Baggot’s 4Check: Winter break opportunity to regroup for next 14 games
December 10, 2017 | Men's Hockey, Andy Baggot
Four takeaways from Wisconsin’s series vs. Notre Dame
 |
||
|
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Here are four takeaways from the Wisconsin men's hockey team follow its Big Ten Conference series with Notre Dame:
1. After dropping 3-2 and 6-2 decisions to the Irish at the Kohl Center, UW players and coaches have a choice heading into the holiday break. They can either spend it lamenting all the missed opportunities of the first half or embrace their underdog status heading into the second half. If the Badgers want to chase down a berth in the NCAA tournament, they must forget about their six one-goal losses, their 5-6-2 record at home and their widespread lack of execution in the clutch. UW can play with anyone, but its margin for error in the Pairwise rankings is preciously thin heading into the final 14 games of the regular season. That stretch — eight road games, six at home — begins Jan. 5. The Badgers have a few weeks to lick their wounds, fix their ills and decide what kind of mindset they want to have when the New Year arrives.
#Badgers get another chance at this match up tomorrow.
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) December 9, 2017
2. UW coach Tony Granato should be more than happy with how his freshmen have performed during the first half. Center Tarek Baker shares the team lead in goals with eight and is plus-7. Defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk has a team-best 14 assists. Wingers Sean Dhooghe and Linus Weissbach are fast becoming catalysts on offense. Defensemen Josh Ess and Tyler Inamoto are becoming more consistent. Winger Jason Dhooghe is an energizer of the highest order.
Badgers have almost a month off to reset after this weekend.
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) December 9, 2017
3. The Badgers are just above .500 overall (10-9-2). That record includes six losses and two ties in games in which they had the lead or were tied in the third period. The two losses that are the hardest to reconcile involve the club with the most wins, Notre Dame, and the one with the most defeats, St. Lawrence. Both came at home. UW blew a two-goal lead in the third period vs. the Irish (16-3-1) on Friday. According to research by Todd Milewski of the Wisconsin State Journal, the last time that happened was in January of 2009 vs. Northern Michigan. Meanwhile, a 6-3 setback to St. Lawrence on Oct. 28 remains the only victory of the season for the Saints (1-14-1). That game was tied at 3-all with 17 minutes left in the third.
4. The stretch run for UW, all Big Ten games, will be a long, hard road. Michigan State is the only club with a losing record overall (8-9-1). The league field is a combined 62-39-11 (.647).
