OK!
 
Only nine more hours and we're going to drop the puck!!!!
For the last two weeks I have read and seen a number of polls and predictions.  I'm stuck in Indiana and don't really have access to alot of hockey news (except for our friendly little list).  So what I'm about to say is strictly conjecture.  Also, note I graduated from Wisconsin the last time they won the NC$$.
 
For now I agree with all the polls and preseason predicxtions showing the Badsgers in the lower half of the WCHA and not even in the top 15 of all the coaches poll.  From what I've been told they are quite unimpressive.  But for the last five years they have been loaded with talent and loftly things have been expected.  Needless to say they have not lived up to them.
 
Coach Sauer doesn't play speed hockey well (and that's exactly what he ahd for the last couple of years.  Also, all the head cases are gone (Jason Zent especially-gobs of talent but just a fast goon).
 
The big problem is going to be the loss of Jim Carey in goal.  But I'm going out on a limb here, if the defense shows up Daubenspeck (SP?) will begin to look as good as Derksen did in '92.  Remember DD was a solid goalie with one hell of a defense in front of him (bring back Oscieki and Hill).  In thinking about WI's last few goalies some similarites come out.
 
Curtis Joseph was a great goalie with little defensive help.  Sound sa lot like Carey.  Neither teams won the big one.  DD as stated above was solid with great defense.  Hot goalies win big games (Roy-Montreal) but defense wins all season long.  Carey and Joseph were overworked during the regular season and just didn't have the gas to wiothstand the incresed pressure during the playoffs.  I was at the regioal finals in Dtroit two years ago when MI beat WI in over time.  When tied then won the game on two relatively cheap goals.  Carey was just plained gassed.  The same happened to Joseph (does this resemble Cujo and the St. Louis Blues?).
 
So now I'm sure one of two things have happened.  One-no one is very interested and stopped reading or two-everyone is confused by ramblings.  I'll finish (didn't Clinton say this at the democratic natl convention in "88) by thanking the guy that picked Wisconsin third in the WCHA.  And I'll agree with him.  The defense is solid, it will get better and Big red will find a way to get home-ice for the WCHA play-offs.
 
Sorry for the ramblings
 
later
 
jd
 
ON WISCONSIN!
 
"No, no.  Just count the rings!"