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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/03/2025 in all areas

  1. Intermission dance GIF worked. Rossi doesn't suck now.
    3 points
  2. Mojo tonight sir šŸ˜‰
    3 points
  3. I'll take a point. I really like the effort.
    2 points
  4. Aside from the tying goal, this period couldn't be going any worse. Another kill please. Holy shit Bolds, way to drive that net.
    2 points
  5. Pretty sure it was you...
    2 points
  6. Rossi flexin his muscles!
    2 points
  7. ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIII I think we should keep him.
    2 points
  8. And there's 1 of em!! Rossamatic!!!
    2 points
  9. I like the fight but the bonehead moves are killing us.
    2 points
  10. For old time's sake, intermission dance.
    2 points
  11. I mean Rossi did get chopped but it's a perfect example of a playoff non-call and the Wild didn't need to be taking chances. Never lose the puck within 10' of either blue line. That's a killer. Shoulda tripped Panarin and taken the penalty shot. I would take Gus there over a breakaway chance.
    2 points
  12. I'll have to check again but I think we're supposed to beat the Rangers.
    2 points
  13. Rags are letting the Wild drive to the net. Keep doing it.
    2 points
  14. Ooohhh boy youā€™re missing out. Nojo is havin a game!
    2 points
  15. I turn on the game and NoJo scores in the first 15 seconds. What the heck?
    2 points
  16. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOJJJJJJJJJJJJOOOOOOOOOOOO SHORTY Top shelf beauty.
    2 points
  17. 2 points
  18. Not sure how they couldn't come up with a matching penalty there. Not mad at Bolds for the roughing.
    2 points
  19. The Minnesota Wild are getting in on the college free agent game this spring, which is nothing new for the organization. College free agency has been a well from which Wild have drawn useful contributors like Nico Sturm, Nate Prosser, and Justin Fontaine. Not all of these signings work out, of course -- just ask Casey Wellman -- but signing an intriguing player for free is always a decent bet. In the past few days, the Iowa Wild signed a pair of amateur tryout contracts (usually a prelude to an entry-level contract signing). The first was with Ben Meehan, a U-Mass Lowell defenseman. Meehan's numbers don't indicate much NHL offense -- he has scored three goals and 17 points in 36 games this season. But he's been a captain on the team for the last two years, and the Wild have a good track record of acquiring and developing defensemen that the Los Angeles Kings took in the 2020 Draft. Iowa's next ATO signee was Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. Is he good? Will he be a contributor in St. Paul? To answer those questions, I have just two words for you: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. How can you be destined for anything but greatness when you're named Gunnarwolfe Fontaine? The second he steps onto the ice, he'll immediately catapult Name Hall-of-Famer Nino Niederreiter and become the Coolest Name in franchise history. Seriously, let that sink in: HIS NAME IS GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE! "Cellar Door" was so last millenium. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine should soon replace it as the consensus two most beautiful words in the English language. Folks who say it are treated to an effortless rhythmic flow and pleasant mouth-feel. No nickname could ever be as cool as "Gunnarwolfe Fontaine," but even the hockey world -- which is obsessed with coming up with terrible, bland nicknames -- can't possibly mess this up. Call him "Gunnar" or call him "Wolfe," either is going to be great. The Wild should also petition the league to allow GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE to have his first name on his jersey. "GUNNARWOLFE" would immediately jump into the NHL's best-sellers. My editor insists that I do some real analysis, and, fiiiiiine. What else does GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE offer the Wild? It's fair to call GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE a late bloomer. Born just one day after the NHL Draft cutoff for 2018 eligibility, he was one of the oldest eligible players in the 2019 draft... and he was still passed over. As a 5-foot-8 player (he's now listed at 5-foot-10) without exceptional numbers in the USHL, going undrafted is the sort of thing that'll happen to you. Lesser prospects might have been deterred, but not ones named GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE. He returned to the Chicago Steel and finished fifth in the USHL (though fourth on his team) with 57 points in 45 games. Scouts who arrived to watch 2020 first-round pick Brendan Brisson soon had GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE on their radar. "His path to a successful career is still likely to be trying to mold his game after Brad Marchand (small pest with skill), but this year he showed more and more that the skill was there," wrote McKeen's Hockey, who ranked him as the 102nd-best prospect in their 2020 Draft Guide. "His shot is among the best in the USHL and can still score from anywhere in the offensive zone." Not only was GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE a crafty offensive player, but he also proved hard to play against, a defining characteristic of Bill Guerin's ideal identity for his team. "Defensively, he uses his speed well to backcheck and plays hard in all three zones," detailed FC Hockey in their 2020 Draft Guide. "[He] shows an affinity for getting in the face of the opposition. He blocks shots and uses an active stick. Despite a smaller frame, he usually wins puck battles along the boards, and heā€™s not afraid to throw his body around, making some good hits." The Nashville Predators were the team to take a flier on GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE, selecting him 202nd overall in 2020. From there, he played five years in the NCAA (he played during the 2020 pandemic, giving him a fifth year of college eligibility). In four years at Northeastern University, he was solid, with 32 goals and 97 points in 131 games, but never finished higher than third on the team in scoring. His true breakout came last year after he transferred to Ohio State. GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE co-led the Buckeyes in goals (17) and points (40) in 40 games, finishing tied for 26th in the nation in scoring. He's also earned a reputation for scoring the biggest goals in the biggest games. During the prestigious Beanpot Tournament, GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE has five goals and eight points in six career games. This includes scoring both of Northeastern's goals -- including one with less than five minutes in regulation to force overtime -- en route to their 2023 shootout win over Harvard. The following year, GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE notched back-to-back overtime winners to claim the Beanpot again in 2024. This trend continued during his time as a Buckeye, especially during the Big 10 Tournament. During the quarterfinal, he saved Ohio State from elimination by forcing overtime with 1:29 remaining. He followed up that performance with two goals in the semifinals against Penn State, where he scored the opening goal and the closing goal... again, in overtime. In the final against Michigan State, GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE was nearly a hero again, scoring the game-tying goal with 2:21 left to take the game to overtime before Isaac Howard won the tournament for the Spartans. To step up in so many big moments regularly, you have to be doing a lot of things right all the time. That appears to be GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE's game, and that game has gotten him to the NHL's doorstep. Will he get there? Small, late-blooming forwards don't have the best track record in making the NHL. The odds that we never hear from GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE in a meaningful way are fairly high, joining the ranks of (Iowa) Wild Legends like Sam Anas or Sammy Walker. Jonathan Marchessault and Yanni Gourde are the 99th-percentile for his mold of player. They were passed over in the draft (and unlike GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE, never drafted) and didn't have a full-time NHL role until they were 25, but those guys are very much the exceptions. Someone like Mason Shaw is the realistic best-case scenario for GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE. Shaw also had a small frame but provided just enough offense to stick in the NHL and provided energy and physicality. If the Wild can get that out of GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE, that will be a home-run signing. But even if he doesn't stick in the NHL regularly, Guerin 1000% needs to call up GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE any time the Wild travel to TD Garden to play the Boston Bruins. Can't let that Beanpot Magic go to waste.
    2 points
  20. I guess if we drag them all to OT it's still .500 right? Ugh
    1 point
  21. Well that didn't take long. Got a point, costly mistakes cost them one though.
    1 point
  22. Way to keep it in their end Boldy!!
    1 point
  23. Point would be nice, any win would be better. At least the Rags are in the other conference, but I know a lot of East teams are on our side tonight.
    1 point
  24. They are also the reigning Presidents Trophy winners...before getting beat in the 1st round by the eventual champs. Fell down pretty hard this year.
    1 point
  25. Wild had a better period than the 1st...and are now down one. Chisholm and Rossi mistakes.
    1 point
  26. Protec NoJo has been our best playa for awhile. He'll fit in on next years new and improved Wild.
    1 point
  27. I like it boldy do some more.
    1 point
  28. Thatta boy boldy fuck him up
    1 point
  29. Multiple near goals. Wild on their heels.
    1 point
  30. 1 point
  31. Chisholm. Really thought you had improved at the start of the year, but it's been rough going with you for a while now.
    1 point
  32. I sure hope so. Iā€™m feeling a Boldy goal.
    1 point
  33. Big save on that 2 on 1 Gus.
    1 point
  34. Chislm9n suxs 2 shoot the fucking puck you meathead!
    1 point
  35. What are you doing Chisholm? Shoot the f'ing puck.
    1 point
  36. Damn it. Tough angle. Bardownski.
    1 point
  37. OH, oh... Can they get another one Sam?
    1 point
  38. That draft still pisses me off.
    1 point
  39. He is a prospect, but not one without NHL minutes. They want him to develop better habits that become his standard habits before playing him too much and not incorporating the better habits, but he was already playable as is. Prior to his lacerated spleen that shut him down for the year, the Wild were holding him out to make him better suited to top 4 D pairing minutes, which requires work on his skating. In the tiny sample of 6 games the Wild did put Jiricek on the ice, he played 72.5 even strength minutes and the Wild outscored their opponents 3-1 with Jiricek tallying 1 goal and 1 assist. He's already shown himself as a capable NHLer that isn't going to hurt you in limited minutes, the Wild simply want to ingrain good habits that will allow him to fulfill his potential as a top 10 pick.
    1 point
  40. On a positive note, Kap is cleared for contact.
    1 point
  41. This was absolutely the right thing to do. Jiricek's don't grow on trees and when they become available, you'd like to be able to pounce! It seems expensive with all the draft capital given up, but this year wasn't our year to go for it. That starts next year. Our prospect cupboards are full, I'd like to have our 1st in '26 but after that, we will be trading our currency for help on runs. ODC preaches living in the present. That present, I think, starts next season. I'll admit to living for the future, but a quick switching of gears happens this offseason. Jiricek should be on the opening night roster in October. I would play him with Brodin who can cover for mistakes. He'll help eat minutes from Faber. We have no idea what will happen with Spurgy. Still having a right side of Faber, Spureon, Jiricek looks pretty nice on paper. The other side of Middleton, Brodin and Buium looks equally good. Ottawa looks like a playoff team right now, which should help Tkachuk stay content, but if a Faber/Tkachuk deal even exists, I think you have to do it. He's probably the only player out there I would do this for. Otherwise, this defense looks to be top 5 in the league to me. We've also got 2 guys in Iowa getting better: Lambos and Spacek. I think they can debut next season and be ok as injury fill ins. This is a very good, deep defensive team. Shooter was building the team from the goalie out. With Goose and The Wall in goal and this defense, he really only needs to worry about the forwards now.
    1 point
  42. If Buium and Jiricek replace two of Chisholm, Merrill, and Bogo, that is an upgrade on all fronts. Those three account for 35 points and a -9. Hell, if Zeev hits half of what Hutson did this year for Montreal, then that covers the offensive replacement on his own. That's without any input from Jiricek. Infusing them into the lineup could also help Faber out, who sure went through a sophomore slump. There's every chance Buium, Jiricek, or both fall flat...but you gotta take that chance. Bottom 3 defensemen averaging 10 pts isn't gonna cut it.
    1 point
  43. I really don't care about these worth algorithms for players. There is no way that Goose is worth $7m/. He is at best a $5m goalie. We don't even know if he can put together b2b years yet. I do think we need to ship out some salary, and for me, Hartman is on that list. My hope is he finishes the season strong and has a good playoffs. I think our commitment should be getting the team younger and hungrier. I'd also entertain trading out Spurgy for a targeted player somewhere in the '20-22 draft area. Maybe someone who has a bright future but isn't established yet. I still see Detroit as the main target here. At this time, I wouldn't trade Rossi, I'd make sure to qualify him and see what he finds in RFA land. If an offersheet comes his way, we can see the team and the price and make a decision then. St. Louis got away with it with Edmonton mainly because Edmonton had no cap space. We don't have that problem going into next season. Shooter has slow walked the kids into the lineup. That should change next season. It is their time. Let's bring them in in mass. The result of that is likely to be a rollercoaster season, but we need the vision of the new team that has a lot of speed. I like Breezers on the 4th line, but the thing is that we've got so many 4th line players were going to have to pick and choose. This sounds contradictory, but Breezers makes up for his lack of speed with bulk where he still can cover a lot of ground. So, on my trade block are Spurgeon, Hartman and Trenin. We don't give them away, but we look for pieces that better fit our new identity. Some are players who haven't quite established their games yet but are improving. It's not just speed and skill we need, either, but it's a complete 200' player who is skilled, yet finishes checks. Those guys are hard to find, which means we open up Judd's draft book from year's past to find out who highlighted that is still improving. Hopefully that guy has real NHL size and isn't undersized.
    1 point
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