GDT: GM28: Wild vs Canucks - 1 PM CT

[Artemia]

Zucc once again saving this shitty teams ass.

 

[AKL]

Hate to agree, I love the guy, but I'm getting to that point.

Gus Bus was fantastic today

I don't know if he still has lingering effects from the injury or what. If this is just what he is now, he's not worth giving an 8x14 contract to or whatever it ends up being. He's not the same superstar he was the last few years, at all. Still a year or two before you need to decide, so maybe he turns it around at some point. But this is not a franchise altering player that you can't afford to lose anymore.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Well deserved 2 points, great effort game, not the most crisp but good enough to get there in the end!

 

[Wasted Talent]

7-2-0 under Hynes now.

Canucks might be the first legit playoff team they've beaten in that stretch as well.

 

[AKL]

Zucc once again saving this shitty teams ass.

Yeah he's super lucky that they got to the mickey mouse skills comp at the end of the real hockey two games in a row so we can all pretend he's actually worth anything.

 

[Webster]

Good to have Mats in the SO

 

[Sweetnut]

Gus with another all star performance, .972 SV%.
9 goals allowed in last 7 games played.
Love it.

 

[Wasted Talent]

Also nice to see Hunt getting ~15 minutes and not looking out of place

 

[Digitalbooya]

Zucc once again saving this shitty teams ass.

Happy he was able to score in the shootout, but Zucc has played a really big role in why this team has been shitty. His empty calorie points don’t make up for his constant turnovers and terrible plays IMO. It’s actually amazing that he’s still on PP1 with home many times he just kills the pressure by turning the puck over.

 

[Digitalbooya]

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Bogosian has been really solid, nothing exceptional, but just what we needed in terms of steady play. The penalty today was rough, but otherwise he did well. Goose is cooked when it comes to skating, but he still does think the game well enough to get by.

 

[Wonderful Tacos]

Also nice to see Hunt getting ~15 minutes and not looking out of place

Yeah. Mostly good. He was on ice for the only canuck goal though. I think that was mostly on Merrill making an aggressive but poor pinch near the blueline that sprung a 3 on 1 (or 3 on 1.5 - duhaime on the scorer's back). Still, Hunt was in position and had opportunity to prevent the cross-ice pass. I dont hold it against him really bc its difficult situation to prevent a goal but Wilds best defensemen (Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon) often find a way to get a stick/skate on puck there.

Merrill only played like 10 min.

 

[Artemia]

Yeah he's super lucky that they got to the mickey mouse skills comp at the end of the real hockey two games in a row so we can all pretend he's actually worth anything.

Yet that shootout goal gave just as much points as 65 minutes of play.

Quite important to have a player that can score on those, since the rest almost never do.

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Yeah. Mostly good. He was on ice for the only canuck goal though. I think that was mostly on Merrill making an aggressive but poor pinch near the blueline that sprung a 3 on 1 (or 3 on 1.5 - duhaime on the scorer's back). Still, Hunt was in position and had opportunity to prevent the cross-ice pass. I dont hold it against him really bc its difficult situation to prevent a goal but Wilds best defensemen (Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon) often find a way to get a stick/skate on puck there.

Merrill only played like 10 min.

I had a very similar assessment. I did like him much better positionally than I ever have Mermis so that’s a good sign. And Hunt was not afraid to let it rip too which isn’t always easy for young d men.

 

[Sweetnut]

Bogosian has been really solid, nothing exceptional, but just what we needed in terms of steady play. The penalty today was rough, but otherwise he did well. Goose is cooked when it comes to skating, but he still does think the game well enough to get by.

Yeah, that trade was a big upgrade from the scetchy D-zone play Addison brought.

 

[Minnesota]

Trade Spurgeon & Brodin, I wanna ride the Faber train all night long, baby.

 

[Digitalbooya]

Yet that shootout goal gave just as much points as 65 minutes of play.

Quite important to have a player that can score on those, since the rest almost never do.

Hey, I’m all for playing Zucc less minutes during the game and then using him in the shootout. Sounds good to me.

 

[Webster]

Yet that shootout goal gave just as much points as 65 minutes of play.

Quite important to have a player that can score on those, since the rest almost never do.

True that...and in this game he single-handedly saved one of those all important points for the Wild, something most fans will appreciate.

 

[NHL1674]

I don't know if he still has lingering effects from the injury or what. If this is just what he is now, he's not worth giving an 8x14 contract to or whatever it ends up being. He's not the same superstar he was the last few years, at all. Still a year or two before you need to decide, so maybe he turns it around at some point. But this is not a franchise altering player that you can't afford to lose anymore.

Evason's exit interview from less than a month ago hinted he was still recovering from that injury. I'm starting to wonder if he's ever going to get back to pre-injury mode.

After firing, Dean Evason reveals Kirill Kaprizov 'still in recovery mode'

Kaprizov was injured March 8, 2023 when Winnipeg's Logan Stanley ran into him from behind and fell on top of him. The Wild star crumbled to the ice and did not play for a month before returning for the last two games of the regular season.

"I think his injury took a lot out of him. He comes back and plays two games and then the playoffs, and he’s still in recovery mode. He’s had it looked at again this year. I don’t want to give secrets out, but that’s a hard injury to recover from," Evason told Michael Russo of The Athletic. "Has that affected his ability to have the pace? Yes, 100 percent. I do believe that. Kirill Kaprizov is trying his ass off. He just hasn’t found his skating pace that we are accustomed to."

 

[AKL]

Evason's exit interview from less than a month ago hinted he was still recovering from that injury. I'm starting to wonder if he's ever going to get back to pre-injury mode.

After firing, Dean Evason reveals Kirill Kaprizov 'still in recovery mode'

I mean if it's something he can recover from by resting they need to shut him down. He's not really helping the team win games right now anyway.

 

[NHL1674]

I mean if it's something he can recover from by resting they need to shut him down. He's not really helping the team win games right now anyway.

Exactly. Then if by miracle they make the playoffs, he might be better for it.

He's not the same player right now.

 

[Spurgeon]

Yeah. Mostly good. He was on ice for the only canuck goal though. I think that was mostly on Merrill making an aggressive but poor pinch near the blueline that sprung a 3 on 1 (or 3 on 1.5 - duhaime on the scorer's back). Still, Hunt was in position and had opportunity to prevent the cross-ice pass. I dont hold it against him really bc its difficult situation to prevent a goal but Wilds best defensemen (Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon) often find a way to get a stick/skate on puck there.

Merrill only played like 10 min.

NHL Network’s broadcast did a great in-depth analysis on the goals during intermissions. Seemed like it was a combination of Merrill & Dewar taking the same guy, as well as Duhaime not being fast enough to get back.

 

[NHL1674]

A little late, but......Faber is a stud.

 

[north21]

I could stand to see a little more Hunt this season.

 

[57special]

Hunt looked...ok. Strong enough, but looked a bit hesitant, which is understandable. He's a better skater than he showed. Merrill needs to be moved. Both Hunt, and probably Mermis are better, and i'm guessing ROR is too. Our D is too slow. We need some young legs.

Ideally, Goligoski wouldn't play, either, but because of the cap situation he'll get the odd game. Good player in his day, but time has caught up to, and exposed him.