CreaseAndAssist

Meh, I'd keep Kahkonen in Iowa. If he doesn't like Dubnyk, start Stalock more. This team is hopeless no matter who is in net most nights. Dubnyk mostly complained about the officiating and about how that rule has been applied to him when he's had a forward camped in front of his crease as Parise was on the 'no goal' call. Still, he didn't seem to take any ownership over giving up a few soft goals. Boudreau indirectly mentioned the goaltending needed to be better though.

There has been a pretty massive overhaul of the Wild scouting department by what I see in the media guide. A few holdovers... Old Guard (all of these guys been with the team for at least 5 or more seasons) Ernie Vargas Brian Hunter Chris Hamel Guy Lapointe (who now is just an amateur scout, instead of being the director of scouting) Ricard Persson Brad Bombadir (Director of Player Development) New Faces (all of these players have been with the organization less than 5 years) *Patrick Baum *Joe Cucci *David Chiarelli *TJ Jindra *Dan Lablanc P.J. Fenton (still the director of amateur scouting even after his dad got the axe) Darren Yopyk *Ladislav Benysek *Ivan Nepriaev *Max Kolu *Matt Hendricks (Assistant Player Development person) Professional Scouts Richard Park *Mark Mowers Chris Kelleher * - Brand New A lot of the scouting staff is younger now. Especially the new faces. Now will we see a difference at the draft this summer? Its hard to say. I know Russo pointed out after last year, Paul Fenton made lots of changes in the scouting staff. Along with that I heard he didn't show much respect for most of the incumbent management / player development positions and exiled people and seemed to revel in being an asshole to them. I have also learned it was this poor treatment of people which was the main reason the Wild decided to let him go...and it wasn't as much about his disastrous moves. He got canned for being a jackass more or less.

Financially or did they tie themselves down with a bunch of geezers that can't skate too?

I agree Parise is a problem. His first few step quickness has left him and his body won't let him be a true net-front presence anymore. He didn't even register a shot last night, so I am not sure why anyone...and I mean anyone, Parise included would think he's a great option for 3-on-3 overtime. I was talking with a guy who works with Iowa, and he said Iowa is all about being fast. Isn't it funny and perhaps a bit sad the AHL team gets it but the NHL team is still living in 2009? Despite the atrocious calls and non-calls...all you had to do was to shoot more pucks on Allen and you can win that game. Allen is terrible. But the Wild stopped skating...chose to defend...and the Blues simply had to wait for the Wild to make a few mistakes and win the game. I am sure St. Louis was barely even stressed in this game because they knew we'd hand this one to them eventually. I keep thinking of that line from Miracle when Herb Brooks tells Mike Eruzione that he has plenty to worry about his own game to keep him busy. That quote kept popping into my mind as I saw all the complaining quotes from Devan Dubnyk. Honestly...look in a mirror and shut up.

Then we should really be trying to off-load about 4 different players. I was just reading up on the Anaheim Ducks and thinking how similar and how different they are than the Wild. Last summer...instead of doubling down by adding yet another old player; they instead bought out an old player and embraced being cheaper, younger and faster. They drafted a center with their top pick, not another forward with skating issues like we did. So my guess is the Ducks understood its problem that it was too old and too slow and took steps to address it. The Wild instead, compounded their problem and had another draft where just about every player we selected had skating issues. Its obvious which organization understands what is important to be able to compete in today's NHL' and which one is living in the past.

No Goal Call Looms Large in Wild's 4-3 OT loss to Blues Pretty predictable ending in this one. Weak goaltender interference call along with Blais' tackle non-call proved to turn this game into another loss for the Wild. I have a ton of extras to go along with the game recap...enjoy.

Wild vs. Blues Game Preview Minnesota Wild (4-9-0) 8pts 7th in the Central 2.31 Goals For Per Game (29th in the NHL) 3.46 Goals Against Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 17.8% Power Play (20th in the NHL) 81% Penalty Kill (18th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 4G 5A = 9pts 2. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 4G 4A = 8pts 3. #77 Brad Hunt ~ 4G 3A = 7pts 4. #46 Jared Spurgeon ~ 2G 4A = 6pts 5. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 4A = 6pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 19 PIM’s 2. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 10 PIM’s 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 8 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #40 Devan Dubnyk (2-6-0) 3.65GAA .885%SP 2. #32 Alex Stalock (2-3-0) 2.49GAA .914%SP 1SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (8-3-3) 19pts 1st in the Central 3.07 Goals For Per Game (17th in the NHL) 3.00 Goals Against Per Game (13th in the NHL) 26.1% Power Play (4th in the NHL) 81.4% Penalty Kill (17th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 7G 8A = 15pts 2. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 10G 4A = 14pts 3. #90 Ryan O’Reilly ~ 3G 11A = 14pts 4. #17 Jaden Schwartz ~ 1G 10A = 11pts 5. #27 Alex Pietrangelo ~ 5G 5A = 10pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 12 PIM’s 2. #19 Jay Bouwmeester ~ 8 PIM’s 3. #70 Oskar Sundqvist ~ 8 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (6-2-3) 2.52GAA .918%SP 2. #34 Jake Allen (1-1-0) 4.17GAA .849%SP MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I'll be on the post-gamer. The Blues played last night against the Blue Jackets and won in OT. If the Wild are smart they'd attack right away and try to tire them out. But knowing our guys...we'll probably look more like the team that played the night before. Its a home game and the Wild need points if it wants to even attempt at keeping pace with anyone else before it goes back on the road (again) this week. Enjoy and discuss...

Not sure I'd say that. But skating issues are a common theme...which to me is a major flaw in your evaluation if so many of the players they select have skating issues. I realize there are skating coaches, etc but if it was simply just a matter of technique in this day and age of personal trainers, etc wouldn't they have that fixed by now? So how much can they really improve? I agree with @IllaZilla, its a waste of time to make a bunch of trades. I don't think we'll get much for any of them with their lack of production to this point. Our best move is to simply be bad, draft a true #1 center (and there are some good ones available) and leave it at that. And if some team wants to be stupid at the deadline and offer us a bunch of picks for a depth guy; then you probably take the deal. But now? Nope...just stay calm, let it be bad and due as much due diligence as necessary to make these picks count.

But give him a NMC...we'd REALLY hate to lose him. (sigh)

Missed Opportunities Haunt Wild in 2-1 Loss to Blues Minnesota had plenty of chances to not only tie the game but win. And like Fiala's shot off the rush...totally missed. Not sure why with the empty net we keep dumping it in and not using Dumba and Hunt at the points. They just sit and let Suter shoot...why wouldn't they. The vets clearly asked to carry the mail tonight and look what it got us...another loss. Yawn. I have a full game recap and some prospect news. Enjoy...

Wild vs. Blues Game Preview Minnesota Wild (4-8-0) 8pts 7th in the Central 2.42 Goals For Per Game (28th in the NHL) 3.58 Goals Against Per Game (27th in the NHL) 19% Power Play (19th in the NHL) 79.5% Penalty Kill (19th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 4G 4A = 8pts 2. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 4G 3A = 7pts 3. #77 Brad Hunt ~ 4G 3A = 7pts 4. #46 Jared Spurgeon ~ 2G 4A = 6pts 5. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 4A = 6pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 19 PIM’s 2. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 8 PIM’s 3. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 8 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #40 Devan Dubnyk (2-5-0) 3.92GAA .880%SP 2. #32 Alex Stalock (2-3-0) 2.49GAA .914%SP 1SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (6-3-3) 15pts 3rd in the Central 3.08 Goals For Per Game (15th in the NHL) 3.17 Goals Against Per Game (16th in the NHL) 25.6% Power Play (6th in the NHL) 81.1% Penalty Kill (15th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 9G 4A = 13pts 2. #57 David Perron ~ 6G 6A = 12pts 3. #90 Ryan O’Reilly ~ 3G 9A = 12pts 4. #17 Jaden Schwartz ~ 1G 9A = 10pts 5. #27 Alex Pietrangelo ~ 4G 3A = 7pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 12 PIM’s 2. #19 Jay Bouwmeester ~ 8 PIM’s 3. #70 Oskar Sundqvist ~ 8 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (5-2-3) 2.67GAA .912%SP 2. #34 Jake Allen (1-1-0) 4.17GAA .849%SP MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I'll be on the post-gamer. Well after last night's implosion the Wild are on the road to play the Blues. After Soucy's late-game mistake, I think there might be a chance we'll see Nick Seeler back in the lineup. Dubnyk will probably get the start too. Not sure if that helps us or hurts us at this point. Enjoy and discuss...

Not really sure either. Even when Dumont and Mayhew got called up, you would've thought that would've opened the door for Sokolov to get into the lineup. It didn't. My guess its either character stuff because as you stated, he appeared to be in great shape. He played well at Traverse City and prospect camp too.

Wild Squander Strong Start in 6-3 Loss to Dallas You have to laugh at how bad Jonas Brodin and Jason Zucker were down the stretch. Wild stopped skating and the wheels fell off. Full game recap and some prospect news too. Wild cannot afford to take its tired legs off the gas at all. Enjoy.

Wild vs. Stars Game Preview Minnesota Wild (4-7-0) 8pts 6th in the Central 2.36 Goals For Per Game (29th in the NHL) 3.36 Goals Against Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 15.8% Power Play (23rd in the NHL) 80% Penalty Kill (18th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #77 Brad Hunt ~ 4G 2A = 6pts 2. #12 Eric Staal ~ 3G 3A = 6pts 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 1G 5A = 6pts 4. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 3G 2A = 5pts 5. #46 Jared Spurgeon ~ 2G 3A = 5pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 19 PIM’s 2. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 8 PIM’s 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 8 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (2-2-0) 1.98GAA .928%SP 1SO 2. #40 Devan Dubnyk (2-5-0) 3.92GAA .880%SP Vs. Dallas Stars (4-8-1) 9pts 5th in the Central 1.92 Goals For Per Game (31st in the NHL) 2.69 Goals Against Per Game (10th in the NHL) 8.3% Power Play (30th in the NHL) 82.9% Penalty Kill (11th in he NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #24 Roope Hintz ~ 6G 1A = 7pts 2. #4 Miro Heiskanen ~ 3G 3A = 6pts 3. #91 Tyler Seguin ~ 2G 4A = 6pts 4. #13 Mattias Janmark ~ 1G 4A = 5pts 5. #14 Jamie Benn ~ 1G 4A = 5pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #47 Alexander Radulov ~ 12 PIM’s 2. #3 John Klingberg ~ 10 PIM’s 3. #2 Jamie Oleksiak ~ 7 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #30 Ben Bishop (3-5-1) 2.34GAA .920%SP 2. #35 Anton Khudobin (1-3-0) 2.80GAA .890%SP MNSOTA wrote up the game preview today, which features a documentary video on why the North Stars left Minnesota made by a good friend of mine. I will be writing up the post-gamer. Greenway and Fiala are apparently medically cleared to play, but will they? I am not sure we're better with them or without them to be honest. Enjoy and discuss...

But will Mikko allow his time and role to be reduced? No freakin' way...even if his play and diminishing skills warrant it.

I agree. The team has to pick some kind of style of play and build towards it. Personally, I think being fast, skilled is the way the league has been going ever since they got rid of the 2-line pass. The Wild kind of steadily gotten slower, and older...in defiance of that trend and its only to their detriment. They've drafted players who have skating issues saying the other parts of their game make their skating deficiencies less of a big deal. That'd be ok if maybe it was isolated to one player. But when just about every player we draft that isn't a defenseman has skating issues...then you have one slow team and that makes it difficult to be competitive to let alone be a winner.

He is by far the Wild's best faceoff man, but after that...I don't think he should get top PP ice time. By that same token...we're not getting much from #11 these days either.

Boldy, McBain and Warren's destinies...tied together (The Athletic article) Anyone reading the same problem with McBain and Boldy that we keep talking about way too often around here?

The part about Koivu not being at fault is where I stopped reading. The team sucks, we knew that. They're slow and El Kapitan is part of the problem.

Too true...we were talking about this at Reid's this summer. The rumor was reported by the Ottawa Sun and Bruce Garroich is about as reliable that way as Eklund. They're having a dismal season of their own, so they will always be tossing out rumors just to get people to read / click.

Khovanov looked faster to me at the prospect camp this season than he did a year ago IMO. So far he's putting up the points and committing less penalties which is good to see too.

Minnesota Wild Prospect Report (Oct.25th-27th, 2019) I provide a summary of the prospects games / action this weekend including the Iowa Wild. Check it out!

Quick was really fighting the puck tonight. Good on the Wild to finally crash the net and bury some rebounds. That was one of the slowest games you'll see as neither team was blessed with many players who could really turn on the jets. Zuccarello needs to start pulling the trigger more. The team has enough players who think pass first.

He might be concussed. He hit his head pretty hard in that fall. Joel Eriksson Ek returns tonight, Dumont sent back to join the Iowa Wild.

Wild vs. Kings Game Preview Minnesota Wild (3-7-0) 6pts 7th in the Central 2.10 Goals For Per Game (29th in the NHL) 3.60 Goals Against Per Game (28th in the NHL) 17.1% Power Play (22nd in the NHL) 78.1% Penalty Kill (23rd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #77 Brad Hunt ~ 4G 2A = 6pts 2. #12 Eric Staal ~ 2G 3A = 5pts 3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 1G 4A = 5pts 4. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 3G 1A = 4pts 5. #17 Marcus Foligno ~ 1G 3A = 4pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 19 PIM’s 2. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 8 PIM’s 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 6 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #40 Devan Dubnyk (2-5-0) 3.92GAA .880%SP 2. #32 Alex Stalock (1-2-0) 2.22GAA .916%SP 1SO 3. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen N/A Vs. Los Angeles Kings (4-6-0) 8pts 8th in the Pacific 2.90 Goals For Per Game (18th in the NHL) 3.90 Goals Against Per Game (31st in the NHL) 10.3% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 70.3% Penalty Kill (29th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #11 Anze Kopitar ~ 4G 7A = 11pts 2. #8 Drew Doughty ~ 3G 4A = 7pts 3. #17 Ilya Kovalchuk ~ 3G 4A = 7pts 4. #23 Dustin Brown ~ 3G 3A = 6pts 5. #74 Tyler Tofoli ~ 3G 2A = 5pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #56 Kurtis MacDermid ~ 13 PIM’s 2. #77 Jeff Carter ~ 10 PIM’s 3. #51 Austin Wagner ~ 9 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Jonathan Quick (2-4-0) 4.39GAA .854%SP 2. #36 Jack Campbell (2-2-0) 2.77GAA .897%SP MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I'll be writing up the post-gamer. Both teams find themselves in a similar state this season with a slow start and sitting at the bottom of their respective division's standings. You hate to talk about 'must wins' but this is probably it if the Wild are going to have any chance of crawling out of the cellar. It doesn't seem to be happening on the road so they now have to get it done when they're at home. Dubnyk and Eriksson Ek practiced yesterday but its still not quite understood if either is back in the lineup for this game. Enjoy and discuss...