Wild!!!

[archerystud]

My guess is that moving Heatley down is more of a move to spread out the scoring. I haven't had time to watch many games yet but getting this many players to gel in a short time is a challenge.

I think this team will be looking good by the end of the year but it would nice if they can right the ship in time to make the playoffs.

[10,000 Casts]

I completely agree Schmitty

[archerystud]

I missed the first period but 3 SOG doesn't sound like a good start!!!!

[archerystud]

Ton of great chance for the Wild in the second and they fall back 2 goals further. Ouch!

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

I just dont understand how one franchise has soooooooooooooooooo much trouble putting the puck in the net. Its the same story every single year. These guys CANT SCORE! EVER!

wow

I bet the wild average 0.7 goals a game or something dumb like that since they became a franchise... just gets nauseating to watch

[Slabasaurus]

Ton of great chance for the Wild in the second and they fall back 2 goals further. Ouch!

I can't believe they didn't score in the second.

Sidenote: Remind me never to say anything mean to Konopka.

ever.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

ITS A GOAL! TOM GILBERT! A MIRACLE! A WILD GOAL!

[Bear55]

Gilbert has been good this year, one of the few bright spots.

[yakfisher]

Uggghhh!!!!!!

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

I dont know what to say about this squad. I was extemely excited at the beginning of the season but this literally looks like the same garbage we've watched for years on repeat.

yuck

[Bear55]

Trying to figure out if this is the bottom or if it is going to get worse?

[yakfisher]

Trying to figure out if this is the bottom or if it is going to get worse?

Listening to Walz, he's wondering the same thing.

[10,000 Casts]

Rupp isn't even close to the answer and Konopka is a joke, now I see why he gets in so many fights, its because he doesn't scare anyone just like tonight with his fights against Wiese.. Not only that but his checks are soft. Btw, where was Clutterbuck? I think I noticed him once all game.

Well I'd say they better figure it out quick, the ship is sinking fast. If they lose a couple more, they need to put Heatley, Cullen, Setoguchi, Konopka, Rupp on the trading block IMO.

Anyone know how Dowell is doing in Houston? I'd rather have him on the 4th line than Konopka.

[schmitty3]

Btw, where was Clutterbuck? I think I noticed him once all game.

I was wondering the same thing. I didn't even know if he was out there or not. It seemed like he'd make a big impact in nearly every game last year, and now this year he has been real quite.

[archerystud]

My hope for this year was that the Wild make the playoffs. The shortened training camp/season hurts a team that is bringing in so many changes.

I missed the first period last night but other than that Schneider might have stolen this one for the Canucks. To dominate the second period and come out 2 goals further back is pretty disheartening. Especially for a team that's been having trouble scoring.

On a bright side I think Brodin and Coyle look good. I liked the Wild announcers take that Brodin is younger than all but one of the Gopher defenseman. WOW!

[OnAFly]

The lack of effort coming out of this team makes your wonder it the real issue is leadership, either from the captains or the coach.

[Guest]

My faith is waning. You'd swear sometimes it appears they are just playing an amateur "pick up" game.....and Parise seems like he is getting pretty frustrated....Yeo is stuck in mud at the moment without a rope to pull himself out....gonna be interesting how this plays out and the outcome does not look promising at this point.

They look smaller - slower - weaker...not a good combination at any level.

[Musky Buck]

Brought up Yeo a while back saying my faith is sketchy at best, who is Mike Yeo ? All I can do is hope like last year we were in first near x-mas and missed the playoffs so hopefully once we're dead last we can make that ground up and sneak in, but the team is kinda a mess and it was a short camp all around the league, the state of hockey is in a state of shock, how can't we be better adding the 2 hundred millionaires and a healthier version of PMB ?

[OnAFly]

We need to lose the following:

Heatley

Seto

PMB

Cullen

Seto is not going to work out here. Cullen is aging. Heatley is aged. PMB just isn't the dynamic PMB we used to know.

Koivu needs to be a captain and quit saying everything is fine and we just aren't getting the breaks. His style is to lead by example, but at some point he needs to walk into the locker room and put some inspiration into these guys. If he can't, give the C to someone else.

[hoppe56307]

I think it might be time for Harding to get another shot, Backstrom needs a rest.

[Guest]

We need to lose the following:

Heatley

Seto

PMB

Cullen

Seto is not going to work out here. Cullen is aging. Heatley is aged. PMB just isn't the dynamic PMB we used to know.

Koivu needs to be a captain and quit saying everything is fine and we just aren't getting the breaks. His style is to lead by example, but at some point he needs to walk into the locker room and put some inspiration into these guys. If he can't, give the C to someone else.

+1 Agree with all this with one exception...keep PMB and get rid of Brodziak. Spot on with Koivu, he used to be our best player so captain by default, be he does not wear the "C" well at all from a team's perspective.

[10,000 Casts]

What could we get for Heatley?

[Guest]

What could we get for Heatley?

ANYONE younger who plays hard both ways would be nice....gotta be someone in a team's farm system they could possibly snap up. Heatley used to have a great scoring touch but that was years ago and the game seems to have passed him by and now he is average as best.....anyone can stand in the crease and cram a puck or two past the goalie.

[yakfisher]

A used puck bag?

[OnAFly]

Ham sandwich. None of that fancy Boars Head stuff either, I'm talkin' Buddig!

I'll go along with the Brodziak comment. He's just not very good this year compared to last.

[Musky Buck]

Heatley has been in decline since his two 50 goal seasons in Ottawa, gone down each year, without Joe Thornton setting up Seto down he goes, you may be but I've never been a huge Clutterbuck fan, great name, hard worker, finishes checks, but NHL skills are very sketchy, I think we've already seen his best play, he's not going to get better than he is, he should've been shipped with the James Sheppards and Colton Gillies crew.

[Bear55]

I think we hit a perfect storm if there is such a thing in hockey. High expectations cramped into a shortened lockout season with no training camp. Plenty of new players and rookies who just haven't found a way to mesh yet. Inexperienced head coach, pretty below average goaltending so far, and to top of off every single player who was the heart of our depth seems to have started off the season in a major slump.

I'll give them time to figure it out, I still love our future but the rest of the NHL might run us over this year and we might have to take some lumps.

If we do turn it around (eventually this will happen) everyone not named Parise, Koivu, Brodin and Gilbert need to step it up. I'll cut Granlund, Coyle and any other rookies some slack, they are getting their first taste of the NHL.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Same old story, same old song and dance with this bunch so far. Goaltending has been adequate, not outstanding. 1 out of every 5 games backstrom is terrible giving up juicy rebounds left and right, and the other 4 games he give you a chance to win. Harding is a solid #2. Should be enough to get you to the playoffs.

Its the offense that ALWAYS been the problem with the wild franchise. They just cant put the puck in the net. its like a chinese fire drill out there watching this team try to score. I cant say it enough, it gets SOOOOOOOO OLD WATCHING! Someone figure out how to put the puck in the DAM NET!!!!!!!!! GOOD LORD!

[knoppers]

great game by backs tonight, he is the reason they won. offense still not producing, even with many great scoring chances.

[TomWehler]

Funny>>>> A ham sandwich!