Wild 2014/2015 Regular Season

[lawdog]

quite a win at St. Louis where we have been brutal after an amazing effort by Dubnyk and a great third period by all.

[OnAFly]

Well, lets say those refs aren't the type that get to call playoff games That was pretty bad.

[bbfenatic]

You guys see proposal to go 3on3 in OT next year? AHL doing it after 3.5 mn of 4on4 they play 3on3 last 3.5 mn of the OT before that gimmicky SO. Will open it up even more and stats show it is working...no surprise.

NHLPA has to approve it.

[PierBridge]

3 on 3 is as gimmicky as the shoot out.

[OnAFly]

3v3 is less gimicky than the SO, but that's just my opinion. At least it resembles hockey.

The NHLPA will take any idea to improve the game that it knows the league wants and will hold onto it until the next CBA and then it will use it as a bargaining chip. They did the same thing with the conf restructuring.

[10,000 Casts]

just as gimmicky as the shoot out and putting a team in Las Vegas and having the winter classic in LA??? All these efforts to increase the popularity are actually killing the game.

I actually like the shootout. It's the point for a loss I don't like.

[bobberineyes]

I think they should bump ot up to 10 minutes, so much more can can happen on 4 on 4. If nobody scores after the 5 minute mark instead of going to 3 aside keep 4 and eliminate icing and offsides and let them play pond hockey. Heck with the shootout an anything goes 5 minutes would be more entertaining.

[bbfenatic]

just as gimmicky as the shoot out and putting a team in Las Vegas and having the winter classic in LA??? All these efforts to increase the popularity are actually killing the game.

Sorry the NHL is not dying any time soon and youth participation across the country has been increasing for quite a while so the future is bright IMO. Like I said before changes have happened in the past, will happen in the future and hockey will live on....and we all will remain fanatics

Not sure I like the Vegas idea either but having outdoor games in LA and in the Bay Area was a great idea, hockey is growing in CA and both huge markets...great exposure for the sport.

[fishersofmen]

This team is so good right now......

I wish the playoffs were starting today because we are as good if not better than everyone else.

[lungdeflator]

Yep good comeback.....again. The comebacks are needed and fun to watch, but I'm not sure that that is sustainable and/or the way to win playoff series. They can't afford to take a period off like they did last night. Nashville completely dominated that 2nd period.

The brightest thing continues to be the penalty kill. Its been shown time and time again that if you can keep a team from scoring on the PP, that team will be in the game and always have a chance.

Can't wait for Scandella and Zucker to get back!

[solbes]

Loved the quick dagger to the heart in OT by Dumba. Kid is exciting to watch.

Caps, Blues, Leafs, Peeps of the Isle on deck. First two are at home, then they head out east. Don't suppose we'd strike lightning twice and face an Ovechkin-less Caps team.

[CaptainMusky]

Ovechkin-less would be sooo nice. Dude is on fire right now.

I was disappointed by the lack of intensity through the 2nd period after having several days off.

What is it with this team not drawing penalties? Pretty irritating some of the calls against the Wild last night and there were several that could have gone the other way but the refs were choking on their whistles.

Dumba is turning into a one-man wrecking crew out there. He still makes me nervous at times, but for a 20 year old he is progressing VERY nicely and really excited about what he might turn into.

Coyle had a solid game and has had several in a row. Seems to be peaking at the right time. Good to see.

[OnAFly]

Not sure I like the Vegas idea either but having outdoor games in LA and in the Bay Area was a great idea, hockey is growing in CA and both huge markets...great exposure for the sport.

It's surprising how popular hockey is in Northern Cali especially. Been there a few times and hockey has been on TVs in the bars and people actually talk about it knowledgeably at work. It was pretty cool to see that.

I missed the 3rd the OT last night, so that was too bad.

[schmitty3]

Nice to get another win, but they can definitely play better. They've been outplayed these last two games, but it is great to see them finding a way to win, that's what the good teams do. It will be nice to get some guys back healthy and into the lineup. I'm ready to see Schroeder in there for a game, and maybe give Bergenheim a night off.

[bbfenatic]

Very impressive...even with questionable reffing....but then again it's not like our PP is stellar. Unless Dubnyk gets injured and can't play I see no way they will fall out of a playoff spot. Those behind us are not playing good enough to make up ground IMO. Dubnyk should be considered for MVP, this turnaround has been one for the record books IMO.

[CaptainMusky]

Very impressive...even with questionable reffing....but then again it's not like our PP is stellar.

But Yeo said they worked all day on it in practice. :-) Kinda funny. He has such a dry sense of humor, when he said that at the presser no one even laughed. I thought it was hilarious.

[PierBridge]

As expected and continuing with the theme. The top teams in the East of course lose on home ice against all of the teams we need to lose.

Thanks Rangers!

[OnAFly]

That's because the East is weak. The only reason Eastern teams ever win the cup is because the Western teams beat eachother up so badly along the way.

[bbfenatic]

I agree and can you believe the West has beaten each other up so badly and so often that the East has been able to win 60 Cups and the West only 25...and how unfriendly of the East to go so softly on each other in the playoffs to get that extra edge to win so many cups...that is just not fair. That Eastern Conference must really be a bunch of non-physical sissy's.

[OnAFly]

haha

[10,000 Casts]

Quote:

Sorry the NHL is not dying any time soon and youth participation across the country has been increasing for quite a while so the future is bright IMO. Like I said before changes have happened in the past, will happen in the future and hockey will live on....and we all will remain fanatics grin

Not sure I like the Vegas idea either but having outdoor games in LA and in the Bay Area was a great idea, hockey is growing in CA and both huge markets...great exposure for the sport.

yup one of the biggest keys to a franchises success is the amount of youth programs in the area. I don't think LV has much of an ice hockey presence like Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix etc. I lived in Tampa Bay for a couple years and I still remember what it felt like going to a game after being at the beach/golf course in February.. It just didn't feel right and the only way they can get fans to go to games is if they are winning. If they have an avg season, the arena is 1/2 empty.

the other issue the NHL is going to have is concussions/deaths. Just wait until all the lawsuits start piling up and they make the game even safer and softer. It's only a matter of time.. I think the NHL's future is questionable. It's already the 5th most popular sport in America.

[Bear55]

Yeesh the Wild are on a tear and still only 4 points out of 9th place, I don't think we are going to catch any kind of break. Playoff will be well earned with this schedule that is for sure. Looks like SJ is pretty much done, Chicago starting to win again so I don't expect us to catch them. Come on boys keep collecting those points!!!

[PierBridge]

I agree and can you believe the West has beaten each other up so badly and so often that the East has been able to win 60 Cups and the West only 25..

What would that have to do with the topic at hand which is the top 4 teams in the East not being able to beat our 4th through 9th place teams as we battle for the playoffs.

1 maybe 2 teams from the East even sniff the playoffs in the west. This has been the case for about 4 years now.

Edit: in my opinion. .. :-)

[bobberineyes]

We all hear ya on a fly, let's just hope the boys take care of the east in the next few games or bb is really gonna have something to say. Especially the isles game.

[bbfenatic]

Pier...you must have missed this statement from OnaFly.

"The only reason Eastern teams ever win the cup is because the Western teams beat each other up so badly along the way"

And you saying AGAIN that only 1 or 2 teams from the East would even sniff the playoffs in the west over the last 4 years is utterly ridiculous and it just brings back my belly laughing from the first time you posted that a while back...keep up the funny stuff!