Article: Minnesota's Top Line Starting Season At Rock Bottom

[Tony Abbott]

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[Greenbean]

I'd love to see Rossi get a fair shake at the Number 1 spot. Move Hartman to right wing on the 3rd line with Freddy and Moose. That would make for a gritty 3rd line that can produce some offense, while hopefully being the spark the 1st line needs.  

Rossi was not drafted in the top 10 with the goal of him being a 3rd line center, and neither line is producing much at 5 on 5, so now might be a great time to shake that up, and see what happens. They can't get a whole lot worse. 

[raithis]

1 hour ago, Greenbean said:

I'd love to see Rossi get a fair shake at the Number 1 spot. Move Hartman to right wing on the 3rd line with Freddy and Moose. That would make for a gritty 3rd line that can produce some offense, while hopefully being the spark the 1st line needs.  

Rossi was not drafted in the top 10 with the goal of him being a 3rd line center, and neither line is producing much at 5 on 5, so now might be a great time to shake that up, and see what happens. They can't get a whole lot worse. 

Putting Rossi on the 1st line isn't going to do much until Kaprivoz and Zuccarello stop forcing passes to each other.

I went over it more in another comment, but I don't see the first line improving until Eriksson Ek is the center and Zuccarello is moved to a different line.  Ek does everything that Hartman can, just far better, and everyone on the other team knows K and Z will try to force passes to each other so they break up the play and take control of the puck.

It's hard to put pucks on the net when you put them on the opposing team's sticks.

[Protec]

3 minutes ago, raithis said:

Putting Rossi on the 1st line isn't going to do much until Kaprivoz and Zuccarello stop forcing passes to each other.

I went over it more in another comment, but I don't see the first line improving until Eriksson Ek is the center and Zuccarello is moved to a different line.  Ek does everything that Hartman can, just far better, and everyone on the other team knows K and Z will try to force passes to each other so they break up the play and take control of the puck.

It's hard to put pucks on the net when you put them on the opposing team's sticks.

Good point and one we've made about Dean and BB before that. If you're too predictable then you're easy to defend against. UNLESS, your guys are that unstoppable like McDavid, Pastrnak, Matthews, etc. 

MN isn't really at that level of superstars or ability to throw a change up.

 

[Citizen Strife]

Give EEK the rub for 5-10 games.  I've heard they've "tried that before and it didn't work," Try again, cause Hartman is up and down and that's not what you want in a "scoring center."  EEK has surprising offensive chops given how lauded his defense is.  He's actually leading the team in goals now.  Yes, most of it is power play hustle work, but it's better than anything Kaprizov and Zuccarello have been doing passing back and forth and 30-50% of the time either losing the puck, having it knocked away, or not SHOOTING IT THEMSELVES!

Kaprizov used to show a crazy willingness to weave around the net and force the other players to catch him and the puck.  I haven't seen as much of that this year, and not being selfish has something to do with that.  With EEK, you can let him hold back and play defensive if you want, or let him sneak up and crash the net while Kaprizov and Zuccarello try setting stuff up.  Heck, he's even good enough to take the puck himself and stay with it.  The puck is glued to his stick sometimes.  

EEK is their best overall player, and should be given a chance to show it.  He's proven he's a capable point getter, even compared to some of the higher end names (more points than PLD last year, while making $3 million less).

And besides, Rossi's done fine, but isn't setting the world on fire.  Move him in if EEK doesn't work, but EEK should get first dibs.

[Dean]

I think putting Rossi or dewar on top line might work. Kappy and zucc might stop screwing around and help a kid out. Rossi and dewar both have skill , play hard and want a future contract from wild or another team. So you would think kappy and zucc would wake up. . 
    Ek. Seems like logical option but it seems to me there styles don’t mesh 5\5 . Power play they are great because ek sits from net. 
kap Rossi zucc

bold dewar Jo Jo 

foligno ek Hartman 

maroon Khaira Duhaime. 
 
  I think when forwards healthy you put fred in press box.  He makes everyone slower around him and avoids contact   Not really a checker in my book and not a true point producer. Could swap zucc and Boldy . Then 2 skill lines and 2 legit checking lines . They need to figure out a new top line for this year and coming years. Bolds an kappy should be finding chemistry with Rossi. . That’s what you drafted them for !  The vets and leaders don’t show up for start of games and historically get lost for months during seasons. So it’s time for the kids and young adults like ek , dewar and Rossi. To take the reins . Will it be successful? Who knows but what they’ve been doing last few years isn’t!!!!! There is no magic fix so let the kids play. 

[Dean]

I think putting Rossi or dewar on top line might work. Kappy and zucc might stop screwing around and help a kid out. Rossi and dewar both have skill , play hard and want a future contract from wild or another team. So you would think kappy and zucc would wake up. . 
    Ek. Seems like logical option but it seems to me there styles don’t mesh 5\5 . Power play they are great because ek sits from net. 
kap Rossi zucc

bold dewar Jo Jo 

foligno ek Hartman 

maroon Khaira Duhaime. 
 
  I think when forwards healthy you put fred in press box.  He makes everyone slower around him and avoids contact   Not really a checker in my book and not a true point producer. Could swap zucc and Boldy . Then 2 skill lines and 2 legit checking lines . They need to figure out a new top line for this year and coming years. Bolds an kappy should be finding chemistry with Rossi. . That’s what you drafted them for !  The vets and leaders don’t show up for start of games and historically get lost for months during seasons. So it’s time for the kids and young adults like ek , dewar and Rossi. To take the reins . Will it be successful? Who knows but what they’ve been doing last few years isn’t!!!!! There is no magic fix so let the kids pl

[Dean]

I think if this team was serious about a winning culture then ek would have a letter on his chest. He deserves the C . He embodies what the wild should strive to be. His compete level is off the charts. I can’t think of a time he ever took a shift off. Unlike everyone else on the team. They should reward compete level!  Spurg is a nice guy who has been on every team that’s quit in season for a month and disappeared in playoffs. I’m not blaming him but he’s had his opportunities to lead and hasn’t. Moose shouldn’t be rewarded for his  stupidity in playoffs last year. . Ek captain. Kappy A and rotate A to whoever embodies compete level like  ek. 
   You can’t change players.  So coach or captaincy might wake up these guys. Plus ek just deserves to be Captain. He’s like a Stevey Y in his professional approach to games. 

[raithis]

3 hours ago, Dean said:

   Ek. Seems like logical option but it seems to me there styles don’t mesh 5\5 . Power play they are great because ek sits from net. 

I don't buy this.  It's not that Eriksson Ek doesn't work with them off the power play, it's that Kaprizov and Zuccarello often don't involve the rest of the players on the ice until it is a power play.  It's a problem.

Ek shines on the power play because he screens the goalie well a picks up rebounds.  Imagine him on a line where shots can come from anywhere and the goalie is frequently losing track of the puck because Ek is blocking his view.

You lose all this 5-on-5 if you put Ek with less offense-minded players.  Pairing him with shooters utilizes more of his skill set.

It's also why Kaprivoz and Zuccarello need to be separated.  Putting Rossi on that line does nothing if he isn't getting the puck.  That, and K/Z give up the puck too much because the other team starts to anticipate where the puck is going.

That's why I keep saying Kaprivoz / Ek / Boldy.  Having them on a line together gives us more puck control to get more shots off, something we don't do enough of.

[AKwildkraken]

I think they read this article before they played the Oilers.  

[manbearpig]

On 10/24/2023 at 11:09 AM, Greenbean said:

Rossi was not drafted in the top 10 with the goal of him being a 3rd line center, and neither line is producing much at 5 on 5, so now might be a great time to shake that up, and see what happens. They can't get a whole lot worse. 

Dude let him earn it I would say he's on track to at the moment it's only his second year in starting role remember Ekker was on the third line for 2 years give Rossi some time.

[raithis]

On 10/25/2023 at 3:07 AM, AKwildkraken said:

I think they read this article before they played the Oilers.  

If you are referring to my comment, the Oilers are hardly a measuring stick of success.  That team is in complete disarray and they still put 4 goals on us.  I'm glad that Kap and Zucc decided to play more of a team game than they had been, but they could just as easily go back to their old, predictable habits again in the next one.  I'd love to be proven wrong though.

Team offense - mild optimism that maybe we've turned a corner.  Give me some consistency and I'll start to believe and shed my skepticism.

Team defense - needs a lot of work.  It's sloppy and too many people are too frequently out of position.  Maybe they find that corner tonight.  Maybe they don't.  Spurgeon returning will help, but it isn't going cure all our woes.  Defense is played by more than defenseman.