Non-Minnesota NHL News XIV

[TaLoN]

I feel like that's the last time I ever caught a Wild game on ESPN. Might have even been Gary Thorne on the call? I met that guy once. Great man.

Was 2003-04 the one that featured the reinvention of former No. 1 overall pick Alexandre Daigle? It's all a bit hazy to me without crutching off of Google, but I definitey remember the media acting like the Wild pulled something special by getting 50 points out of that guy somewhere in there.

Yeah, he was the "big addition" to make the team stronger.

Talking to everyone who freaked out in last night's GDT, being so upset that the Wild ONLY won by a single goal.

I've said it a million times around here... the only thing that should be expected against any team is a WIN. The NHL is a 1 goal win league. Blowouts rarely happen, and when they do happen it's unexpected - ala tonight's 7-2 blowout win by Nashville over Chicago.

The Wild can be expected to dominate on ice play for sure, but never expect anything more than a win. Any other goal over that 1 needed for the W is purely bonus.

 

[tomthestone*]

So don't bet on hockey, you guys. Stick to the Association.

 

[Sportsfan1]

Interestingly enough of Florida's 5 wins, the three I remember and know of have come against us, the Avs and the Anaheim, go figure.

 

[TaLoN]

So don't bet on hockey, you guys. Stick to the Association.

Exactly this... Vegas makes a mint off those dumb enough to think anything more than a 1 goal win should happen in any matchup.

 

[TaLoN]

Chicago leads the Central with 20gp, 30pts
St.Louis is 2nd with 18gp, 29pts
Colorado is 3rd with 19gp, 28pts
Wild are 4th with 20gp, 28pts

2pts out of first, 1pt out of 2nd (Blues have 2 games in hand), tied in points but behind the Avs due to the Avs game in hand.

 

[Sportsfan1]

Chicago leads the Central with 20gp, 30pts
St.Louis is 2nd with 18gp, 29pts
Colorado is 3rd with 19gp, 28pts
Wild are 4th with 20gp, 28pts

2pts out of first, 1pt out of 2nd (Blues have 2 games in hand), tied in points but behind the Avs due to the Avs game in hand.

And three points up on Vancouver. Teams I have my eye keenest on because they should be the bubble teams along with us are Phoenix, Vancouver, Dallas, and Colorado. Blues and Hawks are both making it, so I've got my eye on those teams cause they'll be the ones we'll be fighting with all year long. Hope to see Vancouver and Avs recent losing ways continue.

 

[TaLoN]

And three points up on Vancouver. Teams I have my eye keenest on because they should be the bubble teams along with us are Phoenix, Vancouver, Dallas, and Colorado. Blues and Hawks are both making it, so I've got my eye on those teams cause they'll be the ones we'll be fighting with all year long. Hope to see Vancouver and Avs recent losing ways continue.

I'm focused first and foremost on the Central. Yes, the Blues and Hawks should be locks, but they don't have to be locked in higher seeds than us!

2pts from the top of the Central is within striking distance!

 

[NHL1674]

Looking at the points in our conference and the competitive teams almost makes me miss the NW. At least in the old division we were facing softer teams with more ups and downs. The Hawks and Blues are gonna kill us. Playing on the road against everyone in our division is gonna be unbelievably tough. We could win in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. But Dallas? Chicago? St. Louis? And so forth? Yikes.

 

[Sportsfan1]

Looking at the points in our conference and the competitive teams almost makes me miss the NW. At least in the old division we were facing softer teams with more ups and downs. The Hawks and Blues are gonna kill us. Playing on the road against everyone in our division is gonna be unbelievably tough. We could win in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. But Dallas? Chicago? St. Louis? And so forth? Yikes.

Dallas curse is over and that is not an intimidating team and already beat Chicago once there, not all bad.

St. Louis yeah completely agree, just get the sense that team is going to steamroll people to the Cup finals this year.

 

[TaLoN]

Looking at the points in our conference and the competitive teams almost makes me miss the NW. At least in the old division we were facing softer teams with more ups and downs. The Hawks and Blues are gonna kill us. Playing on the road against everyone in our division is gonna be unbelievably tough. We could win in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. But Dallas? Chicago? St. Louis? And so forth? Yikes.

We've already ended the house of horrors that was Dallas...

We already won a game this year in Chicago...

We play St.Louis pretty well in recent years...

Funny how quickly you forgot how difficult it was to get a win in Calgary for the better part of a decade, yet now that we've shown as much recent success in these other places as we did in recent games in Calgary, you act as if they are impossible by comparison.

Dallas curse is over and that is not an intimidating team and already beat Chicago once there, not all bad.

St. Louis yeah completely agree, just get the sense that team is going to steamroll people to the Cup finals this year.

The Blues are a deeper team than the Wild, but the Wild have more top end talent than they do, yet still have decent depth. The Wild outplayed the kings earlier this year and SHOULD have won. I think we'll see the same vs the Blues, but with a better end result (as I would expect a better end result when we play the kings most nights).

 

[NHL1674]

We've already ended the house of horrors that was Dallas...

We already won a game this year in Chicago...

We play St.Louis pretty well in recent years...

Funny how quickly you forgot how difficult it was to get a win in Calgary for the better part of a decade, yet now that we've shown as much recent success in these other places as we did in recent games in Calgary, you act as if they are impossible by comparison.

I never forgot how we use to lose in Calgary. Heck, we use to struggle against the Oilers during the very early days. But we need to win another game in Dallas before saying those demons are gone. There is just zero room for error in this conference right now and it's only mid-November.

 

[Avder]

I think I remember that season starting with a brutal loss to Chicago. They got what was coming to them as far as I'm concerned. They should have known that 2003 playoff run was a sick, tasteless joke they played on everyone in the West not named Anaheim.

Funny, I remember those playoffs the most fun to watch in a very long time.

I didn't watch that years Cup Finals tho. Anaheim and Jersey? Worst SCF ever.

And Talon, I'm not so much pissed that we didnt score so few goals, but that we played like **** for 40 minutes and coughed up the lead.

 

[Avder]

I'm focused first and foremost on the Central. Yes, the Blues and Hawks should be locks, but they don't have to be locked in higher seeds than us!

2pts from the top of the Central is within striking distance!

In pure points sure, but it gets a bit more cloudy when you factor in games in hand.

 

[TaLoN]

I never forgot how we use to lose in Calgary. Heck, we use to struggle against the Oilers during the very early days. But we need to win another game in Dallas before saying those demons are gone. There is just zero room for error in this conference right now and it's only mid-November.

Win another... 2 wasn't enough? We'll win more this year... not worried at all.

 

[NHL1674]

Really, Calgary?

 

[NHL1674]

Win another... 2 wasn't enough? We'll win more this year... not worried at all.

We only won 1 game in Dallas last year, didn't we?

 

[TaLoN]

In pure points sure, but it gets a bit more cloudy when you factor in games in hand.

Chicago is first and have no games in hand.

St.Louis COULD be first... but they don't have the points yet. I'll take the team that has the points laid out as the target first, instead of speculating how many points St.Louis COULD get but don't have yet to get that position.

 

[TaLoN]

We only won 1 game in Dallas last year, didn't we?

My bad, thought we split 4 games... they were one of the teams we played 3 times... forgot Backstrom was injured and couldn't play them the last one.

Pfft... not even going to count that one... we remember how bad we were without backstrom last season...

Still no house of horrors anymore. The Wild were a poor team and Dallas was a playoff team during much of the horror years. Things have changed, just as they did with Calgary.

 

[Sportsfan1]

We've already ended the house of horrors that was Dallas...

We already won a game this year in Chicago...

We play St.Louis pretty well in recent years...

Funny how quickly you forgot how difficult it was to get a win in Calgary for the better part of a decade, yet now that we've shown as much recent success in these other places as we did in recent games in Calgary, you act as if they are impossible by comparison.


The Blues are a deeper team than the Wild, but the Wild have more top end talent than they do, yet still have decent depth. The Wild outplayed the kings earlier this year and SHOULD have won. I think we'll see the same vs the Blues, but with a better end result (as I would expect a better end result when we play the kings most nights).

Respectfully disagree on the Wild being deeper then the Blues. When your third line in St. Louis is Taresenko-Berglund-Schwartz or Sobotka-Roy-Stewart, however you want to jumble the line #'s that is just as deep let's put it that way as the Wild (and certainly bigger), Kings same way.

Wild need to overcome that with our speed and yes we can do that, but can and will are two different things, I'm fascinated to see how we play the Blues and can't wait for that Monday matchup.

Really, Calgary?

Toilet bowl battle, always fun!

 

[TaLoN]

Respectfully disagree on the Wild being deeper then the Blues. When your third line in St. Louis is Taresenko-Berglund-Schwartz or Sobotka-Roy-Stewart, however you want to jumble the line #'s that is just as deep let's put it that way as the Wild (and certainly bigger), Kings same way.

Wild need to overcome that with our speed and yes we can do that, but can and will are two different things, I'm fascinated to see how we play the Blues and can't wait for that Monday matchup.



Toilet bowl battle, always fun!

Ummm... LEARN TO READ! I said the BLUES ARE DEEPER! I said the Wild have MORE TOP END TALENT than the Blues, but still have solid depth.

Also... when will you get the usage correct for "then" and "than" along with "they're", "their" and "there"?

 

[Sportsfan1]

Ummm... LEARN TO READ! I said the BLUES ARE DEEPER! I said the Wild have MORE TOP END TALENT than the Blues, but still have solid depth.

Also... when will you get the usage correct for "then" and "than" along with "they're", "their" and "there"?

My bad, top end talent we have a little more? Hmm, even that I got to think about a bit but I see where you are coming from and on that last part haven't really learned in the last 5 years so not sure at this point.

 

[NHL1674]

Flames scored on themselves!

 

[TaLoN]

on that last part haven't really learned in the last 5 years so not sure at this point.

Hey, I can keep trying to help you though!

 

[Sportsfan1]

Flames scored on themselves!

Video please!

Hey, I can keep trying to help you though!

Please do, I missed it for a few years there.

 

[Foxlockbox]

My bad, top end talent we have a little more? Hmm, even that I got to think about a bit but I see where you are coming from and on that last part haven't really learned in the last 5 years so not sure at this point.

Big props for you not getting all drama queeny when getting corrected, an attribute many other posters ought to develop.

Oh and not to be all OT: Man is it a ***** of conference for the 100th time? We would be tied for the lead in the east and LAK would be 2nd instead we now share the last two spots in west.