Recap | Final Stats
Wisconsin Postgame Quotes
Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Boston University
Jan. 9, 2015
Kohl Center - Madison, Wis.
On if he's going to focus on the first 57 minutes or the last three:
"I'm focusing on the first 57. I think this is part of our growing up. The last three minutes, I think we'll take a lot out of that in terms of playing with a little bit more poise and confidence. We talk about when you're up by a goal, putting the fish in the boat. I don't do a lot of fishing, but I know sometimes you get the hook in the fish's mouth and sometimes it wiggles off. This one wiggled off tonight. We learned our lessons, but gosh our guys did so many tremendous things for so long. Really proud of them. I know they're a little dejected right now. This is a scar we needed. You need to go through some of these as a young team so when you're in an end-of-the-year game, or a playoff game, or championship game, we have this experience under our belt now."
On Jack Dougherty's decision to try to clear the puck in the last two seconds: "Veteran players have an internal clock. They know how much time is left. The learning point for Jack would be, just keep it against the wall, and let them try to dig it out. We tried to make a play. In hindsight, the better play would've probably been just to eat it, but that's part of his learning process."
On if this was their best game this season:
"Yeah, it's a quality team and the way we played…yeah. We as a staff, we were just on the bench looking at each other (thinking) 'we're doing good things.' Guys on the bench had great feedback for each other, holding each other accountable, talking, letting their teammates know on the ice what's going on. It was a lot of good things."
On if he thought the players were finally getting what they've been working on all season:
"Absolutely. It was fun to be with them on the bench."
"Good. I mean the second shot was post and in, the first shot hit somebody and went post and in. I thought Joel was pretty decent."
On how you played the third period:
"We talked about playing on our toes, and making good decisions, playing with poise and confidence, and we did that for a good chunk of the third period which is what you want to do. Sometimes the best defense is to go play in their zone."
On if BU reflected their impressive third period stats in tonight's final period:
"Well they have really skilled players. They can put six players on the ice at the end of the game who are pretty good. We had a lot of young guys out there trying to make the right play and again there were lessons there for us. Again, when we're in the situation, we'll be better."
Wisconsin Players On if he'll go to bed thinking about the first 57 minutes of regulation or the last three minutes:
"I'd like to say the first 57, but probably the last three. As a team we've got to look at the first 57 because we did a lot of good things to get in that position."
On if he understands what head coach Mike Eaves means when he said the team needed this scar to show them what they need to do at the end of games: "I think he means it's really hard to close a team out, a good team like that. At the end of the game you've got to keep doing everything you did to get to that point to have a lead."
On if he has been in a dressing room that was as dejected as this one tonight:
"I'm sure this has happened to me before. It's hockey. That's why we play it until the last second but it wasn't the best feeling going to the locker room."
On what his vision was like for Boston University's last two goals of the third period:
"Both of them I was kind of screened so I didn't really see, but I know the first one went off of a guy out front. I'm not sure about the third one. That's what guys were saying so I'm not too sure."
On if he was watching the game from his vantage point knowing the team was doing things they hadn't done all season:
"It was a fun game to watch. We were doing everything perfectly. From fourth line to first line everybody was flying. Everybody was doing the right things. It was fun to watch. I was surprised almost that we were top to bottom perfect all night, except minus those last two minutes but that will happen."
On if going into the game he was aware of how strong BU's third period numbers were in terms of scoring and comebacks:
"Not really. You're not going to play any different. We were going out there to finish out the game as strong as we could and you don't really think about that too much. No I didn't know that, I guess."
On what he felt when he saw the BU goalie make his third-period error:
"At first you cheer, then you almost feel bad for the guy because everybody's been there as a goalie. But it was kind of exciting. It seemed like the hockey gods were on our side there, but it ended up not turning out that way."
On how much space he used on his goal:
"I'm not really sure. I know that it was good battle work up top by my linemates. Just one of those premeditated shots that was the only spot that's open from around there. So I don't know, it looked kind of lucky that it went in."
On what's going to be going through his mind walking out of the arena tonight:
"Our team is disappointed now, especially with these good teams. We know we can beat them now, so I think we hold ourselves definitely to a higher standard these days. We can beat any team, so we're disappointed. There are no excuses anymore. We should be winning every game."
On if their game plan was to play a physical style:
"Definitely, I thought we were trying to engage it. Ourselves as a team were trying to initiate it. That's definitely good. That's something we're going to have to bring tomorrow night. We're just going to have to battle every single game. It starts with aggression in the first period and trying to bring that throughout the whole game, 60 minutes."
