Article: It's Starting To Feel Like 2023 Again For the Minnesota Wild

[Tom Schreier]

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[MNCountryLife]

I have no inside track on what is happening in the locker room.  They definitely seem defeated... even before games start.  Then once that first goal goes in  against us you can see the shoulders drop.  We are playing a very undisciplined game.   Somebody on that team needs to read the room and figure out the change.

A serious sit down with OCL, BG and Hynes does need to occur.  Try and make a run or play the young guys and see who steps up.  You can't win trying to do both.  IMO:  We won't win the cup with the Vets.  So why not go young and let them learn.

Edited 10 hours ago by MNCountryLife

[Pewterschmidt]

Get comfortable Wild faithful. You’re going to have to read alot more articles like this before any Wild org. changes get made

[Imyourhuckleberry]

33 minutes ago, MNCountryLife said:

They definitely seem defeated... even before games start.  Then once that first goal goes in  against us you can see the shoulders drop.  We are playing a very undisciplined game.   Somebody on that team needs to read the room and figure out the change.

A serious sit down with OCL, BG and Hynes does need to occur.  Try and make a run or play the young guys and see who steps up.  You can't win trying to do both.  IMO:  We won't win the cup with the Vets.  So why not go young and let them learn.

That's not at all what I saw in the last 2 games, aside from the undisciplined play. They've been fighting hard the last 4 periods, at least. I'm not saying the results aren't concerning, but the effort and fight has been there.

The goalies haven't rescued them from the mistakes as readily this season, and Kaprizov has made a lot of them. He has done it in prior years to some extent, but perhaps the players around were more easily able to cover up those mistakes in other seasons.

I need to see how they finish this homestand before suggesting that the team, who is mostly constructed of players that were pushing for best record in hockey last season, is considered done for the year--not even 20% into the season. I know it could get away from them if they don't start getting 2-point nights a lot more frequently, but even very good teams can go through periods of play like these last 10.

Zuccarello's return isn't far away and could spark some more productive play, along with some young guys finding their way.

[goenzoy]

14 minutes ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

Zuccarello's return isn't far away and could spark some more productive play, along with some young guys finding their way.

Playing Kaprisov 27 and Yurov less than 7 is not SMART coaching

[Pewterschmidt]

6 minutes ago, goenzoy said:

Playing Kaprisov 27 and Yurov less than 7 is not SMART coaching

Playing 97 that many minutes and we’re still losing games to teams like The Sharks 🦈 means the bottom nine on this team is below nhl average.  Let’s not spend the next 70 games debating this point and accept our reality.  Firing Hynes, bill or Brackett won’t change any of that for this season.  Start with Brackett though.  That’ll improve our fate for future seasons.  

[goenzoy]

10 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Playing 97 that many minutes and we’re still losing games to teams like The Sharks 🦈 means the bottom nine on this team is below nhl

No it's just means that headcoach does shift management in "I need to save my a.. mode" . 

[FredJohnson]

Guerin must double down on Hynes. That means riding out a collapse and committing to Minnesota’s young players. Forget the playoffs, lean into upside. More Liam Ohgren and David Jiricek; less Marcus Johansson and Zach Bogosian.

[MNCountryLife]

1 hour ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

That's not at all what I saw in the last 2 games, aside from the undisciplined play. They've been fighting hard the last 4 periods, at least. I'm not saying the results aren't concerning, but the effort and fight has been there.

The goalies haven't rescued them from the mistakes as readily this season, and Kaprizov has made a lot of them. He has done it in prior years to some extent, but perhaps the players around were more easily able to cover up those mistakes in other seasons.

I need to see how they finish this homestand before suggesting that the team, who is mostly constructed of players that were pushing for best record in hockey last season, is considered done for the year--not even 20% into the season. I know it could get away from them if they don't start getting 2-point nights a lot more frequently, but even very good teams can go through periods of play like these last 10.

Zuccarello's return isn't far away and could spark some more productive play, along with some young guys finding their way.

Teams in the lead have a tendency to pull the foot off the pedal as well.  Playing from behind and shooting from everywhere can be deceiving to the eye test.  But what I see is that when we do tie it up or come within a goal the other team can step on the pedal a bit and usually gets rewarded quickly.  That to me suggests that teams are letting up more than we are playing better.... and/or the d-zone is just that bad.

I will agree that our goalies haven't been stealing any games....except maybe the first one.  Zuc will definitely help.  He sure is a smart player.

[Dean]

. For 25 years we’ve had the same problem. No franchise #1 center.  Every knuckle head gm we’ve had hasn’t delivered one. It was a problem before Billy and still is. Look at the central or any playoff caliber team. They have a franchise #1 center . Now in the central we have bedard , Cooley , McKinnon , hintz , schiefle. Ya my spelling sucks. Rossi isn’t on there level and that’s just the central.  Building from the outside in with wingers over centers is stupid. , hasn’t and doesn’t work. Now we have all our money in wingers and little money for a true #1 center.  We aren’t going to draft one with our mid picks . We don’t have one in the system. Yurov would be showing more offense and tenacity iig he was one. He will be legit but not at the # 1 center spot going against the franchise centers in league . Hockey is still a physical sport so not having strength or quality down the middle is a ridiculous way to build a team. Centers can get moved to wing. Wingers don’t typically make good franchise centers. Hartman.  We have to get a center to salvage the stupid contract we are tied to for the next decade. Adding more overpriced wingers isn’t the answer. We also need alphas on this team. Enough of these betas with there creative excuses 

   

[Citizen Strife]

The team showed in the last two games that they have the skill to stay in games, despite their very shit defense or defensive structure.

The problem isn't the team hasn't stopped listening to Hynes. If they did, they'd be playing even worse...somehow.

The team itself is not going to tank, "on purpose.". Guerin will have to decide whether to make some monster trade (of what elite players AREN'T re-signing daily at this point), or make the choice to punt this year for them.

The team in 2023 suffered injury after injury and goalie dysfunction and still on my managed 13th.  They lucked into Buium by Philly doing them a favor at the draft.  

This team is not a new coach bump away.  They aren't playing Ohgren or Yurov more minutes away.  They have at most 6-8 untouchable players, a few "they might be good years from now" players, and then a lot of "well, they are good...in theory" players.  They also have a player who used to be Vladimir Tarasenko...

If he ditches players for picks or a wholesale different style of player base in return, that will be the sign.  Guerin has to choose what route to go.  As bad as this team is, it has proven it won't just completely fail on its own.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Citizen Strife

[1Brotherbill]

2 hours ago, Dean said:

. For 25 years we’ve had the same problem. No franchise #1 center.  Every knuckle head gm we’ve had hasn’t delivered one. It was a problem before Billy and still is. Look at the central or any playoff caliber team. They have a franchise #1 center . Now in the central we have bedard , Cooley , McKinnon , hintz , schiefle. Ya my spelling sucks. Rossi isn’t on there level and that’s just the central.  Building from the outside in with wingers over centers is stupid. , hasn’t and doesn’t work. Now we have all our money in wingers and little money for a true #1 center.  We aren’t going to draft one with our mid picks . We don’t have one in the system. Yurov would be showing more offense and tenacity iig he was one. He will be legit but not at the # 1 center spot going against the franchise centers in league . Hockey is still a physical sport so not having strength or quality down the middle is a ridiculous way to build a team. Centers can get moved to wing. Wingers don’t typically make good franchise centers. Hartman.  We have to get a center to salvage the stupid contract we are tied to for the next decade. Adding more overpriced wingers isn’t the answer. We also need alphas on this team. Enough of these betas with there creative excuses 

   

There is a lot of truth with this.  The Wild need an elite center.  However, you would be the first on to say that the team needs to make a big trade to make the playoffs if they decide to tank for the first overall pick.  You point out that other teams have great centers, the reason that they do have great centers is because they tanked often to get them.  

So, you can't have playoff hockey for 20 out of 25 years without having bottom of the first round picks.  

[1Brotherbill]

So, if this is another version of the team quitting on a head coach there has to be a major change in the players.  If they make a coaching change and the team rallies behind that change BG needs to trade a lot of veterans. 

It isn't the coach, the team is more than good enough to make the playoffs. This well we can suck now and get a coach that we like attitude is not a cup contender.  

[Patrick]

Another embarrassing loss tonight. KK is playing like a Russian who just signed a massive contract...no heart, no effort.  This team is cooked.  The only hope for the next 5 years is that Buium is the next Makar and Boldy continues to develop. We have all collectively WAY overated KK because he was 25 when he came over.  We have seen his best. Unfortunately we paid him like he will continue to develop. That's not a winning formula. Having a mediocre coach who is buddies with management obviously doesn't help but we ALL know Hynes sucks. Everyone in the NHL knows that.

[goenzoy]

5 hours ago, FredJohnson said:

less Marcus Johansson and Zach Bogosian.

Johansson did play well for his league minimum contract 

FIRST stop 2025 for team 

Get a proper coach 

[Citizen Strife]

I might be wrong about the team not tanking on its own.  Let them try.  Sure can't seem to play more than 20 minutes a night...yeesh.  

[Quebec1648]

I went to the Wild game tonight vs the Penguins, and the Wild played well periods 1-2, but then fell apart in period 3. I guess poor play goes along with overpriced concessions and poor beer selection.

Every year, the beer selection gets more limited and more expensive. I didn't go to any games last year, but I remember when the X used to offer some decent beer choices like Alaskan Amber. The only decent ones I saw tonight were Goose Island and maybe Kona Big Wave for like $15.

Edited 1 hour ago by Quebec1648