Wild 2014/2015 Regular Season

[fishing tech]

The Wild have had I believe 32 different line ups in 41 games. JR is an air bag and gets paid to be one.

[bobberineyes]

Yes I am aware of the lineups being shuffled around this season, that was my point of Roenick running his hole like usual. I spose he has to be that way or he wouldn't have a job.

[OnAFly]

Anyone in front of a camera is either there because of their insight and analysis of the game, or for people to be entertained by the ridiculous things they say. It's usually pretty easy to figure out who is who.

[bbfenatic]

I asked an ex NHL'er who is a friend of mine, non Minnesotan, not a Wild fan; what he thinks is wrong with the Wild and he txt back the following:

"Their good players are bad and young players regressing. Parise is not as good as everyone in MN thinks he is, if he was from Michigan he does not get a $100 Million contract from MN, 2nd line scrapper on most teams. Vanek has not scored 30 goals since like 2010 and his game has fallen off a cliff and Kuemper was a late draft pick for a reason. MN has no superstars in a superstar league and to be top tier you must have at least have a duo." End of txt.

I found it interesting, disagree with some of it but fun to get an outsiders perspective.

[OnAFly]

Parise would have gotten that contract from a half dozen other teams if he didn't take it from here...including Detroilet. Not being defensive about Minnesota hockey players, but that's a fact. He had the same offer from multiple clubs (again including that big flushable city we know as Detroit). Also, I honestly don't care where our players are from, as long as they fit into the positions they're in and the team excels. Yeah, it's cool to have guys from our hometown's on our team, but that's pretty low on my priority list and I have to assume on Fletcher's too.

Other than that and the Kuemper thing (good goalies don't need to come from the 1st round), I agree with a lot of it. We don't have a star center, which we need. We don't have NHL level goal tending, which we need. Our vets are having terrible years, which need to be better. Our youngsters are regressing, which needs to be better.

I still think a lot of it comes down to lack of confidence in the goalie souring the moral in the locker room and leading to the downward spiral that has been the 2014/2015 season.

[Bear55]

Yep I agree with a lot of that BB, vets are not producing up to par and the kids don't look anything like the kids we saw in the playoffs last year save for Zucker breakout and Nino's hot start. I will say a pile of teams were lining up to pay Parise/Suter that money, it was the last year anyone could offer those kinds of contracts so you know they were going to cash in big time.

Parise isn't a 2nd liner, he as usual is the only forward you can count on game in and game out. No he isn't a superstar but I do agree with him that we could use one right about now. Vanek has been ok, not great but ok in my eyes. He is a complimentary player on this team, because we dont' have a game breaking superstar we need to win with depth and I can't say his production has hurt us, especially when you look at him basically replacing heatley.

[CaptainMusky]

I still think a lot of it comes down to lack of confidence in the goalie souring the moral in the locker room and leading to the downward spiral that has been the 2014/2015 season.

This is a majority of it. Players are doing things outside of what they normally would to hopefully make up for their lack in confidence in net.

Also, Agree 100% on the Parise thing. He isnt an Ovechkin, Crosby, etc, but he certainly would have gotten that money and took less to play here than he could have gotten.

Parise is 95% effort, 5% scorer. He gets what he does due to effort not due to skill. That's not a knock on him at all because we need more guys like him, but he isnt a pure scorer. NEver has been, never will and that isnt what I expect out of him either.

[bbfenatic]

Parise is 95% effort, 5% scorer. He gets what he does due to effort not due to skill. That's not a knock on him at all because we need more guys like him, but he isnt a pure scorer. NEver has been, never will and that isnt what I expect out of him either.

I agree..he is a hustler and best player on the team with Zucker not far behind...what does that tell you?

[Bear55]

I've heard Parise described in the NHL as an elite grinder and I think they nailed it, clearly a 1st line wing who can finish, hustle and play with the best of the best. However shy of a superstar in the physical ability/skill department.

[bobberineyes]

Sure would have made more sense having him picked for the all star game than suter.

[bbfenatic]

I've heard Parise described in the NHL as an elite grinder and I think they nailed it, clearly a 1st line wing who can finish, hustle and play with the best of the best. However shy of a superstar in the physical ability/skill department.

I would not want to play against him...and a great leader. I will say he probably has more goals that have gone off every part of his body other than his stick than I can recall, so at least he is not afraid to stand in front of the net and create havoc. He sees the ice well, anticipates better than most, and IMO a big asset is also is his low center of gravity.

[CaptainMusky]

I agree..he is a hustler and best player on the team with Zucker not far behind...what does that tell you?

Zucker has the chance to be a sniper. He has a really good shot and quick release. The way his game escalated this year, I could see him being a 40 goal scorer before long. Heck, maybe even this year, but that would require a big boost the last half.

[O.T.C.]

oh boy a 40 goal scorer..................that's a big number, since Gaborik left I'm not so sure we've even had a guy finish in the top 25 in league scoring, 40 that's a big number to score every other night, he better be on the top power play unit, without toughness to back him up I'd face wash that squirt night after night, make the others beat you. I agree he is skilled and fiery. No superstars in a superstar league is right check the league leaders and there's 1 wild player and or goalie mentioned and the lists were quite long Sunday, it was Scandella with 4 game winners, no other wild player was listed anyplace. The season just unraveled in a hurry.

[leechlake]

regarding Zucker I think of Granlund in the playoffs last year. I may be recalling wrong but didn't he really get on fire and then the opposition just beat the crud out of him? To his credit he kept going but I see the same thing happening to Zucker. What are we going to do, have Cooke cross check someone in the chops?

[OnAFly]

Opposing teams are going to try to beat on players regardless of whether they thing they may get into a fight afterwards. Enforcers are dead in hockey.

Guys like Kane, Datsyuk, and other small but effective forwards don't get crushed game in game out because they don't let the opposition get good body position on them. They don't take a big hit to make a play. They make a play while making it difficult for the opposition to really hit them hard.

They'll also burn a couple guys pretty good who try to go after them and get out of position. It doesn't take many odd man rushes developed from getting out of position to hit someone to have your coach sit you.

If guys like Granlund can figure this out and continue to try to play through the crushing hits every time, his career will be short.

[CaptainMusky]

oh boy a 40 goal scorer..................that's a big number, since Gaborik left I'm not so sure we've even had a guy finish in the top 25 in league scoring.

Pominville and Parise both were in the top 25 in goals last year. Total Pts, no, they were not, but goals they were.

[fishing tech]

Watch the game tonight and see how many guys give a full bore effort to try and block shots. That will be the first sign if they really want/think they can win. A team or player that wants to win will do whatever it takes while others will just go through the motions.

[CaptainMusky]

Watch the game tonight and see how many guys give a full bore effort to try and block shots. That will be the first sign if they really want/think they can win. A team or player that wants to win will do whatever it takes while others will just go through the motions.

There is something too that, but when they had 4 guys lose significant ice time last year after blocking shots I think they either A) shy away from doing it or change their "system" to block fewer shots. Not sure, but that is an observation I made.

I dont disagree that it is a good measuring stick toward effort and determination to win or doing what it takes to win, but it might not be a complete story.

[bobberineyes]

Well here we again, another game on national t.v. Lots of positive talk about the penguins and not so much for us I'm going with. Don't know bout you guy's, but if there should be any kind of shake up and wake up for these guy's, let Parise wear the 'c' . Couldn't hurt.

[bbfenatic]

Just go out and win an FN hockey game for cripes sake. F the goalie situation, F the injuries & sicknesses...put your FN gear on and go win the FN game!!!

[leechlake]

Just go out and win an FN hockey game for cripes sake. F the goalie situation, F the injuries & sicknesses...put your FN gear on and go win the FN game!!!

that may be the most accurate post in this thread.

[bobberineyes]

Well put bb, couldn't agree with you more.

[CaptainMusky]

Yeah BB why didn't you post that 20 pages ago we could have saved a lot of space on the internet. Lol

[CaptainMusky]

let Parise wear the 'c' . Couldn't hurt.

I'm all in on this!

Maybe that would wake up koivu.

[fishing tech]

What does this sound like? The Wild come out controlling the play and are down by 2.