Tony Dean: MNWild:The Calm Before the Letdown? STL vs Wild

Wild on the board just seconds in! Looks like a good goal..

What a joke!!! Parise hit puck well below the crossbar!

Holy crap, STL is good. I'm scared for Wednesday.

OMG! Strader and Engblom are going to make me puke! Apparently the Wild shouldn't have even bothered showing up for this one...

OMG! Strader and Engblom are going to make me puke! Apparently the Wild shouldn't have even bothered showing up for this one...
- MnGump

Not sure what more you wanted them to say. They said as much good as you could about the Wild, considering how dominated they were.

And... this is your idea of the Wild showing up?

Well it's unfortunate that a clearly good goal was discounted and the Wild lose Parise for the game, but all the excuses in the world don't mean a thing if they can't put the puck in the net!

They didn't play all that well, but they were in the game throughout even though they were outplayed. I'd like to know where that "puck possession" play has been for the last few games.

Not sure what more you wanted them to say. They said as much good as you could about the Wild, considering how dominated they were.

And... this is your idea of the Wild showing up?
- Antilles

Wow man, How in the hell did you get to be so god damn cool?! Really man, I'm curious... Is there like a class I can take?
- MnGump

Wow man, How in the hell did you get to be so god damn cool?! Really man, I'm curious... Is there like a class I can take?
- MnGump

Sarcasm, how original! Got a reply related to hockey? I understand if not, I wouldn't want to talk about it if my team performed like the Wild just did either.

Sarcasm, how original! Got a reply related to hockey? I understand if not, I wouldn't want to talk about it if my team performed like the Wild just did either.
- Antilles

We'll gee, let's see, they were pretty much sucking St. Louis Richards from start to finish. Wild did not play well there's no doubt, but the condescending sentiment of "the little team that could" was a bit stale. The Wild went into this one only a point behind St. Louis in the standings, I think they've earned at least a modicum more respect.

If the disallowed goal is called right, could have been a completely different game. But, as it was, instead of the Blues starting out with a quick goal against and back on their heals, they got a "do over" from the ref. I don't know what's more deflating to a team, going down by a goal 20 seconds into a game, or waiting around for 10 minutes only to find out the refs stole one from you?

Ps. If you don't like sarcastic answers, don't be such a condescending bumhole.

Sarcasm, how original! Got a reply related to hockey? I understand if not, I wouldn't want to talk about it if my team performed like the Wild just did either.
- Antilles

I guess my hockey response would be dont get too comfortable as the Wild will be around year long. There will be battles and although this one was lopsided dont sleep on the Wild.

We'll gee, let's see, they were pretty much sucking St. Louis Richards from start to finish. Wild did not play well there's no doubt, but the condescending sentiment of "the little team that could" was a bit stale. The Wild went into this one only a point behind St. Louis in the standings, I think they've earned at least a modicum more respect.

If the disallowed goal is called right, could have been a completely different game. But, as it was, instead of the Blues starting out with a quick goal against and back on their heals, they got a "do over" from the ref. I don't know what's more deflating to a team, going down by a goal 20 seconds into a game, or waiting around for 10 minutes only to find out the refs stole one from you?

Ps. If you don't like sarcastic answers, don't be such a condescending bumhole.
- MnGump

Agreed.

We'll gee, let's see, they were pretty much sucking St. Louis Richards from start to finish. Wild did not play well there's no doubt, but the condescending sentiment of "the little team that could" was a bit stale. The Wild went into this one only a point behind St. Louis in the standings, I think they've earned at least a modicum more respect.

If the disallowed goal is called right, could have been a completely different game. But, as it was, instead of the Blues starting out with a quick goal against and back on their heals, they got a "do over" from the ref. I don't know what's more deflating to a team, going down by a goal 20 seconds into a game, or waiting around for 10 minutes only to find out the refs stole one from you?

Ps. If you don't like sarcastic answers, don't be such a condescending bumhole.
- MnGump

Post of the year candidate?

Wow! I just wanted to see what everybody thought about the game. Guess I'm not emotionally charged enough for this blog. I did think the Blues didn't put the Wild away tonight like they should have. Left them in the game right up to the empty net goal. Lucky that didn't bite them in the ass in the end.

Wow! I just wanted to see what everybody thought about the game. Guess I'm not emotionally charged enough for this blog. I did think the Blues didn't put the Wild away tonight like they should have. Left them in the game right up to the empty net goal. Lucky that didn't bite them in the ass in the end.
- bluenoter

I totally agree with you except to say that the Wild has basically done to every opponent this season what the Blues did to them last night. That Parise redirection was a goal and the Wild got jobbed there but in truth the Blues played dump and punish not unlike Montreal did a couple games ago and dominated the Wild all game.

Mike Johnson on TSN said it and I agree, he basically alluded to the Blues style being the aspiration for the Wild with the major difference being the Blues are bigger, stronger, and deeper RIGHT now. I totally agree but the Wild is probably only a season behind or so from closing that gap. Look how many 21 and under players the Wild has on the roster graduated to the NHL for their first FULL season. Soooo much room for growth and development!

Mike Johnson on TSN said it and I agree, he basically alluded to the Blues style being the aspiration for the Wild with the major difference being the Blues are bigger, stronger, and deeper RIGHT now. I totally agree but the Wild is probably only a season behind or so from closing that gap.
- Tony Dean

The Wild players are not going to "grow" into the size and physicality of the Blues' players in a season, or ever. The Wild are just not built like St. Louis. Very few teams are.

Wow! I just wanted to see what everybody thought about the game. Guess I'm not emotionally charged enough for this blog. I did think the Blues didn't put the Wild away tonight like they should have. Left them in the game right up to the empty net goal. Lucky that didn't bite them in the ass in the end.
- bluenoter

That's interesting. After Sobotka scored, I thought the game was basically over. I never got the sense that the Wild ever put the Blues in any difficulty. St. Louis is a very bad matchup for the Wild.

The Wild players are not going to "grow" into the size and physicality of the Blues' players in a season, or ever. The Wild are just not built like St. Louis. Very few teams are.
- Chinaski

Agreed but they can supplement their core with it so take the 20 somethings dump the trash bottom of the roster types and add size on D and in general once Heatley, Konopka, Rupp, Prosser, Stoner, etc are gone next year

Agreed but they can supplement their core with it so take the 20 somethings dump the trash bottom of the roster types and add size on D and in general once Heatley, Konopka, Rupp, Prosser, Stoner, etc are gone next year
- Tony Dean

I still don't think the core guys are ever going to bring as physical an element to their play that St. Louis' core does. They could add players with more size that may be better suited to play that physical game, but that's not a simple thing to do. Guys with skill, speed, and size aren't just out there waiting to be picked up.

I think we are seeing that deficiency on the Wild beginning to be addressed through the draft. But it will take more than a year before we will know whether or not those guys can be regular NHL players.

I still don't think the core guys are ever going to bring as physical an element to their play that St. Louis' core does. They could add players with more size that may be better suited to play that physical game, but that's not a simple thing to do. Guys with skill, speed, and size aren't just out there waiting to be picked up.

I think we are seeing that deficiency on the Wild beginning to be addressed through the draft. But it will take more than a year before we will know whether or not those guys can be regular NHL players.
- Chinaski

St. Louis is a solid team no doubt. But they've been proven to have plenty of flaws over the past few seasons themselves. Wild don't match up well against them, this is true, but St. Louis is just as beatable as any other team if the Wild play that puck possession style of play from start to finish like we've seen them do for the majority of this season so far... And let's face it, between Backstrom being a rebound machine and the poor net front presence of the defense Monday night, not to mention losing their best forward for the better part of two periods, the Wild we're fighting an uphill battle.

By the way, did anyone see Rupp in that game? Weird how a guy can make his first start in over 6 months and be absolutely unnoticed.

Parise skating on the top line at practice?!?! So I guess nowadays 3 weeks is actually a day?! I am okay with it tho

Parise skating on the top line at practice?!?! So I guess nowadays 3 weeks is actually a day?! I am okay with it tho
- kgrpitt

Interesting how Parise skates with bad foot and all of a sudden Granlund, and Ballard can play too.

Wild don't match up well against them, this is true, but St. Louis is just as beatable as any other team if the Wild play that puck possession style of play from start to finish like we've seen them do for the majority of this season so far...
- MnGump

I would agree that St. Louis is beatable if the Wild could have more possession. However, I think the style of possession would be important. If the Wild put the game on the wall and try to just cycle to keep possession, I think they would have an issue. I'm not sure how to describe it but I think they would need possession with more skating, movement, and quick passes where they would force the Blues to cover a lot more ice rather than just occupy one corner on the cycle.