Article: Wilderness Walk: A One-Point Road Trip

[Thomas Williams]

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[Citizen Strife]

Special teams are ruining this team.  Same song, different day.  Dewar and Duhaime aren't always going to get shorties, so maybe it would help if the Wild stopped getting stuck with stupid penalty fests.  Their power play shows flashes, but doesn't score enough to counterract the almost obvious, "The other team gets at least 1-2" feeling each game.

God I miss Spurgeon so much.

[Protec]

On top of that a MN guy got kicked in the neck and died by a psycho on the ice and NHL says its a freak accident. 

[M_Nels]

Feels like the team is right there to be able to win and beat good teams. Philly game was obviously terrible but the Caps game and the Devils game were better. Special teams is what it boils down to, think we are sitting middle of the pack on PP but PK I think we're like 62% or something like that.

Obviously getting Spurgeon back will help tremendously on the PK but it still should be better. PP getting too cute and too slow as always. Thought this new coach was supposed to be a specialist on the PP but it always reverts back to this same overpassing, slow, stagnant display.

KK97 is starting to become a concern for me, he does not look the same as pre-injury. His skating has taken a dropoff and he just doesn't look like the gamebreaker he once was. I'll give him benefit of the doubt for now as he always to be a slow starter and he has more pressure on him since he has the A but if this trend keeps up it doesn't bode well for a season that is already setting up to be a little rocky.

[Citizen Strife]

Kaprizov doesn't do the "chase me around the net if you dare" plays this season, and he's too set to pass with Zuccarello, and it isn't working.

[Pewterschmidt]

Foligno looked bad yesterday.  Good energy getting around the ice, but fail to execute multiple times on simple hockey plays.  Only five more years

[MrCheatachu]

Years ago when they bought out Suter/Parise, I feared we'd be in for a dumpster fire during these three seasons of the highest dead cap.  Last season we put a competitive team on the ice which was surprising.

While the season is still young, and we've been bit by the injury bug, this is the sort of hockey I've been expecting through these three dead cap years.  A competitive hockey team that was going to lose a lot of games.  Chance to see some young guys getting opportunities, yet also realizing that some of the 'potential' of our farm wasnt going to come into fruition.

Before the season if you would have told me 10 games into the season that Dakota Mermis was going to have the same number of goals as Kaprizov, Zuccarello and one more than Boldy I would have laughed at you.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

15 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

Years ago when they bought out Suter/Parise, I feared we'd be in for a dumpster fire during these three seasons of the highest dead cap.  Last season we put a competitive team on the ice which was surprising.

While the season is still young, and we've been bit by the injury bug, this is the sort of hockey I've been expecting through these three dead cap years.  A competitive hockey team that was going to lose a lot of games.  Chance to see some young guys getting opportunities, yet also realizing that some of the 'potential' of our farm wasnt going to come into fruition.

Before the season if you would have told me 10 games into the season that Dakota Mermis was going to have the same number of goals as Kaprizov, Zuccarello and one more than Boldy I would have laughed at you.

I like that we are seeing the young guys come up and get a chance to appraise where they are really at. I hope they send Merrill down to Iowa to save us almost 2M in cap once Spurg comes back. He has been the biggest anchor on our defense so far. If Billy/Deano want to live up to their "earn your spot" line they will keep Mermis up here. 

I would like to see Beckman instead of Khaira come up. Beckman has potential to keep getting better, Khaira is what he is, not much. 

If our play continues to slip it is a really bad sign for the next few years of this team. We had three years to rebuild on the fly and instead have locked in our core of placeholders and "glue" guys. If they can't turn it around this year, I don't see the next three going any better based on the NMC's. Hopefully they can find their game and pull it together, Kap included.

[WheelSnipeCelly]

Hoping the returns of Boldy + Spurg get the Wild back on track!

Still baffled on the timing of the extensions of Zuccy and Moose — why not way to see how the season plays out or give them the "gentleman's/handshake deal?" I get that GM's try to lock up rosters before they potentially take off, but it feels like they could have gotten shorter term / less dollars...

[mnfaninnc]

Any 3/4 game is going to be tough. Some of the older players I felt were low on fuel. Here were my observations of the individuals:

1. Maroon again had a fine game.
2. Addison had a strong game and as far as effort goes, this may have been his best game. I've been real critical of Addy, but this one deserves applause.
3. Letteiri had a terrible game, I believe he'll be sent down as soon as the tires touched down on the MSP runway.
4. Kaprizov needs a goal bad, he is pressing too much.
5. Zuccarello, are you kidding me? Do you not learn from your linemate?
6. PP and PK sucked, perhaps it's the players.

Notes on the PP and PK. Why is it that other teams can consistently break our box down, yet our PP can not break the opponent's box down? It seems to me this is a fundamental part of the PK, break down the box, find the 2-1 and work from that. While other teams are weaving the puck in our zone and causing our box to break down, we respond by passing around the perimeter, nobody weaving in and out, and a box that looks closer to slightly moving pylons is established and thwarting our unit. 

Why can't we get a PP that does not focus on passing around the perimeter and allowing a the box to stay constant? I would think any PP guru could pick up on this and adapt.

On the PK, my goodness is this unit sad. We've switched coaches. We've switched strategies. At some point, maybe it's just the players? Also, I didn't think Fleury had a particularly strong game. When he's on, all 4 of those are stopped.

I would also have to say that while it was a late night last night, mandatory practice should be today! Coaches need to coach and splitting up the units would likely be a good idea. Some basics to go over might include not going up the middle in your own end, and, not getting trapped high on the side wall and throwing a weak, soft pass to the point when a defender already has 2 steps of momentum going and your defender is flat footed!

One last thing, we have a lot of people out of the lineup, but I've seen rosters have worse. This is where the cap penalties come in and bite you in the butt. We can ice a good healthy team, but things have to go pretty clean to be successful. In my book, Letteiri deserved a demotion, next guy up should be Beckman, and what happened to Khiara? 

Also, Daemon Hunt never really got a chance to contribute. It would have been nice to see, but unless you are playing one defender on wing a few shifts, that 7th D guy never really gets a fair shake.

If I were Evason, anyone who is on special teams has to have mandatory practice until this thing is figured out. Again, Again, Again!

[Pewterschmidt]

2 hours ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

Beckman has potential to keep getting better,

Budding superstar is getting beat out by walker, letteri (he’s come back down to earth hasn’t he), and semi-pro pylon kayria.  Please bring up Beckman so we can all stop talking about how he just needs to be put in a position to be successful

[Pewterschmidt]

54 minutes ago, WheelSnipeCelly said:

but it feels like they could have gotten shorter term / less dollars...

There’s still alot of season left but if zucc, Foligno, and Fred progress at current trajectory we need to have a clear eyed conversation about Guerin.

[Pewterschmidt]

9 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Why can't we get a PP that does not focus on passing around the perimeter and allowing a the box to stay constant?

That NJD power play is Other Worldly.  Hughes and Bratt played youth hockey at Hogwarts Prep

[MNCountryLife]

6 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Special teams are ruining this team. 

I couldn't agree more.  There is a fundamental problem with our penalty kill.  I'm tired of it.  My PeeWee B coach called it "Controlled Pressure"...

If they control the puck up high or along the boards.. leave them alone.  Let them waste time there.  Odds of scoring are low.  You pressure them when they try to push the puck into scoring lanes.   To do that they must shrink the ice by skating it in or passing it in.  Pushing a player to pressure along the boards allows teams to pass around the first defender and reduces the defenders in the box to 3 for that split second or 2.  This is going on for how many years?... Why?  

The Devils used Controlled Pressure.  Once we were established in the zone they let us have the perimeter.  We wasted time passing it around the outside. Others on the board actually complained about it....and it is true. Yes, we had chances... but they always had 4 guys easily collapsed to clear.  They were never outnumbered in the box.  

I'm starting to really question the intelligence of our coaching staff.

[Up North Guy]

6 hours ago, Protec said:

On top of that a MN guy got kicked in the neck and died by a psycho on the ice and NHL says its a freak accident. 

Ummmm....where did you hear that?

[MrCheatachu]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Please bring up Beckman so we can all stop talking about how he just needs to be put in a position to be successful

NooooOooOOoooo....I bet Beckman could be a point per game player if he was on a line with Kaprizov and McDavid and the other team had to play without a goalie for the entire third period.  Totally unfair that he's not getting his shot.

[Protec]

46 minutes ago, Up North Guy said:

Ummmm....where did you hear that?

NHL.com

Adam Johnson from Grand Rapids. The video shows the guy kick him in the neck in what looks like a reckless spaz move not a freak accident. The guy should go to jail if you asked me. Killed the guy.

[Up North Guy]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

NHL.com

Adam Johnson from Grand Rapids. The video shows the guy kick him in the neck in what looks like a reckless spaz move not a freak accident. The guy should go to jail if you asked me. Killed the guy.

Damn I did not know that. I wish the pro leagues and NCAA would go to requiring neck guards. My great nephew was slashed by a skate in the neck and darn near bled out. Luckily he got the right medical care and lived. He has become the poster boy for neck guards now. 

[mnfaninnc]

I forgot to mention the problem at the end of the game, and this was a huge problem. Keep passing it around the perimeter and let time waste instead of manning up and just start cranking the shots in there. You have a better chance of a greasy goal than a pretty goal. You outnumber the opponent by 2 guys. GO TO WORK! 

Middleton's goal was very greasy and just a push shot that found a hole. That was how #4 was going in too. But, instead, same old perimeter play, same old hold the puck, same old not shoot.

And when exactly do these guys practice their 1-timers? I see an awful lot of shanks. I can tell you this, time off an no practice is earned. It's earned when all attention to detail is learned. It's earned when teams play 60-65 minute games, not taking periods off. WE NEED MORE PRACTICE, and it needs to be mandatory.

Here's the deal, Evason and staff need to sit down with the captains and let them know that until X,Y, & Z are taken care of, the team plays balls out the whole game, and these silly stick penalties are honed in, then we can talk about no pregame skates and no practices. Other than that, mandatory practice for the whole team, and if that doesn't work, go overtime in the practices. Some guys need to get this message.

If the players don't like this method, a method that puts the puck in their end of the rink, then play better. If that doesn't happen, my guess is that those NMCs will be waived as some will want out.

One word on Protec's take on Boldy's golf experience. I disagree with it and am a big believer in cross training. I think there are enough similar movements in golf to hockey where the training is beneficial. It should be showing up in his ability to 1-time pucks and get very good composite on them. I've been disappointed in his 1st couple of games to see him shank or flutter his opportunities. I also don't know if he golfs lefty or righty either. Hip and shoulder turns translate. If he carries his own bag to practice, it translates. I believe eye precision translates too. 

Training for the event took a lot of time. My hope is that it did not mess with his lifting. He still needed to add strength. I caddied for many years. Carrying the bag 4-5 hours a day added a lot of lower body strength that I still have 45 years later.

[mnfaninnc]

PK suggestion. There's not that much to do when you're defending a man down. Basically, it's box or diamond. The PK should be proficient in both strategies, and then minor adjustments come off those to concepts. Something like shading to Ovechkin might be a small adjustment.

Thought on the PP is that we do not have any RHS power shots. This means that most teams know that our PP is going to focus on the right hand side of the zone and other teams can shade that way. My suggestion would be doing the opposite and trying to keep the puck on the left side of the rink, put your sniper on the right and just flip the ice like they do for Ovechkin. Oshi is a very good bumper and I guess Ek is our guy for that? Try setting up for that shot and showcase it while also quickly being able to get to, who I would assume would be, Kaprizov for the 1-timer. 

Doing this probably requires all hands on deck, so we'd need Boldy in the mix too.

[Up North Guy]

18 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I forgot to mention the problem at the end of the game, and this was a huge problem. Keep passing it around the perimeter and let time waste instead of manning up and just start cranking the shots in there. You have a better chance of a greasy goal than a pretty goal. You outnumber the opponent by 2 guys. GO TO WORK! 

Middleton's goal was very greasy and just a push shot that found a hole. That was how #4 was going in too. But, instead, same old perimeter play, same old hold the puck, same old not shoot.

And when exactly do these guys practice their 1-timers? I see an awful lot of shanks. I can tell you this, time off an no practice is earned. It's earned when all attention to detail is learned. It's earned when teams play 60-65 minute games, not taking periods off. WE NEED MORE PRACTICE, and it needs to be mandatory.

Here's the deal, Evason and staff need to sit down with the captains and let them know that until X,Y, & Z are taken care of, the team plays balls out the whole game, and these silly stick penalties are honed in, then we can talk about no pregame skates and no practices. Other than that, mandatory practice for the whole team, and if that doesn't work, go overtime in the practices. Some guys need to get this message.

If the players don't like this method, a method that puts the puck in their end of the rink, then play better. If that doesn't happen, my guess is that those NMCs will be waived as some will want out.

One word on Protec's take on Boldy's golf experience. I disagree with it and am a big believer in cross training. I think there are enough similar movements in golf to hockey where the training is beneficial. It should be showing up in his ability to 1-time pucks and get very good composite on them. I've been disappointed in his 1st couple of games to see him shank or flutter his opportunities. I also don't know if he golfs lefty or righty either. Hip and shoulder turns translate. If he carries his own bag to practice, it translates. I believe eye precision translates too. 

Training for the event took a lot of time. My hope is that it did not mess with his lifting. He still needed to add strength. I caddied for many years. Carrying the bag 4-5 hours a day added a lot of lower body strength that I still have 45 years later.

I feel the need to go back to whether DE is the right guy at this point for this team. I have never believed that he is a very innovative coach. I remember an interview he did last year (I think) where he stated that there are only a couple things a team can do on the PP. I remember being coached on multiple tactics. Is that the message the team needs? Practice is too darned important to not be done. The schedule is barely started and they are taking every day off? Training camp is almost nothing anymore so on-going practice to reinforce habits is a must. If these high level physical specimens can't handle it then they have a much bigger problem. It does not have to be a grueling practice. There are ways to do it intelligently. But again, is Deano the guy? Is practice getting in the way of HIS golf game?