[Game Takes] Wild 5 Flames 2

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah it was down to three things for me.

1) Wolf appearance
2) Solovyov first NHL point
3) Huberdeau with maybe his best period as a Flame

Rest was a boring mess!

I think it was a good period by Huberdeau, but he's had better. But he's definitely stringing those together a little more. I expect he will always have a bad pass thrown in there, just like Weegar's aggressive blue line play will sometimes get blown or Pospisil will sometimes take an offensive zone penalty. Nature of the beast.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

All true. This loss just felt worse because it wasn't the tempo that made losses fun before. No Pospisil, Zary wasn't as fun to watch (despite the goal), and the team as a whole was sluggish and not executing to the best of their abilities. It just wasn't a good effort. I wasn't even that stoked to see Wolf because it wasn't a good situation for him.

Exactly. I don't mind losses, as long as they play well. Last night they were flat. Nothing to like, not enjoyable to watch.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by D as in David

More of what we saw from Huberdeau in the second period, please.

I have been meaning to mention... saw Huberdeau at a restaurant, more than a week ago now, and he was visibly limping. I suspect he has been banged up lately.

People were complaining for a few games, that he wasn't moving his feet like he was when he was playing well. This may explain it.

And I thought he was skating better last night.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah and Andersson / Weegar just doesn't work, and hasn't worked all year.

If you're going t break something up I guess you break that one up because a) it's two righties and b) they still haven't achieved break even this year in play driving.

Too many turnovers.

Thank you. I have never seen what people like about that pairing. I would prefer to see them broken up.

Hanifin - Andersson works.

Then you have Weegar and Tanev to pair with the other two (whoever you're dressing that night). To me, that's better than a stacked top 4 and a pairing that isn't ready for the NHL (when together)

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Wild 5 Flames 2

- Flames terrible for the first 25 minutes
- Vladar chased (not his fault)
- Wolf mops up (not his fault)
- Solovyov has an adventurous night with his first assist

I didn't like the 2nd and 3rd goals on Vladar at all. It seemed like he was sleeping on both. He also made some puzzling choices coming out of his net and nearly causing another goal as well. Last night isn't on him, but he's not doing anything to help this team in the vast majority of his starts.

For me, there's no reason to keep playing Vladar over Wolf during this run when only 2/8 starts would be deemed a quality start this year. An .877SV% at this point is abysmal for a rookie let alone a veteran - even more so if you're giving him minutes ahead of possibly the best goalie prospect in NA right now. If I'm Huska, I'm going with Wolf in the next 2 games and re-evaluating the back to back based on that. If anything, a short run with Wolf knowing he has several starts coming will say a lot about where he's at.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Thank you. I have never seen what people like about that pairing. I would prefer to see them broken up.

Hanifin - Andersson works.

Then you have Weegar and Tanev to pair with the other two (whoever you're dressing that night). To me, that's better than a stacked top 4 and a pairing that isn't ready for the NHL (when together)

I brought this up yesterday and it seemed to furrow brows.

Hanifin-Andersson
Solovyov-Weegar
Gilbert-Tanev

Why wear out your top 4 when you can spread it out and provide support to players who could use a steadier hand next to them?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I have been meaning to mention... saw Huberdeau at a restaurant, more than a week ago now, and he was visibly limping. I suspect he has been banged up lately.

People were complaining for a few games, that he wasn't moving his feet like he was when he was playing well. This may explain it.

And I thought he was skating better last night.

I suspected he wasn't int top shape iether when he came here or to start the season. That may explain it. But his shifts are starting to become longer, and he's certainly gone into tough areas more (at both ends).

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I brought this up yesterday and it seemed to furrow brows.

Hanifin-Andersson
Solovyov-Weegar
Gilbert-Tanev

Why wear out your top 4 when you can spread it out and provide support to players who could use a steadier hand next to them?

I guess it's just a question of whether two weakened pairings are better or worse than one bad one.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I guess it's just a question of whether two weakened pairings are better or worse than one bad one.

I think it depends.

Tanev can certainly make an AHL defenseman look capable, we've seen it.

So that's a big + for pair 3.

Comes down to Solovyov's impact on pair 2.

Does the + for pair 3 exceed the - for pair 2?

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

All true. This loss just felt worse because it wasn't the tempo that made losses fun before. No Pospisil, Zary wasn't as fun to watch (despite the goal), and the team as a whole was sluggish and not executing to the best of their abilities. It just wasn't a good effort. I wasn't even that stoked to see Wolf because it wasn't a good situation for him.

The measure of Dustin Wolf will be how he handles bad situations.

Based on what I saw in his half of action, he’s this team’s starting goaltender. They played better for him than Vladar, and he shut down every dangerous opportunity that came his way.

It would’ve been much closer if Kadri doesn’t dive into the kid’s knee.

But his positioning is immaculate, his skating might be the best of any goalie in the league, and the way he tracks the play is plainly elite. The game isn’t too fast for him.

Start him minimum the next 3 games in a row - he’s got to see the league to learn it.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Based on what I saw in his half of action, he’s this team’s starting goaltender. They played better for him than Vladar, and he shut down every dangerous opportunity that came his way.

That's tough to say based on 38 minutes and being down 3-0. You would hope your team responds after a goalie pull no matter who goes in.

I'm all for giving him the start tomorrow though and seeing where it goes.

[iamca]

Two losses in a row at home and looking really slow and sloppy out of the gate. It will be interesting to see what changes or wake up calls Huska can make for the next 2 home games.

Being thoroughly outplayed by the Wild is disappointing to say the least as they are a team that has really struggled, fired their head coach and assistant coach all in the last two weeks…yeesh!


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[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by iamca

Two losses in a row at home and looking really slow and sloppy out of the gate. It will be interesting to see what changes or wake up calls Huska can make for the next 2 home games.

Being thoroughly outplayed by the Wild is disappointing to say the least as they are a team that has really struggled, fired their head coach and assistant coach all in the last two weeks…yeesh!


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Do people want them to rebuild or not?

Who cares if this group as it is currently constructed got out played by the Wild.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Do people want them to rebuild or not?

Who cares if this group as it is currently constructed got out played by the Wild.

I think an L doesn't bug people. I think a poor effort does.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I think an L doesn't bug people. I think a poor effort does.

The Minnesota Wild have always been very good at making it look like their opponents aren't trying. They are, after all, the team that Jacques Lemaire coached for eight full seasons, and they have never forgotten how to slow down a game to protect a lead.