This is my biggest concern about the team, both in the past few years and looking ahead to 07-08. Slow starts have left the team no room for error down the stretch, and perhaps expending too much energy just to lock up a home playoff series. Regardless of the sound bites, you gotta know the coaches and the players are watching the Pairwise and they know how important each and every game is down the stretch. That has to be wearing on them emotionally and to some extent physically.
How 'bout they come out like a house afire and kick some azz in the first half? Any tinkering with lines and defensive pairings from then on out is merely fine-tuning, not searching for a spark. I'm not saying coasting into the playoffs is desirable, but how nice would it be to be able to consistently roll all four lines in February and March, getting everyone ice time and into the flow? As opposed to having your top two lines and d-pairs skating absolutely critical shifts every time they hit the ice?
And Shawn-O, a top half WCHA finish has to be a given. I think anything less than second place this year is a disappointment.
As I said in a thread long ago and far, far away: these guys have to make this season personal. Every last one of them. From Day One.