2014-2015 General Wild Discussion Thread IV

[nickschultzfan]

Remember years ago all the talk was how we needed a dedicated practice facility?

Would be a good use of the space if possible. I played at both the newer and older Hawks practice facilities and neither were much to look at. Heck one of them is in a not so great area and is fully gated, so this would be much better than theirs.

 

[gphr513]

Something that really worries me:

Last five games 5v5 stats:

CF% 42.9 (28th)
PDO 104.2 (5th)
Sh% 11.7 (6th)
Sv% 92.5 (11th)

Wild have also been outshot each of the last five games.

The Wild are not playing well right now but are getting wins. That's good...but what happens when Dubnyk comes down to Earth and the shots aren't going in as often?

I've been noticing that in the last few games, so I'm not surprised to see those numbers. We're definitely not out shooting people and controlling the puck like we have earlier this season.

Hopefully that rebounds so we'd be able to handle a dip in Dubnyk's play.

 

[PAYHA]

Something that really worries me:

Last five games 5v5 stats:

CF% 42.9 (28th)
PDO 104.2 (5th)
Sh% 11.7 (6th)
Sv% 92.5 (11th)

Wild have also been outshot each of the last five games.

The Wild are not playing well right now but are getting wins. That's good...but what happens when Dubnyk comes down to Earth and the shots aren't going in as often?

That's hockey. ..look at those same numbers from two and three weeks ago. We're a streaky offensive team (scoring in particular). If we get average to slightly better goaltending from here on out. This team has a chance to collect points every night. Even on off nights (i.e. the last two games).

On another note Charlie Coyle may be playing his best hockey of the season and i think it's due to him becoming settled in at center ice. The kid definitely has the potential to be a poor man's Joe Thorton. I'm very confident he will outperform his contract in the next couple seasons

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

That's hockey. ..look at those same numbers from two and three weeks ago. We're a streaky offensive team (scoring in particular). If we get average to slightly better goaltending from here on out. This team has a chance to collect points every night. Even on off nights (i.e. the last two games).

On another note Charlie Coyle may be playing his best hockey of the season and i think it's due to him becoming settled in at center ice. The kid definitely has the potential to be a poor man's Joe Thorton. I'm very confident he will outperform his contract in the next couple seasons

That's high praise... a little too high.

 

[57special]

Wild use Braemar as practice ice if needed. They pumped in some $ into a couple of the dressing rooms during the recent reno.

 

[PAYHA]

That's high praise... a little too high.

Why? I could see him potentially putting up 50 points. Possibly even next year. He has all the ability to, he just needs to polish up in a few areas, like his shot from in tight could use some work... we shall see though.

 

[Spurgeon]

I'd say we're not outshooting teams because we're playing with the lead for a majority of the game. There's two ways to play with a lead and both have their pros/cons, we choose the route that's best suited to our game, which is more of a tight defensively sound game. We don't take as many risks, as when we were down and losing a lot of games.

Also, the quality of the shots have not been amazing. Dubnyk has been making the saves he needs to make and even a few that he probably shouldn't save, that's what good goaltending does for you and Dubnyk is a good goaltender.

I wouldn't worry about our CF, this team just needs to keep doing what it's doing. Certain guys need to elevate their play though *cough* Parise *cough*.

Also, has anyone heard any news on Spurgeon? It would suck to lose him.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Why? I could see him potentially putting up 50 points. Possibly even next year. He has all the ability to, he just needs to polish up in a few areas, like his shot from in tight could use some work... we shall see though.

Just an issue of semantics. Prime Joe Thornton is a 90-100 point player; a "poor man's" Thornton would be a 70ish point player.

A "homeless man's" Joe Thornton might be possible.

 

[PAYHA]

Just an issue of semantics. Prime Joe Thornton is a 90-100 point player; a "poor man's" Thornton would be a 70ish point player.

A "homeless man's" Joe Thornton might be possible.

Lol well if you put it that way.....

 

[Jarick]

I'm thinking poor man's Mikko Koivu. 40-ish points with a possible 50-point season, scoring about 15 goals or so. Depends on how much PP time he gets, and I'm going to assume giving him a lot of PP time is not a good idea.

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

Yeah we get the lead early and dominate early but then once we get the league we emphasis getting the puck deep and making the other team go the the whole length of the ice almost too much and just try and get pucks deep and defend instead of really attack.

 

[BigT2002]

Yeah we get the lead early and dominate early but then once we get the league we emphasis getting the puck deep and making the other team go the the whole length of the ice almost too much and just try and get pucks deep and defend instead of really attack.

That was the big thing with Calgary. They were so focused on keeping the puck in the neutral zone that Calgary just caught them with their pants down. Calgary ties it up and then the offense go full throttle for the last 5 minutes trying to score late.

 

[Spurgeon]

That was the big thing with Calgary. They were so focused on keeping the puck in the neutral zone that Calgary just caught them with their pants down. Calgary ties it up and then the offense go full throttle for the last 5 minutes trying to score late.

And sometimes it's fine to play like that if you're conserving energy, but against a team like Calgary who are only in a playoff race because of their 3rd period comebacks, gotta step on their throat early in the third and keep it up. They seem to have came out strong in the third, but just lost energy and went back to the defensive style. Calgary's 2nd goal apparently shouldn't have counted because of offsides and too many men on the ice before that, so it was unfortunate they came back and got a point. 1st goal looked very questionable too. That was some of the worst officiating I've seen this year, so many missed calls against us and then they were calling weak penalties on us.

 

[Nharris31]

That was the big thing with Calgary. They were so focused on keeping the puck in the neutral zone that Calgary just caught them with their pants down. Calgary ties it up and then the offense go full throttle for the last 5 minutes trying to score late.

It also cost them a loss in Vancouver. They need go back to playing the way they did in October.

 

[BigT2002]

It also cost them a loss in Vancouver. They need go back to playing the way they did in October.

So long as Yeo's job is on the line and the players are on the cusp of not making the playoffs, they will play defensive hockey again. They can win those types of games as we've seen. As fans, we have to ask ourselves if we want a team that will continue to limp into the playoffs because they cannot play that Chicago/Tampa/Pitt/Washington style of hockey or if we are sufficient with it being "boring" in the eyes of everyone because they are so low scoring.

 

[Jarick]

Going into that defensive shell is just a bad idea. They need to keep the pressure up. I know they weren't winning some of those early games but I don't believe it was because they had the puck too often.

I mean, maybe with a large enough sample size we'll figure out that puck possession stats aren't meaningful, but right now all indications are that when you out-shoot the other team (and attempt to shoot), you are going to win more often than not.

 

[Nharris31]

So long as Yeo's job is on the line and the players are on the cusp of not making the playoffs, they will play defensive hockey again. They can win those types of games as we've seen. As fans, we have to ask ourselves if we want a team that will continue to limp into the playoffs because they cannot play that Chicago/Tampa/Pitt/Washington style of hockey or if we are sufficient with it being "boring" in the eyes of everyone because they are so low scoring.

Yes they can because we have seen them do it before and they where successful most of te time the goaltending however was not. When you have four to five PMD you should be able play the type of game the wild played in October.

 

[Nharris31]

I'll never understand the people that want Spurgeon traded http://www.nhl.com/stats/advancedst...&status=&viewName=advancedStatsSkaterShooting that's impressive for someone his size.

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

I'll never understand the people that want Spurgeon traded http://www.nhl.com/stats/advancedst...&status=&viewName=advancedStatsSkaterShooting that's impressive for someone his size.

I have never understood it before either. He does so much for this team in all three area's on the ice it just makes no sense to me

 

[SomethingGeneric]

I don't think anyone here wants to trade him... It's just that Dumba has the "potential" to be a better version of him (imo). Therefore, trade Spurge as part of a package for that 1st line center that everyone always seems to want so bad around here. I would hang on to him though, anyone know how many years he has left on his current contract?

 

[Nharris31]

I don't think anyone here wants to trade him... It's just that Dumba has the "potential" to be a better version of him (imo). Therefore, trade Spurge as part of a package for that 1st line center that everyone always seems to want so bad around here. I would hang on to him though, anyone know how many years he has left on his current contract?

The more depth at d the better imo. I think he is and Rfa at the end of next season. Plus you will never going to get fair value for Spurgeon because the NHL over values size.

 

[SomethingGeneric]

The more depth at d the better imo. I think he is and Rfa at the end of next season. Plus you will never going to get fair value for Spurgeon because the NHL over values size.

Clearly this season has shown you can never have to much depth at D.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Suter - Brodin
Scandella - Spurgeon
Olofsson/Vet - Dumba

At ~$25 million for the next 5 years or so is going to be rock solid.

 

[Beegoalie]

Why? I could see him potentially putting up 50 points. Possibly even next year. He has all the ability to, he just needs to polish up in a few areas, like his shot from in tight could use some work... we shall see though.

Easy fix for that. Have him do what Parise does after every practice/morning skate. There's a reason Parise is so good around the net...

 

[Al Lagoon]

I'm thinking poor man's Mikko Koivu. 40-ish points with a possible 50-point season, scoring about 15 goals or so. Depends on how much PP time he gets, and I'm going to assume giving him a lot of PP time is not a good idea.

Spot on.