Article: Wild Not Strong Enough To Hold Off Devils, Lose In Shootout

[Thomas Williams]

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[mnfaninnc]

I was blocked from the game last night. Statistically, it looked even so that an SO type game would have been the result. How was the eye test?

As I am typing, Metallurg is down 1-0.

[Citizen Strife]

They stole a point.  That's what counts.

[MacGyver]

Everyone wearing a Wild sweater looked entirely gassed after the first period. They came out and tried to win in the first but looked gassed after that imo. Hinistroza probably had the best game with the possible exception of Boldy but he looked gassed most of the time as well. 

[RedLake]

Bettman is banning button hooks effective immediately.

[IllicitFive]

56 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

Everyone wearing a Wild sweater looked entirely gassed after the first period. They came out and tried to win in the first but looked gassed after that imo. Hinistroza probably had the best game with the possible exception of Boldy but he looked gassed most of the time as well. 

I agree, just looked a step slow and out of sync, I wonder if this is a result of having so many injuries throughout the year and people playing more minutes than what is optimal? Perhaps a number of other injuries we are not privy to? If they slide into the playoffs with this energy it will be a very quick exit.

[RedLake]

MINNESOTA wild just announced they're changing the name of the franchise to the Minnesota ButtonHooks.

[Up North Guy]

1 hour ago, IllicitFive said:

I agree, just looked a step slow and out of sync, I wonder if this is a result of having so many injuries throughout the year and people playing more minutes than what is optimal? Perhaps a number of other injuries we are not privy to? If they slide into the playoffs with this energy it will be a very quick exit.

One we know about is Rossi after getting hit in the knee (side) is obviously laboring. he doesn't have his normal burst or speed.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

4 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I was blocked from the game last night. Statistically, it looked even so that an SO type game would have been the result. How was the eye test?

After the first few minutes, it seemed like the Devils had some of the better play. They had 2 possible goals waived off by the time it got to the shootout.

Zuccarello didn't make a move in the shootout despite the goalie being way out beyond the crease, instead trying to 5-hole him and getting shut down easily. Boldy's shot at least beat the goalie, hitting the cross bar clean, but bouncing down and out instead of down and in.

Devils had some really nice shootout attempts. Gus got beat pretty easily on them, but they were really impressive attempts compared to what we often see in shootouts(and compared to Zuccarello's offer in this one). Both Devils faked one way before drawing the puck far to the other side and putting it top corner from in close to the crease. First guy beat Gus blocker side, second guy went glove side.

Devils played like a playoff team in their games against the Wild and seem to have secured at least a wild card in the East. Hopefully the Wild have better games ahead with guys getting healthier.

Edited yesterday at 06:36 PM by Imyourhuckleberry

[RedLake]

Need some help from the Yotes and Redwings tonight. I don't see the Buttonhooks getting more than 2 points down the stretch

 

[bisopher]

I've been doing a deep dive on the Wild's results this year, and I think I have a silver lining to give the optimists some hope.

I divided all 24-25 results to date based on whether the final score differential was 2 goals or fewer, or 3+ goals.  Doing this, there is a definite pattern:

The Wild in Close Games (W/L by one or two goals):

29-10-6, good for 64 points (71.1% points, a 116.6 pt. pace over a season), +22 goal differential.  The Optimist says playoff games are usually close, and the Wild have shown they can win close games...

 

Now for the downside:

The Wild in Blowouts (W/L by 3+ goals):

12-18, 24 pts. (40% points), -32 goal differential.

The crazy thing is, the Wild are  .500 in games decided by three goals (7-7) and four goals (5-5), but they're 0-6 more lopsided games, having lost four games by 5 goals and two by 6 goals but never beating anyone by more than four.

And now for the sobering part: Who blew out the Wild, you ask?

EDM, 7-1 on 12/12

FLA, 6-1 on 12/18

WPG, 5-0 on 12/21 [that was a tough 9 days...]

COL, 6-1 on 01/09

OTT, 6-0 on 02/01 [the Hartman special]

and UTH 6-1 on 02/27

So, the Wild cam win close games, which should be common in the playoffs, but if a game gets "out of hand" (which happened most often with playoff teams) the Wild are almost guaranteed to be on the short end...

 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

5 hours ago, RedLake said:

Need some help from the Yotes and Redwings tonight. I don't see the Buttonhooks getting more than 2 points down the stretch

Loss for Red Wings. Jimmy Snuggerud got his first action for the Blues in the win. He didn't tally a point and his line gave up a goal, but the Blues remain hot.

Danila Yurov still has not registered a point in 3 playoff games, but his team did win game 4 to stay alive in their best of 7 series.

Liam Öhgren scored a pair of power-play goals for the Iowa Wild in their last game of March.

Calgary trailed Utah 2-1 entering the 3rd tonight, and stayed at 1 goal heading into the final minute of the game...with the goalie pulled, a goal was finally tallied and Calgary wound up failing to gain points in a 3-1 loss.