GDT: 11/21/16 - Wild @ Stars - 7:30 PM CT / 3:30 AM Suomi - FS-N

[Sharppi]

Wild, Stars Clash Monday in Dallas
Central Division foes play for the second time this season
by Dan Myers @1DanMyers / Wild.com

DALLAS -- The Minnesota Wild will attempt to rebound from a tough loss on Saturday night when it hits the road for a quick one-game trip against the Dallas Stars (7-7-5) on Monday night at American Airlines Center. The Wild (9-7-1) belw a two-goal lead in the third period in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday, a defeat that left a sour taste in the mouths of players and coach Bruce Boudreau.

"I didn't talk to them [Saturday] night; I let my feelings be known a little bit [Sunday] morning, but they're men, they got up, they went out there and worked," Boudreau said after practice on Sunday afternoon. "Sometimes, you don't always like to hear what you're gonna hear, but at the same time, true, good athletes and the good team guys take it and go out there and work, and that's what they did." Boudreau is hoping a re-shuffled lineup will help spark things for the Wild as they play in Dallas for the first time since a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory in Game 5 of its First Round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.

Zach Parise, who did not play on Saturday because of an illness, is expected to be back in the lineup and skating on the top line next to Eric Staal. Mikael Granlund, who has been a fixture on Mikko Koivu's line, will move to the right side of Parise and Staal. Boudreau also re-united the line of Nino Niederreiter, Erik Haula and Jason Pominville at practice Sunday in hopes that the trio can find the magic that made them one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL down the stretch last season.

Koivu skated with Tyler Graovac and Charlie Coyle, a line that should be able to use its size to create scoring opportunities. Graovac scored a highlight-reel goal in the loss to the Avalanche and has gained the confidence of Boudreau, which earned him a promotion from the fourth line. But playing on the wing will be an adjustment for Graovac, who has been a center most of his life.

Read Full Article.


Projected lines:
Parise-Staal-Granlund
Graovac-Koivu-Coyle
Nino-Haula-Pominville
Zucker-Mitchell-Stewart

Suter-Spurgeon/Dumba
Brodin-Folin
Reilly-Dumba/Spurgeon

Kuemper

Click to read more...

 

[Aurinko]

Projected lines:
Parise-Staal-Granlund
Graovac-Koivu-Coyle
Nino-Haula-Pominville
Zucker-Mitchell-Stewart

Suter-Spurgeon/Dumba
Brodin-Folin
Reilly-Dumba/Spurgeon

I'm not much of a hockey expert, but these line changed don't come a minute too early.

I mean the team can still defend even if you would switch all the forwards to defense and vice versa. Offense is the missing thing.

 

[123TripleDoge]

I'm all for the line shakeup. If it doesn't work out great, reunite the top line and find a mix with the rest. We need that Nino - Haula - Pommer line going again. Although, I prolly would kept Staal and Coyle together so at least 2/3 of that line remained

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

It's being covered up since no one is really scoring consistently but Pommer has continued to be awful. Maybe this change helps him get going again.

 

[Dampland]

Pommer is done like dinner

 

[DANOZ28]

even though dallas is struggling , im guessing they win 4-2. how does pommer go from 30G to maybe 11G? very sad. buyout hurts the team for another 3 years.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Pommer is done like dinner

same amount of points as Johan Larsson so far this season. Fletch cannot stop himself from buying high.

Tonight is a should-win for the Wild.

Looking forward to seeing Julius Honka's NHL debut, apparently Klingberg gets the Gostisbehere treatment tonight.

 

[42]

Kuemper starting. Interesting.

 

[W75]

Well, maybe that'll wake em up. They need scoring just to survive. Too comfy with Dubnyk

 

[hirawl]

BB goes on channeling his inner Yeo and refuses to play Coyle and Granlund on the same line. I don't get it. Too obvious I guess.

 

[Nharris31]

same amount of points as Johan Larsson so far this season. Fletch cannot stop himself from buying high.

Tonight is a should-win for the Wild.

Looking forward to seeing Julius Honka's NHL debut, apparently Klingberg gets the Gostisbehere treatment tonight.

He missed team meeting.

 

[Minnesota]

BB goes on channeling his inner Yeo and refuses to play Coyle and Granlund on the same line. I don't get it. Too obvious I guess.

Don't see why he'd break up Niederreiter - Staal - Coyle.

What's your reasoning?

 

[FVM]

Don't see why he'd break up Niederreiter - Staal - Coyle.

What's your reasoning?

Umm, he just broke it up? It's now Parise - Staal - Granlund and Graovac - Koivu - Coyle, Nino - Haula - Pommer. I actually like this shakeup. Time to put all the forwards in the blender to see if someone maybe can score again.

 

[Minnesota]

Umm, he just broke it up? It's now Parise - Staal - Granlund and Graovac - Koivu - Coyle, Nino - Haula - Pommer. I actually like this shakeup. Time to put all the forwards in the blender to see if someone maybe can score again.

Huh, hadn't seen the new lines yet.

I like Staal - Granlund.

I'm not expecting to see Coyle score on a line with Koivu/Graovac.

 

[MNRube]

Thoughts on lines
-Granlund and Koivu don't have to be together. In fact they don't make a ton of sense together since neither one shoots at all.

-Graovac needed a promotion. He's provided a nice boost the last few games.

-Granlund should be tried with Staal. Glad to see Boudreau agrees.

-Nino/Haula/Pom line makes too much since to pass up, even if Nino deserves to be up in the lineup.

-I'd like to see Parise/Staal/Granlund, Nino/Haula/Coyle, Zucker/Koivu/Pominville group at some point too. Koivu can be effective with most wingers, let's give Haula two thoroughbreds and see what his ceiling is.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

BB goes on channeling his inner Yeo and refuses to play Coyle and Granlund on the same line. I don't get it. Too obvious I guess.

Pretty sure both prefer to be RW.

 

[Minnesota]

Dallas without their best offensive defenseman (Klingberg) and defensive defenseman (Oduya).

Should open up some opportunity for our offense to break through and finally score some goals.

 

[Aurinko]

BB goes on channeling his inner Yeo and refuses to play Coyle and Granlund on the same line. I don't get it. Too obvious I guess.

They have both top level puck control, but they also share similar finishing skills...

 

[NHL1674]

Dallas without their best offensive defenseman (Klingberg) and defensive defenseman (Oduya).

Should open up some opportunity for our offense to break through and finally score some goals.

You'd think so, but then again....

 

[StealthClobber]

Street Fighter music during the fight. Nice.

 

[josephwild123]

A fight that didn't suck.

 

[Minnesota]

Stewart vs. Oleksiak (6'6", 255lb)

 

[Minnesota]

Dallas getting all the opportunities... Which team's defense is injured/scratched again?

 

[Minnesota]

Shot keeper's weird tonight. Taking away shots. Not counting obvious shots.

 

[57special]

Shot keeper's weird tonight. Taking away shots. Not counting obvious shots.

Noticed the same thing. Pretty extreme.