2022 MN WILD/NHL THREAD

Caught me by surprise when he mentioned Colorado as well. I don’t remember hearing about them being heavily engaged. Almost had to be Landeskog or Rantanen mixed in.

Ice Cap wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
I’m pretty sure Rossi played most if not all of his games in junior hockey, I would put ZERO weight behind him getting covid and then 18 months later getting a stomach bug for a few days as somehow equating him to being an injury risk…

Just a observation Joe nothing more.

I know, when I didn’t see him in the Iowa lineup a few weeks ago I too winced a bit thinking the worst, but it was just a stomach bug, the kid is an absolute stud, nothing to worry about with him…My guess now is that he’ll spend all year in Iowa, perhaps getting a callup at the end of the year but he won’t get more than 10 NHL games allowing his contract to slide. It’s mostly a business side of the NHL decision, but in the end, it will benefit his game…

Anyone watch the Leafs game last night? Ended with 4-3 OT powerplay that was some of the most dominant hockey I’ve seen all year. Toronto put 4 forwards and 0 defensemen on the ice that equated to $40m AAV and turns out you CAN buy a win. It was a 2 minute grade-A shooting gallery until they buried a 1 timer – other coaches should be taking notes of the 4F and no D.
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You can get away with that on a 4-3 powerplay, but otherwise even strength I’d tell everyone to spread out on the boards and whomever had the puck to do an end to end rush and make the forward defending them skate backwards and play defense, odds are that doesn’t end well for the forward playing defense…Russo actually made a good point that you might start to see teams do in OT. Put your best faceoff guy out there with the sole intent of winning the draw, then have them immediately skate off and get replaced by a skill guy (in the Wild example it was Ek/Sturn immediately skating off replaced by Fiala to skate with Kaprizov and Spurgeon/Brodin/Dumba)

makes sense to me, Kaprizov and Fiala can be electric 3-3 and you lessen their defensive risk by maintaining posession. I also think the purposly circling out of the zone after 45 seconds to get your change, but keeping the tired defenders on the ice will become the other new norm play to start in OT….

The idea you need a defenseman on the ice in 3v3 is old thinking. Every team plays man on man defense in OT so all 3 players have equal D responsibility. It’s closer to ODR hockey than normal structured hockey, position doesn’t matter. OT lines should come down to getting the best players on the ice, regardless of position. In the Wild’s case that would basically always include a defensemen because they are deep at D. So it’s a team by team basis. The Jets ran 3F last season and were 6-1 in OT. This year they’ve been starting Morrisee and they are 0-3

You’re spot on about Ek and Sturm being out there for draws and then getting off once they get possession. I love both players but their game is winning battles and net front, not wide open space and making plays. Kaprizov, Fiala, and Zuccarello should be on the ice in OT as long as they have enough energy to stand up. Zuccy especially has been underutilized in OT and his game is tailored perfectly for it.

The intentional regroup to change lines is the norm and has been for a few years now. Maybe it’s new to the Wild but if you watched other teams that didn’t suck until last year, it’s been common practice.

Yeah, I meant hopefully the new norm for the Wild in OT, it used to be the opposing teams strategy during the Koivu/Parise years…

tswoboda wrote:

OT lines should come down to getting the best players on the ice, regardless of position

The Wild have the best of both worlds. Dumba, I believe, leads the franchise in OT 3-3 goals. So nothing lost putting him on the ice.

I still have PTSD after the way the Wild started the 3-3 era under No Go Yep… Yeah it was bad.

Just no other words to describe Connor McDavid… McJesus…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Just no other words to describe Connor McDavid… McJesus…

Absolute best forward in hockey bar none. Ovi, Panarin, McKinnon, KK don’t come close. what’s McDavid getting? 12.5 mill aav? Worth every solitary dime. Splitting four Rangers to get the goal last night was just absolute poetry!

Ice Cap wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>JoeMX1825 wrote:</div>
Just no other words to describe Connor McDavid… McJesus…

Absolute best forward in hockey bar none. Ovi, Panarin, McKinnon, KK don’t come close. what’s McDavid getting? 12.5 mill aav? Worth every solitary dime. Splitting four Rangers to get the goal last night was just absolute poetry! Ovi can break Gretzky’s goal record but he’s still not Gretzky. McDavid is much more worthy of the comparison.

Yeah that McJesus guy is really something else. **(whispers)** Draisaitl has more goals, points, and way better plus-minus.

Disclaimer: I fully agree McDavid is the best player in the world and has been for 5 years, and no it’s not close.

The media is going bananas over McDavid’s hot start but somehow Draisaitl is getting basically zero media attention. It’s crazy those two superstars are on the same team and how well they compliment each other. For how fast and explosive McDavid is, it’s almost the opposite for Draisaitl. Zero flash to his game but he’s just a magician with the puck – probably the best passer and shooter in the league. He’s got crazy head takes and almost never looks where the puck is going. OT goal last night is a perfect example… he just casually buries a perfect 5-hole shot while staring McDavid right in the chest.

Now the craziest part… that superstar duo has basically zero playoff success.

Those two are incredible alright. M David did that same thing last year I think as he did last night. I forget who it was against however.

CaptainMusky wrote:

Those two are incredible alright. M David did that same thing last year I think as he did last night. I forget who it was against however.

It was the Leafs and I think it was former Gopher/MN boy Justin Holl.

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
Those two are incredible alright. M David did that same thing last year I think as he did last night. I forget who it was against however.

It was the Leafs and I think it was former Gopher/MN boy Justin Holl.

wasn’t it Morgan Reilly?

tswoboda wrote:

Yeah that McJesus guy is really something else. **(whispers)** Draisaitl has more goals, points, and way better plus-minus.

Disclaimer: I fully agree McDavid is the best player in the world and has been for 5 years, and no it’s not close.

The media is going bananas over McDavid’s hot start but somehow Draisaitl is getting basically zero media attention. It’s crazy those two superstars are on the same team and how well they compliment each other. For how fast and explosive McDavid is, it’s almost the opposite for Draisaitl. Zero flash to his game but he’s just a magician with the puck – probably the best passer and shooter in the league. He’s got crazy head takes and almost never looks where the puck is going. OT goal last night is a perfect example… he just casually buries a perfect 5-hole shot while staring McDavid right in the chest.

Now the craziest part… that superstar duo has basically zero playoff success.

I agree with the Draisaitl comment. Kurri didn’t get a lot of cred along side Gretzky either. Some players just cast too large of a shadow.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

wasn’t it Morgan Reilly?

No no no Reilly was 2 years ago lol.

I was wrong about last year, it was Muzzin but Holl was right next to him.

Jesper Wallstedt is on fire!

Connor McDavid is good at hockey.

As far as playoff success goes, you can’t place all the blame on the 2 superstars, although they certainly have room for improvement when it comes to the postseason. Playoff defense and goaltending have been abysmal for the Oilers in the past seasons.

Koskinen is picking up the slack really well in the absence of Mike Smith, going 6-1 in his last 7 with a .934 sv% before last nights shootout. Defense has been meh, but I genuinely think this team has what it takes to make a deep playoff run this year.

I also believe that it’s best for the NHL’s publicity if Connor McDavid wins a cup. Not only will it boost marketing if the face of the league wins his first Stanley Cup (think Giannis in Milwaukee, but better), but it gives a boost to the Canadian market that hasn’t seen a cup since the ’92-’93 season.

I am very excited to see what the rest of the hockey season brings.

I think there’s zero chance he re-signs in Edmonton UNLESS they win a cup and are built to win many more cups on his next contract. He’ll go the way of Gretzky and land in a major US market with the biggest contract in NHL history and like Gretzky it will be the best thing for hockey and the nhl in general.

Wild may not be cup contenders but f#^* are they are fun to watch.

If you are not seeing the OT you should re watch it some how.

So I hate shoot outs but this one was legit..kk and Fiala goals were rediculous. Bjugstad with shoot out winner…😂

Ripjiggen wrote:

If you are not seeing the OT you should re watch it some how.

That was bananalands. 2 full ice breakaways denied by Talbot. It looked like the first year of 3v3 OT.

Another exciting win but the late game heroics aren’t going to last forever.

I agree but fun as hell early on. Wouldn’t you rather have those heroics than lay over and lose. They are not as strong or stingy defensively right now. but don’t turn it off early. Look this team is what it is for the next several years. Gonna be hard to compete with teams that are spending over the cap currently when we are spending under and paying what we are in dead money.

Look who was out there the last 30 seconds.
Foligno Sturm Hartman and Beckmen…

And Gigi Marvin is hard to listen to. Sorry but she just can’t get a smooth sentence out.

Good lord this team can turn it on when they want to. And not just fancy offense but grind it out dirty ways to win. Someday I hope they can put a full game together.

These guys just dont quit! Will be nice to get Zuc back tomorrow and some guys get slotted where they should, Gaudreau has no place in the top 6… GMBG has to keep Beckman up, he provides energy and a scorer’s mentality nobody else can in Iowa…

Caught this watching the replay.
Priceless. GTG. Hartman was pimping the crowd a bit on that goal.

Oh I’m definitely not complaining about all the all exciting come from behind wins… super fun and exciting team to watch! Can’t complain about their play either as they’ve been dominating most games at 5v5. Special teams not so much.

Biggest difference from last year is that Cam was a league average starter last year. This year not so much. BUT the team has bailed him out AND he has bailed them out being perfect in OT.

tswoboda wrote:

Oh I’m definitely not complaining about all the all exciting come from behind wins… super fun and exciting team to watch! Can’t complain about their play either as they’ve been dominating most games at 5v5. Special teams not so much.

Biggest difference from last year is that Cam was a league average starter last year. This year not so much. BUT the team has bailed him out AND he has bailed them out being perfect in OT.

Goal tending will be the achilles heel this year.

Ice Cap wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
Oh I’m definitely not complaining about all the all exciting come from behind wins… super fun and exciting team to watch! Can’t complain about their play either as they’ve been dominating most games at 5v5. Special teams not so much.

Biggest difference from last year is that Cam was a league average starter last year. This year not so much. BUT the team has bailed him out AND he has bailed them out being perfect in OT.

Goal tending will be the achilles heel this year.

He definitely hasn’t been great and has let some softies in but he D hasn’t been great in front of him either.

Yes, defense hasn’t been good, I put more of that on the forward d coverage than our actual defenseman, probably 60/40, forwards have been lazy on their responsibilities. All that being said, Talbot has let in alot of soft goals BUT he’s also made the most important ones when needed.

The good thing is that its easily correctable.