I am getting so sick of seeing guys using minor contact in front of the net as an excuse to run the goalie.
Tkachuk has done it numerous times this year on games I have seen. As well as other one off instances. Nurse had minor contact in front of the goal, the puck is already in, is nearly stopped right as he contacts Gustavsson then jumps into him to make the contact way worse. Please NHL, start calling that cheap play.
Also, where is the grit? Nobody goes after McDavid for the chicken wing? Nurse runs Gus and he gets some casual shoves from Zuccarello. How about it Guerin? Where is that team toughness?
11 games to the 4 nations face off. Have to stay afloat and get healthy. Definitely a slog right now for this team
Also, where is the grit? Nobody goes after McDavid for the chicken wing? Nurse runs Gus and he gets some casual shoves from Zuccarello. How about it Guerin? Where is that team toughness?
Someone at the very least should’ve given McDavid a Jimmy Superfly elbow.
Keep your stick on the ice...
This team has been soft for years. And no I'm not referring to having someone like Bougard on the roster.
The grit thing only works when it is your best players who play that style (Tkahcuk, MacKinnon, Igninla, etc). Having a team full of 3rd line grinders who play gritty is not going to get you many wins. Outside of Ek, nobody on this team fits the star player gritty style and even he is a stretch. Find a new identity.
The grit thing only works when it is your best players who play that style (Tkahcuk, MacKinnon, Igninla, etc). Having a team full of 3rd line grinders who play gritty is not going to get you many wins. Outside of Ek, nobody on this team fits the star player gritty style and even he is a stretch. Find a new identity.
this. 1000% this.
The grit thing only works when it is your best players who play that style (Tkahcuk, MacKinnon, Igninla, etc). Having a team full of 3rd line grinders who play gritty is not going to get you many wins. Outside of Ek, nobody on this team fits the star player gritty style and even he is a stretch. Find a new identity.
IMO, EK is no stretch. He is super hard to play against. Kaprisov is a gritty superstar. He reminds me of Crosby. He has strength and doesn't shy away from physical play.
I think this team's identity is playing a structured, defensive-oriented game. They've suffered through ridiculous line-up problems this season due to injuries. (Motzko said in this week's media release that shuffling lines to account for missing players is very disruptive.) The Wild's top 3 defensemen and their scoring leader are on the injured list. They can't win consistently until they return.
Having KK out this long means they'll likely lose against good teams if they give up 3 goals or more. They just don't have the firepower to score 4 goals a game.
Look at their defense now. They have to play Bogosian on the top pair. He is a 3rd pair guy, an occasional 2nd pair guy, but his time as a top pair guy has long passed. Merrill, Chisholm, Dermott and Jiricek are all 4-6 guys. The defense can cover missing 1 guy (Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon) so getting 2 of those back will make a huge difference. Getting 97 back will then put Boldy back with EK, and that should balance out the top 2 lines. Boldy was lost when EK was out, and then when EK came back, 97 got hurt. The 4th line is a disaster. Jones and Shore are not NHLers. Just need the injuries to stop.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
I think that the Wild have plenty of grit. What they lack is someone who is willing to do what needs to be done to protect his teammates. Foligno is supposed to be that guy, and Guerin grossly overpaid him in part to be that guy, but all Foligno does is talk. I think Hartman is willing to be that guy but has been told that he can't do it.
As for the current lineup, it's pointless to even try to analyze what they're doing. There isn't a hockey team at any level that can lose what the Wild are missing, and still be expected to do anything.
The grit thing only works when it is your best players who play that style (Tkahcuk, MacKinnon, Igninla, etc). Having a team full of 3rd line grinders who play gritty is not going to get you many wins. Outside of Ek, nobody on this team fits the star player gritty style and even he is a stretch. Find a new identity.
Yeah no one is asking for that.
how much longer is Kap out?
Aloha!
If I had to guess, until they are about to lose playoff position.
how much longer is Kap out?
personally I’m expecting him out until the 4 nations tournament
Wild up 1-0 on Colorado in the second
Aloha!
Would be 3-0 without a couple amazing saves by Blackwood.
This Jiricek kid looks like he could be pretty darn good.
This Jiricek kid looks like he could be pretty darn good.
Some of his moves are at times ..No No No.. Yes, what a play. But yes, I do think he has a future here.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
If he can continue to build confidence, and the Wild can find him a Solid partner to play with, he could be a real good playerThis Jiricek kid looks like he could be pretty darn good.
Big win. Keeps them out of a wildcard spot for now.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
@frozen4champs What was KK's injury, a bone fracture?
Dodged a bullet with Spurgeon. His injury looked like a season ender.
I heard groin injury for Kaprizov@frozen4champs What was KK's injury, a bone fracture?
Dodged a bullet with Spurgeon. His injury looked like a season ender.
I heard groin injury for Kaprizov@frozen4champs What was KK's injury, a bone fracture?
Dodged a bullet with Spurgeon. His injury looked like a season ender.
@frozen4champs What was KK's injury, a bone fracture?
Dodged a bullet with Spurgeon. His injury looked like a season ender.
From what I have heard it was the dreaded groin injury. That is what Russo and others have said on various podcasts. On one podcast, I think it was beyond the pond, they speculated that area hasn't been the same since Winnipeg's Stanley injured him a couple of years ago. But that's purely speculation. Russo has written that the Wild want him to ease up on the way he trains to help prevent potentially re-injuring it.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
I heard on KFAN today Kap will play tomorrow night
Aloha!
Did they give away cape hoodie things at the game tonight?
Anyone else having issues with the fan duel app? It keeps starting over to the beginning of the broadcast.
Wild 16-0-1 against the Blackhawks win streak in the regular season
Aloha!
Kaprizov needs surgery. Will miss at least 4 weeks.
Columbus is loving that.
Keep your stick on the ice...
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Big win in Toronto tonight. Flower starts in Montreal tomorrow in his last start in his hometown.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
Solid win in Toronto tonight.
Moose with amazing effort to get an ENG to seal it with about 25 seconds left.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Sure is easier to win when your goalie plays great.
There are very few times I miss having twitter. When we beat the Leafs is one of them.
Wild will have a tricky balancing act to make sure they get the final wildcard spot. That would ensure they are the road team for every series.
Did the Directv Stream 5 day free trial so I could watch these Wild/Wolves back to backs. Man I forgot how stupid LaPantas goal call is…this isn’t soccer bro.
Not a fan of the Directv Stream interface…it’s just OK. The package that has FanDuel is about $30 more than YTTV and you get a couple extra random channels and FD but it doesn’t have FXM and FS2.
The hockey gods seem to be smiling on Flower so far
Blatant calling to the score no call on Ek getting tripped. No way he didn’t see that.
Apparently tripping Ek isn’t a penalty
Flower comes up huge multiple times then (Eddie) Shore makes it 3-0
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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The love for Flower in Montreal is truly beautiful
https://twitter.com/CanadiensMTL/status/1885149747557638629
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Flower gets the SO. Amazing.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Dusty in here
The entire Canadians team shook his hand after the game.
I was recently informed by a GPLer that I'm related to Airey
Flower in postgame interview: “it was fun to be a part of it”. I think that sums him up.
Flower first goalie to get a shutout as a teenager and a 40 year old