Eaves Appears at News Conference
November 21, 2006 | Men's Hockey
UW hockey head coach Mike Eaves answered questions during Wisconsin's weekly Monday news conference. Eaves addressed questions about the team's possible excuses for the slow start, having patience with the veterans and the solid play of Brian Elliott, among other topics. A full transcript follows.
To view the archived video footage of the news conference, click on the audio/video link on the left side of the page.
QUESTION #1: Mike, you mentioned yesterday that your team's resolve is going to get tested. What do you expect to see from them this week when you come back tomorrow '
MIKE EAVES: Nothing different than we've seen all year, and that's just trying, you know, there are no secrets. Mark talked about it. We're going to try to get better every day, and we will continue that process tomorrow.
QUESTION #2: You have three injured guys. Any updates on their availability for this weekend, Jack, Aaron, and Blake'
EAVES: Aaron probably won't be available this weekend, and Jack and Blake are in the process of seeing the doctors here today and again tomorrow, and that'll be determined as we go through the week.
QUESTION #3: Have you had a chance to look at their eventual winning goal . . .
EAVES: No. I've actually finished two periods. I have a third period to do here when I return upstairs.
QUESTION #4: Mike, if you or your team chose to, you could, you'd have a lot of excuses as to why you are where you are right now, injuries, obviously not scoring the puck, the schedule you play. You could choose that route if you wanted to. But it doesn 't seem like anybody's going that way.
EAVES: No. You know, it's, one of the great things about playing cards is that you have to deal with the hand you're dealt, and we're doing a little bit of that now. And it's something that, you know, when you play Euchre at home or you play some kind of cards, you're not getting the cards, what do you do ' You've got to do the best that you can with the hand that you 've been dealt.
So we've gone through a tough stretch here, there's no question, with various things going on. And we're dealing with the cards that we have, and we 're controlling, once again, the things that we can control, and we will continue to do so.
QUESTION #5: Mike, earlier this year, you were asked about, and you talked at length about your veterans coming back and how you were going to be patient with them as they kind of felt their way along to try and get their edge back, their motivation back. Is that patience still at the same level as it was a month and a half ago, and where is that process in your mind'
EAVES: Oh, you know, I think that we've put, the other, after the game on Saturday I talked to you, it was the first time that I really said something in the paper about some of our older guys. And you don't do that very often. I won't go to that well. But I thought they responded very well. I thought that Klub and Jeff played as well as I'd seen them play in awhile.
We have relied heavily on our older guys, maybe to the point that, like Mr. Joudrey and Mr. Dowell, I think they ran out of gas a little bit Sunday afternoon. They were out there every other penalty kill, every power play, every five-on-five shift, and, you know, having only 10 forwards really on the bench and relying on those guys, I think they, we 're really cracking the whip on them, and they responded pretty well. I think they are right on top of this team in terms of what we're trying to do, and we 're getting a lot out of them right now, an awful lot out of them.
QUESTION #6: Being out of the league and playing two teams like this, who again, are in the Top 10, but being out of the league, do you think that maybe takes a little pressure off your club at all or no'
EAVES: You know, my feeling, to answer that question, is to lean toward the fact that they're good teams and we want to do well against them. It's another opportunity for us, and I think that's the way we'll look at it going into this week.
QUESTION #7: Based on what Brian said after the games this weekend and the way he played, do you think it finally has settled into his head, that the whole concept that you 've been trying to tell him, that you've just got to play your position and let everything else work itself out, because it seems like he puts quite a bit of pressure on himself the last couple of weeks, but this past weekend he just seemed to play and do what he felt, he looked more comfortable, I guess is the . . .
EAVES: Yeah, I would agree with the assessment that it was probably his, you can tell when Brian's playing well because he's so patient, and he was that this weekend, great rebound control, great patience and waiting on the shoot or not overplaying or over-anticipating. And, you know, it's quite natural, it's human nature for, when he came back last year after his injury, that was what we were waiting for him to find, was that rhythm, that patience. And, you know, Brian wants this team to do well. He wants to do well. And I think he was pressing that, but he seemed to settle in, which is good for us to see.
QUESTION #8: Since I'm sure Mark stole your thunder with the garage door opener as being thankful for this year, maybe it's better to go with your team. Your team has struggled obviously as of late, but what are you thankful for with this team to this point' What would you say on Thanksgiving you'd give thanks for with regards to your team'
EAVES: Well, we'll talk about the team. In terms of thankful for this team, we have a great group of young men that, you know, even going through this time, like you would think that there's a tendency to pull apart, and they've done just the opposite. They've turned inward and have talked about it on their own, about what they need to do, without the coaching staff. You know what' And that gives us a great chance to do the things that we eventually would like to do with this team, and that's become the best team that we can, see where it takes us. So I'm thankful for that in terms of this group of young men.
On a personal level, I'm thankful for my dog, because we could lose all the games the rest of the year and I'm still the best thing that walks through that house at night, so that's what I'm thankful for.
