2022/2023 NHL/Wild Offseason-Season-Postseason Thread

CaptainMusky wrote:

The Wild are really going to be tested the next few weeks with all these injuries piling up. That was Fleury’s best game with the Wild last night. He looked fantastic.

I guess a positive is that the guys that are now out, haven’t really been contributing much to the wins anyways (you can argue that Duhaime has been the most valueable of the bunch)…but we’ll see…Beckman & Walker should get a shot at proving themselves in the NHL now…Fogerty looked like he didn’t belong out there last night…

Sounds like Greenway is back next week, I suspect Foligno is close as well…Hartman sounds like it’s a longer term injury (likely shoulder tissue issue) No idea on Duhaime… I’m interested in seeing Sami Walker get called up, but with guys coming back soon that might not happen…

just rewatching the game recap video, remember when we all wanted Kaprizov to shoot more? He has no problem firing it whenever he gets the chance now… I love it!

Pretty amazing to watch him and Zucc pass to each other. They both know where they are going with it before I they even get the puck.

I really hope Zucc doesnt have a huge fall in his game over the rest of his contract. Man they are fun to watch together.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I really hope Zucc doesnt have a huge fall in his game over the rest of his contract. Man they are fun to watch together.

He only has 1 season left and barring a major injury shows ZERO signs of slowing down (honestly the guy looks quicker/faster this year vs previous years) The worry for me is the term for his next (and last) contract…Obviously Kirill is going to push for him to get signed AT LEAST 2 more years (he’d be 39 years old at the end of it) to align with his contract, I’d be fine with that if it involves a discount due to his age and the injury risk involved…The team will do whatever it can to keep Kirill happy and want to extend… I think Marat K and Yurov coming over in the next 1-2 years will help with Kirill though too…

After that guys like Boldy, Yurov, Khusnutdinov, etc will be pushing for top 6 wing positions..

Man, I don’t think I want Kap to make a living in front of the net, because I feel like he’ll just get hacked to pieces there, but dang is he magic in tight in front of the goalie. A couple really nice deflection goals already this year, someone else who watches more would have to say whether these seem like more of an intentional power play strategy for the wild or if they are just incidental.

Obviously you probably don’t have him post up like Parise used to or something, but he seems so effective cutting in and getting those tips/deflections.

With Kirill its definitely intentional. His stick work is just unreal. That tip he had on that shot/pass from Spurgeon a few games ago was absolutely unreal.

The Wild doesn’t want Kirill in front of the net on the PP, that’s Ek’s role and he takes a beating for it, but he’s super effective at it.. it seems like this year’s PP strategy is to just let Kirill roam wherever he wants to and the other players read & react to him, point being there’s always motion and D can’t lock in on a single player…Kirill will dart into the crease area when the play dictates it (like the tip last night)

It seems like Boldy is also given free reign to roam around the offensive zone as well on the PP. You can tell Kirill and Boldy still aren’t 100% in sync yet, but when they do, they will be even more deadly (There was one obvious PP play last night when Boldy steppped in front of and took a pass meant for Kaprizov only to eventually get it back to him for a 1 timer)

I’d like to see Addison shoot more from the top of the point to keep the defenders a bit more honest and not cheat on the obvious pass to Boldy or Kirill on the boards…

I love the fact that Deano seems to be ok with PP1 unit taking most of the powerplay time, they are obviously our top scoring threat so give them the time to makes a mistake or two and keep them out there…

PK still lets WAY TOO MANY cross passes through, but they do seem to be a bit more aggressive this year. Special Teams were a big area of focus for this team and sofar after 10 games it looks like they fixed alot of issues of the past…

Yeah the special teams has been a very welcomed improvement. IDK if they can keep up this pace on PP, but if they can that will be huge for them down the stretch and in the playoffs. Long season yet, lets get these injuries out of the way and get some momentum.
Doesnt sound too good about Hartman or Duhaime. Hard to say what happened to Hartman? Maybe dislocated shoulder?

i’ve watched the play about 10 times and I still can’t figure out what Slofkovsky was doing last night when Rossi put him into the boards…the dude just stopped playing with the puck on his stick?

I saw a video from another angle and the door to the bench was open so I think he was just thinking dump it in and change. The Habs fans going all ballistic about a “dirty hit” are just dumb.

And holy cow does McDavid always start the year hot or what? 11 goals and 11 assists in the first 10 games, yikes. Just an 180 point pace lol.

Justin Donson wrote:

And holy cow does McDavid always start the year hot or what? 11 goals and 11 assists in the first 10 games, yikes. Just an 180 point pace lol.

Looking at the Oilers boxscore every night it reminds me of youth hockey days where the same players either score the goals or get the assists…it’s McDavid and Draisiatl listed on EVERY SINGLE GOAL… they are just other worldly players…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

i’ve watched the play about 10 times and I still can’t figure out what Slofkovsky was doing last night when Rossi put him into the boards…the dude just stopped playing with the puck on his stick?

I can’t figure out why Dean sent Rossi back out after the whistle. Knowing they had a D playing forward to take a run at him.

Ripjiggen wrote:

I can’t figure out why Dean sent Rossi back out after the whistle. Knowing they had a D playing forward to take a run at him.

100000%

CaptainMusky wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
I can’t figure out why Dean sent Rossi back out after the whistle. Knowing they had a D playing forward to take a run at him.

100000%

And it’s a guy who’s probably the best fighter in the league now. He almost had Kassian’s lights out the other night and had to hold him up and let up on him thank god. Not a guy I want anyone on our roster messing with….Even moose.

I think it was a “we’re not afraid statement”

I thought there was a rule of any fights that happen in the last 5 minutes of a game result in a huge fine for the head coach and the player gets suspended?

Its nice to see the Buffalo Sabres relevant again… love those all white throwback uniforms tonight!

One shot through 16 minutes?

Middleton needs that stash to grow in asap, he looks so goofy without it! especially with no upper teeth…

I think I’ll take the under in this game.

Boldy needs to quit trying to make every impossible pass play on the ice and shoot more, he’s got way too cute with the puck lately…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Boldy needs to quit trying to make every impossible pass play on the ice and shoot more, he’s got way too cute with the puck lately…

They all need to stop doing that. The last two games the top two lines and PP unit has been giving up shot ops all game long.

Boys didn’t come to play tonight. Woof

Gotta admit the Kraken have been completely smothering the Wild all game… super aggressive defensively!

Would somebody in the NHL please kick Jordan Binnington’s a$$? I’m sick of his toughguy routine….

Dean said it before the game, this isnt the Kraken of last year and it showed. On to the next one.

Well, something at the X was stinking last night and it wasn’t the Butt Kraken.

Totally agree on the thread the needle pass attempts. Also lots of just plain missing the net on shot attempts.

With all the injuries yes it messes up the line chemistry but let’s hope it gets back on track soon.

Think we’ll see Rossi get an extended look with Kaprizov and Zuccy on this road trip? I do…