All Things 2023-24 Minnesota Wild In-Season Thread

[GopherJake]

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- — Ryan Hartman scored three goals as part of a career-high-tying five-point game, and the Minnesota Wild scored five times in the final period to beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-4 on Tuesday night..

Wild 7-4 Oilers (Oct 24, 2023) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers NHL game from October 24, 2023 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

Brock Faber is arguably our best defenseman at this point. He led the team last night in Time on Ice for the 4th time in 6 games. He was +2 last night and is +4 on the season. With Spurgeon missing significant time, Faber picking up right where he left off last season - when he immediately upgraded a playoff team lineup - has been a huge boost to the cobbled together defensive core. Having just turned 21 in August, the future is very bright for him and Wild fans.

Extend Kaprizov ASAP!!

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- — Ryan Hartman scored three goals as part of a career-high-tying five-point game, and the Minnesota Wild scored five times in the final period to beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-4 on Tuesday night..

Wild 7-4 Oilers (Oct 24, 2023) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers NHL game from October 24, 2023 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

The abysmal start to the season for Edmonton is just surprising as hell, and enjoyable as hell to watch. Bunch of arrogant bastards; unprecedented Power Play, but nobody that wants to play defense, shitty goal-tending, and a Head Coach who is so far over his head it's unbelievable.

My guess is Woodcroft is gone by Christmas, barring a major turnaround in Edmonton.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Wild might wanna tighten up the defense a little bit. Not sure you can win many games giving up 6.

 

[GopherJake]

Wild might wanna tighten up the defense a little bit. Not sure you can win many games giving up 6.

Kaprizov -3, Zuc -2, Hartman -2 - those guys need to play better D
Brodin and Faber also both -2, but also 1 & 3 in TOI.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

7 rounds in the shootout with no goals - against Kuemper to boot.

7 is far from the record - a game in 2014 went 20 rounds before it was decided.

 

[TRF Guy]

4 chances to end it in the shootout and they give 4 lame attempts

 

[Iceland12]

There were 14 shots in the shootout. Minnesota misses 6 out of 7. Washington was 1 for 7.

WASHINGTON — Depleted by injuries and hemorrhaging goals, the Wild needed to make a statement on Friday at Capital One Arena. To themselves. It wasn’t perfect, but for now, it will do.

After allowing an average of 5.2 goals in their previous four games (1-2-1), the Wild held the Washington Capitals to two regulation scores and assured themselves of a point in a 3-2 shootout loss at Capital One Arena.

“It would have been nice to have two points out of that,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said after making 30 saves in regulation and overtime — and six in the shootout. “It’s a long season, we got a big point there. I think we’ve learned from this.

Marco Rossi gave Minnesota its first first-period lead since Oct. 19, and Ryan Hartman tied the game with an unassisted goal just over a minute into the third period, but the Wild were 0 for 6 on the power play and couldn’t solve Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper in the shootout.

The former Wild goalie stopped Mats Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, Marcus Johansson and, finally, Pat Maroon to secure the win for Washington..."

Wild play better, earn point in Washington

“I think we learned from this,” said Marc-Andre Fleury, stopped 30 shots in regulation and overtime, then six in the shootout.

www.twincities.com

 

[From the Parkinglot]

They are just not good. Combine that with the dead money contracts and the 4 year extensions for 3 ok but aging players and to me they are a below average team and don’t really have options to get better. They won’t lose enough games to get a high draft pick and the guys you would wanna move all have no trade clauses.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Glad to see the Wild have not figured out special teams again this year.

 

[GopherJake]

Glad to see the Wild have not figured out special teams again this year.

Their PK is really bad. That said, we need to copy New Jersey’s power play approach. It’s all about redirects.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

I hope the Wild stop wearing these sweaters. You are not the north stars and you never will be the north stars again. They moved to Dallas. If you need to tread on their franchise then your franchise sucks. The nfl told Tennessee to knock it off with the oiler uniforms and they are at least the actual franchise. The nhl should tell the wild to knock it off.

Also down 3-0 to a ranger team playing their backup goalie ain’t great.

 

[BleedGopher]

Winless in 6 of last 7, now down 3-0 at home in 1st.

Oof.

Gooo Wild!!

 

[Iceland12]

Winless in 6 of last 7, now down 3-0 at home in 1st.

Oof.

Gooo Wild!!

It's now 4-4 at the end of regulation.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

I’ll say one thing Rossi looks really good this year. He is noticeably physical and quick. He needs to be centering the line with 97.

 

[Iceland12]

Wild win 5-4 in a shootout.

Rangers 4-5 Wild (Nov 4, 2023) Final Score - ESPN

Game summary of the New York Rangers vs. Minnesota Wild NHL game, final score 4-5, from November 4, 2023 on ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[BleedGopher]

Great comeback win!

Gooo Wild!!

 

[GopherJake]

I’ll say one thing Rossi looks really good this year. He is noticeably physical and quick. He needs to be centering the line with 97.

I wouldn’t give up just yet on this team. (Not saying you are.) Boldy has looked great in his two games back. Kaprizov will produce- I like the new look of him with Rossi (who, I agree, is buzzing out there) and Boldy. Foligno needs to play better. Right now, he’s good for a strong hit, but not much else. The goaltending couldn’t get much worse (can it?). Not sure why Lettieri is on the second PP unit? And we desperately need Spurgeon back - and the whole of the D core to play better.

After a disastrous first 7 minutes against NYR, the Wild outplayed them hugely. Especially in the 2nd, 3rd and OT. It could be an artifact of the NYR defensive zone strategy - on the PK, they are very conservative and bunched closing the middle. At even strength, several times it looked like the Wild had an extra skater. One sequence had almost 3 full minutes of continuous offensive zone time.

So it’s not all bad. Hopefully the latter half of the Ranger game lit a fire. They sure were pumped as a team at the end. Nearly a playoff type celebration on the ice.

 

[Ope3]

I hope the Wild stop wearing these sweaters. You are not the north stars and you never will be the north stars again. They moved to Dallas. If you need to tread on their franchise then your franchise sucks. The nfl told Tennessee to knock it off with the oiler uniforms and they are at least the actual franchise. The nhl should tell the wild to knock it off.

Also down 3-0 to a ranger team playing their backup goalie ain’t great.

I wish they would go with a St Paul Fighting Saints throwback.

 

[Iceland12]

Wild beat the Islanders 4-2 on Long Island getting goals from Kaprizov and Ek in the 3rd period to win it. Minnesota evens their record at 5-5-2

Wild 4-2 Islanders (Nov 7, 2023) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Minnesota Wild vs. New York Islanders NHL game from November 7, 2023 on ESPN. Includes all goals, assists and penalty minutes stats.

www.espn.com

 

[TRF Guy]

Wild beat the Islanders 4-2 on Long Island getting goals from Kaprizov and Ek in the 3rd period to win it. Minnesota evens their record at 5-5-2

Wild 4-2 Islanders (Nov 7, 2023) Box Score - ESPN

Box score for the Minnesota Wild vs. New York Islanders NHL game from November 7, 2023 on ESPN. Includes all goals, assists and penalty minutes stats.

www.espn.com

Didn’t think Fleury would be the number 1 goalie at this point before the season started

 

[Iceland12]

Didn’t think Fleury would be the number 1 goalie at this point before the season started

Bet most Wild fans thought the same thing.

 

[TRF Guy]

Bet most Wild fans thought the same thing.

Hopefully Gusty gets back to his old form that got him that new contract

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Deans going to need a new whipping boy. Never felt like he got a fair shake, but I also only watch the games so who knows. From what was once a 1st round pick to being traded for a 5th is something.

 

[TRF Guy]

 

[From the Parkinglot]

When do we worry about the Russian and not being as good as people thought he was. He’s basically been invisible in every game this year so far.

 

[Gophers1992]

When do we worry about the Russian and not being as good as people thought he was. He’s basically been invisible in every game this year so far.

Call me crazy but I’ll rely on the 3 years of him being an elite player over a 13 game sample, over which he’s still at nearly a PPG.

 

[From the Parkinglot]

Call me crazy but I’ll rely on the 3 years of him being an elite player over a 13 game sample, over which he’s still at nearly a PPG.

Elite is a tough word to use for him. I don’t see that he has the longevity or the playoff prowess to be called elite. He’s a nice player, but when you get dominated in the playoffs like he has, not sure you can call him elite.

With where the Wild are cap wise, they need him to be better to win games and he simply has not been this year. These points count just as much now as points in May.

 

[TRF Guy]

Elite is a tough word to use for him. I don’t see that he has the longevity or the playoff prowess to be called elite. He’s a nice player, but when you get dominated in the playoffs like he has, not sure you can call him elite.

With where the Wild are cap wise, they need him to be better to win games and he simply has not been this year. These points count just as much now as points in May.

To be fair it’s not like he has first line teammates. Zuch is another year older and Hartsy is a good player but far from a number one center. Kap has had his chances they just aren’t going in at the frequency we are use to

 

[TRF Guy]

Yet another loss tonight 3-2 to Buffalo

 

[GopherJake]

Yet another loss tonight 3-2 to Buffalo

Not the same as others, though. Dozens of Grade A scoring chances. Just couldn’t get it over the red line. Lots to like about the game. Kaprizov with a goal and assist, and lots of star quality play. Also one horrible play that gave away a breakaway and a back-breaking goal. He needs to stop turning it over in the neutral zone and high in the O-zone.