for as good as the offense has been playing lately, we need to pay attention that our D are giving up WAY TOO MANY chances still…Talbot and Flower have been making the saves and covering up the mistakes, but it’s still a big concern and some can argue Dumba being out should have improved it a bit with more focus on playing defense, but it hasn’t…
Any concern over defense starts and ends with the penalty kill – which has been awful. But since the deadline they’ve been the best defensive team in the league at 5v5. In that 12 game span the Wild are leading the league in 5v5 goals against, high danger chances against, and expected goals against. The goaltending has been very good and the team defense has been just as good. Did I mention the penalty kill is terrible?
Did I mention the penalty kill is terrible?
Im surprised someone hasnt brought this up yet! If it wasnt for the atrocious PK many of these close games wouldnt be close at all.
I am not worried about our D at 5 on 5. Especially when Ben will be in the press box.
Yeah it’s weird how such a good defensive team five on five can be so bad at PK. I feel we have the players to not be this bad. So is it a systems issues a confidence issue of when to go and when to box in. Can’t put my finger on it, but thank god they call less penalties in the playoffs. They don’t have to be top in the league in PK but get it together these last handful of games to not make it so glaring and they will be fine.
If you look at the series against the blues I think both sides would agree it is probably going to be a long series and is probably a coin flip. If it is a quick series that probably means goaltending was bad or one team just could not score for whatever reason. It’s to bad being the 3 seed that you have to play the 4 but it is what is.
I am ready for the season to be over and start the playoffs before any other injuries can happen. Feels like Blues Wild matchup has been inevitable for a while now. Just hope the Wild get through these last games as healthy as possible.
I am ready for the season to be over and start the playoffs before any other injuries can happen. Feels like Blues Wild matchup has been inevitable for a while now. Just hope the Wild get through these last games as healthy as possible.
I crack up every time I see your profile pic. LOL
I agree on the above. Get/Stay healthy is the #1 thing right now.
Yeah it’s weird how such a good defensive team five on five can be so bad at PK.
Even weirder is who’s leading the charge. Moose and JEEK are in the Selke conversation and have been 2 of the worst PKers in the league this season. The rest of the forwards have been mostly ok but that pair just gets crushed. Fiala/Gaudreau have been the go to pair for a couple weeks now!
Not weirder, wilder? 
Feel like one of those fourth liners has to step up on the PK if they can’t figure it out.
By the way…Is there a record for pages on a post. We have to be getting close.
Feel like I talk to you guys more about the wild then some of my buddies.
As far as the pic. I did not have one for a long time. Basically didn’t want to take the time to figure out how to get one. When IDO was going off the rails last year I felt like I needed something light hearted to pop up.
Love that movie.
Feel like one of those fourth liners has to step up on the PK if they can’t figure it out.
Switching up the rotation certainly would make sense. Rolling out the same guys when its been awful makes no sense so they will roll out the same guys.
Dewar and Duhaime have both been decent on the PK but not used a ton. D-Lo was having a really good PK season with the Ducks but hasn’t really been used here.
Technically they did finally switch up the rotation by starting Freddy and Fiala instead of Foligno and Ek. Now they don’t get scored on in the first 30 seconds as much, so that’s nice. OK I’ll stop now, just still buthurt from the Preds game.
Sad deal about Mike Bossy. Far too young at 65. Those Islander teams were among the best in history and had several exceptional players Bossy was the best amongst them. I hated them but enjoyed watching them.
Sad deal about Mike Bossy. Far too young at 65. Those Islander teams were among the best in history and had several exceptional players Bossy was the best amongst them. I hated them but enjoyed watching them.
Especially in 1981 when the North Stars lost to them in finals. Other than that, I enjoyed the run they had in the 80’s.
I’ve been saying it’s been awful for the last month. But the reality is it’s been awful the whole season. It’s really odd that BOTH the PK and PP are doing poorly when both the offense and defense are so good 5 on 5.
That would lead me to believe it’s more of a strategy/game plan issue?
That would lead me to believe it’s more of a strategy/game plan issue?
To start, the powerplay zone entry is only about 50% successful, that’s a disgrace with somebody like Kaprizov on the ice, when they do get it in, it’s slow motion passing between the side boards, bumper and the defenseman until they either get a weak shot through, it’s blocked or a pass is mishandled…They showed some semblance of a plan early in the season where Kaprizov or Fiala would get the defenseman’s pass at the blueline skating towards the goalie with the shot/pass option or middle of the year when Boldy became part of the PP unit and they moved him between the boards and bumper spot, seems like both of those plays aren’t attempted anymore…
The penalty kill issue is just lack of hustle (perhaps due to playing regulars on the PK and not 4th line guys who have more gas in their tanks) and a lack of understanding of getting sticks in passing lanes…the back to back McDavid to Draisiatl cross-ice back door passes is a perfect exmaple, the entire arena knew that’s where they were going with the puck and they got both through no problem…Lastly the forwards are getting stuck too high in the D zone and can’t get down quick enough to interfere with the guy on the side boards shooting the puck, Draistial’s goal is a perfect example as Jost didn’t get to his stick in time…We have gotten better clearing out the crease area though, this is likely due to Middleton’s presence…
All are correctable, but you’d think they would have been corrected along time ago this season and yet, here we are stil…
That’s why there needs to be a complete 180 degree change in approach/philosophy, Deano needs to bring in a new special teams coach, we have way too much talent for our abysmal results…
Are we ready to pin the lack of PP on Darby yet? Isn’t he the guy running it? It’s pretty bad for as long as he’s been around. Maybe I’m wrong on that though.
A+ TV production team today on ABC, should be entertaining!
If you’re Benn and on the ice on a delayed Blues penalty in the offensive zone why the F wouldn’t you go park yourself in front of the net? Wtf is he going to do from the point?
Looking like another 1 and done…can’t beat st louis and can not figure out why. 9 straight losses? Come on…completely different team with some promise but still the same outcome…maybe ill eat crow alot of time left but…seems like same old same old
Not a good look getting dominated by St Louis again when we likely will play them in the playoffs. Hope they make a comeback push.
A+ TV production team today on ABC, should be entertaining!
Agreed.
Looking like another 1 and done…can’t beat st louis and can not figure out why. 9 straight losses? Come on…completely different team with some promise but still the same outcome…maybe ill eat crow alot of time left but…seems like same old same old
That’s been my point for a while now. Winless against both St Louis and Nashville this season, and most outcomes have not even been close either. I’ll gladly eat crow too in the post season too.
HATE the view from the rafters coverage. Show me the game not the whole arena.
This will just make our beating them in the playoffs that much sweeter.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brady Valberg wrote:</div>
Looking like another 1 and done…can’t beat st louis and can not figure out why. 9 straight losses? Come on…completely different team with some promise but still the same outcome…maybe ill eat crow alot of time left but…seems like same old same oldThat’s been my point for a while now. Winless against both St Louis and Nashville this season, and most outcomes have not even been close either. I’ll gladly eat crow too in the post season too.
Your negativity sucks in this room. Just plucked another one from the tree for you.
LFG…
For the record I don’t care about OT 3 on 3 on 3 loss.
Gawd I can’t wait for the playoffs. First round is going to be great hockey.
I had to cook an early Easter family dinner and missed most of the game but caught the OT, great comeback in the 3rd though!
Playoffs will be nuts! Wild just need to take advantage of their remaining home games and they should pull ahead for home ice.
Your negativity sucks in this room. Just plucked another one from the tree for you.
LFG…
Ya I’m kinda upset I changed the channel when it was 4-1.
Playoffs is definitely a different game, but the Wild need to figure out the 2nd period funk. We just seem so flat footed in our own zone at times..
Same as Joe I was busy with Easter stuff and didn’t see much of the game. Daytime games are hard to watch anyway. Sure glad most are night games. Very happy to hear they came back and forced OT! That should bode well for the confidence factor!
Day games suck 9pm games suck..
Can’t win…
I’m ready for the playoffs.
Going to be fun.
Death, taxes and Brandon Saad. Good lord can that guy stay off the score sheet when he plays us? He cost me $20 though, I picked him in a friendly wager with a buddy to score the game winner. Great comeback by the Wild as we’ve seen them do all season long to make it interesting. Talbot was not his best but wasn’t always getting the help in front of him either. I was hoping to see Fluery again to see if he can handle the Blues. Scandella gave his old team a solid by deflecting one in for us.
St Louis clinched before we did and the game proved once again we can hang with them but just can’t beat them. I think it’s imperative the Wild get home ice now. They are going to need that advantage against the Blues.
Of course. First game first shot on goal. And not that it matters but he won 63% of his face offs. Nice start for the young man. 
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