MN Wild 2016-17 – Official thread.

Well, we’ve got the prelims out of the way and here we go with another Wild season.

I’m not sure if it even was possible to watch last night’s first preseason game, but I tuned in while wrangling kids and cleaning the garage. As it happened, I tuned back in at the right time in the 3rd, just in time for Zucker to net the winner with 4 seconds left.

Typical pre-season game in many ways, but I’m excited to see Tuch and Staylock in Wild sweaters playing in the big league. I’ve got high hopes for Tuch for sure, the Wild need one of these draft picks to pay off and I hope Tuch can get up and stay up in the big league soon.

Did anybody find a way to watch the game?

What did you guys think overall?

Grouse

I am hoping the NHL Network will broadcast a Wild preseason game.

I watched moment of the Bs Sens game, just enough to see them promote part of their first behind the scenes Behind the B episode. Part of the episode is following David Backes around Blaine. The episode aired after the game, so I recorded it.

The snippet showed him driving Hiway 65 and going to Forgerty Arena. It was a bit surreal watching it, since I traveled that stretch about a billion times and I watched my brother and nephews play plenty of games at that arena. Very weird.

I searched hi and low last night and could not find the game. Anyone know if it will be on tonight?

I didn’t see the power play last night, but on the radio it sure SOUNDED good. They finally got some east-west puck movement and caught the D waiting for the predictable Dumba blast and caught them flat footed. It’s too early to tell, but I like the sound of anything that indicates some system improvement.

I saw the games on the DirectTV guide are listed as being on FSN starting with the next one against the Avs, but no channel was given.

Been interesting to read about training camp under a new head coach. I guess Bruce had the team skating against the clock on day 1. Russo’s report says he was whipping them like rented mules in practice.

Will be interesting this year to play the Avs without Roy. He wore out his welcome pretty quickly with the Avs ownership, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with that team under a new coach.

I have to say I was NOT a fan of this whole World Cup thing and I’m just glad all the Wild players are done with it without injuries. The thought of Parise getting injured in this kind of deal… I see Glass Groin Gaborik got hurt now and it was sounding like a broken foot. Nightmare situation, glad to have our key players out of it.

Grouse

Yeah, I was mainly thinking about Parise, Suter, and Koivu. Having Parise get re-injured in a meaningless tournament right before the season… The whole thing is a cluster waiting to happen. The Olympics are one thing, but this made up “world cup” is BS to me. There’s only one Cup in hockey.

Grouse

I wish I could stream it through the FSN app, but I am sure it is regional. Kind of a nice option when you are out and about.

Roy resigned. I think he hinted it was because he wasn’t given enough say in player decisions.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I see Glass Groin Gaborik got hurt now and it was sounding like a broken foot. Nightmare situation, glad to have our key players out of it.

Grouse

That must have been some Hacky…

I just tried watching the game through the Fox app, wouldn’t show the game after I selected it from the menu, gave some bs error that my cable package didn’t support it? Wtf Comcast! I have pretty much every station there is besides the movie channels!

Such bs!

About tonight’s game.

I think it’s a radio broadcast on tv. I found it on fox sports go app on my roku but there’s no picture.

Correction. The audio is radio, and there is video!

It is absolutely awesome to hear the Bob and Tom and watch it on tv. The other two bums are awful.

Ug. Wild down 4-1 in the 3rd. Only the pre-season but I always hate losing to the Avs.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Ug. Wild down 4-1 in the 3rd. Only the pre-season but I always hate losing to the Avs.

If it makes you feel better I didn’t recognize more than a few names on the Avs roster tonight. Basically young names all around looking for roster spots. Both teams blended together. Don’t remember much of the game except the Avs did a better job getting traffic in front of Dubnyk.

I didn’t recognize about a third of the wild roster last night either. I watched the last period or so on the app. Made my eyes bug out on my phone.
Pominville was totally robbed so it’s good to see he still is snakebit.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I didn’t recognize about a third of the wild roster last night either. I watched the last period or so on the app. Made my eyes bug out on my phone.
Pominville was totally robbed so it’s good to see he still is snakebit.

It seemed to basically be a game of the Iowa Wild vs San Antonio Rampage. Aside from Staal, Poms & Spurgeon it was mostly young players or 4th line guys on both teams. I spent the first two periods trying to figure out: Who’s #80? Who’s the 3rd defense paring? Was #45 Pagel or Hagel?

I haven’t had a chance to watch any preseason yet. Overall, I’m very optimistic! I like the new coach. I like getting Stewie back. I think Coyle, Zucker, and The El Nino are poised to have big years with Boudreau’s coaching style. I expect Koivu to get another 50+ points this year and I just hope Parise can stay healthy and get back on track for 30+ goals. Couple more weeks!! LET’S GO WILD!!!

I’ve got a pre-season game on Sunday and I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully some of the big guns will be getting into the lineup, but I also hope to see some of the young kids like Tuch.

I have no idea how this season will go. Not even a feeling one way or the other. Beyond the obvious question of can the Wild avoid the horrific mid-season slump, there’s the question of will all this line swapping really produce something besides different numbers playing with different numbers.

Grouse

Don’t quote me but I think Russo said the game tonight is on the NHL Network. Only 3 regulars playing though.

Also, Coyle to play wing this year, at least to start. That’s good! Perhaps with Parise and Staal.

Just got home from work to tune in to the final minute. 4-1 loss to the Jets. No idea how well they played.

Grouse

Tuck looked good, at least in handling the puck and puck battles.

I thought Lucia looked good too.

But I was flipping back and forth, so I didn’t see the whole thing.

I agree Tuch looked good. He appeared to have a bit more speed and was strong in the puck. Bartley had a few impressive shifts as well. Otherwise it was pretty uneventful but not a surprise when you consider haula, Shroeder and Carter were line 1.

I like Gabriel and Graovac playing together. I’d be happy having them with Carter as the 4th line.

Dalpe, E. Ek and Bertschy made the final roster. I don’t remember the last time 3 forward prospects were on the final roster to start a season.

Ek likely on the 9 game trial before sent back to Europe, but will be nice to see what he can do, who knows maybe he plays well and they keep him up…

I expect Tuch replacing one of the other two mid-season…

I guess technically it’s 2 prospects since Dalpe isn’t a prospect as much as he is a 4th line filler.

Looking at the roster, man the game sure has changed. I assume the 4th line will rotate Ek and Bertschy with Chris Stewart & Dalpe?

We’ll see with Tuch. Outside of injuries or trade I don’t see a regular spot for him.

Boo
drow
must
go!!!

Let me be the first

Always look forward to my favorite sport. I don’t expect them to win the cup, but expect a whole lot more effort than last year..

Pulkkinen seems to maybe have a hard time adjusting to the NHL? He has no problem scoring there. Maybe a little Granny and Mikko love is all he needs. I am thinking the Wings are a little upset that they had to expose him and lost him. I like the move. We need a Finnish player who can actuall finish…so to speak. I still wish we had a couple Russians not named Nail.

They call him PulkCannon in finland! The kid can absolutely shoot the puck and he’s right handed! 1 timers from the boards on the power play!

great waiver wire pickup! sounds like the Wings were hoping they could sneak him through…pissed he was claimed…

Highlights – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vpTjRvQ0gg

mplspug wrote:

. I still wish we had a couple Russians not named Nail.

I was just thinking about this the other night. Do the Wild have some kind of issue with drafting Russians? It’s just kind of interesting that I can’t think of any Russian player past or present. I’d think there would have been some, but I’m not able to come up with a name.

Maybe Russians aren’t as common as I’m thinking and it’s just the big names that make it seem like it.

Grouse

The Wild have recently drafted Sokolov and Kaprizov, both pretty good prospects

We didn’t draft him, but how about that Krivokrasov! Who could ever forget Maxim Suchinsky! I wish he hadn’t been such a baby and returned to mother Russia.

Wow. Who, indeed, could forget Krivokraso and Suchinsky?

Well, I can, actually. I have no memory whatsoever of Krivokraso. Nada. Nyet.

Schinsky I can just remember only because of the kind of mysterious departure back to Mother Russia to play KHL hockey. I don’t recall his play at all.

Grouse