Wild Suffer On Western Canada Road Trip

Disappointing that they can't get up for bad teams. Every point matters and these games separate first round exit teams and cup contenders.

I've liked how Sturm has played this year.  He is aggressive and responsible.  He does not gel well with Tarasenko.  The first goal (that counted) both Sturm and Tarasenko got back in time yet failed to cover players.  Complete lack of communication and understanding of each other's responsibilities.  The 3rd line of Senko, Sturm, Trenin finished -5.   It was a really bad night for them.   Sturm 9:34 TOI.  He seemed to take the brunt of the blame from Hynes based on TOI.  

The injection of Senko back into the lineup has been a big reason for our defensive breakdown.  His back checking is there but he doesn't positionally cover players.  They are either a step ahead of him getting to the net or he collapses to the net too quickly leaving shots from high slot open.   He is not a defensive minded forward....or to be more brutally honest.  He sucks at defense.  No idea how to properly compliment the players around him in the D-zone.

This team has been winning because of the defensive style and commitment to defense first.  That isn't Tarasenko hockey.  BG and Hynes need to acknowledge this and find a way to move on from Tarasenko.  We have enough tape on this to declare that the Tarasenko experiment has not worked.

Yurov also had a rough night.  It was strange because I didn't think he played that bad but a few things didn't go his way. 

Bad timing of a broken stick.  

His pinch while covering at D was poorly executed.

Being so young I will chalk this up to expected youthful errors.  Was his first game back after missing a couple.  I expect him to be better tonight.

I think the biggest concern of the players going to the Olympics should be ice quality versus ice sheet size. I played on ice surfaces that often were a bit odd in size. It is different but nothing too dramatic to overcome. The condition of the surface is a whole different beast. That ice is going to be drastically overused over a relatively short period of time. Add to that stands packed with warm blooded humans and it is a recipe for injury. NHL rinks are almost perfect surfaces. The best I ever skated on was the old Met Center. Soft ice will yield ankle injuries galore. The tar Tribune talked a little about in today's paper, but it should be a bigger talking point.

On 12/8/2025 at 12:48 PM, Up North Guy said:

The best I ever skated on was the old Met Center. Soft ice will yield ankle injuries galore. The tar Tribune talked a little about in today's paper, but it should be a bigger talking point.

When I first moved south, I discovered "soft ice." It is very different, and for me, required duller blades. But, yes, it does have a propensity for LBIs. I imagine half of our team will be experiencing this. My hope is that they don't get overused. 

Question for everyone, does the A also have an Olympic break? The reason I ask is we have 5 rookies in our lineup we could send down to keep fresh during that time. Maybe not the whole time, but maybe a couple of games.

22 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Question for everyone, does the A also have an Olympic break? The reason I ask is we have 5 rookies in our lineup we could send down to keep fresh during that time. Maybe not the whole time, but maybe a couple of games.

Looks like the AHL is playing during the time when the NHL is on break.

21 hours ago, raithis said:

Looks like the AHL is playing during the time when the NHL is on break.

Then, we should send some guys down who don't need waivers.

2 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

Then, we should send some guys down who don't need waivers.

Agreed.  Unless they are nursing injuries and could use the time to be ready for when the season resumes, don't let the pause delay their development.

Send Kappy down just so we can watch him put up the old British hockey league stats