NHLHotStove.com Western Conference Panel Questions

1. Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

I don’t think they have changed, the only difference between this year and last is that the talent in their division is a little lower, all last year they had to try and keep up with Chicago and may have put too much pressure on themselves.

2. Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

They are the overachiever in the Pacific but what is helping them out the most is that San Jose, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are not playing up to their levels. I think second half of the season Dallas falls out of the top.

3. Which team is the biggest underachiever to date?

With the addition of Halak to the Blues along with a healthy Erik Johnson I thought they would be a lot better but can’t completely place blame on the team when they are missing key players on IR.

4. Who has done the best coaching job to date?

Colorado’s Joe Sacco, at the start of the season I thought that Vancouver was the clear winner in the Northwest but he has this Avalanche team believing they can win the division.

5. Who is the conference MVP to date?

Tossup between Cory Perry and Brad Richards due to the fact that I didn’t see either of their teams being viable playoff contenders but both players giving their teams hope and leading by example along with averaging over a point per game.

6. The top 8 in the East are dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game 

play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

I think that style of play between the 2 conferences are starting to become more alike. Colorado is the highest scoring team in the league while only 2 teams out east have outscored the #8 seed Chicago at the moment. The lower scoring teams such as Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim have to play more defensive to stay competitive and in the playoff hunt.  

7. First impression of the kids out in Edmonton?

Very bright future in Edmonton and can’t wait to see what they will do to build around Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi. 2-3 years and the Oilers could be the class of the conference.

8. Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

Detroit is a stacked team from top to bottom and full of players that know what it takes to play at the top level of hockey.

9. The top line in the conference is?

The Sedin line in Vancouver, it doesn’t matter who you put with them they are an unstoppable force that racks up points. I can’t prove it but I am pretty sure that they have some kind of twin ESP thing going on.

10. Which team currently out of the top 8 has the best chance at making it back in?

I don’t think Anaheim can keep up with everyone in the West. They are the only team that is in the top 8 with a minus in GF/GA and think that LA will make the jump in the second half to take their spot.

NHLHotStove.com Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Josh Sargent

Twitter: @Josh_Sargent

What the Wild are Lacking

What the Wild are Lacking

NHLHS Minnesota Wild correspondent Josh Sargent goes over what he feels this team is lacking and what they need to do to change it.

            As most people know, I am a diehard Wild fan who yes will admit has been known to drink the kool-aid from time to time, but I am also realistic too. Over this season so far if you are a Wild fan or just like to watch the team you probably feel like I do, stuck on a rollercoaster that never stops and only goes up and down. As frustrating as those highs and lows can be it can be just as troublesome when the GM tells the team “Win or there will be changes.”

            Yes, this team is lacking in areas and here are the biggest areas that I feel need to be addressed. By no means are these going to be quick fixes but if you look around the league the top teams have “it”.   

            Lack of a “tough” guy: The loss of Derek Boogaard and John Scott are hurting the team more than they thought it would. That case was proven when they went into Dallas last Friday and Steve Ott basically did anything that he wanted. From harassing Martin Havlat and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to literally crashing the net and running over Jose Theodore a couple times. Ott was given the first star of the game due to the fact he did anything that he wanted to and he scored a goal as well. Not having someone who could “force” Ott to play clean may have cost the Wild a win that night.

            Yet the presence of a tough guy not only gives your team protection but also caused disruption to the game plans of others as Ott did to the Wild. Later in Boogaards time with Minnesota he learned that, whenever the team would face off with Edmonton it seem that he knew what to do to get under their skin. Big hits and constant harassment gave way to bigger plays to Koivu and Gaborik.

             Heading out on this West coast road trip I don’t see the next couple games being any different. There is not a single player on the Wild roster that can step up to some of the heavy weights in the West. As much as I respect Brad Staubitz he is not the kind of person that is going to keep a team in check and be a physical presence on the ice. If the Wild can find someone, anyone, to fill this roll it will give players like Havlat, PMB, Cullen, and Koivu space to make plays and score goals.

            Lack of talented youth: Since the departure of Marion Gaborik the threat to score at will for this team has left with him. There is no future super star on this team at the moment that can spark to life into this team. Now that is not to say they don’t have talent on the team with Guillaume Latendresse, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Martin Havlat but Latendresse is the youngest of the 3 and we have yet to see what he can do for a full season.

            Vancouver has Ryan Kesler and Colorado Paul Stastny that they both have built solid teams around, while Edmonton has two in Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall who will bring them back to the playoffs in years to come. Minnesota has…….Mikael Granlund. Who?? Exactly. Granlund is 18yrs old playing professionally in Finland drafted by the Wild last spring. Though he does have plenty of potential nobody is clamoring to get him up to the NHL level as soon as possible. Not seeing him play personally I can’t say that he won’t be a solid player in the future but it doesn’t feel like we have this next big thing waiting in the wings.   

            Lack of solid leadership: Yes this is a slight knock on our captain but when he gets upset that fellow Finn and BFF Antti Miettinen wasn’t going to be play on his top line you have to question him a bit. There is no doubt that everyone regards the Minnesota Wild as Mikko’s team I just don’t see him taking a solid leadership role on the ice this season and holding teammates responsible for blown assignments or faulty play.

            Maybe Jaques Lemaire did have it right, he would chose the team captain by committee. Every month he would pick the player that was stepping up and leading the team in games and practices. This team is full of savvy vets who have been on this team for years and to not see a Brunette, Koivu, Burns, or even Schultz step up and call out the team and expect more of them is ridiculous.  One of these players needs to step up and take charge of the team, without solid leadership this team is going to go nowhere.

            Coaching Decisions: Now this isn’t to say that Todd Richards is not a good Coach or that he doesn’t know what he is doing, but with over a third of the season over with “What is he doing?”

            Game after game thus far Coach Richards has not been able to make game time adjustments to help his team. Mixing lines has never been a strong suit for him but continually keeping lines together and not mixing them up is starting to do more harm than good. How often have we seen this year the Wild come out flying in the first with speed and determination only to get completely stopped in the 2^nd and shutdown in the 3^rd.  One of his biggest decision gaffs being when he kept Niklas Backstom in net after he gave up 4 goals in the 2^nd period to Colorado only to give up 2 more in the third and lost 7-4.

            A big question on the Coaching is how well do the players listen and trust them? I’m pretty sure about this but when you have to bring in a Spec. Ops Army Ranger into the locker room to inspire the team you are not do a good job at it. If the players decide to quit on Richard we might as well shut down the season now, having a frustrated Owner and GM is only going to force them to make trades and fire people. Although I don’t want to see that, on the bright side we’ll probably have a high draft pick come spring.

Josh Sargent                                                                                                                                                                       

NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Twitter: @Josh_Sargent