Article: The Wild's Moral Victory Era Is Already Over

[Tony Abbott]

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[Imyourhuckleberry]

Quote

Have they shown they can hang with Vegas? Absolutely. Is this anything to feel good about? No.

I don't like the losses either, but I think there are plenty of reasons to feel good about hanging with a team that is healthy and finished with the 3rd most points in the league, who still has a bunch of cup winners on their roster. Given that they've shown they can hang with them, it's still possible they extend this to 7 and advance.

Nobody expected the Wild to get close to a cup this season. The front office plan is to compete next year and beyond and the long-term contract guys seem to be showing up quite nicely for the Wild.

Nyquist, Johansson, and Merrill will presumably be replaced with upgrades next season. The Wild are proving themselves capable of playing with top teams with the proverbial arm tied behind their back. Next season, that arm will be free and Guerin can field the team he's been planning for and building towards over the last handful of years.

[Sam]

Ticky-tack is right. What a terrible call. I thought the referees weren’t supposed to make game-changing calls. 

[OldDutchChip]

i am feeling very upbeat today and calling wild in 7! yes - i am off by a game, since i called them in 6 (can't be perfect all the time). but i think loosing game 5 and winning the last 2, is the way to go vs winning game 5, and then getting the very best of vegas at Xcel and loosing G7 in their barn. now we have the all out attack in game 6 and put all the pressure on them in game 7. 

i think maybe you shorten the offense to three lines and play L4 only if needed badly!

• EK Kap Zuccy
• Boldy Rossi Trenin
• Foligno Harty MJ
• Yuck line - Braz Freddy Nyquist - less than a minute of non-PK time

maybe even slide Buium as a replacement for Nyquist on O.

Kap won't let us loose!  

[OldDutchChip]

13 minutes ago, Sam said:

Ticky-tack is right. What a terrible call. I thought the referees weren’t supposed to make game-changing calls. 

i am not sure what is implied - this was correct call and one that we expect going our way too, if situation is reversed. that's basically nyquist contribution to the team......so its not on officials, it's on us for going off side.

[raithis]

7 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I don't like the losses either, but I think there are plenty of reasons to feel good about hanging with a team that is healthy and finished with the 3rd most points in the league, who still has a bunch of cup winners on their roster. Given that they've shown they can hang with them, it's still possible they extend this to 7 and advance.

Nobody expected the Wild to get close to a cup this season. The front office plan is to compete next year and beyond and the long-term contract guys seem to be showing up quite nicely for the Wild.

Nyquist, Johansson, and Merrill will presumably be replaced with upgrades next season. The Wild are proving themselves capable of playing with top teams with the proverbial arm tied behind their back. Next season, that arm will be free and Guerin can field the team he's been planning for and building towards over the last handful of years.

Agreed.

The frustration in Tony's article is evident, and I'm frustrated too, I do think that how even this series has been overall has show that we are a dangerous team that can hang with most of the top teams in the league.

Before the season started, I had said I thought the Wild could get past the first round (while other people said we wouldn't even make the playoffs because Chicago would edge us out of a wild card spot), though I did not think they would do well enough to get past the 2nd.  My prediction might not come true (still hoping we can gut out games 6 and 7), but I think the team has played well this season.  I'm not settling for bowing out now, but the fact of the matter is that this is definitely better than a lot of you were expecting - though the same people who complain all the time will come out of the woodwork when/if they get eliminated.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

3 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

• EK Kap Zuccy
• Boldy Rossi Trenin
• Foligno Harty MJ
• Yuck line - Braz Freddy Nyquist

I don't dislike your lines, but I might consider these.

Boldy, Hartman, KK97

Zuccy, JEE, Foligno

Nyquist, Rossi, Trenin

Brazeau, Gaudreau, NoJo

 

[MNCountryLife]

The Wild have played the right way in all 5 games so far.  All I can hope for is that they do the same on Thursday and let the cards fall where they may.   Just don't get blown out.  Fight to the end...if it is the end.

[OldDutchChip]

17 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

I don't dislike your lines, but I might consider these.

Boldy, Hartman, KK97

Zuccy, JEE, Foligno

Nyquist, Rossi, Trenin

Brazeau, Gaudreau, NoJo

 

i like the thought of harty and boldy with kap

but i think zuccy's peak output is with kap so i think i'd rather stick him there with Ek

but then we can try boldy harty and rossi? 

i thought you liked rossi.....why stick him with nyquist? 😜

trenin needs more time - he has been very good every game and almost had another wonderful assist to rossi for a G. so def keep rossi and him, but there has to be someone better than nyquist to join them.....

Edited 4 hours ago by OldDutchChip

[MNCountryLife]

27 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

but i think zuccy's peak output is with kap so i think i'd rather stick him there with Ek

The first line is producing and stopping the #1 line in Vegas.  I would have a hard time breaking that up.  I'm okay with sitting our worst line.  Foligno, Hartman and Zuc have earned more ice time and all played well.  Put them together.

Kirill, Ek, Boldy

Foligno, Hartman, Zuc

Braz, Rossi, Trenin

Nojo, Freddy, Nyquist (Sit mostly)

I've been a big Buium advocate but since they sat him his confidence will likely be worse than it was... I would probably start Merrill again and limit his ice time over Buium.   I also thought Nojo played some fantastic hockey the first 4 games.  The 5th game his play dropped off closer to what I usually see from him.

[OldDutchChip]

1 minute ago, MNCountryLife said:

The first line is producing and stopping the #1 line in Vegas.  I would have a hard time breaking that up.  I'm okay with sitting our worst line.  Foligno, Hartman and Zuc have earned more ice time and all played well.  Put them together.

Kirill, Ek, Boldy

Foligno, Hartman, Zuc

Braz, Rossi, Trenin

Nojo, Freddy, Nyquist (Sit mostly)

I've been a big Buium advocate but since they sat him his confidence will likely be worse than it was... I would probably start Merrill again and limit his ice time over Buium.   I also thought Nojo played some fantastic hockey the first 4 games.  The 5th game his play dropped off closer to what I usually see from him.

yeah tough to break L1 but might be a good surprise against vegas to throw them off a little - 5 games in now, vegas has likely figured out our top line somewhat. 

i too like MJs game early on - maybe this? 

• Kap Ek Zuccy
• Boldy Rossi MJ
• Foligno Harty Trenin

But the constant is - really limiting the non-PK minutes for Freddy and Nyquist

def keep zeev out of it - this may have long term implication on the dude - just have him watch

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

i am feeling very upbeat today

Now I know the ODC account is hacked.

[bisopher]

---> IF <--- tomorrow is the end of the Wild's season, that will definitely suck.  I'm hopeful that they can gut out Game 6 and let the chips fall where they may in Game 7.

That said, which of these teams would you rather be rooting for instead:

- The Leafs, who are now 1-13 in games where they had a chance to win a series since 2018, and have to be squeezing their sticks awfully hard;

- The Kings, who look like they will lose in the first round TO THE SAME TEAM for a fourth year in a row; or

- The Avs or Stars, one of whom will be on the golf course by this time next week?

For being down a top 6 forward and top 4 D vs. what Vegas can put on the ice cap-wise, the Wild have shown they can play with Vegas.  The problem I see is, Hynes is wearing out the players that can play at the level required because he doesn't have enough of them.  That will change starting next year. 

[bisopher]

10 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

yeah tough to break L1 but might be a good surprise against vegas to throw them off a little - 5 games in now, vegas has likely figured out our top line somewhat. 

i too like MJs game early on - maybe this? 

• Kap Ek Zuccy
• Boldy Rossi MJ
• Foligno Harty Trenin

But the constant is - really limiting the non-PK minutes for Freddy and Nyquist

def keep zeev out of it - this may have long term implication on the dude - just have him watch

I like these lines. Boldy and Rossi have chemistry, add MoJo's speed should be a positive. L1 is balanced and skilled, and L3 is sandpaper defined.  That leaves Braz - Freddy - Nyquist as L4, in as sheltered minutes as you can give them. Play L2 and L3 (L3 especially) to compensate. 

[Dis-allowed display name]

Long rant warning.....3.......2.......1

So the best hockey they might have played all season came in game 2 when they really blitzed Vegas for the entire first period and scored three goals.  They seemed to be really in sync, but they were also throwing bodies around and dishing out good hits.  As I have always understood playoff hockey going back to the days of the North Stars, things not only get tighter on the scoreboard but the physical nature turns up to 11 in the playoffs..

I remember an interview with I think it was Gretzky, and they asked what it felt like to win that first cup.  And he said after the elation of the final horn wore off, he looked around the locker room and everyone was badly beat up.  Black and blue from head to toe.  He said that is what it really takes to win the cup.

I see people out there getting a little more physical than let's say game 5 of the regular season, and I watched with glee as Faber smushed Eichel into the  boards and all the way to the ground.  But I think maybe one of the top hits besides that actually cam from Nojo in the third period.  Some guys are picking it up, and the TV announcers were showing a list of Wild player "hit" statistics and claiming they were really dishing it out this series, but I just don't see it that much.  I see a bunch of guys lined up on the boards and the Wild player go easy or just not make contact entirely.  

I thought the idea of laying people out when you could was to make them think twice going into the corner.  To get rid of the puck too soon so as not to get crushed.  To force your opponent into mistakes.  To make them hesitate going for that puck on the boards.  To wear them down physically.

Now I know dishing out hits takes a toll on the hitter too, but I just don't see that same intensity and dishing it out as I did that first period of game two where we dominated.  We seemed to have eased up since then and now I watch long period of Vegas keeping the puck in our end and not paying any price going along the wall.  

Maybe I am imagining all this and they are hitting hard, but it just seems like they have let up.  I also understand they are trying to stay out of the box. But if you are going to trade a 2 for Braz because he has a big playoff body, and play Trenin, and Moose I want to see a few more guys get blown up.  To pay a price.  To hesitate instead of running as free as they are.  Because trying to beef up your team if they are not going to bring some thunder is pointless unless they are regularly putting pucks in nets. 

Next year looks brighter, and I have been looking forward to it for a long time with Yurov and cap space.  I thought this was a lost year.  Now it feels like a lost opportunity because the team Guerin tried to put together is mismatched parts.  I watched last night and saw another game slip away and thought getting more physical might have helped a bit because there were too many times Vegas just had their way in our zone and we played decent defense, but did not mark our territory at all.

End of rant.

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Dis-allowed display name

[Dean]

14 mil cap penalty  is a morale victory Billy says. That’s loser talk. Dallas has that on IR and you don’t hear them talking morale victories. only in minny do we find morale victories in being losers . Who says you have to spend to the limit to win a cup ? So by Billy’s thinking next year with all his money he has to win the cup . Billy could have found better players at better value during his 5 years here  but no. Doing the same crap and calling it something different is what we do. Morale victories. Haha 

  Until Billy resigns kappy he hasn’t done crap! With Judds prospects taking a decade to produce in nhl , kappy leaving would be devastating. Such a bright future of fantasies ! 

[ArizonaWildFan]

Very good take on the Wild's current situation. The term 'moral victory' is often used by loser's and never by winners. Is there a post season trophy awarded to the team with the most moral victories? Maybe the NHL should consider it and maybe it should be called the Guerin Cup.

 

The Guerin Cup would be awarded to the team that puts themselves into salary cap Hell (ex: Parise and Suter); signs aging bottom six and bottom pair players past their prime to contacts with term (ex: Trenin 3.5M for 4 years); doesn't value, support or prioritize the development of young prospects to a great extent (ex: Rossi) (exception: Faber and to a lesser extent Boldy in previous seasons); is inflexible in team identity and style of play (ex: gritty, D-first, HARD, structure); lacks the depth to weather injuries to key players; and doesn't get fair officiating and very little puck luck.

I can picture Gary Bettman handing the inaugural Kleenex box-shaped trophy to its' namesake, Bill Guerin, and see him raising it over his head and pumping it up and down and giving it a kiss before handing it off to Craig Leopold and John Hynes (Baron Von Rashke's doppelganger).

"Congratulations Minnesota, the State of Hockey! We delivered a great moral victory to you!"

[RedLake]

1 hour ago, MNCountryLife said:

The first line is producing and stopping the #1 line in Vegas.  I would have a hard time breaking that up.  I'm okay with sitting our worst line.  Foligno, Hartman and Zuc have earned more ice time and all played well.  Put them together.

Kirill, Ek, Boldy

Foligno, Hartman, Zuc

Braz, Rossi, Trenin

Nojo, Freddy, Nyquist (Sit mostly)

I've been a big Buium advocate but since they sat him his confidence will likely be worse than it was... I would probably start Merrill again and limit his ice time over Buium.   I also thought Nojo played some fantastic hockey the first 4 games.  The 5th game his play dropped off closer to what I usually see from him.

No Merril he's not the right choice. Chislom over Merril.

[Burnt Toast]

1 hour ago, bisopher said:

The problem I see is, Hynes is wearing out the players that can play at the level required because he doesn't have enough of them.  That will change starting next year. 

This is what I’m hoping for. Best case scenario is top ELC players stepping in right away, and I mean full time. Even if they bring in another top six UFA getting the floor of this team raised should help significantly. As for this year I think the Wild can still win this series. 

[ArizonaWildFan]

It is win or go home time (stay home if they lose game 6 at the X) for the Wild. Do they exit with a whimpering D-first, structured style or do they unleash the hounds and rain shock and awe down on the Golden Knights?

As a die hard fan of the Wild, I would rather see them throw everything they can at VGK offensively rather than play prevent defense and wait for offensive opportunities. Hill is beatable and the Knights are frustratable; take the game to them rather than waiting for it to come to you.

Let's put a couple of our favorite bands back together and roll three offensively-minded forward lines on the ice along with a hard checking fourth line. Let's engage our defenseman, responsibly of course, and ask them to play inside the offensive blue line and to pinch like it's St. Patrick's Day in a crowd full of people not wearing green (maybe a reference that is not understood by all). And finally, sit Gus and Flower down pregame and tell them that it will probably get ugly at times for whoever is in net and ask for a volunteer for a potential suicide mission. I guarantee Fleury's arm would be up without hesitation and I would go with him.

Kaprizov - Hartman - Zuccarello 

Foligno - Ek - Boldy

Chisholm - Rossi - Ohgren

Trenin - Gaudreau - Brazeau 

Faber - Middleton 

Spurgeon - Brodin

Buium - Bogosian

I don't want anyone on the ice that won't be back next year with the exception of Fleury (Johansson, Nyquist, Merrill) and I want the RFA's (Rossi and Chisholm) to earn a spot on next year's team. Try to have Chisholm on the ice with Buium and hopefully those two offensively minded defenseman along with Bogosian, Rossi and Ohgren can keep the puck out of their net and put a couple in on the other end. Unorthodox, absolutely, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

 

 

[Up North Guy]

4 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

but there has to be someone better than nyquist to join them.....

I know they won't do it, but I would slide in Ohgren. Nyquist has and is doing nothing and won't be back next year. Why not give the kid a taste of PO hockey and just tell him to turn it loose?