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There comes a point in time when trying to do it all becomes
too much.

Sophomore center Blake Geoffrion crossed that line in his
first year.

According to UW head coach Mike Eaves, he thought he was
Pavel Datsyuk — a "fancy-dancy, go end-to-end, go backhand, top shelf every
time" hockey player. He thought he could beat opponents one-on-one and be a
one-man show. But he isn't that player, so he struggled.

Nashville made Geoffrion a Predator with its first selection
— 56th overall — in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. With that fresh on his mind,
Geoffrion entered his freshman campaign with not only plenty of hype from the
media, but also with high expectations for himself.

He thought that since he was a high-profile draft choice, he
should perform like one.

"Being a draft choice, second-rounder, other guys get the
perception of you that, 'Oh, he's going to come in and be an unbelievable
player for us,'" Geoffrion said.

Instead of playing his game — the style that Nashville saw
when it drafted him — he let the lofty expectations get the best of him; he let
his emotions get the best of him as well, resulting in a season dictated by ups
and downs.

Of course, since Geoffrion wasn't playing up to his
potential, his playing time became more and more infrequent. And with fewer
opportunities to show what he could do, Geoffrion found himself trying even
harder to prove himself in the times he was on the ice.

"I wasn't getting the opportunities I wanted to get because
I wasn't playing very well, so I tried to do things that would get me noticed
and in those roles on the power play and whatnot," Geoffrion said.

On top of that, it's never easy to come in right away and
settle into a groove for any player, high-profile or not. The physical,
grueling nature of the WCHA and college hockey doesn't work that way.

"It's tough to just settle in and be yourself right away,"
UW forward Ben Street said.

"He was getting used to the level, and he was trying to be
someone he wasn't," Eaves added. "I think that combination led him to be caught
in between."

Eaves remembers needing to sit Geoffrion down on several
occasions to try and settle the freshman down and get him to find his own brand
of hockey.

It wasn't easy. The son of a former NHL player, the grandson
of Hall of Famer Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion and the great grandson of Hall of
Famer Howie Morenz, inventor of the slapshot, went through a slow, arduous
learning process.

"Sometimes as a young man, it takes awhile for those words
to settle in and become a part of who you are," Eaves said.

Now, a year later, the more mature Geoffrion is a wholly
different player.

His stats speak for themselves. Last season, in 36 games, he
scored two goals and tallied four assists. This year, through 12 games, he has
already eclipsed both of those totals with five goals and five assists.

In the second game against Robert Morris alone, he recorded
five points on a goal and four assists.

"I see his maturity as a young man," Eaves said. "I think he
has become a better hockey player. I think he has come to understand where his
strengths are and how to play to those strengths.

"It's about being effective as a hockey player and that's
what I think he's come to understand."

He has learned that to be a successful hockey player, he
doesn't need to deke out the other team, according to Street. Rather, Geoffrion
can use his linemates — senior Josh Engel and freshman Patrick Johnson — and his
skating and passing abilities to create scoring opportunities. It's all about
keeping it simple.

Due to the makeover, Geoffrion has become a versatile and
reliable talent.

"He's one of those solid guys that you need on your team,
one of those guys who has been great on penalty kills and special teams for us
this season," Street said. "He can be put out in any situation in a game and
you know what you're going to get; you don't need to worry about him."

The days of wondering where he'll fit in on offense
and letting his performances get the best of him whether they were good or bad
are gone. His new perspective on the game says it all: "If a play is there,
I'll take it. If not, whatever," Geoffrion said.