This week marks the seventh consecutive week that the Wisconsin Badgers (13-1-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 18-2-2 overall) have held the No. 1 ranking in collegiate hockey. For most, a No. 1 ranking serves as a target, especially when two-time-defending national champions, Denver University (9-5-2 WCHA, 12-10-2) comes knocking at the door looking to snag an upset.
This weekend promises to showcase a number of story lines. On the top of the pile will be whether the Badgers can keep up their improbable run. Also featured will be the stellar play of junior goaltender Brian Elliott. Elliott leads the conference in save percentage and has been the rock upon which the Badgers have fallen when all else fails this season'not that it happens much.
Another story line is made up of the two proven head coaches in Mike Eaves and George Gwozdecky. Gwozdecky has led the Pioneers to two straight national championships and is the only coach who could, given the Badgers streak, engineer an upset in the Kohl Center.
'They're a balanced team,' Elliott said. 'They have some scoring from their defense. They're two-time defending national champions. You can't say enough about that experience. We have to key on other team's strengths. [Against Denver we need to keep] playing our team defense the way we play it and back-checking. Beating their [defense] back into the defensive zone will be key.'
Denver is a slightly different team than Wisconsin has faced in the past in that the Pioneers have a number of defenders who are very capable at putting the puck in the net. Junior Matt Carle and freshman Chris Butler both have the ability to create and will try to create two-on-ones or three-on-twos by slipping by the Badger defenders as the puck is moved into Denver's offensive zone.
Do not count on the Badgers to slip much, however.
'With [Colorado College] this past weekend it was our last two games and we wanted to put them behind us,' said senior defenseman Adam Burish. 'Now, with Denver, they're in second place and we just want to put them behind us now.'
This is, in fact, the only series the Badgers have against Denver in the regular season. The Badgers may have drawn an advantageous match-up by having the series in a friendly Kohl Center, but as Burish stated, 'We just want to put them behind us now.'
'We aren't satisfied being No. 1 in January. That's not satisfying yet. I think guys realize that and guys want to continue to get better and beat teams. The guys don't want to loose another game this year, and that's the attitude.'
The Badgers have hurdles ahead of themselves if they want to continue winning. Hockey is a game of split series and low success rates. Like baseball, a 30 percent success rate is nearly unstoppable. Additionally, although the Badgers may remain aloft the No. 1-ranking, it also translates into skating with a bulls-eye on their back.
'I think teams want to beat us but I don't think it's the same,' Elliott said. 'The edge that we feel we have is that we feel we want to beat everyone else with the bulls-eye on our back.'
