GDT: 10/25/2014 - Tampa Bay @ Minnesota - 7PM CST - 3AM Suomi - FS-N, FS-WI

[rynryn]

Great game to watch. I want to see Zucker wih Haula and Nino. I think he would fit better than Fonzie.

and it would instantly take the fourth line off the board as far as threats go.

 

[Drewcifer]

Great game to watch. I want to see Zucker wih Haula and Nino. I think he would fit better than Fonzie.

I would have said that at the beginning of the season but now I am torn. I love getting this kind of production from the fourth line.

 

[this providence]

Or, you know, Zucker scores even more goals in a prominent role...

 

[rynryn]

Or, you know, Zucker scores even more goals in a prominent role...

could happen, by why do it when he's productive as-is, and the team is playing very good hockey? Sub him up when we're behind. Or if a line desperately needs a shake up or a message sent.

 

[MNWILDFAN001]

and it would instantly take the fourth line off the board as far as threats go.

But make the 3rd line stronger. 3 scoring lines is very good. And maybe Cooke and Fonzie will build some chemistry.

 

[this providence]

You're going to get exponentially more stable production from higher lines than believing the fourth line is going to continue to produce.

Frankly, at minimum, it's silly that he doesn't get a minute on the PP given his track record and skill set.

 

[rynryn]

You're going to get exponentially more stable production from higher lines than believing the fourth line is going to continue to produce.

Frankly, at minimum, it's silly that he doesn't get a minute on the PP given his track record and skill set.

i completely agree with the PP thing. if the lemaire era team could float a risky guy like Bergeron on a PP successfully you'd think they'd put a shooter like Zucker out there even if they thought he might be a liability (which appears to not be the case, given his PK duties).

Your first statement I don't know what to do with...Its been too short a period to be able to ascertain stability outside our top line, which was together much of last year. Third line has been the most disappointing for me thusfar but that's mainly because Haula has looked a little off. I just really like the idea of being able to exploit those minutes Zucker gets. I don't think he needs to be sheltered (like i did in the beginning), but this is already looking how I thought it would look if he made it as a fourth liner. We could change the way the NHL plays hockey if this works . the labels could become sort of meaningless, too, as far as what "liner" some players are. Not everyone, like Granlund wouldn't ever be considered a third liner, but there's already ambiguity in the top six, so why not bottom six?

 

[Minnesota]

Or, you know, Zucker scores even more goals in a prominent role...

Playing Devil's Advocate...

Does Zucker score more goals because he's NOT playing in a top-six role, thus playing against easier competition?

 

[tyratoku]

 

[TheeNorthStar]

Im still in love with that game last night... Wow

 

[W75]

Zucker is like a ninja. Fast and deadly. Strikes from the shadows when the opponent is unprepared and vulnerable.

 

[rynryn]

i'm guessing smarter players, or better positionally or some combo of that with faster will be able to read zucker a lot better than what he's faces so far and shut him down as a threat. just guessing. he's A LOT better away from the puck now and preseason he was far more judicious with the puck than last year so who knows how he'd look a whole game with more minutes and harder comp. Its great though, that he's a ready option if Coyle starts playing soft again or Nino fumbles the puck a few games in a row.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Well, he obviously won't be scoring at a 54 goal pace, but I doubt he becomes completely neutered playing up one line.

If he continues to out perform and outproduce Fontaine, it'll happen sooner rather than later.

 

[rynryn]

i don't think it'll hurt him at all (Zucker) going to the third line but I'm not convinced it'll help, either. Probably be an even swap in points, but just distributed in three lines instead of four. like i said, if they're struggling go for it. probably better at home when we get last change.

 

[Hall of Faber]

I'm confused... What is wrong in the first place? This team is a +13 in goal diff. though 6 games?

 

[rynryn]

I'm confused... What is wrong in the first place? This team is a +13 in goal diff. though 6 games?

most discussion here revolves around fixing "problems" so its natural to find the weakest areas and propose changes, even when they're not really what we'd have called problems in the past. Expectations go up and so does the detail in the criticism.

you could say it's only been 6 games and mean it negatively or positively depending on your point. you could look at that goal differential and say we've been more lucky and it'll come down to earth unless we do something to increase scoring even more or you could say we're trending the right way and trust it's an indicator of how the season will play out or at least as a sign that the team is still headed in the right direction--its a sign we're addressing our glaring weakness. We're addressing it with depth, not with assembling super-lines.

 

[we want cup]

Ranger fan here, newly transplanted to Minneapolis.

Last night was my first game at Xcel. Have to say, really great experience. Hats off to the Minnesota organization for a very nice presentation.

I was just wondering how much rowdier it gets for divisional and rivalry games. The crowd was pretty docile last night. Was that just a function of it being a bit of a laugher against an Eastern team, or is Xcel just not that kind of place?

 

[rynryn]

Ranger fan here, newly transplanted to Minneapolis.

Last night was my first game at Xcel. Have to say, really great experience. Hats off to the Minnesota organization for a very nice presentation.

I was just wondering how much rowdier it gets for divisional and rivalry games. The crowd was pretty docile last night. Was that just a function of it being a bit of a laugher against an Eastern team, or is Xcel just not that kind of place?

it's pretty docile, but like anywhere it depends on what's going on season-wise and on the ice that night. Its average at worst from the places i've been. Cultural thing. Minnesotans aren't loud.

 

[llamapalooza]

Ranger fan here, newly transplanted to Minneapolis.

Last night was my first game at Xcel. Have to say, really great experience. Hats off to the Minnesota organization for a very nice presentation.

I was just wondering how much rowdier it gets for divisional and rivalry games. The crowd was pretty docile last night. Was that just a function of it being a bit of a laugher against an Eastern team, or is Xcel just not that kind of place?

We step it up a little bit for the playoffs, but in general it's not a particularly rowdy crowd. I've definitely gotten glares for booing a bad call, and even once was asked "if I was going to talk the whole time." Gotta love Minnesota Nice.

IMO it's because we've priced all the working class folks out of the arena. If you go back and watch highlights from the early days, it was really loud. But particularly during some of the leaner years (i.e., post-Gaborik and pre-Parise), ticket prices skyrocketed while the team was garbage. The only people who could really afford it (and the only crowd the team seemed interested in attracting anyway) were suburbanite season ticket holders. I'm not trashing the suburbs by any means (I grew up in them!), but the combination of rising prices, mediocre hockey, and the same fans in the same seats every night sort of created this weird Country Club culture. It's getting slightly better, but we're still feeling the residual effects of a few years where people were more interested in catching up with their season ticket neighbors and chatting about how the kids were doing than in cheering.

 

[grN1g]

We step it up a little bit for the playoffs, but in general it's not a particularly rowdy crowd. I've definitely gotten glares for booing a bad call, and even once was asked "if I was going to talk the whole time." Gotta love Minnesota Nice.

IMO it's because we've priced all the working class folks out of the arena. If you go back and watch highlights from the early days, it was really loud. But particularly during some of the leaner years (i.e., post-Gaborik and pre-Parise), ticket prices skyrocketed while the team was garbage. The only people who could really afford it (and the only crowd the team seemed interested in attracting anyway) were suburbanite season ticket holders. I'm not trashing the suburbs by any means (I grew up in them!), but the combination of rising prices, mediocre hockey, and the same fans in the same seats every night sort of created this weird Country Club culture. It's getting slightly better, but we're still feeling the residual effects of a few years where people were more interested in catching up with their season ticket neighbors and chatting about how the kids were doing than in cheering.

this sums up pretty much everything you need to know.

 

[Avder]

We step it up a little bit for the playoffs, but in general it's not a particularly rowdy crowd. I've definitely gotten glares for booing a bad call, and even once was asked "if I was going to talk the whole time." Gotta love Minnesota Nice.

IMO it's because we've priced all the working class folks out of the arena. If you go back and watch highlights from the early days, it was really loud. But particularly during some of the leaner years (i.e., post-Gaborik and pre-Parise), ticket prices skyrocketed while the team was garbage. The only people who could really afford it (and the only crowd the team seemed interested in attracting anyway) were suburbanite season ticket holders. I'm not trashing the suburbs by any means (I grew up in them!), but the combination of rising prices, mediocre hockey, and the same fans in the same seats every night sort of created this weird Country Club culture. It's getting slightly better, but we're still feeling the residual effects of a few years where people were more interested in catching up with their season ticket neighbors and chatting about how the kids were doing than in cheering.

I'm eager to see what the crowd is going to be like when Chicago comes to town this year. Will we continue the serenade of Crawford? Will Crawford even start in our barn after the verbal abuse of the playoffs?

 

[Slick Willy*]

Ranger fan here, newly transplanted to Minneapolis.

Last night was my first game at Xcel. Have to say, really great experience. Hats off to the Minnesota organization for a very nice presentation.

I was just wondering how much rowdier it gets for divisional and rivalry games. The crowd was pretty docile last night. Was that just a function of it being a bit of a laugher against an Eastern team, or is Xcel just not that kind of place?

Just watching the last couple home games on TV it's been oddly quiet to me. The win over the Coyotes seemed to just be a fairly poor game but yesterday it was extremely quiet compared to anything I've ever seen there. I really don't know how to call it.

They stop selling booze down there at the X?

 

[llamapalooza]

I'm eager to see what the crowd is going to be like when Chicago comes to town this year. Will we continue the serenade of Crawford? Will Crawford even start in our barn after the verbal abuse of the playoffs?

Man, I would be so happy if Crawford became the next Luongo.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Man, I would be so happy if Crawford became the next Luongo.

Please don't tell me you just attempted to compare those two.

 

[tyratoku]

Please don't tell me you just attempted to compare those two.

He meant a goalie who struggles really badly in St Paul, to the point they don't ever play here anymore. Like Lou in the last few years in Vancouver.

At least, that is what I am guessing he was getting at.