McDavid

- Chinaski

Well maybe Fletch can break out his magic wand and pixie dust because that's never going to happen otherwise.

Well maybe Fletch can break out his magic wand and pixie dust because that's never going to happen otherwise.
- MnGump

I'm actually going to be a little nervous during that draft lottery and I think every team in the West is going to be as well. One of Minnesota, LA, Winnipeg, or Calgary isn't going to make the playoffs. Throw in Colorado, Dallas, and San Jose. What if one of those teams wins the lottery?

I'm actually going to be a little nervous during that draft lottery and I think every team in the West is going to be as well. One of Minnesota, LA, Winnipeg, or Calgary isn't going to make the playoffs. Throw in Colorado, Dallas, and San Jose. What if one of those teams wins the lottery?
- Chinaski

I'd laugh my ass off first of all... then I'd be green with envy because I know the Wild (or any Minny team for that matter) would never get that much good fortune.

The return of Zucker! Feeling good about tonight.

The return of Zucker! Feeling good about tonight.
- SotaPopinski

So who's out tonight?

McDavid


Carter likely needs a few games to get back up to game speed. He did miss significant time. I think Cooke and Zucker will as well but Zucker will probably be the one to get back up to speed the quickest.

I think the Wild just needs to play a faster game and not necessarily just skating. They don't move or shoot the puck fast enough to get the defenders out of position or to take advantage of shooting/passing lanes. I thought the Jets deserved a lot of credit for doing that last night. Shots and passes came very quick and more then once it just looked like they put the Wild in a precarious position defensively. Also, when they defended they were right on top of the Wild players. There wasn't a lot of time and space to make plays.
- Chinaski

I'll flat-out admit I haven't watched a lot of Jets games this year, but from each one I've seen their performance last night was one of the best of their season in terms of speed, execution, and play in the neutral zone.

We're not going to win every game. We're occasionally going to lose two or three in a row. Every single team in the history of the NHL has done this. With the stretch this team has taken, it's okay to lose a few in a row. It's a bummer, obviously, but that doesn't necessarily mean the team is suddenly below playoff-quality.

And for those that are realistically saying it, Yeo was never in danger of losing his job this year. He had absolutely no impact on the terrible slide the Wild took - it wasn't mis-coaching, mis-management, losing control, or playing a poor system; it was evident from anyone that followed hockey that the problem was the goaltending, and no coach can positively alter a goaltenders save-percentage by +.75% merely by coaching.

So who's out tonight?
- MnGump

Haula

I'll flat-out admit I haven't watched a lot of Jets games this year, but from each one I've seen their performance last night was one of the best of their season in terms of speed, execution, and play in the neutral zone.

We're not going to win every game. We're occasionally going to lose two or three in a row. Every single team in the history of the NHL has done this. With the stretch this team has taken, it's okay to lose a few in a row. It's a bummer, obviously, but that doesn't necessarily mean the team is suddenly below playoff-quality.

And for those that are realistically saying it, Yeo was never in danger of losing his job this year. He had absolutely no impact on the terrible slide the Wild took - it wasn't mis-coaching, mis-management, losing control, or playing a poor system; it was evident from anyone that followed hockey that the problem was the goaltending, and no coach can positively alter a goaltenders save-percentage by +.75% merely by coaching.
- deslni01

Yeah fine. But is there a more inept coach the league when it comes to pulling his club out of a funk?!

I'll flat-out admit I haven't watched a lot of Jets games this year, but from each one I've seen their performance last night was one of the best of their season in terms of speed, execution, and play in the neutral zone.

We're not going to win every game. We're occasionally going to lose two or three in a row. Every single team in the history of the NHL has done this. With the stretch this team has taken, it's okay to lose a few in a row. It's a bummer, obviously, but that doesn't necessarily mean the team is suddenly below playoff-quality.

And for those that are realistically saying it, Yeo was never in danger of losing his job this year. He had absolutely no impact on the terrible slide the Wild took - it wasn't mis-coaching, mis-management, losing control, or playing a poor system; it was evident from anyone that followed hockey that the problem was the goaltending, and no coach can positively alter a goaltenders save-percentage by +.75% merely by coaching.
- deslni01

Somebody with a level head that understands the game! Everybody needs to RELAX. Look at Pitt and Detroit or even the Islanders. One minute people have us winning the cup and next minute we are not making the playoffs.

Haula
- MnGump

Fine with me

Yeah fine. But is there a more inept coach the league when it comes to pulling his club out of a funk?!
- MnGump

If there exists a coach in the entire world that is able to make his goaltenders stop pucks at a higher rate merely by saying some words, that coach would have dozens of rings on his finger.

The team was never in a funk. If you watched any games during the drought, it was pretty evident it was never an issue of the team being in a funk. It was an issue of two out of two goaltenders being in funks, and no coach can change that. Again, if a coach is able to use his words to positively affect his goaltenders' performances by nearly 1%, he'd be sitting on dozens of rings, a place in the hall of fame, and a salary to reflect that.

The team played well, for the most part, during that slide. It was never a coaching issue.

I 100% believe that absolutely no coach in the league could have changed the slide the Wild faced. I 100% believe that if the Wild had fired Yeo and hired a new coach, things would not have changed. But hey, it's all opinion.

Edit: I am not related nor do I have any relations with Mike Yeo. But I will be heading to his island soon, so if anyone wants a souvenir let me know

Scandie is Mr. Turnover tonight.

Scandie is Mr. Turnover tonight.
- MnGump

Hold your horses. There is no Mr. Turnover on the ice unless Vanek is scratched or injured.

Wild PP is absolute dogpoop!

If there exists a coach in the entire world that is able to make his goaltenders stop pucks at a higher rate merely by saying some words, that coach would have dozens of rings on his finger.

The team was never in a funk. If you watched any games during the drought, it was pretty evident it was never an issue of the team being in a funk. It was an issue of two out of two goaltenders being in funks, and no coach can change that. Again, if a coach is able to use his words to positively affect his goaltenders' performances by nearly 1%, he'd be sitting on dozens of rings, a place in the hall of fame, and a salary to reflect that.

The team played well, for the most part, during that slide. It was never a coaching issue.

I 100% believe that absolutely no coach in the league could have changed the slide the Wild faced. I 100% believe that if the Wild had fired Yeo and hired a new coach, things would not have changed. But hey, it's all opinion.

Edit: I am not related nor do I have any relations with Mike Yeo. But I will be heading to his island soon, so if anyone wants a souvenir let me know
- deslni01

Looks like we got ourselves a Yeo apologist here Sota!

Looks like we got ourselves someone with common sense here Sota!

- MnGump

Fixed that for you.

Fixed that for you.
- deslni01

Fixed that for you.
- deslni01

It's a little knee-jerk to say Yeo should be fired, but it's going to far too say people down on him have no common sense. I don't think you can blame the first half of the season 100% on the goalies. And if you don't think Yeo has a penchant for playing vets over going guys that are playinga lot better, please explain why Heatley played until the final week of the season last year. The PP is absolute garbage, but keep running suter and pommer out there..

It's not time to freak out yet, but it's not butterflies and unicorns either.

It's a little knee-jerk to say Yeo should be fired, but it's going to far too say people down on him have no common sense. I don't think you can blame the first half of the season 100% on the goalies. And if you don't think Yeo has a penchant for playing vets over going guys that are playinga lot better, please explain why Heatley played until the final week of the season last year. The PP is absolute garbage, but keep running suter and pommer out there..

It's not time to freak out yet, but it's not butterflies and unicorns either.
- gypsypunk01

You're right, we can't 100% pin the blame on Backstrom and Kuemper, but we could easily slot it in at ~ 95%. Yet during our stretch of losses we had some of the best possession numbers in the game.

You also can't fault Yeo this year for playing Heatley last year.

Now, I fully admit that he plays the vets more than he ought to (but what coach doesn't?), but that wasn't the cause of a top-tier possession team losing games because of 88% save percentage.

If we had league average goaltending, our only conversation would be that he has a tendency to play veteran players more often than he should - and I agree with you that he does this. But we wouldn't be chanting to fire Yeo for that one issue if we let in dozens less goals.

You're right, we can't 100% pin the blame on Backstrom and Kuemper, but we could easily slot it in at ~ 95%. Yet during our stretch of losses we had some of the best possession numbers in the game.

You also can't fault Yeo this year for playing Heatley last year.

Now, I fully admit that he plays the vets more than he ought to (but what coach doesn't?), but that wasn't the cause of a top-tier possession team losing games because of 88% save percentage.

If we had league average goaltending, our only conversation would be that he has a tendency to play veteran players more often than he should - and I agree with you that he does this. But we wouldn't be chanting to fire Yeo for that one issue if we let in dozens less goals.
- deslni01

Yet those possession numbers have fallen off drastically, even while we were winning. And the PP is another huge problem with yeo, which apparently was terrible even with crosby when yeo was coaching it. What are you pointing out that makes yeo a great coach? Because I'm pretty sure with how talent laden this team is, whether dramatized or not, we should not be fighting for a wild card spot.

Yet those possession numbers have fallen off drastically, even while we were winning. And the PP is another huge problem with yeo, which apparently was terrible even with crosby when yeo was coaching it. What are you pointing out that makes yeo a great coach? Because I'm pretty sure with how talent laden this team is, whether dramatized or not, we should not be fighting for a wild card spot.
- gypsypunk01

I never said Yeo was a great coach. I'm not sure where you're getting that claim. I merely said that the folks saying Yeo was the problem either weren't following the team or were saying so mockingly.

Having worse possession numbers after we started winning doesn't negate the claim I've made. Having a poor power-play doesn't negate the claim I've made (at what point do we blame the guy actually running the PP? Yes, Yeo has over-all say on this, but at the same time the majority of blame ought to be on Brunette). Yeo having had a poor power-play whilst part of the Penguins Cup win doesn't negate the claim I've made. I agree with you 100% that we should not be fighting for a wild-card spot, and that does not negate the claim I've made - it actually reinforces my claim.

Edit: It seems you're making similar points as I am, but you're somehow turning those to be Yeo's fault. If we had higher possession numbers whilst losing, but then had decent goaltending and suddenly are winning with worse numbers, wouldn't the issue directly point to goaltending?

The Coyle Nino Schroeder line not good!

I hope to God it's not Yeo's usual sit on a one goal lead and play not to lose for the last 10 minutes!

I hope to God it's not Yeo's usual sit on a one goal lead and play not to lose for the last 10 minutes!
- MnGump

? Why wouldn't they? It's the Minnesota way.

The return of Zucker! Feeling good about tonight.
- SotaPopinski

:Good call!