Let's Go Wild!

Oh yeah, another 9:30 start…

Mine says 8:30

One of the few negatives of moving. Heck, even home games stink with the 8pm start.

Got to like the quick crisp passing going on tonight and their tempo. Don’t let up boys, we need this one.

How about some secondary scoring tonight with Dumba and Fontaine.

I’d love to have gotten an ice level look at that Hudler goal. It seemed to be rising very quickly and Doobs looked like he anticipated it hitting him in the shoulders. He’s a tall guy and shoulders are well above the bar.

Oh well, what are you going to do. Keep pressing boys. Hope my man crush Spurgeon makes it back.

How about Vanek playing 2 Flames behind the net. Sure wish Coyle grabbed that pass and buried it. That would have been a beauty of a highlight.

I don’t like where this one is headed. The Wild defence is starting to look tired. The refs aren’t helping. That was an easy call to make when Poms was hauled down especially compared to that Parise “slash”.

Nice job by the captain! two much needed points!

Holy crap I was going to say they were lucky to get a point. That was nuts. Good patience by Koivu and he actually shot it.

I’m really glad that one wasn’t decided by the skills competition.

belletaine wrote:

I’m really glad that one wasn’t decided by the skills competition.

Sure nice to see Kiouv smile: and be happy. He seems so serious all the time. Glad the Wild got after them right away in the first period

Gundy

mplspug wrote:

I’d love to have gotten an ice level look at that Hudler goal. It seemed to be rising very quickly and Doobs looked like he anticipated it hitting him in the shoulders. He’s a tall guy and shoulders are well above the bar.

How can the NHL have a credible “instant replay” system and NOT have a camera behind the goal? Obviously, one of the top reasons why a goal would come under review in the first place would be for the high stick issue. Too bad that none of the cameras in the arena were positioned to give the angle that would show this. Well, too bad for the Wild anyway, great for the Flames.

As anyone except the ref could tell, that WAS played with a high stick. Even from above, you can tell the point of contact was above the player’s shoulders.

Good play by the Wild, but these mid-game flat spots are getting worrying.

I have to say it’s been interesting how all those early season Vanek critics have disappeared. Maybe they finally figured out that Vanek wasn’t brought in because he was Parise-styel 30+ goal scorer. As I said all along, if we get 20 out of Vanek, that’s 20 more than we had last year and oh boy could we have used 20 more goals last year. If those 20 goals comes with 45+ assists…

Keep it rocking.

Grouse

The Vanek critics have disappeared because he’s playing better. He came in with high expectations and came out of the gates a little sluggish.
It’s a long season with highs and lows. It’s sports, praise and criticism, while sometimes misdirected are part of the deal. I haven’t heard anyone calling for Yeos head lately either.

It is the cliched “one game at a time” now.
Wins in regulation!!

When it’s all said and done Vanek will finish in the top 3 in goals with the Wild. He will finish behind Parise but maybe ahead of Pommer.

There are quite a few Wild players who need to get it in gear. Charlie Coyle and Grandlund to name just two.
Grouse

This is my take, for what it’s worth.
Someones game will always be on a down swing. As long as the guy that has just been down there gets hot (koivu) it all balances out. Yeo must go?

Vanek deserved the criticism for his entire play, not just lack of goal scoring.

I will cut him some slack in his earlier play. I think I said way back that he needs linemates to learn how to play with him. He’s creative and will put the puck in places where they need to anticipate him making a play.

I disagree on Coyle too. He’s finally starting to play like a power forward and finally taking the puck to the net and using his body to protect the puck.

Sure would be nice to get 8 points the next 4 games. 4 should be locks against the gaffe filled oilers. Dallas at home for another 2. Just need to solve Rinne for the other 2.

Coyle has had flashes of brilliance. He’s played some very good hockey.
Doobers has turned this team around.
They need to just bury Edmonton tomorrow night.

It’s all about the points.

I went back in the thread to read my posts and I think the funniest one was this…

With Kuemper signed, it shouldnt matter. My gut feeling is we have to starters, Kuemper and Backs, until one earns the full time starts. Before the injury it would have been backs and harding. I really don’t think goaltending will be an issue, because I think our d was pretty solid last year

This was my favorite rant

Vanek looks out of place, like he belongs in the AHL. I’m not real comfortable with a 3 year contract. I was never very high on signing him. If this keeps up we are going to end up with a Dany Heatly situation where Yeo doesn’t have he balls to sit him and when he eventually does, the guy responds. He seriously should just sit in front of the net and they should only pass to him there. Sometimes when he attempts a pass I just shake my head and wonder what he was thinking. You think your “lightning sharp” passes can move through bodies? I think wthe best we can hope for is he finds a line mate who can anticipate those no look passes to empty areas. Montreal were right about him last year. Although you’d think now that his dream of playing in Minnesota would give him incentive. At least Heatly seemed interested and tried, but his body wasn’t able to follow through most of the time. I can’t say the same for Vanek.

Ok, I feel better now.

That might have been a little over the top. LOL

I can’t believe a few experts are saying that doobs isn the main reason for the turnaround. Nanne said this a week or two ago.

I think that their pk is proof that doobs is almost single handedly carrying this team.

Nanne said that? I think there are 2 parts, but both come back to Doobie.

The first is the defense is better, but that is largely to do with confidence in the guy behind him, although that seems a little counter intuitive. You’d think with a poor goalie the defense would tighten up, but that is just it. they tighten up, over compensate and start running around, getting out of their game.

The second is Doobie is playing way better than what we had. He simply doesn’t let soft goals in. And he also stands on his head once in a while.

The PK was always good, he just made it better. Now the PP, that is I guess a 3rd reason for the turn around. Just don’t take any nights off these next 3 games. Its a big opportunity to get back into a playoff position and start messing with the other 6 teams battling for the final 2 spots psyche.

Yeah! And Calgary now down 2 after leading after the second.

Should have signed Iginla, who would have fit right in with these guys who excel in the second half of the year.

Without Doobs we’re looking forward to next year…

belletaine wrote:

I haven’t heard anyone calling for Yeos head lately either.

Oh, that hasn’t changed Yeo still needs to go. Once again, the team is winning in spite of him, not because of anything he’s doing.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>belletaine wrote:</div>
I haven’t heard anyone calling for Yeos head lately either.

Oh, that hasn’t changed Yeo still needs to go. Once again, the team is winning in spite of him, not because of anything he’s doing.

Grouse

We should probably just get rid of coaching altogether then. I mean if they are only responsible for losing, why not. How about a player coach like in the old days.

mplspug wrote:

We should probably just get rid of coaching altogether then. I mean if they are only responsible for losing, why not. How about a player coach like in the old days.

So that’s your defense of Yeo? That coaches don’t make any difference one way or the other? If that were really true, than hockey would have stayed with player coaches and certainly nobody would be making a multi-million dollar salary as a coach.

I don’ think Yeo is responsible for them losing, as I’ve said many times. The coach creates the conditions to make more wins possible.

The problem is that the Wild under Yeo are treading water. Look what we have on our hands this year. Groundhog year. Another year of trying to back door it into the playoffs. Compare that to the Jets. Or Calgary. Or any of the other up-and-coming west teams who are dramatically better this year than last.

The Wild need a coach that DOES make a difference, not just one like Yeo who seems to be constantly damned with faint praise. Well, he’s not that bad… Coaches don’t play the games…

Yeo (still) must go.

Grouse

Look at where Calgary and Winnipeg were last year. Oh and look where Colorado is this year.

You can fire a coach or fire half the players. Since you can’t fire half your players, you fire the coach.

The Wild are still a good team that didn’t have a solid goalie early in the year. Very few coaches can create the conditions you speak of and none would even come here. And I’m sure all of ygose coaches have been fired a time or two.

I’m not a Yeo defender, but I really don’t think that will solve ANY problems.

I didn’t think I needed to defend yeo. So no.

But since we are no the subject, I’ve watched a lot of away broadcasts and when they bring up people were calling for him to be fired, everyone says that is crazy.

I don’ think Yeo is responsible for them losing, as I’ve said many times. The coach creates the conditions to make more wins possible.

That seems like a contradiction to me.

Wild absolute pummeling the Dalass Team Rustlers. 6 unanswerd goals in the third period and a 6-2 dominating win. Wow!

Wild were on fire in the 3rd. Terific goals coming from everywhere. Dumba, Parise X2, Granny, Veilleux. Awesome.

Grouse

Did somebody say playoffs?

Posting in the blind as I recorded the game and just starting it. Hope Im not disappointed.
DT