BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Five takeaways from the Wisconsin men's hockey team following its non-conference series with Merrimack College:
One: UW is feeling its first ripples of on-ice adversity under first-year coach Tony Granato. Injuries have sidelined one of its top scorers, freshman center Trent Frederic, as well as its top returning goaltender, sophomore Matt Jurusik. Losing Frederic (upper body) for an indefinite period means unsettled line combinations, a reconfigured power play and the absence of a top faceoff guy. He also brought an air of natural confidence to the lineup and the dressing room. Losing Jurusik (lower body) puts more weight on the shoulders of freshman Jack Berry (2-0, 0.83 goals-against average, .956 save ratio) and directs the light of readiness on untested freshman Johan Blomquist.
Two: The series with Merrimack, a 3-2 victory on Friday and a 2-0 loss on Saturday at the Kohl Center, provided the Badgers with another opportunity to embrace the psychology of success. So far this season, they've lost the first game and come back to win the second in two different series (both vs. Northern Michigan). They've also prevailed in the series opener and lost the second night on two occasions (Boston College and Merrimack). So how do you prepare to bring the same high-grade intensity for six periods? UW set the opening-night tone over the weekend, but played with a dull emotional edge for the first 40 minutes against the Warriors in the second game and paid the price. Associate head coach Mark Osiecki said it's part of the maturation process. "We're going in the right direction," he said, "but it's not just going to happen overnight."
Three: A big lesson in preparation, intensity and technique is on tap for the Badgers (6-4 overall) this week. They make a non-conference swing to the Rocky Mountains — Colorado College on Friday and Denver on Saturday — where playing back-to-back nights in rarified air is just one of the challenges. CC (3-7) plays on an Olympic-sized sheet at the World Arena (200 feet-by-100 feet) where angles and gaps are more pronounced. Meanwhile, the Pioneers (7-2-3) skate on an NHL-sized (200x85) rink where plays can happen quickly. Osiecki is hoping UW can replicate its approach to an earlier weekend trip that yielded uplifting wins at St. Lawrence and Clarkson. "At times on the road, the focus is so much easier from the standpoint that you don't have any distractions," he said.
Four: It's early, but some encouraging trends are starting to develop. On average UW is outshooting opponents 33.1 to 24.7. The power play (.219 success ratio) and the penalty kill (.907) are among the best in the nation as well. As for the transition to a new attacking system, Osiecki likes what he sees. "Tactically, I think we're fine," he said. "All of us are very excited about the fact they have been able to pick things up."
Five: Osiecki thinks a couple forwards — sophomore right winger Dan Labosky and sophomore center Seamus Malone — are on the verge of offensive breakthroughs. Labosky is goal-less in 10 outings and seems to be pressing. Malone has 10 points on four goals and six assists, but has another gear or two available. "I'm not sure they can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but the way both of them are wired is they're so intense and so in tune to the team," Osiecki said. "We constantly remind them just to relax."
