Official Wild Thread

Don’t have time?????????????

From what I saw last night they have PLENTY of time. This group isn’t making the play-offs any time soon.

You don’t squander a 3-0 lead at home.

What happened?? They let up — got lazy.

Gundy

Seems they got so concerned about offense that they forgot how to play defense.

I was at the game last night.

Painful, miserable play against the Islanders. Finally the offense is hitting on at least 2 cylinders and then the defense turns into an epic fail.

Harding is back, but he wasn’t back last night in terms of performance. Getting toasted by a slapshot from the circle? WTF Josh. You HAVE to stop those. That was the game winner right there.

Then the Wild got caught with a kill unit on the ice and sucking wind while NY continued the assult and the Wild couldn’t clear, so NY scored. That was just plain ugly.

It’s miserable to see the offense finally getting some freaking production and then the D melts down. This inconsistent play and lack of direction looks like a coaching and system issue that Yeo needs to sort out and FAST.

Yeo should consider himself on the chopping block. He needs to get this team moving in the right direction because the talent is no longer the problem.

Grouse

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Don’t have time?????????????

From what I saw last night they have PLENTY of time. This group isn’t making the play-offs any time soon.

You don’t squander a 3-0 lead at home.

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If that is what you believe, then there is no reason to fire Yeo now. Just ride out the season. Trade some guys you don’t expect back and the deadline and then regroup.

They have been a playoff team all year until this slump. They dominate at home, with the exception of last night. They need to learn how to play on the road.

That 60 footer was the worst. Their shift changes are messed up also.

Gundy

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Don’t have time?????????????

From what I saw last night they have PLENTY of time. This group isn’t making the play-offs any time soon.

You don’t squander a 3-0 lead at home.

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If that is what you believe, then there is no reason to fire Yeo now. Just ride out the season. Trade some guys you don’t expect back and the deadline and then regroup.

They have been a playoff team all year until this slump. They dominate at home, with the exception of last night. They need to learn how to play on the road.

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No, they haven’t been a play-off team. They GOT HOT and it carried them for a period. There has been a lot more mediocre to poor play this year then good play. So you are saying Yeo is the guy and ride it out this year? That will get you the same results as last year. If that’s the case starting cleaning now and see who can play on this team and who can’t.

I have seen zero indication that this team has any heart in them. But, he77 what do I know.

Dammit Hoffies, if I see Joe Mauer walking down the street, I am running him over while shouting, “Sic semper tyrannis”!!!!!

What I’d say??

BTW, Joe will be a .340, 20 hr, 95 rbi guy this year!

I’ve decided to finally give in to the Minnesota sports Gods. My critiques of the Wild have always been slightly rosey. Now I am going to assume the worst and celebrate moral victories like Stanley Cups. I’m going to celebrate beating an elite team like it is a great accomplishment. I am buying into mediocrity!

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I’ve decided to finally give in to the Minnesota sports Gods. My critiques of the Wild have always been slightly rosey. Now I am going to assume the worst and celebrate moral victories like Stanley Cups. I’m going to celebrate beating an elite team like it is a great accomplishment. I am buying into mediocrity!

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Welcome to mediocrity, it doesn’t take long for it to feel normal.

Hope you & Michelle the Happiest New Year!

Thanks Brian. Happy New Year to you and yours as well!

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I’ve decided to finally give in to the Minnesota sports Gods. My critiques of the Wild have always been slightly rosey. Now I am going to assume the worst and celebrate moral victories like Stanley Cups. I’m going to celebrate beating an elite team like it is a great accomplishment. I am buying into mediocrity!

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Welcome to mediocrity, it doesn’t take long for it to feel normal.

Hope you & Michelle the Happiest New Year!

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It is less stressful. Sunday the Vikes pulled off a one point victory over a Lions team that five weeks ago had an outside chance of winning the division, talk about momentum into the offseason…

Whoooooo hooo we broke the shut out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Son of a mf’n beatch!

See you later Yeo. Sorry the guys couldn’t pull their heads out long enough to save your job.

Too bad they car playthe last 5 min of that game a whole game.

I don’t get that either. Sleep through the game and push at the end. They were squeezing the sticks pretty tight last night. A lot of missed shots.

Coach is way out of his comfort zone and this team is way to small to compete with good teams. They get pushed around way to much and cannot move anyone from in front of their own net. Outside of a couple of guys they really don’t show any heart and soul. Koivu isn’t captain material and who do they have that can score besides Parise and Pomminville?

Terrible shooters they are. No one taught them marksmanship for sure. Poor choices on shots and passes.

Gundy

Just picked up 2 tickets for Saturday nights game. Son likes the Caps and Ovie. Club level, should be a fun night. To bad the Wild don’t have scorer like Ovie. He knows how to put the puck in the net.

All the papers are openly saying what I posted after the Islanders loss. Yeo is, to use his favorite “injury non-report” phrase, “Day to day.”

Bottom line is Yeo is history. His failing was focusing on individual parts while failing to build a cohesive system. They need a coach with vastly more experience than Yeo. Yeo is gone if they lose to the Sabers, but a win just gives the Wild execs more time to find a replacement. Either way, my prediction is Yeo won’t live past the end of the season for sure and most likely he will be chopped right before the Olympic break.

I agree with others who have said Koivu is not captain material. He’s a cold fish. There’s a difference between a do’er and a leader. Lots of people who “do” can’t lead.

The Wild have all the pieces. There are no more excuses about gaps in the roster. They need to use and develop what they have like all the top teams do.

Grouse

I’ll agree that Yeo goes during the Olympic break. I agree Koivu isn’t Captain material. I’ll disagree that they have all the parts. They have enough parts to make the play-offs but not enough to make a Cup run. In my mind they are missing a couple of bad boys. Somebody who isn’t afraid to slap somebody around. However, people with those skills AND hockey skills are hard to find.

Lindsey Ruff might be a good coaching prospect if he is willing to work with the GM. I don’t want another first time coach. I want somebody who has won at the NHL level.

Koivu isn’t a captain. Koivu isn’t a first line center. I hear that all the time. As for being a captain, that is based on what? Observations from a couch? His interviews with media after a game? He’s pretty clutch and has been a part of tying or breaking a deadlock at the end of a game many times. He’s also one of the guys who looks frustrated on the ice when things are not going the Wild’s way. Just because he doesn’t where his frustration on his sleeve after a game like Parise, doesn’t make him a bad captain.

It’s about as interesting as the argument people make when they say the coach isn’t angry enough. He doesn’t show emotion.

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I’ll disagree that they have all the parts. They have enough parts to make the play-offs but not enough to make a Cup run. In my mind they are missing a couple of bad boys. Somebody who isn’t afraid to slap somebody around. However, people with those skills AND hockey skills are hard to find.

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Yes, when I say they have all the parts, what I meant is that the problem isn’t a lack of talent like the Vikes and the QB position. I agree, they aren’t Cup Caliber, but they are certainly a playoff team. Or they should be. Every team can always use one more/better player somewhere, but the Wild have enough talent that they can’t blame lack of talent for the huge losing streak.

The Wild should have gotten much, much more out of the talent they already have. Come on. Suter scores his first goal of the season this week? Heatly wandering lost in the wilderness for the past 3 seasons. Koivu needs 10 games to light the lamp? These aren’t talent issues, these are system issues that Yeo has failed to address.

Yeo hits the bread line the day after the Olympic break. Or the day after tomorrow if they lose to Buffalo.

Now the big question: Who gets the job?

Grouse

I don’t know how much talent the team has right now when they are 2nd worst in scoring. After Koivu, Pominville, Granlund and Parise, the scoring is just not there. I’d argue the next best scoring threat on the team, sadly, is Fontaine.

Our biggest issue offensively might be the lack of scoring from Coyle and Niederreiter. I am sure their game will come in season or two, but it isn’t there right now. That’s 2 guys taking up spots on the top 2 lines.

With that said the 3rd line was producing some earlier, but now they have been in a funk probably starting before the team’s slump.

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Koivu isn’t a captain. Koivu isn’t a first line center. I hear that all the time. As for being a captain, that is based on what? Observations from a couch? His interviews with media after a game? He’s pretty clutch and has been a part of tying or breaking a deadlock at the end of a game many times. He’s also one of the guys who looks frustrated on the ice when things are not going the Wild’s way. Just because he doesn’t where his frustration on his sleeve after a game like Parise, doesn’t make him a bad captain.

It’s about as interesting as the argument people make when they say the coach isn’t angry enough. He doesn’t show emotion.

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To me a Captain is a leader by example either scoring, toughness, time in the league, charisma. Koivu probably is a nice guy, I don’t know. However I don’t think he is the most qualified. To me Suter should have been captain the day he signed. But that’s just my opinion. His captaincy really is a non issue. What is a issue is they don’t score and they don’t show toughness. That needs to be addressed, either by Yeo or the next guy.

Their shooting is terrible. To get in close and not get the goal as often as they do is inexcusable. To slow to shoot and don’t push anyone around enough in front of the net. They are not that bad of a team.

Gundy

One of the biggest criticisms you can make of Koivu that is that he passes up shots that take scoring chances away. He has done it throughout his career. And he does it even more when the team is struggling.

The team is really squeezing their sticks now putting pucks wide and over the net try to make that perfect shot.

That really frustrates me. When you are slumping, just put the dang puck on the net. That’s the best way to get out of a slump.

Good luck tonight. Miller is on fire. We should get over 30 shots on him, but that might give us one goal the way he is playing.

As for the next coach, I think Peter Laviolette would be my choice. Lindy Ruff wouldn’t be my choice. And no matter, he’s currently coaching the Dallas Stars who leap frogged over us with 3 games in hand.

To me a Captain is a leader by example either scoring, toughness, time in the league, charisma. Koivu probably is a nice guy, I don’t know. However I don’t think he is the most qualified. To me Suter should have been captain the day he signed. But that’s just my opinion. His captaincy really is a non issue. What is a issue is they don’t score and they don’t show toughness. That needs to be addressed, either by Yeo or the next guy.

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I agree that the captaincy is way over played. Suter might be ok, leading by example, but he isn’t going to be vocal in the locker room.

I don’t think anyone will disagree with the offense being the problem. Like I said, we have 4 guys that are a threat and that’s about it. We are also like 26th in shots on goal. You aren’t going to score a lot of dirty goals being the bottom of the league in shots.

Umm, didn’t see Ruff coaches Dallas.

My bad.

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Umm, didn’t see Ruff coaches Dallas.

My bad.

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Don’t feel too bad. I didn’t know he was coaching them until I looked it up. Last I heard from him, Buffalo fired him last year.