MN Wild 2018-19 Official Thread

Lets see what Jonathan Marchessault thinks…

Someone is going to get fined.

jeff_huberty wrote:

Not sure who came up with the “franchise in a box” term? but that fits LV, their easy success has gone to their heads.

That would be me. You’re welcome.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Watched the Sharks vs Vegas and to my delight the Sharks scored in 2nd OT to make Franchise in a Box travel back to San Jose for a decider. Go Sharks.

Can’t believe what happened in the 3rd in the Sharks game. The only thing I could figure out is that maybe Pavelski’s helmet got pushed such that the chin strap ear loop cut him behind the ear? Just guessing, but very hard to see how this happened.

Whether or not the major was justified or not, Franchise in a Box has only themselves to blame for allowing 4 goals during the major. Their PK lasted what about 8 seconds before they let the first one in? Come on. You can complain all you want about the call, but it wasn’t like they were only up by 1 or 2 goals. A 3-0 lead and your PK lets in a goal a minute to lose you the game?

Big question now is do the Caps find a way? Boy life has been hard for the regular season top teams. Carolina smells blood and Ovetchkin is frustrated.

Grouse

found a new 2018-2019 season highlight video for Kaprizov – Obviously tons of high end skill with the puck, but what most impresses me about his game is his puck protection and ability to always be in a shooting position.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

found a new 2018-2019 season highlight video for Kaprizov – Obviously tons of high end skill with the puck, but what most impresses me about his game is his puck protection and ability to always be in a shooting position.

Stop, or I am going to collude with Lou Nanne and go to Russia to bring him back in my carryon luggage (ala Frantisek Musil).

Stop, or I am going to collude with Lou Nanne and go to Russia to bring him back in my carryon luggage (ala Frantisek Musil).
[/quote] I’m sure Wild fans could crowdfund that trip in a matter of seconds..

CaptainMusky wrote:

Stop, or I am going to collude with Lou Nanne and go to Russia to bring him back in my carryon luggage (ala Frantisek Musil).

No kidding. Let’s hope he stays healthy and doesn’t sign a 10-year KHL extension.

Grouse

What makes everybody think this kid is can’t miss or better then a very good junior player? Is the KHL that strong of a league?

Prospects are just prospects until they prove otherwise.

Dutchboy wrote:

What makes everybody think this kid is can’t miss or better then a very good junior player? Is the KHL that strong of a league?

Prospects are just prospects until they prove otherwise.

Its more or less projecting. He has excelled at every single level he has played at. Set KHL rookie scoring records, records set by Evgeny Kuznetzov (perhaps you’ve heard of him?). BTW, he broke the record in less games played as well.
He captained Team Russia in 2017 World Juniors (leader) and led the team with 9 goals which was a Russian record for the tourney and had the most goals or points of ANY player in the tourney.
Its easy to get excited when you see him play. No, it may not mean anything in regards to translation to the NHL, but I would rather get excited about the potential with how he has been progressing than think about how our 1st Round pick last year is going to help us with this gaudy 3 pts this year.

Usually when you beat up on players of your same level as you grow that is a good sign which Kaprisov has done. Playing in the KHL he is playing essentially with players in many cases that are much older and many that have previously played in the NHL. The caliber of play may not be NHL level, but its still professional hockey. He doesn’t look out of place at all and clearly has done well at a young age.

The other thing I would say (other than the otherwised mention of he’s excelled at every level he’s played in and has been a fixture in the top 5 player not in the nhl list the past few years) in that the KHL is about on par with the NHL in terms of physicality and he’s more than held his own from a physical standpoint, he doesn’t get pushed off pucks, he goes into the corners and comes out with the puck, etc

That’s typically were other European players struggle when they come to the NHL, it’s pretty obvious he has a very high offensive hockey IQ and knows how to find the soft spots around the net and the puck finds him and he burries it. (The highlight at 2:20 of that video shows his offensive IQ, have you ever seen another Wild player make a play like that? Most would have dropped the pass and then coasted out of the play or get locked up with the defender, he’s thinking about beating the defender and then opening up for the back door pass before the play even happens)

He’s also been the other teams #1 player to stop each game and he still puts up numbers. I don’t think anybody has called him a guaranteed superstar in the waiting, but he’s by far the best goal scoring prospect the Wild has ever had outside of Gaborik.

Dutchboy wrote:

What makes everybody think this kid is can’t miss or better then a very good junior player? Is the KHL that strong of a league?

I would agree with what Musky said above.

Also, I’m not sure many are thinking “can’t miss”. It’s more that after 3 years of KHL play, it’s clear he has NHL-level skills.

How do his skills translate to a full-on NHL game and how much skill growth does he have left? Those questions are a large part of the excitement around this kid if you ask me. If, if, if the skills translate AND there’s still upside in the tank…

And don’t worry. He’ll get the Welcome Wagon treatment from the TMSF crowd as soon as he gets here. What? He’s played 3 games and only has 1 goal? We waited 4 years for this? He could have 9 points in 3 games but of course points are a fake stat for the TMSF so they’ll be saying overrated. Trade him. Does anyone want to have a betting pool on the first sighting of a “Pierre Marc Kaprisov” reference from a TMSF on some other hockey site?

But the potential is exciting and like no other prospect we’ve had in a long time.

Grouse

I’m just worried with all these strong possession guys (Donato, Greenway, Kunin, Kaprisov) and shooters, who is going to yell PASS when on the power play. Its going to be a barrage of shots but no passing. The Xcel will implode.

I sure hope for the state of hockey he is a can’t miss franchise player and he actually comes over. It’s been a lot of years in between Gaborik and now.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Can’t believe what happened in the 3rd in the Sharks game. The only thing I could figure out is that maybe Pavelski’s helmet got pushed such that the chin strap ear loop cut him behind the ear? Just guessing, but very hard to see how this happened.

If you watch the replay that mplspug posted (JM going off) it looks like Stastny’s skate actually cuts him just below the ear when he steps over him (0:14 of the video).

I agree that Vegas shouldn’t have let in 4 goals during a 5 minute penalty, but I also understand momentum and the Shark Tank is a pretty wild place when it gets rocking and once that first one went in, the crowd was pretty pumped and the Sharks fed on it.

It should not have been a penalty at all, or at best a 2 minute minor. After watching Big Buff, Orlov, Orpik and other defensemen absolutely maul various forwards in front of the nets with no calls during these playoffs, a quick cross-check during a face-off scrum doesn’t warrant a penalty in my book. Call them all or call none, but don’t give out a 5 minute major just because someone started bleeding. Especially if you didn’t see the event that caused it.

mplspug wrote:

. I think in the East you have 4 teams that are probably have a legitimate chance of getting to the finals.

Another stellar prediction by me.

I am glad the Caps lost. What a year of parity in the nhl playoffs.

The question then becomes has the series sweeps by the Islanders and Bluejackets signaled a changing of the guard in the East?

Will the long layoff between series help or hurt the two?

It will be interesting to see how those long layoffs play out for sure. I have to think that at least the Blue Jackets the wait is bad. That was a very emotional series. Their first playoff series win, they were riding the highest of highs. Rest is good. Rust is not.

Hard to say. The Blue Jackets were inspired and never rattled going up against the Lightning, but you have a layoff that long I have to believe it hurts them. I guess you could say the same for the Isles.

I have Colorado and the Jackets in the second chance bracket, so they’ll probably tank now.

There is a bit of irony there with respect to moving Granlund. Some people were critical of him about not being a shoot first player.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I’m just worried with all these strong possession guys (Donato, Greenway, Kunin, Kaprisov) and shooters, who is going to yell PASS when on the power play. Its going to be a barrage of shots but no passing. The Xcel will implode.

What a fitting way to end the 1st round. I just hope the rest of the playoffs can be even close to the entertainment the first round has provided.

Can the NHL please get rid of the puck over the glass delay of game. It has to be one of the dumbest penalties in pro sports. If they need more power plays that bad then lets go with 2 for icing and offsides as well, make a hand pass a 5 minute major, and a high stick goes straight to the department of player safety.

Mikkel Broas wrote:

It should not have been a penalty at all, or at best a 2 minute minor. After watching Big Buff, Orlov, Orpik and other defensemen absolutely maul various forwards in front of the nets with no calls during these playoffs, a quick cross-check during a face-off scrum doesn’t warrant a penalty in my book. Call them all or call none, but don’t give out a 5 minute major just because someone started bleeding. Especially if you didn’t see the event that caused it.

Nailed it. The “Put our whistles away until someone gets hurt” plan needs to go.

tswoboda wrote:

Can the NHL please get rid of the puck over the glass delay of game. It has to be one of the dumbest penalties in pro sports.

Then every team under pressure in their zone would simply shoot the puck in the stands and take a line change & faceoff, that’s why it’s there… it’s one of the most obvious rules they could have…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

Then every team under pressure in their zone would simply shoot the puck in the stands and take a line change & faceoff, that’s why it’s there… it’s one of the most obvious rules they could have…

Or they could just ice it.
But for some reason one is a no-change whistle and the other a 2 minute penalty. Puck over the glass should be a no-change whistle just like icing… it’s pretty much the same play.

Do you think icing should be a minor penalty?

I didn’t like the rule when it came out, but I like it now. It’s just like when high sticking the ref used to have to judge intent. Now high sticking and clearing the puck over the boards doesn’t need to pass the bar of intent. It forces players to make more difficult plays and be careful. Clearing the puck over the glass has always been a penalty, it used to be that it was intentional.

I remember when clearing the puck over the glass was only a penalty if the goalie was the one doing it.

So happy for the Canes and their fans. What a game last night. Nino was buzzing and I was thinking he was going to get the game winner. Fitting that the crotchety old vet Williams gets the winner in OT.
Lots of wonderful and entertaining hockey being played in these playoffs.

I thought he got an assist. I do love Williams being deemed Mr Game 7. You always anticipate him contributing in a big way and he was buzzing last night, although I think he was forcing plays at times because of it last night.

Williams got the assist on the GWG. If anyone was playing a drinking game that involved shots every time the announcer said Justin Williams and Game 7 in the same sentence… well they’re probably dead now.

Nice to see Nino finally wake up in OT. He had a really bad series but throughout OT I thought he was the best player on the ice.

CaptainMusky wrote:

I remember when clearing the puck over the glass was only a penalty if the goalie was the one doing it.

Yeah it changed after icing became a no-change whistle. Puck over glass needs to be the same as icing. The game was almost decided by that call last night.

mplspug wrote:

I thought he got an assist. I do love Williams being deemed Mr Game 7. You always anticipate him contributing in a big way and he was buzzing last night, although I think he was forcing plays at times because of it last night.

You’re right, it was deflected. I turned the TV off immediately after the puck went in so didn’t see the replay.

tswoboda wrote:

Yeah it changed after icing became a no-change whistle. Puck over glass needs to be the same as icing. The game was almost decided by that call last night.

Don’t forget the one the Caps did that didn’t get called. It wasn’t much before.
I’m not sure how I feel about penalty vs defensive zone faceoff, no change.
If the player intentionally fires it out, that is one thing, but many of these are completely accidental. IDK. I am not opposed to changing it, but I am fine with keeping it too.
They are trying to keep the flow of the game going and you sure have fewer pucks leaving the rink now than previously which I am sure is because its a penalty.
I wouldn’t support an icing call being a penalty however, many times those are arbitrary calls and I think that is a bad idea.

mplspug wrote:

It forces players to make more difficult plays and be careful.

Exactly. Like making players play on while a puck is being held/trapped against the boards and the no-change rule to make icing less attractive, the delay of game makes players be more careful and keeps the game moving.

Some hockey games back when every trapped puck got a quick whistle/faceoff, when combined with icing and pucks flying out, started to be about as exciting as golf to watch. I like it the way it is now.

Grouse

I fell asleep during the first OT of the Carolina/Washington game last night.