WildHBcommunity: Wild Need to Take the Wheel in Motor City
Minnesota Wild Looking to Prove Yeo Right With Victory in Detroit
The Minnesota Wild 36 - 24 - 11 (83 points) have losses in seven of their last ten games although four of them came after regulation meaning the team added a point to their total. Morale victories are fleeting and so when Wild bench boss showed up for a brief and contentious media session after yesterday’s 3-2 regulation loss versus the Red Wings prepared to explain why his team is not suffering a late season collapse it painted quite the opposite picture. The Detroit Red Wings 33 - 24 - 13 (79 points) are the most injury ravaged team in the NHL with nearly their entire veteran core out of the lineup but they found a way to control the play and earn a victory at the Excel Energy Center versus a full strength Wild squad that desperately needs to stem the tide as their season is slowly slipping away.
Lowered Expectations and Explaining Away Shortcoming is Yeo’s style
Not that Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo needs the help, but there exists a segment of the fan base that feels compelled to attack and be ugly towards any fans/bloggers/writers/content generators that call into question anything to do with the Wild. Just check my Twitter time line for proof of it when I called into question that Yeo is certainly coaching for his job right now. I was met with insults, character attacks, and rude condescending behavior from a couple folks currently and previously affiliated with a Wild fan site.
There has been very productive healthy conversation and debates on social media and on sites dedicated to the Wild this season without people resorting to internet ugliness and condescending behavior but it would seem some can just not help themselves and will remind you how important they believe they are and how it is their site or whatever is the case.
Truth to be told it is very reasonable to have doubts about the ability of Yeo to lead a team that doesn’t suffer a late season collapse and is equipped to compete with either of the top two seeds in the Western Conference in a first round playoff series. It is accurate to point out that Yeo has gone out of his way to avoid making an example of under-performing veterans while instead making his statements to his team at the expense of younger players who often are not a focal point of why the team is not getting it done. Yeo is very capable of making excuses for himself and arguing away valid issues presented with regard to his judgment, adjustments, in game management, and avoidance.
The simple reality is the Wild was able to get their season back on track with a lineup of empowered young players filling important roles in increased ice time. Once the Wild returned its injured veterans and the younger player were returned to a diminished role with limited ice time the losses began and their point lead in the Western Conference playoff picture evaporated. As it currently stand the Wild are in the 7th seed with 83 points but their remaining schedule is by far the tougher than the teams chasing them for a playoff spot.
The message from Yeo is simple this current team is way more talented and different from last year’s squad so there is no chance of this being a situation similar to last year’s late season collapse. I certainly agree this team has added talent is better equipped than they were at this time last year but I believe that a late season collapse is entirely possible and is on the verge of occurring.
The Wild have called up from Iowa of the AHL Jonathon Blum and who else but Stephane Veilleux. Not to dump on Veilluex because he is a great story great energy type of veteran player but he should NOT be in the lineup at the expense of Justin Fontaine or Erik Haula. I can 1000% guarantee that if Veilluex is in tonight it will not be Dany Heatley or Kyle Brodziak in the press box which is a shame!
****UPDATE****
Yeo hinted that Heatley may NOT be in the lineup. Stay Tuned Folks!!!
If Heatley is scratched it will be a huge step forward for the Wild's bench boss that is coming about 10 months too late! The Minnesota Wild’s Remaining Games after Tonight 73 03/26/2014 Vancouver Canucks 74 03/27/2014 @ St. Louis Blues 75 03/29/2014 @ Phoenix Coyotes 76 03/31/2014 @ Los Angeles Kings 77 04/03/2014 @ Chicago Blackhawks 78 04/05/2014 Pittsburgh Penguins 79 04/07/2014 @ Winnipeg Jets 80 04/08/2014 Boston Bruins 81 04/10/2014 St. Louis Blues 82 04/13/2014 Nashville Predators
Individual Leaders Minnesota Wild Detroit Red Wings Points: J. POMINVILLE (50),Z. PARISE (45),M. MOULSON (44) H. ZETTERBERG (48),D. LEGWAND (47),N. KRONWALL (43) Goals: J. POMINVILLE (26),Z. PARISE (23),M. MOULSON (20) G. NYQUIST (21),D. ALFREDSSON (17),H. ZETTERBERG (16) Assists: M. KOIVU (32),R. SUTER (32),M. GRANLUND (30) N. KRONWALL (36),D. LEGWAND (35),H. ZETTERBERG (32) PP Goals: Z. PARISE (12),M. MOULSON (9),J. POMINVILLE (5) J. FRANZEN (7),T. BERTUZZI (6),D. LEGWAND (5) SH Goals: M. COOKE (1),Z. PARISE (1),E. HAULA (1) D. HELM (1),D. DEKEYSER (1) GW Goals: J. POMINVILLE (5),Z. PARISE (5),M. COOKE (3) G. NYQUIST (5),J. FRANZEN (4),D. ALFREDSSON (3) 3+ Goals: R. SUTER(1),J. FONTAINE(1) J. FRANZEN(1),G. NYQUIST(1) PIM: C. STONER (82),N. PROSSER (54),M. COOKE (52) K. QUINCEY (78),B. SMITH (54),D. LEGWAND (49) Shots: Z. PARISE (216),J. POMINVILLE (195),M. MOULSON (154) H. ZETTERBERG (151),D. ALFREDSSON (135),J. ABDELKADER (133) +/-: M. SCANDELLA (+12),N. NIEDERREITER (+10),Z. PARISE (+9) H. ZETTERBERG (+19),J. FRANZEN (+10),G. NYQUIST (+10)
Just My Take, Tony Dean
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