Will Wisconsin show the best version of itself in the NCAA hockey tournament?

MADISON – Twenty years ago, Joe Pavelski and his teammates at Wisconsin pulled off an unforgetable postseason run. The Badgers men's hockey team scored back-to-back shutouts in the regional semifinal and final to reach their first Frozen Four in 14 years. A coupe of weeks later they added wins over Maine and Boston College to capture the program’s last national championship.

This week, the retired veteran of 18 NHL seasons, gave this year’s team some advice as it prepared for the NCAA Tournament. “His main message is sacrifice and what are you willing to sacrifice for one another to get this thing done? ,” junior defenseman Joe Palodichuk said.

“I think that really stuck with our group, and that's the question we're all asking each other. What are you willing to sacrifice? ” The Badgers (21-12-2) are in the tournament for the second time in coach Mike Hastings’ three seasons as coach, but they arrive in the postseason as a team that is hard to peg..

The last time we saw them they suffered their worst loss of the season, 7-1, to Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament March 11 The Badgers lost six straight games in January but rebounded to close the regular season by winning six of eight games that included three of four versus ranked teams. Can UW get to that selfless play that resulted in some of its biggest successes this season? “I think the most exciting thing for me is just that we have proved that we can beat anybody throughout the year,” captain Ben Dexheimer said on Selection Sunday.