God damnit NHL.com stop reminding me of Nick Leddy already!!! I want him back so bad right now but there's nothing I can do. I've tried to move on but just seeing how good he's doing this year makes me think about that trade every day. *sigh*
its not a big deal, just a guy drafted by Chicago in 2010 as a additional pick.
Sadly, there is a lot of other teams chances when our top line is playing, even when they are not pairing against others top lines...
I am happy that we got Nick Johnson for nothing. His determination and hustle is contagious. The whole bottom 6 really, but Johnson has been a gem given the circumstance.
Replace Nick Johnson's name with Eric Nystrom and this sounds exactly like Dallas right now.
I'm not too terribly concerned in the Seto-Koivu-Heatley production just yet. These things always go in cycles. I'd imagine that as soon as shut down pairs and lines start getting sent out against Cullen's line, you will see the cycle of the Koivu line picking up points...
That's just sort of how it works. Not all teams have a strong ability to shut down two lines. I know Colorado doesn't have that sort of structure, so we shall see on Thursday.
Replace Nick Johnson's name with Eric Nystrom and this sounds exactly like Dallas right now.
Too bad we didn't sign Souray.
Souray may be doing well on the ice, but I don't want that cancer anywhere near our locker room. So far our team has bought into Yeo's system pretty well (though they still have a lot of work to do) I don't see Souray being willing to convert on that front.
I'm not too terribly concerned in the Seto-Koivu-Heatley production just yet. These things always go in cycles. I'd imagine that as soon as shut down pairs and lines start getting sent out against Cullen's line, you will see the cycle of the Koivu line picking up points...
That's just sort of how it works. Not all teams have a strong ability to shut down two lines. I know Colorado doesn't have that sort of structure, so we shall see on Thursday.
And if they are able to shut down both lines, we should be able to hack away at them with our far above average 3rd and 4th lines.
You must be the most pessimistic poster I have seen on these boards. Yeah yeah, wheels will fall off and we'll finish firmly out of the playoffs and everything is in order in NHL again... or not. We haven't made the playoffs, it's 16th November, but there are some very promising signs:
- We are 2nd in the entire league in goals against (2.06). This is amazing considering our young and thin blueline that's mostly injured right now.
- We are 4th in the league in 5 on 5 goals for/against ratio (1.33). This to me speaks volumes about coaching and our system, and we're not even at the point of it being properly ingrained and instinctual for our players yet.
- We are 25th in the league with our inept powerplay (12.7%). This is not too positive stat, but I have faith in our potential to improve here, and look out when we actually have a decent and functional powerplay setup.
I don't expect us to stay at 2nd in the West, but I do believe we can make the playoffs if we continue to improve our play and play Yeo's system with the character and resilience that we've shown by winning games that were not ours to win.
No, I'm just the most extreme realist.
The real world says that winning will not continue with this type of play and stat lines. Let's face it, this team has won while playing a good period here and there and simply hanging on the rest of the way. Come on, 45 shots against to a 3-win team?! The good luck is going to run out. You cannot be this inept offensively and still contend. Defense and coaching only gets you so far. That's why the 2008-09 comparisons are so valid.
The real world says that even if you make the playoffs like this, you have virtually zero chance at winning the Cup. Every Cinderella story winds up falling short. Cup-winning teams always have great amounts of talent. The Wild doesn't.
I'm so sick of seeing this team stuck in a middle ground. It's not the talented, contending hockey that this fanbase has deserved but never received. Squeaking into the playoffs and promptly losing isn't good enough either. So until the team starts winning with their higher talent level, I'll keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, like they did in San Jose and LA.
The real world says that winning will not continue with this type of play and stat lines. Let's face it, this team has won while playing a good period here and there and simply hanging on the rest of the way. Come on, 45 shots against to a 3-win team?! The good luck is going to run out. You cannot be this inept offensively and still contend. Defense and coaching only gets you so far. That's why the 2008-09 comparisons are so valid.
The real world says that even if you make the playoffs like this, you have virtually zero chance at winning the Cup. Every Cinderella story winds up falling short. Cup-winning teams always have great amounts of talent. The Wild doesn't.
I'm so sick of seeing this team stuck in a middle ground. It's not the talented, contending hockey that this fanbase has deserved but never received. Squeaking into the playoffs and promptly losing isn't good enough either. So until the team starts winning with their higher talent level, I'll keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, like they did in San Jose and LA.
I don't think 2nd in the WC is middle ground, but that said, I understand what you're saying. No, this team almost certainly doesn't have the top-end talent or depth to win the Stanley Cup this year. But what the hell are they supposed to do about it in the mean time? The talent is coming; we'll probably see no fewer than 2 top-end prospects making the jump to the NHL for next season, with probably 5 or more legitimately contending for spots in camp (Granlund, Larsson, Brodin, Hackett, and Coyle and Zucker, depending on if they want to leave college). So it's not like Fletch hasn't addressed the talent issue. I don't know what else you want him to do. Would you rather they just start losing to fit with your preconceived notion of how successful the team is supposed to be?
Ya, the organization should trade everyone so we can watch a team lose the majority of their games and look awful every step of the way. Then when that team starts to show progress in a few years, trade everyone again because, you know, they can't be stuck in a middle ground. Fun.
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After Meaningless Win - 3/29/12 - Game 77 | SoH-"Who knows, that could have cost us a Cup tonight." | Dooohkay
There are 30 teams in the National Hockey League. Every year, one team wins. One out of thirty, that's it. The problem you have, SoH (beyond the utter inability to understand the difference between realism and pessimism) is that you don't understand that. A team can go through a season without winning a cup, and that can still be a success. If that weren't the case, we might as well fold up at least 67% of the league on account of them being guaranteed failures. Try and get a little bit of perspective.
The real world says that winning will not continue with this type of play and stat lines. Let's face it, this team has won while playing a good period here and there and simply hanging on the rest of the way. Come on, 45 shots against to a 3-win team?! The good luck is going to run out. You cannot be this inept offensively and still contend. Defense and coaching only gets you so far. That's why the 2008-09 comparisons are so valid.
The real world says that even if you make the playoffs like this, you have virtually zero chance at winning the Cup. Every Cinderella story winds up falling short. Cup-winning teams always have great amounts of talent. The Wild doesn't.
I'm so sick of seeing this team stuck in a middle ground. It's not the talented, contending hockey that this fanbase has deserved but never received. Squeaking into the playoffs and promptly losing isn't good enough either. So until the team starts winning with their higher talent level, I'll keep waiting for the wheels to fall off, like they did in San Jose and LA.
If the Wild make the playoffs and are eliminated in the first round, that would still be great.
Casuals would be drawn back into a winning team here in Minny. Timberwolves suck, Vikings suck, Twins suck...the Wild could be the number one sport in the state if they make the playoffs and show Minnesotans that they're improving and that there is a future in this franchise.
Most importantly, however, a playoffs appearance could be the tipping point for a potential big UFA this summer. If the Wild make the playoffs, they're in a unique position. Not many teams out there have prospects in the system like the Wild, have the players on their roster the Wild has(Heater, Koivu, Backs) and all the cap space the Wild has. Parise or Suter could narrow it down to a handful of franchises and our position could draw them in.
The Organization is past the stage of high draft picks, IMO. Sure, another could help, but with our current core our window is closing. Not rapidly, by any means, but a wasted year without a cup is just that: a wasted year without a cup. The Wild need to get rid of a few contracts(Zidlicky, Zanon) and reduce others(Backstrom: I don't care what others say. Backs has at least four years ahead of him still, and he will be with the Wild for all of those. Hackett can refine his game, Harding deserves a starting spot. He needs to be moved, and soon. If we keep him over Backs, he won't exit his prime until halfway through Hacketts, IMO).
So yes. Playoffs will help this organization(and state) out. Even if they're magically eliminated in 3 games, making it there is an accomplishment that will show the NHL that the Wild have a future for the first time in years. They NEED to make the playoffs.
Getting into the playoffs would be huge. That, in addition to our now respected prospect pool, would create the view that the Wild are a team on the rise. Toss in a possible coach of the year nomination for Yeo (which he'll probably get if the Wild make the playoffs), and the Wild will get some much need PR boost.
We can use this momentum, build on it by signing Granlund, then make a big free agent splash.
Pittsburgh did it though! Nevermind that they have been one of the top teams in the NHL with their two lottery pick players in and out of the lineup the last couple years.
