WILD HOCKEY!

[OnAFly]

Nystrom was sent to Dallas for "future considerations." This is a great move by CF as it clears 1.4M off our cap and gets Dallas up above the cap floor. Hopefully things will work out better for him out there. He was the odd man out here. I still think Bulmer gets sent back to juniors before his tenth game. He could use the time he'll get down there on the PP and top lines.

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

We basically let him run around all night going after Heater. Apparently the Wild were ok with that. The enforcer in this case was necessary but went unused. It contributed to the loss in my opinion.

agreed!

Kassian sqaured off in the beginning of the 2nd and Neil wouldn't drop the gloves. When Neil started running people in the 3rd, they need to send Kassian out there and force the issue and get tossed. Kassian is one of the best fighters in the league but he has to pick his spots otherwise it's back to houston, that would have been a good spot! Staubitz would have ran out and jumped the guy and then gotten beaten up..

[spearchucker]

Staubitz isn't much of a fighter IMO either. What made me made in that game was how Backstrom was getting pushed around in the crease and after the play their would be a guy standing over him and the D would just skate away and leave him.

We missed Bouchard on the PP the last 2 games, so hopefully Butch, the ax murderer, can get back to setting guys up.

[OnAFly]

I don't know if any of our D line have that fire in them to move people out of the crease. I still can't believe no one was standing up for Heatley and pressing the issue with Neil. That bugs me.

The Oil tonight. This is a winable game.

[schmitty3]

Good to see Backstrom come back tonight and come up big in the shoot-out. They played really well tonight, expecially those last 2 periods. They seemed to be getting the hang of the forecheck and were really creating a lot of turnovers. Although it was against a very young team in the Oilers still a good sign.

[solbes]

I was hoping they could get a goal before heading into OT, but who can be upset with a win. I was dreading that shootout, but it was nice to see Backstrom make 3 saves. Good win.

[OnAFly]

I was nice to see Backs get out and challenge the shooters instead of letting them get a free shot off. I still think it's all in his head.

Healtey should have had 2 goals in that game. I get the feeling if that guy gets on a hot streak, he's going to be unstoppable.

[spearchucker]

Good to see Backstrom come back tonight and come up big in the shoot-out. They played really well tonight, expecially those last 2 periods. They seemed to be getting the hang of the forecheck and were really creating a lot of turnovers. Although it was against a very young team in the Oilers still a good sign.

If it weren't for Khabibulin that game could have gotten ugly. The Oiler's D is terrible. They turned the puck over constantly. Doesn't look like Cam Barker is playing any better up there.

[solbes]

Doesn't look like Cam Barker is playing any better up there.

Isn't it great?!? It's such a treat watching a team that doesn't have Barker, Mittens, and Sheppard on the ice. It's hard not to get giddy about our future.

[hoppe56307]

If it weren't for Khabibulin that game could have gotten ugly. The Oiler's D is terrible. They turned the puck over constantly. Doesn't look like Cam Barker is playing any better up there.

I was thinking the same thing. I only caught the 3rd but they should have scored 3-4 times if it weren't for Khabibulin they had some very good chances that he somtherd and did not give up alot of rebounds.

[Musky Buck]

I was so excited when we made the Johansson trade, but I didn't think it was Cam Barker in return, I heard falsely it was Troy Brouwer.

[OnAFly]

Wow, sounds like the Pens will be missing not only Sid, Malkin, Kennedy, Orpik, and Jeffrey, but also Letang. They also will be playing their backup goalie. This game is a must win, just for the morality of the team.

[spearchucker]

Wow, sounds like the Pens will be missing not only Sid, Malkin, Kennedy, Orpik, and Jeffrey, but also Letang. They also will be playing their backup goalie. This game is a must win, just for the morality of the team.

And we still got our a$$es kicked...

Terrible game.

[Bear55]

I was hoping for a better start from the Wild but it's not that much of a surprise, lots of new players that need to build chemistry and a new coach. Just glad we have seto and heater under contract until 2014 so we have some time to build up our team with them.

[scsavre]

Hopefully the wild can get it together soon. Digging a hole early seems to bite us every year.

Surely they need to wrk on the pp. We hd the puck where it needed to be in the o zone, we just don't have a plan on how to score. They will turn it around.

[OnAFly]

That was ugly. We played half of that game. How can you get a PP and play like your shorthanded?

Mikko doesn't seem to be as dynamic as he was 3 years ago. He constantly impressed me back then. I haven't been impressed with his play last year and this year like I was before. Maybe it's the law of diminishing returns I don't know, maybe it's the C.

All I know is Yeo has work to do.

[Musky Buck]

Where is Jacques Lemairre lol on the sp. Wild seem a bit of a mess, I was sure glad Seto and the Heater are here but I'm not real clear about our defense and their toughness,skill, or whatever. Not many of our defenders would start for most teams or would they ? I wonder how many times Yeo has yelled his own name Yeo........what happened out there.

[OnAFly]

LTDs goal was what they should have been doing out there. If they part a guy on that weak side of the net all night, they have 3 more goals at least. I don't know how many pucks ended up dribbling out that way only to get picked up by the Pens and moved up ice.

LTD looked like a fire got lit under his a$$ after his goal. That's the Gui that we knew from 2 years ago.

[scsavre]

Is it just me or does kiouvu look out of his element. He works hard but it doesn't look like he knows how to play with heatley and seto. Heatley is in another league out there when it coms to getting chances and moving the puck.

[solbes]

Can't get the bounces here. Shutout in Edmonton? NOOOOO!!! 2 minutes to go.

[solbes]

Oh BABY!!! How did that get through?

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Post Game Edit - Really nice top-shelf backhander shootout goal by Cullen. Made Khabi look feeble on that one. We'll take the 2 points and get out of town.

[jwhjr]

Nice to see the Wild snag the win out of nowhere for a change, they've been on the other end of that scenario far too many times.

[Bear55]

We "owns" Edmonton, owns owns...

[scsavre]

I liked that Cullen, Heater and Seto line. Im thinking Kiouvu, Buch and LTD. LTD looks like a new man this year. Really giving effort. Buch, I still get so mad at him during a game. I think my theory with him is he has all it takes to be a great playmaker, except hockey sense. He drives me nuts out there. Hopefully just not clicking yet. The team looked better against a good edmonton team, PP is going to be the problem for us for now. Terrible.

[OnAFly]

Koivu is not used to playing with guys like Seto and Heater. We're 7 games in. I'll give it time, but I agree that he hasn't looked great offensively.

Heaters goal last night was good for both the team and himself. Obviously for the team in that we get a win out of it, but the more he feels like he's filling that "go-to guy" role, the more success he'll have. Last night he was the go-to guy.

I know Zannon has been battling an injury, but he's looks terrible this year.

Oh yeah, and LTD has been a beast the last few games. If he keeps this up, he'll be getting a nice extension.