Article: Can the Wild Find A Weakness In the Knights' Armor?

[Luke Sims]

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[RedLake]

Yeah Stone is hurt.

[SkolWild73]

9 minutes ago, RedLake said:

Yeah Stone is hurt.

Is he for sure?  I read that they rested him the last two games.  Couldn’t find anything that he was actually injured.  If he is, that is a plus.

[Will D. Ness]

If KK97 somehow is 100% for the series, then I think you can throw the numbers in the garbage can.  We are a different team with KK rolling.  

Is it enough?  Doubtful... others will have to pick it up big time as well.  4th line really needs to find something and not be a liability out there.  Rossi too.  He needs to snap out of it.  

We do have kind of a wild card in Zeev.  I wouldn't write us out just yet.

[Citizen Strife]

I'm very curious how Buium plays.  I will say this year's Gus, and a healthy Kap and Ek are a good bet.  The issue is the depth players are defense first and that lack of offense is probably gonna bite the Wild eventually.

[hydguy75]

18 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

that lack of offense is probably gonna bite the Wild eventually.

This phrase perfectly sums up the Wild's fate.  At least right now, right here, with this roster.

[1Brotherbill]

I honestly think this is a better option than Winnipeg.  Also, I think that this will be the hardest series of all potential series.  Vegas can be had.  Minnesota went into Vegas with a JV team earlier in the season and beat them.  It is possible to do it.  Looking forward you have a survivor of the LA Edmonton series.  They have met for like the past twenty years in the playoffs and hate each other.  After that you might end up with a Dallas or Colorado team in the conference finals.  Both can be had because as good as Otty is he is still Otty, and Colorado has a tendency to over look their opponents.  Then the Cup finals will be against a weaker eastern conference team.  

I know this is selling hope but it is possible.  Weaker teams have gone on a run a lot as of late.  

The deciding factor in this series is going to be Minnesota's defense.  As much as we hate Jon Merrill he is sold at D sometimes, he also has a tendency to watch the puck go into the net.  Bogo is also solid on D.  One of those will have to sit for Buium to play.  So if the offensive upside is greater than the defensive downside the Wild win the series.  If it goes the other way Fluery plays game four at the X for one last time. 

[RedLake]

7 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

If KK97 somehow is 100% for the series, then I think you can throw the numbers in the garbage can.  We are a different team with KK rolling.  

Is it enough?  Doubtful... others will have to pick it up big time as well.  4th line really needs to find something and not be a liability out there.  Rossi too.  He needs to snap out of it.  

We do have kind of a wild card in Zeev.  I wouldn't write us out just yet.

Vegas has 4 lines they can roll time after time. We have better goal tending in Gus vs Hill. If you ask me we have better D-men. A couple Vegas D-men are overrated. The Wilds bottom six dictate the series.

 

[RedLake]

4 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

I honestly think this is a better option than Winnipeg.  Also, I think that this will be the hardest series of all potential series.  Vegas can be had.  Minnesota went into Vegas with a JV team earlier in the season and beat them.  It is possible to do it.  Looking forward you have a survivor of the LA Edmonton series.  They have met for like the past twenty years in the playoffs and hate each other.  After that you might end up with a Dallas or Colorado team in the conference finals.  Both can be had because as good as Otty is he is still Otty, and Colorado has a tendency to over look their opponents.  Then the Cup finals will be against a weaker eastern conference team.  

I know this is selling hope but it is possible.  Weaker teams have gone on a run a lot as of late.  

The deciding factor in this series is going to be Minnesota's defense.  As much as we hate Jon Merrill he is sold at D sometimes, he also has a tendency to watch the puck go into the net.  Bogo is also solid on D.  One of those will have to sit for Buium to play.  So if the offensive upside is greater than the defensive downside the Wild win the series.  If it goes the other way Fluery plays game four at the X for one last time. 

Your nuts. It's the Jets year if they up the playoff intensity. If the Wild can take it to 6 or 7 games against the Bettman Knights it's a start to keep Kaprizov here and sign some free agents, and make some big trades.

[IllicitFive]

4 hours ago, RedLake said:

Your nuts. It's the Jets year if they up the playoff intensity. If the Wild can take it to 6 or 7 games against the Bettman Knights it's a start to keep Kaprizov here and sign some free agents, and make some big trades.

It was Boston's year in 22-23 when they set an NHL record points in a season, the lost to the Panthers who squeaked in at the end. Hockey is weird anything can happen. The last team to win both the presidents trophy and Stanley Cup were the Blackhawks in 2012-2013. 

Edited Friday at 10:30 AM by IllicitFive

[Fezig]

I'd be curious to see how the Wilds averages (as listed above) look with a healthy Ek and Kaprisov in the lineup. 25% of our season the team skated without two of their best players.

[hydguy75]

7 hours ago, RedLake said:

Bettman Knights

🤣

[Imyourhuckleberry]

1 hour ago, Fezig said:

I'd be curious to see how the Wilds averages (as listed above) look with a healthy Ek and Kaprisov in the lineup. 25% of our season the team skated without two of their best players.

Eriksson Ek played through December 3rd before initial injury. Kaprizov played through December 23rd, but missed 1/2 of the season, just 41 games played. JEE played 46 games on the year.

Through December 10th, the Wild had played 28 games, just over 1/3 of the season, and were 1st in NHL standings for points%.  At that time, the Wild were 12th in goals/game average at 3.21 and Vegas was at 3.50 goals/game, which was 6th in the NHL.

On December 10th, the Wild were 1st in the NHL in goals allowed per game, at just 2.39 while Vegas was 9th at 2.89. Adin Hill had a relatively poor start through 10 games.  His save percentage has been up at .914 in his last 40 games.

This could be a really good series if the Wild can lock things down defensively like they were early in the year and get some of their shots that hit the post to bounce in rather than bouncing out.

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, Fezig said:

I'd be curious to see how the Wilds averages (as listed above) look with a healthy Ek and Kaprisov in the lineup. 25% of our season the team skated without two of their best players.

I didn't have time to look at the numbers above, but here are a couple.

With Ek and Kap healthy we went 21-6-2 which would be 108 points for 82 games (tied for 4th)

We scored 95 goals for a 3.28 average (269 for 82 games, tied for 8th) and gave up 77 for a 2.66 average (218 for 82 games, 3rd) with both.

Without both, we scored 147 in 53 games for a 2.77 average (227 for 82 games) and gave up 162 for a 3.05 average (250 for 82 games).

Vegas for the year scored 275 goals for a 3.35 average, 6th and gave up 219 for a 2.67 average, 4th.

 

[M_Nels]

13 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

This could be a really good series if the Wild can lock things down defensively like they were early in the year and get some of their shots that hit the post to bounce in rather than bouncing out.

They're not going to be able to win by scoring their way out of trouble like the SJS game. Gotta stay around that 2-3 goal range every game to make it a series. If Gus can stay solid and the Wild stay out of the box this series should be competitive.

Also need Mojo to keep up his hot streak and desperately need the lumberwagon and redwood to contribute some scoring along with their solid forecheck they've shown the last few games.

[1Brotherbill]

19 hours ago, RedLake said:

Your nuts. It's the Jets year if they up the playoff intensity. If the Wild can take it to 6 or 7 games against the Bettman Knights it's a start to keep Kaprizov here and sign some free agents, and make some big trades.

My nuts?  Winnipeg has flaws and it is the goalie.  Regular season they are great but when it comes to the playoffs they have a problem.  There is a reason that people in the media are picking St. Louis more often than they should be.  People say that this is Winnipeg's year and the past was the past.  Then the next thing out of their mouth is Minnesota can't get past the first round.  Winnipeg has been stacked for almost a decade and how many cup finals have they had?  One conference finals appearance only.

As far as the series defining weather Minnesota keeps Kirill and everything else you think will happen with a good showing.  It has no factor on if Kirill stays or not.  That is already decided by the player.  If he wants to stay he will if he wants to go he will go.  Giving a good effort against Vegas will not decided that.  Just as it won't make up Mitch Marner's mind on if he wants to come to Minnesota or Ehler's coming to Minnesota.  Just as it won't push Brock Boeser away from Minnesota.  

Vegas will be Minnesota's hardest test in the playoffs.  

[bisopher]

Imagine a Wild / Jets WCF.  That would be a heck of an experience...

The Wild get past the Knights, Edmonton beats the Kings (again), and Brodin and Faber do their thing to neutralize McDavid and Draisaitl. 

The Jets take care of the Blues and get revenge on the Avs, and away we go...

[Likelihood of all of the above happening is 0.000....1%, but we can dream, right?]

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, bisopher said:

Imagine a Wild / Jets WCF.  That would be a heck of an experience...

The Wild get past the Knights, Edmonton beats the Kings (again), and Brodin and Faber do their thing to neutralize McDavid and Draisaitl. 

The Jets take care of the Blues and get revenge on the Avs, and away we go...

[Likelihood of all of the above happening is 0.000....1%, but we can dream, right?]

Those series results are what I am looking for, except maybe Colorado beating Winnipeg.