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Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

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Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Everyone knew it was going to be a struggle to score this year. I think some of these forwards are going to turn into some nice players in a few years. This is when all the top end talent is suppose to arrive in Madison.

This year could be a long one, when I first saw them ranked #10. I thought to myself they will be lucky to win 10 games this year.

Eaves is not going anywhere unless some pro team buys the remaining part of his contract out....this is very unlikely. I think the pro team craze over him is over. The University is not firing him and paying for two coaches until 2019(I believe).

Sometimes ugly things have to get real nasty before it turns beautiful again.

This is a young team, may be fun to watch them grow.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

On a completely different topic.

It is nice to see Skille finally settle onto an NHL team. He has been playing very solid for the Jackets and I think his spot is safe on the team once some of the injured forwards start returning. He should have a career year in points.

With all the hype around him being a 7th overall pick, it is nice to see after 7 seasons he finally found a home on a team. He always seemed like a nice kid.

Andy, do you plan on doing the Alumni in NHL chart again this year?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Interesting discussion for an outsider. Let me ask you, though, because similar discussions are going on in other places, including Grand Forks. Would you rather have a coach who will produce strictly mediocre teams a fair amount of the time and snag a banner once every 10 years or one who can consistently produce a contender but has not shown he can bring home the big hardware?

There are many in Grand Forks who are ready to pull the plug on Hakstol because they insist they are entitled to expect a NC. I see a coach who runs a good program, seems to inspire loyalty and respect from his players, and provides the fans with very good hockey year in and year out. I place a high value on being able to watch a competitive hockey team nearly every weekend, year after year. Everybody likes that, but many fans would happily endure poor to mediocre hockey for several years running in exchange for the banner once in a while and are eager to see him go, even though they cannot identify what he does wrong other than fail to win the last game of the season.

Maybe it's simple: you win a championship, you get a ____-year pass. If you use up all your credits, you better show why we should believe things will change.

One thing: if I'm 19 years old and a good enough hockey player to think I can make a living playing it, there are few college campuses I'd rather call home for several years than UWM. It's got the whole package, IMO. Grand Forks has got to be a hard sell for many recruits, although the beautiful and intelligent people would make up for a lot.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

burd said:
Would you rather have a coach who will produce strictly mediocre teams a fair amount of the time and snag a banner once every 10 years or one who can consistently produce a contender but has not shown he can bring home the big hardware?
Click to expand...


First off, I wouldn't trade our last 10 years for yours because of 2006, although I've always credited 2006 to Burish and the leadership of that team (and having Brian Elliott) more than Eaves. Just imagine though if Cornell had scored in OT instead of us. We'd be going on 24 years without a title...

Moving forward though, I'd take what NoDak has been able to do. It's not like Eaves has been able to perfect the formula of sucking for 3 years and then winning a title. Sure, we got to a championship game... and then got smoked. Last year we flamed out in the first round. When you only contend once every 4 years, those failures hurt more as we can't say, "Ahhhh, we'll get em next year."

"We'll get them in 4 years when next year's freshman class are seniors!" is hardly an inspiring rallying cry.

Does anyone really believe that Hakstol is the reason that the Sioux haven't won it all? The stars just haven't aligned yet. It happens. Put yourself in position consistently though and it will eventually. Or at the very least, you have winning hockey to watch and can at least realistically hope each season.

I mean, I think we'd all take Lucia at this point and the Gophers haven't won in 10 years now - but they are consistently competitive and usually in the hunt.
 
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Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Think how much better off we'd all be right now if BC's program had folded 10 years ago... :D

We'd have another title... the Goofs would have another title... NoDak might have 3 or 4 more... :p
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Gurtholfin said:
Put yourself in position consistently though and it will eventually. Or at the very least, you have winning hockey to watch and can at least realistically hope each season.
Click to expand...

One thing, if the Evil Empire passes both UW and UND in NCs, we all have to agree to meet somewhere for a Jim Jones picnic. It would be that bad. St. Thomas wouldn't be far enough away for you Gurth.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

burd said:
Would you rather have a coach who will produce strictly mediocre teams a fair amount of the time and snag a banner once every 10 years or one who can consistently produce a contender but has not shown he can bring home the big hardware?
Click to expand...


To me, the hell of 13 freshman is bad, but not comparable to the hell of the perennial underachiever. Despite all, hope springs eternal for the youngsters, but give me the best team on paper every year and never win a title? Personally I'll be perfecting my form for a swan dive from the 300 level before long.

One thing Bucky and the No Names have in common is despite the higher profile of their respective programs, a NC won still carries with it the palpable feeling of overcoming the odds. God forbid the Empire wins it all this year... Goof's will be relieved rather than exalted and the response will simply be, "Yeah... well, it's about time."

Ugh. No wonder they are the way they are.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Innova said:
Wow, you guys are chatty tonight. I didn't read everything, but let me be the "glass half full guy". Did you hear Mr. Posick say that the last time the Badger's started 10 freshmen? That was when Burish, et al were freshmen. What happened 3ish years later?
Click to expand...

I had a similar thought while listening to the last minute of the men's game outside of LaBahn Arena last night. I was only around for the last "wave" of recruits, but based on what I've heard and learned, it seems like the beginning of this wave is worse off than 4 and 3 years ago, but in a few years, this group could easily be better than the last couple of years. That's the sense I've gotten, though I'm not trying to say it's really a good thing, because...

Gurtholfin said:
...Moving forward though, I'd take what NoDak has been able to do. It's not like Eaves has been able to perfect the formula of sucking for 3 years and then winning a title. Sure, we got to a championship game... and then got smoked. Last year we flamed out in the first round. When you only contend once every 4 years, those failures hurt more as we can't say, "Ahhhh, we'll get em next year."

"We'll get them in 4 years when next year's freshman class are seniors!" is hardly an inspiring rallying cry.

Does anyone really believe that Hakstol is the reason that the Sioux haven't won it all? The stars just haven't aligned yet. It happens. Put yourself in position consistently though and it will eventually. Or at the very least, you have winning hockey to watch and can at least realistically hope each season.

I mean, I think we'd all take Lucia at this point and the Gophers haven't won in 10 years now - but they are consistently competitive and usually in the hunt.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

5mn_Major said:
If I was going to criticize Eaves, it would not be for this years' performance...but rather last years'.
Click to expand...

I agree that their team last year was built for a title run (but failed) so I understand to some extent where you are going with your thinking... but the reality is if they do mediocre or worse this year, who else is there to criticize?

Yes, they are very young this year and therefore the expectations are nowhere near like last year... but whose fault is it that half the team is freshmen? He's the one in charge of building it.
 
Hammy said:
I agree that their team last year was built for a title run (but failed) so I understand to some extent where you are going with your thinking... but the reality is if they do mediocre or worse this year, who else is there to criticize?

Yes, they are very young this year and therefore the expectations are nowhere near like last year... but whose fault is it that half the team is freshmen? He's the one in charge of building it.
Click to expand...

Eaves does a fine job developing players for specific roles, but he's leaving much to be desired in selecting players. Fine coach, lousy GM.

With respect to NCAA championships, luck is such a huge factor that can't be discounted. Sometimes the difference between winning it all and losing in the first round is just one bounce. A little luck and UND, not BC, could have won multiple titles (up to 5 or 6) over the last 15 or so seasons.

Losses at the end of the season may be heartbreaking, but these rebuilding cycles are just sprit crushing because you know your team isn't going to even be relevant going forward.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

The good news is they have 2 weeks off to work on things, like where the net is.
Seriously, listening to Shuey after the game, they basically had 3 days of practice before going to Alaska, Monday after that was a wasted day, then 3 days of practice before this weekend, so 6 days of practice. Hopefully they get their stuff together. I'm not ready to write them off yet. Glass half full.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

I was at the game last night. The ice seemed really bad...pucks hopping and bouncing all night.

As Eaves has said, they don't win enough puck battles. That also equates to the puck almost never getting to the center of the ice. When it did, there were defenders there and/or the puck was bouncing. UW also almost never carried the puck into the zone, and when they did they tried to go wide and never made it to the middle of the ice. Besse is the one guy that seemed able to carry the puck into the zone quite a bit (probably 8 times). I think every time but one he tried to go wide around the defender and didn't make it around him and to the net. It would be nice if he tried something else once in a while to get to the middle of the ice, but of course he'll be on his backhand if he does get there. When UW dumped and chased, which was most of the time, they didn't win puck battles to control the puck. There were a couple times where Rockwood and Hughes made nice passes that teammates couldn't handle and/or the puck was bouncing.

The first NMU goal was a power play where a guy was left open in the slot. Their second goal was a puck that redirected off a stick (maybe a UW stick) and went in very slowly and agonizingly. The third goal was open net. I left before Navin's goal with 1:30 or so left and NMU's fourth.

LaBate did not handle pressure along the boards well all night both on the power play and not on the power play. He turned the puck over a ton along the sideboards about 15 to 20 feet in front of his defensemen. As Andy has said, NMU has an aggressive PK.

I thought Dougherty looked good...Linhart OK. Keegan Ford looked OK as well although I expected him to skate better (haven't seen him play since high school). I was hoping to see more scrappiness from Ustaski, Soleway and Wagner. Zulinick can really handle the puck as can Hughes and Rockwood. Now they need to translate that into winning battles and getting the puck into the middle of the ice.

The fourth line sustained the puck in the offensive zone a few times.

My guess is Eaves will be running lots of physical one on one puck battle drills over the next several weeks...
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

ExileOnDaytonStreet said:
It is a long season and a lot can change, but even still: this is looking pretty awful at this point.
Click to expand...

Long season indeed, in a weak conference. In a weak 6 team conference with the goalies we have, maybe by the end of the year they will have something going into the conference tournament. That is the most optimistic approach.

Minny is going to coast through the conference this year. Attendance this year is going to be embarrassing at the Kohl.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

bucky15 said:
Long season indeed, in a weak conference. In a weak 6 team conference with the goalies we have, maybe by the end of the year they will have something going into the conference tournament. That is the most optimistic approach.

Minny is going to coast through the conference this year. Attendance this year is going to be embarrassing at the Kohl.
Click to expand...

I agree. I was at the Capitols game last night and heard some folks commenting on that. I'm a loooooooooooooong time fan and still show up, but I'm running out of patience. Possibly, is Eaves "defense first" m/o the reason for not getting scorers? And don't tell me it ISN'T defense first. Also, as others have mentioned, I don't want to hear the "freshmen" thing either. Last year MN had 8 freshmen & 5 sophomores and went 27-8-6.

Get off my lawn.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

I just noticed UND is next on Wisconsin's schedule. Why the two-week break?

UW has had good success against the Sioux, and Eaves will have two weeks to get the young players ready, so a win or two in front of a large crowd would put some energy back into the fanbase, I would think. A split might be a good result for both teams.
 
MadCityRich said:
I agree. I was at the Capitols game last night and heard some folks commenting on that. I'm a loooooooooooooong time fan and still show up, but I'm running out of patience. Possibly, is Eaves "defense first" m/o the reason for not getting scorers? And don't tell me it ISN'T defense first. Also, as others have mentioned, I don't want to hear the "freshmen" thing either. Last year MN had 8 freshmen & 5 sophomores and went 27-8-6.

Get off my lawn.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that Eaves system is more of a responsibility first rather than a defense first system, although when the system isn't running effectively it degenerates into a defacto defensive first system.

As long as Eaves is the coach and runs his system, no underclass heavy team is going to be massively successful, they will be learning the system and cues and not have the instinctual response they need. Basically Eaves breaks down their habits and rebuilds the ones that are needed for his system (and translate into many other pro systems) but its a long slog to get to a state where they all work as a single cohesive unit.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

MadCityRich said:
I agree. I was at the Capitols game last night and heard some folks commenting on that. I'm a loooooooooooooong time fan and still show up, but I'm running out of patience. Possibly, is Eaves "defense first" m/o the reason for not getting scorers? And don't tell me it ISN'T defense first. Also, as others have mentioned, I don't want to hear the "freshmen" thing either. Last year MN had 8 freshmen & 5 sophomores and went 27-8-6.

Get off my lawn.
Click to expand...

You said it brother. It's tiring watching this transpire and with greater frequency than any other major NCAA Hockey program. 0-4 and it's not like they just got smoked by BC and MN, these are average teams that Wisconsin is losing to.

The Freshman excuse is bs but I won't belabor that point

I wonder what Eaves tells the AD exactly about the state of his program. "Don't worry Barry, in 2-3 years we'll make a deep run, we've just got a couple of mountains to climb first"
Barry - "Whaddya mean? We have a great QB coming in next year so we should make a bowl game for certain"

ugh
 
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