Any Wild fans here?

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Every game I watch this year they lose. The superstition has just been unreal. I try to watch a game after not watching for like a month and the other team scores 4 goals almost immediately after I turn on the game. Haven't been able to watch them all year.

Also who could have guessed getting a real #1 C would significantly improve the team? Who could have guessed your winning potential was capped with Mikko freaking Koivu as your number 1. They finally made the move they needed to for years and it instantly paid off. I just wish Staal was a few years younger. Could have extended our dominance longer.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I'm a basketball guy. But I grew up a sports guy. My old man dug hockey more, so I grew up with the North Stars. And I still "follow" hockey in that I know how they're doing, many of the players, the history, et al.

But not like basketball.

Basically, I'm a semi-dangerous bandwagon fan. I'll be rehashing Jack Carlson, Neal Broten, Bobby Smith, Willie Plett and Jon Casey stories when it's time just to look the part of a hockey guy. I'll wear my North Stars hat to my pickup hoops games. Stuff like that.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I'm a basketball guy. But I grew up a sports guy. My old man dug hockey more, so I grew up with the North Stars. And I still "follow" hockey in that I know how they're doing, many of the players, the history, et al.

But not like basketball.

Basically, I'm a semi-dangerous bandwagon fan. I'll be rehashing Jack Carlson, Neal Broten, Bobby Smith, Willie Plett and Jon Casey stories when it's time just to look the part of a hockey guy. I'll wear my North Stars hat to my pickup hoops games. Stuff like that.

Yeah, I'm in a similar camp. I remember back in the day some of the old North Stars lived in my neighborhood, which was at best upper middle class - certainly not anything real high end - and I'd deliver some of their newspapers. One early morning I was doing my route and (I think it was Fred Barrett) was out skating in the street in what must have been one of the earliest versions of roller-blades at the time. I'm sure there aren't any Wild players living around there now!

[Coolbreeze44]

I never miss a Wild game, and truth be told it is my favorite sport to watch / follow. There is something different about this team. When they lose it seems like an upset. You go into every game feeling like they are going to win, and not by a slim margin. Having watched the superb play so far this year, I'm easily angered when they go through a poor stretch during a game. Expectations are sky high, and the team has earned those expectations. You can feel goals coming before they actually score them. And I'm no longer surprised when they go on the road and blow a good team out.

I think tonight is going to be quite a challenge:

1) We're coming off a lengthy road trip - NHL teams usually struggle the first game at home after such a trip
2) We're playing the 2nd of back to back games with travel
3) The Blackhawks have been off for a few days and actually were in Minny waiting for the Wild to fly home from Winnipeg last night
4) The Wild have beaten Chicago something like 9 straight times during the regular season. And the Hawks have circled this game as being critical for their chances to catch the Wild for the top spot. They are going to give us everything they have.

So there is a lot going against us tonight. If they Wild can pull this one off it will truly serve notice to the Hawks and rest of the league that we are the best in the West at this point. Going to watch the hockey game live and the Wolves after. Hope it's a fun night.

[TAFKASP]

I never miss a Wild game, and truth be told it is my favorite sport to watch / follow. There is something different about this team. When they lose it seems like an upset. You go into every game feeling like they are going to win, and not by a slim margin. Having watched the superb play so far this year, I'm easily angered when they go through a poor stretch during a game. Expectations are sky high, and the team has earned those expectations. You can feel goals coming before they actually score them. And I'm no longer surprised when they go on the road and blow a good team out.

This Wild team is the antithesis of what Wild hockey has been since the beginning. It used to be if the opposing team put up three goals the game was over, they simply couldn't be expected to score more than three goals in a game more than a few times a season. This team averages more than three goals a game, and even last night playing a good Jets team you walk away surprised to only get four! They have so much depth you have no idea from night to night which line(s) are going to be the ones scoring the goals. And all this without any significant production for Parise!

Enjoy it, this season has been special and there is no guarantee that they will continue to dominate in the next few years like the Hawks have managed to do. The Hawks have a couple legit superstars, the Wild are a blue collar team that happens to have maybe half their forwards having career years all at once!!

[Monster]

How much do you favor in the new coach for the success this year?

[TAFKASP]

How much do you favor in the new coach for the success this year?

I would give him about 75% of the credit. This is the same team that got Yeo fired last year and should have got him fired two years ago with the exceptions of Staal and Stewart in terms of regular players. He clearly handles the team very differently on offense, even going so far as to change up the lines mid-game, something Yeo rarely if ever did. I think Yeo was such a system stickler and 90% focused on being defensively sound that he completely stifled the offensive creativity of his team, especially the younger players that are all having career years this season.

Of course the big question is will Boudreau be able to lead the team to postseason success, something that has eluded him thus far.

[Monster]

How much do you favor in the new coach for the success this year?

I would give him about 75% of the credit. This is the same team that got Yeo fired last year and should have got him fired two years ago with the exceptions of Staal and Stewart in terms of regular players. He clearly handles the team very differently on offense, even going so far as to change up the lines mid-game, something Yeo rarely if ever did. I think Yeo was such a system stickler and 90% focused on being defensively sound that he completely stifled the offensive creativity of his team, especially the younger players that are all having career years this season.

Of course the big question is will Boudreau be able to lead the team to postseason success, something that has eluded him thus far.

Thanks for the response. I saw Yeo is coaching another team (Blues) already so thats a little something else that makes your response more interesting.

I haven't followed hockey enough to have a much of a grasp on how coaching effects teams other than whatever seems relatively obvious. It's always a tough thing to gauge in any sport.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

How much do you favor in the new coach for the success this year?

50% to Bruce and 50% to Staal. Staal finally gave us the number 1 Center that put everyone else in the proper pecking order that this team has been missing basically since forever. And then Bruce hit it out of the park after it was tee'd up. Now for the real test though. Bruce has always been one of the best when it comes to the regular season. Is this team good enough and finally deep enough to batten down the hatches defensively and grind out some playoff wins. That's where his demons lie. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Monster]

What are the thoughts on the Martin Hanzal Trade? Seems like a lot for a possible rental.