Minnesota Wild General Discussion - 2022-23

[GordieGallant]

Simplify things. Get pucks deep and forecheck. Win puck battles. Be more physical.
Eliminate neutral zone and offensive blue line turnovers or the Av’s will kill us in transition.
I’m pretty sure that’s what the coaches are saying. But wait they’re idiots because Rossi isn’t on the first line.

 

[DANOZ28]

rossi should play with boldy or be sent down to iowa. fleury is billys choice so he (billy boy) needs to live or die by the sword. our D is so bad i wish we still had suter! go wild & sokk hard for bedard. ps DON'T bring up wallstedt he doesn't need to be part of this sh&t show.

 

[Wasted Talent]

With all due respect, Rossi is a side issue right now. It's like worrying about your flower bed when your house is burning down.

If you're looking at this season only, sure. Messing with Rossi's development is messing with the team's future.

 

[Prior]

Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello
Gaudreau-Steel-Boldy

Brodin-Dumba
Goligoski-Spurgeon

That's our top 6 and top 4, and in red are the guys playing in a role above their abilities, at this point. We're going to have bad games.

Brodin hasn’t ever been a top pairing defender and is certainly nowhere near it at the moment. Frankly, this team struggles yearly in the playoffs because they try to masquerade him as one and gets exposed because he can’t play a playoff type game and gives the team nothing on half the ice.

 

[AKL]

Brodin hasn’t ever been a top pairing defender and is certainly nowhere near it at the moment. Frankly, this team struggles yearly in the playoffs because they try to masquerade him as one and gets exposed because he can’t play a playoff type game and gives the team nothing on half the ice.

I think he's an adequate #2 alongside a #1 guy, maybe I could have put him in orange, but I don't think it's offensive to play him on the top pairing. Obviously right now he's not playing like anything more than a #6, but I tried to avoid categorizing them just based on these first two games, more on their body of work.

But I do agree that part of the problem is that Brodin has never been able to step up in the playoffs when we've needed him to.

But like most of the other guys there, he is what he is, and I'm putting more onus on the GM (and maybe coach) for building and deploying a team that requires them to play in those roles.

 

[NHL1674]

It's paywalled, but here's an excerpt that confuses the hell out of me.

Russo: Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild’s defense off to disturbing start

Dean Evason loathes pulling goalies. Heck, he once let Kaapo Kahkonen get rung up for nine goals in St. Louis.

In 151 games as Wild coach before Saturday, Evason had pulled his goaltender for non-injury reasons just once, and it wasn’t even Cam Talbot, who was one of the league’s worst goalies last season from an analytical point of view.

So let me get this straight. Evason likes to bench players for periods at a time to teach a lesson after they've taken a bad penalty. If he thinks they're a liability, they sit. We saw it with Rossi last night. But when a goalie is greatly struggling with the game on the line, he absolutely refuses to pull them. Make it make sense. I mean, yeah...you don't want to pull guys that often. But there are times when you can stop the bleeding before it's too late, and I can't recall him ever doing that since he's been in charge. Why is he so concerned about his goalies' feelings, but will treat the rest of the group differently.

 

[57special]

Simplify things. Get pucks deep and forecheck. Win puck battles. Be more physical.
Eliminate neutral zone and offensive blue line turnovers or the Av’s will kill us in transition.
I’m pretty sure that’s what the coaches are saying. But wait they’re idiots because Rossi isn’t on the first line.

Be physical with Steel, Jost, Dewar, Rossi, Zuccarello, Gaudreau, Addison, Spurgeon, Goligoski? How's that going to work? These guys are trying right now to the best of their abilities, but asking them to be physical forechecking beasts is like asking a ballet dancer to "man up" and win a sumo competition.

I am pretty sure that Guerin is looking right now for a physical bottom six guy- not necessarily a Deslaurier, but someone with size and a willingness to use it. I don't think that he is going to wait for too long if we keep on losing.

Oh, and not to bury the lead. As much as I find our D zone confusing, and can lament the giveaways, let's be clear what the main problem is. Our goalies have been flat out bad. This is reminding me of the period just before we got Doobs(and lost Harding), and couldn't get consistent goaltending. It destroys everything.

 

[Webster]

Forget the offensive play, it's fine...9 goals in 2 games.

Yes it's easy to see what they have to fix:

1. Defensive play
2. Stay out of the penalty box (you hear, Rossi?)
3. Better goaltending

 

[AKL]

Forget the offensive play, it's fine...9 goals in 2 games.

Yes it's easy to see what they have to fix:

1. Defensive play
2. Stay out of the penalty box (you hear, Rossi?)
3. Better goaltending

Rossi has 2 PIMs
Zuccarello has 2 PIMs

Your shit is old, go somewhere else

 

[Webster]

Rossi has 2 PIMs
Zuccarello has 2 PIMs

Rossi has 6, in fact 3 times in the penalty box over less than 5 periods incl Rangers game. That's unacceptable, even for a rookie, and that's why he was benched.

You should quit your intense hatred of Zuccarello, it doesn't make any sense based on his play.

 

[TaLoN]

It's paywalled, but here's an excerpt that confuses the hell out of me.

Russo: Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild’s defense off to disturbing start



So let me get this straight. Evason likes to bench players for periods at a time to teach a lesson after they've taken a bad penalty. If he thinks they're a liability, they sit. We saw it with Rossi last night. But when a goalie is greatly struggling with the game on the line, he absolutely refuses to pull them. Make it make sense. I mean, yeah...you don't want to pull guys that often. But there are times when you can stop the bleeding before it's too late, and I can't recall him ever doing that since he's been in charge. Why is he so concerned about his goalies' feelings, but will treat the rest of the group differently.

Do-Nothing-Deano

 

[AKL]

Rossi has 6, in fact 3 times in the penalty box over less than 5 periods incl Rangers game. That's unacceptable, even for a rookie, and that's why he was benched.

You should quit your intense hatred of Zuccarello, it doesn't make any sense based on his play.

Rossi has 2 PIMs this season and Zuccarello hasn't done anything but leech points off Kaprizov and (literally) Boldy. 0 points at even strength, he isn't creating anything except turnovers. If he wasn't stapled to Kaprizov's hip (and Boldy on the PP) he'd likely have 0 points.

 

[TaLoN]

Rossi has 6, in fact 3 times in the penalty box over less than 5 periods incl Rangers game. That's unacceptable, even for a rookie, and that's why he was benched.

You should quit your intense hatred of Zuccarello, it doesn't make any sense based on his play.

Nobody here hates Zucc

 

[Wabit]

Rossi has 6, in fact 3 times in the penalty box over less than 5 periods incl Rangers game. That's unacceptable, even for a rookie, and that's why he was benched.

You should quit your intense hatred of Zuccarello, it doesn't make any sense based on his play.

His last preseason game Rossi was in the box a lot. Only 1 penalty in the 2 regular season games.

 

[Webster]

Rossi has 2 PIMs this season and Zuccarello hasn't done anything but leech points off Kaprizov and (literally) Boldy. 0 points at even strength, he isn't creating anything except turnovers. If he wasn't stapled to Kaprizov's hip (and Boldy on the PP) he'd likely have 0 points.

This is a team game, you need to do things yourself if you want points, no matter how good your linemates are. So I don't think you need to worry about Zucc's contribution, there's a reason why Evason plays him 22 minutes a game.

 

[AKL]

This is a team game, you need to do things yourself if you want points, no matter how good your linemates are. So I don't think you need to worry about Zucc's contribution, there's a reason why Evason plays him 22 minutes a game.

Evason isn't a good coach, so I'm not sure that proves the point you think it does.

Zuccarello is great at letting other people on the ice do the work for him, I'll give him that.

 

[Webster]

Evason isn't a good coach, so I'm not sure that proves the point you think it does.

Zuccarello is great at letting other people on the ice do the work for him, I'll give him that.

You may have your opinion, just like others may have a different one.
So we disagree...as usual.

 

[Wabit]

Rossi has 2 PIMs this season and Zuccarello hasn't done anything but leech points off Kaprizov and (literally) Boldy. 0 points at even strength, he isn't creating anything except turnovers. If he wasn't stapled to Kaprizov's hip (and Boldy on the PP) he'd likely have 0 points.

Huh? How has Zucc leached any points off Boldy? By being his the correct position and making good shots and passes on the PP?

 

[AKL]

Huh? How has Zucc leached any points off Boldy? By being his the correct position and making good shots and passes on the PP?

 

[GordieGallant]

Be physical with Steel, Jost, Dewar, Rossi, Zuccarello, Gaudreau, Addison, Spurgeon, Goligoski? How's that going to work? These guys are trying right now to the best of their abilities, but asking them to be physical forechecking beasts is like asking a ballet dancer to "man up" and win a sumo competition.

I am pretty sure that Guerin is looking right now for a physical bottom six guy- not necessarily a Deslaurier, but someone with size and a willingness to use it. I don't think that he is going to wait for too long if we keep on losing.

Oh, and not to bury the lead. As much as I find our D zone confusing, and can lament the giveaways, let's be clear what the main problem is. Our goalies have been flat out bad. This is reminding me of the period just before we got Doobs(and lost Harding), and couldn't get consistent goaltending. It destroys everything.

After watching Zuccarello and several other fowards do drive-bys last night maybe we should get them a tu-tu.

I’m not saying put the guy through the boards, just play the body try to separate them from the puck..

 

[Wabit]

How is that leaching a point off Boldy? Zucc doesn't touch that puck and it's on the d-man's stick.

 

[AKL]

How is that leaching a point off Boldy? Zucc doesn't touch that puck and it's on the d-man's stick.

Which d-man my guy? The one who was too busy pointing at Kaprizov to even see the pass happen or the one that didn't react until it was already on Kaprizov's stick? If Zuccarello doesn't touch that it's easier for Kaprizov to handle and it's still a goal.

 

[thestonedkoala]

It's hard to get good defensive okay when you're worried about your goalie.

 

[Wabit]

Which d-man my guy? The one who was too busy pointing at Kaprizov to even see the pass happen or the one that didn't react until it was already on Kaprizov's stick? If Zuccarello doesn't touch that it's easier for Kaprizov to handle and it's still a goal.

The d-man (55) who's stick was right in the passing lane behind Zucc's stick. Zucc's touch lifted the puck over the stick which was on the ice.

 

[AKL]

The d-man (55) who's stick was right in the passing lane behind Zucc's stick. Zucc's touch lifted the puck over the stick which was on the ice.

You mean right here where Byfield's stick is neither on the ice nor in the passing lane before Zuccarello redirects it?