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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 7, 2015

Mike Eaves

Madison, Wisconsin

Q. What did you learn on your trip to Michigan? You saw that you couldn't hang on, you had to have good and bad out of that?
COACH EAVES: Yeah, Friday night we made the analogy that when you play a hockey game it's a lot like taking a test or a quiz where it's a pass/fail. You answer some questions right, but you have to answer enough questions to pass the test, and we didn't do that on either night. I watched film yesterday and I'm just amazed that the really good things that we've done, and yet when we had our breakdowns, they seemed to end up in the back of our net.

So it's all part of our growth and journey as a young team is to eliminate those things. We are eliminating. There are not as many chances against, but when they're happening, they're costing us. You still have to solve the riddle of how this young team holds on to a lead that we have created at least four, five times this year.

But, again, talking to Red Berenson when we came off the bench, he said that was a hell of a hockey game. He said we were lucky to win. You guys were good. And we're putting together film for the guys today, and it's amazing how many good things we did and in a tough environment. When they tried to get physical, we met their challenge and we created scoring chances and won the specialty teams game.

But the same thing we've been talking about all year, coming into our zone was especially trouble some for us this past weekend when we gave up goals on that. But, man, did we do some good things. Again, we're going in the right direction. We have to answer more questions on the right side of it so we can get that pass and get that W in the left hand column.

Q. You look at Tim Davison's numbers and they kind of jump off the page at you in a variety of ways, five goals minus 12. Are you okay with that equation?
COACH EAVES: Well, the obvious answer would be no. But at the same time, what Timmy has done with the puck has always been his strength. And since last year, I mean Timmy and I had a real good heart to heart talk about his play. He's made improvement with his play without the puck because he's an offensive defenseman, he's always been allowed to get away with don't worry about you gave up a goal there, Timmy. It's much like the Karlsson boy that plays for Ottawa. At that level he's maybe one of the best offensive -- but he gets beat all the time. I'm sure it drives his coach nuts too.

So working with Timmy it's about how do we get better with your play without the puck. He knows about it. He's seen video. The thing is we're trying to create new habits over bad habits he's had his whole life. We're going in the right direction. It's a slow process, but I can tell you, he's aware of it and we're making strides.

Q. What kind of bad habits have really gotten engrained with him. I mean, some guys it's just instinctive. I think of Brendon Smith and his willingness to jump up in the play and compromise.
COACH EAVES: Yeah, for Timmy where his bad habits lie is when he's playing without the puck and he gets to a situation where he's going to have that moment of truth with a player with the puck, he drops his eyes and becomes focused on the puck. In hockey they talk about you lost your jockstrap back there the guy took it off you because he made a good move.

Well, that happens to Timmy. So it's about him focusing on what we try to do, you have to have your tools up ice and go through the man. Not that Timmy's going to hammer a guy, but he can put his stick between his legs and control him physically. So, again, it's something that we talk about every week, we work at. I can honestly tell you we've seen improvement in practice. But in the game when it's all happening, that is the moment of truth.

Q. What is making your power play work so well right now?
COACH EAVES: Well, we have pretty good people on both units. One of the differences that we've talked all year is our speed and skill level of our team is at a higher level than we were able to experience last year. It's fun to watch the games and video because so much of offense is taking what is given to you. We call it twig. Our guys are doing that at a high level now.

When the young man with the puck, he's like the quarterback, and defense is giving you something, or something open, we have an extra guy and they have to be able to find that, and we did a nice job of finding that open guy on the weekend.

Q. When you have an 18-year-old in the net, how do you manage his psyche as he goes through the highs and lows of growing pains?
COACH EAVES: A lot of that has to deal with, yeah, there are pucks going in the net, but part of that is the people in front of you in certain situations. We'll handle that. But we're able to show him, he made some really good saves also. And I think that's what kind of balances out the scale in his own mind in terms of keeping his confidence and knowing that he's doing some good things.

So working with Jeff Sanger, like today on Monday, they'll look at all his goalie touches or the saves he made or how he handled the puck. So there is a balance that's being met by the goals that are going in, how he can stop some of those. If they are his fault, but also some of the good saves and his positioning in the net. So it's a process. We give him both sides of the coin.

Q. Since beating North Dakota has your team improved, and, if so, where?
COACH EAVES: I would say this, we're not giving up as many scoring chances against. That we're coming at a higher rate from line rushes against into our own defensive zone coverage. This past weekend in Michigan, today in video we'll be able to show our guys how we're taking time and space away a lot quicker against teams that are playing in our own zone, and that's a good thing. One of the main reasons why we're being better in our own zone.

Q. How much different is the challenge playing Michigan State from the team you just faced?
COACH EAVES: It's different in the fact they're not as wide open a team. Michigan has great capacity. If you're going to give the puck up in the neutral zone, they'll be back in your face and legitimately have a chance to score, as we found out. Michigan will be a team that relies on their goaltending and they'll really close down around the net. It will be tough to get pucks through. They'll literally eat pucks to prevent them from getting to the net.

So we'll have to be intelligent about our shot selection and how to create shooting lanes for our guys. Actually, we'll need to find sticks in front of the net rather than shoot to the net and get sticks outside the net so we can get some tip-ins. So it will be a different style, for sure, based upon how they like to play in their own zone and the ability to get up and down the ice?

Q. Can you explain Ryan Wagner's improved production?
COACH EAVES: I think it's just confidence. We talked about Ryan before. When he was playing Midget hockey, he was the captain of the team that won a National Championship. He was their leading goal scorer and went to a national program his senior year in high school. Was actually asked to do a different role. As a freshman coming in, he had a lot of scoring chances early, but he didn't get rewarded. You kind of lose your offensive mojo. I think that happened last year.

But he's got that from day one coming back this year. History tends to repeat itself, and he's got that going for him. He's doing what he did in midget hockey. He's in front of the net, getting rebounds, playing well, and he's being rewarded for it this year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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