Wild the best NHL team? LOL
Desert Moon
Posts: 5,782 ✭✭✭✭✭
All this talk and braggadocio on the Minnesota Wild being the best team in the NHL. Sure, by record, 1/3 of the way in but really?
They got Dee-stroyed by the Oilers last nite in Minnesota. Their top goalie with a 2.08 goals/game was pulled after 2 periods - after the Oil scored 5 goals on him. Went on to win 7-1 the Oil did. So are the Wild really good? Probably will be an easy mark in the playoffs as they can’t play a great team in an intense game and stay with them. OTH, Oil flows towards mid-way in a low viscosity surge…………….
Kucherov? Well at least he is not the puck hog he was in previous years, he is scoring and also giving assists, just not against the Oil where he was blanked. If it wasn’t for his cheap shot hooking Hyman (and penalized for it) last nite, he looked OK. But is he the guy that can lead a team through to a Cup? Probably not.
OTH, Draisaitl and McDavid are making the rest of the Oil play better. That is the mark of a truly elite player(s), they make the players around them excel. Think MJ, think the Great One, think LD and CMcD.
Looking good moving forward for the Oil. The Wild? Have a long way to go, or maybe the best team in the NHL is the Oil? Last nite sure makes it seem that way. LOL
https://www.nhl.com/wild/video/edm-at-min-recap-6365933319112
Comments
Shots fired.
Can someone please point me to all the talk and braggadocio on the Wild being the best team. 🤔
Is Kucherov even the guys name?
There is a Kucherov in the NHL, but he doesn't play for the Wild. Assuming he means Kaprizov. Gotta do your homework if you want those sick burns to engulf your enemies!
That’s what I thought. 😂
ashton kutcher sucks!
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
I don't really have anything negative to say about the Oilers. They looked great against a team that has had their # somewhat recently. Good luck. And be nice to those Wild players... They're a great buncha boys. Doncha think?
I am a big Wild fan. I NEVER said they were the best team in the NHL, because they aren't. I did say they could make a run in the playoffs if everyone is healthy. I still feel that way.
They played poorly last night.
They are also missing 3 key players on a team without any depth. Brodin, Erickson Ek and Zucarrello, with Middleton hurt early in the game.
KAPRIZOV is a far superior player to McDavid. Draisaitle might be the best player overall, he sure was last night.
Without Draisaitle, McDavid is just a fast skater who can't score goals. MOST OVERRATED player in the league.
Yes, 1/3 of the way through the season with the best record DOES mean something and Kaprizov IS the top scorer. All it took was better linemates.
Some people should stick to coins when they don't understand hockey.
People that examine coins at night by the light of the moon don't really get it.
Wild are 11-3 against the Oilers in the last 14 games.
I guess the Oilers SUCK.
I think Wild had won the last 6 in a row at the X before last night. Guess we'll never win the cup.... oh bother.
Keep the faith brother!
I am surprised that with our salary cap issues, the team is actually getting better.
There's more good players coming. Ohgren looks good and Walstedt does as well. The big guy we just traded for should make us better (certainly bigger) defensively.
GO WILD!
McDavid scores more goals per game than Draisaitl. And Stamkos. And Pasta. And every other active player besides Mathews and Ovechkin.
Kaprizov scores .58 goals per game. Scores more per 60 minutes as well.
MacDavid scores .52. He's had one 1st place and one 2nd place finish in goals scored and other than that never higher than #6. He had one great year scoring goals in 2022-23.
Yes, my comment was harsh. It's because I watch him play. He focuses on one aspect of the game.
Since 2016-17 Draisaitle is at .54 he's had two 2nd place finishes an three 4th place finishes in goals scored. Has scored over 50 goals in a season 3 times to McDavids 1 time.
Connor McDavid
Is over rated.
if that were true why are all the depth guys who left the Oil in the off-season doing better away from that Draconian Wonderland? Especially Dylan Holloway who had all of 9 points last season with the Oil - already has 19 with the Blues (in addition to helping create 10x more goals opportunities per game than in EDM? Broberg, if he hadn't been injured, would also have similar production since moving to the Blues. Ryan McLeod will also surpass his points total with Buffalo over that with the Oil despite playing in a similar role with the Sabres. Meanwhile 6x - 30+ goal scorer, Jeff Skinner, who was brought in to play on OurHero's right-side started the season on the McJesus line, has 8 fewer points than Holloway, and has been "demoted" down to the Henrique line. Apparently Skinner in Canadian-English translates to Benoit Pouliot (who McJesus also couldn't make good at hockey).
List I looked at didn't include him. Doesn't change anything either way.
I dunno. Basically every coach, GM, and player says he's the best in the world. They might be on to something.
Kaprizov is great. But the Wild would have to include picks and players to trade him for McDavid.
I am a Kap fan but I can’t argue McDavid isn’t great. Kaprizov is having the better season so far this year though.
I'm guessing Joe Sakic and Jared Bednar aren't saying that....seeing that the latter is coaching the guy who has been the best player in the world for 2 years now. The guy who can match and exceed McJesus in pure speed and do things that OurHero can't do - like blow right through guys like Mario with those long power strides, or consistently dominate the puck with possession - 83.1% per 60 for MacKinnon over the last 2 years and 64.4% for TheDeity
Kaprizov has been the better hockey player for a few years now. This year he has better linemates (Ryan Hartman? Really?) resulting in more scoring.
McDavid is very fast and a great set up guy, (Draisaitle!) a lot of it because he creates opportunities with his speed.
He really doesn't contribute defensively, is not physical, not great bringing the puck out of the defensive zone, doesn't win a lot of puck battles along the boards.
He's a lot like Mike "shakey" Walton, a guy who played in the NHL and was a star in the WHA for the St. Paul Fighting Saints. Terrific offensive player and that's about all.
I'm frankly surprised that someone with the Red Wings logo doesn't see this, but I guess most people just look at points scored and nothing else to determine who the "best" hockey player is. Kind of similar to looking at batting average only to decide who the best hitter is in baseball.
The Wild will NEVER trade Kaprizov and in the insane world it would happen, Edmentwiuld have to give more picks and players than Connor to get Kirill.
I never said McDavid wasn't a great point producer and he is a very, very fast and skilled OFFENSIVE player, but there's more to the game than scoring and if you put a top player and "finisher" like Draisaitle on a line with Kaprizov, Kirill's assist numbers would skyrocket.
Do you watch the Wild? Do you see the 4-6 passes a game he makes that put guys in all alone on the goalie? The centers he's had in the past often shot the puck into the goalies stomach or missed the net. Now that Kirill has a center with some skill (Rossi), he's leading the league, or second, in scoring.
Not to mention, Kirill often brings the puck out of the defensive zone or wins a puck battle along the boards that ends up being a goal or a great scoring opportunity.
McDavid is what we used to call a "suck hole" player. Floats around avoiding doing the dirty work, but when he gets the puck in open ice has a lot of offensive ability, that, along with a great linemate (I think Drsisaitle is BETTER than McDavid) makes for a lot of assists.
McDavid was awesome two years ago when he scored 64(?) goals, other than that season, he's a good (top 10) goal scorer, but that's it.
As I keep saying, but few listen, he's a one dimensional player who needs a superstar to pass to.
Ever hear of Adam Oats? He was a great player when he was passing to Brett Hull and Cam Neeley, but no one confused him with the "best" hockey player of his time.
Connor McDavid.
Is over rated.
He is a great player though.
Can you imagine a line with Kaprizov and MacKinnon? Would you even need a right wing?
I suppose you would.
Kaprizov; 2 goals yesterday, 2 goals today (after 2 periods).
Announcer says it all after Kirill catches the puck, drops it, buries it.
"This guy is ridiculous!"
Ted Lindsay Award wins:
Connor McDavid - 4
Leon Draisaitl (please learn how to spell his name) - 1
Kiril Kaprizov - 0
that's where you slot your worker bee....the guy who will do the work on the boards and in the corners and do the small things that will help drive possession (and can keep up speed-wise). The ultimate would be a guy like Matthew Tkachuk, or a healthy Mark Stone, but realistically even a guy like your fellow Minnyhahan, Brock Nelson, would be good enough. Although he's being used as a center right now.
I don't need awards to tell me who the better players are. Those two guys playing together make for great scoring. Kaprizov has been doing it primarily with Zucarrello, who is a nice player, but no Draisaitl.
Funny you spank me for my spelling, I was trying to make sure I got the "ai" and the second "ai" right I forgot to make sure he didn't need the final "e".
I don't even try to spell the newest Wild centers name. 😉
Bring back Brian Bellows!
The players are the ones who vote for the Lindsay. So they think McDavid is better, too.
Yeah, well I've seen interviews with athletes who rate players who have won championships above better guys who haven't, so maybe they aren't that smart.
Seriously, does everyone think scoring points (especially assists) makes a guy automatically the best player?
Every time the Wild play McDavid and company, Draisaitl looks better than Connor. Neither does it for 200 feet like Kaprizov, who scores ALMOST as much and plays better in the other parts of the game.