The Frozen Four. This is what it is all about. This is what the Wisconsin men's hockey team (28-10-3) has waited all season for: a shot at the national title. After fighting off Cornell for over 111 minutes to get here, the Badgers are healed and ready to dispatch of the Maine Black Bears (28-11-2), the only thing standing between them and the chance to get their names engraved into history.
Guys are fine now, no effects from [the Cornell game] anymore,\ senior forward Adam Burish said. ""Guys could have a broken leg, and I'm sure they'd feel all right just because we get to go to the Frozen Four. Whatever side effects there may be lingering, they're all put aside now.""
With nearly two weeks to look over an opponent, over-preparation is always a danger. Trying to guess a team's every tendency and habit can only spell trouble, especially in huge games like the one Thursday. Having these facts in hand, the UW coaching staff adjusted its practice schedule accordingly and told the team to focus more on itself.
""We watch some tape on Maine every day, coach [Eaves] has given us a couple little tidbits,"" Burish said. ""But the nice thing the coaching staff has done for us is give us a couple days off.""
""Our main focus is still on how we are going to play, not how they're going to play,"" junior goaltender Brian Elliott said. ""We've looked at them on tape, but we're not putting too much emphasis on them because when it comes down to it, it's how you play.""
Even if Wisconsin wanted to scout Maine heavily, the Badgers could not draw on much previous experience against the Black Bears. The last meeting was in the 2004 NCAA tournament resulting in a 2-1 overtime victory for Maine. The Black Bears are not as highly ranked as they were in 2004 but have taken down Harvard and Michigan State in impressive fashion to get to the Frozen Four.
Much of Maine's offense comes from their upperclassmen. Senior captain Greg Moore leads the team with 44 points, while senior Derek Damon and juniors Michael Leveille and Josh Soares all have at least 35 points. The defensemen may not score much, but they do not allow much scoring either being fourth in the nation in scoring defense.
Of course, when all is said and done, the biggest battle occurs between the pipes. Freshman Ben Bishop mans the goal for Maine and is 21-7-2 on the season with a .908 save percentage. However, he's facing off with a goalie that has not yielded a goal in his last 252:15, in Elliott. Elliott is not only heading to Milwaukee for the Frozen Four, but for the Hobey Baker Award presentation, as he is one of the three finalists. Although being a finalist for the MVP of college hockey might distract some players, Elliott insists his mind is elsewhere.
""I can't really do anything about it, it's out of my hands [so] I'm not worried about it at all,"" Elliott said. ""I'm focused on the Maine game and we'll see what happens after that.""
The puck drops at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
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