UW head coach Mike Eaves has been preaching that Wisconsin's sinking ship was sailing into adverse weather conditions. As the losses continued to pile up and heads began to sulk, Eaves maintained that it takes time to turn around a heavy ship.

After Saturday's performance, it seems that Wisconsin finally has begun to navigate through the storm.

Netting goals in the first and last minute of the second period while receiving 19 saves from backup goaltender Shane Connelly, the Badgers snapped their six-game losing streak and shut out the Michigan State Spartans 2-0, one night after losing another heartbreaker to Michigan 4-3 in the College Hockey Showcase.

"We've played some pretty good hockey, and it's nice for these young men to get a win," Eaves said. "We had a collective sigh of relief that they finally get rewarded for their hard work."

In hopes of breaking their longest losing streak in 10 years, Eaves decided to dress one extra defenseman, utilizing seven blueliners rather than his usual six. Eaves also gave Connelly, who hadn't seen time on the ice since Oct. 7, the start during the team's morning skate.

"We were at a point where we needed to stimulate growth, offense, something different," Eaves said. "I wore a brown suit tonight, and I never wear brown. It's getting to that point."

The two moves proved invaluable, as Wisconsin blocked 20 of the Spartans' 35 shots on the night. However, when shots did get past the Badger line, Connelly was right there to stymie Michigan State for his first shutout of the season.

"I wanted to go out there and help give the team a chance to win," Connelly said. "It was a weight off my shoulder to finally get out there and show the coaching staff and the team what I can do."

For the second consecutive night, Wisconsin jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Andrew Joudrey and Ben Street.

Not only was Joudrey's goal a big lift for the Badgers, but it also lifted a monkey off his back, as the captain had been unable to find the net in Wisconsin's last nine games.

"I've been getting teased by the coaching staff for hitting posts and crossbars, so it's nice to get one," Joudrey said. "Much like the other guys, I've been knocking on the door so many times. I just finally got one home."

With the clock winding down in the second frame, the Badgers were looking to break another dreadful streak, converting on the power play. Wisconsin entered the game scoreless on its last 16 power plays, but with 56 seconds remaining Street snapped that streak as well.

Following a shot from winger Michael Davies, the puck drifted right to Street, who buried the shot in front of a wide-open net to give the Badgers some added insurance going into the final period.

"We've had a couple of leads going into the third that we haven't been able to put away," Street said. "[Tonight] was another opportunity for us to close it out and get the job done."

But unlike the night before, Wisconsin maintained their lead and didn't allow the Spartans to get back into the game. One of the main reasons for the Badgers' maintaining their lead was because of the play of Joudrey, who played out of character Saturday night, which was evident by his two combative penalties in the game.

Joudrey was aggressive and physical on the boards all night for Wisconsin, helping the Badgers beat the Spartans for the first time in Madison during the Showcase event.

"[Joudrey] leads by example, that's what the captain's 'C' means," Connelly said. "To see that he went out there, battled, got a goal and pushed people around, it means a lot to the team. Everyone is watching him, and he went out there and performed well tonight."

Friday night, Wisconsin led 3-2 heading into the third period thanks to goals from Michael Davies, Matt Ford and the returning Jack Skille. In just 27 agonizing seconds, however, Wisconsin lost their lead and never recovered.

Leading midway through the third period, Michigan's T.J. Hensick drew the attention of two UW defensemen and goalie Brian Elliott, leaving senior David Rohlfs wide open. Hensick made the pass and Rohlfs capitalized for his ninth tally of the season.

Before Wisconsin could even blink, Michigan was on the rush again. With the puck coming off the boards, Andrew Cogliano fired a shot from the left face-off circle that managed to trickle under Elliott's armpit, putting the Wolverines ahead for good.

"Just two bad bounces and letting down for the minute and they put two in the net," Davies said. "We have to keep working hard and taking pucks to the net. We need to respond to [those goals and] turn this ship around."

One of the positives Wisconsin can take away from the Michigan game was the return of Skille, who looked like his old self after being sidelined for almost 90 days, scoring a shorthanded goal for the Badgers on a one-timer. With the return of Skille, Eaves believes that Wisconsin will continue to sail in the right direction.

"[Skille] has such a physical presence with his speed, size and shot," Eaves said. "It gives you another dimension that we haven't had here for awhile. It was definitely a boost that we needed, and it was good to have him back."