The Hump; why is Minnesota struggling to get over it?

[goon]

Wild Players Frustrated with Current State of Affairs

 

[MuckOG]

Reasons why we haven't gotten over the hump?

1. Goaltending
2. Goaltending
3. Goaltending
4. Power Play
5. Goaltending

 

[behemolari]

Reasons why we haven't gotten over the hump?

1. Goaltending
2. Goaltending
3. Goaltending
4. Power Play
5. Goaltending

we have saying here when stumbling things:

too many finns.

 

[Al Lagoon]

Pouliot scored his first NHL goal tonight. Griffin Reinhart was considered a huge reach at the 4th slot. Slater Koekkoek, I can't comment on because I haven't seen or heard about him.

Yay, he caught up to Dumba!

First off, the 7tth overall compared to the 20th overall (and considered a reach at that point) and a 2nd round pick? Yeah that's comparable. Burns was considered a major project at that point and had only one real good season as a RIGHT WINGER. They finally moved him back to defense. Scandella was a 2nd round pick, so he didn't have a ton of expectations.

Dude, many a great d'man comes from round 2 - Weber, Keith, Subban.

That alone should show you how difficult a job it is to project the career path of 18 year old kids.

Maybe Dumba will be a stud someday, Maybe he won't. No organization gets all their picks right, even if they are top 10 picks.

I've seen enough of Dumba to believe he will at least be a good defenseman in the NHL. Probably not this year, and maybe not next year, but one day.

 

[Northland Wild Man]

Yeo is creeping back into the picture IMO. It's not for lack of trying, I just think he can't do much more than what he's done. He sounds like a very tired almost beaten man in interviews.

 

[Avder]

Yeo is creeping back into the picture IMO. It's not for lack of trying, I just think he can't do much more than what he's done. He sounds like a very tired almost beaten man in interviews.

It's the same damn thing every year with him. He gets the team fired up to start the season, but then when **** starts going wrong he doesn't know how to handle it, and it's up to the players to figure it out.

I don't know. We've seen how he can get the team working when the team is actually playing like it should like how we started the year, or how we played in the playoffs, so clearly he's capable of getting the team to work right in certain situations.

He just can't seem to get that good stuff to translate well during the middle of the regular season, apparently.

 

[Spurgeon]

Oh please, please, please no more Fire Yeo talk. Please.

The guy has brought us to the playoffs the last 2 seasons. He just signed a 3 year extension with us. Let's not jump on his throat not even halfway through the season. We've seen this every year, does it suck? Yes, but there's no reason to say we're not gonna pull out of this slump. Guy has done everything he can and at some point it rests on the shoulders of the players. The guy has developed a system and has proven it works, now the players just need to have the drive to win. It's really not fair to just blame Yeo for this and firing him isn't going to fix anything. It's going to force the players to adjust to a new system, which is not something they need right now. They're playing inconsistently and having an inconsistent coaching system isn't going to help fix that. Now, if this slump continues into the new year and then some, then you start having serious discussion about it, but not yet.

I have faith this team is gonna get together for a players' meeting and do what they need to do to pull themselves out of the slump after this little Christmas break. Yeo can't be held accountable for everything.

 

[Antsman41]

We don't control games, no one on this team cares until people are calling for sweater burning parties...

cough Koivu cough.

I miss 2003. No matter how little talent that team had, it made up for it in passion. No team has had it since then...

 

[Temego]

I have a feeling that if we make the playoffs we could upset a top-seed (maybe not blackhawks). Still believe Koivu has something in his tank, and guys like Vanek and Cooke could wake up big time in playoffs. The young guns are obviously already playing well, other than Grunweld and Halua. Geyborg is also surprisingly clutch in big games.

The key is to make playoffs and have Kuemper bounce back. His sv% is abysmal if you dont count the three shutouts to start the season (obviously stupid to not count them but u get the point). He's so weird; many times plays like a hero, gives up one goal that isnt even his fault and then loses all confidence.

 

[DANOZ28]

Reasons why we haven't gotten over the hump?

1. Goaltending
2. Goaltending
3. Goaltending
4. Power Play
5. Goaltending

im just not clear? are you saying it may be the coach? the players? the media? im confused. (j/k just ranting) i say make a trade , let the players know we're not gonna take it ... NO! (and yes im twisted)

 

[countrygentleman]

We don't control games, no one on this team cares until people are calling for sweater burning parties...

cough Koivu cough.

I miss 2003. No matter how little talent that team had, it made up for it in passion. No team has had it since then...

[MOD]

But ya, I agree, time for Koivu leave. Entire roster has been turned over multiple times, the coach has changed three times, two GMs and we are still begging the guy to do something/anything. It's a yearly thing.

 

[MN_Gopher]

Oh please, please, please no more Fire Yeo talk. Please.

The guy has brought us to the playoffs the last 2 seasons. He just signed a 3 year extension with us. Let's not jump on his throat not even halfway through the season. We've seen this every year, does it suck? Yes, but there's no reason to say we're not gonna pull out of this slump. Guy has done everything he can and at some point it rests on the shoulders of the players. The guy has developed a system and has proven it works, now the players just need to have the drive to win. It's really not fair to just blame Yeo for this and firing him isn't going to fix anything. It's going to force the players to adjust to a new system, which is not something they need right now. They're playing inconsistently and having an inconsistent coaching system isn't going to help fix that. Now, if this slump continues into the new year and then some, then you start having serious discussion about it, but not yet.

I have faith this team is gonna get together for a players' meeting and do what they need to do to pull themselves out of the slump after this little Christmas break. Yeo can't be held accountable for everything.

Working hard is not a system.


We are at a point where game in hands need to all be wins to be in the playoffs. Think we tie LAK and hold the tie breaker for #8. With COL, DAL and CAL right there with us if we stumble a bit.

 

[Wild11MN]

[MOD]

But ya, I agree, time for Koivu leave. Entire roster has been turned over multiple times, the coach has changed three times, two GMs and we are still begging the guy to do something/anything. It's a yearly thing.

Yes, I can't wait to start Mikael (bust of the century) Granlund, Charlie (just broke my 26-game goalless streak on a lucky goal) Coyle, Kyle ('pinnnnnnng') Brodziak, and Erik (healthy scratch) Haula as our four centers!

If Koivu isn't traded for at least an equal player at C, he's not being traded. Period.

 

[MN_Gopher]

Yes, I can't wait to start Mikael (bust of the century) Granlund, Charlie (just broke my 26-game goalless streak on a lucky goal) Coyle, Kyle ('pinnnnnnng') Brodziak, and Erik (healthy scratch) Haula as our four centers!

If Koivu isn't traded for at least an equal player at C, he's not being traded. Period.

Have to agree

Koivu under JL and Richards was a 20 goal scoring centermen and played D. Yeo has not found a way to program him corectly. Its not Koivus fault. I wish Koivu would do things differently as times but as a whole his game models Yeos system, a system that for all my viewing does not involve actual goal scoring plays just puck control.

 

[Gaps]

And here we go again with this discussion On Christmas Eve to top it all. This isn't on any individual, and no, Koivu's not going to be benched/traded/stripped of the 'C' because none of that would make an ounce of sense.

If Koivu isn't traded for at least an equal player at C, he's not being traded. Period.

Someone on Twitter wants to trade him for Bryz straight up. My eyes started bleeding when I read that.

 

[nickschultzfan]

Sad truth is that the NHL has had a massive injection of talent over that last decade. 20 year olds are better players in certain aspects than 30 year old vets. The incoming players are faster, better shooters, and have been puck skills than the previous generations. So a core of Koivu, Vanek, Parise, and Pominville might not actually be a smart bet.

Or those guys are just declining insanely fast. It is shocking how much they are fumbling pucks and getting caught on back checks this season. They have just not been good.

that and that whole goaltending thing.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Parise has been great.

 

[FinPanda]

So Granlund is already bust. This is his second full season in the NHL. I'll be worried if he is the same next season. I think it's just a slump.

 

[thestonedkoala]

So Granlund is already bust. This is his second full season in the NHL. I'll be worried if he is the same next season. I think it's just a slump.

A slump?

He has 0 goals in December and 3 points with a combined -4.

Before that he had 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in November and + 4.

That's not a slump. That's, he's not ready for the NHL and should be dominating a lower league like the AHL before coming up in the NHL. 9 points in TWO MONTHS? Are you kidding me?

 

[Harvest]

A slump?

He has 0 goals in December and 3 points with a combined -4.

Before that he had 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in November and + 4.

That's not a slump. That's, he's not ready for the NHL and should be dominating a lower league like the AHL before coming up in the NHL. 9 points in TWO MONTHS? Are you kidding me?

He was ready last year, but not this?

 

[thestonedkoala]

He was ready last year, but not this?

No, not this year. That's why you don't burn a young player's eligibility. Granlund would be better served with a few months and games in the AHL. Again look at Zucker...

 

[FinPanda]

He is ready. He just have to find way out of the slump.

 

[Harvest]

No, not this year. That's why you don't burn a young player's eligibility. Granlund would be better served with a few months and games in the AHL. Again look at Zucker...

How can you know that Zucker is ready next year and not just this?

 

[roon]

I guess I understand why everyone is saying goal tending...there have been a lot of softies going in...but it is more our overall team game on defense. We have always had sub par goalies...but our team game has sheltered them. Now it seems that the team is just constantly pressing way to hard and giving up shot after shot. They don't control games anymore...they just react. Our goaltending has always been average at best and GMCF has stated he is ok with that...we just need to get back to slowing down and controling the game...we are just running out of time standings wise to realize that and get back to basics.

 

[Nharris31]

The goaltending has not even been average this year. If it was the wild would be a lot a higher in the standings.