Eaves makes media appearance
December 30, 2008 | Men's Hockey
Head men's hockey coach Mike Eaves returned to Wisconsin's weekly Monday news conference as the Badgers prepare for a home series with Northern Michigan. Eaves answered questions on the Badger Hockey Showdown, players watching games on the sidelines and goalie Shane Connelly, among other topics. A full transcript follows.
To view the archived video footage of the news conference, mid=2893"> --> click here .
QUESTION #1: I know you addressed this last night, but after digesting the weekend, I would assume that you'd accept it gladly and move along after recording three points, right '
MIKE EAVES: In the big picture, yes. In taking a look at, first of all, not practicing for 20 days, coming back, and the type of effort that we had, taking a look at the fact that our team is missing some people, some personnel, both to injury and to the World Juniors, and then, you know, watching the game from last night, we always talk about it when you win, you're not as good as you thought, when you lose, you're not as bad as you thought. And watching last night and talking to Oz this morning about it, the fact is, you know, we had some really good chances early and missed. We had some of our bigger hits that we've had all season. What it came down to, the reasons that we felt like we were not as good as wanted, there was little moments of truth in little battles that we lost, and I think it was highlighted on the power play where we didn't get a lot going in the power plays. We never got the puck. And we would have three guys there, and their two guys would beat us at that moment of truth, that puck battle.
So in overall, we really worked hard. And what we talked about is what we felt after the game last night, we grinded it out. It wasn't one of our best efforts in some of the little areas, but getting the three points and having a championship under our belt we'll definitely put in the bank and move forward.
QUESTION #2: Mike, with the injuries that you have and the players you have gone in Canada, does that start to take a toll in practice' In games, your depth is a little thinner. Do you do anything different' Do you expect, think different out of the guys that you do have in . . .
EAVES: No, I don't think so. I think the fact they've had 20 days off. I mean, they're fresh, they're excited. I think we have to get back to, maybe one of the reasons that we did lose those little battles, we haven't done it in a while and we'll do some of that his week. And just, you know, it's a short week. We'll have a couple days, which in the long run may be good, because we won't be banging against each other as long, but we'll go back to some fundamentals, which we have to do. It's interesting, even at the pro level, you play so often. Coach Johnson used to talk all about those practices become so precious because you get back to fundamentals. And being off for 20 days and then coming back and jumping into two games, there's a lot of fundamentals that we had lost touch with, and we need to get back to some of those in these next two days of practice.
QUESTION #3: You seem to like the notion that you're a starless team, that, you know, you've got, it's hard to defend, you got a group of guys that do the things you want them to do to win. Do you have guys that might be moving into that category' After a weekend like this, Derek Stepan seems to be a player that has that potential to kind of be a go-to guy for you, perhaps more so than he is right now.
EAVES: Well, first I'm going to dissect your opening comment, in the fact that I seem to like the idea that we're a starless team. I think what I like is the fact we're understanding that's our identity. So I just wanted to clarify that, which really shows I was listening to your verbiage. But in that next phase, we're having growth by some of our people, and that's, you know, you used Derek as an example, but I think all of our freshmen are going to a higher level, and you would happen that would happen after Christmas. That's what history tells us, that after Christmas your freshmen are no longer true freshmen, and they're starting to grow, and their identity into who they are is starting to become more clear.
QUESTION #4: Do you have any more idea how long you'll be without Patty Johnson or Blake . . .
EAVES: Well, we'll find out today based on, you know, Patty's swelling and where he's at with that, you know. We have to let, as we talked about the other night, we got to let it settle down here, and I mean, probably we're looking at anywhere from one to four weeks, depending on how it settles down. That will be the determining factor.
QUESTION #5: During your professional career, I'm guessing you had a moment or two where you sat in the press box and had to watch as a . . . it was rather telling watching Blake Geoffrion sit up in the press box last night. Do you sense that after an experience like that you want them to kind of see the game in a different way, take the experience of, you know, seeing how guys are playing and stuff like that, but to want, too, to get back in play' One would think that he would probably be so bored with that and so frustrated by sitting up there not doing anything that he would want to come back quicker. Is that part of his equation right now'
EAVES: No. Really, because of the type of injury he has, I think we really have to be prudent. If we're not prudent with it, Andy, it could be a longer lingering type of thing. And so I know he really wanted to play this weekend and he really wanted to play worse after watching two games. Our son Ben is in town, and he was hanging around him last night. He said it was funny. It was a gong show in terms of watching him, and he was in a different place for every period, and every place he had to go because he was so obnoxious at the previous place. So, but that's just his spirit, and that's who Blake is. And so, but I think that he's got to prove to us that he can get through practice and have a low level of uncomfortability that'll sell us to the fact that you know what, there's going to be some pain there, but he's got to be able to, he's got to be at a level of pain where he's not going to reinjure that darn thing.
QUESTION #6: Were you ever able to sit still the whole game when you're upstairs ' I mean, is that something maybe after a while of doing it . . .
EAVES: Well, I think sitting still, I remember being able to sit still but, you know, you're moving, there's gyrations going on. And we actually, when guys sit out, we sit down and talk to them about what they should be looking for. Just don't watch because you're not playing or you're injured, but watch to learn. There's a, if you do that, if you have a dedicated mindset when you're watching, when you get on the ice because you've been watching up here, it's almost like when you're playing, you're watching it in your head from up there, and the game's always simpler from up above. You can't understand, well, why didn't they see that. But when you're up above, it's so simple being compared to on the ice. When you do have a chance to watch it from up above, it does make it a little easier when you get down on the ice.
QUESTION #7: During your time here, you've had two All-American goaltenders in Behrend and Brian. Where's Shane compared to those two guys in what he's doing for you and how much you're relying upon him'
EAVES: I think he's evolving to their level, and it's interesting when you have somebody watch your team or your players who hasn't watched them in a while. And again, I'll bring up our son Ben who happens to be in town, and one of the guys he talked about was Shane, and he said, geez, he's really playing well. He looks like he's under control, he's not bouncing around, his rebound control is good. And so hearing that and seeing what we've seen over the course of the last, you know, really since the St. Cloud game, he's taken his game to another level. And so when you compare him to those other two guys, he's getting closer, which is a great thing to be able to say about a young player on your team, and especially in a goaltender, because it's, you know, such a pivotal position. So he's growing there, and we hope he keeps going in that direction.
QUESTION #8: I see the women's hockey team is hosting a national team here at the Kohl Center this weekend. You've been on both sides of a game like that. What kind of an opportunity does a game like that present for each side'
EAVES: We were talking about that last week. It's a, with Coach Patrick. Because every year, we look at whether or not can we schedule the under 18 team to bring them in, you know, national team, we were part of that program, it's good for their program. There's a real danger there bringing them in, because when you bring them in, I know we had them in here during exam week while your kids are thinking about exams and they're not thinking about playing the game, and you can get your ears waxed. And it's kind of, you know, these are young kids. These are seniors in high school. So the downside of it, you could be somewhat embarrassed by it, and we've got some tunes going on back here. So there's definitely a two-sided edge to it. You're helping the national team out, your team's playing a very good team, but you can get embarrassed, and you can learn some lessons the hard way. So you have to look at it very closely.
QUESTION #9: You probably went over this last night. What was kind of the ruling on the Schwab goal in the shootout, and what was your reaction to that whole situation as played out'
EAVES: Well, the referee said that the whole puck did not cross the goal line, and that the full momentum of the puck had stopped, and that was the explanation we got.
QUESTION #10: Because of how important the pair-wise(') is in determining where you guys get seated in the tournament and if you move forward, some sites have, you know, released the pair-wise. Are you a coach that this early on, do you pay any attention to that or do you not really worry about the pair-wise until it starts getting towards February and March'
EAVES: No, we start, you know, this time of year it starts to sift out a little bit as to where we are, and I think that we're conscious of it. I think we'd be foolish not to at least know where we stand. And of course, it means more as we get close to the end of the year, but we have to have a starting point, and right now it starts to sift out a little bit. So the players are aware of it and we, the coaches, are too. In saying that, in noting that, it's like, you know, taking a look at our journey. Okay, we know where we want to go, now we got to go right back to get what's in front of us next in order to make that progress.
QUESTION #11: You also have a short week and a lot of things on your plate. The World Juniors are going on, you have two guys in a game Wednesday night. Do you have any interest in trying to watch that and see how your guys are doing and following that tournament . . .
EAVES: There's several reasons why we want to watch it. I mean, it's just really good hockey, and so you want to watch it from that standpoint. As a coach, you're always looking to pick up something new that a team is doing, whether it's a face-off play or anything like that. And the fact that we are emotionally attached because we have two of our own players there, the guys are talking about it and, you know, how much ice time are they getting, what they're doing, so I know our guys will be getting together on Wednesday and we'll watch as well, just because we're emotionally attached.
