Wild!!!

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Heres a shocker- Wild with ZERO again at the end of the first.... Power play looks putrid. This team cant score. Ever.

[fishing tech]

If unclaimed he will go to Houston I believe.

[mr_jman]

Tough loss tonight... and ANOTHER game with only one goal scored. I must say that the effort was certainly there tonight. Just too bad we couldn't find the back of the net on all our 3rd period scoring chances.

[Bran32]

Hey at least we are on pace to see 35 more goals this season!! Pathetic

[archerystud]

I watched parts of the last couple of games and at least now they are generating good opportunities, unlike earlier in the season.

I think they are improving but it's hard to judge how someone is playing when you have a goalie out there like Luongo. That guy just looks HUGE in net. It's because of guys like him that I think the net needs to be made wider.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

I watched parts of the last couple of games and at least now they are generating good opportunities, unlike earlier in the season.

I think they are improving but it's hard to judge how someone is playing when you have a goalie out there like Luongo. That guy just looks HUGE in net. It's because of guys like him that I think the net needs to be made wider.

other teams dont have a problem scoring more then 1 goal every 4 or 5 periods...

its getting REALLY hard to watch. Almost the equivalent of fingernails on chalkboard.

[10,000 Casts]

I have a meeting in Duluth all day today and I'm on my cell phone so I'll make good on my bet tomorrow.

There's no way Kassian will clear waivers, he'll go somewhere in the east where they still have respect for an enforcer. We will know by noon either today or tomorrow (depends when they submitted it to the league) who picks him him for a steal.

As far as last night, that 1st period they looked like a HS team but they turned it around 1/2 way through the 2nd and I think they had a legit chance at winning that game if Luango wouldn't have shut them down.

Right now the person that should be put on waivers is Heatley... They even had to put him back on the top line because he was making the 2 line look horrible and they must have had enough when him and Cullen gave up that 2nd goal.

[Bear55]

Someone check the water in the Wild dressing room, there has to be some kind of poison they are drinking that kills our offence.

[hoppe56307]

"Luongo's home shutout streak against the Wild ended at 228 minutes, 26 seconds"

I think this had a lot to do with the game last night. When Luongo is in the net we must have the mind set to give up because he has been so good against us.

[bbfenatic]

I will be very surprised if they make the playoffs.....happy...but surprised. Parise is working his arse off with little to show for it...his supporting cast is lacking in many areas IMO....size, speed, toughness...ability to put the puck in the net....etc etc.

[hoppe56307]

Harding Adjusting to New Meds

I hope they can get this figured out for him, but with they way the call up from Houston played in Vancouver we would still have a competent back up.

[Musky Buck]

I think that 2nd word "adjusting" sums up the wild so far, kinda sad to see us like 23rd was it in the power rankings, Parise's devils are looking good, Nashville is ahead of us, and you bet every team is fully ready for us with signing those 2 guys we'll get every teams best best effort proving the moves as wrong to the world as possible, you guys remember stepping up your game to prove the other team wrong or you're not just going to run away with things because you got that stud.

[10,000 Casts]

Kassian cleared waivers!!!!! I can't believe it so now he'll be reassigned to Houston and when Bordeleau treats Rupp like a punching bag tonight, maybe they'll think about calling him up... What a waste of a 2nd rd pick that would have been if we lost him.

[bbfenatic]

Andrew Brunette hired as Hockey Operation Advisor.............hmmmmmmmm....I say he'll be coaching the Wild before too long, especially if they don't make the playoffs....maybe sooner.

[RK]

I think you could argue that as a second round pick it was wasted either way - one of the many Risebrough-era draft day head-scratchers.

I like Kassian, but taking a heavyweight who's definition of 'career year' was 18 points in 72 games in the WHL is a reach in the second considering who was taken later (Jonathan Quick, Ben Bishop, Keith Yandle, Kris Letang, Vlad Sobotka, Niklas Hjalmarrson). Granted no sure thing at any point in the draft (see: Shepard, James), but... have to admit though I'm not inclined to be charitable with the benefit of the doubt for Risebrough in general.

Really though, there's only 3 spots on the 4th line, and Kassian is a 4th line grinder. They already have Kenopka who can at least hold his own in a fight and is one of the best in the league in faceoffs, Rupp is a veteran big body, and Mitchell who has speed and can chase on the forecheck. Kenopka and Mitchell can both take PK shifts, and there's no way on God's green earth you'd see Kassian on a PK. He has the smaller tool box overall, and doesn't have the veteran credibility Rupp has. He's odd man out. Whether it was forced by roster constraints or not I was glad the Wild put him on waivers for his sake, so he can either play in Houston or get a fresh start somewhere else vs. eating popcorn in the pressbox every night.

Other interesting news - Coyle was reassigned to Houston. Kind of surprised me frankly. I thought he was pretty effective. Might just be a numbers game again where he doesn't require waivers to be sent down (similar to Scandella) and they'd rather send him down and have him playing than sitting in the pressbox if PMB is back in the lineup. Not like they can't call him back up the next day if they want to.

I still think we see a trade at some point - PMB or Seto. But who knows. Still not ready to hit the panic button yet. They play like the did the other night against the Canuks they'll win often as not. Luongo was very good at times, couple hit posts... It's hockey, and they just have no puck luck at all right now. That'll even out.

[Bear55]

I think you could argue that as a second round pick it was wasted either way - one of the many Risebrough-era draft day head-scratchers.

[10,000 Casts]

Is being effective on faceoffs and a PK guy enough to say Konopka is being effective? I thought I was going to love this guy and instead he just looks like he floats around jaw jacking with guys. I thought he would have some nice hits and play some good D and I haven't seen that yet.

I can't dissagree on your comments on Kassian and I totally see what your saying but is Rupp any better? Kassian played in 25 games last year and had 2 goals, Rupp played in 60 games and had 4 goals and 1 assist and he was on a much better team... I like to remember when Kassian owned Hordichuk twice last year and it put a huge lift into that team. Rupp won't be able to do that. I hope Rupp can produce but imo he is no better than Kassian.

Ya, that Coyle move surprised me too.

[10,000 Casts]

I think if we were in the East, Kassian would be playing almost every game.

[OnAFly]

The Coyle moved shocked me. I thought he was pretty good. Trade coming?

10K Casts - nice avatar

[RK]

I think between Rupp and Kassian even if it's a tossup (not sure I'd say it is), stick with the veteran, especially in a room where the team's struggling. Don't get me wrong - I like Kassian - but that choice didn't surprise me much.

[10,000 Casts]

tonight will show us what Rupps made of if Bordeleau starts taking liberties with our players and I bet he does.

You know, if I remember, we made the playoffs a couple times with Boogaard.

[Musky Buck]

A lot of Matt Kassians over the last bunch of years come playoff time are watching with that bag of popcorn, maybe Konopka McCleod can have round # 2 tonight ? Is it 7 goals in the last 6 games ? Maybe our 3rd and 4th lines should get more ice time. I remember one of the local sports guys calling the Wild "a near automatic playoff team for years to come". Talk about putting the MN jinx on em lol.

[OnAFly]

Could have been worse. Barry Melrose picked us for the Cup this year

[OnAFly]

Just read Russo's write up on Coyle. I guess it makes more sense thinking about it his way. PMB is gonna be back, they aren't gonna sit a one way contract and the Wild don't play until Sunday after this. They'll let Coyle go be a star in the AHL and come back a better, more confident player. That's the short version of Russo's article. He's so smart

Anyone see Karlsson's injury? 70% cut through his Achilles tendon . I darn near did that in high school. Luckily I missed the tendon and only got the artery and nerve

[fishing tech]

Luckily? Had a guy I played jrs with cut his Achilles tendon. Foot just flopping around. They cut the back of the leg from ankle to knee to fish the tendon out to reattach.

Coyle was playing well, but more icetime and confidence can go a long way in a month or so.