Dan Wallace: Wild Host Younger Hungrier Version of Rangers

Only thing impressive from the 3-1 win was Lundqvist. If you catch him on an off night they lose that game in a landslide.

Man, I sure hope the Wild take a team bus everywhere, as none of them should be allowed to drive. Not a single player knows how to stay on the gas pedal! Score 3 and coast...they really, REALLY need to realize that they are going uphill, not downhill.

Man, I sure hope the Wild take a team bus everywhere, as none of them should be allowed to drive. Not a single player knows how to stay on the gas pedal! Score 3 and coast...they really, REALLY need to realize that they are going uphill, not downhill.
- Gusrichards

You got that right, however the three goals were far too easy and once the Rags woke up it became the DD show. Boudreau must be reading HB because he seems to be playing DD on a regular basis instead of putting Stalock in for reason nobody knows. I think it is time to trade El Nino. He has been taking bad penalites, costly turnovers and BB is clearly just about done with him. He is pretty one dimensional and the more I watch him the more I think he is not fitting in. I should learn patience as it could just be the ankle sprain and getting up to speed after missing so much time this year. I watched a goal scored by the Wild and the look on Nino's face has me wondering if he is a team player or a me player. He showed little emotion when his linemate scored which to me is odd. Time will tell but I am watching him very closely to find out what is going on with him.Too many players not getting any points lately is concerning, ie Granlund

You got that right, however the three goals were far too easy and once the Rags woke up it became the DD show. Boudreau must be reading HB because he seems to be playing DD on a regular basis instead of putting Stalock in for reason nobody knows. I think it is time to trade El Nino. He has been taking bad penalites, costly turnovers and BB is clearly just about done with him. He is pretty one dimensional and the more I watch him the more I think he is not fitting in. I should learn patience as it could just be the ankle sprain and getting up to speed after missing so much time this year. I watched a goal scored by the Wild and the look on Nino's face has me wondering if he is a team player or a me player. He showed little emotion when his linemate scored which to me is odd. Time will tell but I am watching him very closely to find out what is going on with him.Too many players not getting any points lately is concerning, ie Granlund
- joegreif17

I couldn't disagree with you more greif, no disrepect. Nino is FAR from a problematic player on this team. He's a possession monster, and plays better defense than lots of people give him credit for. Its also not helping that him and Staal are playing with with Ennis a lot lately. His down year is due to the injuries, in the lineup, out, back in, back out. I don't hear anyone ripping parise for taking so long to get going, why pick apart Nino? Other than Granny, Nino has the highest ceiling on this team. I'd like to see Coyle get reunited with Staal and Nino. When that line was going last year, no one could get those guys out of the offensive zone. Nino is a 30+ goal guy, and had he not gotten hurt this year I guarantee you'd have seen it.

As for Dubnyk... Where to start? I fail to see him as this world beater that you make him out to be. I think We've seen enough of him to know he's mainly a product of how good his defense is. Where was he earlier this season when the D was atrocious? He certainly wasn't stealing any games, instead he was letting in dumb goals and falling apart. Funny how since the team defense has gotten better, he starts to win some games. I'll give him credit where its due, he was good against the hawks, and it certainly wasn't his fault they lost to the blues in round 1 last year. I will agree with you that the more he plays, the better he is, but the same can be said about any player really. Once you get in a groove, you play better. That's what BB is trying to do with Stalock, throw the guy a bone and reward him for being a halfway decent backup.

I couldn't disagree with you more greif, no disrepect. Nino is FAR from a problematic player on this team. He's a possession monster, and plays better defense than lots of people give him credit for. Its also not helping that him and Staal are playing with with Ennis a lot lately. His down year is due to the injuries, in the lineup, out, back in, back out. I don't hear anyone ripping parise for taking so long to get going, why pick apart Nino? Other than Granny, Nino has the highest ceiling on this team. I'd like to see Coyle get reunited with Staal and Nino. When that line was going last year, no one could get those guys out of the offensive zone. Nino is a 30+ goal guy, and had he not gotten hurt this year I guarantee you'd have seen it.

As for Dubnyk... Where to start? I fail to see him as this world beater that you make him out to be. I think We've seen enough of him to know he's mainly a product of how good his defense is. Where was he earlier this season when the D was atrocious? He certainly wasn't stealing any games, instead he was letting in dumb goals and falling apart. Funny how since the team defense has gotten better, he starts to win some games. I'll give him credit where its due, he was good against the hawks, and it certainly wasn't his fault they lost to the blues in round 1 last year. I will agree with you that the more he plays, the better he is, but the same can be said about any player really. Once you get in a groove, you play better. That's what BB is trying to do with Stalock, throw the guy a bone and reward him for being a halfway decent backup.
- mnMild

Are you really a fan of the Wild? DD is the mvp of this team and without him there will be no playoffs.................that simple. BB plays too many head games imo, he did it in Washington till they ran him out, OV hated him. I love El Nino and the Wild and hope he turns it around soon. I would love to see Coyle with Staal and Nieds but coach Boudreau is a moron and can't see Ennis is a weak link. As for your comment when the defence gets better he wins some games, give me a break. Check out the shots on goal on the wins and why DD is so valuable. My god, you must have Stalock in your keeper pool. Kick some Capital ass tonite Wild.

Dubnyk is hardly the team MVP. You must be forgetting about a man named Eric Staal, the only veteran on this team pulling his weight. If Dubnyk was so great, why didn't he steal more games early in the year then? Take a look at the best goalies in this league, they can win games by themselves when the offense\defense doesn't offer much help. Sure he faced a lot of shots against the hawks, mostly from the outside in low danger areas. Russo even pointed it out on twitter. He's very hit or miss, and there's a reason he was a career backup before he came here.

Boudreau isn't a moron. Hes had Ennis playing on with Staal and Nino to try and balance out the offense. Sure Ennis is a weak link, but there's been plenty of weak links all year, he's hardly the the sole issue on the team. Also, I don't see the capitals winning many cups since Boudreau's departure...With a better team....

And no, I'm not a Stalock rube, i also do not play and fantasy sports whatsoever. I just call em as i see em.

Well, I will DD is the MVP....if it was 2 years ago. Yes, without him, there was no playoffs. So far this season, the game that I saw DD "steal" was that last game against the Hawks. And when you have a 3 goal lead, it's not really stealing a game as a goalie, but just protecting. I DO believe DD is a better than average goalie though. There is a reason he was a 1st rd pick. He has shown the ability to play excellent hockey at times...but since he got his fat contract, there is no longer the pressure to play at the top most of the time. Not saying his contract was bad, because the Wild needed something.

As for the El Nino, I think the pressure of his big payday has gotten to him a bit. Being injured really sucks the competitive juices right outta ya. His emotions are probably part of his feeling terrible because he got the big contract and hasn't really had the chance to produce because of injuries. I truly believe he is a lot better player then what we have seen this year.

As for Ennis....well, BB kind of has his hands tied, since Ennis has that big contract. He really needs to play him. I am guessing he would prefer to have Kunin playing on the 3rd line. I'm dreaming of the idea that CF can dump Ennis and Reilly on some team for an 86 year 6th line center. And Greenway is signed and playing. Would look something like this...

Parise - Staal - Nino
Zucker - Koivu - Granlund
Greenway - Cullen - Coyle
Winnik - JEE - Foligno (Stewart in PB)

Suter - Spurgeon
Brodin - Dumba
Olofsson - Prosser (Seeler in PB)

And I forgot to add, I am a Stalock backer. I'm in Duluth, and he used to play for the Bulldogs. So I always hope he does well. Do I think he should be starting? Naw...just needs to be ready for the times that DD DOES need a game off. And you are correct mnMild, Duluth is not a cool city, its downright COLD!