The Wisconsin men’s hockey team carries a feeling of optimism as it prepares to face the University of Alaska Anchorage this Friday and Saturday.
UW head coach Mike Eaves highlighted he is proud of his team’s performance against the University of Minnesota, despite scoring just six goals off of 79 shots during the two-game series.
“We played better Saturday and lost,” Eaves said in comparison to the team’s victory over UM Nov. 6. “Take a look at the chances. We out-chanced them again 2-1, we had more puck possession, we won more puck battles and we lose the game.”
Eaves sees the team’s inability to capitalize on goal-scoring chances as the as the main detriment causing the team to lose games when it plays even with or outmatches its opponent.
However, at 4-3-1, Wisconsin is not too worried about its production offensively because it keeps generating so many goal scoring opportunities. Eaves said it would be an issue if the team was not getting so many chances, but right now, taking advantage of these opportunities is the key concern.
“In terms of finishing, I think that’s the key word — finishing our opportunities,” Eaves said. “Sometimes in the wacky world of hockey, the goaltender is an element you can’t explain. … So in terms of what we’ve focused on this week in practice, it’s let’s make sure when we’re doing our drills that we’re finishing — we’re putting the puck behind our goaltender, so that we create that habit.”
Dissatisfaction builds for the Badgers’ players as they continue to work hard without seeing the results on the score sheet, but Eaves continues to draw attention to the importance of getting these opportunities.
“I would be really concerned — tremendously concerned — if we weren’t getting the chances we were getting,” Eaves said. “For a guy like Ben Street, I know who is somewhat frustrated, he had seven shots again Saturday night and had some really good looks. You know, Ben, you’ve only played eight games in a year and I think the best is yet to come for him.”
The goaltending scenario remains in question for the Badgers who have alternated between juniors Brett Bennett and Scott Gudmandson, starting Bennett on Friday games, then Gudmandson on Saturday games.
However, the coaching staff decided to start Bennett for both games against UM this past weekend and while Bennett looked strong Friday night, he struggled and gave up five goals Saturday.
Eaves was animated when persuading reporters that there is no clear No. 1 option for the team at goaltender, but his plans for which player will be in the net this Saturday against Alaska Anchorage remain unclear.
“At some point, we were going to have to do what we did,” Eaves said. “We made that decision based on a gut feeling I that had Friday night the way that Brett looked. We’ll go in to this weekend and we’ll start Brett on Friday and we’ll make a decision for Saturday.”
Bennett is 3-2 on the season with a 2.01 goals against average in five starts. Gudmandson is 1-1-1 with a 1.63 goals against average in his thre starts this season.
Last season, Shane Connelly made the majority of starts in goal for Wisconsin, starting 37 of the Badgers’ 40 games. Gudmandson made the other three starts, and looked like he was next in line to take the starting job. However, Bennett signed with UW in the spring as a transfer to make the position a constant competition.
