that was a fun game to watch! It will be interesting to see if the wild can make a game of it because all I could think of last night was either Detroit or Chicago would have walked all over the Wild the way they were playing. Here to the wild making me eat my words 
Speaking of a good game. I caught the last 2 seconds of the first period and they’re up 2-0.
Did I see Hards in net?
Nope it was Keumper.
Eating my words 
Nice win for the Wild. Kuemper played well again. Nice to see Parise back. Just wish they could find a consistent game every night.
Just finished it on DVR. Kuemper is a keeper. I wouldn’t be surprised if this kid is the best goalie in the league in 4-5 years.
I have to say Scandalia has really stepped it up and become consistent, which is nice. He was on the verge of being a bust.
It will be interesting to see where we sit after the next 4 games.
First, I think we should send Detroit a big THANK YOU NOTE as I think they took a lot out of Chicago. I am not taking away from the win because the Wild played pretty solid hockey. Kuemper is for real 
Fun to watch except that five on three that stunk.
Gundy
That was the first game I have seen Kuemper play since those first few horrible games. I was very impressed. He stays out of the net and was sliding back and forth really well. Solid play.
DT
Quote:
That was the first game I have seen Kuemper play since those first few horrible games. I was very impressed. He stays out of the net and was sliding back and forth really well. Solid play.
DT
What’s going to happen when Harding comes back? Someone will have to get sent down I assume. Who’s the odd man out?
My vote is Backs. Harding has always been my #1 but Kuemper is making a serge for that position.
DT
Quote:
First, I think we should send Detroit a big THANK YOU NOTE as I think they took a lot out of Chicago. I am not taking away from the win because the Wild played pretty solid hockey. Kuemper is for real
Gundy
A lot of talk about the “depleted Chicago team” and the Detroit game angle in the papers and on TV. Always interesting how this excuse is seen as valid when you’re Chicago… Everybody in the league has to play back-to-back games. Why does Chicago get an excuse card?
The fact is that the Wild didn’t just win, they shut Chicago out. Last second desperation goals with a pulled goalie notwithstanding, the Wild totally disrupted the long pass game and constantly jammed Chicago up at the blue line and prevented them from entering at speed.
Chicago’s best defense was coming from the two red pipes, one on either side of the goal. Everybody’s talking about how depleted the Blackhawks were, can we talk about how lucky they were not to have been trounced 4-1?
Kuemper was really good in the net. He has to be careful he doesn’t get ahead of himself when handling the puck, but he was very good, no doubt.
Fact is that the Wild have had Chicago’s number this season. Not sure if Chicago isn’t taking the Wild seriously or if the Wild are starting to get inside their heads, but the Wild are hitting on all cylinders when they play Chicago this year.
Fine with me if top teams want to look past the Wild. The Wild need the points and a win is a win. You don’t get sympathy points for crying that you had a hard game last night.
Long road trip coming up for the Wild. Let’s hope they can get through this swing with 2 or 3 wins.
Grouse
Sounds like I better get in line for those play-off tickets. Wouldn’t want to get beat out by those bandwagon jumpers when they get here.
Quote:
What’s going to happen when Harding comes back? Someone will have to get sent down I assume. Who’s the odd man out?
Not Harding or Backs, they have to clear waivers 2 times and I guarantee you they wouldn’t. Then we’d be on the hook for half the salary. I would not be surprised if they carried 3 goalies, if they could get away with it.
I think the only way they’d carry 3 goalies is if they were desperate to give Hards a break and they just can’t throw Bacs in for a game.
Keump goes down when Hards comes back, no question. Bacs doesn’t make a bad backup.
Keump will have his time soon enough. Hopefully Bacs is tradable.
Pick the guy you think is the best and put the other two up for trade. Take your best deal. This isn’t a cup team yet and any upgrades you can make at any position you need to take.
Quote:
Pick the guy you think is the best and put the other two up for trade. Take your best deal. This isn’t a cup team yet and any upgrades you can make at any position you need to take.
Sorry Brian, but that is preposterous. First of all, you need a good back up. Kuemper is the future. No one will touch Hards at this point.
I sure hope that Harding gets things squared away. I wasn’t worried when they took him out for adjustments, but it has been 4 weeks now. It is such a great story. And Harding seems to be a really good guy. I’d like to see a storybook ending where he goes out on his terms, not his disease’s.
Good game by the boys tonight. Only the second team in the NHL to beat the Ducks in regulation at home.
Now the people that were calling for Yeo’s head should be demanding an extension.
Looks like Kuemper is our new #1.
Good game last night. What do you guys think of the Ryan Miller trade rumors. I hope they wouldn’t trade Granlund or Coyle.
0 chance.
Fletch gave away his limit of prospects to get Pominville. I think the only prospect he’d be willing to part with now is Zucker and guys in Iowa. Right now they have a problem when Backstrom comes back. Adding Miller, even if you trade away Backstrom, doesn’t help.
Who is going to Iowa when Kiouv comes back?? Do you think we will see that Gusstafson in goal sometime?? Wild played a great game last night. Hard nosed hockey.
Gundy
Excellent game last night. I LOVE the fact that Wild simply will not go away. “Pesky” is the label I see in the media, but I love the mental toughness they are showing and the willingness to play all 60 minutes.
With the number of posts they clanked just in the second period, frustration could have easily set in and they could have gotten sloppy. Instead they just kept grinding away and it was obviously working as the Ducks were taking so many penalties trying to slow the game down.
Lots of trade rumors out there. Miller is on the block, as is Vanek again. Problem is as Pug states. Who would the wild be willing to part with?
The Achilles Heel of the Wild right now is the goaltending situation. I think we have to face up to the fact that both Harding and Backs may be at the end of their careers unless they can get and stay healthy for long periods of time. If anything happens to Darcy, it’s going to be ugly.
BTW, Yeo still needs to go. He doesn’t have the experience to consistently run a team for the long haul. This turnaround is great in the sense that it gives the Wild ownership more time to shop for the best available coach rather than making a forced move because of a sudden firing. The turnaround means that Yeo lives past the Olympic break, but I still think the Wild will be hitting the eject button on Yeo on or by the end of the season.
Grouse
Wild aren’t trading for Vanek either, since if they are interested, they could get him for free in the offseason…unless he gets traded and signs an extension.
I’ll take that bet on Yeo. I should get odds though.
The Wild has had to deal with a lot of adversity and young players since he’s taken the helm and I think he’s done a good job. It’s not like he was fortunate like Dan Bylsma to be handed an elite team.
I would guess Haula goes down when Koivu returns.
Quote:
Who is going to Iowa when Kiouv comes back?? Do you think we will see that Gusstafson in goal sometime?? Wild played a great game last night. Hard nosed hockey.
Gundy
I think Zucker might go down, since he is a top 6 forward and there isn’t room for him up here, unless someone else goes down with an injury.
If they hit and get hit like last night it would seem to reason some one will go done. I would rather Zucker go down than Haula.
Gundy
What happened to Kyle Brodziak the last two seasons? I would have thought in a contract year he would have been better, but he has really disappointed. He has played well shutting down top lines, but has had almost zero production offensively. How many point blank shots can he miss the net with, and I think he has had the most breakaways of any wild player. I liked his game three years ago, but that player is long gone. He should be a 4th line guy even on this team. Yeo seems to like to keep players in positions they don’t deserve. He kept Heatley in every game when he should have been scratched many times. I will say for a while now Heatley has played better. I can deal with his lack of scoring, but his turning the puck over night after night was why I couldn’t believe he was still playing. Of late when he turns the puck over it is in the offensive zone rather than the neutral, or defensive zone. I am not happy with Yeo, and I would like to see him go, but not until the end of the season.
I think that because they will need to move a center Haula will go. I think that Zucker has really improved his game this time up, but his time will come next year when Heatley is gone.
Quote:
If they hit and get hit like last night it would seem to reason some one will go done. I would rather Zucker go down than Haula.
Gundy
Yes, Brodziak’s offensive production has gone down, but they need him on the 3rd line to shut the other top lines down. He’s played solidly defensively. Cooke, Fontaine and Brodz are all + +/- players on this team which is pretty impressive. He may not be scoring goals, but he’s being productive. And he’s playing lights out compared to last year.
I’m alright with how he has handled Heatley. He’s demoted him to the 4th line at times. I’d like to know how the team dynamic players into all of that. Heatley seems to be a well liked locker room guy. It will be interesting to hear the quotes from the players when he isn’t resigned.
Speaking of Heatley, I wouldn’t be surprised if they said at the end of the year he is suffering from emphysema or some lung condition. He is always hacking away. Even after one of the goals he came over to the celebration hacking away.
Quote:
The Wild has had to deal with a lot of adversity and young players since he’s taken the helm and I think he’s done a good job. It’s not like he was fortunate like Dan Bylsma to be handed an elite team.
Yes, but doesn’t that describe every team in the league? Except, obviously, for the teams that are having to deal with adversity and aging players moving past their prime.
Every coach has the players he has. Yeo’s problems with the Wild are about as common as dirt. Young players, injuries, older players with inconsistent play, goaltending issues, etc. These problems could describe any team in the league.
The Wild don’t have time to serve as a coach development minor league. Fire Yeo and move on.
Man, I would love to see the Wild end up with Vanek. That they will also be shopping for a goaltender is pretty much a sure thing unless Des Moines has a real fast mover coming up. Must say I don’t follow that end of things.
Grouse
I’d rather be the Devil’s Jacques Lemaire than the Wild Jacques Lemaire. In other words, I don’t want a refurbished coach. I want a coach that a team is always associated with because that’s where he started.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
