Post Game Talk: The Falcon's Plus/Minus: Wild vs. Blues (11.05.11)

[D U M B A]

Alright boys, I'm going to try this and see if we dig it.

PLUS:

+ Harding - Dude was a beast. Sucks he couldn't get a shut-out but a win is a win. Hopefully this inspires Backstrom upon his return.

+ New Top Six Lines: These guys seem to bring the best out of each other. I'm really happy Yeo isn't complacent with his lines like Todd.

+ Dany Heatley: Like someone else said in the game day thread, this was Dany's best game as a Wild player. He was all over the ice. Nice goal too.

+ The Grinders: They didn't back down from the relentless ******** from the Blues players. I admit there was some boneheaded plays by not being as reserved but overall, I was happy they stuck up for teammates and killed penalties.

+ Scandella: Forgot this originally. Thought he played a solid game. Nice to see him getting shots on net and playing physical hockey.

MINUS:

- Nate Prosser: I know they highlighted his shot-blocking and I admit I didn't follow the entire game but when I did, he didn't seem as posed as some other games.

- Devin Setoguchi: This might be a surprise from me (look at my avatar) but there were a few times he decided to pass up a nice opportunity and he's a guy we brought in to shoot.

- Turnovers: So many idiotic showboat passes that almost lead to odd man rushes. Just need to make smarter plays out there but we're improving as a team.

**EDIT: Added Scandella and Turnovers.**

[Avder]

Pluses:

+ Harding kicks ass.
+ Top 6 is going crazy. Both of those lines look great.
+ Powe is really doing his job and is one of our best pickups this offseason
+ Were putting more and more pressure on the opposition consistently

Minuses:

- It wasnt a shooting gallery like it was against Vancouver. We only finished with 26 shots, but thats part of the next one:
- We really eased off the gas in the third, especially near the end, and that almost bit us in the ass and spoiled the game.

[BuddyMcCormick]

I thought Seto had a great game he's getting chances. He's going to get his goals. He can't shoot every time, he should pass it every now and then just to keep players honest.

I think we all know that our Top 6 is improved from last year with that I think our bottom 6 has improved just as much.

Boy it feels good to win.

[TwInS1095]

I agree with all of yours plusses.

Positives

-Physicality. Everyone was getting in there and getting physical and in the face of the Big Blues forwards. They held their own.

-Young D-I think Scandella, Spurgeon, and Falk especially have been huge. Prosser has also been really solid. He's got the speed to play in the NHL in my opinion.

Minus's

-Still can't finish. I swear that we should be a high scoring team by the amount of good chances we consistently get

-Zidlicky-Dude blows.

[tyratoku]

I was watching UFC 138 and the Sioux game a lot too, so here is what I saw:

+ Harding. Just a beast these last few games. Quickly making a case for challenging Backs for the #1 spot, IMO. Only bad thing about him is my opponent had him in one of my fantasy leagues

+ Heater. His goal, for one. Then I saw him busting his ass on the PK by clearing the puck and blocking shots, he has been so impressive this season.

- Staubitz. After the ending of the 2nd period, I expected him to come out and really work to piss the blues off. They got pissed off(as evidenced by the what...six guys in the box at once?), but Staubitz had nothing to do with it.

- Our PP. Its bad. I don't want to say Pens fans are right about Yeo and his Powerplay, but jeez. It's ridiculous. I can't really complain because the Wild is winning games, but it is still worrisome.

Overall, fun game to watch. First two periods were awesome, then the Wild kinda backed off in the third, which was disappointing.

[Northland Wild Man]

Pluses:

+ Harding, Heatley, and Lats for obvious reasons.
+ Powe, Brodz, and Johnson for stopping plays from getting into our zone.
+ Almost constant pressure on the Blues all game.

Minuses:

- The last 4 minuutes we looked like we coasted a little.
- Failure to capitalize on great scoring chances both on the PP and 5 on 5.

[NHL1674]

Originally Posted by tyratoku

- Our PP. Its bad. I don't want to say Pens fans are right about Yeo and his Powerplay, but jeez. It's ridiculous. I can't really complain because the Wild is winning games, but it is still worrisome.

Nothing kills the momentum quite like a Wild powerplay. I guess the good news is that they're still winning. Imagine what it could be like if they actually had a decent powerplay.

[Caior89]

Powe is playing absolutely great, amazing defender, good acquisition so far.

Very happy with Scandella and Johnsson game as well.

[Mumbler]

Heater is X2 what havlat was for us. What an amazing trade AND they have Sheppard. Amazing.

[BigT2002]

Originally Posted by Caior89

Powe is playing absolutely great, amazing defender, good acquisition so far.

Very happy with Scandella and Johnsson game as well.

This. The 3rd line is amazing to watch play.