Minnesota Wild @ Los Angeles Kings: Game Recap

by BReynolds on Nov 13, 2011 12:13 AM CST in Events

Minnesota Wild 2 - 5 Los Angeles Kings

For LA perspective, please visit Jewels From The Crown.

We're not going to spend any time at all looking at this one. The Wild had a game scheduled tonight against the Kings, but no one made the trip from San Jose. Hopefully Mike Yeo has a plan to wake them up, because the momentum gained from the four game winning streak is not only dead, there has already been a funeral, a burial, and everyone involved has moved on and found new loves.

They did show up here and there in the third period, but it was far too little, far too late.

Time to see if the coach can hold onto the team, or if they're in the wind. Another game in about 17 hours. Should be rather interesting.

Shuttlebus_medium

The Bennett's Chop & Railhouse Stars of the Game:

1. Simon Gagne (1G, 1A)

2. Dustin Brown (1G, 3 SOG)

3. Jack Johnson (1A, solid all night)

Remember, when you begin and end your night at Bennett's, you're the star! Easy parking, drink and food specials and a free shuttle to and from the Xcel Energy Center. Check them out at http://bennettschopandrailhouse.com/.

Will Josh Harding be crowned Bishop Harding? Nope. Ugly game for him. Mostly because of his D, but he paid the price.
Can the Wild keep the Kings in check? Oh. Hell. No. Check mate, Kings.
Will any of the Wild rooks step up? No one stepped up. No one at all.
Late knight game. Are the Wild adjusted to the time yet? The who now?
Do the Wild play well, or wind up looking like pawns? Complete pawns. Scooped off the board and forgotten.
BONUS: Nick Johnson got the call to the top line. Is he going to fit? How much playing time does he actually see with Koivu & Heatley? Over/Under at 13:30

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I think you just set a world-record for ''fastest posting of a game recap after a game''

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

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by JSLandry on Nov 13, 2011 12:15 AM CST reply actions

Apparently 5 goals is the point where the team will wake up.

For future reference. I say Yeo just tells them we’re down 5 tomorrow at the start of the game. Maybe that’ll work.

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by The Dayman on Nov 13, 2011 12:17 AM CST reply actions

Or tell them that 55 minutes have already passed in the game. They just gotta play the last 5.

by Rhomy777 on Nov 13, 2011 12:19 AM CST up reply actions

I think that's what happened in the Canucks game

The Wild had accumulated 12 ‘’last 5 minutes’’ and took them all in one game.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Nov 13, 2011 12:20 AM CST up reply actions

Goodnight, LA

by the Counting Crows

I wanted to embed this, but it won’t letme/I’m too drunk to figure it out

Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.

by redheadzeb on Nov 13, 2011 12:27 AM CST reply actions

Not gonna lie, Yeo is a big improvement

Its definitely more refreshing to hear, “We weren’t ready to play”, instead of “I don’t know what happened”

by Rhomy777 on Nov 13, 2011 12:32 AM CST reply actions

This

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Nov 13, 2011 12:39 AM CST up reply actions

Russo brought up some good points post-game

What the hell is going on with Koivu? One goal in sixteen games? He was terrible last night and I’m a huge fan of his so I am not about to go ona trade Koivu tangent. But I do wonder if it is the system or the linemates or what. He was clearly upset last night but annoyed to have to answer questions as captain. He clicked very well with Bouchard on his right wing late last year, why not give it a try. I get that we acquired Heatley for him but IMO it’s not working out consistently. Try Cullen between Seto and Heater for a game and see what happens, Cullen is more like the centers Heatley has had in the past too. I really think this may open up the game for both lines then. Bouchard likes to cycle as does Koivu and Heatley likes to find the weak spot and set up for one-timers, give this a try!

Also, awful news about Scandella, hopefully he is not out too long and this doesn’t derail his season. I am encouraged to hear that Stoner can probably play, we need his sandpaper in the lineup and Staubitz in the pressbox. We also need Lundin to step up the workouts, he is needed right now too!

by cgp711 on Nov 13, 2011 9:48 AM CST reply actions

Koivu's on pace for 50 points

Which is rather horrible by his standards. I hope he wakes up soon. He finally has good offensive support on his wings, there’s no excuse for this.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Nov 13, 2011 11:22 AM CST up reply actions

Maybe he's had to deal with bad support on his wings for so long, he doesn't know what to do now???

But no, I agree. Koivu needs to step it up. But at the same time, the Seto-Cullen-Butch line seems to have found a little bit of success, and the Lats-Koivu-Heater line was pretty successful until Lats got hurt.

And I’m pretty sure EVERYONE was terrible last night. Can’t pin it all on Koivu. ….Then again, yes, he was horrible last night as well, and since he’s Capt… eh.

…. I didn’t expect him to all of a sudden blossom into a 60-goal scorer… But I do expect around 70 points this year.

by Rhomy777 on Nov 13, 2011 12:48 PM CST up reply actions

what you see is what you get

With Koivu. They’ve changed all the variables (coaches, systems, linemates) and the result is the same. He’s a solid defensive center with offensive upside that’s paid like a perrenial 40 goal all star.

by Pewterschmidt on Nov 13, 2011 12:46 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Bryan has brought this up before

Discussing the money is pointless, he would have garnered just the same if not more on the open market.

I think Rhomy makes an interesting point, he has played with bad players a lot so he doesn’t know how to play with good ones. I am not sure it is that, but I will say that he needs play with a certain type of player. He is a give and go guy, Heatley is not. It made sense when they did the Seto trade because he is comparable to Mittens, he just hits the net more. Koivu should probably be playing with him and I am sad to say it, he misses Brunette, there is no one for him to cycle with right now. Heater needs a player on his line that holds the puck, not dishes it automatically like Koivu. Koivu is a good player, but he is not very patient with the puck like Bouchard and Cullen are. Oni mentioned this a few weeks back, Heatley is the entering the zone with the puck right now, having to stick handle, etc. While he can do it, he was not brought here for that, that is someone else’s job on his line, his center or other wing. His job is to get open for shots and he can’t do that if he is the one carrying the play.

by cgp711 on Nov 13, 2011 1:50 PM CST up reply actions

good grief

That’s a new excuse for Koivus lack of production. His linemates are TOO good.

I’m not so sure Koivu would have earned $7.29M on the open market. That’s AllStar money.

by Pewterschmidt on Nov 13, 2011 8:40 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I will also add

That Brad Richards was brought in to center Gaborik and that hasn’t worked out either, Gabby is playing with Steppan instead. The same thing can be said for Gaborik like Koivu, played with garbage as his center for so long, he doesn’t know how to play with a good one. The goal scorer always dictates the line in my opinion. The team needs to find a center to get the puck to Heatley, not the other way around here.

by cgp711 on Nov 13, 2011 1:56 PM CST up reply actions