Article: Make-or-Break Stretch Coming for Minnesota Wild

[Pewterschmidt]

1 minute ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Agree.  It’s the lack of any hockey sense that concerns me with Ogzy.  He brings alot of energy but it’s usually a mad rush toward the puck carrier, then when carrier passes puck ogz makes a mad dash to ‘guard air’.  Ogz may be a tweener with his Achilles heal being his ability to process the game at nhl speed. Never say never but not holding my breath

Injuries will likely keep him backfilling in the lineup so the “he just needs more opportunities” crowd can come to a verdict

[Citizen Strife]

I saw some decent board play from Ohgren near the end of the game.  Not Foligno/Trenin hits, but some moments of pinning Vegas players down and disrupting plays.  Better than I'd seen from him anyway.

Hynes's system is very disciplined and detail oriented.  With that and the injuries at play, you can't be sloppy or disengaged in play.  I wonder what systems Ohgren played under before joining the Wild.  Cause if he's meant to be an offense first player, he isn't showing it.  He should try to complement a veteran somehow on the defensive end and figure out how to disrupt other players first.

This team isn't and will never be a run and gun winner.  Maybe that's what the team needs (offense), but they have won lately by staying disciplined and accountable.  "Boring" sure, but unless you have game breaking speed or skating, you can't do what Kap or Buium do

If Ohgren is a trade casualty, I won't cry though.

 

 

[Pewterschmidt]

9 minutes ago, Citizen Strife said:

I saw some decent board play from Ohgren near the end of the game.  Not Foligno/Trenin hits, but some moments of pinning Vegas players down and disrupting plays

I’d love to see ogz become more physical and then have T-bag center Foligno and Ogz 

The Broomstick 🧹 line.  

[mnfaninnc]

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

It’s the lack of any hockey sense that concerns me with Ogzy.

Here are the 2 examples: 

1) Puck is in the offensive zone on the stick of a Wild player (I thought it was Zuccy), 3 Vegas guys are approaching the Wild player. Instead of finding the soft spot on the ice to get a pass and a very open shot, OgZ glides into the opposing players for Unknown reasons, bent over with 2 hands on his stick as if a slot hockey player. There was a great amount of space behind him to sit, all he had to do was find the right seam. 

2) Vegas carries the puck into the Wild zone, essentially a 1 on 3. Both defenders are deep and OgZ watches the puck carrier, while taking himself deep also leaving his side of the ice wide open. He's not in position for a breakout, he's not really in a position to help anyone, and he's definitely not looking for a guy coming down from his side to get a pass. Whether or not anyone was there, the camera angle did not go that far, OgZ never even looked, and that was going to be his guy. 

Now, Hynes plays a very disciplined, low event style. He counts on players being where they are supposed to be. In the offensive end, he is open to some creativity and leaves a little opening for that, but on the defensive side, there is a whole lot of expected structure. Ohgren was not drafted to be an energy guy, he was drafted to be a solid middle 6 wing. I really want him to succeed, but you cannot take the ice and forget everything you've been told. He is definitely not good enough to be a rover. 

The result of both of these plays was low event. The Wild guy with the puck in example 1 lost it with nobody to pass to. In example 2, one of the defenders stripped the puck away. Somewhere, there has got to be a coach walking him through every shift, and have him explain what he was thinking. He's only 21 or 22, so maybe the stage is still too big for him. But, this is brutal and somehow must be fixed.

[Enforceror]

1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

2) Vegas carries the puck into the Wild zone, essentially a 1 on 3. Both defenders are deep and OgZ watches the puck carrier, while taking himself deep also leaving his side of the ice wide open. He's not in position for a breakout, he's not really in a position to help anyone, and he's definitely not looking for a guy coming down from his side to get a pass. Whether or not anyone was there, the camera angle did not go that far, OgZ never even looked, and that was going to be his guy. 

Not sure if it was this scenario specifically but I did notice this (or something similar). I believe he was trying to change but it looked like he wasn't sure whether to change, defend or look for a breakaway. 

[mnfaninnc]

On 11/17/2025 at 2:39 PM, Enforceror said:

it looked like he wasn't sure

this part pretty well sums it up.

[Pewterschmidt]

On 11/17/2025 at 10:25 AM, Pewterschmidt said:

The Broomstick 🧹 line

Broomstick Bangers

 I’ll start screen printing the t-shirts