I'd rather have Franson and Kadri but I am not sure what we would have to give wouldn't be a lateral move
- Tony Dean

As you mentioned, it will be very intriguing what the Leafs decide to do going forward and who they make available based on those decisions. But I think most, if not all, of their major moves are going to come in the off-season.

Burroughs still a man child doosh bag i see.

Burroughs still a man child doosh bag i see.
- MnGump

He's one of the worst.

Dubbers lets in first bad goal today... Good win regardless. Still hate Vancouver

So rumor has it Ottawa may be willing to deal Chris Neil and there is some interest around the league. In light of Cooke's injury, I wonder if this is a guy Fletcher would try to go after. He's 35 and has one year left at a $1.9M cap hit. If there is a lot of interest it could drive up the price and make it a bad deal for the Wild to consider.

I'm not sure on Neil. I guess I'd rather they not trade for him but I could see something like this happening.

So rumor has it Ottawa may be willing to deal Chris Neil and there is some interest around the league. In light of Cooke's injury, I wonder if this is a guy Fletcher would try to go after. He's 35 and has one year left at a $1.9M cap hit. If there is a lot of interest it could drive up the price and make it a bad deal for the Wild to consider.

I'm not sure on Neil. I guess I'd rather they not trade for him but I could see something like this happening.
- Chinaski

Yeah but why give more picks for a 35 year old rental? Certainly not going to give up any players.

I think Fletch needs to look within the organization instead of losing more pieces for a rental player that might not even help tne team.

I see Vanek looking as uninspired as ever. Zucker all over the place tho!

Unexpected outcome. Pleasant surprise.

WTF, where are all the Wild fans at? !

WTF, where are all the Wild fans at? !
- MnGump

I was wondering the same thing. I even checked the hawks blog to read all the trolling, but to my surprise there was none. Not even a mention of the Wild game in the blog. Did the game really happen?

WTF, where are all the Wild fans at? !
- MnGump

We don't know how to talk about a team that's doing well?

We don't know how to talk about a team that's doing well?
- gypsypunk01

I think this is the issue, right here. We're all still in shock that the team has been performing as well lately as they have. We've been so used to a sub-90% save percentage and lack of confidence in a goaltender that the turn-around has literally shocked - and probably caused heart attacks to - at least half of us.

But in all honesty, I can see see this team making the playoffs. Most of us have said similarly that the biggest issue has been goaltending and the lack of confidence in whichever goalie is in net. Now that we have a goaltender that is stopping pucks, the team is playing as confidently as they were in the beginning of the season. We all know the potential is there and the system works - but the system also requires at least mediocre goaltending. We finally have it and the team is starting to play the system and executing properly.

Edited to add:
TSN's Power Rankings says this, "Since acquiring G Devan Dubnyk, the Wild are 5-1-1, moving within five points of a playoff spot. They can't expect Dubnyk to play at this level the rest of the way, but he's given them reason to hope."

The glory of that statement is that Dubnyk doesn't need to play at this level the rest of the way for the team to win-out the season; the team only needs him to play league average and they'll more than likely make the playoffs.

And we finally, truly have our lineup, which is nice.

I think this is the issue, right here. We're all still in shock that the team has been performing as well lately as they have. We've been so used to a sub-90% save percentage and lack of confidence in a goaltender that the turn-around has literally shocked - and probably caused heart attacks to - at least half of us.

But in all honesty, I can see see this team making the playoffs. Most of us have said similarly that the biggest issue has been goaltending and the lack of confidence in whichever goalie is in net. Now that we have a goaltender that is stopping pucks, the team is playing as confidently as they were in the beginning of the season. We all know the potential is there and the system works - but the system also requires at least mediocre goaltending. We finally have it and the team is starting to play the system and executing properly.

Edited to add:
TSN's Power Rankings says this, "Since acquiring G Devan Dubnyk, the Wild are 5-1-1, moving within five points of a playoff spot. They can't expect Dubnyk to play at this level the rest of the way, but he's given them reason to hope."

The glory of that statement is that Dubnyk doesn't need to play at this level the rest of the way for the team to win-out the season; the team only needs him to play league average and they'll more than likely make the playoffs.

And we finally, truly have our lineup, which is nice.
- deslni01

The funny thing is, I don't think doomdik has played all THAT great, but the confidence that this team acquired in the trade has been the real difference. We've been playing a great puck possession game all year, and most teams with even an average goalie fare well when only giving up 20 shots a game. So many games this year where we came out flying with 90% of the shots taken for the first 10 minutes, only for our goalie to let in a softie and deflate the team. "Lack of confidence" and "gripping the sticks too tight" are so overused and cliche, but i think that's what was holding this team down earlier.

The funny thing is, I don't think doomdik has played all THAT great, but the confidence that this team acquired in the trade has been the real difference. We've been playing a great puck possession game all year, and most teams with even an average goalie fare well when only giving up 20 shots a game. So many games this year where we came out flying with 90% of the shots taken for the first 10 minutes, only for our goalie to let in a softie and deflate the team. "Lack of confidence" and "gripping the sticks too tight" are so overused and cliche, but i think that's what was holding this team down earlier.
- gypsypunk01

Exactly. And in the beginning of the season, when Kuemper was being hailed as the true number one starter for our team and people claimed him to be an elite goaltending ready to burst, he made very few game-changing saves. The team is good enough and plays the system well enough to take an average goaltender and make him look solid, while earning wins - just like Chicago.

I'm still on the fence a bit as to whether or not Yeo is the right coach for this team. This article, from Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail, was pretty good about pointing out some things to look for when trying to evaluate how a coach is with handling his players.