check out the game thread from last night, Wisko was at his best.

The magic elixir, besides paint thinner and Wisko, is the Women's program. I'd be way more upset right now if I didn't have the memory of a 16-2 combined drubbing of Mankato still fresh in my head. Will the combined records of the men's and women's teams be over .500? The pressure is sure on the gals right now, but I think they will be up to the task.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

The magic elixir, besides paint thinner and Wisko, is the Women's program.

...and the Packers and the hoops team and the football team and the volleyball team and the Blackhawks (for me).

Oh yeah, and my kid's high school teams including hoops and football that he doesn't even play for.

I've got plenty of sports things to take up my time as do most people who are in this area and aren't one-sport or one-team fans. The Badger hockey team will just keep getting pushed back. Irrelevancy is not far away.


I just wish that a lost season could bring about regime change. At least then it would be worth it.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Barry is so many steps ahead of us all we can't even see his footprints in the snow-- Ironically, the only real, practical, solution to all this is to GIVE $500 to UW so you can drink a lot at the games.

Gotta admit, that is some some kind of (twisted) genius.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Oh yeah, and my kid's high school teams

Well sure, easy for you, but my kid is a Figure Skater. I love her to death and she's a tremendous skater, but I just recently found out there's no checking in figure skating.

I mean ever!

'Til now I just always assumed that it just wasn't allowed until the kids get older... but... Ugh!

Now lately it's true I have been looking into adopting a kid from foreign country and I have my eye on a few... but man, you wouldn't believe the paperwork involved just in transferring leagues, let alone getting them into the US from British Columbia or Alberta... and don't even get me started on how hard it is to get rid of the kid's parents.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I just can't get on board with the whole freshman/adjustments argument.

I agree. I AGAIN refer to Minnesota last year with 8 freshman & 5 sophomores, 2/3 of the ****ing team and I believe they were rated very high, and were successful most of the season. With this group, I wouldn't predict a win against anybody. You say Minnesota had better freshmen than what we have...OK then we're not getting the players....PERIOD.

Solo, you and I are "Old School" posters who don't get caught up in the coach-speak bull****. "They'll get better, we haven't climbed the hill, blah." This program is in trouble. It's been a slow constant downslide for 8 years. We've lost good Wisconsin preps to Minnesota & North Dakota. I think you'll agree we have never seen a team with less talent than this. This isn't doom & gloom on the horizon....it's here.

 

[The-C2]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

how is that helpful in any way to UW or anyone else in NCAA Hockey? That's non-con (...that is exhibition actually) and right now schadenfreude is not something that's appropriate...at least I don't think so...

My apologies, next time I will make sure to continue with the persistent pessimism in this thread.

 

[oldtyme25]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I agree. I AGAIN refer to Minnesota last year with 8 freshman & 5 sophomores, 2/3 of the ****ing team and I believe they were rated very high, and were successful most of the season. With this group, I wouldn't predict a win against anybody. You say Minnesota had better freshmen than what we have...OK then we're not getting the players....PERIOD.

Solo, you and I are "Old School" posters who don't get caught up in the coach-speak bull****. "They'll get better, we haven't climbed the hill, blah." This program is in trouble. It's been a slow constant downslide for 8 years. We've lost good Wisconsin preps to Minnesota & North Dakota. I think you'll agree we have never seen a team with less talent than this. This isn't doom & gloom on the horizon....it's here.

I have to agree with MadCityRich on this one. Freshmen have been playing AND prospering at the D1 level as long as I can remember. I am so sick of hearing this time and space garbage. These guys have all played enough hockey that this adjustment should not take this long. What freshmen do is make occasional mistakes, this team is getting dominated across the board including upperclassmen.

It is time for Barry to write the check to right the ship.....meaning pay Mike Eaves to go away!

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

There are plenty of arguments to make about the program but as far as this team goes, comparing it to last year's MN team with 8 freshman isn't any of them. Do you really think returning upperclassmen skaters Navin, LaBate, Paape, Zulinick, and Drake, Shulze and injured Wittchow (combined 54pts.) is the same as last year's MN returning upperclassmen skaters Rau, Warning, Boyd, Condon, Ambroz, Marshall, Serratore, Holl and Parenteau (combined over 200 pts.)? Probably count sophomore Mike Reilly as he was one of the top D-men in the country.

All kinds of points to be made about why we're in this situation of course, but you can't just look at the # of freshman on two teams and draw a conclusion from it. MN had 10 very experienced and very good upperclassmen skaters back. We have 0 upperclassmen with any real top two line credentials. It's not even apples and oranges.

 

[oldtyme25]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

There are plenty of arguments to make about the program but as far as this team goes, comparing it to last year's MN team with 8 freshman isn't any of them. Do you really think returning upperclassmen skaters Navin, LaBate, Paape, Zulinick, and Drake, Shulze and injured Wittchow (combined 54pts.) is the same as last year's MN returning upperclassmen skaters Rau, Warning, Boyd, Condon, Ambroz, Marshall, Serratore, Holl and Parenteau (combined over 200 pts.)? Probably count sophomore Mike Reilly as he was one of the top D-men in the country.

All kinds of points to be made about why we're in this situation of course, but you can't just look at the # of freshman on two teams and draw a conclusion from it. MN had 10 very experienced and very good upperclassmen skaters back. We have 0 upperclassmen with top two line time. It's not even apples and oranges.

Then that begs the question of who recruited this group of under performing upperclassmen? You guessed it...the Neutral Zone Trap King himself...Coach Eaves!

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

i have to agree with madcityrich on this one. Freshmen have been playing and prospering at the d1 level as long as i can remember. I am so sick of hearing this time and space garbage. These guys have all played enough hockey that this adjustment should not take this long. What freshmen do is make occasional mistakes, this team is getting dominated across the board including upperclassmen.

It is time for barry to write the check to right the ship.....meaning pay mike eaves to go away!

this!

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

"Shadenfreude"....awesome word. I'll have to have my son translate that when he gets up this AM. I only took German for 1 year in HS. I wanted to take it for 3 years, but we moved and the new school only had Spanish, so I got stuck taking that for 1 year. But hey, how many people can brag they are kinda fluent in 3 lingos?

Solo, you sure are depressed not to take joy in the rodent's loss. Anytime the rodents get embarrassed it's awesome. Of course it looks a little silly to take a shot @ the rodents when UW just lost convincingly to a team just as bad as they are, but it's the rodents. Remember Holy Cross? HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Also the rodent women's team only had 54 sog against Kato last night, UW had 68 on them just a week before (boy did I want 70). Take THAT you stinking rodents.

If you want a little comic relief, check out the game thread from last night, Wisko was at his best.

The magic elixir, besides paint thinner and Wisko, is the Women's program. I'd be way more upset right now if I didn't have the memory of a 16-2 combined drubbing of Mankato still fresh in my head. Will the combined records of the men's and women's teams be over .500? The pressure is sure on the gals right now, but I think they will be up to the task.

yeah, what can I say, Minnesota could have gotten pounded 10-0 by Granato's U-18 team and I'd still feel empty because UW is 0-7 and I don't see an bright spots right now at all.

I may need to go to more women's games and let my season's lapse for the men

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Then that begs the question of who recruited this group of under performing upperclassmen? You guessed it...the Neutral Zone Trap King himself...Coach Eaves!

Like I said, you have plenty of arguments to make, and things to complain about, but comparing this team to last year's MN team is just silly. Change 5 freshman out for Kerdiles, McCabe, Zengele, Barnes, and Mersch and you would have a similar situation as to what the Goof's had last year. Not hard to imagine Hughes and Rockwood having several points each already playing with those type of guys.