If the Wisconsin men’s hockey team could have it any way they wanted, the squad would opt to precede Friday’s nights contest with a game Thursday.
This is the ultimate scenario for the slumping Badgers (1-7-0 WCHA, 5-11-0 overall), who have dropped the past six games and nine of the last 10. The production disparity between Friday and Saturday night performances has been separated by a gaping margin.
The first night of the weekend series has seen poor performances and lackluster play by UW. Friday’s uninspiring contests have not been a recent development. The sorrows have been a characteristic since the beginning of the season and have netted only one victory in eight attempts. The sole victory on a Friday dates back to Oct. 18’s come-from-behind win over Alabama-Huntsville.
“We were much more focused [Saturday],” said Eaves after completing the UAH series sweep. “It’s been back-to-back Fridays that we have just slipped back.”
Receding after a week of practice has been a reoccurring struggle that Eaves has faced in his first coaching year. An obvious tone can be identified when delving into the statistics of Friday galas.
— The Badgers have been out-shot in six of those eight games and five times have failed to place 25 shots on net.
— The last time a power-play goal was scored on a Friday was in the Oct. 18 win. Since, the Badgers have gone 0-37 and are 1-47 (2.0 percent) overall Fridays.
— UW has scored an average of 1.5 goals a game, while opponents have racked up an average of 3.63.
The Badgers have responded after playing the series’ first game, coming into Saturday-night contests with a .500 record (4-4). Wisconsin has played their best games on the heels of a Friday-night contest, improving across the board. Shot production has increased with the Badgers out-shooting their opponents half the time and getting 30-plus shots on four occasions. The power play has been a much healthier 8-35 (22.9 percent), which has aided in an improved 2.75 goals-scored average. The defensive effort has been superior Saturdays, allowing 2.5 goals.
Wisconsin plays, for whatever reason, better hockey on the weekend days. The solution to the recent woes of UW is simple enough for Eaves: find a way to schedule games on Thursdays next year.
Senior reaches mark
Goaltender Scott Kabotoff snared his 1,000th career save Friday against Minnesota. The senior needed only seven saves to attain the mark, reaching the milestone in the first period. Kabotoff saw action in only seven games his first two years, while playing behind UW great Graham Melanson, and made only 40 saves during the span.
Scoring drought
Wisconsin, prior to Saturday night’s pair of goals, had gone five games scoring just four goals and seven games bagging seven scores. Opponents had outscored UW 14-4 and 19-7 during those stretches.
“We are still too logical,” Eaves commented. “We are going through a natural process. [The players] want to do the right thing, so they are thinking, which doesn’t allow their natural abilities to flow.”
Around the WCHA
Colorado College and North Dakota continued their torrid starts this past weekend, with each team continuing their unbeaten streaks. Fifth-ranked CC (13-1-2) has not lost in the past 14 games, and UND, armed with the nations best record of 14-1-1, ran their stretch to nine games.
The top four spots in division-one scoring belong to the WCHA conference. CC’s Peter Senja and UND freshman Zach Parise are knotted at the No. 1 spot, with 2.06 points per game. Minnesota State’s Grant Stevenson resides in the third spot, and CC’s Noah Clarke holds on to the fourth slot.
