Wild 2014/2015 Regular Season

[bobberineyes]

Not good losing Zucker, hopefully Jordan stays to help . As far as Carter he's more replaceable, I agree leave Bickle down and give Sutter a shot. The only thing is Winnipeg is big and physical, so hopefully nobody else goes down.

[schmitty3]

Tough way to lose, but at least they got 1. That was one of the worst games I've seen Spurgeon play, even before the giveaway at the end...not like him.

[CaptainMusky]

Tough way to lose, but at least they got 1. That was one of the worst games I've seen Spurgeon play, even before the giveaway at the end...not like him.

Agreed. He normally doesn't make mistakes and that one was costly. Dubnyk looked to have the angle covered pretty well, but a heckuva shot by Byfuglien.

They got one point which gets us closer to 8th. I think to have a real shot at making the playoffs they have to shoot at getting the 7th spot because I just have this feeling LA is going to right the ship.

The game pretty much went how I thought it would after an abusing game with Vancouver losing two players and being on a back to back.

Hopefully they rest up and are ready for Florida.

[leechlake]

Dumba looks like a forward trying to play defenseman. If he has the puck in the offensive zone I feel like he's going to score but when he's on the ice in our d zone I almost have to look away. He plays like a forward that's out on the power play that has to try to get back on defense, a little clumsy and clueless.

[OnAFly]

I'll go 48 wins and 105 pts.

Shall we make a wager?

I sure am glad no one picked up my wager offer from the preseason

Tough loss, but we picked up a point in a game that we probably should have lost in the 1st period.

[Bear55]

Have to be happy with a point on the road in a back to back game, could have gone either way. Dubs was great, especially when we came out flat.

[CaptainMusky]

Flat was almost an understatement. If it wasn't for Dubnyk we would have been down 3 or 4 rip in a hurry. What was it the first 14 shots by the Jets? Yeah, we came out slow, but our goalie kept us in it. Surprisingly we nearly evened out the shots by the end of the game.

I was kinda like the Wild last night too. I never really got into the game. Not sure why.

[10,000 Casts]

what a cluster****. At this point I'm not sure if I care if we make the playoffs. There's no way we catch Chi/STL/Nash and there are 7 maybe 8 teams going for 2 spots. When we start to play the top western teams and the physical play ramps up, they are going to kill us.

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/stats/team-hit-statistics/2014/

we are 2nd to last in the NHL in checks!

http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2014/10/2014-15-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html

ranked 24th in size.

All I can figure is this is why we match up against Chi so well but get killed by STL and LA. Winnipeg's got it figured out as they showed last night and why they are in a playoff spot and probably will keep that spot. Gotta love their style, a big physical team with the best fans in the league and biggest home ice advantage. Not flashy but they are getting the job done. Also why do you think LA wins Cups??? Because their big and skilled and know how to play playoff hockey. I'd personally rather have the size, play a shutdown style, not flashy and get in some scraps, lay some hits and slow these teams down.. Everyone was unhappy with wildcard playoff spots... now we probably don't get in.

ok I'm done with my rant now...

[bbfenatic]

what a cluster****. At this point I'm not sure if I care if we make the playoffs. There's no way we catch Chi/STL/Nash and there are 7 maybe 8 teams going for 2 spots. When we start to play the top western teams and the physical play ramps up, they are going to kill us.

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nhl/stats/team-hit-statistics/2014/

we are 2nd to last in the NHL in checks!

http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2014/10/2014-15-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html

ranked 24th in size.

All I can figure is this is why we match up against Chi so well but get killed by STL and LA. Winnipeg's got it figured out as they showed last night and why they are in a playoff spot and probably will keep that spot. Gotta love their style, a big physical team with the best fans in the league and biggest home ice advantage. Not flashy but they are getting the job done. Also why do you think LA wins Cups??? Because their big and skilled and know how to play playoff hockey. I'd personally rather have the size, play a shutdown style, not flashy and get in some scraps, lay some hits and slow these teams down.. Everyone was unhappy with wildcard playoff spots... now we probably don't get in.

ok I'm done with my rant now...

Great info 10,000! That is exactly where my mindset has been for the most part of the season as you can tell. Speed/Skill can only get you so far in the NHL with bigger opponents just as fast/skilled. Come closer to playoffs and during the playoffs when push comes to shove, and teams ramp up their physical play it just makes it even tougher for the Wild to rise to the top IMO with our smaller guys....plus we get dinged up easier...law of physics.

Game last night was as expected...lucky to get a point...unfortunate error by Spurg and what a great shot by Buff...not much to shoot at and he found the only open spot...creds to him....need to win at home tomorrow night and we certainly have a softer schedule now till end of Feb so need to make hay now....possibly get some breathing room before the incredibly tough stretch of games to end the season.

[OnAFly]

Speed/Skill can only get you so far in the NHL

Chicago seems to be doing just fine playing this way. We were doing just fine playing this way before our goaltending situation get exposed. We were doing just fine playing this way after we got a real live NHL goalie. Unfortunately, it may have taken too long between those two periods of time.

I still believe that if we had legit tending this whole season, we would be taking about who we match up with best, not the odds that we'll make it in.

[CaptainMusky]

I have to wonder if Fletch isn't working the phone more feverishly right now to work out a trade due to the 3 losses in the last week.

I agree with you guys we could certainly use more size. Especially at D, but in reality we have guys that can hit, but its just not our style of play, right or wrong.

Nino, Coyle are all certainly big enough to be more physical than they are, but that takes a lot out of you when you are banging bodies.

[OnAFly]

We don't have much in assets to trade. We can't keep giving draft picks away and we don't have many prospects who have value and are expendable.

Sounds like E. Kane+ might be headed to Buffalo some time soon. Winni would be getting Meyers+. Interesting trade for Jets fans.

[bbfenatic]

Chicago seems to be doing just fine playing this way. We were doing just fine playing this way before our goaltending situation get exposed. We were doing just fine playing this way after we got a real live NHL goalie. Unfortunately, it may have taken too long between those two periods of time.

I still believe that if we had legit tending this whole season, we would be taking about who we match up with best, not the odds that we'll make it in.

Chicago's skill level a notch or two above ours on a player by player basis IMO. I agree the tending was bad and we'll never know where we'd be now....that's in the past....but going forward we have the one of the hottest goalies in the NHL right now if not the hottest so that problem has been solved....and there are plenty of games left to make the playoffs from where we stand right now. Not saying we can't sneak in with this roster but I am hoping for a pickup or two come trade deadline to solidify this roster to keep them in the mix...gonna be fun to watch the West unfold down the stretch that is for sure.

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

Chicago seems to be doing just fine playing this way.

I knew someone would say that. Chi's skill level is head and shoulders above ours. Better D and better goalie too and I'm amazed that they haven't had cap trouble.

[OnAFly]

I don't know about a player-by-player basis, but yes, Chicago has the edge on us in terms of skill as a whole. This I think has a lot to do with the Kane/Toews combo.

[Bear55]

I knew someone would say that. Chi's skill level is head and shoulders above ours. Better D and better goalie too and I'm amazed that they haven't had cap trouble.

Their cap gets real interesting next when those raises for Kane and Towes kick in, might have been why they moved Leddy. They also had cap issues in 2010 after their cup, of course all worth it when you are winning big.

Chicago most certainly does out skill us and other teams will have more size, this is something we will just have to deal with. Teams aren't getting inline to trade us their high skilled guys or their large skilled players so we have to kind of work with what we have barring some miracle. Wild will as usually have to get it done with hard work and improvement from the youngsters on the team. We will need to be exceptionally deep with very good skill to compete with the elite teams, maybe this isn't our year to do but no reason not to try.

[PierBridge]

The whole physical thing is over rated imo.

Chicago wins cups with the big 3 and goaltending and LA wins it with Jonathan Quick.

Oh and while home ice is nice its not that crucial just ask the Kings who barely made the playoffs and didnt have home ice for either cup title!

[bbfenatic]

The whole physical thing is over rated imo.

Chicago wins cups with the big 3 and goaltending and LA wins it with Jonathan Quick.

Oh and while home ice is nice its not that crucial just ask the Kings who barely made the playoffs and didnt have home ice for either cup title!

Thanks for reminding me of that LA King playoff domination last year...loved it! Let me point out that Jonathan Quick was 6th in GAA last year during the playoffs with a 2.58...5 other playoff goalies were better....they just steamrolled to the Cup last year without Quick playing his best...size/skill all the way for the Kings success last year. When they won in 2012 Quick was awesome with his 1.41 GAA in the playoffs and the size/skill in front of him sure helped that year too.

[OnAFly]

LA is goofy with their barely-scrape-into-8th-then-become-unstoppable-in-the-playoffs structure. They aren't really that skilled (besides Kopitar) but they are big (no one on the roster under 6'1").

We handled them but got Quick-ed in our meetings earlier this year. There's no reason we can't skate with that team...besides maybe Brown throwing his somehow "legal" elbows to the head around. My hate for him rivals my hate for Cooke in '07.

[CaptainMusky]

There's no reason we can't skate with that team...besides maybe Brown throwing his somehow "legal" elbows to the head around. My hate for him rivals my hate for Cooke in '07.

And the fact he has a C on his sweater is pathetic. Endorsing that activity.

The Kings last year road on the Gabby Train. As hot as Quick was during their first run, Gabby was last year for their title. Most likely because he was so fresh because he sat half the season.

[bbfenatic]

LA is goofy with their barely-scrape-into-8th-then-become-unstoppable-in-the-playoffs structure. They aren't really that skilled (besides Kopitar) but they are big (no one on the roster under 6'1").

We handled them but got Quick-ed in our meetings earlier this year. There's no reason we can't skate with that team...besides maybe Brown throwing his somehow "legal" elbows to the head around. My hate for him rivals my hate for Cooke in '07.

Not really that skilled....excuse me? Kopitar, Carter, Gaborik, Toffoli, Williams, Doughty. Quick is not having a good year with a 2.52 GAA and only a .909 SV%...if he gets hot they could go far again. And we can skate with any team and out-skate more than we can't IMO and with Dubs keeping us in every game, the guys will not quit and as someone mentioned earlier we flat out have to out-hustle opponents all the time to win and that makes it difficult IMO.

[PierBridge]

Ummm no....they Road Quick to the cup last year. HE was phenomenal to say the least and the main reason they won.

Dont be confused by the goals against. He was terrble in the 1st round in which he gave up a bunch of goals including 6 I believe in 2 periods before being yanked.

They were down 3-0 IN the that series and after that Quick was on FIRE and had the best GA which isnt surprising being hes the best goalie in the WORLD!

Nice try though and yes Gabby was solid too.

[bbfenatic]

Ummm no....they Road Quick to the cup last year. HE was phenomenal to say the least and the main reason they won.

Dont be confused by the goals against. He was terrble in the 1st round in which he gave up a bunch of goals including 6 I believe in 2 periods before being yanked.

They were down 3-0 IN the that series and after that Quick was on FIRE and had the best GA which isnt surprising being hes the best goalie in the WORLD!

Nice try though and yes Gabby was solid too.

Umm Yes...Face the facts....they steamrolled and won. Against Chicago in semis they L 3-1, W 6-2, W 4-3, W 5-2, L 5-4, W 4-3, W 5-4 in Championship they W 3-2, W 5-4, W 3-0, L 2-1, W 3-2...that's not stellar tending...and one more fact for you to chew on...Justin Williams won the Conn Smythe Playoff MVP last year...not Quick, he won it in 2012.

[bbfenatic]

We don't have much in assets to trade. We can't keep giving draft picks away and we don't have many prospects who have value and are expendable.

Sounds like E. Kane+ might be headed to Buffalo some time soon. Winni would be getting Meyers+. Interesting trade for Jets fans.

Wow, Jets are spending the $$$ and loading up...let the fun begin...big question is if Wild will be buyers/sellers, or non-participants.

[PierBridge]

Thats all fine and dandy. All you had to is watch the key save after saves he made.

Of course he didnt win MVP his GA was only 5th best out of 21 goalies that played in the playoffs last year.

Frankly I think Gabby was MVP although they road Quick to the title even with the inept defense the kings were playing as stated by coach Sutter.

As far as facing the facts. .

Wasnt it you that proclaimed the Wild season over with 45 games left. I belive the quote was "if we dont get 8 of the next 10 points its over".

We got 3 points in that stretch and im pretty sure you laughed at me there too when I questioned said logic.

Maybe we both need to face the facts a little bit more?...lol...

Ho Wild!