Following a tough 3-2 overtime loss Monday night, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team looks to regroup and make a run over its last two series of the season.
The Badgers (10-7-7 WCHA, 14-11-7 overall) are essentially in a must-win situation, where four wins in its last four regular season games could possibly result in a playoff berth for the No. 16 ranked Badgers.
“We have to win. We’ve got to get some W’s on the road,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “That’s our first task.”
Up first is No. 13 Nebraska-Omaha (14-8-2, 18-12-2) Friday, a team coming off a 3-2 loss, this one to the U.S. National Development Team.
After allowing two third-period goals and another in overtime against Penn State, the Badgers have their work cut out for them against the No. 2 offense in the country.
Nebraska-Omaha’s offensive prowess this season is due in large part to junior forward Ryan Walters, the second ranked scorer in the nation.
Junior forward Tyler Barnes, who had four points in last weekend’s series against Penn State, acknowledged the need to keep pace with the Mavericks high-caliber scoring threat.
“[Offense] is something that our team’s been struggling with, but I think we match up good against offensive teams because we play so well together,” Barnes said.
Senior forward Derek Lee, one of Wisconsin’s primary producers and the team’s assists leader, is out for the weekend with a lower-body injury.
UW does see an advantage in heading to Omaha, where the rink at CenturyLink Center is smaller than that of the Kohl Center, and is closer to the size of the Badgers’ practice facility at the LaBahn Arena in Madison.
This plays to Wisconsin’s strengths as a team, Eaves said.
“I think on a smaller rink it kind of plays into our hands,” Eaves said. “We play a simpler game.”
Following a turbulent couple of weeks, including an outdoor game in Chicago and a rare Sunday-Monday series, Barnes said it is tough to keep a level head, but the turnaround UW was able to complete after starting the season with a less than ideal record was good practice in holding an even keel.
“You have to be able to forget the past, have a short memory,” Barnes said. “You could say that about our whole season, starting 1-7, going 13-3, now it’s just a shorter version of the same thing.”
Although Monday’s loss certainly set the Badgers back in their postseason hunt, Barnes isn’t letting it get to him, nor is the team.
“The only way to get to where we want to be is to continue winning, he said. “Even if we were in the No. 1 spot we would still be thinking about what we need to do to win every time.”
