PuckInTheNards
Registered User
- Feb 4, 2008
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Oh for Christ sake... you've fully jinxed the team, now. We definitely lose to Calgary tonight.
Should the Wild keep some gas in the tank for the playoffs?
- Thread starter keppel146
- Start date
Oh for Christ sake... you've fully jinxed the team, now. We definitely lose to Calgary tonight.
Saga of the Elk
Honoured Person
- May 31, 2008
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I recognize the jinx possibility but Hockey Reference has them 100% for a playoff berth. I'd be more worried about that President's Trophy jinx.
I'm sure they're aware that their key guys are a little older and they have a plan to ramp down minutes before ramping them back up for round one.
Looking forward to seeing some Olofsson and Tuch in the next months. Maybe even Lucia.
I'm sure they're aware that their key guys are a little older and they have a plan to ramp down minutes before ramping them back up for round one.
Looking forward to seeing some Olofsson and Tuch in the next months. Maybe even Lucia.
Here is the Wild's 'magic numbers*' against the rest of the West:
Team - Max points (magic number). win=1, OTL=.5
MN-137 (33 games left)
CHI-125 (27.5)
NASH-120 (25)
STL-120 (23.5)
DAL- 114 (22)
JETS- 110 (20)
AVS- 98 (14)
SJ- 128 (29)
EDM- 124 (27)
ANA- 125 (27.5)
Cal- 113 (21.5)
LA- 118 (24)
Van- 116 (23)
AZ- 104 (17)
*Magic number go down if the the Wild win (-1) or OTL (-.5), or the other team regulation loses (-1), or OTL (-.5).
Magic number for the Avs (14) could be met in 7 games for each team. Wild go 7-0-0 (-7) and Avs go 0-7-0 (-7) that would equal -14. 14-14=0 meaning the Av's can not overtake the Wild for positioning.
I factored in an extra .5 needed so no tie breakers come into play. I used wins because they seem more real than standing points. If you want standings points just multiply the magic number by 2.
Team - Max points (magic number). win=1, OTL=.5
MN-137 (33 games left)
CHI-125 (27.5)
NASH-120 (25)
STL-120 (23.5)
DAL- 114 (22)
JETS- 110 (20)
AVS- 98 (14)
SJ- 128 (29)
EDM- 124 (27)
ANA- 125 (27.5)
Cal- 113 (21.5)
LA- 118 (24)
Van- 116 (23)
AZ- 104 (17)
*Magic number go down if the the Wild win (-1) or OTL (-.5), or the other team regulation loses (-1), or OTL (-.5).
Magic number for the Avs (14) could be met in 7 games for each team. Wild go 7-0-0 (-7) and Avs go 0-7-0 (-7) that would equal -14. 14-14=0 meaning the Av's can not overtake the Wild for positioning.
I factored in an extra .5 needed so no tie breakers come into play. I used wins because they seem more real than standing points. If you want standings points just multiply the magic number by 2.
spreadking
Registered User
I don't understand the question...like Bruce is supposed to tell the guys "same some of that fiery play boys, only go at it around 75% tonight and bank the rest for the playoffs?" I guess I'm confused at how one "saves up" power for 8 weeks down the road?
By giving players days off is really what it would be I think... or as others have mentioned, making sure guys aren't playing as many minutes. They aren't going to just quit playing.
Dr Jan Itor
Registered User
If we find ourselves in a situation where we are down by 1 or 2 goals, do we give the 4th line equal ice time, or do you shorten your bench a little bit to try and come back?
Do you give a guy like Graovac some NHL PK time and maybe save Koivu a PK shift per game or two?
How much do you play Suter if we're only up 1 or down 1?
Those kinds of things you can tweak.
Do you give a guy like Graovac some NHL PK time and maybe save Koivu a PK shift per game or two?
How much do you play Suter if we're only up 1 or down 1?
Those kinds of things you can tweak.
Look at the ToI from last nights game as kind of an example. All FWDs under 17 mins. Suter and Dumba barely eclipsed 24 mins. Kuemper in net. Having a better 3rd pair than Reilly/Prosser (13 mins) could bring the defense down even more.
Even cutting 60 mins ToI from the top players equals 2-3 games of ice time played for the season. It saves some wear and tear on the body.
The difference between Suter playing 28 mins a night and 25 mins a night for the season is 246 mins (almost 10 games @ 25 mins).
ThatGuy22
Registered User
- Oct 11, 2011
- 10,521
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If we play Avs level hockey the rest of the way(a pretty historically bad point pace), we finish with 91 points... Still above the pace of both current Wild card holders.
So it's pretty save to assume we'll be in the playoffs.
I put the benchmark at 95p for a WC spot, 100p for safely in the Playoffs.
Buying/selling at the TDL usually bumps points for teams above/below the pace they were playing at.
ThatGuy22
Registered User
- Oct 11, 2011
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Certainly possible. But currently St. Louis and LA are playing at 86 and 88 point paces respectively.
Blues trade for a league average goalie, and LA gets Quick back (Budaj has played great for them, but he's not Quick). Those things could really change the math as far as points go (as examples).
I think the Wild are safely in the Playoffs. Even if Kuemper/Stalock started the rest games they should be able to pull off 24 (10-19-4 record) standing points in the last 33 games.
This team is not Yeo playing Koivu for 22 and Suter for over 30. The rest is there.
They are flying because everyone is involved and it looks like they are all having a great time.
Right now the only thing they should do is give Kuemper a few more starts,not just in back to back games.The last two weeks of the season giving older players or ones who may be a bit banged up a rest day might be an option,depending on how the playoff seeding is.
Koivu ToI really hasn't changed much from the last two seasons right about 19:30. Suter is down in the 27 min range (better than the 29 he was playing), but still could be less.
The time is there to be rested, but that has to partially to do with the rest of the team stepping up and taking it. Partially to do with the coaches running times more evenly. But until something is clinched Wild shouldn't let off the gas at all. Rest players when they have a 5-2 lead, or the games when the team just doesn't show up, ect...
No morning skates, or "maintenance days" are other ways to give some rest. Hopefully they will find that happy medium after the TDL when the schedule gets rough for games.
Tonight's game is why you don't let off the gas. Because you need a damn good cushion if you have one or two bad games like this. I don't care how many points we have right now. Nothing is a guarantee until it's official. And letting off the gas could create some new and bad habits. They sure as hell better be ballz to the wallz in the next game after this embarrassment tonight.
Or just playing like @#$% could be the reason they lost tonight.
0-3 for the season against the Flames. Not like we've run them out of the building the other times we've played them.
Of course playing like #$@! is how they lost. What I meant was having a good cushion in points makes a game like tonight's loss turn into one that they can afford to brush off. Which is why they need to keep playing hard every game. It's only going to get tougher from here on out.
Yes Becuase they are robots and not humans and can do the exact same thing every single game.
Well if you figure most of them didn't go work out (Zucker was at Disneyworld with Carly and her daughter, Nino was in Jamaica) they are going to be pretty lethargic. Especially when they had the AS break just a few weeks prior to that.
Bruce Granville
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- Oct 11, 2014
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