Badger Hockey

[hawing]

I agree with danzig. Neither one's great, but in a close/OT-type loss you go right from hopeful to "heart torn out of chest" in a split second. But ultimately, neither one's great.

[PeaveyFury]

Neither one's great, but in a close/OT-type loss you go right from hopeful to "heart torn out of chest" in a split second.

 

Honestly, I'd rather lose like that than being destroyed. Like the Duke/Butler game- if that shot goes in, it sucks for Duke, if not, it sucks for Butler, but at least there was the chance. Here it's like they stepped onto the ice and were destined to lose.

[NeedMoreFans]

BC just flat out wanted it more. They beat us to the puck every time, blocked tons of shots, forced turnovers....they played the game we normally try to play. Tough loss. I feel so bad for the team. After going to 14 games this year, I got to know the personality of the team, and that didn't look like the team I normally saw during the season. Next year will be tough, so it's more of a bummer they couldn't have played better tonight.

[logan82]

Let's hope there isn't a mass exodus in the next few weeks. Next year might be absolutely brutal since we came so close this year if everybody leaves. I am sure we will be at least middle of the pack in the WCHA no matter what but not special like they were this year. I really hope we have some good goaltending coming in soon. Not that Goody is horrible but he definitely isn't special.

[tristarscoop]

feel the same way. I was so disappointed in today's game because it wasn't the team I had come to know. After the 3rd goal, it felt like Geoffrion was the only one still trying to play and win the game. Getting to the National Championship was such a bonus - I wasn't expecting it - so I guess I'll take that and be happy. But I've never wanted to turn a game off more than I did today.

[Buckylovesbeer]

I agree with all of you. It was sad being there as well. I would guess about 80% of the fans at Ford field were Badger fans......a guy from New Hampshire called BC the "Michigan of the East Coast" and chatted with us about how much everyone hates them......that was pretty funny. The environment could have been a lot better, but the fans were fun and the game looked to be a great one.

 

But it was heartbreaking to see the game go that way. Outplayed the first period, but only down 1-0 was tough. The second period, UW had a lot of life and took control of the game. They just couldnt lite the lamp. At that point, it was a great game.....1-0, life going into the third. But to fall apart like that......it was tough to take. 2 backhand - poor angle goals was a kick to the guts. Stepan going down was pretty sad as well - several fans at the postgame tailgate party said he was vomiting while walking to the dressing room. It was a tough pill to take..... A lot of the fans around us, from all over the place, asked what happened to the Badgers. I think we all were asking the same thing. BC seemed to get all the bounces, breaks, and really outplayed UW. Its too bad, because if these teams play the best of seven it would be a 4-3 series......but thats how it goes I guess.

 

It was a very good year for Bucky. They will lose a ton of tallent, however, a lot will be back and our next two recruited classes are rated at the top of college hockey. I agree with what logan said above.....we need to hope a few guys stay (Stepan for sure, Gardiner, etc) but Eaves is a good coach and a great recruiter.....so they should be alright. Bring on a few new opponents in Bemidji and Neb-Omaha, and I am excited for next season.

[Buckylovesbeer]

Chris Chellios was out chatting with the people after the game at his bar. (Chelli's Chilli) Really nice guy, was very cool. He said a ton of the things you guys have discussed here. What got me is his size - Maybe 5' 10'', but if he weighed more than 175 I would be surprised. He was very small......but looked young. Held a very nice event at his place for the games. His location across from Comerica and 1 block from Ford certainly helped a ton too!

[danzig6767]

Neither one's great, but in a close/OT-type loss you go right from hopeful to "heart torn out of chest" in a split second.

 

Honestly, I'd rather lose like that than being destroyed. Like the Duke/Butler game- if that shot goes in, it sucks for Duke, if not, it sucks for Butler, but at least there was the chance. Here it's like they stepped onto the ice and were destined to lose.

Not me. Losing very close games or say in OT in hockey are the type of games that the pain hangs with me for awhile. If the Brewers were in game 7 of the World Series i'd much rather lose 8-1 than lose by say Hoffman giving up a 3 run jack in the 9th with us up by two runs. Yea it sucked that UW were shut out, but 10 minutes after the game i was over it. Had they lost late or in OT, i'd have been miserable.

 

BC just flat out wanted it more.

I was watching the game with a buddy who said the same thing and i don't buy it in the slightest. The Badgers were playing for a National Championship, something that all those kids dreamed about when choosing to play college hockey. They put tons of hard work in all year to get to that game. Now you want me to believe they weren't playing their hardest? I think if anyone said that to any of those players faces they'd be extremely insulted, with good reason. I thought what happened had absolutely nothing to do with effort and all to do with

 

1. Struggling with the speed of BC as did everyone else in the tournament

 

2. I thought going into the tournament that goaltending for UW wasn't a major weakness, but it wasn't a big strength either. Gudmundson didn't make a single great save in that game and let in two that bordered on being soft. Muse of BC didn't face a ton of shots, but he did face some high quality scoring chances by us and he saved each one. Flip the goalies and i can't predict the exact score, but it wouldn't have been 5-0 for BC that's for sure.

 

3. No luck. Sometimes in a game where you're getting outplayed, but not by a big margin before things get out of hand, catching a break can be huge. Have say a deflected shot up front find the net instead of going wide. On the Davies break away, the puck not jumping over his stick.

 

I thought 30 plus minutes into the game, it largely had been evenly played, maybe a slight advantage to BC and only a 1-0 game. They had more shots on goal at the time, but we had better scoring chances IMO. The back breaker was the soft goal between the legs of Gudmundson that made it 2-0, then i think the guys probably got frustrated and scared. Once it hit 3-0, game was over and the final two goals came mainly from the Badgers playing desperate like pinching in on a BC power play.

 

No question BC deserved the game and outplayed Wisconsin, but i don't question the kids effort in the slightest. Better execution and better goaltending won that game.

[trwi7]

The Admirals signed Blake Geoffrion to an ATO. He'll likely make his debut tonight against Chicago in game 2 of the West Division Semifinals tonight.

[paul253]

You can just sign someone and have them step right onto the playoff roster?

[trwi7]

You can just sign someone and have them step right onto the playoff roster?

 

Yep.

[burniebrewer]

So, is there enough interest in hockey for an NHL playoffs thread? If there is, we need to fire one up.

 

My favorite time of the year...Brewers on one channel and Versus on the other.

 

Go Blackhawks!

[paul253]

I've never been a huge NHL fan because Milwaukee doesn't have a team. There are several teams I kind of like though, and the Blackhawks are one of them. I really wish that whole NHL thing would have worked out for Milwaukee back in the late 80's.

[burniebrewer]

Oh, I wish Milwaukee would've gotten a team too, but I don't think the city could've adequately supported them.

 

For the most part, the Cubs make me want to hate everything Chicago, but I always listened to the Blackhawks on the radio as a youngster and I've continued to follow them to this day. I really wish Pat Foley would come back on the radio side though.

 

Sorry to jack the Badger hockey thread....

[logan82]

Build it and they will come.. or not. I honestly have little or no interest in the NHL. Part of that may be the difficulty in finding games on tv to watch. No local team doesn't help either.

[trwi7]

BOOOOOOO Blackhawks. Preds all the way!

[Buckylovesbeer]

I am a huge Penguins fan, and it pains me to hope they beat Brian Elliot tonight......

 

But I do really like the Blackhawks and the Preds..........They are in my top 5!

 

But #1- I am a Badger fan first!

[burniebrewer]

BOOOOOOO Blackhawks. Preds all the way!

Hey, I can understand that, but the Preds were years away in my youth. I have always casually followed them knowing they were the Admirals parent team.

 

Side note: My all-time favorite goon played for both teams. Who is he? (I searched for quite some time to find an authentic Preds jersey of his, but it was not to be.)

[trwi7]

Was it Reid Simpson?

 

Blake Geoffrion with one shot and a -2 rating in the Admirals 3-0 loss to Chicago.

[logan82]

We could be pretty depleted next year.

 

In addition to the seven seniors - all forwards - it's expected

Smith and junior defenseman Cody Goloubef will bypass their senior

seasons and turn pro. Smith is a first-round NHL draft pick of

Detroit and the top-scoring defenseman in the nation who appears

anxious to get to the next level. Goloubef is a second-round pick

of Columbus, a NHL organization known for wanting its top talent in

the system as soon as possible.

 

The biggest wild card is junior defenseman and tri-captain Ryan

McDonagh, a former first-round pick of the New York Rangers. He was

a dominant physical force - arguably the best all-around blue-liner

in the nation - but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him follow

Geoffrion's decorated path and return to the Badgers in search of

an NCAA title.

 

Sophomore center Derek Stepan led UW in scoring - 12 goals, 42

assists, 54 points - and earned rave reviews as captain of the U.S.

team that won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships. But

the second-round draft pick of the Rangers has consistently

maintained he plans to return.

 

Eaves has already lost an assistant - Kevin Patrick has been named

coach of the U.S. Hockey League expansion franchise in Muskegon,

Mich. - and it's possible highly respected recruiting coordinator

Mark Osiecki could leave, too.

 

UW seniors

Aaron Bendickson

Andy Bombach

Michael Davies

Blake Geoffrion

Ben Grotting

Jon Mitchell

Ben Street

 

 

[trwi7]

Photo evidence that Blake Geoffrion signed. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z217/trwi7/BlakeGeoffrion-1.jpg?t=1271481742

 

 

[burniebrewer]

Was it Reid Simpson?

Stu Grimson.

[Buckylovesbeer]

Very cool. I hope he rocks it at the next level.

[trwi7]

Geoffrion scores his first professional goal 24 seconds into the 2nd period to give the Ads a 2-0 lead.

 

Edit: Geoffrion with another at 4:15 of the 3rd!

[danzig6767]

We could be pretty depleted next year.

 

In addition to the seven seniors - all forwards - it's expected

Smith and junior defenseman Cody Goloubef will bypass their senior

seasons and turn pro. Smith is a first-round NHL draft pick of

Detroit and the top-scoring defenseman in the nation who appears

anxious to get to the next level. Goloubef is a second-round pick

of Columbus, a NHL organization known for wanting its top talent in

the system as soon as possible.

 

The biggest wild card is junior defenseman and tri-captain Ryan

McDonagh, a former first-round pick of the New York Rangers. He was

a dominant physical force - arguably the best all-around blue-liner

in the nation - but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him follow

Geoffrion's decorated path and return to the Badgers in search of

an NCAA title.

 

Sophomore center Derek Stepan led UW in scoring - 12 goals, 42

assists, 54 points - and earned rave reviews as captain of the U.S.

team that won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships. But

the second-round draft pick of the Rangers has consistently

maintained he plans to return.

 

Eaves has already lost an assistant - Kevin Patrick has been named

coach of the U.S. Hockey League expansion franchise in Muskegon,

Mich. - and it's possible highly respected recruiting coordinator

Mark Osiecki could leave, too.

 

Of course it will hurt if guys like Stephan and McDonagh leave with the others, but that last line scares me the most. Mark Osiecki i've read has been huge in getting all these talented young defenseman to choose to play hockey for UW. If he left i'm not trying to imply that recruiting would crash given Wisconsin has great tradition and facilities to sell to recruits going forward, but Osiecki leaving would get less attention than any players leaving even that his departure could have a much bigger impact long term.