The Wild - sucking the air out of a rink near you

[The Snapshot]

That team is very good at defense, and always seemingly in position. They took a night off in their previous game (lucky us), so they were bound to be tight as a drum and very conscientious. If we could have popped one or two in the early part of the game it could have been a whole different game, but we didn't.

If that is really "The State of Hockey", I'd say it is one sad state to leave Hockey in.

[pensfan20]

I truely believe that in order to get rid of the trap that they play and the NJ plays and a couple other teams that try to play it, is to get bigger rinks. Im no scientist, but bigger rinks would open the game up and give players more room to enter the neutral zone, and one could argue that with more room to skate, big hits would also drop? Dont know if the league would ever attempt this, as every arena would loose at least 2-3 rows of seating.

[shmenguin]

i don't know about all this wild hate. we had our share of scoring chances, as did they. it could have been a 4-3 game, it's just no one could execute.

speaking of the rink...did anyone else think the ice was particularly horrible last night? i'm guessing there was a concert there or something the night before. both teams were constantly flubbing the puck. it was really odd.

[penny lane]

Discussion post game with mr bob grove and phil bourque was about how the pens played a very sound defensive system, but that isn't really the penguins forte. So for the great LGP hockey minds, why did the penguins try to beat the wild at their own game~ best trap besides detroit in the league? Seeing the wild once every decade would be fine with me, but their goalie did make quality saves. I thought if the wild went up 2-1 then the pens would revert to their style, more open skating. And oddly have a better chance
to win. Knowing a power play goal or 2 and this is moot!

[Kovy27]

The Pens should have won 1-0. Sabu made a boo boo on our own goal.

[Steve McKenna'd]

I hate watching any Jacques Lemaire coached team. I think playing a game against Minny is more boring than playing a game against the 90's Devils.

[Eismann]

For most of the game, Pens played the way you have to to beat the trap: they used the middle of the ice. Either will vertical passes between the seems to open forwards or short lateral stuff up the ice. That allowed them to keep possession and gain the zone, giving them way more of a chance than staying stationary and getting plowed into the boards in the neutral zone, resulting in a turnover.

There was way more up-and-down skating because of this, and a much better game to watch than the usual NJD/DET/MIN fare.

I think Backstrom just wore them down. Pens worked very well on the offensive boards and had plenty of attack zone time, but they once again out-cuted themselves too often and failed to just created chances off of pucks thrown at the net.

[Paekman]

I think Backstrom just wore them down. Pens worked very well on the offensive boards and had plenty of attack zone time, but they once again out-cuted themselves too often and failed to just created chances off of pucks thrown at the net.

That's the part that sticks out to me about last night's game. When you are playing the trap, especially a well-executed trap like Detroit or Minnesota, you can't be "cute" with the puck. You need to get the puck on net (especially from the point), create some traffic in front of the net and for the love of pete, don't turn the damn puck over in the slot, near the blueline or in the neutral zone! Get it down low. Dump it in, make simple passes and shoot the friggin' thing.

Sid's play has improved a lot as of late. He's shooting the puck more and he's starting to get some hop back in his step. I can't help but think that he's just very frustrated offensively right now. He presses too much and you can see the carbon fiber coming off of the shaft of his stick. He needs to relax and not force the play. He need to let the game come to him and then attack. There's a time to come with speed and reckless abandon, but there's also a time to slow the play down and keep it simple.

I really believe that when Sid learns the latter, he'll be on top again.

[holeinone]

LeMaire was the architect of those horrid Devils teams and he has continued to make hockey a bore fest Thank god I don't have to watch that crap for a full season. Just imagine being a season ticket holder to that. I would rather watch paint dry or grass growing Not to be critical

[Penspal]

I agree, it was goaltending that made this game low scoring. Yes, the Wild played a trap, but they were not clutching and holding like the old Devil's teams. And when they did get turnovers, it was a rapid attack by the Wild. If anything, it was a better game than I had hoped for. Not having Gaborik in there hurt them offensively, but Sabu made some big stops to keep it close.

[Draftnik]

The Pens lost the game when they didn't capitalize on the 3rd period PPs. They had their chances to win the game and failed.

[Why So Serious?]

The Pens lost the game when they didn't capitalize on the 3rd period PPs. They had their chances to win the game and failed.

Exactly. And the the OT powerplay also resulted in failure to win the game. That was horrid and frustrating to watch in the OT.

[Steve McKenna'd]

The Pens lost the game when they didn't capitalize on the 3rd period PPs. They had their chances to win the game and failed.

Well only four teams have been fortunate enough to capitalize on the PP against them this year, so let's give Minny the credit they deserve.

[Kraftster]

Yeah, this Wild hate is really pretty absurd. The Pens play nearly the same game on a lot of nights. Its not the Wild that made the game boring. Terrible ice -- maybe the worst of the year, Pens were really flat, Wild offense is hurting right now, and Pens don't have the back end to beat the trap right now. How do you think the Flyers fans felt when the Pens did this to them last year in the playoffs. But, the Pens were exciting so, no one was complaining about how badly we put that team to sleep. The trap can be plently exciting, but, one of the two teams has to have an offense that is clicking or a defense that is making the kind of passes needed to break the trap. Neither team had that last night, so, you get game like that. That's not the Wild's fault. Add to all of the above the fact that Backstrom is playing a great game in every respect right now AND the fact that the Wild PK is on fire, what could you really expect from last nights game?

[KG]

The Pens lost the game when they didn't capitalize on the 3rd period PPs. They had their chances to win the game and failed.

This...

I'm not going to bash the Wild...Don't a ton of teams play the trap anyway? Don't the pens play the trap as well at times?

[Kraftster]

Discussion post game with mr bob grove and phil bourque was about how the pens played a very sound defensive system, but that isn't really the penguins forte. So for the great LGP hockey minds, why did the penguins try to beat the wild at their own game~ best trap besides detroit in the league? Seeing the wild once every decade would be fine with me, but their goalie did make quality saves. I thought if the wild went up 2-1 then the pens would revert to their style, more open skating. And oddly have a better chance
to win. Knowing a power play goal or 2 and this is moot!

I'm confused about those comments. They play a sound defensive system but its not their forte? Its what they do. Its what they will do under MT, forte or not.

Also, Detroit does not trap. They play a swarming neutral zone style that smothers the opponent, but, with the puck possession game they play on offense and the fact that they often have two guys on the puck on the forecheck, I wouldn't call their game the "trap" in a traditional sense.

[RxBandit66]

With all due respect to the OP (and I totally agree that Lemaire should be outsourced to Iraq), the only thing that sucked the air out of the rink last night was Sidney Crosby's uninspired play.

[KG]

With all due respect to the OP (and I totally agree that Lemaire should be outsourced to Iraq), the only thing that sucked the air out of the rink last night was Sidney Crosby's uninspired play.

Snap...

I wouldn't put it all on Crosby...Satan seems to be going through one of his sleep walking stretches again...And Talbot was rather quiet last night as well.

[Why So Serious?]

Crosby is hurt. Simple as that. He's just not playing the brand of hockey we're used to seeing out of him.

[Idoit40fans]

Who can tell me the difference between the Pens' system and that of the Wild?

Here's a hint: Its not possible.

[helmespc]

I actually think the Wild play a decent style of sound defensive hockey. Not one that I would watch.... but its not as infuriating as watching Detroit obstruct their way to a cup.

[dagny]

I think I'll post this here, too:

I wasn't sure where to post this but, FWIW, Backstrom gave away the secret to break through his net.

In the post game interview he said something to the effect of: it's all about seeing the puck, if I can see the puck I can stop it.

So, it sounds like the key to scoring on him is to make sure there's traffic and/or a good screen.

[Kraftster]

Who can tell me the difference between the Pens' system and that of the Wild?

Here's a hint: Its not possible.

Bingo.

[Ron`]

Who can tell me the difference between the Pens' system and that of the Wild?

Here's a hint: Its not possible.

The talent level of this team can explode playing the same game on any given night. If they are behind they can just release the hounds to give it the old college try. That's the difference. It's possible, anything is possible with the talent here vs the Wild. Particularly with Gaborik out. Pens are far more suited to just be patient and pick your chances than the Wild.

[Idoit40fans]

Who can tell me the difference between the Pens' system and that of the Wild?

Here's a hint: Its not possible.

The talent level of this team can explode playing the same game on any given night. If they are behind they can just release the hounds to give it the old college try. That's the difference. It's possible, anything is possible with the talent here vs the Wild. Particularly with Gaborik out. Pens are far more suited to just be patient and pick your chances than the Wild.

The pens are far more suited to play any style than the Wild are, so the Wild play the style that gives them the best chance to win.