Wild 2014/2015 Regular Season

[crothmeier]

Prosser is a Plus -9.

Suprisingly Nino is a Plus -11

[CaptainMusky]

That's one thing I noticed too. Nino has scored a lot but I think his defensive zone play has regressed. I guess I would take the trade off if he was closer to even in +/-

[OnAFly]

I think a lot of that is from the recent 5 games or so. I can deal with a winger being risky defensively, but not our defensemen. Prosser is a huge defensive liability with no offensive upside.

[CaptainMusky]

Onafly, the no offensive upside is the understatement of the year. I agree. Play Falk.

You know Dumba was sent down I would rather have him up here right now than Prosser. I wonder if Fletch sent him down moreso due to contract items ie # games played in NHL???

[bbfenatic]

Interesting read in Strib, Russo's interview with Fletch, some mention about Vanek and it mirrors what a "hockey guru" friend of mine told me the other day.....that Vanek just flat out is not a good western conference guy and will never be successful here to the level he was in the east plus he was waning towards the end of his play in the east anyways . He has lost considerable strength and West is too fast so his style just does not fit in.

[OnAFly]

The worst part is that his trade value is low, so there's little we'd get back for him and possibly would have to give something up.

Hopefully he can adjust and be the Heatley from his last year in SJ and his first in MN. If Vanek scored 25g, I'd be happy.

[CaptainMusky]

Waning in his play? He played for 3 different teams last year that surely doesn't help.

Vanek will be just fine. There are far bigger problems now then him not playing much defense. The goals will come ifhe can jjust be with a consistent line.

[CaptainMusky]

Koivu our defensive forward cost that SHG!

Vanek with a PPG. Should have the lead. Get Koivu off the #1 PP!!!

[OnAFly]

Koivu definitely shouldnt have made that pass. I was in WT F mode when it went across.

On the bright side our PP has been really good lately. Something approaching 30% I think. Too bad the terribleness that we started off with will overshadow any improvements.

[CaptainMusky]

Those stantions cost us another game.

[bbfenatic]

That was a great tip by Vanek....one of the better I have seen...too bad you can't just have one player be able to stand in the O-Zone all game Other than that getting too typical, play OK...stay close...lose in OT...go backwards in the standings....sub-par team at this point and gonna take a miracle to turn it around IMO...do you believe in miracles?

[bobberineyes]

Miracle is about it. They basically havta win everything in January and head into the break on a positive note. This team can't go to OT with anybody from here on out, not only giving up a point but they have a hard time skating 4 on 4 lately.

[schmitty3]

Not only did Koivu start that short handed rush with the bad pass, but he also didn't get back in time to stop the goal.

Pretty crazy to see the difference in the way these guys were playing at the start of the year until now.

[OnAFly]

Koivu actually had the backdoor Wheeler covered but if you watch the slowmo replay, the puck hits a clump of snow just before is stick, jumps just over his stick and into Wheeler's stopping skate and into the net. The Peg had two goals last night that had odd circumstances (we all know the other one ).

So, now Brodin probably has a concussion and Granny has a wrist injury that will keep him out of the next game and he's listed as indefinite (aka it's gonna be a while).

One thing this team absolutely has to stop doing, shooting for that far upper corner from the dot. We miss 95% of the time and it winds up back in our zone. We lost the zone a half dozen times on that play last night. We start shooting low and sending bodies in the slot, we may wind up with rebound goals instead. Seems like something we should be doing, especially with Vanek on the ice. Maybe he can teach Coyle to use his body there.

[Bear55]

So, now Brodin probably has a concussion and Granny has a wrist injury that will keep him out of the next game and he's listed as indefinite (aka it's gonna be a while).

I'm hoping this is bottom but right now the injuries and bad bounces and goaltending issues seem limitless.

[bbfenatic]

Koivu actually had the backdoor Wheeler covered but if you watch the slowmo replay, the puck hits a clump of snow just before is stick, jumps just over his stick and into Wheeler's stopping skate and into the net.

I am sure if Koivu had it all over again he would have done the fundamentally correct thing and covered/blanketed Wheeler and not just some open ice in the middle. Small miscues like that are killing us....we are getting beat because we are not a good team right now....plain & simple.

[fishing tech]

Seams ever time we play a physical team we lose at least 1 guy. The Wild are a "pretty" skating team with no real size or toughness. They would rather play the puck then the body and that will only get you so far if the other team wants to play physical.

Granlund on the IR I haven't heard anything on Broden. Sutter and Gravoc called up.

[CaptainMusky]

I'm excited to see Graovac play. Big kid, 6'5" 200#.

Watching Tuch play in World Hrs right now and those two big guys show some real future with this team.

Granlund out a month with broken wrist. Not good.

[OnAFly]

Graovac doing some nice things to see an NHL debut-er do.

One thing that seems to have changed significantly, Kuemper is better at swallowing pucks tonight and not giving up rebounds into the slot. Things staying the same, shooting high and wide to exit the O zone upon entry. Seriously, shoot low into the pads. You'll either get a nice rebound or the puck will go into the corner. I don't know why they are still doing this.

[bbfenatic]

Nice win...put in some gritty players and what do you know you get a gritty win. Too bad Calgary won. What is up with Suter? Man that guy is struggling with even the basic plays. Hopefully that was the confidence builder they need to propel them onto a W streak. Kemps was huge for a change!

[CaptainMusky]

They really have to find a better answer than putting Prosser in the lineup. Man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard "turnover by Prosser" . The guy is struggling to say the least.

[bbfenatic]

They really have to find a better answer than putting Prosser in the lineup. Man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard "turnover by Prosser" . The guy is struggling to say the least.

Agree...it is sad we have to have him out there at all but that is what we have right now...Chuck has to be looking to pick up a solid Dman soon if he thinks we have the ability to make a run...we'll know soon how sold upper mgmt is on this team.

[fishing tech]

I can honestly say after back to back games that I would love to see Big Buff on the Wild. Played half the game, thumped anyone near him, and show some offense and speed. Not to mention he wouldn't be beating on our little guys.

It would be nice to have the same lines and D pairings for more then one game. Can't remember the last time we had the same line up for more then a game or even 2.

[OnAFly]

Buf would be great to see in a green/red sweater. In any other, I can't stand the guy.

I can't figure out why Yeo called time during that 5-3. It just seems like there are better opportunities for that time out...like oh say when we have an icing with a minute left and our 3rd pair D is out on the ice.

As for Suter, he's got to be either feeling the minutes or he's sick. He just hasn't looked like himself the last few games. The above situation could have been avoided by shortening the bench with 3min to go and not playing Prosser/Bickel. But, with Suter clearly not playing well, I can understand why Yeo would want to play a fresh 3rd pair over a struggling, tired 1st pair.

With how these last two games have gone, I felt like we accomplished nothing. In reality, we took 3/4 points from arguably the hottest team in the league (they still got 2/4 though). Hopefully the guys can look at the series in this way too and build off the real success they had.

[bbfenatic]

I can honestly say after back to back games that I would love to see Big Buff on the Wild. Played half the game, thumped anyone near him, and show some offense and speed. Not to mention he wouldn't be beating on our little guys.

It would be nice to have the same lines and D pairings for more then one game. Can't remember the last time we had the same line up for more then a game or even 2.

My son played a lot of hockey against Buff from Squirts all the way up through high school and he was not much of a player early...kind of a rolly polly goof off that was easy to go around. That is one player who definitely matured later on and has become a top notch player so can play about any position well...and I agree 100%...he'd be a great fit on our team and help bring it to a whole new level...fun to watch...still has his off ice issues now and then though....and I don't see Jets ever letting him go...plays a ton of minutes and dominates.