It is interesting to see the reaction here, but not all that suprising as I think the fan base has every right to be asking questions at this point. I find it a bit premature to call for Eaves head after a weekend in Minneapolis. The fact that we somehow stole a point Friday boggles my mind considering by the time that game ended, we were minus 4 of our top forwards in Barnes, Zengerle, Kerdelies, & Labate and spent a crazy amount of time on the PK. Even Saturday we were in the game late into the 3rd period. While I'm not a fan of moral victories, 2 highly competitive performances against not exactly a bad team on the road does not have me easing toward the ledge. Northern Michigan and UMD performances...much moreso.
I think expectation may have gotten just a little out of hand...which that happens with every sport in the offseason when you are looking at things on paper before games actually start getting played. I don't think it is all that rational to look at a pretty mediocre team that was essentially .500 last year and added no one as a frosh that I would consider an elite gamebreaker (Kredilies is probably that type of guy but he isn't playing) that elevates mediocre into even really good right out of the gate by virtue of not much more then they are all a year older....especially losing argueably the best player in college hockey in the process (who just happens to lead the AHL in scoring in a year that because of the strike is absolutely loaded). Minnesota was a really good team last year (won 28 games), didn't lose much, and added some pretty good frosh and should be beating Wisconsin at home at this point...and honestly probably more convincingly all be it with the caveot that rivalry games tend to be closer then where the teams are relative to each other.
For me the test will be, does this team develop in season as the key missing pieces get back into the lineup and the team has a chance to play some together. Way to early for me to the hit the eject button, even if I am concerned.
