2013/2014 Minnesota Wild News and Notes - New Division and New Expectations

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Nharris31

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Aug 9, 2013
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All things will change by Friday. I think would look more in to line combos tomorrow not today.
 

Jongdo

Registered User
Oct 23, 2013
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Cooke on the second line? Really? Have this feeling that second lines minutes are gonna drop even more now when Koivu is on third line.. Something like 13min, when 16min is what they really should get.
 

Engebretson

Thank you, sweet rabbit
Nov 4, 2010
10,550
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Minnesota
Sounds like they are overthinking this waaaay too much.

Parise - Koivu - Coyle
Nino - Granlund - Pominville
Cooke - Brodziak - Heatley/Fontaine/Mitchell
4th Line

I'm sure they're just trying things out with the extra time between now and the next game, but yeah, Yeo's doing some Ruxin-style tinkering in today's practice.
 

rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
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Minny
They're probably making sure everyone can jump around lines and play with other players still.
 

TZM

Par too easy
Mar 25, 2012
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Kerava
I'm confused. Looks like a gamble to me. I hope they try something more neutral tomorrow.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
Russo says the Coyle and Koivu lines will be first and second, not using the third line as a checking line.

Again:

Parise-Coyle-Heatley
Niederreiter-Koivu-Brodziak
Cooke-Granlund-Pominville
Mitchell-Konopka-Fontaine

So...Granlund and Pominville play well for a couple games and will get less ice time? Brodziak and Heatley are getting more ice time?

No idea what the hell is going on here.
 

Lapa

Global Moderator
Feb 21, 2010
13,201
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So we live in a universe where..

You play well, you get demoted to 3rd line with less ice time

and when you suck for 13 games..

You get promoted to the first line and get a **** load of ice time?

Seriously.. What a ****ing joke if that's the case vs. Habs.
 

BusQuets

Registered User
Jul 16, 2010
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Its pretty clearly they are using Koivu's line against opponents top line that way they are trying to create serious mismatches with 2nd and 3rd line which I guess will pretty much get about the same TOI.
 

BusQuets

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Jul 16, 2010
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Altough i'm not sure how they work against Habs cause they have 3 2nd lines.
 

Avder

The Very Weedcat
Jun 2, 2011
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A place.
Looks like some hail marys to try to get some scoring from someone other than mig and pommer.

Yeo being yeo.
 

rynryn

Reluctant Optimist. Permanently Déclassé.
May 29, 2008
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Minny
So we live in a universe where..

You play well, you get demoted to 3rd line with less ice time

and when you suck for 13 games..

You get promoted to the first line and get a **** load of ice time?

Seriously.. What a ****ing joke if that's the case vs. Habs.

Who said anything about ice time? Ask yourself if they'd really jump into the game assuming a guy who has been out a while with a knee injury is going to pick up first line minutes right away. They'll end up double shifting Koivu and Parise.
 

Lapa

Global Moderator
Feb 21, 2010
13,201
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Who said anything about ice time? Ask yourself if they'd really jump into the game assuming a guy who has been out a while with a knee injury is going to pick up first line minutes right away. They'll end up double shifting Koivu and Parise.

Good point. Still, I think this means Poms & Granlund will get a bit less ice time.

I just don't like Heatley potentially getting more ice time. He's gotten a lot of **** this season, but he's a bit useless at this point.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
More Russo

So it's essentially checking line that can score, checking line that can score, and scoring line that can check? I just think this has potential to backfire big time.

The third line worked fairly well because the guys aren't necessarily possession players but are disrupters. They can skate and break up plays, then get the play moving down the other end. The top two lines worked well because they were holding on to the puck in the offensive zone.

What I worry this will do is put guys that traditionally have had trouble maintaining the possession with scorers, which could destroy the puck possession they've done well so far.

I like putting Koivu on a checking line because he likes to stay high and doesn't really want to do anything other than pass the puck. But if they do get in the offensive zone, Brodziak can't really handle the puck well or cycle that great. And Nino can do those things well but IMO should be playing more in the open ice so he can use his shot more.

I like Parise with Coyle who is going to be faster and likely more offensive minded than Koivu, and that will create more opportunities for Parise to get rebounds, as well as get him away from the rut of playing along the boards and stuffing the puck near the side of the net. But then Heatley is a major disrupter with the puck because he can't forecheck or hang on to it very well, but he also doesn't have the speed to attack on the rush, and he can't get back on the backcheck. That could be trouble, which is why they are getting Fontaine some reps. He's looked good on the rush but with the cycle, not so much. He's not quite strong enough on the boards and doesn't win enough puck battles.

Granlund and Pominville seems to be good, especially on the rush, as Poms looks to shoot more and Granny has been hitting him with nice passes. But then what is Cooke doing on the line? He can play a little bit, but wouldn't it make more sense to put Nino there, who's another weapon and can open up some space? Is Cooke going to come away with the puck on the board battles to set up the plays?

Just a ton of question marks here. It's like they have found roles for players but then are going to put them in different roles. Like preseason experimentation a month into the season.
 

Jongdo

Registered User
Oct 23, 2013
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Can someone light me up, what is Cooke's job on the second line? Why not Nino?
 

TZM

Par too easy
Mar 25, 2012
2,743
15
Kerava
One worrisome quote:

Yeo: I hope that these lines stay together for the next month, ...

So they're going with this lineup (excluding D pairings) against the Habs?
 

W75

Wegistewed Usew
Oct 22, 2011
8,765
380
Winland
I agree with Jarick.

I'm confused. Do they make this experiment in order to say that they tried to split Parise and Koivu but it didn't work..?

I think they should keep up with the good things and try to fix weak links. But this mess looks that somebody is just trying to destroy everything. Hope I'm wrong.
 

Ladde

Registered User
Apr 28, 2012
997
5
These are pretty random but at least Granlund and Pominville are still on the same line.
 
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