Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

the team is young but that doesn't explain entirely what's transpired this year. the Burish Class is an excellent example of this. they played like vets from the get-go because they were internally motivated to kick-***, they stuck together, AND they were more talented than many had thought.

Sorry, but I don't remember it quite the same way you do. Burish (and his class in general) hardly hit the ground in Madison running. His whopping 6 assists as a frosh were hardly awe inspiring and a harbonger of things to come at the time. In fact, I was trying to figure out how the hell he scored almost a point a game in the USHL myself. In fact, Burish and his ilk are EXACTLY the example of what is happening right now (fingers crossed and very hopeful at this time)...a team disproportionately hevay on underclassmen getting their lunch handed to them by teams with many more 21 & 22 year olds. Hopefully Zullnick and Kerdies are this teams version of Pavs/Earl.

 

[burd]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I think we sometimes fail to recognize that even the kids who become third and fourth line checkers often aspire to play hockey beyond college. They have excelled at every level to play D1. How many kids have you known who passed up playing for their high school team to play better competition--kids you knew in your heart were never going to be good enough to play D1 hockey. But they have dreams and are driven, and you can't fault them for that. And if they make it to D1, they have, in their eyes, made all the right choices, reinforcing their dream. So all players are inclined, to some extent, to go to a college that gives them the best chance of moving up even further to the next level. Much of the time, that means a school with assistants in the system who know how to coach kids a game that will translate into playing for pay. Even grinders look for this. As many have commented here, the assistants (and their creds with the new recruits) are huge.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

excellent point, you and TimothyA may be on to something w/the assistant coaches perhaps not being up to par. since butters is the D-coach and the D sucks and isn't developing I'd say he's doing a terrible job.

Shuchuk is the recruiter: none of the frosh (his guys) are lighting it up, I'd call them quite average including LaBate. Next season's class is better at Forward and solid on d (perhaps average, we'll see) but they'd need 2 more of these classes AND to have the assistants and Eaves develop them into better players which isn't happening now and it's shocking given Eaves' track record from 2010 and prior

In a nutshell Hammy is spot on. Guentzel returning, John Hill's departure and the programs return to relevance is no coincedence.

I would take a great coaching staff with an average roster over a great roster and average coaching staff (Gophs the past few seasons) every time. I think Eaves is a great coach, and not being familiar with the ins and outs of the Badgers program i'd only be guessing of what issue's are at hand.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

You do realize the Schmaltz family ties to North Dakota are extremely deep? Overlooking those ties to play for argueably the assistant coach with the best track record for getting guys to the NHL in the college game and getting to stay home is one thing, following that guy who is going to give up some of the hands on work with the D to be the head guy in Columbus, Oh is a little different. When Oz left, the pull of the family ties along with a stable coaching staff which also has a decent history of producing NHL dmen was a logical step...not that you or I have to like it.

The schools you list are not exactly something to be ashamed of. There are a lot of really good choices for great hockey players to go to college.

didn't know that. honestly that's why I lean on Chuck's info, Heisenberg et al. I don't follow recruiting today like I did in the early 90's

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Sorry, but I don't remember it quite the same way you do. Burish (and his class in general) hardly hit the ground in Madison running. His whopping 6 assists as a frosh were hardly awe inspiring and a harbonger of things to come at the time. In fact, I was trying to figure out how the hell he scored almost a point a game in the USHL myself. In fact, Burish and his ilk are EXACTLY the example of what is happening right now (fingers crossed and very hopeful at this time)...a team disproportionately hevay on underclassmen getting their lunch handed to them by teams with many more 21 & 22 year olds. Hopefully Zullnick and Kerdies are this teams version of Pavs/Earl.

I'm not talking about Burish, Mac, Gilbert, Licari, et al scoring points as frosh I'm talking about them virtually taking over the team w/all the above: leadership, internal motivation, etc. They marched into Eaves office (all of them) after the Leavitt incident and pledged to follow Eaves direction as they all believed in his vision. Right then I knew they were special and you could see it on the ice w/how hard they worked from the get-go. they helped change the culture. they didn't need the whiny seniors and juniors on that team to show them anything, in fact the roles were reversed and I think Pete Talofous and a few others found that out pretty quickly.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

In a nutshell Hammy is spot on. Guentzel returning, John Hill's departure and the programs return to relevance is no coincedence.

I would take a great coaching staff with an average roster over a great roster and average coaching staff (Gophs the past few seasons) every time. I think Eaves is a great coach, and not being familiar with the ins and outs of the Badgers program i'd only be guessing of what issue's are at hand.

I guess I'll have to concur w/you and Hammy re: the assistants. we'll have to wait and see, the next 2 years will tell us everything we need to know.

Kerdiles and Zulinick will push 2 grinders out of playing time and now that I think of it that way UW will be gaining talented forwards and losing 2 grinders the significance of which might be bigger than I've heretofore given credit for but we'll see

If Eaves somehow gets these kids to develop and they come out and win 24 games next season I'll admit I am wrong, ...I'm waiting for that glimmer that might tell me something special is happening, I haven't seen it yet

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Love how Chucky has been practically begging players to commit to UW on Twitter lately (ie..McCoshen). It's truely sad and pathetic that you actually feel like you need to help your coaching staff land players. Has Eaves really fallen off that badly?

 

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I guess I didn't see him begging anybody for anything. It wasn't like there were any leading comments in it. Not to mention, I don't think any kid is going to be influenced by such things as a simple interview. College choice is far too meaningful to be influence by one person that isn't really a part of the equation via coaching, etc.

Besides, I think the kid ends up at UND.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Love how Chucky has been practically begging players to commit to UW on Twitter lately (ie..McCoshen). It's truely sad and pathetic that you actually feel like you need to help your coaching staff land players. Has Eaves really fallen off that badly?

He's pimping his school out. What's wrong with that? All coaches say the same things. Maybe some player will hear something from a fan (ie someone not being paid to say such things) that may or may not influence a decision. Can't blame him for trying. I'd pimp out MN if I wanted to put in the effort.

 

[icebadger]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I attended my first game of the season on Saturday. While the reports of our total demise seemed to me to be somewhat exaggerated, there were still many concerns. First and foremost was the apparent stone-hands of all of our players. I can't for the life of me recall so many passes on the tape that were flubbed, missed, or just generally mishandled. There was also a general lack of puck awareness. Many times players seemed bewildered on the ice. That said, there seemed to be many more scoring chances than I had watched on TV Friday night. I really liked the play of LaBate. If he could add some weight, he could be much more effective, IMO. Schultz was great though he seemed disinterested at times, like he knew he was playing with teammates who weren't up to snuff. Anyway, that's my two cents. *ducks*

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I guess I'll have to concur w/you and Hammy re: the assistants. we'll have to wait and see, the next 2 years will tell us everything we need to know.

Kerdiles and Zulinick will push 2 grinders out of playing time and now that I think of it that way UW will be gaining talented forwards and losing 2 grinders the significance of which might be bigger than I've heretofore given credit for but we'll see

If Eaves somehow gets these kids to develop and they come out and win 24 games next season I'll admit I am wrong, ...I'm waiting for that glimmer that might tell me something special is happening, I haven't seen it yet

Kerdiles and Zulinick will be a big help, it could give them a legit 2nd line, and maybe even 3rd line, in combination with Lee and Mersch depending if they end up at W or C. That being said, I think thier biggest impact will not be next yr, but the following. It's not too often 2 freshmen forwards have that great an impact in the same yr.

Barnes-Zengerlee-Labate
Zulinick-Lee-Meuer
Kerdiles-Dahl-Mersch

It will also give depth on the PP. UW's 2nd pp unit did score the only goal Saturday, but that combo instills no fear in anyone.

 

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Kerdiles and Zulinick will be a big help, it could give them a legit 2nd line, and maybe even 3rd line, in combination with Lee and Mersch depending if they end up at W or C. That being said, I think thier biggest impact will not be next yr, but the following. It's not too often 2 freshmen forwards have that great an impact in the same yr.

Barnes-Zengerlee-Labate
Zulinick-Lee-Meuer
Kerdiles-Dahl-Mersch

It will also give depth on the PP. UW's 2nd pp unit did score the only goal Saturday, but that combo instills no fear in anyone.

Kerdiles will be on the top line w/ Zengerle & Barnes. That should be a potent force. I have to agree w/ Chuck from many posts ago that Zulinick will center the 3rd line w/ Lee centering the 2nd. If I had to guess at lines:

Kerdiles/Zengerle/Barnes
LeBate/Lee/Navin
Mersch/Zulinick/Woods
Little/Dahl/Meuer

I would put Mersch and LeBate together w/ Lee, but they are both LW's. If Woods and Navin improve well into next season, that would be three solid scoring lines, and a 4th line I wouldn't want to play against. Ryan Little, Dahl and Meuer all give their best each shift and could raise some hell, while also scoring some timely goals.

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

http://thehockeywriters.com/nic-kerdiles-california-dreamin/
Pretty lengthy article on Kerdiles.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Kerdiles will be on the top line w/ Zengerle & Barnes. That should be a potent force. I have to agree w/ Chuck from many posts ago that Zulinick will center the 3rd line w/ Lee centering the 2nd. If I had to guess at lines:

Kerdiles/Zengerle/Barnes
LeBate/Lee/Navin
Mersch/Zulinick/Woods
Little/Dahl/Meuer

I would put Mersch and LeBate together w/ Lee, but they are both LW's. If Woods and Navin improve well into next season, that would be three solid scoring lines, and a 4th line I wouldn't want to play against. Ryan Little, Dahl and Meuer all give their best each shift and could raise some hell, while also scoring some timely goals.

The lines make sense. Sometimes Eaves switches guys around from C to W. My only concern with Zulinick on the 3rd line is that he gets some talent to play with. Sticking him with 2 grinders would be a waste of his talent. He could play W a year on a higher line to maximize his scoring chances.

 

[Almington]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Eaves will shuffle the lines for the first couple of months until he finds combinations that work. Much of what happens with the lines will depends on how some of these raw forwards develop over the summer, hopefully a full off-season of time in the weight room and of captains practices will be just what some of these raw freshmen need to develop and become a much more consistent contributor next season.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I know, I know. I do this every year. If you're out and around this weekend, stop in to Capitol Ice and watch a few games at the Gold Medal Classic, always a very good Major Midget tourney. There are 3 Minor teams as well. I truly can't tell anybody who to watch this year, but the tourney is always fun to watch.

I think with kids leaving for the USHL and NAHL at a younger age, some of the lustre has gone away from Midget tourneys. But show the **** up anyway; it's for a good cause and you could win money!!

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I know, I know. I do this every year. If you're out and around this weekend, stop in to Capitol Ice and watch a few games at the Gold Medal Classic, always a very good Major Midget tourney. There are 3 Minor teams as well. I truly can't tell anybody who to watch this year, but the tourney is always fun to watch.

I think with kids leaving for the USHL and NAHL at a younger age, some of the lustre has gone away from Midget tourneys. But show the **** up anyway; it's for a good cause and you could win money!!

Thanks for pumping up a local event like this. If I didn't live so far away, I'd stop down to check it out. It's always been a dream of mine to retire and live on a lake someday, but lately I've been pondering moving to Madison when I retire, there's so many great UW and other hockey events I could attend.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Thanks for pumping up a local event like this. If I didn't live so far away, I'd stop down to check it out. It's always been a dream of mine to retire and live on a lake someday, but lately I've been pondering moving to Madison when I retire, there's so many great UW and other hockey events I could attend.

I hope you're kidding...

Lake, BIG LAKE!

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

I hope you're kidding...

Lake, BIG LAKE!

Like I could afford to buy a retirement house on Mendota or Monona within 15/20 minutes of the Kohl Center....I'm not a public employee or anything...

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Vol. XX - Growth Through Experience

Like I could afford to buy a retirement house on Mendota or Monona within 15/20 minutes of the Kohl Center....I'm not a public employee or anything...

Those lakes are gross anyway. They look real nice as an accent to the cityscape, but you gotta go north.

Like you said though, all those lakefront properties are already owned by state workers.