Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

[Nowheresville]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

They weren't even picked to win their conference.

Come on, that's more than a little disingenuous. They split the vote 4/3 with MN in the preseason conference poll, but were ranked 2nd in the country, ahead of MN in both the National Poll.

And once the first games were played, The Badgers were the top ranked team in the country from week one all the way to the end of February.

This team expected to win the National Championship, and while you never want to say a season that ends in the Frozen Four is a failure, this loss is going to sting because they had the ability to go farther.

[Still Eeyore]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

When you're in the 96th minute of a hockey game, mental mistakes are going to happen. Both teams made lots of them during the second overtime, and Norby's wasn't the worst, just the most consequential.

Edit: Also, when that play started, their wasn't a defenseman in place to cover the rush; someone was just coming off the bench on a change. Norby not only had to recognize that she was there while trying to chase down the Colgate player, she had to read the angles and decide whether she would make it. At some point in that process, a tired kid not known for her defensive prowess to begin with got some part of that chain wrong. If you can't forgive that, you're a cold, cold bastard.

The fundamental error was a sloppy turnover with one defenseman pinching while the other was heading off the ice. But, as I said, those things will happen deep into the second overtime. Colgate made a lot more of those kinds of mistakes over the last 37 minutes of the game than the Badgers did. Wisconsin lost because because they never cashed in any of those opportunities before committing their own fatal error.

Or, you know, they could have done a better job killing penalties in regulation if Roque was determined to spend spring break in the box.

[shelfit]

They weren't even picked to win their conference.

What a dumb comment. The players don't give a crap about pre-season picks and polls. After choking last year I guarantee they all had their sights set on redemption this year. Tragically it didn't go their way. Maybe MJ is too soft. If Shannon had coached this team she would have had the players scared to lose for fear they would have to see her wear that black sequined jacket again or that she would sue them for trying to wreck her reputation and career.

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

What a dumb comment. The players don't give a crap about pre-season picks and polls.

You can think what you want about the comment. But it is factual. When the seven coaches who coach in the WCHA were asked, as a whole, they had Wisconsin finishing second in the conference. To me, that makes your George S Patton routine tonight look a bit silly and over-the-top.

You get to have your opinion, and I get to have mine.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

There will be plenty of tears of heartbreak and disappointment shed tonight and throughout the weekend by the Badgers players and justifiably so. Anything less than the National Championship this year is a failure in their minds and they are right. I don't think they consider this to be a great season. A very good one, yes, but they did exactly what they expected themselves to do all season long to get to this weekend. Falling short of the title game to a far less talented opponent is not acceptable to these athletes. Two years in a row of choking on this weekend is a sickening pattern and only a national championship victory is going to cure this ill. Lots to work on for the future...penalty kill is in the spotlight right now.

No team in the history of UW women's hockey has ever returned players with as few total points as this team. Ever. The team that returned the fewest points before this one didn't make the ncaa tourney.

To get this far is an incredible accomplishment. To win the wcha regular season title under these circumstances is an incredible accomplishment. To lose yesterday sucks, but to me, a fan, it sucks a whole lot less than losing last year because the expectation were higher last year.

UW was a different team on the road this year than at home. On the road they scored about 1 goal less than at home and allowed about .5 goal more. The PP was average all year. The FF is on the road against the best teams. These stats say it was less probable they were going to win.

This was not a choke job. They didn't go into a shell. They didn't get conservative and play not to lose. They didn't get dominated by an inferior team. They didn't play like crap. They didn't fall apart. They fought back from 3 1 goal deficits. They scored late in the 3rd to tie. They didn't quit, they didn't give up. They played the game they were capable of playing. I can ask for nothing more than what they gave.

From a tactics angle, as the first ot played out, after a Colgate icing, why not send the 4th line out for a shift? They would have skated circles around Colgate in the O zone and it would have allowed the top 3 lines just a little more rest which could have paid dividends later on. I have to believe a totally rested but not as talented 4th line would be as good as any dog tired Colgate top 3 line. At that point energy would have been the biggest advantage.

[vicb]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

One thing that surprised me was all the chances from the slot that UW had and they could not get the puck on the net. Over the crossbar and wide a number of times.

[joecct]

One thing that surprised me was all the chances from the slot that UW had and they could not get the puck on the net. Over the crossbar and wide a number of times.

That sounds like a similar observation from last year's final

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

No team in the history of UW women's hockey has ever returned players with as few total points as this team. Ever. The team that returned the fewest points before this one didn't make the ncaa tourney.

To get this far is an incredible accomplishment. To win the wcha regular season title under these circumstances is an incredible accomplishment. To lose yesterday sucks, but to me, a fan, it sucks a whole lot less than losing last year because the expectation were higher last year.

UW was a different team on the road this year than at home. On the road they scored about 1 goal less than at home and allowed about .5 goal more. The PP was average all year. The FF is on the road against the best teams. These stats say it was less probable they were going to win.

This was not a choke job. They didn't go into a shell. They didn't get conservative and play not to lose. They didn't get dominated by an inferior team. They didn't play like crap. They didn't fall apart. They fought back from 3 1 goal deficits. They scored late in the 3rd to tie. They didn't quit, they didn't give up. They played the game they were capable of playing. I can ask for nothing more than what they gave.

From a tactics angle, as the first ot played out, after a Colgate icing, why not send the 4th line out for a shift? They would have skated circles around Colgate in the O zone and it would have allowed the top 3 lines just a little more rest which could have paid dividends later on. I have to believe a totally rested but not as talented 4th line would be as good as any dog tired Colgate top 3 line. At that point energy would have been the biggest advantage.

This is some good spin right here...You tell yourself what you've got to cover the fact that your squad just didn't get the job done against a team, that for large portions of the game, looked like pylons with the BADgers skating circles around them.

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

I don't think Wisconsin needs to apologize in any way for its effort yesterday. Did the offense look like a chainsaw that needs its chain sharpened at times? Yes, but that is who the Badgers have been for much of the season. That offense did get three pucks to go into the net, which is usually enough. Yesterday, it wasn't, because they met a team that we all knew was dangerous and had a lot of offensive talent.

Nice season, Badgers, and a heck of an effort last night.

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

This is some good spin right here...You tell yourself what you've got to cover the fact that your squad just didn't get the job done against a team, that for large portions of the game, looked like pylons with the BADgers skating circles around them.

Tim is right, troll. This team just didn't play great away from LaBahn especially late in the year. They lost so much scoring from last year, this was a great year. They should have won with all the shots and domination of long sections but they just didn't put the pucks in the net when it counted.

[BigFan]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

Tim is right, troll. This team just didn't play great away from LaBahn especially late in the year. They lost so much scoring from last year, this was a great year. They should have won with all the shots and domination of long sections but they just didn't put the pucks in the net when it counted.

Badgers should have won, don't know if they were told to shoot high on Colgate goalie as I could not believe how many shots went over the net or totally missed. No chance for a rebound or deflection when puck is flying bye your head or wide. I did not keep track but would say more shots missed the net than were on net and I am not including blocked shots. Hard to be a finisher when the puck never gets to the net.

[robertearle]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

Badgers should have won, don't know if they were told to shoot high on Colgate goalie as I could not believe how many shots went over the net or totally missed. No chance for a rebound or deflection when puck is flying bye your head or wide. I did not keep track but would say more shots missed the net than were on net and I am not including blocked shots. Hard to be a finisher when the puck never gets to the net.

When Abby Roque scored twice against Minnesota the week before, both goals were high to the blocker side. Yes, it certainly appeared that was what/where Badger shooters were going for last night.

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

I did not keep track but would say more shots missed the net than were on net and I am not including blocked shots.

Per the official stats, 99 shot attempts for UW, 26 blocked, 25 missed, 45 saved, and 3 into the net.

[Leather helmet]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2017-2018

The Badgers won every phase of the game, save one: goaltending. Advantage Colgate in the goaltending department, for this night, anyway.

[shelfit]

Per the official stats, 99 shot attempts for UW, 26 blocked, 25 missed, 45 saved, and 3 into the net.

What about the stats for Colgate? After a certain point MJ should have made the adjustment and told his team to just get that first shot on net and gun for the rebounds. They would probably have been able to capitalize more often using rhat simple strategy.