Article: 3 Key Takeaways From Wild's Decisive Game 2 Win Over Vegas

[mnfaninnc]

1 hour ago, Citizen Strife said:

I don't know if Buium's skillset is going to be useful in a low penalty, low event series. 

Buium's skillset, no matter how you look at it > Merrill's

[Will D. Ness]

9 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Buium's skillset, no matter how you look at it > Merrill's

True but Zeev is so green it's scary.  We need to see some offensive upside from Zeev and it isn't happening.

[mnfaninnc]

For starters, WOW, an actual article from Thomas....it's been awhile!

I have to agree with his points, too. 

Does anyone know when the black aces arrive? I'm assuming they should be there since I just got a playoff email from the Checkers. 

Someone said Yurov's contract was terminated? Has this been verified?

Now we skip ahead to Friday. Starting on time, again, needs to be stressed. We need to get the early lead like we did in game 2. The announcers were stressing that Vegas was 2nd in the league with comeback wins. I don't think the Wild were too shabby in that stat either, especially when their roster was healthy. 

I really liked Goose's performance, while he gave up 2, his early saves were the most important and kept us in the game. He absolutely has to be hot for us to win this series. 

Up top, retribution is mentioned against Hague. That is useless. Pietrangelo would be the defensive target followed by Theodore. Leave Eichel alone as long as he is pointless, and leave Stone alone. Those are 2 bears that do not need to be awakened.

However their other 2 centers should have a miserable life in St. Paul. Karlsson and I don't remember the other guy. Weaken that strength of their's. With the no-calls on Kaprizov, I would imagine that he has been awakened. This might not be a good thing for Vegas, and he might be up for double shifts.

[RedLake]

Yeah Yurov's contract was terminated. It's all over different media outfits.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

40 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

maybe it's pure luck and lack of time on the ice (thankfully for us!!)?

• Braz is garbage.
• Rossi (injured or whatever the reason is) is also very much a liability right now and playing scared
• Trenin is Trenin. 

It is a dangerous approach to use stats like these in such a short playoff format. they can hide the worrisome signs until it's too late. And the signs are there. 

The only thing i'll agree on is that Braz won't be benched - he is a Guerin guy.

Brazeau had one of the lower goals against rates for Boston forwards, and for the Wild after the trade. I understand that he doesn't do a lot of exciting things for the offense, but I'm not sure one can chalk it purely up to luck when it's consistent that his lines are difficult to score against. He gets his body and stick in the way a lot.

Trenin has been consistently solid defensively without the puck, although he occasionally has bonehead turnovers that lead to scoring chances for the opposition. Rossi has generally been considered a responsible defender even though undersized. His body might now be 100% to allow productive offensive numbers, but if he can help line 4 not give up goals, that could be enough to win.

Neither game decided by 1 goal, but I think both games have been fairly close and Vegas has more overall talent. Obviously, we'd like to see Rossi scoring, but given the results so far in this series, Hynes seems to have a sense for what he's doing.

[OldDutchChip]

16 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Brazeau had one of the lower goals against rates for Boston forwards, and for the Wild after the trade. I understand that he doesn't do a lot of exciting things for the offense, but I'm not sure one can chalk it purely up to luck when it's consistent that his lines are difficult to score against. He gets his body and stick in the way a lot.

Trenin has been consistently solid defensively without the puck, although he occasionally has bonehead turnovers that lead to scoring chances for the opposition. Rossi has generally been considered a responsible defender even though undersized. His body might now be 100% to allow productive offensive numbers, but if he can help line 4 not give up goals, that could be enough to win.

Neither game decided by 1 goal, but I think both games have been fairly close and Vegas has more overall talent. Obviously, we'd like to see Rossi scoring, but given the results so far in this series, Hynes seems to have a sense for what he's doing.

what is your evaluation based on these stats that you throw out? are you saying Braz is a good fit? Same for Trenin? are you saying that Rossi has actually been good this playoff? 

• Harty's +/- from G2 (-1)
• Braz +/- from G2 (even)
• Rossi +/- from G2 (even)

You going to argue that Braz/Rossi are contributing more than Harty right now? Stats are useless without context and again - with such a small playoff format - to justify one's worth by referring to a stat line is foolish and will get you in trouble. 

Braz is trash - no stat will make me re-consider.

 

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Spurgeon has been on the ice for 4 goals for and zero goals against in this playoff series.

But he’s a liability in the playoffs. Heard it from a friend…

[M_Nels]

26 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

Braz is trash - no stat will make me re-consider.

GWG in game 7?? 😉

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

Rossi (injured or whatever the reason is) is also very much a liability right now and playing scared

I agree that he looks like he is playing scared and trying not to make a mistake.  Kind of sad to see what has happened to him in the last month or so.  We probably wouldn't have made the playoffs without him, but something has changed in his game, either physically or mentally.

Like Huck said, at least he has not had a goal scored on him yet.  I am not sure what the answer is.  I have a feeling that Hynes probably will not change anything before game 3.  Hoping he can come out and get one in the net and maybe that helps his confidence.  I feel like we need him if we want to advance past not just this round, but to make a run.

[OldDutchChip]

4 minutes ago, SkolWild73 said:

I agree that he looks like he is playing scared and trying not to make a mistake.  Kind of sad to see what has happened to him in the last month or so.  We probably wouldn't have made the playoffs without him, but something has changed in his game, either physically or mentally.

Like Huck said, at least he has not had a goal scored on him yet.  I am not sure what the answer is.  I have a feeling that Hynes probably will not change anything before game 3.  Hoping he can come out and get one in the net and maybe that helps his confidence.  I feel like we need him if we want to advance past not just this round, but to make a run.

right, but it's an interesting time - your team won but there has to be a constant analysis of performance and strategy and execution.....these are the signs of a smart coach, playing chess over checkers - that type of a thing....

(a) coach identifies an issue and (b) fixes that issue or address it before it becomes an issue that bites you in the ass. and to keep playing rossi (at this current level of play) and both trenin and braz on the same line IS going to bite us hard soon.

it will be a miracle if they escape without giving up a goal on the score sheet. although it's cumulative impact is there beyond stat line in a way of - a momentum swing and constant stress on your D and G. in a PO - you cannot have a line out there that consists of Trenin, Braz and Rossi and expect G2 to repeat itself for 3 more games. hynes need to identify weakness and fix it before Vegas wakes up....

[Imyourhuckleberry]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

what is your evaluation based on these stats that you throw out? are you saying Braz is a good fit? Same for Trenin? are you saying that Rossi has actually been good this playoff? 

• Harty's +/- from G2 (-1)
• Braz +/- from G2 (even)
• Rossi +/- from G2 (even)

You going to argue that Braz/Rossi are contributing more than Harty right now?

I'm saying that Brazeau and Trenin are here to play defensive hockey and be tough to play against. I believe they are filling that role and they are not bothered by the size of Vegas. Hartman is playing well and his role is to do more. Not all goals against are equal, but zero goals against is a strong baseline for a winning result.

I would say that Buium has been the worst performer on the Wild, but I fully believe in his potential to do better.

Replacing Brazeau and Trenin with minimum contract-type of players that the Wild have available may lead to worse results even if those players have more offensive upside than Brazeau. Vegas is hard to score against and has 4 lines that can score. Simply not being scored against can win games when your top line is tilting the game in your favor.

As long as Hynes has his team playing well, I'm not sure he's going to throw in new guys. The Wild were outshot, but they won 5-2. I'm going to call that playing well.

 

[OldDutchChip]

23 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I'm saying that Brazeau and Trenin are here to play defensive hockey and be tough to play against. I believe they are filling that role and they are not bothered by the size of Vegas. Hartman is playing well and his role is to do more. Not all goals against are equal, but zero goals against is a strong baseline for a winning result.

I would say that Buium has been the worst performer on the Wild, but I fully believe in his potential to do better.

Replacing Brazeau and Trenin with minimum contract-type of players that the Wild have available may lead to worse results even if those players have more offensive upside than Brazeau. Vegas is hard to score against and has 4 lines that can score. Simply not being scored against can win games when your top line is tilting the game in your favor.

As long as Hynes has his team playing well, I'm not sure he's going to throw in new guys. The Wild were outshot, but they won 5-2. I'm going to call that playing well.

 

I'm saying that Brazeau and Trenin are here to play defensive hockey and be tough to play against. I believe they are filling that role and they are not bothered by the size of Vegas. i think vegas will welcome that defensive duo and thank us every time. there is zero offense with them, there is only size that they hope will get in the way. it will be exploited soon.

Hartman is playing well and his role is to do more. why? harty was a fourth line player until just recently, getting the same money as trenin, but he clawed his way back (deservingly too) so why is it ok for Harty to step up and for Trenin to play like he always played? you realize Harty is there against best of the best while Trenin and Braz minutes are being sheltered and minimized to avoid a slip up? Braz played the lowest amount of time and most of those was out of position 100% of the time. 

Not all goals against are equal, but zero goals against is a strong baseline for a winning result. it is not a strong baseline if you are using it with such a biased and small sample sized. are you actually going to say that Braz is doing fine using the good old eye test? 

Replacing Brazeau and Trenin with minimum contract-type of players that the Wild have available may lead to worse results even if those players have more offensive upside than Brazeau. icing a lineup that cannot skate or create offensive chances and is just praying that it doesn't get obliterated out there is also not a smart strategy. and that's what we have with Braz, Trenin and Rossi.

The Wild were outshot, but they won 5-2. I'm going to call that playing well. i am going to call it being satisfied with one game and not being tactical with long term approach for the series. it was visible that vegas was on us until the end, and they will keep coming. and the players that are just hanging on will be exposed over the course of the series. It's going to happen to Trenin, Braz, Nyquist and Rossi. Using the stats may delay that understanding a bit and cause over reactions like -  "look he was even out there on the day, better than Harty - who was -1!" but that alone is an incomplete picture. But i do get a sense that you believe that both on the stat sheet and ice - both Trenin and Braz are fine, so let's leave it as that. I fully disagree. They are a clear liability out there and it's a matter of time before they sink us. 

Edited 3 hours ago by OldDutchChip

[Imyourhuckleberry]

35 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

you cannot have a line out there that consists of Trenin, Braz and Rossi and expect G2 to repeat itself for 3 more games. hynes need to identify weakness and fix it before Vegas wakes up....

You are aware that Trenin and Brazeau are double-digit scoring types and Rossi has posted 20+ goals 2 season in a row and is a capable passer, correct. These guys have scoring potential. It's not like these guys are incapable of scoring goals even if they haven't done it at a high level the last 1/3 of a season. What is your plan based upon what the Wild have available for this series. An waiver claim guy or someone who's never scored more than 2 goals in an NHL season?

18 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

They are a clear liability out there and it's a matter of time before they sink us. 

The Wild lost to Vegas 2-3, 1-4, and 1-5 in the regular season.

Right now, they have more goals than Vegas and and are winning the 5 v 5 playoff hockey. Your answer is to add guys not currently playing NHL hockey because they might not be able to maintain what they are doing with the NHL hockey guys?

If they were giving up goals, you might have a point/case, but I don't see the logic behind what you are suggesting. I even like Hinostroza and Ohgren, but I don't think Hynes is going to upset the current lineup that is playing winning hockey because they have more offensive potential. How's that going for Buium's shifts?

[mnfaninnc]

24 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

harty was a fourth line player until just recently, getting the same money as trenin, but he clawed his way back (deservingly too) so why is it ok for Harty to step up and for Trenin to play like he always played?

I have thought, in both games, that Trenin has played above his regular season intensity and effort. He has taken the body hard in the Vegas end and he's been there quite a bit. Breezers is the guy who hasn't done that, he's been a guy who doesn't hit very hard compared to his size. I'd really like to see some of his Boston meanness, and hit someone with some angst.

Harty has moved up and deservedly so. But, what has Freddy added to line 2? If you look at it, Freddy is lighter than Rossi. Could we actually play a line of Zuccarello-Rossi-Johansson? My stomach tightened up with that thought. I guess the real reason is that Johansson is just not trustworthy.

As for Buium, he's going to have a lot to work on in the offseason. I think it will happen, but everything he does is too deliberate and he needs to do it faster. You can tell that the game is a little fast for him at this level, hopefully he does better.

Is anyone hearing of a Yurov signing soon? I doubt we could sign him, get his visa and get him here before the end of this round.

[OldDutchChip]

9 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I have thought, in both games, that Trenin has played above his regular season intensity and effort. He has taken the body hard in the Vegas end and he's been there quite a bit. Breezers is the guy who hasn't done that, he's been a guy who doesn't hit very hard compared to his size. I'd really like to see some of his Boston meanness, and hit someone with some angst.

Harty has moved up and deservedly so. But, what has Freddy added to line 2? If you look at it, Freddy is lighter than Rossi. Could we actually play a line of Zuccarello-Rossi-Johansson? My stomach tightened up with that thought. I guess the real reason is that Johansson is just not trustworthy.

As for Buium, he's going to have a lot to work on in the offseason. I think it will happen, but everything he does is too deliberate and he needs to do it faster. You can tell that the game is a little fast for him at this level, hopefully he does better.

Is anyone hearing of a Yurov signing soon? I doubt we could sign him, get his visa and get him here before the end of this round.

i am a little unfair to Trenin and do agree that he at least tries and throws his body around - so that's a plus. Braz on the other hand is a total miss. he takes space - that's all. has he ever had meanness? is there a video of him fighting? 

i am not sure if hynes going to bring rossi up from 4th line anytime soon or create such a teeny line of Zuccy/Rossi and MJ. two of them are playing fine currently so i don't think he'll jinx that nor do i want him to. 

i think you do look to get vinny in there for braz, as vegas will be flying around and we can't have two hippos out there on the same line with zero skill and skating ability. 

yurov - i thought even if he could get here before the end of the round - he is ineligible? like we had to pick one of the zeev or yurov and with zeev in, that makes yurov out? i could be wrong! (it happens very infrequently 😉 )

[mnfaninnc]

5 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

yurov - i thought even if he could get here before the end of the round - he is ineligible? like we had to pick one of the zeev or yurov and with zeev in, that makes yurov out? i could be wrong! (it happens very infrequently 😉 )

I've never heard that rule. Mr. Cheatachu will need to chime in on that one!

[OldDutchChip]

19 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

You are aware that Trenin and Brazeau are double-digit scoring types and Rossi has posted 20+ goals 2 season in a row and is a capable passer, correct. These guys have scoring potential. It's not like these guys are incapable of scoring goals even if they haven't done it at a high level the last 1/3 of a season. What is your plan based upon what the Wild have available for this series. An waiver claim guy or someone who's never scored more than 2 goals in an NHL season?

The Wild lost to Vegas 2-3, 1-4, and 1-5 in the regular season.

Right now, they have more goals than Vegas and and are winning the 5 v 5 playoff hockey. Your answer is to add guys not currently playing NHL hockey because they might not be able to maintain what they are doing with the NHL hockey guys?

If they were giving up goals, you might have a point/case, but I don't see the logic behind what you are suggesting. I even like Hinostroza and Ohgren, but I don't think Hynes is going to upset the current lineup that is playing winning hockey because they have more offensive potential. How's that going for Buium's shifts?

You are aware that Trenin and Brazeau are double-digit scoring types and Rossi has posted 20+ goals 2 season in a row and is a capable passer, correct. These guys have scoring potential. Good for them, but thus far Braz has an impressive 2 pts for us in 20 games. Trenin has been a lazy hippo most of the time, but does throw that big ass of his around, so he gets partial credit. Rossi has played himself onto a deserving 4th line role. All the accolades they got mean nothing right now. 

Right now, they have more goals than Vegas and and are winning the 5 v 5 playoff hockey. Your answer is to add guys not currently playing NHL hockey because they might not be able to maintain what they are doing with the NHL hockey guys? they played TWO games! my answer is to bench Braz before he costs us a game. we have an NHL worthy replacement in Vinny who was very good and his energy could be what we need in the series - would be a good tactical move i'd wager. 

 

[RedLake]

Are the Wilds high minute munchers gonna run outta steam? Faber is gonna need Oxygen on the bench soon.  Buuim is a step behind in everything but that can change with one play that builds confidence.