Minnesota Wild Thread

[DaveW]

 

Hmm, if that's true, I may lean towards a Pominville buyout.

They don't really save significant money though. (Like 1.5 million this year?) At this point I'd rather just keep him, seems to be a good teammate and can still put the puck in the net when put in the RIGHT situation on the ice.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Fletcher is a loser. Typical Minnesota sports "aw shucks, we can't compete with the big boys and aw shucks, we got unlucky, it was a fun season though right?"

That press conference was a joke.

They need to fire Fletcher and Boudreau.

Boudreau had his whole "the better team lost this series" nonsense.
 

uh, no Bruce, when you lose freaking 4 games to 1, score 8 goals in 5 games and only have 2 leads (for less than 60 minutes total) over those five games, the better team did not lose, you clown.

UGH!!! This is the mid 2000's Twins all over again!

Small samples matter, it's more a reflection of what can happen in a 7 game series than an indictment on the Wild. Statistically they were the better team, like they showed throughout the season but when you have a SH% of 2.88 and face a SV% of .944, luck isn't exactly on your side. The Wild dominated play, they didn't get much puck luck. 

 

No need to throw out the baby with the bath water, if you started this series over tomorrow the Wild could just as easily win in 5 games. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

They don't really save significant money though. (Like 1.5 million this year?) At this point I'd rather just keep him, seems to be a good teammate and can still put the puck in the net when put in the RIGHT situation on the ice.

 

I'm not worried about money, I'm worried about getting his no-move clause out of consideration for the expansion draft.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Small samples matter, it's more a reflection of what can happen in a 7 game series than an indictment on the Wild. Statistically they were the better team, like they showed throughout the season but when you have a SH% of 2.88 and face a SV% of .944, luck isn't exactly on your side. The Wild dominated play, they didn't get much puck luck. 

 

No need to throw out the baby with the bath water, if you started this series over tomorrow the Wild could just as easily win in 5 games. 

 

Also, it's not like the Wild are the only ones this is happening to.  Many of the top seeds this year are eating bad, small sample defeats.  And they can't even point to playing well in their series.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Also, it's not like the Wild are the only ones this is happening to.  Many of the top seeds this year are eating bad, small sample defeats.  And they can't even point to playing well in their series.

Exactly, Washington went to OT 4 times with the Leafs and could have easily lost any of those games, look at Chicago. They aren't crappy teams, they just got some crappy results, momentum is hard to reverse in a short series. 

[DaveW]

 

Small samples matter, it's more a reflection of what can happen in a 7 game series than an indictment on the Wild. Statistically they were the better team, like they showed throughout the season but when you have a SH% of 2.88 and face a SV% of .944, luck isn't exactly on your side. The Wild dominated play, they didn't get much puck luck. 

 

No need to throw out the baby with the bath water, if you started this series over tomorrow the Wild could just as easily win in 5 games. 

Last 7 playoff series:

Wild have won 2, they have lost 5.

We can cry SSS all we want, the fact is the Wild have ultimately failed 5 straight seasons. Same ****, different year. At some point they need to stop crying about getting unlucky, winners create their own luck. 

Also Allen had an insane SV% because the wild took a lot of weak ass shots throughout the series, they refused to crash the net (and when they did, lo and behold they scored!) and refused to play with any sense of urgency in games 3 and 5. Funny enough, Allen gets lit up and turns back into the middle of the road goalie he has always been the minute he played Nashville.

During this 5 years of disappointment, what are the constants?
Parise+Suter and Fletcher. Parise and Suter are going nowhere, it's time for Fletcher to go for sure. At some point Boudreau is what he is as well, a guy that frankly can't get it done in the playoffs. 

Just another pair of Minnesota losers in a long long long line of Minnesota sports losers.

[DaveW]

 

Exactly, Washington went to OT 4 times with the Leafs and could have easily lost any of those games, look at Chicago. They aren't crappy teams, they just got some crappy results, momentum is hard to reverse in a short series. 

Except you didn't hear the Blackhawks making excuses like the Wild have, they went out, made immediate changes and have vowed this won't happen again.

That is why the Blackhawks likely will win another 2-3 cups before the Wild even sniff a stanley cup final.

One team demands winning, the other team shrugs.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Also Allen had an insane SV% because the wild took a lot of weak ass shots throughout the series, they refused to crash the net (and when they did, lo and behold they scored!) and refused to play with any sense of urgency in games 3 and 5. Funny enough, Allen gets lit up and turns back into the middle of the road goalie he has always been the minute he played Nashville.

 

This is actually false.  They took away the slot, but we were absolutely crashing the net.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Last 7 playoff series:

Wild have won 2, they have lost 5.

We can cry SSS all we want, the fact is the Wild have ultimately failed 5 straight seasons. Same ****, different year. At some point they need to stop crying about getting unlucky, winners create their own luck. 

Also Allen had an insane SV% because the wild took a lot of weak ass shots throughout the series, they refused to crash the net (and when they did, lo and behold they scored!) and refused to play with any sense of urgency in games 3 and 5. Funny enough, Allen gets lit up and turns back into the middle of the road goalie he has always been the minute he played Nashville.

During this 5 years of disappointment, what are the constants?
Parise+Suter and Fletcher. Parise and Suter are going nowhere, it's time for Fletcher to go for sure. At some point Boudreau is what he is as well, a guy that frankly can't get it done in the playoffs. 

Just another pair of Minnesota losers in a long long long line of Minnesota sports losers.

I get your emotional about losing, but your eye test doesn't really match how the series actually went. If I'm Fletcher I'm not sure I change a whole lot, if anything a tweak in the bottom 6. The Wild are a good team and still rising, the window isn't open for too much longer with the older core but it's not closed either. 

 

You'd be nuts to get rid of Boudreau, who are you going to replace him with that's any better? If you guys fire him I'd hope the Jets  pick him up before the ink dried on the pink slip. 

[twinsnorth49]

 

Except you didn't hear the Blackhawks making excuses like the Wild have, they went out, made immediate changes and have vowed this won't happen again.

That is why the Blackhawks likely will win another 2-3 cups before the Wild even sniff a stanley cup final.

One team demands winning, the other team shrugs.

Firing Assistant coaches and minor league coaches are called window dressing, wake me up when they do something meaningful. 

 

The Wild are a year removed from firing their previous Head coach and are coming off their best season in franchise history. Holy crap, are you ever reactionary. 

[DaveW]

Best season in franchise history = first round exit in 5 games. I can't wait to relive the ten year anniversary of the season the Wild blew a huge divisional lead in March/April and then got spanked in 5 games to their former coach heading up a mediocre team. The window is going to be closing sooner rather then later on the Parise/Suter era, it's time to win. Now. 5 years, 2 playoff series wins, 5 playoff series losses. Have lost like 7 of last 8 home playoff games.

 

I'd rather get an up and comer coach (said it when they fired Yeo as well)

 

The problem is they can't change much of the roster, they are locked into some heavy contracts.

 

Which is why I would fire Fletcher (get some fresh eyes on this roster) and would let Boudreau go as well (clearly the wrong leadership) and come on, maybe there is a reason why Boudreaus teams ALWAYS choke in the playoffs. It's a completely different game.

 

The goal is to win championships, fletcher has proven he can't even get this club close to that. Boudreau has never been able to do that in his career as well.

[TheLeviathan]

I think doing as much as they can to keep this roster as is is the best move.

 

Unless you can flip Suter for someone else, I think that might be a good thing.

[twinsnorth49]

Best season in franchise history = first round exit in 5 games. I can't wait to relive the ten year anniversary of the season the Wild blew a huge divisional lead in March/April and then got spanked in 5 games to their former coach heading up a mediocre team. The window is going to be closing sooner rather then later on the Parise/Suter era, it's time to win. Now. 5 years, 2 playoff series wins, 5 playoff series losses. Have lost like 7 of last 8 home playoff games.

 

I'd rather get an up and comer coach (said it when they fired Yeo as well)

 

The problem is they can't change much of the roster, they are locked into some heavy contracts.

 

Which is why I would fire Fletcher (get some fresh eyes on this roster) and would let Boudreau go as well (clearly the wrong leadership) and come on, maybe there is a reason why Boudreaus teams ALWAYS choke in the playoffs. It's a completely different game.

 

The goal is to win championships, fletcher has proven he can't even get this club close to that. Boudreau has never been able to do that in his career as well.

Weren't you touting Boudreau for the JA in like February?

 

Sometimes it takes time to win, a complete overhaul of your roster, coaching staff and FO is totally knee jerk and irrational. You seem a little bitter, probably not the best way to analyze things.

[DaveW]

Did I ever say anywhere about a complete overhaul of the roster? Anywhere? 

No, I said the roster basically has to stay the same. Thus you need to make the changes that can be made: Fletcher or Boudreau

5 straight years of this crap is not acceptable (unless of course you are Minnesota fan apparently)

[TheLeviathan]

No market behaves the way you suggest Dave. Nor should they.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Did I ever say anywhere about a complete overhaul of the roster? Anywhere? 

No, I said the roster basically has to stay the same. Thus you need to make the changes that can be made: Fletcher or Boudreau

5 straight years of this crap is not acceptable (unless of course you are Minnesota fan apparently)

Stay the same? You've crapped on the roster numerous times in  this thread.  

 

I'm not a Minnesota fan, so acceptable isn't a concern of mine. No way would I suggest any team behave the way you're suggesting is all.

[DaveW]

Stay the same? You've crapped on the roster numerous times in this thread.

 

I'm not a Minnesota fan, so acceptable isn't a concern of mine. No way would I suggest any team behave the way you're suggesting is all.

Roster by and large is fine, it's the leadership and bizarre refusal to ever actually try to get a true goal scorer on the roster.

[DaveW]

No market behaves the way you suggest Dave. Nor should they.

5 straight early playoff exits? Yeah plenty of GMs would be canned.

[TheLeviathan]

 

5 straight early playoff exits? Yeah plenty of GMs would be canned.

 

They canned coaches instead.  It's hard to argue that the GM is building worse rosters and more that the rosters are underperforming in a small sample.

 

If I'm assigning small sample blame for that, I tend to blame the coach.  Or just plain bad luck.

[DaveW]

It's still not a team that can win in the playoffs (for whatever reason)

 

I tend to think they are just ONE goal scorer away to be honest.

 

Watching Granny disappear and Nino not doing much was super disappointing.

[TheLeviathan]

Granny had a broken hand.

 

This team was as well built for the playoffs as any in the league really  IMO.  I think they let a goalie get in their heads.  And a goalie played with an uncanny combination of skill and luck against them and in hockey, in a small sample, that's basically a guaranteed exit.

[twinsnorth49]

Roster by and large is fine, it's the leadership and bizarre refusal to ever actually try to get a true goal scorer on the roster.

Because other teams are so eager to give those up. Unless you want to risk an overpay in FA, they don't grow on trees and careful what you wish for.

 

Besides, they have in the past.

[Dr. Evil]

As bummed out as I am, I don't see firing Budreau or Fletcher as the solution. I totally get the frustration though. As therapy, I admit to having "the wild suck" written on the whiteboard in my kitchen.

 

Side point, I don't like how the game is reffed differently in the playoffs. The after the whistle face swiping and punching is poor sportsmanship and angers me greatly.

 

Another observation, since the big contracts, Parise as been to how many all-star games? I have this strange feeling that his teammates don't necessarily enjoy playing with him. Nothing to base that on other than observing games.

 

Losing to the Blues pissed me off big time. But, I think that our younger guys are still maturing and the future is bright. Lots of youngsters in the system too.

 

Budreau is a solid hockey mind and part of why we moved forward this year is him refusing to look at the name on the back of the jersey, or the contract, when assembling line combinations and handing out playing time.

 

This result hurts. But, we are in good shape.

[TheLeviathan]

I agree Spike and you brought up a good point:

 

The way the game is played in the playoffs is something our guys need to adjust to.  Coyle did and Parise seemed to pick up his intensity as well.  I'd probably throw Zucker in that also.

 

But Nino and a few others have to appreciate that intensity a bit more.

[Pardon My Dinger]

The problem with the wild is they've never been bad enough. That's not a news flash or anything, but you have to bottom out, nail a 1st or second overall pick AND develop a solid core. The wild have not gotten those big picks, though they've put together a perfect core to surround the superstar that they've never had.

 

Now, the real bad news...they've missed the boat and they're still 'good.' And they probably will be in the playoffs for years to come.

[twinsnorth49]

The problem with the wild is they've never been bad enough. That's not a news flash or anything, but you have to bottom out, nail a 1st or second overall pick AND develop a solid core. The wild have not gotten those big picks, though they've put together a perfect core to surround the superstar that they've never had.

 

Now, the real bad news...they've missed the boat and they're still 'good.' And they probably will be in the playoffs for years to come.

Pretty true, if you look at the Stanley Cup champions over the last 10 years, most of them sucked pretty hard in the years becore they became relevant and scooped some high end players through the draft.

[TheLeviathan]

If no one has noticed, the St. Louis Blues stopped getting insanely lucky.  

 

That's really the only difference between their prior series and this one.  They'll go home, one round deeper than they deserved.

[DaveW]

FWIW: Preds making Allen look like the garbage goalie he is.

Wild really blew it this year. Ugh.

[TheLeviathan]

All of the games have been tight contests.  Puck luck in their own crease is basically the difference.  The Blues got insanely lucky.  As is not uncommon in a 7 game series.

 

We might be staring at Edmonton-Nashville as the Western Conference Finals.

[twinsnorth49]

 

FWIW: Preds making Allen look like the garbage goalie he is.

Wild really blew it this year. Ugh.

Garbage? He's had one game below league average SV% in the series.

 

Holy hyperbole.