Just two weeks ago, the Wisconsin men�s hockey team faced St. Cloud State on the road in the regular season finale. In the final game of the series, the Badgers fell 2-1 to the Huskies, a game that eventually prevented them from getting home ice advantage in this weekend�s WCHA tournament.

But that�s old news. The team has moved on.

�It�s gone,� University of Wisconsin goaltender Shane Connelly said of the loss. �The attitude in that locker room now is it�s over. Everyone�s 0-0 right now.�

The Badgers now get their chance for revenge and a clean slate as they travel to St. Cloud this weekend for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

In Connelly�s eyes, Wisconsin benefits from playing the same team twice in a row. They know their tendencies and what they like to do on offense, and they know they can beat them � as they did three out of four games against the Huskies this year.

�There�s no surprises anymore,� Connelly said. �We know what they bring; they know what we bring. It�s just now who�s going to execute, who�s going to step up, play harder, be more disciplined.�

�I think it�s definitely a good thing playing them,� defenseman Jamie McBain said. �We know what to expect. We know the barn that we�re going to be playing in. � We know what we have to do in order to be successful.�

One of the things St. Cloud brings is perhaps the most offensively productive trio in the WCHA. Forwards Ryan Lasch, Garrett Roe and Andreas Nodl are all in the top five in the conference for scoring, combining to score a total of 93 points on the season.

But where they have been especially effective all year has been on the power play. Lasch leads the conference in power play goals with nine, and Nodl is a close second with eight.

Two weeks ago was no exception, as a goal by Lasch with the man-advantage tied the Saturday contest up 2-2, a game St. Cloud would go on to win.

�I thought we matched up well against them on 5-on-5,� Connelly said. �It�s when we let those guys get on the power play that they�re extremely dangerous.�

Since their previous bout, the Badgers have had an opportunity to catch their breath. While the remainder of the league played games last weekend, Wisconsin was off. That bye allowed the team to rest its tired legs after playing in 10 straight series.

Head coach Mike Eaves said the freshmen in particular needed a little rest and relaxation.

�I think everybody to a degree [benefited], but certainly I think Kyle (Turris) because he�s been playing since August,� Eaves said. �I think overall, the freshmen (have benefited) just because of the wear and tear of it being a long stretch and a long season.�

While Eaves� squad may not be playing in the friendly confines of the Kohl Center � instead traveling again to St. Cloud�s National Hockey Center � forward Blake Geoffrion says the venue isn�t important this time of year.

�It really doesn�t matter,� Geoffrion said. �It�s the playoffs. You�ve got to beat the team wherever you play.�

This weekend�s series will be played in the best-of-three format, opposed to the usual two-game series. McBain feels the extra week off will give UW an edge if the series were to go the distance.

�We�ve been able to� rest our bodies a little bit, just in case it does come down to a third game,� McBain said. �I think we now have that advantage for us just because we�re a little more well-rested. But you take every game the same way. If it does go to that third game, we�ll be ready for it.�

Wisconsin currently sits at No. 13 in the PairWise rankings, and St. Cloud is eighth. Teams in the top 16 after conference play is finished make it into the NCAA tournament.

�It�s do or die time this time of year,� Geoffrion said. �Pretty much we�ve got to win this in order to hopefully get into the NCAAs. That�s what we�re working at.�

With all the storylines that could be drawn for the weekend series, the bottom line, according to Connelly, will be which team is hungrier.

�It�s just two teams who played each other two weeks ago,� Connelly said. �We don�t like each other that much, and it�s just going to be who wants it more.�

And the loss two weeks ago? It�s now just a mere afterthought.

�I think it�s a little bit of motivation, obviously,� Geoffrion said. �But it�s playoff time. I don�t think there needs to be any more motivation than that.�