2019 Wild Playoff Chances and Possible Opponents

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Alright guys....updated the standings once again after yesterday's results and for entering today's play.

I keep shaking my head because the Wild are being given EVERY opportunity to stay in this thing....they just need to start winning %$#@ing games again! 
Tonight at home, against Nashville..... jeebus…. one would think Wild have an advantage of some sort....nope. Not the way this team has played at home.

Still though, WITH a win, they are RIGHT BACK into that damned 8th slot!
Arizona wasn't doing anything with their chances to pull in there and stay in there.... Colorado was hot, but in a critical game, they came up short in OT, sure, tacking on another point, but still not far enough to where the Wild can catch them with a single blasted win (Minnesota holds tie breakers via ROW over both the Yotes and Avs to boot!)

Even Dallas with their good defense and goaltending, can't seem to seal any deals because their offense, of all things, isn't consistent.

Stars do get another chance to solidify their position tonight, though they gotta do it at Winnipeg.

 

This home thing with the Wild...HAS to be a "between the ears" thing. Really. How can you play that much better on the road, when at home you have several advantages???
Rent a hotel in Minneapolis, wear the road whites, then take a team shuttle to St. Paul for the game..... do all the things they would if there in Nashville instead! Something, anything, to snap this stupid home futility skid!! 

[IllaZilla]

27 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

This home thing with the Wild...HAS to be a "between the ears" thing. Really. How can you play that much better on the road, when at home you have several advantages???
Rent a hotel in Minneapolis, wear the road whites, then take a team shuttle to St. Paul for the game..... do all the things they would if there in Nashville instead! Something, anything, to snap this stupid home futility skid!! 

 

Because apparently they want to entertain the fans at home, that's why they play terrible there. They keep their game simple on the road and it works. But when they get home, suddenly they feel the need to be fancy-schmancy and they only manage to poop the bed...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

43 minutes ago, IllaZilla said:

 

Because apparently they want to entertain the fans at home, that's why they play terrible there. They keep their game simple on the road and it works. But when they get home, suddenly they feel the need to be fancy-schmancy and they only manage to poop the bed...

 

Oh, boy...I certainly don't miss that phase of potty training my boys...

"Alright you two...you do good in hotels when we are on vacation, but now that we are home, don't get fancy-schmancy on us and poop the bed.... keep it simple!!!" 

[IllaZilla]

15 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Oh, boy...I certainly don't miss that phase of potty training my boys...

"Alright you two...you do good in hotels when we are on vacation, but now that we are home, don't get fancy-schmancy on us and poop the bed.... keep it simple!!!" 

My oldest hated being in a dirty diaper. Wanted it changed immediately. Pretty easy to potty train. Youngest was the exact opposite. He’d sit in his filth all day...

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

23 minutes ago, IllaZilla said:

My oldest hated being in a dirty diaper. Wanted it changed immediately. Pretty easy to potty train. Youngest was the exact opposite. He’d sit in his filth all day...

 

Here is to hoping the Wild don't like sitting in the filth with likes of Chicago, Vancouver, and Edmonton! 

 

Was just listening to NHL Network's Jackie Redmond where she said "A rare home win for the Wild will go a long way to helping them move forward".

She ain't kidding...about the 'going a long way'...but also, about the "rare home win" part!

[sweetshot]

7 hours ago, EJ0226 said:

Yup, just like other teams but guess what? Those other teams show heart, grit and determination to keep winning and some of those teams are going to go to the playoffs. The Wild are severely lacking that and as usually use those said examples as excuses and continue to run the same way year after year with the same results.

Some teams are grittier than other teams, but I think the Wilds effort is pretty much on par with most of the league. They're just not that good.

You must be a glutton for punishment--how can you cheer for a team that I have never heard you say one positive thing about? You would whine about the Zamboni driver...

[Antti_Laxative]

16 hours ago, IllaZilla said:

My oldest hated being in a dirty diaper. Wanted it changed immediately. Pretty easy to potty train. Youngest was the exact opposite. He’d sit in his filth all day...

 

Kinda like Fenton eh?

[ClusterChuck]

10 hours ago, sweetshot said:

Some teams are grittier than other teams, but I think the Wilds effort is pretty much on par with most of the league. They're just not that good.

 

They're just not a team. We're getting many individual "grittier" performances that get squandered by some that aren't up to average.

It's not been a fun season for the most part.

Then the crazy part is you see stats that say we're 14th in PP''s or 20th in scoring for example and you think "There's worse teams than us ?!?"

Yep, We're probably average but it seems worse this time.

I'll still watch all the remaining games and look for who I'd like to see return for next season. Something to look forward to.

[EJ0226]

10 hours ago, sweetshot said:

Some teams are grittier than other teams, but I think the Wilds effort is pretty much on par with most of the league. They're just not that good.

You must be a glutton for punishment--how can you cheer for a team that I have never heard you say one positive thing about? You would whine about the Zamboni driver...

Umm... welcome to Minnesota sports. Minnesota sports= glutton for punishment. Sorry but I disagree on the effort. They have shown so many more times then any other team of no effort at all. When they actually try they can be really good but even their own players have called out other teammates lack of heart and effort.

I do talk about positive stuff but let's be honest here. The team is a complete mess. And instead of recognizing their issues they keep trying to put a band aide on a bone coming through the skin.

It's frustrating. I want nothing more then for them to win but I will not paint a rosy picture as not to crush some fans beliefs that this is a cup ready team. Hell Russo just said yesterday that basically the coach doesn't get to make personal decisions and the final say is by the GM. Bruce wants to use Seeler and Fenton is telling him to bad, use Bitetto. That's insane and shows what's wrong with this franchise. The coaches are the lowest on the chit falling down list. Players are above them, followed by the GM and then owner. Now factor in that the GM apparently wants to be coach too and the owner also wants to be GM. It's a mess and I feel bad for our coaches. Funny how in the old board people were talking that coaches and their decisions are getting overridden by players and GM. Kind of hard not to start believing that with what Russo said.

But in the end, complaining on this board helps get off some of that frustration. It won't impact much. The only way to impact anything is not buying tickets, merchandise, stop watching the games, etc. It will nail CL right where he can understand, the pocketbook. I really hope the Wild can clean up a lot for next year. I just want to move on to the future. The present/core is done. It's time for a fresh start. A fresh mind frame. A new direction. 

[sweetshot]

7 hours ago, EJ0226 said:

Umm... welcome to Minnesota sports. Minnesota sports= glutton for punishment. Sorry but I disagree on the effort. They have shown so many more times then any other team of no effort at all. When they actually try they can be really good but even their own players have called out other teammates lack of heart and effort.

I do talk about positive stuff but let's be honest here. The team is a complete mess. And instead of recognizing their issues they keep trying to put a band aide on a bone coming through the skin.

It's frustrating. I want nothing more then for them to win but I will not paint a rosy picture as not to crush some fans beliefs that this is a cup ready team. Hell Russo just said yesterday that basically the coach doesn't get to make personal decisions and the final say is by the GM. Bruce wants to use Seeler and Fenton is telling him to bad, use Bitetto. That's insane and shows what's wrong with this franchise. The coaches are the lowest on the chit falling down list. Players are above them, followed by the GM and then owner. Now factor in that the GM apparently wants to be coach too and the owner also wants to be GM. It's a mess and I feel bad for our coaches. Funny how in the old board people were talking that coaches and their decisions are getting overridden by players and GM. Kind of hard not to start believing that with what Russo said.

But in the end, complaining on this board helps get off some of that frustration. It won't impact much. The only way to impact anything is not buying tickets, merchandise, stop watching the games, etc. It will nail CL right where he can understand, the pocketbook. I really hope the Wild can clean up a lot for next year. I just want to move on to the future. The present/core is done. It's time for a fresh start. A fresh mind frame. A new direction. 

That's why they brought Fenton in. A new direction. Some of the moves he has made so far show that, some don't. He has traded for a couple of guys that have more speed(Fiala) and and have more of a shooters mentality(Donato). IMO that's a decent plan--if he can bring in the right players. The jury is still out on those two. And of course we are stuck with some of the old core because of their contract situations. Parise may not be worth what he's getting paid, but he is still productive.

When/where did Russo say that about the personnel decisions? I missed it. Maybe BB is on his way out...

[sweetshot]

On ‎3‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 3:11 PM, IllaZilla said:

 

Because apparently they want to entertain the fans at home, that's why they play terrible there. They keep their game simple on the road and it works. But when they get home, suddenly they feel the need to be fancy-schmancy and they only manage to poop the bed...

The bad home record for the Wild is an abberation IMO. They've always had a good home record--even when they really sucked.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

7 minutes ago, sweetshot said:

The bad home record for the Wild is an abberation IMO. They've always had a good home record--even when they really sucked.

 

Which is why I think this whole "bad at home" thing is between their collective ears.

In watching some of the game between them and the Predators yesterday, I was in awe of how deathly quiet the X was. That is simply NOT the crowd I was a season ticket holder with...not even close.

One could argue, "Well, if the fans showed more energy, the players can be energized", and that argument normally has merit, however, the fans have ALWAYS been loud n proud....but frankly, the team (management included), has not really given the fans much reason to be excited or energized, and it will ultimately come down to the players themselves.....again, I think it's all in their heads.

When on the road, they feel relaxed, like they don't have to worry about fan reactions, and any reactions they DO get is obviously against them, they tune it out and play their game.
That philosophy needs to be applied to home games, and it is on the coaching staff to steer them that way and the players to be professional and realize its the same damned ice sheet....just in a different building.

 

If somehow, someway, the Wild do get into the playoffs, at this point, it's probably a good thing they would be the road team.
But you know, at some point, you just have to win at home too.

A morgue-like atmosphere at the Xcel Energy Center.... that is just plain spooky.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

And now the Wild have to wait an agonizing couple of days without a game while their wild card rivals have chances to pull further away from them.

All due, of course, to Minnesota not being able to cash in on their own chances.

[Tomdog]

20 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

In watching some of the game between them and the Predators yesterday, I was in awe of how deathly quiet the X was. That is simply NOT the crowd I was a season ticket holder with...not even close.

One could argue, "Well, if the fans showed more energy, the players can be energized", a

I think the X has become morgue like because most Minnesota fans recognize good / bad hockey when they see it.

It has become a viscous circle, players afraid to make a mistake, fans waiting for a good play.

No one wins.

But it should be on the players to step up.

[sweetshot]

3 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Which is why I think this whole "bad at home" thing is between their collective ears.

In watching some of the game between them and the Predators yesterday, I was in awe of how deathly quiet the X was. That is simply NOT the crowd I was a season ticket holder with...not even close.

One could argue, "Well, if the fans showed more energy, the players can be energized", and that argument normally has merit, however, the fans have ALWAYS been loud n proud....but frankly, the team (management included), has not really given the fans much reason to be excited or energized, and it will ultimately come down to the players themselves.....again, I think it's all in their heads.

When on the road, they feel relaxed, like they don't have to worry about fan reactions, and any reactions they DO get is obviously against them, they tune it out and play their game.
That philosophy needs to be applied to home games, and it is on the coaching staff to steer them that way and the players to be professional and realize its the same damned ice sheet....just in a different building.

 

If somehow, someway, the Wild do get into the playoffs, at this point, it's probably a good thing they would be the road team.
But you know, at some point, you just have to win at home too.

A morgue-like atmosphere at the Xcel Energy Center.... that is just plain spooky.

I think maybe this could be the beginning of Wild attendance starting to slip--a culmination of recent playoff failures and a really lackluster season this year have taken their toll on fans who have done a fantastic job supporting this team, really for the Wilds entire existence. And when you start trading away pieces that were expected to be the core of the team, the fans begin to get a little apprehensive.

It will be interesting to see what happens regarding attendance next year...

[lynxrattle]

1 hour ago, sweetshot said:

I think maybe this could be the beginning of Wild attendance starting to slip--

That is worrying indeed. Part of me would like that to happen, in the hope Leipold would tire of the team and sell it to someone else. But really it would be a disaster. We need exciting prospects that the fans see worthy rooting for. I sure pin big hopes there on Donato and Kunin, even Fiala, but basically I think we would really need that one standout player in the team to carry us through the next few years. You can't get a generational players just like that, but would the fans like to watch a player like the Tkachuk brothers for example? I hate these kind of players now but if they would be playing for the Wild... I might find them pretty amusing tormenting for example Patrick Kane, and I have a hard time believing characters like the Tkachuks would ever stop trying. Their dad would whoop their ... if they tried.

[EJ0226]

14 hours ago, sweetshot said:

That's why they brought Fenton in. A new direction. Some of the moves he has made so far show that, some don't. He has traded for a couple of guys that have more speed(Fiala) and and have more of a shooters mentality(Donato). IMO that's a decent plan--if he can bring in the right players. The jury is still out on those two. And of course we are stuck with some of the old core because of their contract situations. Parise may not be worth what he's getting paid, but he is still productive.

When/where did Russo say that about the personnel decisions? I missed it. Maybe BB is on his way out...

Russo said it on Kfan yesterday.  Russo might have also tweeted it too. Interesting Russo did do a little tweet when talking with Bruce. They were talking about Donato and in a candid comment talking about Bruces job security Bruce said, "Personally I'd like to have it right now. I know what he's (referring to Donato) going to be in the future. I'd like to see something in the present."

I think BB is out after this season even if they did win the cup. I think that is why you don't see BB upset anymore. I think the fire has been sucked out. I always kind of thought he never had the final say on line ups and players who are playing. I mean before the Wild he had no problem cutting minutes of star players that are declining. He wasn't switching lines like musical chairs. He was making the decisions on what players were playing. Then all of a sudden he completely changes his coaching style in Minnesota. I don't buy that. And I feel for him. Honestly how things have been going and coming out I feel bad for even coaches like Mike Yeo. Looks like we have a Jerry Jones owner who wants to be involved in everything and a GM who also wants to be a coach.

[sweetshot]

18 minutes ago, EJ0226 said:

Russo said it on Kfan yesterday.  Russo might have also tweeted it too. Interesting Russo did do a little tweet when talking with Bruce. They were talking about Donato and in a candid comment talking about Bruces job security Bruce said, "Personally I'd like to have it right now. I know what he's (referring to Donato) going to be in the future. I'd like to see something in the present."

I think BB is out after this season even if they did win the cup. I think that is why you don't see BB upset anymore. I think the fire has been sucked out. I always kind of thought he never had the final say on line ups and players who are playing. I mean before the Wild he had no problem cutting minutes of star players that are declining. He wasn't switching lines like musical chairs. He was making the decisions on what players were playing. Then all of a sudden he completely changes his coaching style in Minnesota. I don't buy that. And I feel for him. Honestly how things have been going and coming out I feel bad for even coaches like Mike Yeo. Looks like we have a Jerry Jones owner who wants to be involved in everything and a GM who also wants to be a coach.

CL hiring his loyal yes men. That would explain why Fenton was with Nashville for 20 years and only made it to assistant GM...

[Alexandron]

Here is an interesting article to read with a Corsica hockey analysis from the Star Tribune. The main conclusion of it - we are not a very good team. From my opinion , if Staal and Zucker produced similar amounts of goals as last year then we will be in a better standing position as we are now. Unfortunately, that not happened this season.

http://www.startribune.com/the-2018-19-wild-extremely-unlucky-or-just-not-very-good/507684342/

 

 

[lynxrattle]

Not that good, not that lucky. A bad combination. I'd also think that Zucker gets traded at the end of the season - hopefully not for Frolik as was originally intended at the trade deadline. With the Avs winning today it does look like I'll be rooting for another team when the playoffs begin. Four points at this time of the season - not that good with the points, with the luck and not that good as a team.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

**Another update to the Western wild card standings**

Looks like the end is officially near for the Minnesota Wild. So much for BB's playoff guarantee.

5 games left and the Wild still have to make up 4 points....while hoping both the Avs and Coyotes falter.
In fact, today while Minnesota is idle, the Yotes and Avs play each other guaranteeing one of them will be picking up two points....and the loser of that game may still pick up a point.

Best case scenario in there would be for a Yotes win in regulation putting Arizona even with Colorado at 83 pts and the Wild would trail them both by 4....still dicey at best for the boys in green.

 

Minnesota themselves have no easy task in their next game late tonight when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. The ONLY silver lining (or is that Golden Knights lining???) here is Vegas basically doesn't have a whole lot to play for. They can technically catch San Jose for home ice in the first round (and they SHOULD BE trying for that), but it is more likely they are locked into that 3rd position and will face SJ in the first round as the road team.

So maybe the Knights don't play all out, maybe they don't put in MAF.....then again, if the Wild don't have the heart to go out there and will themselves a win, it won't matter who the Knights ice.

 

But yea, big game of the night tonight as far as the Wild are concerned is Arz v Col.
 

[OccamsRazor]

So which is better a quick embarrassing playoff exit....or no playoffs and a chance at a better draft pick?

 

Anyone?

[Gnarkill]

18 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

So which is better a quick embarrassing playoff exit....or no playoffs and a chance at a better draft pick?

 

Anyone?

 

If you had asked me this a few years back I would have said just making the playoffs and having a chance is better.. but after the last few Wild playoff appearances I'm okay with missing them all together this season.. granted the Wild's drafting isn't fantastic and I'm not super optimistic they would pick the right player with the improved pick.. imo it's just time the Wild, CL(and Fenton to a lesser extent since he hasn't been here long) all get a wake up call that this team isn't just a "tweak" away from being a cup contender. What could do that better than missing the playoffs and the revenue of the Wild being in them creates? They've been selling us this "right on the edge, only a tweak away" crap for too long when anyone with a decent hockey IQ can see the team is more than just a couple tweaks away from making any noise in the playoffs as an actual contender.

[EJ0226]

24 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

So which is better a quick embarrassing playoff exit....or no playoffs and a chance at a better draft pick?

 

Anyone?

Who knows at this point. Their drafting hasn't exactly been a shining point. Yes it's Fenton now but all but one of his trades have looked bad.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

50 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

So which is better a quick embarrassing playoff exit....or no playoffs and a chance at a better draft pick?

 

Anyone?

 

The way I see it, and I've said this on other threads, the BETTER choice is making the playoffs and give the younger Wild players who have never been in an NHL playoff series some exposure, some experience, and yea, maybe eat some humble pie if the team gets beat real badly.

Just so guys like Greenway, Eriksson-Ek, Kunin, Donato, etc can see what it's like to face the best during the toughest time of the year and what it takes to beat players that teams like Calgary, Winnipeg, or Nashville may ice at them.
A measuring stick situation if you will.

If Minnesota truly has garbage for talent (that I don't believe) in some of these young guys, then it will be badly exposed. If the veterans aren't up to snuff, then maybe ownership will look at the situation and think, "Man, we need better verterans too".

Now, ownership could have made that call some seasons ago as well, one could argue, and one wouldn't be wrong, but then THAT simply highlights that ownership will do what ownership will do REGARDLESS of whether the team makes the playoffs or not.

Just barely missing won't make that big of a difference. A few more picks higher up...yes, technically that is better, but unless the scouting, coaching, and again, OWNERSHIP, gets their heads out of their arses, those extra higher up places won't make a damn...bit...of...difference.

But the experience and soaking up the playoff atmosphere the young guys could get by the team getting in, to me, is INVALUABLE!
They can take that with them, good or bad as the experience may turn out for the team, for the rest of their careers.

Right now, a "losing culture" and mindset seems to be permeating slowly into the Wild organization and that WON'T change by missing the playoffs, while at least, getting in, they have a chance to be in the spotlight, have a chance, no matter how slim, to pull off a huge upset, and just be in relevant hockey conversation for just a bit longer...and I would think the instinctive player pride that most NHL'ers have would kick in, and they would WANT to do their best under those conditions, even if they get their doors blown off in the process.

So yea, if the two simple choices were "get in and be thrown out quickly" or "not get in, get a so-called better draft pick and continue being losers", then I take the former.