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WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

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Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Almington said:
Might just be me, but I think that many are underestimating the importance of the SCSU series. From a PWR perspective, the UMN games are the LEAST important (even with a sweep of MN, UW will be unable to flip that comparison without beating them at the F5 and even then it is unlikely). A sweep of SCSU and UND is necessary but not sufficient to flip those comparisons but without a sweep (or at least 3pt weekends) I doubt that UW will be able to flip either comparison (as both teams win all three of the comparisons against UW currently). As things set, UW needs to flip about 10 of the 21 PWR comparisons that they are not currently winning to be safely in the range to get an at large bid and with some help (and UW winning) it is completely possible
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I'm not underestimating the importance of the SCSU series. It's just that unless some things happen between now and then, it might be irrelevant. (Or the biggest series in three years.) One thing we do get with MN is some help with common opponents though don't we?

At any rate, Bucky will have to do something big to make up for the start this year, and there is no better time to do it then this weekend. 4 pts this weekend and the task ahead, both confidence wise, and numbers wise, would seem almost do able. Beating ND helps with some common opponent comparisons, in the WCHA but I think also Alaska, Notre Dame, and BU? I believe Bucky is 4-6-2 against TUC right now, a sweep gets that to 6-6-2 and suddenly I think we feel like we're in the race. Best case, there's a decent chance UMD gets to TUC status and if by some miracle NMU tanks down the stretch, and CC doesn't turn around their recent WCHA meltdown, we could even be 7-4-3 plus our games with MN, NO, and SCS. More likely 7-6-3, but still a chance of looking pretty fair going into the conference tournament.
I guess I've said this before without much agreement, but zero this weekend and there is just too much to overcome. As pointed out, a split leaves us probably needing to win all but two the rest of the way.
Bucky has some history of pulling it off at the Ralph, no better time than now to do it again.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

bucky15 said:
Random question to the gbpuckfan or anyone, have you seen Notre Dame play this year? I just saw some of there scores against what normally are strong teams. Do they have a overall solid team or some stand outs? Any D1 recruits?
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Proving again I'm not very smart, it took me several readings to realize your talking about High School. I was thinking, Notre Dame? Yeah, pretty much all D-1 recruits!
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

bucky15 said:
Random question to the gbpuckfan or anyone, have you seen Notre Dame play this year? I just saw some of there scores against what normally are strong teams. Do they have a overall solid team or some stand outs? Any D1 recruits?
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I've talked about their kids in our Wisconsin recruiting thread before but yes, they have a number of kids who are likely to play D1 someday. In fact, I was told that Brett Gruber (Junior forward) visited Wisconsin on the Saturday of the Miami series, and Tony Stillwell (sophomore defenseman) visited this past Friday for the Anchroage game.

Stillwell is on the smaller size, but he's very good with the puck on his stick and makes up for his lack of size with good skating ability and hockey sense. Stillwell is also likely to be invited to the USA NTDP tryouts (top 50 1997 born players in the country) which happens in the spring.

Gruber is also a smaller player but is a sniper and knows how to get open. Gruber made the USA Select 16 festival this past summer and finished second in scoring for the week, although he played on a line with Blake Clarke who is one of the top 2-3 forwards in the United States in the 96 birth year.

Team also has Luke Davison (Junior defenseman) who is the younger brother of Wisconsin recruit Tim Davison. Luke already has an offer from Michigan Tech and has generated interest from a lot of schools around the country. Luke skates as well as any defenseman in the 96 class, but I worry about his awareness level moving up the ladder. Davison like his older brother is property of the Chicago Steel.

Mason Appleton (Junior forward) is another player who is getting looks from D1 colleges. I haven't seen him as much as I have the other players so I don't have as good of an assessment on him. He's probably 4th in terms of prospects on this roster, however.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

With the relatively small # of conference games next year in the B10, will the increased number of non-conf opponents and games help or hurt Bucky's chances of NCAA tourney appearances in future years. I know the easy answer is "if you win them, it's good, if you lose, it's bad", but it is becoming even more clear that the NC games play a huge role in the PWR.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Chuck Schwartz said:
I've talked about their kids in our Wisconsin recruiting thread before but yes, they have a number of kids who are likely to play D1 someday. In fact, I was told that Brett Gruber (Junior forward) visited Wisconsin on the Saturday of the Miami series, and Tony Stillwell (sophomore defenseman) visited this past Friday for the Anchroage game.

Stillwell is on the smaller size, but he's very good with the puck on his stick and makes up for his lack of size with good skating ability and hockey sense. Stillwell is also likely to be invited to the USA NTDP tryouts (top 50 1997 born players in the country) which happens in the spring.

Gruber is also a smaller player but is a sniper and knows how to get open. Gruber made the USA Select 16 festival this past summer and finished second in scoring for the week, although he played on a line with Blake Clarke who is one of the top 2-3 forwards in the United States in the 96 birth year.

Team also has Luke Davison (Junior defenseman) who is the younger brother of Wisconsin recruit Tim Davison. Luke already has an offer from Michigan Tech and has generated interest from a lot of schools around the country. Luke skates as well as any defenseman in the 96 class, but I worry about his awareness level moving up the ladder. Davison like his older brother is property of the Chicago Steel.

Mason Appleton (Junior forward) is another player who is getting looks from D1 colleges. I haven't seen him as much as I have the other players so I don't have as good of an assessment on him. He's probably 4th in terms of prospects on this roster, however.
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Geez, that many potential D1 recruits on one Wisc HS team.....times sure have changed since I played. Makes a trip to the DCC worth while in a month or so.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

bucky15 said:
Geez, that many potential D1 recruits on one Wisc HS team.....times sure have changed since I played. Makes a trip to the DCC worth while in a month or so.
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Sophomore forward Sam McCormick (older brother plays at Ohio State) is a fringe D-1 prospect as well.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

SatNightFever said:
With the relatively small # of conference games next year in the B10, will the increased number of non-conf opponents and games help or hurt Bucky's chances of NCAA tourney appearances in future years. I know the easy answer is "if you win them, it's good, if you lose, it's bad", but it is becoming even more clear that the NC games play a huge role in the PWR.
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The issue with increased NC games is that it should give an more representative comparison between the conferences and should help increase the number of games under the common opponents category. That should make that comparison less likely to hinge on just the results of a handful of games (or even a single game) and that should help moderate some of the cases where a team plays a single game against a conference wins and has a huge advantage in all the COp comparisons with teams from that conference.

How the increased NC games impacts at-large bids that is depends on how the conference does overall in those NC games. To have a realistic shot at getting a 4th (or even a 5th) team in the conference is going to have to do very well overall in NC play (over a 0.650 record) and that team will need to have done well enough in NC play to have 20 or more wins.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Chuck Schwartz said:
Derek Lee is OUT this weekend, per a Baggot tweet.
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No doubt he's disappointed but I'm glad that in today's game we're a lot more cautious with head injuries and recognize no hockey game is worth risking even more serious injury.

I feel good about Dahl stepping up. He's played on a line that has been the best on the ice many times this year and it's a great opportunity for Jefferson to play an even bigger role in a huge weekend. I am concerned about the pp, though. It looked like putting Lee on the point was a great idea for the short time it lasted- I wonder if Eaves has another plan this week that will shake it up and put some pucks in the net? No doubt we'll need them.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Chuck Schwartz said:
Derek Lee is OUT this weekend, per a Baggot tweet.
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Just as I had feared. This team just cannot catch a break on the injury front. It's sad to think what the record would have been if the top 3 F's (and Zulinick) had not missed so much time. I'm bummed.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Almington said:
Not a surprise, hopefully it is more precautionary than an indication of a long term issue.

Any word on the rest of players who were out last weekend?
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Little was just sick, he's fine now. Wittchow is back from his shoulder and made the trip. Zulinick is back skating for the first time in months, but is at least two weeks away from game action.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

UW needs the slow the game down tonight and have the Soiux play their style if they want to win. If the score gets to 3 or 4 goals they will most likely lose, I am hoping for a 2-1 UW win tonight. Is Rumpel or Petersen playing tonight? Either way, both are pretty solid and give UW a great chance to win each night. Stay out of the penalty box and stick to the style and a win tonight is possible. If they win tonight, expect the Sioux fans to complain about the "trap", because that is how the W is going to happen for UW. This weekends will be a great measuring stick for what to expect the rest of the way out. To sum it up tonights game is HUGE!
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

bucky15 said:
UW needs the slow the game down tonight and have the Soiux play their style if they want to win. If the score gets to 3 or 4 goals they will most likely lose, I am hoping for a 2-1 UW win tonight. Is Rumpel or Petersen playing tonight? Either way, both are pretty solid and give UW a great chance to win each night. Stay out of the penalty box and stick to the style and a win tonight is possible. If they win tonight, expect the Sioux fans to complain about the "trap", because that is how the W is going to happen for UW. This weekends will be a great measuring stick for what to expect the rest of the way out. To sum it up tonights game is HUGE!
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Miami was flying around and UW kept up with them, I don't see UND's speed as any greater challenge than them. They are also playing well defensively in their zone. The biggest challange is this is the toughest roadtrip of the season, the boys have to keep their composure and stay out of the box, as you stated.

Wisconsin Hockey: HUGE
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Timothy A said:
Miami was flying around and UW kept up with them, I don't see UND's speed as any greater challenge than them. They are also playing well defensively in their zone. The biggest challange is this is the toughest roadtrip of the season, the boys have to keep their composure and stay out of the box, as you stated.

Wisconsin Hockey: HUGE
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The scores from the Miami weekend were 1-0 and 2-1. I would expect the same if UW is going to get some points out of this weekend. We have 2 very good goalies, so we should have a fighting chance against every team.
 
bucky15 said:
Geez, that many potential D1 recruits on one Wisc HS team.....times sure have changed since I played. Makes a trip to the DCC worth while in a month or so.
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Their coach, Cory McCracken, mentioned at a coaching clinic that he thought he had 4-6 Division I recruits on his roster.
 
Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Timothy A said:
Just as I had feared. This team just cannot catch a break on the injury front. It's sad to think what the record would have been if the top 3 F's (and Zulinick) had not missed so much time. I'm bummed.
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Bright side: Jefferson is "Movin on up!"......Honky
 
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