GDT: Wild @ Sharks "No More MN Nice Guy" || 9.30 PM CDT || FSN

[DeuceMN]

It's absolutely ridiculous that a team with Parise, Koivu, and Pominville on the roster is having trouble scoring.

IMO we need some guys to come in and put the fear of God into opposing players. Yes that means dirty goons. The players we have are either incapable or are being told not to hit anyone and it's making me sick. Hockey is not meant to be played that way. Hockey is as much about intimidation as it is about goal scoring. If these players would intimidate opponents physically they would get more space to make plays everywhere on the ice.

It really is a conundrum. On paper at least, our forward lines are decent. I kinda expect a little more than what we have seen so far.

I understand every team goes through slumps, but there's something a little too consistent in our slumping.

This of course makes my eye fall on the coaching staff.

I also find it quite frustrating that in the games where we do actually score, our defense goes to hell almost every time; which is weird, and really unacceptable.

 

[Avder]

I think the Wild's forward corps is fine. The defense needs a little work, but defense can be taught a lot easier.

I think the lack of consistency speaks to the shortcomings of the coaching staff. I outlined my concerns in my rant a page or two ago, not gonna repeat it. Suffice it to say that I am convinced now that, regardless of hos this season ends, I feel the Wild would be best served by finding a different head coach.

 

[AKL]

I think the Wild's forward corps is fine. The defense needs a little work, but defense can be taught a lot easier.

I think the lack of consistency speaks to the shortcomings of the coaching staff. I outlined my concerns in my rant a page or two ago, not gonna repeat it. Suffice it to say that I am convinced now that, regardless of hos this season ends, I feel the Wild would be best served by finding a different head coach.

Also, I think it would help a lot if we obtained a third NHL caliber defenseman in the off-season.

 

[Gaps]

They need to add another good defenseman, you don't go deep in the playoffs with the group we have there. The defense is definitely an issue.

On the other hand, I agree with the ones saying that the forwards are good enough. Right now, at least. If Cullen goes back to being the regular Cullen next season and Granlund can't take his place, we'll be in need of a 2nd line center. But the other pieces are there and they're fine.

The jury's still on on whether Yeo's the right coach for this team, but I don't want to draw conclusions based on one shortened season. Changing the coach over the summer would mean that we're once again back to square one in learning the new coach's system.

 

[saywut]

The forwards corps should be fine considering we're spending almost 3x as much for 13 forwards as we are for 8 d-men. But really its not, its been as much of a problem as the defense this year, if not more. Fletcher made the decision to roll with 2 d-men making more than 1.5M and its hurting, especially considering one of them is having a hard time staying in the line-up, competing against a couple guys who would clear waivers. Fletcher made the decision to pay our back-up goalie more than 6/8 d-men to play a couple games this year, that's on him.

Hard to really blame the system when the players refuse to play it. Could blame the coach for not getting the players to play the system, but the onus is really on the players. Or the GM, for supplying the wrong players for the system. But our coach appears to be on the shortest leash so he's probably the most likely to go. Fletcher's leash should be shortening though, with all his lies, inability to find the right coach/players, poor evaluations/trades, and if his "great" drafting doesn't start to pay dividends.

 

[10dynasty38*]

I'm not expecting much from this years team. I'm sure this off season Fletcher will address the teams need for more skilled physical players. With Butch and Heatley gone we should be able to fill those holes with some bigger more physical cheaper talent.

 

[DeuceMN]

The forwards corps should be fine considering we're spending almost 3x as much for 13 forwards as we are for 8 d-men. But really its not, its been as much of a problem as the defense this year, if not more. Fletcher made the decision to roll with 2 d-men making more than 1.5M and its hurting, especially considering one of them is having a hard time staying in the line-up, competing against a couple guys who would clear waivers. Fletcher made the decision to pay our back-up goalie more than 6/8 d-men to play a couple games this year, that's on him.

Hard to really blame the system when the players refuse to play it. Could blame the coach for not getting the players to play the system, but the onus is really on the players. Or the GM, for supplying the wrong players for the system. But our coach appears to be on the shortest leash so he's probably the most likely to go. Fletcher's leash should be shortening though, with all his lies, inability to find the right coach/players, poor evaluations/trades, and if his "great" drafting doesn't start to pay dividends.

What lies has he told?

 

[thestonedkoala]

I think the Wild's forward corps is fine.

Depth to me seems to be an issue especially at center.

 

[Kaptain]

I think I still want to see Kuemps today instead of Backs.
I realize Backs is usually great post pulling, but I just don't see it tonight.

 

[Minnesota]

I think I still want to see Kuemps today instead of Backs.
I realize Backs is usually great post pulling, but I just don't see it tonight.

With his record? Unless he's injured, he's starting. And rightfully so.

 

[Dee Oh Cee]

Harding won't play until Friday or Saturday.

 

[saywut]

What lies has he told?

Said we'd make the playoffs in 2009-10, we did not. People can say it was a vote of confidence, but when he traded for Kobasew(we were 29th in the league) he still believed it, and that trade did cost us assets for a guy who helped us as much as waiver pickup Robbie Earl.
Said 1st round picks were gold and he wouldn't trade them, traded Leddy and now traded a 1st in the Pominville trade.
Said he wouldn't hand out contracts longer than 8 years, did that twice last summer. I understand these are cornerstone players, but so was Mikko and Fletcher didn't give him that kind of security.

Actually trading for Pominville is contradictory to some of his statements from the last couple years about letting things play out with the prospects, but Fletcher did make it clear he felt the team was ready, hard to say I agree with how poorly we've played this month.

And no, I am not calling for Fletcher's head. I just don't feel he's been worthy of the kind of praise he gets compared to the hate towards DR, and I was one of the biggest anti-DR guys years ago. His leash should be short, and if he does fire Yeo then he's on his last head coach, if he keeps Yeo and we miss the playoffs next year they both should go. Cap ceiling team fighting for their playoff lives, can't still blame DR for that.