2015-2016 Minnesota Wild Discussion IV

[Randy BoBandy]

You are correct, which is why Drouin would do wonders

I agree. He is the type of player we need to compliment the Coyle, Nino, and Parise types.

 

[57special]

His 6 goals in 89 games is disturbing. From what I understand, he doesn't play any defense, and he doesn't have any physicality to his game. So what do we have here? A Granlund ? Yakupov?

 

[nickschultzfan]

Wild are the worst team in the league with odd man rushes. Too slow and we don't even get shots off.

 

[Digitalbooya]

His 6 goals in 89 games is disturbing. From what I understand, he doesn't play any defense, and he doesn't have any physicality to his game. So what do we have here? A Granlund ? Yakupov?

2.07 p/60 last year. Would have been 6th on the team last year as a 19/20 year old.

 

[Screaming Buffalo]

This is exactly how I feel.

We just seem to have a solid team all around.

We are almost built for a 4x4 not a marathon or a dash. But a grueling fast paced game.

When i think of out team.

We toss the Koivu line out there. OK thats the shut down line. But cant Zucker and Coyle and Nino score with some speed and nice moves.

The Parise line. Ok we have to shut this guy down. He is a work horse.

The 3rd line. What is a guy with 300 career goals doing out here now.

Ah the 4th line. Break time. Its just our best physical forwards you will be hit. and one of our faster players. He will blow by your 5-6 d man.

Instead i feel, felt like i hope.

Hey if we can score first they will panic. If they score first they will shell up. Either way just keep going and they will change.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Here comes the inevitable winning streak only to get stomped by the Hawks in the playoffs again.

 

[gwh]

One win is not a streak. VAN was crap and our D leaks.

 

[BigT2002]

1C please. Anything else can wait till offseason.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Here comes the inevitable winning streak only to get stomped by the Hawks in the playoffs again.

And then rinse and repeat. Fan boys saying how good it was, that the team shouldn't try for a draft pick. And then next season, another rocky middle, another trade...

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

And then rinse and repeat. Fan boys saying how good it was, that the team shouldn't try for a draft pick. And then next season, another rocky middle, another trade...

Yeah, pretty much. I obviously love seeing them win, but the systemic issues aren't going to change overnight. Winning now pretty much sets us up for mediocrity in the future.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Was glad to see them win but we had a few flukey goals against bad D and poor goaltending. May be the confidence boost they need but I'm not going to get excited until I see how the next few games go. I just hope that we're not buyers at the deadline...

 

[kfan22]

Great win last night but its only 1 win with lots of work yet to do. Last night should have been expected, now lets see it continue for multiple games in a row. The good thing is you saw people working hard and smiling which hopefully means confidence is coming back We are 4 points behind Colorado with 3 games in hand so we arent in bad shape. Need to beat a lesser Calgary and Edmonton this week to go on a run!

 

[BigT2002]

Was glad to see them win but we had a few flukey goals against bad D and poor goaltending. May be the confidence boost they need but I'm not going to get excited until I see how the next few games go. I just hope that we're not buyers at the deadline...

Didn't they ring it off the post 3 times too?

 

[MNNumbers]

Quick comment on standings. The easiest way to read them is to ignore the OTL column, and simply do (wins) - (losses). That takes into consideration all the games in hand as well.

With that in mind, the top 3 in each division seem clear of the others, and we are left with the following as a wild card battle:

Nashville +5
Colorado +3
Minnesota +2
Arizona +2

It's going to be my working assumption that the Wild have the best talent of those teams. The distance to Nashville is 1.5 games if it were baseball standings. That's not much, with 26 games left to play.

And, the benefit of finishing 4th in the Central (as WC1), is a trip west to play LA in round 1, rather than
Chicago or Dallas.

All in all, it's not a bad position, if the team plays to its potential.

 

[57special]

Didn't they ring it off the post 3 times too?

yes. Though they had a lucky goal off Doobs... I blamed him for it, but after seeing the replay he made exactly the right play, as there was a Canuck player on the back door.

We should have had at least two more goals. Zucker and Granlund had numerous chances. Glad that Nino got one. Maybe it will get him going.

 

[JudgeJimmie]

yes. Though they had a lucky goal off Doobs... I blamed him for it, but after seeing the replay he made exactly the right play, as there was a Canuck player on the back door.

We should have had at least two more goals. Zucker and Granlund had numerous chances. Glad that Nino got one. Maybe it will get him going.

It wasn't exactly the right play. He had his stick in poor position on that goal. It was a lazy goal to give up for a goaltender. His stick needs to be out in front of his left skate to block that pass and deflect the puck up. He didn't read the spin very well at all, and that goal was 100% on Dub's. That said I wouldn't say he played bad by any means, but I guarantee if you ask Dubnyk about that one he'll say it should never have happened.

 

[hirawl]

Yeah, pretty much. I obviously love seeing them win, but the systemic issues aren't going to change overnight. Winning now pretty much sets us up for mediocrity in the future.

Losing and tanking don't guarantee anything but losing.


This team has gotten to the playoffs three years in a row. Twice to the second round. Twice they were beaten by the cup winners and once by the conference finalists who were 1 game 7 OT goal away from the finals. Which btw I think they would have won.

In a 30 team league that's not just some mediocre ****.


During 2015 this team played 83 regular season games with 108 points. In no-ties era (from 2005 on) 14.8% of the teams have done that or better in a full season. Lockout season excluded.

Between Jan15.2015 and Jan15.2016 this team went 111 pts in 82 games. Only 7.8% of teams have done equally or better in a full season since 2005. That's practically 2 teams per season.

Between Feb15 - Dec15 this team played 68 regular season games gathering 100 pts. That's >120 point pace in full 82 game season. Since 2005 only two teams have done that or better. DET in 2005/2006 and WSH in 2009/2010.

There's absolutely nothing mediocre about anything above.


During the calendar year 2016, until Yeo got the boot, this same team went on pace for ~43 pts in a full 82 game season. Since 2005 nobody has of course never ever gone even close to that bad for a full season. Thank god or whoever.

Anyway there's also nothing mediocre about that either.


But yeah, let's ****ing tank. Can't take this mediocrity anymore.

 

[BigT2002]

Losing and tanking don't guarantee anything but losing.


This team has gotten to the playoffs three years in a row. Twice to the second round. Twice they were beaten by the cup winners and once by the conference finalists who were 1 game 7 OT goal away from the finals. Which btw I think they would have won.

In a 30 team league that's not just some mediocre ****.


During 2015 this team played 83 regular season games with 108 points. In no-ties era (from 2005 on) 14.8% of the teams have done that or better in a full season. Lockout season excluded.

Between Jan15.2015 and Jan15.2016 this team went 111 pts in 82 games. Only 7.8% of teams have done equally or better in a full season since 2005. That's practically 2 teams per season.

Between Feb15 - Dec15 this team played 68 regular season games gathering 100 pts. That's >120 point pace in full 82 game season. Since 2005 only two teams have done that or better. DET in 2005/2006 and WSH in 2009/2010.

There's absolutely nothing mediocre about anything above.


During the calendar year 2016, until Yeo got the boot, this same team went on pace for ~43 pts in a full 82 game season. Since 2005 nobody has of course never ever gone even close to that bad for a full season. Thank god or whoever.

Anyway there's also nothing mediocre about that either.


But yeah, let's ****ing tank. Can't take this mediocrity anymore.

And the 2nd round gets you where? Are we hanging up participation banners in the Xcel now for beating a Regular Season Division winner? I must have missed those...

Don't care if they lost to the eventual winner or not. That is like saying the Twins should have never tried to get better because they would get a WC and get stomped by the Yankees. Because the Yankees are so good and they were the eventual WS winner. Or the Vikings should not try to get better in the offseason because they won the NFC North and lost to the previous NFC Champion and 2 year removed SB champions.

No this team should not tank until it is widely known they would not make the playoffs mathematically. From that point on, you play your players with minimal time and you let the kids you hope to see up to the big squad next year get some time and get acclimated to the new surroundings. Every team does this once they are out of the playoffs. They don't risk injury to players they may buy out or trade in the offseason. They don't overwork superstars by forcing them out there for 25+ minutes in hopes of getting the #11 pick over the #9 pick.

Fact of the matter is this team has not shown they can get over the hump in the 2nd round. They've only advanced once in the history of the franchise to the WCF and they got smoked in that. They went to the 2nd round last year and got embarrassed by Chicago. The year before that they made it more of a series. So did they regress or did Chicago get better? I'm willing to say they got better. And they got better based on their prospects coming to play and supplementing their stars. The issue is: Chicago has something we desperately need and that is pure goal scorer with uncanny puck skills. How do you get players like that? Well for 90% of the teams its Draft Lottery. The other 10% can go and find those diamonds like Dats in the way late rounds....but as we've seen with these scouts they are inept of that capability.

But no, getting a top pick does not mean they'll get the resolution to their scoring problems. So no, I would not be tanking ....yet.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Losing and tanking don't guarantee anything but losing.


This team has gotten to the playoffs three years in a row. Twice to the second round. Twice they were beaten by the cup winners and once by the conference finalists who were 1 game 7 OT goal away from the finals. Which btw I think they would have won.

In a 30 team league that's not just some mediocre ****.


During 2015 this team played 83 regular season games with 108 points. In no-ties era (from 2005 on) 14.8% of the teams have done that or better in a full season. Lockout season excluded.

Between Jan15.2015 and Jan15.2016 this team went 111 pts in 82 games. Only 7.8% of teams have done equally or better in a full season since 2005. That's practically 2 teams per season.

Between Feb15 - Dec15 this team played 68 regular season games gathering 100 pts. That's >120 point pace in full 82 game season. Since 2005 only two teams have done that or better. DET in 2005/2006 and WSH in 2009/2010.

There's absolutely nothing mediocre about anything above.


During the calendar year 2016, until Yeo got the boot, this same team went on pace for ~43 pts in a full 82 game season. Since 2005 nobody has of course never ever gone even close to that bad for a full season. Thank god or whoever.

Anyway there's also nothing mediocre about that either.


But yeah, let's ****ing tank. Can't take this mediocrity anymore.

Look, I want them to win and win hard as much as anybody else. But I've lived through enough middling teams to know the symptoms when I see them, and I'm not alone. Teams do not go through multi-month swoons like the ones the Wild are hopefully out of now (but we'll see) by accident. There are problems that need addressed, but if the risk is that if this group somehow makes it past the 1st round and gets rolled by Chicago again, they'll declare mission accomplished and not try to fix anything.

 

[BigT2002]

Look, I want them to win and win hard as much as anybody else. But I've lived through enough middling teams to know the symptoms when I see them, and I'm not alone. Teams do not go through multi-month swoons like the ones the Wild are hopefully out of now (but we'll see) by accident. There are problems that need addressed, but if the risk is that if this group somehow makes it past the 1st round and gets rolled by Chicago again, they'll declare mission accomplished and not try to fix anything.

Of course they will. Same as they've done in every year they made the playoffs or just barely missed it. How many years did they play Colorado in the 1st round and should have beaten them? How many times did they finish 9-10th in the Conf just behind the WC spots?

I'm not for tanking, I pay way too much money to see a team lose on purpose. But at the same point I am a realist and understand that they are missing something that many teams have right now that are successful. There is a reason teams like NJ don't make the Final anymore. And teams like LA (Kopitar/Carter), Chicago (Toews, Hossa, Kane), Tampa (Stamkos), New York (Nash, McD) do.

 

[57special]

It wasn't exactly the right play. He had his stick in poor position on that goal. It was a lazy goal to give up for a goaltender. His stick needs to be out in front of his left skate to block that pass and deflect the puck up. He didn't read the spin very well at all, and that goal was 100% on Dub's. That said I wouldn't say he played bad by any means, but I guarantee if you ask Dubnyk about that one he'll say it should never have happened.

Should have said he made the right play, but executed poorly.

The D(forgot who was there) were definitely puck watching, and if Doobs hadn't deflected it the Canuck would have had a wide open net.

 

[Fremitus Borealis]

Of course they will. Same as they've done in every year they made the playoffs or just barely missed it. How many years did they play Colorado in the 1st round and should have beaten them? How many times did they finish 9-10th in the Conf just behind the WC spots?

I'm not for tanking, I pay way too much money to see a team lose on purpose. But at the same point I am a realist and understand that they are missing something that many teams have right now that are successful. There is a reason teams like NJ don't make the Final anymore. And teams like LA (Kopitar/Carter), Chicago (Toews, Hossa, Kane), Tampa (Stamkos), New York (Nash, McD) do.

Exactly. And I mean, the thing with the Wild is that while their "window" may only be another handful of years, they are tantalizingly close. If missing the playoffs this season could get us a lottery pick (and we are not very far away), then I can grit my teeth and deal with it. Especially if it also results in a general house-cleaning of assistant coaches and development staff.

 

[Nharris31]

Of course they will. Same as they've done in every year they made the playoffs or just barely missed it. How many years did they play Colorado in the 1st round and should have beaten them? How many times did they finish 9-10th in the Conf just behind the WC spots?

I'm not for tanking, I pay way too much money to see a team lose on purpose. But at the same point I am a realist and understand that they are missing something that many teams have right now that are successful. There is a reason teams like NJ don't make the Final anymore. And teams like LA (Kopitar/Carter), Chicago (Toews, Hossa, Kane), Tampa (Stamkos), New York (Nash, McD) do.

I would disagree with you on the Rangers they make it more because of Lundqvist. Not because they have Nash and Mcdonagh.

 

[Nharris31]

The wild are not going to get a top 3 pick If they tank.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Look, I want them to win and win hard as much as anybody else. But I've lived through enough middling teams to know the symptoms when I see them, and I'm not alone. Teams do not go through multi-month swoons like the ones the Wild are hopefully out of now (but we'll see) by accident. There are problems that need addressed, but if the risk is that if this group somehow makes it past the 1st round and gets rolled by Chicago again, they'll declare mission accomplished and not try to fix anything.

Difference between Contenders and Middling Teams is Contenders have guys that can change a game on a moments notice even when the rest of the team is in a slump.

Nobody can argue with Hawks just winning games on one or two plays by a Kane or a Toews.

The Wild have maybe half a game changers in Parise.