lynxrattle

Guerin Q&A for those that would have missed this one: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/qa-gm-bill-guerin-patient-giving-current-wild-chance/

Great win. I saw the first two periods. Simple plays, that's all that's needed. Take a hit, drive to the net, deliver the puck in front of the net. Keep out of the box. Keep playing this way and we'll win some.

I'm still finding it hard to believe that the Oilers would finally have turned their course, and become a McDavid worthy team. Let's hope they are still partly what they have been for the last years, and get at least a point here.

I predict we will see a lot of the other team's backup goalies from now on. The Oilers have two goalies, that are very similar, so that doesn't help us against them, but against other teams we might be helped by a "It's only the Wild" attitude.

Every win against any team but the Senators is an achievement for us. It is what it is.

The game had a playoffs kind of feeling for me. The season on the line, and still is. The team really wanted the win today. Hartman, Fiala blocking shots, Zucker clearly felt he needed to have a good game here. Better!

Thanks for the preview. It's hard work: writing and following the games so closely. I can switch my mind off, when I just can't take it anymore, but you need to concentrate. My sympathies!

The only way to dump the NMC players is to have them play golf at the Country Club while enjoying full salary, and the players replacing them would have to be paid by what is left in cap space - not much, that is. I'd still like to see that, instead of what I'm seeing now.

If the team is a mentally weak bunch, they will start searching for a whipping boy. Anybody as a scapegoat, to not have to face the reality. I really hope this is not the case here.

You nailed the current Wild in 11 words. Kudos to you!

Five? You're joking, right? I say 3, but only because that five makes me feel optimistic.

Excuse checklist 1. It's only (x) games let's not panic. Check 2. We need dirty goals. Check 3. We're just squeezing our sticks to tight. 4. We need to learn to play hard for all three periods, 60 minutes. 5. We're beating ourselves. 6. Trying to find chemistry on our forward lines. 7. We need to be hard to play against. (Time to goon it up) 8. Proverbial players only meeting (where we take look at ourselves in a mirror). 9. Coach has lost the room. 10. Our division toughest in the league. Five to go.

Granlund was able to carry the puck over the blue line after the drop pass. That was one of the few things he was really good at, and Suter is no Granlund. They should change that drop pass thing, because they don't have the skills for that play. The same problem makes the Wild predictable. We have to play the way we play, as there is so little skill and speed on the team, and we don't have enough players with hockey IQ, to make unpredictable individual decisions.

I wonder if there's ever been a stat that horrendous in the history of the Wild, after a similar amount of games.

It might be an overreaction to being traded and not being traded during the Fenton era. Nevertheless it's a curious statement and a way of saying he's open for a trade. Probably wants to get out.

Zucker to the counterattack: https://www.tsn.ca/minnesota-wild-s-jason-zucker-calls-out-bruce-boudreau-rest-of-team-after-loss-1.1382994

Well that stat looks exactly as gloomy as to what we see on ice.

Brutal, as brutal as it's ever been. I feel sorry for Eek and Kunin leaving the game with bruises. Wasted effort, if one thinks about it from the team perspective (as individuals it shows they have resilience, IMO). Yet another totally hopeless showing from the team/collection of individuals. After the game I took a peek at Arizona vs. Nashville. Arizona has next to no talent either. They still manage to defend properly and connect with their passes now and again. What is it with us? Nothing is working right no. Nothing.

I'm starting to lean on to a "happy for a win at least once and a while" attitude. Life is short and who knows, maybe the Wild won't win the Cup in 30 years, no matter what they do. Maybe no honey filled holy Graal ever during my lifetime, so I'm tempted with a tiny sip now and then. I just can't face losing games, although I know that would be the logical thing to do in this situation.

No studs, No prospects, No picks.

Yep. Trap, please! We need to get out of this second worst ranking: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-standings-power-rankings-reasons-for-concern/

The prediction thread was a great way of participating, and a way of keeping fans interested in the results. It was even a kind of consolation, to get that "I got it right, but the loss still stings" -feeling.

Interesting and somewhat controversial opinions by Alexandron, thanks for the food for thought. Those points make me think that there are probably good reasons prospects in North America are developed the way they are, according to a well established tradition. On the other hand it's always possible to make little adjustments and sometimes even turn everything upside down. If the Wild would find improvements to the traditional way they have developed prospects, we could perhaps find some hidden gems from late round draft picks and even from undrafted players. That would require creative thinking from inside the organisation.

It must be difficult to play as they need to play. There is zero room for mistakes, because there are no players who can score consistently. The defence must be flawless. Staal's been bad, but according to Russo's podcast, he's hurt. Possibly he should not be playing, but Russo wouldn't say what the injury was to make sure the opponents don't start targeting him.

The straightforward reporter was Russo. He really tried to get an opinion on them, but BB was careful. Sounded very frustrated to me, but didn't say that much.