GDT: 10/27/2014 - Minnesota @ New York (R) - 6PM CST - 1AM Suomi - FS-N, FS-WI [MOD #314]

[Minnesota]

It's just hockey, it doesn't matter.

Agreed.

 

[BusQuets]

You do if he's playing like ****.

And put Brodziak or Carter on your 2nd line?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Two 5-minute power plays. Zero PP goals. That's really all that needs to be said.

Pretty much. It's a boat anchor right now.

 

[BurnsyMN]

The second any spotlight gets shone on the team and they get the runs all over the ice. It's horribly frustrating. One of a handful of times I've shut off a game and walked away. And I'm still boiling about it.

They are on National TV tomorrow. That's a loss.

 

[WILDTATE10]

Two 5-minute power plays. Zero PP goals. That's really all that needs to be said.

Truth

 

[SupremeNachos]

Was this a heartbreaking loss? Yes. Does it mean the Wild are doomed to choke when in the limelight? No. This is game 7 of a 82 game season. Horrible things like tonight's game are bound to happen to every team in this league. I am absolutely disgusted in the way they finished this game tonight. But I know that they have 65 games to fix their mistakes.

 

[BusQuets]

Though it wasn't technically the bad pp that did us. It was the same thing that happened many times last season when we lead on the 3rd period. The team just sits back and dumps the puck.

 

[Jarick]

Mike Yeo has had three years to fix the PP. He can't. Ask Pittsburgh fans about it. He's been over his head this whole time. He can get guys to buy in and battle for stretches and then they crumple when they have to actually be creative.

 

[elnewby]

Obvoiusly Vanek isn't a great skater, and floats a lot. But I think we all knew that coming in. Can we try something like Parise-FBJ-Vanek? I know we don't want to break up the first line, but if that's what it takes to get some guys going then I think we have to do it. Granlund can find Vanek in good scoring positions. That's what Vanek does, you get him the puck in a scoring position and he scores. Parise's speed and forecheck would compliment those two guys.

It's not ideal, but I think those guys could play well together. Koivu and Vanek on one line just doesn't work.

 

[NHL1674]

You do if he's playing like ****.

Exactly.

I don't care what a player did last season. I'm not saying that Granlund has completely bypassed Koivu and that pushing Mikko to the 3rd line should be permanent from this point till he's gone. What I am saying is that this team has some issues right now despite them being able to score 5 on 5. And if players aren't pulling their weight RIGHT NOW, then you have to fix it and not wait for it to fix itself. We're in the central division. You can't afford to wait for weeks for something to develop. We GAVE away 2 points tonight on an effing silver platter. You don't sit and pout waiting and hoping for guys to start clicking or else you're gonna get left behind. We've seen enough now to know that changes HAVE to be made now.

 

[Jarick]

Vanek is a floater who cheats on the offensive side of the puck. Koivu is a floater who cheats on the defensive side of the puck. Vanek will give up the defensive play for an offensive one. Koivu will give up the offensive play for a defensive one. I don't know why we punish one and reward the other.

 

[elnewby]

We are still lacking that killer instinct stemming from last year, especially against COL. That PP NEEDS to start scoring and making some teams pay. We may win some games without it, but we need it to start producing if we want to make any noise this year.

 

[gphr513]

Wish I had the Men in Black mind eraser

 

[BusQuets]

Vanek is a floater who cheats on the offensive side of the puck. Koivu is a floater who cheats on the defensive side of the puck. Vanek will give up the defensive play for an offensive one. Koivu will give up the offensive play for a defensive one. I don't know why we punish one and reward the other.

Where do you put guy like Vanek? Vanek-Granlund-Pominville can be potentially nightmare defensively.

 

[TheSauceBoss]

Wish I had the Men in Black mind eraser

Seriously.

 

[TheeNorthStar]

Please move Vanek far away from Mikko.

I dont know who you put him with. Its hard for anyone to really justify breaking up that 1st line.

Put him inbetween some youth.

 

[NHL1674]

Haven't really let this one go yet.. All it took was one period for the Minnesota sports fan in me to come back out. No longer expecting a great season.

(yes, I am overreacting and I know it, but we live in MN, so it's justified)

Personally, I won't let this go all season. We'll feel this game all year just like we did the year of the Ottawa Valentine's Day massacre at the Xcel years ago. Except, this game was worse!

Russo

Yeo: We have to push this behind us, but we have to learn. I mean, this is twice already this year where we’ve blown third-period leads.

Sounds so reassuring that change is on the horizon, eh?

 

[TheeNorthStar]

Vanek is a floater who cheats on the offensive side of the puck. Koivu is a floater who cheats on the defensive side of the puck. Vanek will give up the defensive play for an offensive one. Koivu will give up the offensive play for a defensive one. I don't know why we punish one and reward the other.

Very fair assessment but we knew this about Vanek.

 

[Swervin81]

Where do you put guy like Vanek? Vanek-Granlund-Pominville can be potentially nightmare defensively.

Maybe make our middle 6 look something like:

Zucker-Haula-Vanek
Nino-Koivu-Coyle

See if some speedier guys like Haula and Zucker can create some space for Vanek. That 3rd line would be an absolute dynamite shutdown line. Koivu's safer, defensive play would enable Nino and Coyle to utilize the body on some hard forechecking.

 

[Jarick]

Where do you put guy like Vanek? Vanek-Granlund-Pominville can be potentially nightmare defensively.

Haula's gone now, so we don't have options.

Otherwise I would say

Parise-Granlund-Pominville
Zucker-Koivu-Coyle
Vanek-Haula-Nino
Cooke-Brodziak-Fontaine

I'm guessing it will look like

Parise-Granlund-Pominville
Vanek-Koivu-Zucker
Nino-Coyle-Fontaine
Cooke-Carter-Brodziak

 

[W75]

****! Been sleeping lightly and checking the score when occasionally woke up. First read about the injuries from the GDT, then it was quickly 3-0 and now, what!??

This isn't real life... a bad dream? really had to look twice and. Oh **** man.. please.

 

[elnewby]

Please move Vanek far away from Mikko.

I dont know who you put him with. Its hard for anyone to really justify breaking up that 1st line.

Put him inbetween some youth.

Vanek Haula NN?

Parise-FBJ-Pommers
Zucker-Koivu-Coyle
Vanek Haula NN
Cooke Carter Fontaine

 

[Wild11MN]

Vanek-Granlund-Zucker
Parise-Koivu-Pominville
Nino-Haula-Coyle
Cooke-Brodziak-Fontaine

I don't know.. gotta mix it up somehow.

 

[Jarick]

This is exactly the type of game that feels like it will precede a long losing streak. Had this same feeling last year when the Wild dropped like 10 of 15 games.

 

[plock]

Vanek-Granlund-Zucker
Parise-Koivu-Pominville
Nino-Haula-Coyle
Cooke-Brodziak-Fontaine

I don't know.. gotta mix it up somehow.

I think it could be a while before we see Haula back.I hope I am wrong.