Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the problem!!

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Not mine. I had season tickets... both nights.

I saw the flaws that I didn't see 4 years prior.


I hoped we'd win it that year. I wasn't surprised when we didn't.

I would have been quite surprised outside of the quirks of a one and done scenario if the 05-06 team didn't win.

We all saw that one (05-06) coming before that season even started.


09-10 were a fun team to watch. Just not a championship team and when you go feast or famine, the feast needs to be a title.

I may be looking through said rose-tinted glasses on the 09/10 team.

That Saturday night Denver game sold out where UW came back and won. I think they were #1 we were #2.

Good times.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Davies had a breakaway early, but the puck took a Ford Field hop over his stick as he was shooting. Maybe, I am remembering it wrong.....I am young.

He did. You're right. Doesn't mean he would have scored.

 

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

He did. You're right. Doesn't mean he would have scored.

Doubting Davies?!?!?

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I may be looking through said rose-tinted glasses on the 09/10 team.

That Saturday night Denver game sold out where they came back. I think they were #1 we were #2.

Good times.

Was a really good team and I enjoyed them. Wish they would have won.


There was a moxie around that 05-06 team though that was quite different.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Doubting Davies?!?!?

Earle would have caught the pass... and scored... uphill.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Davies had a breakaway early, but the puck took a Ford Field hop over his stick as he was shooting. Maybe, I am remembering it wrong.....I am young.

I've always felt that if he scores there it's a different game. Playing that game outside was such a joke. Take the most important games of the year and playing them on a less than perfect sheet of ice. It did the players on both sides an injustice.

I mean Goody no disrespect, but he was the weak link in that team. I never felt like he could single handedly win a game like I did with Vetter, Rigsby, Derksen, or Elliott.

The glory years died when the Derksen's class graduated. Sauer had Rhino and Heater help temporarily re-surge the team, but that was it. Eaves never re-captured the consistent winning Sauer had lost.

Thinking about the 80's and early 90's has made me realize how my personal standards and expectations for UW men's hockey has slowly digressed and realize how bad they are.....but it also makes me really appreciate the women's program as it is today and what they have done under Johnson. I/we must savor that program, once Johnson hangs thew up it's likely the program digresses. Only the top 8 make the ncaa's, the margin for error is narrow on the women's side.

 

[gwhinwi]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I've always felt that if he scores there it's a different game. Playing that game outside was such a joke. Take the most important games of the year and playing them on a less than perfect sheet of ice. It did the players on both sides an injustice.

Not that I'm arguing for more games at a place like Ford Field, but the Badgers scored 8 and BC scored 7 in the semi-final. I didn't recall complaints about the ice after those games.

Sigh, the 99-00 team flaming out still hurts more than 2010 team losing in the championship.

 

[drop_the_puck]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Not that I'm arguing for more games at a place like Ford Field, but the Badgers scored 8 and BC scored 7 in the semi-final. I didn't recall complaints about the ice after those games.

Sigh, the 99-00 team flaming out still hurts more than 2010 team losing in the championship.

99-00 team was so fun to watch, that was my first year going to Badger games on a regular basis and got me hooked.

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I've always felt that if he scores there it's a different game. Playing that game outside was such a joke. Take the most important games of the year and playing them on a less than perfect sheet of ice. It did the players on both sides an injustice.

I mean Goody no disrespect, but he was the weak link in that team. I never felt like he could single handedly win a game like I did with Vetter, Rigsby, Derksen, or Elliott.

The glory years died when the Derksen's class graduated. Sauer had Rhino and Heater help temporarily re-surge the team, but that was it. Eaves never re-captured the consistent winning Sauer had lost.

Thinking about the 80's and early 90's has made me realize how my personal standards and expectations for UW men's hockey has slowly digressed and realize how bad they are.....but it also makes me really appreciate the women's program as it is today and what they have done under Johnson. I/we must savor that program, once Johnson hangs thew up it's likely the program digresses. Only the top 8 make the ncaa's, the margin for error is narrow on the women's side.

Well it really wasn't played outside (Ford Field is a dome) but based on the ice quality it sure seemed that way. Every stoppage of play had the ice crew out with buckets of slush, fire extinguishers, and working on numerous sections of ice that needed repair. To play a championship game with those ice conditions was an absolute embarrassment.

I must be remembering a different game then some others around here that feel Wisconsin was totally outclassed and had no chance. The score was 1-0 going into the third before the wheels fell off. In fairness, that BC team was pretty loaded with talent too. Atkinson, Kreider, and Hayes are pretty good NHL players and they have probably a dozen total that have skated at the least some in the NHL. I agree Guddy was an okay college goalie, just not a difference maker and Muse was a significant upgrade over him. Also, for as highly touted as the Badger D corp was that season, many were not that solid in their own end when push came to shove in a tight game (McDonagh was a beast in both ends and Goloubef was okay in his own end....but Schultz, Smith, and Gardiner were not stalwarts on their end of the ice).

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Not that I'm arguing for more games at a place like Ford Field, but the Badgers scored 8 and BC scored 7 in the semi-final. I didn't recall complaints about the ice after those games.

Sigh, the 99-00 team flaming out still hurts more than 2010 team losing in the championship.

Trust me, when fire extinguishers are out at virtually every stoppage, the ice was not good in the championship game. I've never been to a game where that much ice repair was occurring. Occasionally you'll see a repair needed maybe in the goalie crease and then a follow up visit/repair needed the next stoppage. There was something going on with an ice repair virtually every stoppage of play somewhere on that ice. I don't think it was phenomenal by any stretch for the semis, but it was awful for the final. In the end, both teams played on the same ice and one won and one didn't.

 

[gwhinwi]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Well it really wasn't played outside (Ford Field is a dome) but based on the ice quality it sure seemed that way. Every stoppage of play had the ice crew out with buckets of slush, fire extinguishers, and working on numerous sections of ice that needed repair. To play a championship game with those ice conditions was an absolute embarrassment.

I had forgotten that aspect. Can't remember how warm it was that April, probably had an impact on the surface.

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I had forgotten that aspect. Can't remember how warm it was that April, probably had an impact on the surface.

I don't remember it being warm. I remember grabbing lunch at Chelli's Chili and walking up to the top deck (he had a Wrigley rooftop like thing going on across from Comerica park (minus being able to see into the park)) and it not being uncomfortable outside, but also not warm enough that you were going to stay out there. I think the real issues with the ice were that you were plopping down a temporary rink in a cavernous football dome. I'm just not sure that rink was skated enough to work out some of the kinks. Again, in the end both teams played on the same rink.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

'10 and '06 teams were of different makeup but outside of goal, one wasn't significantly better than the other IMO. Switch goalies and it's very possible '10 wins a title and '06 doesn't. Goody made errors on both of BC's first two goals in '10. Elliot was almost flawless in the whole '06 run.

I personally have a hard time putting the total weight of judgement on one night's performance in comparing teams, but I completely understand it. The goal is to win titles. Interesting though that at the peak of Badger Glory the two title winning teams in '81 and '83 were statistically and arguably not as good as the '82 team that lost. (which is what we remember them most for) The '10 team is probably generally underrated because of the finals score. The slow starting '14 team is way underrated IMO, too. If UND's MacMillian doesn't luck one off his fat *** late, that team was going to the title game as they were taking control and the gophers couldn't beat them. Plus Rumps was also better than Goody.

In regards to the glory years, a significant factor at the time, and in the nostalgia of it all, was that FB and Bouncyball were terrible. In 81' McClain got us to the Garden State Bowl and it was like going to the Super Bowl (we lost) as UW hadn't played in the post season since 1963. He got us a win in the Independence bowl the next year and then another loss in the Hall of Fame bowl the year following, but our meager hopes died with Coach McClain and we were terrible again for 10 more years.

And Bouncy ball... holy smokes, it's hard to even imagine today... From '81-'83 Bucky was 11-43 in conference and hadn't won 10 conference games since 1961. From '69-'90 in the Golden Age of Badger hockey, the Badger cagers were 102-246 in the B1G for a .298 win %, and they never reached .500 in a season.

But Hockey? Badger Hockey did nothing but win, and we loved it.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Usually bad ice favors the slower team/slower player and the less skilled.

BC's waterbugs seemed to have little difficulty with the ice against our NHL prospects.


Of course, my memory could be shady as I only watched that game the one time.

I just remember thinking during the game though that we weren't gonna score. It was "one of those nights" and it was palpable to me.

 

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Usually bad ice favors the slower team/slower player and the less skilled.

BC's waterbugs seemed to have little difficulty with the ice against our NHL prospects.


Of course, my memory could be shady as I only watched that game the one time.

I just remember thinking during the game though that we weren't gonna score. It was "one of those nights" and it was palpable to me.

I am tapping out on this topic.

It has been a nice trip down memory lane. Good times at the KC both 05/06 and 09/10.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I personally have a hard time putting the total weight of judgement on one night's performance in comparing teams, but I completely understand it.

I for one am not.

As I said, I was expressing doubt during that season in this thread, much to the chagrin of many. Just wasn't feeling that sense of destiny and in 05/06, the Badgers (with Elliott) were clearly the best team in the nation. The team that lost to BC was not.

I was certainly hoping that we'd win, but in 06, I was sure* we were going to win. So much so that I bought Regional and FF tickets well in advance. Even had a schedule poster dry-mounted ahead of Skate With the Badgers and had everyone sign it - never did that before and haven't since although I haven't been to SWtB since my kid got too old for it.



It's not unlike the 96-97 Packers and the 10-11 Packers.

In 96, it was a sense of destiny. Unless something odd happened, we were going to win it all. It was our time. Same with the 05/06 in hockey.

In 09, the Packers were good and on the rise, but they had to finish strong and become the hot team at the right time to become champs. They weren't obviously better than everyone else like the Packers in 96.


And making an argument based upon switching the goalie is pointless as the goalie is a part of the team. I mean, put Pavelski on the 10 team and it may change the outcome too.



* As sure as one can be when you are competing in a sport like hockey in a one game scenario - thank you posts against Cornell and BC.

 

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

It's not unlike the 96-97 Packers and the 10-11 Packers.

In 96, it was a sense of destiny. Unless something odd happened, we were going to win it all. It was our time. Same with the 05/06 in hockey.

In 09, the Packers were good and on the rise, but they had to finish strong and become the hot team at the right time to become champs. They weren't obviously better than everyone else like the Packers in 96.

You must clean house gambling.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

You must clean house gambling.

I did in 05/06 as I laid out a grand easy on getting to watch that title run in person.

 

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

I for one am not.

As I said, I was expressing doubt during that season in this thread, much to the chagrin of many. Just wasn't feeling that sense of destiny and in 05/06, the Badgers (with Elliott) were clearly the best team in the nation. The team that lost to BC was not.

I was certainly hoping that we'd win, but in 06, I was sure* we were going to win. So much so that I bought Regional and FF tickets well in advance. Even had a schedule poster dry-mounted ahead of Skate With the Badgers and had everyone sign it - never did that before and haven't since although I haven't been to SWtB since my kid got too old for it.



It's not unlike the 96-97 Packers and the 10-11 Packers.

In 96, it was a sense of destiny. Unless something odd happened, we were going to win it all. It was our time. Same with the 05/06 in hockey.

In 09, the Packers were good and on the rise, but they had to finish strong and become the hot team at the right time to become champs. They weren't obviously better than everyone else like the Packers in 96.


And making an argument based upon switching the goalie is pointless as the goalie is a part of the team. I mean, put Pavelski on the 10 team and it may change the outcome too.



* As sure as one can be when you are competing in a sport like hockey in a one game scenario - thank you posts against Cornell and BC.

Switching Pavs with Hobie Blake may or may not have made a difference, but it's not obvious to me at least. Switching any other players playing the same positions doesn't stand out to me either. Thus my comment that one team wasn't significantly better than the other outside of goal. But while Goody was good, it seems to stand out that Els was a real upgrade, especially the way he played down the stretch. I get the whole feeling they were going to win in '06 thing, but on the other hand, I wasn't really feeling that sure 75 minutes into the Cornell game.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVI: Stop looking for the silver lining and ignoring the probl

Switching Pavs with Hobie Blake may or may not have made a difference, but it's not obvious to me at least. Switching any other players playing the same positions doesn't stand out to me either. Thus my comment that one team wasn't significantly better than the other outside of goal. But while Goody was good, it seems to stand out that Els was a real upgrade, especially the way he played down the stretch. I get the whole feeling they were going to win in '06 thing, but on the other hand, I wasn't really feeling that sure 75 minutes into the Cornell game.

Switch Hobie Blake with Burish and we definitely don't win in 06.


This could go on and on and it's pointless.


And yeah... the Cornell game wasn't even fun, just a relief. I've never been at a larger group pucker than that was.