Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday 12-4-21, 7:00pm, Xcel Energy Center

[ClusterChuck]

Having a Letter (C or A ) or not, Just keep doing what you're doing Foligno. 

Edited December 5, 2021 by ClusterChuck

[TallyTigerShark]

Great game tonight!!! What a win by the Wild! All four lines were solid up and down along with the defense and Talbot was spot on! This team is so much more fun to watch and the rest of the league and talking heads are starting to take notice. Can’t wait to see what happens Tuesday.

[Jimtown guy]

50 minutes ago, ClusterChuck said:

Having a Letter (C or A ) or not, Just keep doing what you're doing Foligno. 

True but he just appears to be the leader. Definitely keep doing what he’s doing 

[EmptyShelf]

1 hour ago, TallyTigerShark said:

Great game tonight!!! What a win by the Wild! All four lines were solid up and down along with the defense and Talbot was spot on! This team is so much more fun to watch and the rest of the league and talking heads are starting to take notice. Can’t wait to see what happens Tuesday.

It's the old 'addition by subtraction,' and elevating a few players (like Hartman, and allowing the focus to be around young players like Kap, Fiala, EEK and Brodin) that has changed the team; speed, type of play, focus, and performance.  There WAS CLEARLY a cultural issue with the Country Club.  I am surprised that Lou Ferrigno did not take one of these 8itches responsible behind the woodshed for a 'piece of his mind/fist'

[Alexandron]

Fantastic win! I even do not remember this amounts of shots in both nets in one game when our team played. Ours 40 shots vs their 42. I was at work almost entire time and was able to watch only a condensed game just recently. I think we have really a Cup contending team. A couple days ago I listened on a radio show some predictions  who is a Cup contender for this season. They mentioned 5 teams: Toronto, Edmonton, Florida, Colorado and Carolina. And now they are talking about our team too. Hopefully they are 100% right. Our team shows an outstanding character practically in each game coming from every line. Good news for tonight game we stopped a winning streak for Toronto team.

 

[CreaseAndAssist]

Wild Finish 5-Game Homestand a perfect 5-for-5 with 4-3 shootout win over Toronto

 

The team really came out strong to start.  I didn't like how they let it become a game again, but they didn't let it completely get away.  And Kevin Fiala...its tough to see a player working so damn hard and not being rewarded.  I share some thoughts on tonight's game and the rest of this week's slate of games.  I have an extended Iowa Wild report, a Where Are They now and prospect news too!  Check it out!  

[Alexandron]

2 hours ago, EmptyShelf said:

Evening, Gents.  Kap or Fiala will finish out OT.  So says me......

You were right again.

Kaprizov placed GWG in SO. Personally to me GWG in OT or SO have equal value. They both bring an important but difficult win for the team. 

[Alexandron]

14 hours ago, lynxrattle said:

My brains tell me that the Wild is not yet able to deal with TOR. The heart says we can win anyone on a good day. I think I'll still say it's a TOR win. 3 - 2 OT, Shootout winner Nylander.

Nylander was not able to place a goal in Talbot's net. It was a good day for us in our tough win.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Alexandron

[Alexandron]

7 hours ago, Tomdog said:

I'm going to call this a wild win, just barely.

It seems you are the winner in the right prediction of the just barely Wild win even without predicting the score.

I was thinking the same but with 5:4 score in OT (or SO).

[lynxrattle]

The Wild's logo has some kind of a wild animal depicted in the wilderness. The first period I felt the Wild actually played like the logo. Words like "fierce", "ferocious", "vicious" came to my mind. They would just hound the puck and not give up on it. I'm amazed TOR came back to the game after the first period. That was a very good game against a very good team.

 

The Wild is now a big, fast and mean team. I've always felt the Wild's logo and name is devoid of meaning - I even once made a GIF logo where I made the W turn upside down to a letter M, to make it Minnesota Mild. There's none of that anymore. The logo is now actually starting to be an exact mirror image of them. A logo that can worn with pride and swagger.

 

Hats off to them! If they keep on developing the play they played in the first period, they'll go far

[Tomdog]

10 hours ago, bbgarnett said:

I would do 4 on 4 for 5 minutes then if still tied go to 3 on 3 for 5 minutes or something like that. If still tied after that than just give no one points LOL.

That is exactly what I was thinking, get rid of the loser point completley.

[ClusterChuck]

10 hours ago, Alexandron said:

 I think we have really a Cup contending team. A couple days ago I listened on a radio show some predictions  who is a Cup contender for this season. They mentioned 5 teams: Toronto, Edmonton, Florida, Colorado and Carolina. And now they are talking about our team too. 

 

Fix the PP, At least be average or somewhat better than average before I can go that far.
What we have now is what could lose a playoff series.

[ClusterChuck]

12 hours ago, bbgarnett said:

I would do 4 on 4 for 5 minutes then if still tied go to 3 on 3 for 5 minutes or something like that. If still tied after that than just give no one points LOL.

Whatever it takes to make the last 5+ minutes of regulation mean something if tied. Right now it becomes cautious and trying to hold on for the 'At least got a point' and see if the extra time gives.
3 on 3 would be extra crazy and wouldn't need 10 minutes if it became 2 pts or 0 if it went to OT.
But if somehow still no score than a 1-1 pts for a tie.

The only other way is to introduce more points like a 3-2-1 system which I doubt anyone wants. 

[Alexandron]

7 hours ago, ClusterChuck said:

Fix the PP, At least be average or somewhat better than average before I can go that far.
What we have now is what could lose a playoff series.

I believe it will come sooner or later. Our team plays with a lot of enthusiasm, which helps to improve any existing problems. IMO.

I am thinking also. It would be nice to include Pitlick  to the 1st PP line as well to include him in OT. He has patience in shooting and in making smart decisions, especially when team is in a high tension situations. We need to try him during the regular season and maybe to create some chemistry in PP before the playoffs season will start.

[ClusterChuck]

22 minutes ago, Alexandron said:

I believe it will come sooner or later. Our team plays with a lot of enthusiasm, which helps to improve any existing problems. IMO.

I am thinking also. It would be nice to include Pitlick  to the 1st PP line as well to include him in OT. He has patience in shooting and in making smart decisions, especially when team is in a high tension situations. We need to try him during the regular season and maybe to create some chemistry in PP before the playoffs season will start.

Agree, He has good hands and a nice shot. No reason not to try inserting some different life into the PP. (OT and SO for him also)
The more the Wild continue the same plays on the PP, Certain passing, Setting up 1-2 players all the time will only make it more predictable and easier to defend.
Sure we got a PPG last game ... Off a skate that was an intended pass. But hey, It's still thrown towards the net and not the perimeter for 2 minutes.