MNWild Haula & Niederreiter to Prevent Lightning Strikes Tonight at the X
The Tampa Bay Lightning's Top Line will Draw a Heavy Dose of Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter
Tonight with the Tampa Bay Lightning in town to play the Minnesota Wild at the Excel Energy Center, I will be focusing in on the matchups between these two squads. The Lightning feature a top line with Jonathan Drouin, Valtteri Filppula, and Steven Stamkos. As we saw last season Wild center Erik Haula was implemented by head coach Mike Yeo in a defensive stopper role during the Colorado Avalanche playoff series shadowing Nathan Mackinnon.
Tonight the assignment for Haula will be to hold Stamkos in check, a huge task but the former gopher has risen to the challenge so far this year sighting pride as the fuel to eliminate opponents top offensive players. Haula will be assisted by Niederreiter and most likely Justin Fontaine on his wings. The chemistry between Haula and Niederreiter has been evident dating back to the end of last season. Fontaine will look to catch up with his new linemates in understanding what they are looking to accomplish.
Stamkos is in my top 5 most talented players in the NHL so I am excited to see him tonight even though I am rooting for him to be held off the board. Drouin was the 3rd overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft for the Lightning. Drouin just recalled from a conditioning assignment with Syracuse of the AHL, scored his first NHL goal last night versus the Winnipeg Jets while also adding an assist. Filppula was a major free agent last season for the Lightning to become their top line center and despite an injury causing him to miss the Sochi Olympic Games, he responded with 25 goals and 58 points in 75 games.
The Lightning are banged up right now missing several key pieces to their lineup so shutting their top 6 will be a huge key to victory this evening for the Wild. The second line for Tampa Bay is centered by Tyler Johnson who is again off to a hot start for the Lightning with 7 points in 8 games this year. The Lightning are missing top pair defender Victor Hedman along with Ryan Callahan, Alex Killorn, Brett Connolly, and J.T. Brown.
The Finnesotans Down the Middle for the Wild a Strength in Both Ends of the Ice
Flanked in the lineup by the next generation of Finnish pivot players, the captain for the Minnesota Wild Mikko Koivu is the leader by example of what a two-way NHL center should look and play like. Although Mikael Granlund and Haula are not as big or as strong as Koivu, each his developed a very similar work ethic and commitment to playing responsibly in the defensive end to eliminate opportunities of their opponents.
Granlund currently the top line center has worked very hard to contribute in the defensive end making his time ice the most effective and efficient it can possibly be. Playing with Zach Parise and Jason Pominville has surely influenced Granlund's ability to use his instincts and stick handling to create turnovers because he is less likely separate the puck from opponents with checking and physical play.
Haula has used his speed and aggressiveness to pressure opponents into turning over the puck in both zones. Haula is tenacious in his pursuit of the puck and the pressure he creates directly influences puck handlers on the opposing squad. Haula's versatility during his years as a Gopher foreshadowed how talented and equipped he has become at creating opportunities out of nothing.
Haula has been a difference maker on the penalty kill creating severeal short handed chances already this season. Haula moving up a line to take over the 2nd line role currently belonging to Koivu is going to be a very relevant ongoing debate as long as the young pivot continues to play at his current level.
(EDIT Amending and Clarifying courtesy of Tony Wiseau) Koivu is not going to 3rd line anytime soon BUT I think as the year goes on there is a strong possibility Haula will put pressure on him and we could see them swap roles.
Bottom Pair for the Wild a Source of Frustration and Anxiety Going Forward
The current lightning rod for Wild fans has been veteran defender Keith Ballard who has earned the scorn of the fanbase with his inconsistent play. Ballard a former Gopher has yet to return to the form that saw him play at a very high level as an NHL defender. When Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher signed Ballard to a 2 year deal, it was an attempt to help the veteran return to Minnesota and regain his old form while adding an experienced presence to the defensive corps.
My preference for the bottom pair is to allow Christian Folin and Mathew Dumba play together and add minutes to their NHL experience. Folin has the size/skill combo that can be paired with several of the Wild's other defenders. Folin also has shown he can play with a nasty streak which the Wild lacks throughout the lineup. Folin hip checked Anze Kopitar so hard he went sideways through the air in the boards just below the Kings bench last weekend. Mike Richards immediately sought out Folin to exact revenge on the young Swede defender but all he got was a black eye from several Folin uppercuts.
Dumba needs to get comfortable and confident that he belongs in the NHL and is capable of stepping up his offensive play. Dumba has to shoot the puck more flat out for him to stay here in Saint Paul. Dumba must be aggressive for his presence and playing time to be a strength for the Wild. Dumba creating offense and secondary scoring from the bottom pair and the 2nd powerplay unit would create a significant advantage for the 'State of Hockey' franchise.
Darcy Kuemper......Thats All
MINNESOTA WILD LINEUP
Zach Parise–Mikael Granlund–Jason Pominville
Thomas Vanek–Mikko Koivu–Charlie Coyle
Nino Niederreiter–Erik Haula–Justin Fontaine
Matt Cooke–Ryan Carter-Jason Zucker
Defensive Pairings
Ryan Suter-Jonas Brodin
Marco Scandella–Jared Spurgeon
Mathew Dumba-Nate Prosser
Darcy Kuemper
Niklas Backstrom
Scratches:Kyle Brodziak-Keith Ballard-Christian Folin
Injured: Josh Harding
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING LINEUP
Jonathan Drouin-Valtteri Filppula-Steven Stamkos
Jonathan Marchessault-Tyler Johnson-Ondrej Palat
Nikita Kucherov-Vladislav Namestnikov-Cedric Paquette
Brenden Morrow-Brian Boyle-Mike Blunden
Defensive Pairings
Anton Stralman-Matt Carle
Jason Garrison-Radko Gudas
Eric Brewer-Andrej Sustr
Ben Bishop
Evgeni Nabokov
Injured:Ryan Callahan-Victor Hedman-Alex Killorn-Brett Connolly-J.T. Brown
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3 in the Box Crew Featuring Tony Dean
That's all for now thanks for reading!
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Tony Dean
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