It’s not exactly a secret the Badger hockey team has been bad. The question is: How do you react to a season like this when many players, freshmen and sophomores, still hold promise?
GS: Hey Sam, did you see Hockey give up 13 goals this weekend? How hot do you think Mike Eaves’ seat is?
SC: Clarification: 13 unanswered goals. I would say that calls Mike Eaves’ future with Wisconsin Hockey into question. While Eaves has had success and great teams during his tenure, he hasn’t produced great teams consistently.
He definitely has the individual talent with many of his players, including offensive weapons Grant Besse and veteran Joseph LaBate, but he seems to be having trouble harnessing the individual talent for the betterment of the team.
GS: Two wins on the season will certainly speak to the trouble of harnessing talent. But when the question comes to firing up the coaching search committees, it’s hard not to look at an entire body of work, rather than 60 percent of a season with a rag-tag batch of freshmen. This team is less than a year removed from a rather impressive Big Ten Championship. It’s hard to give up so quickly.
SC: The real issue I have is that right now people are losing faith in this program—and fast. Season ticket sales have plummeted in the last two years, down almost 1,500 season ticket holders last year alone. I honestly think a fresh face could be a good step toward renewing interest and support in a lagging program.
GS: I think that point was made obvious when this year’s student ticket prices dropped significantly. As a consumer I’m not complaining, but it speaks to your point that athletics is trying everything they can to revitalize interest in this program. I think it’s also interesting considering interest in the NHL is on the rise. I see fresh Blackhawks and Wild gear with the tags still on it around campus.
But back to the real issue at hand, I think it’s up to Eaves to find new ways to refigure this team. Whether it be switch up practice schedules, or changing up some of the assistant coaches. Whatever is going on right now isn’t working.
SC: That’s a definite. Some real change is desperately needed, and ASAP. The Badgers have had some glimpses of playing well and playing together that kept them close in competitive games like the first against Boston University and Minnesota.
I think a first step is going back to the basics and finding out why teams are able to get into Wisconsin’s zone with so little effort and why Rumpel seems to be all alone on defense.
I still believe a fresh face in the coaching staff would be able to identify these issues right away since they haven’t been staring at the same game film and stat sheets all season. Regardless, Eaves isn’t going anywhere before this season is over, he still has Barry on his side, but he definitely needs to step it up and start showing signs of improvement if he wants to stay in Wisconsin.
GS: Well he obviously wants to stay in the Badger state. He played on the team for four years, was a two-time All American and won a national title in 1977. It’s safe to say he’s a good fit for the program.
I’m glad you think Eaves should stick around through the end of the season, but you’re right, showing signs of improvement is mandatory, and what a perfect weekend to show it against your biggest rival in the Gophers. To some fans, a win at home against Minnesota would almost make the season salvageable.
