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  • Wild Ruin Wallstedt's Debut In 7-2 Loss To Stars

    Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
    Thomas Williams

    By Thomas Williams -

    Well, that was unfortunate. The Minnesota Wild had the opportunity to make the NHL debut of their prized prospect, goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, just slightly special by playing a complete game and putting in a solid effort. They did not.

    In the first game of Wallstedt's hopefully illustrious career, the Wild were gunned down 7-2 by the Dallas Stars. While some goals happened and the rookie would have wanted them back, it really didn't help when the Wild completely collapsed in front of him.

    Dallas unloaded a total of 32 shots on goal, but a whole lot of them were almost right in front of Wallstedt. A whole 13(!) of their 63 shot attempts were high-danger, and meanwhile, the Wild managed to get a total of five high-danger attempts for themselves. The Stars just controlled this entire game but the Wild just fell apart.

    It's not an easy debut when you have to just face an onslaught of shots from all angles really in-close.

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    That's Wild

    • William Nylander signed an eight-year, $92-million deal for the Toronto Maple Leafs recently, and that might just be some foreshadowing as to what Kirill Kaprizov is getting on his next deal. [Hockey Wilderness]
    • The game story of the Wild's 7-2 defeat in Dallas: [NHL dot com]

    Off the trail...

    • Grades for all 32 NHL teams at the halfway mark through the 2023-24 season. [ESPN]
    • Corey Perry had his contract terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season, and well, he is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with a team whenever he wants. [Sportsnet]
    By Thomas Williams  

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    WIWild

    To put a positive spin on it though, we did pick up ground in one area...at the start of last night, for this season
      Dallas 4 SHGs
      Wild 3 total goals
    but, by the end of last night
      Wild 5 total
      Dallas still only 4 shorties
     

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    mnfaninnc
    1 hour ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

    Furthermore, the decision to bring him in only two games after coming back from injury when he wasn't looking like himself in Iowa was terrible. If that was our GM, he deserves to be fired. If it was Hynes, it is strike one. After all the slow baking talk on Jesper what a dipshit desperation move. Horrendous FO decision. Horrendous game from us, but I honestly didn't expect us to come out ahead with one arm behind our back, one leg taken off at the knee and expecting a rookie to save us on his first outing. 

    Isn't this similar to how we brought up Kahkonen? Kahkonen got 5 games his 2nd season in Iowa. It was something he could build on as he was the backup the following year. Granted, Kahkonen was about 3 years older, but the experience in the A was the same. Kahkonen went on to win the A Vezina that year. Iowa went on a decent playoff run. It was good for Kahkonen to get a taste of the N while primarily residing in the A. 

    Coincidentally, The Wall also made the A All Star team. He and Askarov are the goalies selected out of the Central. 

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    mnfaninnc
    1 hour ago, Protec said:

    Sign Corey Perry. Trade at deadline if needed. He's always been a greasy player. Wild have nothing left to lose. Give him a chance, everyone did something foolish when they drank too much before. 

    The Wild couldn't do any worse, why not? Not like MN is too classy or good for it. Pick him up!

    Why not go after Phil Kessel? He can put the puck in the net too. Maybe you can sell him after he gets into playing shape?

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    MrCheatachu
    6 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

    Why not go after Phil Kessel? He can put the puck in the net too. Maybe you can sell him after he gets into playing shape?

    Phil Kessel?  The guy who famously refused to waive his NTC to come here because he wanted to go to a team that was competitive?  You think he looks at that roster and says 'Yep, that team looks primed to make a run'

    Billy's notably said we dont have cap space for specialists.  That being said, Philly played in Pittsburgh so I'm sure he's prepping a $4x4 for him...

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    mnfaninnc
    27 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

    Phil Kessel?  The guy who famously refused to waive his NTC to come here because he wanted to go to a team that was competitive?  You think he looks at that roster and says 'Yep, that team looks primed to make a run'

    Yeah, that guy. The TDL is not far away. Kessel probably makes less than $1m. If he gets in game shape (which would be the reason for playing on this roster), and then gets flipped, we get an asset. Probably not a big asset, but an asset nonetheless. Some team out there will be able to use a specialist. Right now, we just need a guy who can find the back of the net.

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    FredJohnson
    56 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

    Why not go after Phil Kessel? He can put the puck in the net too. Maybe you can sell him after he gets into playing shape?

    Just as well go after Mark Parrish, too.

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    MrCheatachu
    31 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

    Yeah, that guy. The TDL is not far away. Kessel probably makes less than $1m. If he gets in game shape (which would be the reason for playing on this roster), and then gets flipped, we get an asset. Probably not a big asset, but an asset nonetheless. Some team out there will be able to use a specialist. Right now, we just need a guy who can find the back of the net.

    Parise's still unsigned too...wouldn't that be the great irony?

     

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    raithis
    On 1/11/2024 at 11:43 AM, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

    We were completely outclassed and outshot. Not to mention that most of the Star's shots were coming from in close with time and space. Wallstedt had no help and anyone who puts that game on him and starts whispering bust because of it is overreacting. Terrible decision to put him in net while we are limping around 6 players short of an NHL team against a Stars team that is in the top 8 in this league. It was a foregone conclusion he was going to get caved in before the puck dropped. 

    Furthermore, the decision to bring him in only two games after coming back from injury when he wasn't looking like himself in Iowa was terrible. If that was our GM, he deserves to be fired. If it was Hynes, it is strike one. After all the slow baking talk on Jesper what a dipshit desperation move. Horrendous FO decision. Horrendous game from us, but I honestly didn't expect us to come out ahead with one arm behind our back, one leg taken off at the knee and expecting a rookie to save us on his first outing.  

    He is still slow baking.  Putting him in one game doesn't mean that still isn't the plan.  I see this as completely constructive.  He got to see what the NHL is like and has a better understanding of what he needs to work toward.  Fleury has also seemed to always be willing to help young goaltenders along so I'm sure he got some good advice to grow into.

    Like mnfaninnc said, if his confidence is shaken by that, then he's not this savior that people have hyped him up to be.  I believe he will be fine.  He initially struggled with the AHL too because the angles and speed were different, but he adapted.  His issues in the last game seemed to be that his timing was off.  Players are quicker and more deceptive with their shots in the NHL.  He needs time to adjust to that.  I'm not saying he should be up here any longer than we need him to spell Fleury until Gus is good-to-go, but another game or two like Pewter suggested (fairly certain it was him anyway) would be good for him.

    The slow baking is still happening.  We just pulled him out the oven to see where he was and there's every intention of putting him back in.

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    raithis
    22 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

    Phil Kessel?  The guy who famously refused to waive his NTC to come here because he wanted to go to a team that was competitive?  You think he looks at that roster and says 'Yep, that team looks primed to make a run'

    Billy's notably said we dont have cap space for specialists.  That being said, Philly played in Pittsburgh so I'm sure he's prepping a $4x4 for him...

    Not that I want him on the team, but we could sweeten the deal with vouchers for free hotdogs from the concession stands.

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    raithis

    Why does it seem like a lot of the people clamoring for the Wild to call up players are the same ones who complain when the Wild plays someone who was called up?  Most players who are called up don't immediately become impact players - and that doesn't mean they are necessarily bad.

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    mnfaninnc

    I watched the 1st period of The Wall's debut. I've got to say he looked very good. He moved side to side well, he's a big guy who covers a lot of net.

    On the Pavelski goal (another east-west pass that was intercepted in the neutral zone), He is moving well with Pavelski, except, he overcommits to the short side. I would imagine that in the A, players do not have that far corner shot down well when skating forward. 

    Pavelski had no room initially when he shot it, but he knew The Wall's momentum would carry him to his right opening up the hole at the far post. This is the definition of a lesson between leagues. 

    I don't know that I will watch much more, I thought he had a solid 1st period, and he stopped plenty of chances, especially early in the game. I'm fully betting the team quit on him in the 3rd period. 

    Most people will look at the 7-2 loss and think The Wall played poorly. Maybe he had a poor period, but his 1st period was really good. Of course, the skaters in the offensive zone looked like Keystone Cops playing hot potato. That simply doesn't help much. 

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    Will D. Ness
    2 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

    I watched the 1st period of The Wall's debut.

    He was slow reacting to most of the goals scored on him.  He had that 5 hole goal called back due to offsides and another low glove goal that was pretty late.  Gus would have saved both including that Pavelski goal assisted by Zuccy.  

    He just isn't ready but I do think it's good for him to get a taste of it.

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    B1GKappa97
    17 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

    He was slow reacting to most of the goals scored on him.  He had that 5 hole goal called back due to offsides and another low glove goal that was pretty late.  Gus would have saved both including that Pavelski goal assisted by Zuccy.  

    He just isn't ready but I do think it's good for him to get a taste of it.

    I had the same thought watching him. He’s not used to the speed of the NHL, which makes sense. Just gotta work on his reads and reactions and he’ll be okay.

    Idk if he’ll ever live up to his hype. 

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    mnfaninnc
    18 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

    He just isn't ready but I do think it's good for him to get a taste of it.

    It will take him a little while to get used to the speed of the NHL. I think LaPanta said that last night after talking with him, that he acknowledged he was a little slow for the league. I'm thinking he gets another shot tonight, and they hold off on playing Gustavsson, but that's just me. 

     

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