Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXVIII: This could be a banner year, but how would we know?
Start by just saying I always appreciate and respect your opinions solo, (and other Badger fans, regardless of whether I agree or not) and the time invested in putting them down on virtual paper here. I understand what you say about having that 'feeling' about some teams. Some Badger teams were so loaded that not winning it all seemed almost unthinkable and I agree that that is not necessarily the case with this team. I'm not sure that in today's NCAA hockey world that is really going to be the case the way it once was. (like 80-83 for example) There is just so much more talent available in total that today a handful of teams are way less likely to get all the best players... Spencer Naas from BSM committed to UCONN last week for example. UCONN! ... UCONN???
The days of chuckling at the idea that the ECAC could produce a team more than once in a generation to even begin to threaten Western Power are long gone. New England hockey infrastructure is close to par with the Evil Empire whether anyone wants to admit it or not and there are lots of good kids around the country. Keeping and developing kids is as much if not more the key.
Actually, let me put it another way, I think the difference between the quality of players available around is much less. Kids that early on are maybe considered second tier recruits develop into top end players with more frequency. Not trying to excuse any Badgers recruiting issues, but any problems there, are related to not being able to even out recruiting classes moreso than not getting quality kids. I honestly don't know the answer to the imbalance, but that's a different subject.
The heart of the matter is your first question: "Are this year's Badgers Championship material?" First I'd just point out that this team has one more loss than the '06 team at this point, and one more loss and two less ties than the '10 title game team. Are we as good as '06? Pretty hard to argue we are, given what those guys have done since college. Are we as good as '10? There I think we can make some argument as I think we are better in goal,(which is huge) obviously not nearly as good on the Blue line, (i.e Brendan Smith, Ryan Mcdonaugh) but McCabe, Schultz, and maybe even Wittchow all have star potential, and the other three can all probably play well beyond college if they want to. I'll probably get arguments, but I really think this team is top to bottom, better up front with everyone healthy. Sr. Zengerle is going to have similar totals to Sophomore Derek Stepan, Blake was a special player, but his goal totals were almost a result of HAVING to carry the load for that team. Craig Smith as a Freshman was a very good player but his game was so much better suited to the pros than college IMO and he took a ton of penalties. I think Kerdiles is the most complete forward we've had since Pavelski; Zengerle has taken a giant leap forward in becoming a very good two way player in addition to his puck skills, Mersch and Barnes can score with anyone. Healthy, this team is better balanced, has three legitimate scoring lines, and a fourth line that can control play. Paape, a guy who has 71 games in 2 years as a Badger coming in, probably wouldn't have played more than a couple without injuries. Maybe none. Quite pleased with his contributions, btw. Depth and experience are hard things to discount.
Obviously health is key, and no one can control that. It hurts big for Kerdiles and Barnes to miss time that they presumably would be using to get better in addition to contributing to wins. If a bunch of guys go down the rest of the way, we're not going to win a title, or have a good finish, but what can you do? Lose Gilbert and Pavs, or Brendan Smith and Blake Geoffrion, and where are those teams?
To boil this down further, if you are arguing MN is the best team, (personally I'd take BC in one game, all things being equal, no one has yet come up with an answer for Gaudreau, but regardless) then what you're really asking is can the Badgers beat the best team in the country, i.e. Minnesota?
Fortunately for us, we get to find out!
I'd assume a sweep would go along way toward negating many questions about whether or not this team is good enough. Possibly, a split would do nearly as much, depending on how well it goes.
I think we out played them on Saturday at the mooch and lost. (I take nothing from Friday's whistlefest loss either way.) Just my opinion and I accept that opinions will vary. The biggest difference between us and MN right now is key injuries and most importantly, CONFIDENCE. They are rolling and we are snake bitten on occasions. I think this is the challenge we need right now, and if successful, folks will be believers, if not successful, doubts will grow.
Here's what I like most about this team: They learn from their mistakes. I don't see this team doing the same things wrong over and over again. (They find new things to do wrong and learn from those! )As an example, Faust and Drake got murdered by Guptil and others Friday night. First rush I see Faust defending, he skates Copp right off the puck to the wall instead of hanging back. (like you might normally on a bigger sheet, not wanting to get caught too far out.) I like that.
I disagree with several people that MI is better than a healthy Badger team. Barnes is a threat to score anytime he takes the ice. Little is almost never a threat to score. Cavallini impressed me, but he's less of a threat than Little. Kerdiles can take over a game by himself. As far as pointing to fluky goals we scored at home: Well once they go in, we don't take them out to see if we can't score a better one. Even fluky goals generally come from what are, or will be, quality chances. And with a lead we generally play a somewhat different game. I felt we were better more of the time at home and better more of the time on Saturday. I think we'd beat MI 6 or 7 out of 10 all season long. Again, opinions vary. It's ok.
In conclusion:
Can we beat MN? Yes.
Will we beat MN? I think a split is likeliest outcome.
If we sweep MN will we go to the FF? No idea.
If we get swept by MN, will we go to the FF? No idea.
(Too Long; Didn't read: Wisconsin is the best team in the history of the world.)
