Series Talk: 2021 Round 1 - Minnesota vs Vegas - Wild lose 4-3

[57special]

All in all, I'm happy with this season. I did not expect much but we actually played good hockey for the most part.

I 100% believe that we would have won this series quite easily if we were better at faceoffs. Billy G needs to find improvements to our center department, having the likes of Rask or Hartman as top 6 centers is not a good idea.

That's kind of an obvious one, but what is not so obvious is that our wingers have to be better on helping win the non clean draws.

I have no issue with Hartman as a cost effective bottom six wing. It's not his fault, and rather to his credit that he stepped up and tried his best at a position he wasn't suited for because our idiot GM couldn't do his job, and tried to pretend that Johansson, Bonino, and Bjugstad were suited to be top 6 C's for this team.

It's not Rask's fault that he is bad. It's the team's fault for not having better options at C. That includes Leipold, who hired the guy who made the crap trade that brought Rask here, and then insisted that he couldn't be bought out, Guerin, and Evason to a far lesser extent- he was dealt a bad hand.

 

[Bluesguru]

It's the perfect time to put Parise back in. He knows what it takes to be a great player and I bet he is rested and motivated as hell.

I had said it from the beginning. You don’t bench a proven warrior like Parise in the playoffs. He knows how to score and what it takes to win. Wild only 4 goals first 3 games. Maybe a key goal here or there and they’re up 2-1.

Disappointed they lost series. Thought Minny matched up well with Colorado and could beat them.

 

[Aurinko]

Gutsy win by VGK, and nice depth hattrick. This fighting win can help them mentally against the AV's, which everyone knows will come ultra hard and aggressive in the first game.

It was a great success for the Wild, even though the result isn't too exciting.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I’m torn on the Parise issue. People thrusting in all different directions.

 

[Aurinko]

I’m torn on the Parise issue. People thrusting in all different directions.

As far as I understand, he had a positive impact... but nothing like Janmark's hattrick, which is an incredibly good performance.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Super cool for Russo to retweet 4 nice words from the opponent’s back up goalie.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Vegas gameplan was to injure our blueline.

Gutless.

 

[63firebird]

Addison needs time to adjust to the bigboy game, but his puck skills sure do look like they translate to the NHL. Not sure how his defense will develop but he'll be a welcome addition on the powerplay.

Yet another tiny defenseman. It seems that Spurgeon has had several years to adjust to big boy hockey and he gets thrown down in playoffs like a ragdoll. Looks great and makes plenty of great stick saves and great plays all season long but when the ice surface gets so small in the playoffs these tiny defenceman just don’t cut it. May be in Europe where the emphasis is more on skating because the Ice is bigger. But not NHL. Brodin, Suter, Spurgeon . Zero aggression And nastiness and now another tiny little guy? Not knocking effort. They give it their all but how many times does Kap Need to be cross checked into the boards headfirst or Eriksson Eric to cross checked across the back of the head when he’s on the ice are ready before Foligno or Greenway or anybody steps up? Zero aggression

 

[63firebird]

Most obvious was the Karlsson, Marchesault, Reilly line. Plenty of cheap shots and aggression from three not so tough players. Never mind the big back end. The Wild can have 20 Kaps and Zuccs but without that nasty edge come playoffs the same result will happen. Even during the National anthem Greenway was motionless like the rest of the game as he couldn’t figure out to back check a winger like Patch. I know the trend is towards skill and speed but it seems toughness during playoffs is still important. avs play with speed but they have plenty of grit. I’m not talking fighting goon reaves. I mean do you think anyone could cross check macKinnon into the boards from behind or get cross checked across the back of the head?

 

[Slotski]

Yet another tiny defenseman. It seems that Spurgeon has had several years to adjust to big boy hockey and he gets thrown down in playoffs like a ragdoll. Looks great and makes plenty of great stick saves and great plays all season long but when the ice surface gets so small in the playoffs these tiny defenceman just don’t cut it. May be in Europe where the emphasis is more on skating because the Ice is bigger. But not NHL. Brodin, Suter, Spurgeon . Zero aggression And nastiness and now another tiny little guy? Not knocking effort. They give it their all but how many times does Kap Need to be cross checked into the boards headfirst or Eriksson Eric to cross checked across the back of the head when he’s on the ice are ready before Foligno or Greenway or anybody steps up? Zero aggression

I agree on your "tiny" D concerns. Spurgeon is a very good regular season defenseman. But, man the playoffs are an entirely different animal. At very least, IMO, he needs to be paired with a big, nasty, smooth skating, puck moving partner.

 

[MNNumbers]

What's O Reilly's game like?

 

[63firebird]

If the refs called the cross checking and interference then the tiny defence may be ok. Ericsson ek hammered by Reilly in the slot then cross checked into the ice.

 

[63firebird]

I agree on your "tiny" D concerns. Spurgeon is a very good regular season defenseman. But, man the playoffs are an entirely different animal. At very least, IMO, he needs to be paired with a big, nasty, smooth skating, puck moving partner.

Yes. We need 6 big nasty smooth skating defence and 12 big nasty smooth skating forwards.I am in no way criticizing the effort. The Wild did very well. Kap and Fiala seemed to be on their own. Rask and Johanssen and Brodin are amazing skaters but nasty factor zero. Talbot had to be amazing to win a game.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

What's O Reilly's game like?

He’s got that edge everyone is looking for but can still play a solid two-way game. Big shot and has been a leader at every level. He is a great prospect, but he is a while away.

 

[Bazeek]

Most obvious was the Karlsson, Marchesault, Reilly line. Plenty of cheap shots and aggression from three not so tough players. Never mind the big back end. The Wild can have 20 Kaps and Zuccs but without that nasty edge come playoffs the same result will happen. Even during the National anthem Greenway was motionless like the rest of the game as he couldn’t figure out to back check a winger like Patch. I know the trend is towards skill and speed but it seems toughness during playoffs is still important. avs play with speed but they have plenty of grit. I’m not talking fighting goon reaves. I mean do you think anyone could cross check macKinnon into the boards from behind or get cross checked across the back of the head?

Yeah, I've admitted elsewhere that hypothetically going from Dumba and Soucy to Menell and Addison is a bigger problem than I was thinking during the regular season. Not that I think we should make the same mistake Risebrough did after losing to Anaheim and start pursuing raw meat, but there's definitely a weakness there when the refs put the whistles away.

Hopefully more skill up front and down the middle helps to cut through the interference and other BS non-calls. I'd rather add more Fiala's, who can push through it and generate offense, than Reaveses, who get inexplicably large contracts to be bad a hockey.

It's also worth remembering that most teams aren't Vegas. The handful of North division games I've seen are like watching a different league, and while next year's Central won't be quite that ridiculous I do think this team's greater deficiency is skilled forwards. I'd address that first and see what happens.

 

[63firebird]

The greatest deficiency is the lack of grit. Are you kidding me ? was it not the Jets that just manhandled the wild was it a year or two years ago in first round playoffs? As much as the GM wants to go with skill and speed come playoffs these 5 foot 8 175 pound defenceman just aren’t going to cut it and neither are Johansson and Rask with their amazing skating skills. On a European ice sheet yes but not NHL playoffs where crosschecking is allowed.

 

[Wild11MN]

I think one of the team's biggest problems is still zone entries. They have so few players who have the ability to carry the puck in the zone and make a play to get a shot off. You see it on power play every game. I realize that sometimes you have to dump and chase if that's what they give you, but the number of times a guy skates into the zone and loses the puck within two seconds is killing them.

 

[57special]

Yeah, I've admitted elsewhere that hypothetically going from Dumba and Soucy to Menell and Addison is a bigger problem than I was thinking during the regular season. Not that I think we should make the same mistake Risebrough did after losing to Anaheim and start pursuing raw meat, but there's definitely a weakness there when the refs put the whistles away.

Hopefully more skill up front and down the middle helps to cut through the interference and other BS non-calls. I'd rather add more Fiala's, who can push through it and generate offense, than Reaveses, who get inexplicably large contracts to be bad a hockey.

It's also worth remembering that most teams aren't Vegas. The handful of North division games I've seen are like watching a different league, and while next year's Central won't be quite that ridiculous I do think this team's greater deficiency is skilled forwards. I'd address that first and see what happens.

I am with you. A savvy, puck distributing top 6 C(or two) is what we need more than anything. Grit is nice, and we got zero of it from Bjugstad, Rask, Bonino, and MoJo, but it is just one element to a good hockey team. I look forward to having years of Foligno, Hartman, JEE, Greenway, and Soucy, who have plenty of grit. Even Kap, Dumba, Suter, and Fiala do, but I want my skilled players scoring goals, not spend their time pushing their noses against the boards.

Oh, and one other thing about last nights' game. Greenway was not perfect, but the Pacioretty goal is not on him, it's on Suter. Suter was puck watching and covering no one. If you can't rely on a defensive dman to cover the man front of the net, then how can you expect Greenway to, who's area is further up?

 

[57special]

I think one of the team's biggest problems is still zone entries. They have so few players who have the ability to carry the puck in the zone and make a play to get a shot off. You see it on power play every game. I realize that sometimes you have to dump and chase if that's what they give you, but the number of times a guy skates into the zone and loses the puck within two seconds is killing them.

When Rask and Hartman are your top 2 C's, that's what you get.

 

[Wild11MN]

When Rask and Hartman are your top 2 C's, that's what you get.

Unfortunately the only solution is to "get better players".

 

[ref19]

As far as I understand, he had a positive impact... but nothing like Janmark's hattrick, which is an incredibly good performance.

Janmark is the ugliest dude in the league

 

[ref19]

The greatest deficiency is the lack of grit. Are you kidding me ? was it not the Jets that just manhandled the wild was it a year or two years ago in first round playoffs? As much as the GM wants to go with skill and speed come playoffs these 5 foot 8 175 pound defenceman just aren’t going to cut it and neither are Johansson and Rask with their amazing skating skills. On a European ice sheet yes but not NHL playoffs where crosschecking is allowed.

Wild certainly don't lack grit.

 

[Minnesnota]

The greatest deficiency is the lack of grit. Are you kidding me ? was it not the Jets that just manhandled the wild was it a year or two years ago in first round playoffs? As much as the GM wants to go with skill and speed come playoffs these 5 foot 8 175 pound defenceman just aren’t going to cut it and neither are Johansson and Rask with their amazing skating skills. On a European ice sheet yes but not NHL playoffs where crosschecking is allowed.

Found the NIMBY who doesn't realize European ice sheets are basically NHL sizes now.

 

[Spurgeon]

This team needs strong skating skilled players, not goons. We’ve got big players that can play those roles, but they are not what should define the team. The Avalanche are the epitome of what a team should strive to be, in my opinion. We match up well against Vegas, just didn’t win this series.

 

[MNNumbers]

One cannot complain too harshly about being tied halfway through game 7 on the road against a team which effectively tired for the President's Cup. Especially when the officiating was definitely in the manner which favors their style.

This series could have been won simply with a center who could convert one more scoring chance than Victor Rask. Or, Parise passing on a 2on0.

Point is, it's not worth blowing up the whole roster. A couple of steps better next year... Like Boldy being an upgrade to Bjugstad, and a real center, and this is a better team.