yave1964 Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 PRESEASON OUTLOOK Good. They made the playoffs last season as a 7 seed and though they lost in the first round they put up a good fight. First full year of both Suter and Parise. FINAL RECORD 43-27-12 98 points 7th in the West STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR at 26-10-5 and 57 points at home they were 6th in the NHL at home, but on the road they were only 17-17-7 and only 20th overall on the road. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Getting out of the first round, defeating the division winning Colorado Avalanche in a tough seven game series. Even losing in six to defending Champs Chicago was nothing to be ashamed about. LOW POINT OF THE YEAR None really. Seriously, they consistently fought hard all year and drove towards the finish line with consistency all year. Flyer fans can joke that the low point was trading for Bryz, maybe the low point was the non stop search for a netminder but that would be about it. WHAT WENT RIGHT Jason Pomminvile scored 30 goals and 60 points. Zach Parise missed some time but scored 29 goals and 56 points in 67 games. Ryan Suter was a ice hog with just under 30 minutes a game and scored 43 points. Mikko Koivu (11-43-54) missed some time but was solid. Kids Mikael Granlund, Nino Neiderreiter and Charlie Coyle all showed flashes of their solid abilities. Jared Spurgeon established himself nicely on the blue line. WHAT WENT WRONG. Netminding. They went through five goalies, Backstrom was injured, Harding tragically could not control his MS and is fighting his own battle, they wound up with Bryz and a rookie Kuemper in net. Danny Heatley (12 goals in 76 games) showed his erosion is about complete. Matt Moulson (6 goals in regular season 20 games, only 1 goal in two playoff rounds) was not what they hoped for. Several of the kids such as Bulmer, Dumba and Zucker were handed spots and although they weren't terrible they did not claim the spot and run with it. MVP Going with Suter. Almost 30 minutes of ice time a night leading the league by over 2 minutes over the next closest player (!) he wore down a bit down the stretch but played elite hockey in all situations and justified the signing. UFAs Bryzgalov Heatley Moulson Clayton Stoner Nate Prosser OFFSEASON QUESTIONS Do you resign Stoner and Prosser who made up the bottom pairing for much of the season, or do you go with Dumba and a free agent? What about Moulson? Do you roll the dice that Backstrom and Harding either one let alone both could be counted on in net? Can you sign a minute eater to give Suter a bit of a break? After winning in the first round and pushing the Hawks in the second are they ready with this current group and a bit of tweaking to take the next step? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 @hf101 here is a damn good read and it made me jealous maybe you have already seen it... http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Tony-Dean/Chuck-Fletcher-Adding-Young-Talent-to-MNWild-Without-Giving-Up-a-Thing/189/60464 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorntobeWild11 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Great review of a great season for the Wild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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