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Although the Wisconsin hockey team has started the season 0-4, head coach Mike Eaves prefers to focus on the positives rather than dwell on the negatives.
“As disappointed as we were after the game looking at that game, we did a lot of really good things,” Eaves said in his Monday press conference. “That is one thing we will share with the kids today both verbally and through videotape is that we did a lot of really good things, so that will be a starting point.”
The Badgers have started off the season against tough competition, playing Boston College — at that time the top-ranked team — and then-No. 6 New Hampshire on their opening weekend. After being swept by No. 4 Denver this past weekend, the Badgers’ record may be a bit deceiving.
“Confidence is one of those elusive things that athletes talk about, and coaches and sports psychologists,” Eaves said. “There is confidence that comes from the nature of the game and having success, but when you expect it because of the way you prepare, the way you practice or the way you condition, all those things lend itself to that as well, and that is what we will get back to today.”
UW has given up at least five goals in all four of their games, but the coaching staff still has faith in its young defensemen.
“I think you can talk about it in two different ways,” Eaves said. “If you take a look at it from an offensive standpoint — where their strengths lie — they have done pretty well, actually they have done very well. I think with their play away from the puck we saw some real good growth on Saturday night in terms of what we are looking for and things that we are trying to get at.”
Mixing it up in net
UW has started both senior goaltender Shane Connelly and sophomore Scott Gudmandson twice this year in net, with mixed results from the duo. Connelly made 46 saves on Friday but still gave up six goals in the 6-5 loss.
“He needed to make 47 saves,” Eaves said. “First of all he was outstanding again in the first period, and after the first period the shots were relatively even. I think with the altitude. He looked a little weary at the end of the game, which was part of the decision to play [Gudmandson] the next game. … Don’t lose fact of how well you have played and continue to build on that. He recognizes that.”
After a solid outing against New Hampshire two weeks ago, Gudmandson failed to match that performance against DU, giving up seven goals to go along with 28 saves as he earned the loss in the 7-4 defeat.
“In the first period of New Hampshire he looked tremendous,” Eaves said. “You could tell he was big, he had confidence, and then as he said he served up that pizza on the third goal. On Saturday night in Denver, he wasn’t the same young man that was in the net Friday night in New Hampshire. I’m not quite sure where he was. We left him in there with a purpose; he needed to deal with this. … Our hope is that he gets this straightened out on his own psyche so that he can step forward.”
Refs start focusing on penalites
The WCHA emphasized a cleaner game after last season, and so far the referees have obliged. UW has been penalized 24 times through four games, and their opponents have been sent to the box 21 times.
“I think things are different this year,” Eaves said. “In the fact that last year there was a lot of feedback to our league about the way that our league called the game, and that feedback was coming from the next level — the pro level. It was hurting our league that they were telling our league commissioner or whoever would listen that, you don’t want to play in this league because it is easier to play in our league.
“We weren’t helping our kids get better. … I have a strong feeling that it is going to look a lot like the National Hockey League in keeping that up all year.”