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Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

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Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
<img style="-webkit-user-select: none; cursor: zoom-in;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaR2QnvLHHA/TxCHTFGeiuI/AAAAAAAAACM/x8PvYhUGUIQ/s1600/al-borland.jpg" width="219" height="335">
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The funny thing about that is my wife's name is Jill, and I have 3 kids (I have to admit one is a girl), my best friend has a beard, my personal guru often times wears a hat like Wilson, I'm into fast cars, and I like power tools (but what guy doesn't?). Pretty freaky, eh?

So what is the timetable for Rockwood's return? He's a critical cog to this team.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

bucky15 said:
I think you missed my first point.

Thanks for the update on Pavs.
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Sorry if I am, but it seems in reponse to a post that states Eaves can't coach kids, your implying that Eaves rep for producing NHL players might not be so deserved as he's had kids that were going to the show with or without Eaves coaching them. Which is one thing. Then you follow it by we "may have been quite lucky" in getting theses kids. Which is another thing. I'm suggesting that Eaves at the least deserves some credit for one or the other.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Timothy A said:
The funny thing about that is my wife's name is Jill, and I have 3 kids (I have to admit one is a girl), my best friend has a beard, my personal guru often times wears a hat like Wilson, I'm into fast cars, and I like power tools (but what guy doesn't?). Pretty freaky, eh?

So what is the timetable for Rockwood's return? He's a critical cog to this team.
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That is a little weird... any chance you did some time for a little cocaine problem back in the 80's?


Rockwood is supposed to skate this week in practice, beyond that, I'd think it's a little bit 'see how it goes' but hopefully he'll at least be back post break. He said it was the first time he's had a severe problem like this. (He was diagnosed years ago, in case there's any confusion about that.) As I understand it, an attack like he's had can very painful. Extra respect for that kid.

But I agree he's absolutely essential, and has even been our best player at times. Desperately need him and Eddie back in the line up.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
Sorry if I am, but it seems in reponse to a post that states Eaves can't coach kids, your implying that Eaves rep for producing NHL players might not be so deserved as he's had kids that were going to the show with or without Eaves coaching them. Which is one thing. Then you follow it by we "may have been quite lucky" in getting theses kids. Which is another thing. I'm suggesting that Eaves at the least deserves some credit for one or the other.
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We as fans have been quite lucky to have that many NHL caliber players come through the program in such a short period of time. We as fans may have been spoiled a bit on the recruiting front. I think Eaves has prepared players like Stepan and C Smith to make the jump to the NHL quicker than expected (no AHL in first year).
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

I have said it before and I still believe that the beginning of the end for the Badgers under Eaves was when OZ left for Ohio State. He was widely considered the best D-Man coach at the college level. Look at the defensive corp we had when he was here (McBain, Smith, McDonagh, Goloubef, Gardiner) followed the next year by (Smith, McDonagh, Goloubef, Gardiner, Schultz, Ramage). That means that both of those years our defensive corps had 3 first round picks and 2 second round NHL picks on a college blueline.

When is the last time we had someone to QB the powerplay like McBain and Schultz did? How does our current crop of D-Men recruited since OZ left compare?

When you play rigid system based hockey, your opportunity to land premier forwards on a regular basis is tough, but it worked when you had high end NHL D-men to control the game. Just my .02 cents again.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wouldn't mind seeing Oz back as head coach. Maybe he now has NHL aspirations as he's with the Blackhawks with their Rockford affiliate.

He lives in the area though and I know that his family likes it here. I wonder if he'd take that call.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
That is a little weird... any chance you did some time for a little cocaine problem back in the 80's?
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Paint thinner in the 90's, close enough?

Has anyone looked at the next 6 games? Playing the #4, #2, #7 ranked teams. Yikes! I'm very afraid of BU. They throttled a very good UW team.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
Sorry if I am, but it seems in reponse to a post that states Eaves can't coach kids, your implying that Eaves rep for producing NHL players might not be so deserved as he's had kids that were going to the show with or without Eaves coaching them. Which is one thing. Then you follow it by we "may have been quite lucky" in getting theses kids. Which is another thing. I'm suggesting that Eaves at the least deserves some credit for one or the other.
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I'm pretty sure he is connecting with the idea that I mentioned on the UW recruiting thread. Which is that coaches/programs tend to get overrated on the "NHL development" angle. Yeah, these programs help things along a bit but you could take pretty much any of the best kids that went to MN, UW, UND, Michigan, etc. and put them in a variety of different college programs and they would still make it to the NHL. Guys like Toews, Kessel, McDonagh, Parise and the like... they could have chosen anywhere and they still would have made the NHL. In those instances, the effect of the college coach they had tends to get overrated.

Yes, the head coach and his staff deserve credit for selling a kid on playing for their program. But I think the development angle is overrated with a lot of these guys that end up in the NHL. There are exceptions... but many of them were going to make it as it was. (Naturally, these players will give their college program credit for their development too... but if we are being completely honest, a lot of these guys were elite talents and their talent wasn't magically coached into them in college).
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Well, that's a bit of a shocker. I'd guess a bit more to it than just "he wasn't having much fun."

Kinda wish one of those pucks would have gone in for him, but best of luck to him. No doubt he will have opportunities elsewhere.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
Well, that's a bit of a shocker. I'd guess a bit more to it than just "he wasn't having much fun."
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Staring at a likely 1-17-1 is probably pretty sobering while playing in a mostly empty building.

Gotta think morale in general is at a real low.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Timothy A said:
Paint thinner in the 90's, close enough?

Has anyone looked at the next 6 games? Playing the #4, #2, #7 ranked teams. Yikes! I'm very afraid of BU. They throttled a very good UW team.
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Gurtholfin said:
Staring at a likely 1-17-1 is probably pretty sobering while playing in a mostly empty building.

Gotta think morale in general is at a real low.
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actually could be worse than that - you have Tech, BU, at Minn, Mich, Minn, at Penn St next 6 series. That is brutal. no real breaks or poor teams in there.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Gurtholfin said:
Staring at a likely 1-17-1 is probably pretty sobering while playing in a mostly empty building.

Gotta think morale in general is at a real low.
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It probably is.

But it's not like it's a kid from BC who didn't know what he was getting into and is far away from home. And Pops has known the staff for years so I doubt there were many surprises there.

I wouldn't myself, or let my kid, walk off a D-1 campus 12 games into a losing season just because it isn't "fun". Would you?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Wisko McBadgerton said:
It probably is.

But it's not like it's a kid from BC who didn't know what he was getting into and is far away from home. And Pops has known the staff for years so I doubt there were many surprises there.

I wouldn't myself, or let my kid, walk off a D-1 campus 12 games into a losing season just because it isn't "fun". Would you?
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Leave coz of a losing record? Of course not. No doubt there's a lot more to it.

My guess is that any other struggles though might be easier to take if the team is doing well and you get to play in a fun environment.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope

Gurtholfin said:
Leave coz of a losing record? Of course not. No doubt there's a lot more to it.

My guess is that any other struggles though might be easier to take if the team is doing well and you get to play in a fun environment.
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Agreed, and fair enough. He's only 18, he has plenty of time to get squared away. It's just a bizarre turn of events, but why not, I guess.

It's no help in the near future but I guess it will shift one more spot out of this over-sized class.
 
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