Its a Great Day for Hockey!

So, since its been on my mind a lot lately and I've been either watching it in person at the Kohl Center, on TV (NHL), or in video games (NHL '07 for PS2), lets talk hockey. Specifically, college hockey and the Badgers. Last night the Wisconsin Badger men's hockey team lost to the Seawolves of Alaska-Anchorage 2-1. In fact, we gave them their first WCHA conference win of the season and were leading 1-0 and let them score 2 unanswered goals to beat us. Friday night we had to win in OT after giving up a late game-tying goal with less than 30 seconds left. *Sigh*

Here's the story.

Now Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves has said all along that with the influx of so many young freshman, we (as in the Crease Creatures, the Badger hockey student section and other fans) should be patient and wait for the team to hit its stride after Christmas, but I'm having trouble waiting that long. Last weekend we got swept by a very good Boston College team, and that wouldn't have worried me so much if we hadn't looked like absolute garbage the entire game. All we do is dump the puck and chase, or slang it around the boards, or, worse yet, pass it in front of our own net on defense and give opponents easy goals. Brian Elliot (who is probably the best goalie in the country) isn't even given a chance to save half of these goals because we put him in such horrible positions. With injuries to our two top scoring threats (Jack Skille and Ross Carlson), we need people to step up, and fast. So far, the freshman are playing better than I expected. Blake Geoffrion has a goal and an assist, little Michael Davies has 3-3, Jamie MCBAIN 1-6, and even guys I hadn't heard of before the season are contributing, like Andy Bohmbach (0-1, who is quickly becoming one of my new favorite players ever since he donned the #8, following in the footsteps of my all-time favorite Badger skater Joe Pavelski) and Ben Grotting (1-0). What is needed, then, is for the upperclassmen to step it up and make some plays in the offensive zone. Sure, Jake Dowell is on fire with 7 goals, but he has yet to log an assist. Alternatively, captain Andrew Joudrey has just 1 goal and 7 assists. Former Minnesota Mr. Hockey Tom Gorowsky (and former classmate of mine, so he is automatically my favorite current Badger) is stepping up too, but not enough. But what about preseason all-American Kyle Klubertanz? He got injured early, and hasn't been the same since. What about speedy wing Ben Street? Or Andy Brandt? These guys need to get with it, and fast. Pass the puck to each other not to the boards or to space. Its just so frustrating...

Our defense was not supposed to be questionable. But it has been, and more. I hate to say it, but we miss Tom Gilbert's offensive defenseman skills more than I ever dreamed possible this year. Davis Drewiske and the afore mentioned McBain are doing good work, but everyone else has fallen flat, both defensively and offensively. Joe Piskula and Jeff Likens, who should've been a dominant defensive line for us this year, have been anything but. But the worst, my most hated player, bar none this year, has been senior Matt Olinger (see picture at the right for the mug of the goofy-looking moron). I mentioned to my roommates at the beginning of the year that he was probably going to end up being the one we would have to ride and get pissed at, but I didn't think it would be to this extent. He has played in all 10 games this year, and these are his stats:

0-0-0 (Goals, Assists, Points), 3 shots, a -3 plus/minus, and 6 penalties for 12 minutes. There is no stat to track it, but I almost guarantee you more than half of those penalties resulted in opposing power play goals. But that isn't even the worst part about Olinger this year. The worst is that almost all the penalties have been needless and just plain STUPID. He has been here for 4 years now, he should know better. I have been yelling for his head the last couple games at the Kohl Center, but no one seems to listen (except, of course, my equally-Olinger-hating roommates). PUT IN NIGEL WILLIAMS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!! Here we are, we have an amazing 6'5'' freshman defenseman in Williams who is highly touted (a 2nd round pick in the NHL draft, like 52nd or so overall), and he has played briefly in one game this year. Coach Eaves, please listen: you don't have to play seniors. They haven't earned a guaranteed spot in the lineup. Especially if they play as bad as Olinger has consistently. Give the kids a chance and start developing them early instead of relying on guys who have proven their incompetence already.

Anyway, we'll get there. I trust in the team and Eaves. With Skille and Carlson coming back soon (less than 2 weeks supposedly) it will all come together. Brian Elliot, while he has let a few slip by that he normally wouldn't, has still been steller, especially for this early in the year when maybe all the cobwebs haven't been completely dusted off. Look at his numbers: 1.86 GAA, a .927 save %, and 2 shutouts. He doesn't deserve to have a 4-4-1 record with those numbers -- especially the goals against average. If we can't score more than 2 goals against teams like Alaska consistantly, we're going to be in trouble this year, and even the best goalie in the nation can help us there.

The Denver Pioneers are in town this weekend, and we lost both games to them at home last season before we hit our stride that ended in a 3rd place WCHA tournament finish and a national championship. I want to see progression. My prediction? A split. We come out flat for the first game (maybe backup goalie Shane Connelly will start) and we lose a close one. Saturday we'll come out tough and blow them out. But Denver is a good team, and always plays well against us. People to watch this weekend:

• #15 Sophomore Forward Tom Gorowsky (basically the man)
• #27 Senior Forward Ross Carlson (if he is healthy and plays)
• #22 Sophomore Forward Ben Street (needs to bounce back in a big way from a bad stretch)
• #20 Junior Defenseman Kyle Klubertanz (should be following in the offensive footsteps of Tom Gilbert soon)

And, as always, look out for #3 Matt Olinger -- making stupid plays, bad passes, and idiotic penalties all the way to the penalty box and hopefully eventually the bench.

And even if we continue to suck, at least I'll always have things like this, or these to cheer me up:

Skille scores in 3 OT win vs. Cornell
Connelly makes an amazing save
Goldie Gopher gives himself a vasectemy

As always, u rah rah Wisconsin!