Injury Report: Jonas Brodin (Injured Paw)

[ThatGuy22]

I've seen Bruce put out worse options. Funny enough, if those 3 were to take on Suter, Spurgeon, and Brodin in a sudden death 3 on 3, it would be over in less than a minute.

You think it would take a full minute before Spurgeon won it?

 

[2Pair]

You think it would take a full minute before Spurgeon won it?

Those 3 wouldn't touch the puck until they were digging it out of their net.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Those 3 wouldn't touch the puck until they were digging it out of their net.

Its an interesting thought expirement. I think if they played 10 times, Team Spurge would win 6.

Team Dumba would have too many turnovers trying something cool, which on 3 on 3 means breakaway.

Their goals would certainly be prettier.

 

[2Pair]

Its an interesting thought expirement. I think if they played 10 times, Team Spurge would win 6.

Team Dumba would have too many turnovers trying something cool, which on 3 on 3 means breakaway.

Their goals would certainly be prettier.

3 on 3 is speed and puck handling. Nothing more. Reilly and Dumba are the 2 best guys that the Wild have for it.

 

[ThatGuy22]

3 on 3 is speed and puck handling. Nothing more. Reilly and Dumba are the 2 best guys that the Wild have for it.

Its as much about controlling the puck as it is being fancy with it. The other 3 are better at keeping it. Be a lot closer than you're suggesting.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Goal scorer extraordinaire!

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

3 on 3 is speed and puck handling. Nothing more. Reilly and Dumba are the 2 best guys that the Wild have for it.

That's Reilly living off his college reputation. He hasn't done much at the NHL to be in the same convo as the 3 guys on the other side, even Brodin.

 

[2Pair]

That's Reilly living off his college reputation. He hasn't done much at the NHL to be in the same convo as the 3 guys on the other side, even Brodin.

Skating is skating, and Reilly is the best skater of the 6.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Skating is skating, and Reilly is the best skater of the 6.

Sure, say we concede that point. Its not like the three on the other side are Bruno.

Gimmie the overall game of the other 3.

 

[2Pair]

Sure, say we concede that point. Its not like the three on the other side are Bruno.

Gimmie the overall game of the other 3.

We don't have to wonder who the better 3 on 3 player is between Dumba and Suter. That's been proven out over a few years. Suter is a much better all-around dman than either Spurgeon or Brodin so I don't see things going any better for them. Spurgeon and Suter would also be a few steps slow in this matchup. Although I doubt that would really affect Suter much.

 

[Bazeek]

Its as much about controlling the puck as it is being fancy with it. The other 3 are better at keeping it. Be a lot closer than you're suggesting.

They're better at controlling it 5-on-5. I'm not convinced that they're better at it 3-on-3.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

They're better at controlling it 5-on-5. I'm not convinced that they're better at it 3-on-3.

Then Dumba's side can go ahead and control it for all 5 minutes if they want, they're going to get zero good looks at the net going up against three elite defenders.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Sure, say we concede that point. Its not like the three on the other side are Bruno.

Gimmie the overall game of the other 3.

I'm definitely not conceding that point.

 

[2Pair]

Then Dumba's side can go ahead and control it for all 5 minutes if they want, they're going to get zero good looks at the net going up against three elite defenders.

Yeah, the Wild have a great track record when using those 3 elite defenders, along with the likes of Koivu, Granlund, and Parise.

 

[Bazeek]

Then Dumba's side can go ahead and control it for all 5 minutes if they want, they're going to get zero good looks at the net going up against three elite defenders.

The thing that has me skeptical is that what makes Suter, Spurgeon and Brodin great defenders has a lot to do with how they "think" the game and anticipate what's going to happen. That "thinking" is possible because 5v5 and 5v4 usually have some degree of predictability to them. That means that just knowing where to be on the ice goes a long way toward being effective.

3v3 lacks that predictability and it seems to be much more a matter of action and reaction. Guys that will press the play and act on instinct rather than taking that extra half-second to think things through seem to have more success. Chaos seems to be a virtue as long as you're faster than the other guy.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Yeah, the Wild have a great track record when using those 3 elite defenders, along with the likes of Koivu, Granlund, and Parise.

Suter and Brodin have played during our recent 3v3 successes; they aren't stapled to bench letting Reilly do his thing. Does he even see the ice in OT?

You're going to compare our record against other top NHL players to an inter-defensive squad scrimmage where no forwards are present? Go ahead, but it's nonsensical.

Suter's side wins 8 or 9 times out of 10 (or plays it to a draw, because Dumba's team gets zero good shots).

 

[2Pair]

Suter and Brodin have played during our recent 3v3 successes; they aren't stapled to bench letting Reilly do his thing. Does he even see the ice in OT?

You're going to compare our record against other top NHL players to an inter-defensive squad scrimmage where no forwards are present? Go ahead, but it's nonsensical.

Suter's side wins 8 or 9 times out of 10 (or plays it to a draw, because Dumba's team gets zero good shots).

You see a lot of 3 on 3 where there are zero good shots? That's nonsensical. If you believe that Suter's group would win, that's one thing, if you really think that Suter's group could just defend for 5 minutes, that's delusional. I personally don't think it would last 2 minutes.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

You see a lot of 3 on 3 where there are zero good shots? That's nonsensical. If you believe that Suter's group would win, that's one thing, if you really think that Suter's group could just defend for 5 minutes, that's delusional. I personally don't think it would last 2 minutes.

No, but then again, the 3v3 I normally see has Benn/Seguin/Klingberg, Wheeler/Scheifele/Trouba, Tarasenko/Schwartz/Pietrangelo, etc... Not Dumba/Murphy/Reilly.

 

[Bazeek]

This needs to be a Hockey Day in Minnesota event or something. I wouldn't put money on either team, but I need to know who wins.

 

[2Pair]

No, but then again, the 3v3 I normally see has Benn/Seguin/Klingberg, Wheeler/Scheifele/Trouba, Tarasenko/Schwartz/Pietrangelo, etc... Not Dumba/Murphy/Reilly.

And you think those groups excel in 3 on 3 by sitting back and defending? Suter and Koivu are pretty much perfect examples of great hockey players that just are not cut out for 3 on 3.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

And you think those groups excel in 3 on 3 by sitting back and defending? Suter and Koivu are pretty much perfect examples of great hockey players that just are not cut out for 3 on 3.

Again, no, but they are great enough and talented enough to push the pace with puck, even against great/elite defenders. The three guys that we're talking about are just average-to-good but happen to be offensively inclined. They aren't good enough to be given the benefit of the doubt against elite defenders.

If Suter's group focuses solely on defending, then they'll give up basically nothing. They're too good at it. Now, if they start playing actual 3v3 style and it goes up and down the ice, odd man rushes, breakaways, etc... on both ends, then anything can happen.

 

[2Pair]

Again, no, but they are great enough and talented enough to push the pace with puck, even against great/elite defenders. The three guys that we're talking about are just average-to-good but happen to be offensively inclined. They aren't good enough to be given the benefit of the doubt against elite defenders.

If Suter's group focuses solely on defending, then they'll give up basically nothing. They're too good at it. Now, if they start playing actual 3v3 style and it goes up and down the ice, odd man rushes, breakaways, etc... on both ends, then anything can happen.

The bolded is just flat out incorrect. Agree with the rest of it, although I think it's fair to think Dumba can handle himself 3 on 3.

 

[BagHead]

Suter and Brodin have played during our recent 3v3 successes; they aren't stapled to bench letting Reilly do his thing. Does he even see the ice in OT?

You're going to compare our record against other top NHL players to an inter-defensive squad scrimmage where no forwards are present? Go ahead, but it's nonsensical.

Suter's side wins 8 or 9 times out of 10 (or plays it to a draw, because Dumba's team gets zero good shots).

Man, I feel like I'm on the same page as you almost always, but this is one of those times I have to disagree. 8 or 9 out of 10? Man, they'd be lucky to win 7. I think it'd be closer than either side in this argument is conceding. Let's not forget that Dumba has proven to be quite the 3v3 player, and has generated shots and chances of his own. That's not a thought experiment, we've seen it in real life. One must ask themselves why Dumba is a good OD but a mediocre two-way guy in 5v5, then turns into an absolute stud in 3v3. I think Bazeek has the right of it, in that 3v3 favors speed and instinct rather than positional play, which has never been Dumba's strong suit. Put differently, I think 3v3 allows Dumba to play the type of game he did in juniors. It's tailor fit to his style. I don't know how well Reilly would perform in it, but given his creative style of play, slick hands and swift skating, I think he'd do alright, at least offensively. I think that team would do a lot better than you're letting on.

The other team, Suter-Brodin-Spurgeon would be better than 2Pair is letting on, as well. Suter isn't fast, but he has shown that when he needs to skate quickly, he isn't "slow" either. He merely looks slow. The problem with the Wild's 3v3 the past several seasons was that BB was putting him out there with actually slow skaters. Brodin and Spurgeon are not slow, though I think it's difficult to gauge the speed of this team because we don't often see any of these three have to skate in an all-out sprint. Usually they're just gliding around, in position already. Positioning is a lot more difficult to maintain in 3v3, so we'd definitely get to see what their wheels looked like as early as the first game. Beyond that, they've got an underrated physical element in front of their net that the other team doesn't have, and they've the better stretch-passing ability, but I'm not sure which one of them would be "streaking" down the boards for a breakout, since none of them have ever really been that style of player. Maybe Spurgeon? I don't know, I feel that that stretch pass is a big part of what makes Suter and Spurgeon great defenders, and that weapon is mostly taken away in this format, unless one of them plays a little bit outside of his style (Spurgeon) or a lot outside of his style (Suter and Brodin). Also, if a team focuses solely on defending, it will lose. They may tie a bunch of the games, but in 50 minutes of play (ten 5-minute OTs) they will get scored upon at least a few times. There's a lot of space in a defensive zone when there are only 6 players skating in it.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see a ten game series end 5-5. If I were forced to pick a winner (and not one I'd put money down on) I'd go with Team Dumba.

 

[Wabit]

This 3v3 d-man discussion is different. My take.

Team Dumba needs to win it in the 1st minute, or the advantage swings to the Team Suter.

Team Dumba, I think gets tired first. 3v3 is a lot of man on man, vs zone coverage.

Brodin is probably the best/fastest skater on the team, so he'd nullify Dumba there. He doesn't use his speed much, but I remember him catching Gaudreau at the Worlds last year from 2 steps behind with a transition.

Spurgeon on Reilly, both handle the puck well. But Spurgeon has that nasty poke check that lead to a rush the other way.

Suter on Murphy. Suter lets Murphy run around all day, but doesn't give him a clear shooting lane. Suter conserves energy among the best in the league. The longer the OT goes the better for Suter.

It would probably be a 6-4 Team Dumba (best of 10). Dumba is the best shooter of the bunch, that gives them the edge.

 

[ThatGuy22]

I just wanna know how we make this happen.

Letter writing campaign?