It's Friday, I'm in Love

I'm getting started a bit late today, but since game time for the men isn't 'til 10pm tonight and since the women don't play 'til tomorrow, I figure that gives me a little leeway here. *shrug*

BADGER MEN @ SEAWOLVES : FRI/SAT 10 PM CST
Gameday links
TV: none
Radio: WIBA 1310, yahoosports webcast ($4.95/mo)
Video webcast: goseawolves (free)
Livestats: goseawolves
Game blogs: Milewski, Capobianco

Lines
Bohmbach - Geoffrion - Gorowsky
Murray - Stepan - Davies
Mitchell - Bendickson - Grotting
Hickey/Turnbull - Dolan - Thurber

Gardiner - McBain
McDonagh - Goloubef
Springer - C. Johnson/Little

Connelly
Gudmandson

Connelly will start in goal on Friday. He allowed 6 goals in his last game, and Milewski has pointed out that the last time Connelly did so he responded with a shutout victory. Gardiner is expected to take Brendan Smith's spot on the top PP unit.

Yesterday, Milewski indicated that Goloubef hadn't arrived yet and that it wasn't clear if he'd play on Friday. But Milewski and Baggot had him listed in today's lines and made no further mention of the issue, so I'm assuming he'll be playing.

Chris Hickey won this week's shootout. So I say that Eaves has gotta put Hickey in the lineup this weekend! I wanna see Chris score some goals!

Oh, and with PJ out of the lineup, it looks like it falls to Ryan Little to own Nils Backstrom (or whichever player wins the final poll), so Little better be in the lineup, too, as Gandalf hasn't designated any additional backups.

Series Previews
uwbadgers: UW hits the road to reopen WCHA play, Game Notes (pdf)
goseawolves: Seawolves face No. 17 Badgers at Sullivan, Game Notes (pdf)
Milewski (TCT): Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey vs. Alaska Anchorage
Baggot (WSJ): UW-Anchorage preview
Worgull (BN): Looking for the road stuff (premium)
Woody (Anchorage Daily News): Seawolves head into Badger country
Woody (Anchorage Daily News): Well rested Seawolves return to ice tonight
Milewski (Icehouse): Connelly will start opener
Milewski (Icehouse): What happens to the defensive pairings?
Milewski (Icehouse): The injury report
Baggot (Badger Blog): A world without Smitty
Baggot (Badger Blog): Who's got the upper hand?

I gotta agree with Andy that the Badgers are in a bit of a better spot right now that the Seawolves. Sure, being swept by Northern was horrible. But perhaps it'll get the boys in the frame of mind not to take any opponents lightly. And at least they've gotten the rust off from the holidays. UAA, on the other hand, hasn't played in over a month, with their last game being the 7-2 loss to the Badgers at the KC in December.

Other Articles
Capobianco: Even the moose are cold
Milewski (TCT): Much up for grabs in WCHA's second half
Baggot (Badger Blog): For the record
Baggot (WSJ): Confidence game for goalies
Milewski (TCT): Stepan steps into added roles
uwbadgers: Stepan named WCHA Rookie of the Week
Woody (Anchorage Daily News): Seawolves add 2 new players

The Usual Suspects
CHN: Tale of the Tape
USCHO: This Week in the WCHA
INCH: Seen and heard in the WCHA; WCHA stick salute, bench minor, great weekend getaway


BADGER WOMEN @ THE DULUTH FOREIGN LEGION: SAT 7 PM CST / SUN 3 PM CST
Gameday links
Video webcast: b2tv (pay)
Livestats: umdbulldogs
Live game blog: Boscacci

Series Previews
uwbadgers: No. 1 Badgers hit the road to face No. 3 Duluth, Game Notes
umdbulldogs: Badgers and Bulldogs Round 2, Game Notes

Other Articles
Milewski (TCT): This team compares favorably to UW's best
Baggot (WSJ): UW learns what it's like without Johnson
uwbadgers: Mark Johnson honored as Red Smith winner

Brittany Haverstock and Mallory Deluce, who just won Silver at the MLP Cup in Ravensburg Germany, will be back for this weekend's series. Mark Johnson, who is coaching the US Women's U18 team, will be absent, as his team will be playing later today in the semifinals.

Looking at the Badgers' game notes, is anyone not super impressed with Hilary Knight, Brooke Ammerman, Jessie Vetter, and, well, the entire Badger team? Wow.