Badgers men’s hockey team braces for tough challenges
Although the record doesn’t show it, this Wisconsin men’s hockey team is stronger than last year's squad, coach Tony Granato insists.
Now’s the time to prove it. Starting with No. 1 Notre Dame this weekend, each of the five remaining teams on the schedule is either ranked ahead of the Badgers in one of the polls or sits ahead of Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings.
“The challenge of having these games on our schedule at this time is helpful for us,” Granato said during his media availability after practice Monday in Madison.
“This is an opportunity for us. If we can put our game together, we think we can have a great chance to not only move up in the standings but set ourselves up for the playoffs.”
Wisconsin (11-11-3, 5-7-2 Big Ten) will meet Notre Dame (18-3-1, 12-0-0) at 6:30 p.m. Friday on the Irish’s home ice in South Bend, Ind., and then at 2 p.m. Sunday at the United Center in Chicago. The Sunday game is set for broadcast by NBC Sports Network.
Notre Dame has been No. 1 in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine and USCHO.com polls for three straight weeks.
The Irish won a program record-tying 15 consecutive games before having last weekend off.
The Badgers are coming off a split with Michigan State, with the Saturday tilt ending a five-game winless streak.
Wisconsin and Notre Dame met for the first time this season in early December in Madison, where Notre Dame won, 3-2 and 6-2.
“Hopefully we can draw back from the experiences that we had, one knowing the goaltender,” Granato said.
Hobey Baker Award candidate and Notre Dame goalie Cale Morris has allowed an average of 1.47 goals per game, 1.25 in the conference. He has recorded four shutouts, including a 44-save performance against Minnesota in November.
“He’s having the best season of a goalie ever in college hockey,” Granato said. “So we have to do more that just think we can skate down the rink, shoot the puck and beat him. We’re not.”
Then after Notre Dame, Wisconsin hosts Penn State, plays at Michigan, hosts Minnesota and finishes out the regular season at Ohio State.
Wisconsin, which won just 12 games over the 2014-’15 and ‘15-’16 seasons, made a huge leap in Granato’s first season, finishing 20-15-1 and reaching the Big Ten title game last year. The Badgers are still hoping to build on that.
“This year we had higher expectations of ourselves, and we’re learning to deal with being a team that’s respected,” said Granato, who played at UW from 1983-’87.
“I love our team. We have a better team, player-wise, than we had last year . ... I just don’t think that’s translated to more wins yet.
“We still have a lot of hockey to play. If we can get it going, we can do some great things this season.”
The opportunity to play at the United Center is a welcome one for the Badgers, whose roster includes seven players — plus its head coach — from the Chicago area.
Last season Wisconsin played at two other prestigious venues, Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Three Stanley Cups, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, (Brent) Seabrook … ” Granato said. “All of that will go into their anticipation of playing in that game."