Article: Wilderness Walk: Wild's Attempted Comeback Too Late

[CammieBuckeye29]

Goal 1: 2 bad giveaways by Wild players, they were super soft on the puck along the board, not sure if it was tipped, Flower probably wants that one back but it was also a good shot.

Goal 2: 6 player screen right in the slot in front of Flower, Walker got manhandled by Gavrikov.

Goal 3: Dewar got flat out beat by PLD, the puck was bouncing funny, I think Flower thought PLD was going to get a stick on it and just anticipated it wrong, he definitely wants that one back.

Goal 4: Flower was trying to help move the puck along and help the defense but there wasn't a Wild player over on the half wall yet or the Wild player just didn't read what Flower was doing properly, then it was just a massive cluster-you-know-what and the Wild were running around and let PLD just waltz right in.

Goal 5: The Wild had possession at least twice by my count and couldn't clear it and gave it away, they lost their defensive structure and just let Kings players skate free, and Kempe just walks in untouched and snipes it. 

Overall: horrible team defense and 2 goals Flower probably wants back. 

[Protec]

Drawing Duby comparisons isn't good. 

MAF needs to get burned once in awhile on his dramatic style to bring him back to earth. 

I would consider these first games as working out some kinks and getting a baseline for what needs to be done going forward.

[Velgey]

Did Evason misplace his goalie hook? Both Goose2 and MAF have had 7 GA games but were left in to finish out the 60 minutes. I seem to remember previous coaches almost always pulling the goalie if the opposing team managed to score five goals. Is this an Evason thing or just a broader trend in the NHL?

[Protec]

I think both games Evason hasn't yanked the goalie have been sloppy and it could be a spark or message but the Wild had to know in each case what the issues were.

I.e. Evason probably didn't figure it was gonna be critical. If it was later in the season and more urgency was associated with every game, it might be a quick decision. To me it looks like some grace from the coach as guys get into the groove of hockey season. 

That's my take. If the team was really sticking, that'd be different. They lost both games to good teams on plays that were costly but not really deserving a Yeo-rant or nuthin.

[mnfaninnc]

18 hours ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Yes, and I think Walker looked OK.  I hope he gets more games to prove his worth, but he's just treading water in the N so what's Beckman going to look like?

I would say, he needs a callup to find out. Last night Beckman scored again for the Baby Wild. But, looking at the stats, he only had 2 shots. 20+ goals isn't good enough in the A to impress the Wild, they need to be on pace for 40. They also need to be volume shot producers and very good at producing HDSC opportunities. 

I'd also suggest that Baby Wild players have got to take advantage of the long layoffs better. This needs to be used for gym work. For instance, they had a 5 day layoff in between last night's game and the previous one. For those (pretty much all included in this statement) who need skating lessons, they should be out there every day getting them. For those who need some bulk, especially a guy like O'Rourke, he should have been in the gym extra time this week. Beckman is included on this list as he needs strength in all areas. For those who need skill work, drills aren't fun but they are necessary for building skill, they need to pay attention to it. 

I have not seen the prospects get ready like this over the past few years. To a certain extent, they need to be willing to do it, and it needs to be voluntary. There is an urgency for them to participate, and those who don't want to ought to be on the trading block. This type of thing doesn't guarantee the players a shot, but knowing that they are willing should be part of the scouting process. 

What needs to be weeded out are the players who have an attitude of "I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing" when they aren't strong enough or skate well enough to go up another level. I appreciate a kid's confidence that they are good, but the willingness to learn needs to be there too.