I have been watching a lot of games on NHL centre ice and have been watching the Wild a lot...This team continues to play their solid (boring ) defensive style of hockey that just wins games...they are 5-0 scoring just 11 goals and giving up a sick only FOUR goals against...


I dont enjoy this brand of hockey as I think its the downfall of the NHL, however it seems to work for Lemaire. For the sake of the NHL here is to hoping the WIld arent too succesful this year...To those of you that enjoy 1-0 and 2-1 you maybe in the minority

I know the argument of good hockey is good defence, yes to a certain point...Not to the extent Lemaire plays it

Uh... they have very good offensive players, and a very good goalie.

Yes but Lemaire utilized them in a defensive way...They will win all their games 2-1, 3-2 and if they are lucky they may score 4 goals ...

Its just a boring style of hockey.

fixed it

So, I guess you're saying you'd rather watch your team lose 8-6 and 6-4 every night?

DM, who's their backup?

Well to a certain degree yes...I rather have my team score 5 goals a game and take my chances...Lemaire is a hockey killer

Niklas Backstrom - starter for now
Josh Harding - backup for now

I predict Minny will trade Backstrom or let him walk as a FA when his contract is up and Harding will be the starter for many years.

right, I forgot about Harding.


lol @ serge.

look up Lemaire at wikipedia..

Talks about him ruining hockey with his neutral zone trap

YES!

Seriously, sometimes that style of hockey is so boring, and hard to watch. I guess if you are a die hard fan, you'll take boredom as long as it means wins. But for me, I watch hockey to be entertained, and while I watch Carolina and hope they win every game, when the game is boring, I feel cheated in terms of my time.

Note, I mean slow, trap style hockey is boring, I do not mean low scoring hockey. There are good 1-0 games, and I hate some of the Leafs games where the score is 6-3 and both teams were terrible!

Can you really say that if the game itself was boring, you'd accept it as long as your home team won?

I've watched a couple of Wild games this year, and have enjoyed all of them. And I'm not a Minnesota fan.

After watching the Pens/Leafs game on Saturday..Or even the Montreal/LEafs the week before, how can anyone say thats not exciting hockey compared to a Minnesota Wild game...Not to generalize but a lot of teams in the West play this style....

Just watch tonights Buffalo vs Leafs game and you guys will see excitement...

Buffalo,Pittsburgh,Toronto...These are fun teams to watch...I dare say Ottawa as well(uggh)

then watch Minnesota,Vancouver and San Jose play..While they play some good hockey, its a totally different style..

I've watched one Wild game this year and enjoyed it very much.

marian gaborik is my favourite play to watch in the whole nhl. plus minny's red sweater is one of my favourites. this team has so much going for it lol

Of course they are for real....see my pick for Western Conference winner in DM's pool

If you watched Harding's shutout last night and thought it was boring then something is wrong with you.

Actually last night they were outshot and outplayed but they managed to win...

Keep arguing the fact that you prefer a 2-0 shutout to a 6-4 game..maybe if you say it enough you will actually believe it.

Just for the record, I was not talking about the Wild and their games in specific. The point made by Zach was would you rather your team lost games 8-6, or won games you considered boring, trap style by a score of 2-0. My answer was that I would rather my team play an exicting brand of hockey, instead of bore me and win. I realize the thread is about the Wild, but I wasnt referring to them specifically and their games this year. It was more the style of play vs the result.

Maybe it also has to do with the fact that I am not a die hard, win at all costs kind of fan. I enjoy hockey played at its best.

And yes, I do enjoy some/many Wild games, but I have also seen my share of them sitting back on leads. The difference between them and a NJ style trap is that the Wild are a very fast team and much of their counter attack is built on speed, from what I can tell. So yes, I too enjoy their games. But if you watched all 82 Wild games last year, I would venture you saw quite a few games in which they took a lead and sat on it.

ok here is my point...

The average Nascar watching fan in the US...Are they most likely to enjoy a 2-0 Minnesota Wild game...or a 6-4 Leafs vs Pens tilt????
Are they going to enjoy Crosby vs Sundin end to end action or a Josh Harding shutout????

Why doesnt soccer work in the US..they have been trying for years, because there is no scoring!!!!

For the sake of the game we need teams like Pittsburgh and Toronto to succeed...Even Ottawa plays an exciting style of game...I wont argue with Jacques Lemaire as his system seems to work..but like I said to showcase the game you need more GOALS>

Actually a Nascar fan would enjoy a 0-0 game, as they must already be a glutton for monotony.

when new jersey won the cup in 2000 - the supposed height of their trap system - they scored the 8th most goals in the league. hopefully zach parise and travis zajac will take us back to those high scoring games. playing the thrashers every night would be nice too

yeah they cost me my game on Saturday night buy allowing all those goals..

When the Wild first came into the NHL, it was true they were boring as hell. Lemaire is such a good coach that he can take teams with weak talent (and believe me those early Wild teams were weak) and make them competitive through defense alone.

Now, with a pretty deep talent base, I find the Wild exciting. Thy don't run and gun, but they don't just hang back trapping. They are extremely good defensively (not just by playing the trap, but just by good coverage in their own end and team speed), but they now have a very potent offense. They get crapped on because of their reputation and continued good defense, but I really don't think their defensive play has ever been at the expense of offense. In the early years, their teams were so thin up front that they wouldn't have scored more, even if they played a completely wide open game. Now, they do score but still keep pucks out. You can't fault a team for being good.

The average Nascar fan would probably appreciate corporation logos covering jerseys and maybe a blade on both ends of the stick. Maybe they'd like benches without gates but rather an area where you skate in and out like a pit area. How about no whistles? Just enclose the ice surface with a giant acrylic bubble like those tabletop hockey games you find in arcades. Wow, there's so much we could do to meet the approval of the average Nascar fan.

Serge, when was the last time you watched the Wild play a game from start to finish?

i have watched a lot of the games...I realize they are a very good team with good offensive players....however argue it as much as you want they are not as exciting as a lot of teams in the east.

Thats what I thought. You haven't watched them.

I've seen exciting 1-0 games, I've also seen boring 6-3 games. 6 goals that were let in by a weak goaltender isn't exciting. Seing a huge glove save in a 1 goal game is. Basing the excitingyness of a game on points alone can be misleading.

thats right, excitingyness.

Just a note, the most exciting regular season game I remember from last season was the Wild vs the Canucks.

It's all about the player that is leading the Wild in scoring.

Eric Belanger.

Never thought I'd say that ever, even after 5 games.

Yes, they are for real which is why I mentioned they were a very nice SCF bet in that futures thread. JL at the helm + players that play hard and are always around the puck + 2 solid goalies + a few skill players + many defensively responsible forwards = when they get a lead early, good luck.

exactly...If the Wild are up by 2 goals...its game over...

Please everyone do yourself a favour and just watch the games in the east...The Toronto vs Buffalo game was a perfect example of exciting hockey...

So Serge, do you consider mistake-filled hockey to be exciting?

+1

I was just talking with a buddy today about the Leafs game last night and we both agreed that people would mistake, mistake filled hockey for "exciting" hockey. Stop reading my mind please, there's nothing of use in there.

Maybe he should start watching Timbit hockey then?

seriously you guys are assholes....of course its exciting..not because its mistake filled...

there was so much action, so many great plays..

you guys are just assholes..thats all i have to say

If the Leaf's held onto their 2 goal lead would that game have been less exciting?

doesnt matter about blowing the lead I am not commenting anymore to stupid posts.

Serge, Serge, Serge...if we all resorted to that you'd have no responses.

But serrge, if WE did that..... well, we already agreed not to ignore you...

platoon seems to be ok for the wild but im sure there are some unhappy fantasy users.

I have Harding/Backstrom and Vokoun and just sit Vokoun and play both Minny goalies whenever possible just in case

Kinda curious Gruven, how many have you watched this year from start to end?

I've watched two almost in there entirety (with NHL Centre Ice, it's almost impossible NOT to surf a little!). I will also channel surf there games on most nights. But I watched the Wild/Hawks game more to see Kane play, and I watched the Wild/Oilers game. I'm impressed with the Wild offense, but even more so with their whole package. I don't find them dull to watch at all, in fact, it seems like a lot of the time, you're watching them explode up ice. That being said, they do play a nice team oriented defensive scheme that is simply hard working, rather than clogging. It does slow down a little when they're protecting a lead, but not horribly. To compare this team to the old Devils is grossly unfair. There are a few teams that could learn from their work ethic.... (yes, serge, I meant the leafs!)

I imagine they will continue their unbeaten streak tonight.

I hope so, I really like Minn. a lot

I have $10 riding on it.

The way the Kings are playing I'd put more money on it. Then again that was if I had money.

I agree with your assessment of the Wild, but I would really emphasize the slowdown of the game when they have a lead and its late in the game. Like I said before, I dont think Minnesota plays a "boting" game per say, just that they tend to sit on a lead a lot better than others, which makes for a boring finish to most of their games.

The reason why I asked how much you have watched them was 2-fold. One, does anyone watch a game start to end anymore? Like you said, with Centre Ice, its impossible not to surf. I find myself watching 3/4 games a night minimum. The only saving grace is that Minny plays on nights when the schedule is kinda weak, like Sunday when there was only 1 other game. So maybe more a chance to watch them than say a Washington.

And the second reason why I asked was with your schedule, I imagine you are at many Leafs games in person, and wonder how you end up seeing other games.

I'll be honest, I really dont watch many games from start to end, outside of the occasional Canes game or Leafs at times. Playoffs yes, but regular season has too many options. Thats why I was wondering how many on this board have actually watched a Minnesota game from start to end, not just if Serge has.