WildHBcommunity: Sunday Border Battle with Winnipeg Jets at the X
Winning in Dallas is Huge Monkey off Wild's Back Just in Time for Home Border Battle
When it was announced realignment would be taking place in the NHL, it was a huge relief to the Minnesota Wild that they would no longer be required to travel more than any other franchise in the league. The other benefits though were the opportunity to play more games against opponents in the region none more important than season series with the freshly relocated Winnipeg Jets.
Both of these hockey cities have die hard all the way bought in fan bases that lost their original NHL franchise to a relocation based upon financial ramifications and politics. Both of these hockey communities fought tooth and nail to return NHL hockey to their home successfully. Now both franchises may not have the prestige and tradition of the original six franchise or even the other Canadian NHL teams BUT what they do have is a reinforced opportunity to create NEW traditions and a legacy of built on the idea that they would not let the dream of NHL hockey die despite having hockey ripped from their town.
I love that Jets fans make the trip down to give the business to Wild fans in our own building and to EVERY goalie they face. I respect the fact that although the Atlanta Thrashers roster they inherited was certainly flawed they sold out their building for 3 years + to guarantee NHL hockey would be played in Winnipeg. I have a lot of admiration for their young players and I think the Jets have a bright future because they have so many talented kids coming up in their pipeline not unlike what Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher has done here to return our team to relevance.
The Return of Zach Parise to the Lineup Today
I think the true influence of Zach Parise is never really appreciated until you see the difference with him missing from the lineup. In his 3rd season since returning to the State of Hockey, you can still find New Jersey Devils fans female dogging around the interwebs about his departure from their squad and how different things could have been there.
For the Wild I think we all got so comfortable early this season taking for granted how big a factor in work ethic and attitude this club was playing with only to have it turn into a boulevard of broken dreams with Parise out of the lineup. Parise every shift plays end to end hockey never taking a second off effort wise and his teammates play up to his level which is game changer.
Parise is honestly the hardest working superstar type player I have ever witnessed play hockey in my life which is kinda of a shot at his overall ability while also giving him the ultimate compliment of being the most driven competitor. Parise is not a sniper and nor does he score a ton of highlight reel goals like you see with the national NHL superstar types but his game is so effective and productive that you almost come to expect him to break through no matter the circumstances.
Parise needs to be careful in returning from concussion like symptoms as Wild fans have learned the hard way with Pierre-Marc Bouchard but I think this is a guy that was dying inside not being able to take the ice with his team especially as the stunk it up during a 4 game losing streak.
Parise is returning to the lineup to play with Mikko Koivu and Jason Pominville which is a line Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo has defaulted to many times over the past 3 seasons. Playing Parise with Koivu and Pominville gives the 'Danger Zone' line of Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Charlie Coyle some extended opportunity to prove they are ready to consistently produce in the Top 6 for the Wild.
Blue Line Shuffle has Been Source of Frustration for Wild
After missing Jared Spurgeon for multiple games do to a shoulder injury, the Wild was piecing together different pairings to help mask the loss of the ultra-talented tiny defender. Once Spurgeon returned to the lineup, the team lost Jonas Brodin and Marco Scandella to illness. The blueline for the Wild had been so effective and efficient to begin this 2014-15 with a Top 4 Pairings (Ryan Suter/Jonas Brodin and Scandella/Spurgeon) that rivals any in the NHL in skill in both ends.
Also this year it was such a huge opportunity to integrate young defenders Mathew Dumba and Christian Folin on the bottom pair insulated by quality of opponents and their deployment in general. Unfortunately teams are always going to target the Wild's skilled but slight of stature defenders Spurgeon and Brodin with physical play which means they will have to withstand a ton of punishment. Both those players have been battling through pain and injuries already this year which has created some voids in the lineup.
Besides the love fest I have had over Spurgeon since last year, Scandella deserves so much more credit for being an anchor for the Wild's 2nd pairing than he will ever receive. Scandella showed during Spurgeon's absence he has the ability to step up his game and more specifically his offensive aggressiveness with the puck on his stick. Scandella was playing more minutes than Suter early this year and last season as well which really helped the Wild's top defender to be effective and productive with his minutes.
Also of note both Dumba and Folin have flashed the ability to be very good NHL defenders but each has struggled with consistency and mistakes you would expect from kids that have only a handful of professional games under their belt. The bottom of the roster veterans Nate Prosser, Keith Ballard, Justin Falk, and Jon Blum are all flawed so having to elevate any of them beyond a 3rd pairing role leaves this team vulnerable. Prosser had a stretch of 5 games that were just atrocious before a bounce back last night in Dallas.
Dumba has been afforded what seems like unlimited opportunities to elevate his play and show the dynamic offensive ability and aggressiveness that have made him such a highly touted prospect. Dumba has seemed very gun shy with his shot even though he has been getting powerplay minutes nearly every game. I wonder if Dumba would not benefit from some 'Baby Wild' time with Newly Hired John Torchetti. I am huge Dumba guy but he has to get going here using his gifts to create mismatches and secondary scoring.
Please Join The Jeff Dubay Show WildWednesday Crew LIve at Burger Moe's 5-6pm
Find it Here: WildWednesday on Jeff Dubay Show
We moved the WildWednesday broadcast from Devil's Advocate in downtown Minneapolis to Burger Moe's 242 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55102 (651) 222-3100 so that we could be in the heart of Minnesota Wild territory just steps from the Excel Energy Center. That means the opportunity to engage Wild fans on their turf and talk some hockey! No show in this market gives you a more fan friendly hour of hockey talk I promise you. Please join us we are there every Wednesday and we would love nothing more than to have the place jumping with WildHBcommunity members and State of Hockey Rubes of all shapes and sizes!
The Jeff Dubay show had it's 28k listen early Sunday, thanks @DevilsBarMN @mcgovpodcast @aliveandsocial @BurgerMoes @uptownpawn
— Jeff Dubay (@jeffdubay) November 16, 2014
In just 2 months of existence the Jeff Dubay show has been listened to and downloaded over 28, 000 times so we know people are seeking out the show. Please come see us in person and enjoy the hospitalities that are offered at Burger Moe's. On Wednesday November 26th the Minnesota Wild Host the Los Angeles Kings at the X. We will have a show 5-6pm that day before we storm the X! Come join us talk some hockey and walk to the X with us as the Wild look to get revenge on the Kings!
Ready to start it up, a Wild Wednesday on the Jeff Dubay show @BurgerMoes @SSchwietz @mcgovpodcast @aliveandsocial pic.twitter.com/wwkBztSdyA
— Jeff Dubay (@jeffdubay) November 12, 2014Just My Take, Tony Dean
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