Pre/Post Game Minnesota Wild Banter

[spearchucker]

Latendresse sounds like he is a ways out yet. We need him. This isn't going to hold up forever with all these young kids playing. We needed the break to heal up some injuries. Hopefully Zidlickey and Kobasew will be back by Thursday.

[OnAFly]

They are saying week to week on Lats. Not sounding good.

Staubits moves his feet faster than anyone on the ice, yet moves slower than anyone on the ice. He looks like he's driving the Fintstone's car out there.

I can agree on Barker's play as of late. Flipping the puck out of your zone and to the other team half way through your shift should be a benchable offense. I can't stand it when a guy flips the puck out and we lose possession especially when they are not being pressured.

[spearchucker]

Another ugly game for the Wild. They should put Barker on a 1 way flight to anywhere but where the Wild are playing. I have seen Bantam defenseman play better than he did last night. Obviously with a 5-1 loss he wasn't the only problem, but he was on for at least 3 of the goals against.

They announced attendance as 3500 in Atlanta. It looked like a High School game.

[JimBuck]

Looked pretty rough out there last night. Backstrom was hung out to dry on quite a few of those goals. Defense didn't appear to be firing on all cylinders. The forecheck wasn't much better but we did see some flashes of hope when we could connect a few passes for a breakout. As was said earlier, I get really sick of inexperienced defense just dumping the puck into the neutral zone. I'm fine with dump and chase, or getting it deep to get fresh legs out there. These neutral zone flips are killing us with quick counter-attacks.

[spearchucker]

I agree with the neutral zone flips. All this does is prevent us from changing lines and allows them the reset and attack again. Why aren't all the Skoula bashers all over Barker? I would take Skoula any day over Barker. At least Skoula could skate.

[OnAFly]

Barker was bad, so was Nystrom.

Nystrom: -8, 0G 1A 1P. Why is this guy playing? I don't know how many times I've seen replays of goals against as heard, "Nystrom leaves his man and (his man) scores."

He's terrible offensively and defensively. Why is he still playing?

[OnAFly]

+1 on the neutral zone flips...drives me nuts. Broomball team I was on did that constantly. Makes for a long game.

The sad part about Skoula was that he really picked up his game 3 months before he left. It was like a light bulb turned on and he was dependable. Then he left. We should have given him another 1 year contract to see if he could keep up the good work. I know I'll take cr ap for saying that.

[spearchucker]

Nystrom is a -8 because he is always matched up against the other teams top scorers, but he has been bad lately. You know it is bad when my kid that plays Squirt hockey is pointing out how bad the defense was playing. He was pointing out how they are not hustling and were always out of position.

[spearchucker]

Falk had a bad game, but he is the only defenseman with a +1 rating. All others are -.

[spearchucker]

The sad part about Skoula was that he really picked up his game 3 months before he left. It was like a light bulb turned on and he was dependable. Then he left. We should have given him another 1 year contract to see if he could keep up the good work. I know I'll take cr ap for saying that.

I agree, at least the guy could skate forwards and backwards. Other than the occasional brain fart, I thought he was a decent defenseman.

[JimBuck]

Wild looked alright yesterday. Any word on Clutterbucks status? Our guys are dropping like flies between the suspensions and injuries.

[OnAFly]

Didn't sound too good for CC. Back issues was the latest.

I guess the flu was going around the TB bench lately. Just wait for that to hit us now. We'll be flying the whole Houston team in.

[OnAFly]

Good to get the win last night, the ducks really poured it on in the 3rd. Why doesn't Miettinnen use that shoulder move more often!

Where has Koivu been that last couple of games? He hasn't been his dominating self.

[spearchucker]

That was the worst 3rd period in Wild history. I agree, Koivu needs to step it up. When everone was playing like carp he would take the team on his shoulders and lead by example. Not lately. He is losing faceoffs and not competing like he normally does.

[10,000 Casts]

Last night was my first wild game this year at the X. And man did they look flat, not just the 3rd but all game... Koivu had 2 good chances in the first and blew them both. The Ducks played Dallas the night before so I expected them to be flat but not the Wild and they outshot the Wild 20-1 in the 3rd and Backstrom looked really good. The Havlat/Madden line also looked good and Barker is one of the worst D men in the NHL..

It was fun to watch Scandella make a couple mistaks in OT then make up for it by taking the puck the length of the ice and get the assist. He is a big boy. a little stick handling and skating practice and he might be good.

[OnAFly]

I was reading about the predicament Fletcher was in with 8 d-men up in the big club and having to decide which one to send down Scandella, Falk, or Stoner. I was hoping for option 4, sitting Barker. That guy needs to watch a game or two from the press box and think about what he needs to do to be effective.

[TomWehler]

Wild or Fox sport have got to dump Greenlay the mouth.

Never ever shuts up...EVER.....bla, bla, bla, bla, bla.....on an on an on an on an on an on...never ending garbage.....for years only good way to see a game in peace an have fun is to go inperson.

No mouth going on an on three whistles later about what happened five minutes ago.

come on..add some color f ya can right place right time but shut up.

Dan T. can call apretty good game alone..no need the mought...never shuts up.

Big Bore x 100000000

If you don't know who is on each team you will never know who has the puck.

An alwayz calls junk officals see first hand as wrong...come on...go call a peewee game in south carolina....

Big shame on Powers that be for letting him last this long...amaing ...he must get paid in fertos an beer.

AAAHHH!

Sorry..I'm ok now.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Tommy.

Cancer suckz!

[JimBuck]

Pretty exciting game tonight. The Wild came out buzzin' pretty good the first period and continued until about midway 2nd period. Theodore had a great game. It was good to see Koivu finally get one....he's been slackin' lately and we really needed guys like him, as well as Burns, Havlat and Zid to step it up. A win against the Red Wings is always a good win in my book.

[Mudcutter]

especially at the Louis,,, a dump if you've ever been their.

then again-- it is Dumptroit.

[OnAFly]

or maybe Detroilet

Didn't see the game, really surprised we won.

Ever notice how fans at the Joe are more interested at waving at the camera while it pans across the ice than they are in the game in front of them. I see more people turning around to wave at that place than any other.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I have actually noticed that too...quite funny actually.

[spearchucker]

Last night was my first wild game this year at the X. And man did they look flat, not just the 3rd but all game... Koivu had 2 good chances in the first and blew them both. The Ducks played Dallas the night before so I expected them to be flat but not the Wild and they outshot the Wild 20-1 in the 3rd and Backstrom looked really good. The Havlat/Madden line also looked good and Barker is one of the worst D men in the NHL..

It was fun to watch Scandella make a couple mistaks in OT then make up for it by taking the puck the length of the ice and get the assist. He is a big boy. a little stick handling and skating practice and he might be good.

I was at that game as well. That is the quietest I have ever seen the X for a game ever. They announced 16,??? for the attendance, but I bet there was closer to 12,000 actually there. How many times did Barker lose the puck at the blue line in that game (3 or 4?). I would take Scandella and Falk or Stoner over him any day. The guy can't skate.

[OnAFly]

Not scoring on 6 minutes of practically back to back to back power play time pretty much set our tone for last night. I think Bouchard was the only guy that passed tape to tape last night. Everything else was a bouncing pass into someones skates.

What's with our break out strategy? It seems like we rush 4 guys out of the zone regardless of how much pressure the one guy with the puck has on him. Then all of the sudden we are praying that one guy is able to make a miraculous pass out of the zone. We make it to the red line then lose the puck and start over again.

Mikko!!! Where have you been the last ten games? At least Havlat is still driving the net and creating chances.

[spearchucker]

Havlat is great lately. Fighting, hitting, shooting, driving the net, and playing great D. Bouchard looked pretty good for a year or more off.

I wonder if there is something wrong with Koivu? He looks terrible the last few weeks.

[spearchucker]

We have some playmakers, now we need shooters who can hit the net.