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Wild vs. Canucks Game 3, August 6th, 2020 @ 1:30PM CST - Official GDT


CreaseAndAssist

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Series Tied at 1-1

 

20% Wild Power Play Pecentage (13th in the NHL)

 

87.5% Wild Penalty Kill Percentage (7th in the NHL)

 

38.8% Wild Faceoff Win Percentage (24th in the NHL)

 

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12.5% Canucks Power Play Percentage (17th in the NHL)

 

80% Canucks Penalty Kill Percentage (12th in the NHL)

 

61.2% Canucks Faceoff Percentage (1st in the NHL)

 

Lines:

 

Vancouver Canucks

Miller~Pettersson~Boeser

Pearson~Horvat~Eriksson

Roussel~Sutter~Virtanen

Motte~Beagle~McEwen?

 

Hughes~Tanev

Edler~Stecher

Fantenberg~Myers

 

Markstrom

Demko

 

Minnesota Wild

Greenway~Staal~Fiala

Parise~Eriksson Ek~Kunin

Foligno~Galchenyuk~Zuccarello

Donato~Koivu~Sturm / Rask?

 

Suter~Spurgeon

Brodin~Dumba

Soucy~Hunt

 

Stalock

Dubnyk

 

Ferland is out for the Canucks while I think we'll see Hartman out against the Canucks.  After last game I would be messing with my 4th line a bit, because they need to get more hustle.  Even though some are wanting Dubnyk to get a chance, I'd stick with Stalock.  An interesting observation from the stats, the Wild are winning the special teams battle which most (myself included) thought Vancouver would have the advantage), but the Wild are just getting slaughtered in faceoffs.  If anything it should prove to the powers that be just how badly this team needs some upgrades at center in the future.  I will write up a post-gamer in case you missed the game!  Tomorrow's game is at 9:45PM in case you haven't heard yet.  

Edited by CreaseAndAssist
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Markstrom barely has to deal with any traffic or crease crashers at all.  He can gather himself and fall on loose pucks and the Wild seem to think the shot on goal is good enough.  Canucks goal, crashing the crease and off the rebound.  Minnesota has no offense beyond Fiala.  Parise, Staal, Zuccarello...that's a lot of $$$ not scoring out there.  

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The team needs to find multiple ways and multiple times how to score during the game.  I am getting disappointed already. Do we have anyone besides Fiala capable to score in a consistent matter for the team? I do not see anyone yet.

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2 minutes ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

Markstrom barely has to deal with any traffic or crease crashers at all.  He can gather himself and fall on loose pucks and the Wild seem to think the shot on goal is good enough.  Canucks goal, crashing the crease and off the rebound.  Minnesota has no offense beyond Fiala.  Parise, Staal, Zuccarello...that's a lot of $$$ not scoring out there.  

Exactly. You were reading my mind when I was writing my previous message.

They should replace Stalock now too. Enough to play him in 3 games. Let's try someone else. Prefer Kankonen to boost the team for a goaltending support.

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Penalties Plague Wild in 3-0 Loss to Vancouver, Canucks take 2-1 Series Lead

 

Penalties killed the flow of this game, but the Wild had plenty of chances with the power play too.  But we stuck to the perimeter and just tried setting up the same kind of shot time after time after time...almost no crashing the net.  It makes for a fairly easy game for Vancouver as they just waited for their chances, cashed in a few times and its an easy win.  Zuccarello?  My god...what a f%cking dumpster fire of a contract.  Parise, he's already on the golf course in his mind.  Staal, can't wait to be back at the cabin and he'll probably be on his way back there soon enough if they play like this tomorrow.  Enjoy the game recap.  

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If we will play tomorrow like we played today and the last game then we will be done with series. Without a real offense against opposite team we will deserve that result. No questions. Where is our team that I have seen this spring? Mentally affected by invisible enemy - COVID-19? Goaltending should be changed too. 6 goals in a last 2 games still a lot for the goalie even he did some big saves for us. Definitely we need a mental change for the team on tomorrow game.And it should be a Kahkonen tryout. At least we tried something new and different. The game#1 was good, but the last 2 games reminded me our old style team - the style without teeth and with minimal production. Do not like that at all.

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Just listened commentators on a radio 100.3 FM,and they said if we lose tomorrow then we will see our team on December for the next season. Unbelievable, how big is going to be a next hockey break. Dean Evasion said in interview he like Stalock and ,possibly, he will be in the net, but not made a final decision when he was asked about a Dubnyk start. 

I really want to see Kahkonen in the game tomorrow which possibly will help to boost the team on winning mentality. We need some drastic changes and that could be the one.

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2 hours ago, Alexandron said:

If we will play tomorrow like we played today and the last game then we will be done with series. Without a real offense against opposite team we will deserve that result. No questions. Where is our team that I have seen this spring? Mentally affected by invisible enemy - COVID-19? Goaltending should be changed too. 6 goals in a last 2 games still a lot for the goalie even he did some big saves for us. Definitely we need a mental change for the team on tomorrow game.And it should be a Kahkonen tryout. At least we tried something new and different. The game#1 was good, but the last 2 games reminded me our old style team - the style without teeth and with minimal production. Do not like that at all.

 

Stalock isn't the issue.  A lack of offense is, no even strength goals in 3 games, enough said and that's not on the goalie.

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2 hours ago, wildstars95 said:

and the power play is a joke

Yeah. According to Russo in stats:

-0 on 13 PP in past 2 losses;

-zero 5 - on - 5 goals in series.

Suter also was last night injured.

 

Actually, Stalock lost 7 goals in his net in a last 2 games, which is a lot. In my opinion, he should stop 1st and 3rd goals(which were above his left shoulder -it seems  weak spot) in game#2 and he should stop 2nd and 3rd goals in game #3. Yes, he made huge saves too, but it was not enough to win. Offense was horrible in those 2 games. The opposite goalie was better in those games as well as offense and defense.

The good example how we should play, Jackets beat tonight Maple Leafs in OT (4:3)when they were losing 0:3 in regulation. Then they replaced the goalie to other one(Elvis Merzlikins; the Latvian native) and were able to score 3 goals in regulation and to win in OT. These efforts I understand well, because that way the entire Jackets mentality was changed towards to play better in the game. And they did it. Maybe we should do the same way by getting a chance to Kahkonen? Sincerely, I wasted my time to see my team today in game #3. Nothing special was done by the team that game. 

After the game I was listening post-game review and fans questions on 100.3 FM radio talk. One fan was asking commentators - Is Kevin Fiala has too many emotions during the game? Of course, he has and it is absolutely normal when nothing is happening during the game from the entire team. The other question from other fan was - If we lose tomorrow game then this will be the last day of Mikko Koivu for playing for the team? The answer was, of course it will be.

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Familiar problems. Fiala is the only exception to what we have been witnessing for years now. My hopes are pinned on hopefully Kaprizov being the perfect playmaker for Fiala and Kahkonen being a top goalie. Otherwise it's going to be a lot of same old, same old.

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2 minutes ago, lynxrattle said:

Familiar problems. Fiala is the only exception to what we have been witnessing for years now. My hopes are pinned on hopefully Kaprizov being the perfect playmaker for Fiala and Kahkonen being a top goalie. Otherwise it's going to be a lot of same old, same old.

Agree 200%. I believe it will be huge changes in the team if we lose these series against Vancouver, which is definitely a beatable team. I do not see anything special that we will not be able to afford against that team. If we lose, then , I think most veterans (professionals, making huge money) will be gone out of the team very fast. Existing so many ways to get rid of them in NHL. I have not less emotions than Fiala does regarding our team inconsistency for years. In my opinion, it is enough to see that, especially, in such a challenging Stanley Cup playoffs in 2020.

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I'm a little bit worried about how Fiala is coping with the mediocrity of the Wild. It must be frustrating to go nowhere because the team sucks. It takes the fun out of the game. Hopefully Kaprizov will bring some creativity and capriciousness to the game. The way things are going we might even end up with Lafreniere.

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7 hours ago, Alexandron said:

Yeah. According to Russo in stats:

-0 on 13 PP in past 2 losses;

-zero 5 - on - 5 goals in series.

Suter also was last night injured.

 

Actually, Stalock lost 7 goals in his net in a last 2 games, which is a lot. In my opinion, he should stop 1st and 3rd goals(which were above his left shoulder -it seems  weak spot) in game#2 and he should stop 2nd and 3rd goals in game #3. Yes, he made huge saves too, but it was not enough to win. Offense was horrible in those 2 games. The opposite goalie was better in those games as well as offense and defense.

The good example how we should play, Jackets beat tonight Maple Leafs in OT (4:3)when they were losing 0:3 in regulation. Then they replaced the goalie to other one(Elvis Merzlikins; the Latvian native) and were able to score 3 goals in regulation and to win in OT. These efforts I understand well, because that way the entire Jackets mentality was changed towards to play better in the game. And they did it. Maybe we should do the same way by getting a chance to Kahkonen? Sincerely, I wasted my time to see my team today in game #3. Nothing special was done by the team that game. 

After the game I was listening post-game review and fans questions on 100.3 FM radio talk. One fan was asking commentators - Is Kevin Fiala has too many emotions during the game? Of course, he has and it is absolutely normal when nothing is happening during the game from the entire team. The other question from other fan was - If we lose tomorrow game then this will be the last day of Mikko Koivu for playing for the team? The answer was, of course it will be.

 

Are you seriously blaming the losses on Stalock?  That makes ZERO sense.  It wouldn't matter if Kahkonen, Dubnyk or Robson is in the net, if your team isn't going score goals you are going to lose the game.  Its the same old issue with this team, it can't score in the playoffs.  Even with Fiala, they don't have anyone else that can help chip in to get enough goals to win games.  So its a slow death by small goal totals.  We're not playing track meet hockey with Vancouver and simply getting outscored 6-4 like the Blues / Knights game last night, we're dying like a coma patient because it just doesn't seem to have the will to stay alive and really do what is necessary to score (i.e. crash the damn net).  Kevin Fiala feels the pressure of the freakin' world on his shoulders because he is the only good player the Wild really have, and the only real threat to score on a consistent basis.  

 

I am not saying it would be preposterous to start someone else in net, but I do think its pretty weak to say Stalock has played like crap.  He hasn't; he's kept the team around long enough to be able to score and give him some goal support.  Yesterday, despite all of the power plays the Wild had, care to know how many shots #11 had?  ZERO.  The guy who mentions how the team is running out of chances to win couldn't even manage to generate a single shot on goal and he's getting lots of time on the power play.  And he's not the only one sitting on the bench with the 1,000-yard stare, doing little on the ice.  Galchenyuk, Staal, Greenway, and Zuccarello haven't done anything.  Hunt is being exposed more and more for poor decisions and a lack of footspeed.  Other than Spurgeon, who else from the blueline has shown any penchant for chipping in offensively?  No one.  

 

The Wild are an old, slow team...and after a pretty good Game 1.  Many players decided to coast or are too sore to work hard...and so they're going to get bounced early.  And that's just fine with our super comfortable group of vets who like the long break and little pressure.  Vancouver was still a fairly fortunate draw for the Wild, but if you've watched any of the series...the Wild look painfully slow and offensively anemic compared to just about any other team still playing right now.  

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21 minutes ago, lynxrattle said:

I'm a little bit worried about how Fiala is coping with the mediocrity of the Wild. It must be frustrating to go nowhere because the team sucks. It takes the fun out of the game. Hopefully Kaprizov will bring some creativity and capriciousness to the game. The way things are going we might even end up with Lafreniere.

 

I think Fiala will be fine, but does he realize he's the only chance we have?  Yes.  Gaborik used to feel this way too I'm sure.  I hate to say it, but adding Kaprizov won't make the team that much better.  He's not a center, so the Wild will still be losing draws like crazy and while it may give the team a bit more umph up front, it won't really make the rest of the team as its currently constructed to battle harder or be faster.  They'll still be fairly old, slow...and fading in ability with ugly contracts still years away from expiring.  The one other thing Kaprizov might add, is for someone for Fiala to vent to as they have no decent quality center to work with...but beyond that...its probably still going to be crap.  

 

And just think...this team HAS to protect (by contract) in the expansion draft...

 

Zach Parise

Mats Zuccarello

Ryan Suter

Jared Spurgeon

 

While Koivu will be coming off the books...the team has Kunin, Greenway, Soucy to re-sign so there goes what little cap space you had.  

 

Folks...the dumpster fire is only warming up.  

Edited by CreaseAndAssist
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IMO it is absolutely imperative to trade or buyout Zucc and Parise (even if it requires retaining half of salary in a trade).  The immediate issue with my premise.....  which of the 30 other GMs would even bite on either one of them.  Only solutions are to add a sweetener to the deal and/or taking back a bad contract and then buying it out. Could be very painful! 

 

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1 hour ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

 

Are you seriously blaming the losses on Stalock?  That makes ZERO sense.  It wouldn't matter if Kahkonen, Dubnyk or Robson is in the net, if your team isn't going score goals you are going to lose the game.  Its the same old issue with this team, it can't score in the playoffs.  Even with Fiala, they don't have anyone else that can help chip in to get enough goals to win games.  So its a slow death by small goal totals.  We're not playing track meet hockey with Vancouver and simply getting outscored 6-4 like the Blues / Knights game last night, we're dying like a coma patient because it just doesn't seem to have the will to stay alive and really do what is necessary to score (i.e. crash the damn net).  Kevin Fiala feels the pressure of the freakin' world on his shoulders because he is the only good player the Wild really have, and the only real threat to score on a consistent basis.  

 

I am not saying it would be preposterous to start someone else in net, but I do think its pretty weak to say Stalock has played like crap.  He hasn't; he's kept the team around long enough to be able to score and give him some goal support.  Yesterday, despite all of the power plays the Wild had, care to know how many shots #11 had?  ZERO.  The guy who mentions how the team is running out of chances to win couldn't even manage to generate a single shot on goal and he's getting lots of time on the power play.  And he's not the only one sitting on the bench with the 1,000-yard stare, doing little on the ice.  Galchenyuk, Staal, Greenway, and Zuccarello haven't done anything.  Hunt is being exposed more and more for poor decisions and a lack of footspeed.  Other than Spurgeon, who else from the blueline has shown any penchant for chipping in offensively?  No one.  

 

The Wild are an old, slow team...and after a pretty good Game 1.  Many players decided to coast or are too sore to work hard...and so they're going to get bounced early.  And that's just fine with our super comfortable group of vets who like the long break and little pressure.  Vancouver was still a fairly fortunate draw for the Wild, but if you've watched any of the series...the Wild look painfully slow and offensively anemic compared to just about any other team still playing right now.  

Not at all, Stalock did a lot of good work and did some huge saves in 3 games, which I mentioned before. I just want to see some real mental changes from the entire team and to see some creativity from the coach. The changing the goalie to a young one(Kahkonen was a single goalie out of 4 who did not lose any goals in recent scrimmage games), hopefully , will help to boost the team towards winning. Hope, the all old veterans legs will start to move fast in front of the young goalie. Otherwise, I still see with Stalock same scenario out of Evason as Boudreau did with Dubnyk for years by trying to keep him consistently during the playoffs time and Dubnyk also did some huge saves too during that time, but the team still was low scoring and consistently losing. For years, many fans wanted to see a different goalie during playoffs besides Dubnyk for bringing some pressure on our forwards, but that not happened.

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2 hours ago, 4Check said:

IMO it is absolutely imperative to trade or buyout Zucc and Parise (even if it requires retaining half of salary in a trade).  The immediate issue with my premise.....  which of the 30 other GMs would even bite on either one of them.  Only solutions are to add a sweetener to the deal and/or taking back a bad contract and then buying it out. Could be very painful! 

 

 

The Islanders were intrigued enough about Parise.  But Zuccarello, I highly doubt any team wants that contract.  The NMC on that deal to him was such a giant mistake especially when they were overpaying him and giving him too much term anyways.  

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3 minutes ago, Alexandron said:

Not at all, Stalock did a lot of good work and did some huge saves in 3 games, which I mentioned before. I just want to see some real mental changes from the entire team and to see some creativity from the coach. The changing the goalie to a young one(Kahkonen was a single goalie out of 4 who did not lose any goals in recent scrimmage games), hopefully , will help to boost the team towards winning. Hope, the all old veterans legs will start to move fast in front of the young goalie. Otherwise, I still see with Stalock same scenario out of Evason as Boudreau did with Dubnyk for years by trying to keep him consistently during the playoffs time and Dubnyk also did some huge saves too during that time, but the team still was low scoring and consistently losing. For years, many fans wanted to see a different goalie during playoffs besides Dubnyk for bringing some pressure on our forwards, but that not happened.

 

If those forwards aren't going to score, it won't matter who is in the crease.  

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2 hours ago, 4Check said:

IMO it is absolutely imperative to trade or buyout Zucc and Parise (even if it requires retaining half of salary in a trade).  The immediate issue with my premise.....  which of the 30 other GMs would even bite on either one of them.  Only solutions are to add a sweetener to the deal and/or taking back a bad contract and then buying it out. Could be very painful! 

 

 

As it is, they're probably buying out Victor Rask.  Although this may sound crazy.  I might keep him, play him...and hope for the best.  If we have to ride out the contracts of Zuccarello, Parise, etc...we might as well ride his out.  I don't see how this team has the space to get anyone impactful unless we draft them.  

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1 hour ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

 

As it is, they're probably buying out Victor Rask.  Although this may sound crazy.  I might keep him, play him...and hope for the best.  If we have to ride out the contracts of Zuccarello, Parise, etc...we might as well ride his out.  I don't see how this team has the space to get anyone impactful unless we draft them.  

I totally agree on using the buyouts, if possible, on bigger contracts than Rask.   He can be the 13th forward with the ability to fill in at wing or center.   Plus,  buying out Rask would lose one of the two buyout slots over the next four years.   If the Wild can't move Parise or Zucc now,  a buyout(s) would be much more manageable two to three years from now.

 

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Maybe it's not really realistic to hope that the Wild would be competitive in the near future. We can hope that there'll be players who are fun to watch, but it won't be much fun to those players who are wasting their talents in a team going nowhere.

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6 hours ago, CreaseAndAssist said:

 

Folks...the dumpster fire is only warming up.  

Lol, yes and that's good. I think this version of the Wild won't get anywhere. A very frustrating team/organization to follow, that's why I stopped doing it on a regular basis. And now in early August the league expects people to watch this charade... blah.

 

But I did watch this game and there are some positives for the Wild fans to feel good about after so many years of b1tching in here and in the dead and buried Wild boards:

 

- Koivu's minutes and role has been reduced significantly and most importantly, he's off the PP! Gimme five!

 

- that sieve Dubnyk isn't getting the starts he doesn't deserve although replacing him with a 33 year old career backup goalie isn't a solution focused move really. He hasn't been bad, quite the opposite really but in the long run he's no #1 goalie for any team. But kudos to Evason. If he'd had balls, he'd try and copy Berube's move and throw in Binning....Kahkonen in the net.

 

- this group of 6 D-men is probably the best D the Wild has had in years if ever. I will never like Dumba, he's a disaster on blades waiting to pull of another disaster with the puck but if he's your #6 D-man then you have a solid D, enough said.

 

- offense is effing atrocious. Trading Granny for Fiala looks a pretty darn good move at this point but in essence nothing has changed. When Granny was here, he looked like the only scoring threat in the midst of slow, lethargic group of veterans. Now Fiala's that guy. 

 

Hopefully their tear the offense corps apart asap.

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