2022 MN WILD/NHL THREAD

It feels to me like this Fiala/Wild relationship is headed towards some sort of conclusion. Fiala is not happy and he may be justified in that but we are at the point it doesn’t matter. If you watch the replay of his goal last night there was no big smiles from him just no excitement. Even his skate down the bench for the glove tap looked lame duck. You would think he would have been estatic after scoring but it just wasn’t there.

Both sides are not happy with the other and it’s time to part ways imo. probably best for both. Bottom line is the Wild are a better team with Fiala on the ice. I just hope we can get equal value for him.

Fiala has always been streaky both good and bad. I am sure he will turn it around, but like any skilled athlete if things dont go well they really get in their head and that is definitely what is going on with him right now.
Kaprizov is starting to be more consistent and his backchecking saved a goal and sealed the loser point. He’s now 1PPG so that is great if it continues. He seems to be skating much better.
I dont like the sounds of Spurgeon’s injury. It happened early in FLA, did any of you see when? Did he block a shot or something?

CaptainMusky wrote:

I dont like the sounds of Spurgeon’s injury. It happened early in FLA, did any of you see when? Did he block a shot or something?

I was watching the game and never noticed it. There was no hit, not big shot block, nothing. He was just gone. Everyone I’ve heard talk about it from the media said it was a very non descript. I just hope it wasn’t a non contact injury because those are never good obviously.

Great to see the Wild being dangerous late in the 3rd, but I have to ask this: Are they over-playing this comeback kid gambit? It’s great when it works, but if we score 6 on 5, then what is wrong with just scoring on power plays once in a while and sealing the deal without resorting to empty net play?

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Playing 6 on 5 with an empty not is not the same as playing 5 on 4 on the PP. Completely different scenarios and set ups.

Ripjiggen wrote:

Playing 6 on 5 with an empty not is not the same as playing 5 on 4 on the PP. Completely different scenarios and set ups.

Far less space to work with for sure. The Wild sure seem to have success with it considering their PP isnt so great. Perhaps its the sense or urgency or something that gives them a little extra boost. I like how they are able to come back from deficits, but Ive said it before they cannot keep doing this because its just not sustainable.
I read a stat that Kahkonen and Talbot have allowed nearly 10 goals expected above average which is only better than SEA. Ooof! We need better goal tending.

mahtofire14 wrote:

I agree she got her shot. It’s not good. I just wonder why they are sticking with her for so long.

I by no means am being sexist here but they stick with her to change up the broadcasting booth and to have female interest I’m sure.

It would be much better to have her just do the pre and post game stuff.

Apparently the Wild have put Lodnia on unconditional waivers. Cant say its too much of a surprise considering all the depth at forward they have in the pipeline. Hopefully he gets a shot somewhere.

So I didn’t have time to watch the games this weekend but just watched highlights and see Fiala had a goal and assist plus he was on just about every positive Wild highlight.

Then I check stats and see Fiala led team in shots, shot attempts, and scoring chances, had 1 penalty and no turnovers, all while being 12th in time on ice. Huh, why did he get so little playing… I better go read Russo.

I read Russo and see Fiala is in the doghouse and good chance he is traded.

I come on hear and the fans say Fiala had 2 terrible games and he is the reason they lost and he needs a break up with the team.

What the he!l is going on here? Did something big happen that I didn’t hear about or wasn’t shown on the highlights? This is the very definition of driving a player out of town. And I just can’t understand why aside from him being ice cold and shooting at 5% over the first 20 games of this season.

Maybe he’s an arrogant little prick off the ice and that’s why Billy G/Dean treat him the way they do… There’s gotta be something going on behind the scenes. But why the heck are the fans so hard on this guy?

I dont think Fiala played poorly for the majority of those two games. In fact he was very good in stretches but the end of last nights game was not very good at all.
People are frustrated because they all know how good he can be, but its never usually as bad or as good as we think

I agree with tsw it’s hard to put a finger on exactly what the fallout is with Fiala. Him and Evason go a ways back and it’s always been a bit of a rocky relationship from what I understand. Maybe it’s just been too long for both of them and each one frustrates the other. BG is in lock step with Evason on how he views Fiala as well. He’s not in the dog house because he’s not scoring enough goals.

If he’s that deep in the doghouse because he turns the puck over now and again or lacks some defensive responsibilty on occasion then he should have plenty company but that’s not the case. Evason seems to overreact to Fiala’s shortcomings which are no different really than anyone else on the team but Evason don’t seem to have the negative reaction to other players who commit the same sins. The first dozen games it was obvious Fiala was outworking KK by a large margin it just wasn’t paying off in goals. He still seems to be putting forth a good effort in most of his shifts.

As I said earlier it is what it is and it appears there are irreconciable differences. I just hate to see them move the second best forward we put on the ice.

He’s a lot like Dumba only he has superstar potential. He makes some pretty dumb plays in big spots (the turnover after the faceoff, directly leading to a goal we couldn’t overcome in Saturday’s game) and coughing up the puck all the time. That’s why he’s in Evason’s doghouse. If he was sitting at 6 or 7 goals right now it probably wouldn’t be an issue.

I will say, most games, he is all over the ice and working his butt off. It’s just those few plays at huge times in games that drive people nuts.

mahtofire14 wrote:

He’s a lot like Dumba only he has superstar potential. He makes some pretty dumb plays in big spots (the turnover after the faceoff, directly leading to a goal we couldn’t overcome in Saturday’s game) and coughing up the puck all the time. That’s why he’s in Evason’s doghouse. If he was sitting at 6 or 7 goals right now it probably wouldn’t be an issue.

I will say, most games, he is all over the ice and working his butt off. It’s just those few plays at huge times in games that drive people nuts.

You mean the turnover where he hit the ref on a dump in attempt?
And coughing it up all the time but still less turnovers than KK and Zuccy?

So all this trade BS is because a streaky scorer is in a shooting slump? Shooting his career average, he would have 7 goals.

The only reason he hit the ref was because he tried to skate it into two defensemen and when he realized he wasn’t going anywhere threw it right into the ref.

And we’ve been over this before. He coughs up the puck MUCH more than KK and Zucc. They don’t all count as turnovers because either he gets a lot of them back (after screwing up the rush or scoring chance) or his teammates do. He loses pucks off his stick on legit scoring chances more than he gets a decent shot off this season. You’re giving me Tbro flashbacks.

mahtofire14 wrote:

And we’ve been over this before. He coughs up the puck MUCH more than KK and Zucc. They don’t all count as turnovers because either he gets a lot of them back (after screwing up the rush or scoring chance) or his teammates do.

Ahh the old “the stats don’t match my argument so they must be wrong” argument. You’re really going with that one? Nice.

No I’m going with what we’ve all been watching during the games all season. Evason and the media seem to agree……

Not really sure exactly what put him in Deans dog house in the moment, but I agree he has not played as poor as his stats and some seem to think. He has had an up and down season, but early on Dean talked about all the confidence he had in him putting him in a lot of situations he had not been in before. Mostly the PK. One bad turnover doesn’t or shouldn’t put you in the dog house or as some have pointed out Dumba would be in the ores box every other game.
Seems to be a lot of criticism for a team in first place.

For the record, I like Fiala and think he will get hot pretty soon. I just think it’s ridiculous to say he hasn’t been losing pucks left and right even though the may not be “turnovers” in the almighty box score…. Anybody that has been watching the games consistently can see how bad he’s been fighting the puck.

And the reason people think he’s in the doghouse is because he played three shifts in the third period on saturday and was kicked off the PP units.

Oh he is defiantly in Deans dog house just not sure why exactly.

Am I the only one who has never heard the term “slew footing” until now? Hartman got the maximum fine for slew footing Ross Colton of Tampa last night.

^^^^yes
One of the dirtiest plays in hockey.

Ripjiggen wrote:

^^^^yes
One of the dirtiest plays in hockey.

I would say only a goalie stick up between the legs of a forward standing in front of the crease is a dirtier play… you’re completely vulnerable and can really get hurt… players typically police it themselves, thats why they went so hard at Hartman when he did it…

But that play only hurts for a little bit.
All sorts of bad outcomes with a slew foot.

tswoboda wrote:

You mean the turnover where he hit the ref on a dump in attempt?

You mean the turnover where instead of passing, he skated right into the middle of 2 defenders, then finally saw that he was about to cough up the puck at the WORST possible moment, so he blindly threw the puck down on a dump in and in the process managed to hit the ONLY solid object between himself and the goal line?

Vintage Fiala if ever there was such a thing. None of us will ever know for sure, but excuse me for suspecting that in that one play, he just DID everything that Deano told him to STOP doing when it comes to selfish play, not taking care of the puck, and not trying to out-stick-handle everyone on the ice as if he’s the only guy out there in a Wild sweater.

He’s going to score goals like the one he got, I don’t think that’s what’s rubbing Deano the wrong way. It’s clearly the way he’s going about it.

I’d rather spend the $6 million on a center vs resigning Fiala, we have good top 6 org depth at wing…

That play was in the Florida game. He was virtually benched in the third of the Dallas game. Pulled off both PP units well before that turnover.

I guess we will see how all this plays out but the wild are a better team with Fiala on the ice.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tswoboda wrote:</div>
You mean the turnover where he hit the ref on a dump in attempt?

You mean the turnover where instead of passing, he skated right into the middle of 2 defenders, then finally saw that he was about to cough up the puck at the WORST possible moment, so he blindly threw the puck down on a dump in and in the process managed to hit the ONLY solid object between himself and the goal line?

Exactly.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

tswoboda wrote:
You mean the turnover where he hit the ref on a dump in attempt?

You mean the turnover where instead of passing, he skated right into the middle of 2 defenders, then finally saw that he was about to cough up the puck at the WORST possible moment, so he blindly threw the puck down on a dump in and in the process managed to hit the ONLY solid object between himself and the goal line?

Lol it was a faceoff where he was playing D… tried to get the red and dump – the dump hit the linesman. Seriously what are you guys seeing that was so egregious?

Maybe I just need to get on the Fiala roller coaster. Call him a terrible player right now, nit pick every play, and make up my own stats. Then when he’s hot I get to call him a superstar too, right?

Oh and yeah I get he turns the puck over. But if I based my opinions on reading this board (or Mike Russo, like some on here obviously do) then I’d swear the only players to ever turn the puck over were Fiala, Dumba, and Rask.

Ice Cap wrote:

Am I the only one who has never heard the term “slew footing” until now? Hartman got the maximum fine for slew footing Ross Colton of Tampa last night.

Pretty sure you’re the only one.

Hartman is a dirty player, and it seems like wild fans forgot that when he started scoring all these goals. But he’s still a dirty player, always has been.

If people are offended by calling Hartman dirty then just use the hockey guy PC term of “playing with an edge”.

I know this Hockeyrumor’s site doesn’t carry much weight, but if there’s smoke…

^^^Oh you mean the site that scrolls Twitter and HFBoards and then writes an article based off it isn’t 100% legit?

Would love to see a Fiala/Miller swap straight up. How much center has he been playing in VAN? Thought Horvat/EP were their top 2 centers… Can’t say I watch them much.