Minnesota Wild

DaveW · April 10, 2014

Don't look know but a Minnesota team actually made the playoffs! It has been a real up and down year for the Wild, many of the downs were due to injuries. With Brys having the hot hand I honestly think this team can make a deep run in the playoffs....assuming they don't get screwed and matched up with the blue is round 1.

Craig Arko · April 10, 2014

Golden Gophers fart in your general direction.

TheLeviathan · April 10, 2014

Yeah, as long as they avoid the Blues in the first round they have a real shot to go deep. But if they play the Blues that massive group of brutes is going to pummel us into the offseason.

Been a fun season all around - Charlie Coyle and Granlund look friggin legit.

Fatt Crapps · April 11, 2014

Yeah, as long as they avoid the Blues in the first round they have a real shot to go deep. But if they play the Blues that massive group of brutes is going to pummel us into the offseason.

So you're saying they should have lost to the Blues tonight? Maybe the Blues lost on purpose because they'd like to match up with MIN instead of PHX/DAL.

twinsnorth49 · April 11, 2014

So you're saying they should have lost to the Blues tonight? Maybe the Blues lost on purpose because they'd like to match up with MIN instead of PHX/DAL.

Why would they do that? Minnesota will be much harder to play against in the playoffs than Phx or Dallas. The Wild are much more disciplined and tighter in their game.

Fatt Crapps · April 11, 2014

Why would they do that? Minnesota will be much harder to play against in the playoffs than Phx or Dallas. The Wild are much more disciplined and tighter in their game.

Besides this last game, the Blues usually man handled the Wild. I guess it's a good time to face them now with all their injuries.

TheLeviathan · April 11, 2014

Besides this last game, the Blues usually man handled the Wild. I guess it's a good time to face them now with all their injuries.

That may be the saving grace. Either way, I'd still prefer to avoid them. Cmon Colorado!

Joe · April 11, 2014

This isn't the year they make it past the first round.

I agree though, they're going to have a better shot at Colorado than St. Louis.

twinsnorth49 · April 11, 2014

Besides this last game, the Blues usually man handled the Wild. I guess it's a good time to face them now with all their injuries.

The Blues manhandled a lot of teams but the Jets played St.Loius to four 1 goal games with 2 SO and I think the Wild are defensively a better team than Winnipeg. If they can keep things tight and keep it close it just takes a good break to get the Blues doubting.

Likely going to have to go through them at some point, the first round is a better time to throw everything at them.

The biggest issue I see is.....................Bryzgalov?!?!.....Oh dear!

TheLeviathan · April 11, 2014

The Blues manhandled a lot of teams but the Jets played St.Loius to four 1 goal games with 2 SO and I think the Wild are defensively a better team than Winnipeg. If they can keep things tight and keep it close it just takes a good break to get the Blues doubting.

It's not about tight defense IMO - it's that the Wild just can't physically hack it with them. They break down because they get beat up. The Wild are much better about containing and defending speed. Physicality has been their weakness for a long time.

twinsnorth49 · April 11, 2014

It's not about tight defense IMO - it's that the Wild just can't physically hack it with them. They break down because they get beat up. The Wild are much better about containing and defending speed. Physicality has been their weakness for a long time.

Can be a problem but doesn't have to be, the Wild have some decent size, maybe a little small on the back end. They just need to control the neutral one and not let the Blues forwards get the puck deep and attack with speed, which I think the Wild do well. That can be effective against size as well as speed.

If the D is given a second or two more to move the puck the size factor can be diminished.

TheLeviathan · April 11, 2014

Can be a problem but doesn't have to be, the Wild have some decent size, maybe a little small on the back end. They just need to control the neutral one and not let the Blues forwards get the puck deep and attack with speed, which I think the Wild do well. That can be effective against size as well as speed.

If the D is given a second or two more to move the puck the size factor can be diminished.

Yeah but the Blues are such a heavy dump and chase team. The Wild are at their best, IMO, against teams that try to enter with speed. The Blues are the total opposite of that.

twinsnorth49 · April 12, 2014

Yeah but the Blues are such a heavy dump and chase team. The Wild are at their best, IMO, against teams that try to enter with speed. The Blues are the total opposite of that.

Maybe so, personally I think the Blues like to play with a lot of speed, it sets up their cycle game which is where their size takes over.

I saw them play in Winnipeg twice this season and the Jets really tried to slow them down, and the Jets are a pretty fast team. When they couldn't establish the forecheck it didn't matter how big they were.

You know the Wild better than I do so you're probably right but I think they have a chance if they play the right way. The playoffs are funny sometime, big expectations for the Blues and they are not finishing on a high note. The Wild win over them the other night is a good example of what can happen in the first round. The Blues have to be shaking their heads at how they lost that game.

TheLeviathan · April 12, 2014

Maybe so, personally I think the Blues like to play with a lot of speed, it sets up their cycle game which is where their size takes over.

I saw them play in Winnipeg twice this season and the Jets really tried to slow them down, and the Jets are a pretty fast team. When they couldn't establish the forecheck it didn't matter how big they were.

You know the Wild better than I do so you're probably right but I think they have a chance if they play the right way. The playoffs are funny sometime, big expectations for the Blues and they are not finishing on a high note. The Wild win over them the other night is a good example of what can happen in the first round. The Blues have to be shaking their heads at how they lost that game.

The Blues recent slide and us breaking our streak of losing to them will help for sure. Zulgad wrote a piece on how playing them would also create a really fierce rivalry in all likelihood, so there is that potential positive out of it too.

Squirrel · April 12, 2014

I'll be cheering in the Blackhawks. Go Blackhawks.

TheLeviathan · April 13, 2014

Hell yeah! Colorado and not St. Louis!

Squirrel · April 13, 2014

Hell yeah! Colorado and not St. Louis!

The guys here wanted St. Louis over Colorado, saying St. Louis is pretty beat up right now and Colorado has owned them this year. So, guess this is good for both of us?

DaveW · April 14, 2014

Colorado is a much better matchup, if we can make it to round 2 and face the Blues then ideally the Blackhawks beat them up a bit in round 1.

twinsnorth49 · April 14, 2014

I'd take just playing somebody in the playoffs.

TheLeviathan · April 14, 2014

The guys here wanted St. Louis over Colorado, saying St. Louis is pretty beat up right now and Colorado has owned them this year. So, guess this is good for both of us?

Chicago matches up better with St. Louis because their D are more physical. My wife is a Hawks fan and I told her that would be a better matchup. So we're both happy today.

Now we'll see how it plays out.

Squirrel · April 14, 2014

Chicago matches up better with St. Louis because their D are more physical. My wife is a Hawks fan and I told her that would be a better matchup. So we're both happy today.

Now we'll see how it plays out.

Yup. If both make it out of the 1st round, would Chicago and Minnesota play each other? Would still cheer on the Hawks in that scenario.

DaveW · April 14, 2014

Yup. If both make it out of the 1st round, would Chicago and Minnesota play each other? Would still cheer on the Hawks in that scenario.

Yes, under the new playoff format that would be the case....and it would be awesome.

Squirrel · April 14, 2014

Yes, under the new playoff format that would be the case....and it would be awesome.

As I didn't grow up around much hockey (how could that be for a Minnesota girl!) ... basically, the North Stars were gone at the point I might have paid attention to it, and the Wild came after I left. So ... go Blackhawks! I hope we meet in Round 2!

twinsnorth49 · April 22, 2014

Nice win by the Wild tonight but all I really want to say is, Matt Cooke is the biggest dirtbag in hockey, God I hate that guy, what a disgrace!

Fatt Crapps · April 22, 2014

Nice win by the Wild tonight but all I really want to say is, Matt Cooke is the biggest dirtbag in hockey, God I hate that guy, what a disgrace!

But I read somewhere that he had changed and wasn't gonna play dirty anymore. Say it ain't so!

TheLeviathan · April 22, 2014

That was the most thorough dismantling I've ever seen in a 1-0 overtime game.

twinsnorth49 · April 22, 2014

That was the most thorough dismantling I've ever seen in a 1-0 overtime game.

Nah, Canada- USA in Sochi was much more thorough, although OT wasn't required, granted.

twinsnorth49 · April 24, 2014

7 games for Cooke, for a non headshot that's pretty stiff by NHL standards, considering it pales in comparison to Seabrook's shot on Backes which only netted 3 games.

Completely deserved mind you.

TheLeviathan · April 25, 2014

What dominance in back to back games! Granlund is becoming legit in front of our eyes.

twinsnorth49 · April 25, 2014

Get it out of your zone, Cut off the middle and forecheck the hell out of the defense, playoff hockey, looking good.

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