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Series Talk: Playoff Qualifier Series: Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks (VAN wins 3-1)

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Lapa

Lapa

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Any GDT makers for Game 2? I can make one if no one else wants to.
 
Nino Noderreiter

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pfunk said:
Yeah I am sure that donato-chucky-zucc line is concerning as far as strength and defense go... though one of the recent athletic articles highlighted how solid Galchenyuk’s defensive numbers actually have been, which surprised me.

In general I agree... it would be nice to see Donato get more ice time in a scoring role. He certainly showed he can score when he came over in the trade initially. Having said that, that line he was on was one of our best lines last night so I wouldn’t move anything around right now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I mean I agree that I can see both sides of doing it either way. I just ultimately think that we will need to have a little bit more speed 5 on 5. Donato is second behind Fiala in points/minute 5 on 5. Now, it could be because he's playing a majority of his minutes versus lesser competition. Theoretically, he's also playing the majority of his minutes with less skilled offensive players or in a role with less leeway to play offense creatively... so maybe both of those factors even out.

I personally think Donato, despite his lack of ability to play a physical game, is one potential x-factor for the Wild. He's a player that can play creatively with the puck and create scoring chances in the offensive zone in a manner that the majority of the roster cannot. I would argue that behind Fiala, Staal, & Parise... he's probably the Wild's most dangerous player offensively.
 
Nino Noderreiter

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2Pair said:
I would like to see Donato with Zuccarello as well. There's just no chance you can try them together if Galchenyuk is the center. That might be the worst line in Wild history defensively. Zuccarello is basically the odd man out at this point and I get the feeling that Evason is just hoping that Zuccarello can bounce the random goal off of Foligno/Galchenyuk and Foligno can be good enough defensively to keep that line from getting scored on.
Click to expand...

Ah, the Vanek strategy.

I know it probably is, but also part of me thinks that the Wild system would allow for it to be deployed strategically. I also think that in order to win this series the Wild has to generate more scoring chances and possession offensively. Donato is probably the Wild's 4th most effective 5 on 5 offensive player. Zuccarello, I think, could probably be a much more dangerous offensive player... if he has players with a certain playstyle. If all of a sudden, one-line change, makes 2 players much more dangerous offensively... that's a huge plus.

Right now, I don't really think we can count on either of the bottom 2 lines to score unless they get relatively fortunate with a bounce or an outcome. I think Donato on the 3rd line would mean 3 lines with a chance to score and a 4th line that should dominate defensively and dominate possession against other 4th lines (and may not be reliable to score, but have the potential to chip in and produce points or at least tilt the ice to build possession and give the top lines a chance to start shifts in the offensive zone when they are fresh).
 
BuiumSaveUs

BuiumSaveUs

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Fiala’s cold streak ends at 2 and a half periods. Peep kf reborn
 
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Spurgeon

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Digitalbooya said:
Donato-Galchenyuk-Zuccarello

High offense, little to no defense. Could work, could blow up in our faces.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking this is the way we need to go. I'm thinking it could be balanced a little bit better though while also re-uniting the GEEK line.

I think there needs to be a line re-haul. This team looked flat here. Not sure how much chemistry any of these guys will have, but the current line-up doesn't make much sense to me.

Greenway is just not the playmaker Fiala needs (as evident by the end of the game). Has Zucc ever been tried with Fiala? I think we also need a big checking line right now paired with a high-end scoring one.

Zuccarello - Staal - Fiala

Greenway- Ek - Kunin

Parise - Galchenyuk - Donato

Foligno - Koivu - Hartman
 
NHL1674

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I pray we don't lowball Fiala like we did with Gabby by often not having quality linemates for him. The kid has talent. He needs the best playmakers.
 
2Pair

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Spurgeon said:
I'm thinking this is the way we need to go. I'm thinking it could be balanced a little bit better though while also re-uniting the GEEK line.

I think there needs to be a line re-haul. This team looked flat here. Not sure how much chemistry any of these guys will have, but the current line-up doesn't make much sense to me.

Greenway is just not the playmaker Fiala needs (as evident by the end of the game). Has Zucc ever been tried with Fiala? I think we also need a big checking line right now paired with a high-end scoring one.

Zuccarello - Staal - Fiala

Greenway- Ek - Kunin

Parise - Galchenyuk - Donato

Foligno - Koivu - Hartman
Click to expand...

As long as that line never gets a shift? I'm cool with it.
 
TaLoN

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NHL1674 said:
I pray we don't lowball Fiala like we did with Gabby by often not having quality linemates for him. The kid has talent. He needs the best playmakers.
Click to expand...
We're not a cap minimum team anymore like we were then.

Love Naegele for bringing the NHL back to Minnesota, but CL is a better owner, as he can actually afford to try to win.
 
BuiumSaveUs

BuiumSaveUs

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Spurgeon said:
We were so close to having Fiala locked up long-term too, which stings. Woulda been our Josi contract.
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We’re there repsorts that we were going long term? I think I know myself and @Dr Jan Itor and a few others were really big proponents of trying to use tuch as a comparable and going for 7, but I understand why we didn’t at the time
 
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2Pair

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What are the chances that Evason is ready to show the world his Kahkonen?
 
Spurgeon

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KaprizovSaveUs said:
We’re there repsorts that we were going long term? I think I know myself and @Dr Jan Itor and a few others were really big proponents of trying to use tuch as a comparable and going for 7, but I understand why we didn’t at the time
Click to expand...

Yeah, I believe I remember Russo mentioning that's why it took a while to get him re-signed. Fenton probably would've gotten him locked up long-term tbh.
 
Lapa

Lapa

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Parise, Brodin, Fiala, Kunin and Hartman were great tonight.
 
Dee Oh Cee

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Went to bed after the 2nd period. It's just too damn late. Looking forward to the afternoon game tomorrow.

That play by Galchenyuk on the 3rd goal against was one of the dumbest plays I've ever seen.
 
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