As with most exhibition games, it’s hard to really take anything concrete away from the score alone. The Badgers (2-2-0) beat the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 (2-7-1 overall, 0-5-0 NCAA) 5-4 at the Kohl Center on Friday, which, in comparison with Minnesota’s (2-1-0) dominating 9-0 victory over the U.S., seems like a dismal effort. Still, even with a much more narrow score, the Badgers continued to learn about their team and took several positives away from the one goal win.
For the first time this season, head coach Tony Granato had to make line changes before the game, giving many players new looks and a new feel on the ice. For the most part, these switches seemed to benefit the team, especially through the new line of freshmen Trent Frederic and Max Zimmer and sophomore Dan Labosky.
“I think the Frederic line tonight was probably the most solid line,” Granato said. “All the other lines did have some good shifts as well.”
Zimmer had his best game of the season, as he was flying around the zone and creating chances for both of his line mates. Labosky did not disappoint either, as the shifty winger both scored and set up Zimmer for his first goal of the season.
“It was an easy transition,” Labosky said after his first game without sophomore Seamus Malone centering him. “I mean, anytime you get to play with a guy like Trent, it’s pretty easy, he’s an easy guy to play with. He’s a big force out there and he moves the puck well.”
Granato is not convinced that these lines are final moving forward, but he did like what Labosky, Frederic and Zimmer put together offensively.
On the defensive side of the puck, however, the Badgers continued to struggle in transition. The unit is still letting guys get behind them, and consequently chase the puck into the corners, leaving the opposing forwards wide open in front of the net. Accordingly, sophomore Luke Kunin expressed concerns with the defensive zone coverage after the game.
“We’re always looking to get better at that and forwards take it upon themselves to be plus players, along with the D,” Kunin said. “We never want to give up any goals. It’s still early, but we’re definitely gonna tighten up that D-zone and get pucks out quicker to possess in the offensive zone.”
Granato echoes Kunin’s defensive worries, knowing that if the defensive zone can improve, that this Wisconsin team will be difficult to beat.
“We gave them confidence. I think we shot one in our own net and in the third period we knocked another one out of the air into our own net, so two of them we put in the net ourselves,” Granato said. “If you give up seven power plays, they're gonna get chances. They're very talented. These guys are going to be in the NHL in two or three years.”
Unlike any of the other games this season, however, that great talent on the opposing team was not entirely a negative for the Badgers. Three of the players on the U.S. Under-18 Team have committed to Wisconsin, including first line center Sean Dhooghe and defensemen Max Gildon and Tyler Inamoto. Granato said that he was definitely watching those guys to see how they fared against his current team.
“I know all those kids because that’s the team that Donny [Granato] coached,” Tony Granato said. “I cheer for them.”
All three of those commits looked solid against these 2016 Badgers. Dhooghe, despite only standing at 5’3”, made a couple of huge plays in the game, including saving a puck from the goal line with a diving poke check.
Still, amidst the excitement of a hockey program that is looking to turn around in the future, Granato and the Badgers are solely focused on getting better this year, including making sure the team is avoiding a sluggish start early in games.
“We gotta be hard right off that first draw and get pucks behind them and play our game right off the bat,” Kunin said. “If we can do that, I don’t think there are any teams that can handle us when we’re playing our game like that.”
In order to get off to those quick starts, the Badgers are going to have to dump the puck in early, get in on the forecheck and dominate the game from the defensive zone forward.
“I feel like we’re starting out slow because we’re dipping our toe in the water and kinda letting the game come to us,” Labosky said. “Coach has talked about that. Dictating rather than letting them dictate.”
So, in a weekend with little tangible takeaways in terms of the actual outcome, the Badgers ultimately learned a few keys for their success. For these Badgers, in order to dominate, and in order to consistently be successful, they have to dictate the pace early at both ends of the ice.
