Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

C'mon Wisko. You're better than that; we're ****ing 50th in defense! At least we're 10th in scoring.

Maybe the past couple of weekends haven't produced many goals, but bad defense has been a problem ALL year, last year, and beyond. C'mon man.

Being 10th in scoring is pretty meaningless when you score 1.25 gpg in 4 losses. You can expect to win zero of the games you play at that scoring rate.

They are probably never going to be what you would call a great defensive team. Not like Eaves good teams anyway, Those teams played a system that was Defense first, Defense second, and Defense third. It was highly structured and really hard to score on. (and everybody hated it after 2010) This team isn't designed to play like that or like Clarkson or UMD and isn't going to win 1-0 games or even many 2-1 games.

They want to shut it down quick, turn it around quick and push the puck out quick. They want D up on the rush. They want to stretch pass and put pressue on the D. They want to put 5 guys in deep and rotate F's back to cover and push the pace and score goals and get the lead. They want to play with the puck the way Omaha and UMD play without the puck. They want to constantly pressure the Defense the way a hard forecheck pressures offense.

All that is fine and good and it's an exciting way to play, but the game has to be played fast, fast, fast. And new guys or guys stepping up to this level are naturally having some problems with the pace anyway.

We actually don't give up many goals 5x5 to teams that get it in and grind us down and/or just beat us in the o zone like we did a few years ago or even last year. Some but not a lot. We give up goals on turnovers. I'd say most of them on turnovers. We push the puck into traffic or make cross ice passes in traffic or turn it over at the blue line and it comes back at us and winds up in our net. So while we have what could be called defensive breakdowns, they are coming on a lot of plays we shouldn't be having to make over and over if we were taking care of the puck. Or putting it in the net, getting the lead and leaving our D back and not taking such chances on the break out. We're 0-4 when chasing the game and 5-1 when scoring first and playing with the lead. Put the puck in the net, get the lead and we will give up fewer goals on turnovers.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Take away the Merrimack game, which was clearly an outlier, and what do you have?

Not an amazing offense. And a putrid defense.

This isn’t a good team.

It can be an excellent team, it has all the ingredients. But it isn’t. Not even a little bit. Not right now.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Over the last 6 games the PP is 2 for 29 (6.8%) and Goal has just 2g in the last 7 games. That's a 10g/season pace over those 7. That from the greatest American goal scorer in history as far as we can tell. (accept for maybe Bobby Hull) Not blaming Goal, just asking how long can he realistically be kept down? Holloway is going to score goals and create assists this year... And how long can the PP, with the talent they have, operate at that rate? Offense is often streaky, but I just don't believe they all can be kept out of the net forever. They just have to bear down and finish. Score goals and play with the lead.

If they could split ND this weekend they would be .500 vs. the current #(3)4, #6, #7, and #8 teams in the country. Normally that would be considered a pretty decent result.

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Over the last 6 games the PP is 2 for 29 (6.8%) and Goal has just 2g in the last 7 games. That's a 10g/season pace over those 7. That from the greatest American goal scorer in history as far as we can tell. (accept for maybe Bobby Hull) Not blaming Goal, just asking how long can he realistically be kept down? Holloway is going to score goals and create assists this year... And how long can the PP, with the talent they have, operate at that rate? Offense is often streaky, but I just don't believe they all can be kept out of the net forever. They just have to bear down and finish. Score goals and play with the lead.

If they could split ND this weekend they would be .500 vs. the current #(3)4, #6, #7, and #8 teams in the country. Normally that would be considered a pretty decent result.

When they get swept this weekend, what will your excuse be?

They are mediocre on offense (the last 6 games) and terrible on defense to this point. PP is back to last years putrid results. Trends are down, 2-4 in last 6 after starting 3-1. It's not "pretty decent"......

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Wisko we are ALL Badger fans here, and among my friends I still talk about how good Badger Hockey SHOULD be, but we don't all wear Cardinal colored glasses. Things are not good for some reason. It's not doom and gloom, but it IS NOT pretty decent...IT SUCKS BALLS (or PUCKS, if you will). No if's and's or butt's about it. I HOPE we can sweep the domers, but I'm so afraid of what may happen. On the other hand, maybe they wake up and play NoDames tough like 2 years ago at United Center when NoDames was #1.

Being ranked 10th in scoring (with as low as it is) is a national comparison so nobody is scoring a lot. But 50th in defense, ***?

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Worth remembering: we are only ranked so high in scoring because of one statistical outlier.

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Worth remembering: we are only ranked so high in scoring because of one statistical outlier.

If the Merrimack game was 7-5 versus 11-5, our offense stats would be 3.3 GPG and tie us at 15, so yes.

The last 6 games after UMD series has been 2.33 GPG or 43rd.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Seems as though the staff has been searching this thread for ideas, because apparently we're getting the things that various posters have suggested we want. Miller out of the middle and up top on the PP. Kalynuk to the second PP and Holloway to the first. Lindy up in the top six with Holloway and Linus. Achan with Turcotte and Caufield. (I'm excited to see that one) Baker and Dhooghe with TPB on the third. All stuff that has been asked for here.

How many of us post regularly here with these ideas? Is there 10? Just fire the staff and split their $900k between the ten of us and we'll make all the decisions and win the titles, no problem.

[gwhinwi]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

How many of us post regularly here with these ideas? Is there 10? Just fire the staff and split their $900k between the ten of us and we'll make all the decisions and win the titles, no problem.

I will skip my cut so that each of you get more. I'm just that kind of guy. (I will take a ring when we win our first 'ship though.)

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

How many of us post regularly here with these ideas? Is there 10? Just fire the staff and split their $900k between the ten of us and we'll make all the decisions and win the titles, no problem.

All I need in return is to be able to sit where ever I want for all games, get free parking close, hop on the team plane for away games, be able to brings as many people as I want to women's games for nothing, and yes, a RING when we win it.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Lindy up in the top six with Holloway and Linus.

Love this one.

[druzy192]

Seems as though the staff has been searching this thread for ideas, because apparently we're getting the things that various posters have suggested we want. Miller out of the middle and up top on the PP. Kalynuk to the second PP and Holloway to the first. Lindy up in the top six with Holloway and Linus. Achan with Turcotte and Caufield. (I'm excited to see that one) Baker and Dhooghe with TPB on the third. All stuff that has been asked for here.

Finally. Lindmark-Holloway-Linus might be the most dangerous line we have now. Holloway should be more present on the score sheet playing with these guys.

At least the coaches are making some changes and recognizing there are problems and not just saying the same old crap.

[druzy192]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Lindmark is underrated offensively. Dude makes things happen.. goes into corners and battles. Plays hard. Doesn't just have one aspect of his game.

[wjefwhite]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Over the last 6 games the PP is 2 for 29 (6.8%) and Goal has just 2g in the last 7 games. That's a 10g/season pace over those 7. That from the greatest American goal scorer in history as far as we can tell. (accept for maybe Bobby Hull) Not blaming Goal, just asking how long can he realistically be kept down? Holloway is going to score goals and create assists this year... And how long can the PP, with the talent they have, operate at that rate? Offense is often streaky, but I just don't believe they all can be kept out of the net forever. They just have to bear down and finish. Score goals and play with the lead.

If they could split ND this weekend they would be .500 vs. the current #(3)4, #6, #7, and #8 teams in the country. Normally that would be considered a pretty decent result.

There it is Wisco. You touched on it. All this ragging on this team with a boat load of freshman and no upperclassmen leadership. During the past 2 seasons including this one the Badgers have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation. No one gives them credit for this. Go back look at the teams. Don't forget no one wins titles with underclassmen. I am frustrated too but the ragging here is a pain to read and is zero help for anyone. I have attended games trait through since 99-2000, where are your asses? In addition when ND was added to our league the cobergce has improved at lot.

There is something wrong with the coaching dynamic on the defensive end of the game but its clear to me the kids that come here are pampered and coddled with all the glitter that is UW and they get distracted when they are young.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey 2019-2020: Time to Get Offensive

Anybody watch Sparty and the Blue Weasels last night?

One - Khodorenko is a freakin' beast. He should probably be locked up for the way he murdered Wolverines all night long. Have always loved that kid's game and was disappointed they couldn't/didn't recruit him here.

But anyway, in context of talking about D play, I don't think Sparty has a better D corps than we do, but it was noticeable how much easier it was for their D to handle the puck. First off, they play a system where they pretty much line up 3 and 2 at their own blue line a lot of the time and then the D are basically just trying to take it behind the net and set up a controlled breakout. When you contrast that with the system the Badgers are playing, it really stands out how much more pressure we're putting on our D to play fast, make instant decisions, turn the puck up the wall or to the middle right now, and go. Rather than gather it in and set up for a controlled break out, we're asking our guys to do a lot more a lot faster. When they're clicking we control play and the puck and create chances on the rush, but they have to get more consistent with execution and communication, because when they don't handle the forecheck, it looks really ugly.