Yeah that was a great kill until the end. Other than not being able to get a clear. Pitlick sure isn’t helping himself get in the lineup….
This team looked so fast the first three games and have looked equally as slow the last three.
He’s still soft. ( Bjugstad)
KK just doesn’t seam like he can skate full speed. Wonder if he is playing through something.
If these guys were pee wee I think I would switch Dumba and Greenway. Greenway floats around half the time may as well let him do it on the defensive side. Dumba skates all the time out of the play in o zone and would probably be better on the forecheck. Just swap em 
How did he not score that.
Pitlick is doing everything he can to go back on waivers…
He’s still soft.
KK just doesn’t seam like he can skate full speed.
If these guys were pee wee I think I would switch Dumba and Greenway. Greenway floats around half the time may as well let him do it on the defensive side. Dumba skates all the time out of the play in o zone and would probably be better in the forecheck. Just swap em
I think you might have something there! I’d just get Greenway off the team for someone that actually cares.
Evason had a long talk with Greenway along the boards during practice today. Looks like he didn’t get through to him for the tenth time. This guy has had a couple years worth of chances.
Honestly don’t think he has played that bad this game.
KK is just not skating well.
See put Dumba at forward. 😂
What a UFO from Pitlick. He’s showing off his hands and quickness for sure. 1/2″ away from a goal and assist in his Wild debut.
Honestly don’t think he has played that bad this game.
KK is just not skating well.
See put Dumba at forward. 😂
He’s looked gimpy since the OT crash into the boards in the Jets game, but you know they would be careful with him if he was indeed injured… Pitlick shows a glimpse of why he can be successful, he must drive GM’s crazy…
Duhaime and Sturm have motors that wont quit! I’d like to see them paired with Foligno on the 3rd line… Greenway-Hartman-Bjugstad on the 4th
Hurt or not he wouldn’t be on the ice these last five minutes. He can’t even keep up with the offensive play right now.
Man Fiala just wussed out on that forecheck
Man Fiala just wussed out on that forecheck
that was doghouse worthy obvious too that led directly to a goal… that wont be a fun filmroom session tomorrow for him…
Gritty win tonight
Interesting forward group to end the game. I like the group, just surprised no Ek or Foligno. Didn’t see Ek on the PK tonight either after getting scored on 5 times already.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Man Fiala just wussed out on that forecheckthat was doghouse worthy obvious too that led directly to a goal… that wont be a fun filmroom session tomorrow for him…
Gritty win tonight
Doesn’t get more blatant than that… just brutal even if they didn’t score off of it.
Kevin “Phone It In” Fiala is the new Charlie Coyle. Discuss.
He’s still sulking after his prove it contract and he ain’t proving anything good, that’s for sure. Fiala or Flukeala?
Greenway. Man I wish he was in Seattle right now.
Cam loked good last night, but the biggest thing for me is Zuc continues to play at an incredible level.
And where are all the Ek jokes these days? Koivu 2.0, Mr September, etc? What a saucer pass to Zuc last night.
Find it hard to believe if KK was hurt in any way they would put him on the ice and risk the possibility of something long term. It’s more likely he’s getting paid extra attention to by the opposition, he’s pressing, no puck luck noticed a lot of pucks jump his stick or he over skates a puck. He is obviously not the same player we seen last year. It’s like he’s lost all the dynamic aspects of his game. Skating, puck handling, sniping, puck posession, speed all of it.
If he was injured bad enough to play like he has been he’d be on the bench. So here we are six games in and no goals from KK and we are 5 and 1. Who would have guessed that?
Kevin “Phone It In” Fiala is the new Charlie Coyle. Discuss.
He’s still sulking after his prove it contract and he ain’t proving anything good, that’s for sure. Fiala of Flukeala?
Fiala’s hit 2 posts and his shooting percentage is less than half his career average. He hasn’t been great to start the year but is still leading the team in shots, scoring chances, and high danger passes. He has more skill and fire in his left foot than Coyle has in his entire body. How do you bring up Fiala, but not Kaprizov?
Find it hard to believe if KK was hurt in any way they would put him on the ice and risk the possibility of something long term. It’s more likely he’s getting paid extra attention to by the opposition, he’s pressing, no puck luck noticed a lot of pucks jump his stick or he over skates a puck. He is obviously not the same player we seen last year. It’s like he’s lost all the dynamic aspects of his game. Skating, puck handling, sniping, puck posession, speed all of it.
If he was injured bad enough to play like he has been he’d be on the bench. So here we are six games in and no goals from KK and we are 5 and 1. Who would have guessed that?
His speed is the biggest thing I’ve noticed that has dropped off a cliff ever since the end of the Jets game…he looks like he’s in slow motion most of the time, just my opinion, but it looks like he’s nursing an injury…of course the team won’t disclose anything and maybe Kirill isn’t being honest with the trainers… it’s noticable though….
^^^Agree, Kirill looks like he’s skating in mud. It’s not just that though – his engagement isn’t there either. Have we seen him win any puck battles lately? Last night he didn’t even try. That was a big part of his game last year.
Other than the lack of forecheck hustle last night (I need to rewatch the game to see if he potentially thought there was going to be an icing and it was waved off last second?) I think Fiala has been playing pretty well, yes he still has 2-3 mental lapses a game, but I think that’s just due to his lack of support on his line. I don’t think Gaudreau is a good fit for him at all (can you think back to any good setups coming off of Gaudreau’s stick to Fiala? I can’t) so he presses trying to do too much on his own… I think they either need to promote Duhaime to his line to insert some energy and forecheck or callup Beckman from Iowa, obviously Rask/Bjugstad don’t bring anything to compliment Fiala’s game…Maybe give Pitlick a couple of games on his wing?
I think the coaches were hoping the Powerplay would offset his lack of offensive linemates, but we all know how that’s turned out sofar…
^^^Agree, Kirill looks like he’s skating in mud. It’s not just that though – his engagement isn’t there either. Have we seen him win any puck battles lately? Last night he didn’t even try. That was a big part of his game last year.
That’s why I think he might have tweaked something in his back or neck in that Jets OT crash into the boards… the injury kind of effects everything you do on the ice, he’s playing mostly to protect himself on the ice.
I think one of his biggest tells is that he’s taking short shifts, you know there’s something going on if that’s the case……
Other than the lack of forecheck hustle last night (I need to rewatch the game to see if he potentially thought there was going to be an icing and it was waved off last second?)
If there was an icing he should have been hustling to beat it out. No idea what Fiala was doing there but it was bad and looked even worse. Looked like the only thing on his mind was 6′-7″ Tyler Myers breathing down his neck.
Give Pitlick the rest of this road trip with Sturm and Duhaime – those two are easy to play with and it will get his feet moving and some confidence. Then if he’s playing well they should try him with Fiala. He obviously showed skill last night – a guy who sees the ice and can play fast. I like Gaudreau on that line – he brings the defense and creates turnovers. No he doesn’t set Fiala up but Fiala’s never played with someone who does that… he sets himself up.
Fiala’s hit 2 posts and his shooting percentage is less than half his career average. He hasn’t been great to start the year but is still leading the team in shots, scoring chances, and high danger passes. He has more skill and fire in his left foot than Coyle has in his entire body. How do you bring up Fiala, but not Kaprizov?
So what you’re saying is when it comes to missing the twine, Phone It In Fiala is even better than Matt Dumba? Who by the way managed to find the twine last night.
Leading the team in scoring chances? Now there’s a laugh out loud statistic. Talk about damning by faint praise. So if we read into that statistic beyond the headline what it tells us is Fiala is the best player we have at blowing scoring chances. Awesome.
I bring up Fiala and not KK because Fiala has 342 games in the nhl. KK is essentially still a rookie and now he’s a rookie with a target on his back. And his front.
Man Fiala just wussed out on that forecheck
AMEN – I would argue it cost us their 2nd goal too!! I like him but that was just pure pussy!!!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Ripjiggen wrote:</div>
Man Fiala just wussed out on that forecheckAMEN – I would argue it cost us their 2nd goal too!! I like him but that was just pure pussy!!!
No need to argue… he 100% cost that goal.
Leading the team in scoring chances? Now there’s a laugh out loud statistic. Talk about damning by faint praise. So if we read into that statistic beyond the headline what it tells us is Fiala is the best player we have at blowing scoring chances. Awesome.
I bring up Fiala and not KK because Fiala has 342 games in the nhl. KK is essentially still a rookie and now he’s a rookie with a target on his back. And his front.
LOL guess I need to spell it out. The 2 top scorers from last year are off to slow starts. Player one is creating chances for himself and his line mates, but struggling to find the back of the net. Player two is getting no chances, creating no offense, and not even close to scoring. You’d rather have player two?
I’m not on the Kirill getting extra attention bandwagon – I think that’s a silly narrative to excuse his slow start. He played teams 8 times last year, they learned after the first or second game that he was threat number 1.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Fiala’s hit 2 posts and his shooting percentage is less than half his career average. He hasn’t been great to start the year but is still leading the team in shots, scoring chances, and high danger passes. He has more skill and fire in his left foot than Coyle has in his entire body. How do you bring up Fiala, but not Kaprizov?So what you’re saying is when it comes to missing the twine, Phone It In Fiala is even better than Matt Dumba? Who by the way managed to find the twine last night.
Leading the team in scoring chances? Now there’s a laugh out loud statistic. Talk about damning by faint praise. So if we read into that statistic beyond the headline what it tells us is Fiala is the best player we have at blowing scoring chances. Awesome.
I bring up Fiala and not KK because Fiala has 342 games in the nhl. KK is essentially still a rookie and now he’s a rookie with a target on his back. And his front.
You can’t just ignore who Fiala plays with though can you? Gaudreau is a 28 year old journeyman 4th liner/AHL guy and don’t get me started on Victor Rask…He had Bjugstad last night and god knows whoelse in the games to come…I agree Fiala’s game has some warts, but good lord he has the entire 5 defenders completely focused on him when he steps on the ice because they all know the other guys are terrible…I’m surprised he hasn’t been taking more dumb frustration penalties sofar this season…
Due to reasons mentioned, the powerplay is going to be key to his success on “this team” and they’ve been terrible again sofar this season…
just watched the Fiala forecheck replay, he actually negated icing because he was ahead of Meyers and then backed off, totally a selfish/lazy play, again it won’t go over well in the team’s film review…
just watched the Fiala forecheck replay, he actually negated icing because he was ahead of Meyers and then backed off, totally a selfish/lazy play, again it won’t go over well in the team’s film review…
Deano shoulda challenged for icing on that play LOL. Totally inexcusable by Fiala.
Kaprizov absolutely has to be dinged up. He hasnt been the same since the tumble into the boards, not to mention he took multiple two hand slashes to the feet before hitting the boards awkwardly. It could be a myriad of different issues.
If it were serious he would be out they are just trying to get him to play through it. IMO sit him a game or two to give him some rest to hopefully get to 100%. They are winning without him anyway. He had 5 pts in 4 games and what since? Nothing?! ZUccs has been fantastic.
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