POST CAST: Wild Lose 5th Straight Game 4-1 to Pittsburgh

POST CAST: Wild Lose 5th Straight Game 4-1 to Pittsburgh

There’s really one person to point to for where this Wild team is currently at, which is to say bad. Uh, it’s the general manager, Bill Garren, put this roster together. Bill Garren’s blood. Bill Garren has blood on his hands. A four to one loss. It was a tie game in the third period and the team just completely stopped stopped playing and now a critical home stand. You find yourself 02 and two. Uh if not for the St. Louis Blues continuing to lose games themselves, the Wild would be in the last place spot in the cellar of the Central Division. And nobody seems to think anything’s wrong. Nobody seems to think anything is wrong with this team. They look tired. They look old. They look disinterested. Um, this has been going on for years and we are going to talk about it tonight because what else are we going to talk about? Uh, 4 to1 loss for the Minnesota Wild at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Buckle up. You are Locked on Wild Postcast, part of Locked On Minnesota on the Locked On Network. Your team every day. Minnesota Wild lose by a score of 4 to one at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are now 36 and3 on the season. 3-9. They’re 1 and5 at home. The Wild don’t hit effectively. They don’t win faceoffs effectively. They don’t score effectively. They don’t defend effectively. They don’t score on the power play effectively. They don’t kill penalties effectively. They don’t play goalender effectively. They don’t make line combinations effectively. They don’t skate effectively. They don’t enter the zone effectively. They don’t exit the zone effectively. They don’t handle the puck effectively. They don’t do anything effectively at this point in the season. And this could be labeled as a slow start. Sure. But this feels so much deeper than that. This feels like a culmination of years of symptoms that have been ignored. years of symptoms that have been almost mocked and you now are in a position where this roster just looks bad. This roster just looks uncap incapable of playing a modern style of hockey. They look incapable of keeping up with even the most basic of teams. But if we rewind back to the decision to buy out Zach Perezy and Ryan Sudter, there was a solution for this. There was a solution for this problem. There was a simple route that could have been taken to keep this from being what this team is like. You have a coach that looks like he knows his days are numbered. You have star players that are just drowning under the pressure of having to try to prop this entire team up themselves. But Bill Garen, he said, “We can be effective. We can be a playoff caliber team. We can win with $15 million in dead cap money. I can build a roster that can do it better than anybody else can. I can build a roster built on grit, on physicality. I can do it. Well, Billy, how’s that working out today? How’s that working out four years later with basically the same roster, basically the same players who guess what? Are older are older and less effective and more injuryprone than they were four years ago. This is a roster problem, folks. This is a general manager that had the naive, that’s not even the right word. He had the arrogance to think that he could build a roster that could do what all the other NHL teams were doing and to go against the grain to swim upstream in an era in which scoring and speed mark the day. the San Jose Sharks, the Utah Mammoth, full of young talent, full of talent that can skate, that can play with speed, that can score goals. And he said, “No, we’re going to do it better. We’re going to do it different. We’re going to slow those teams down.” Well, how’s that looking today, Billy? How’s that working out for you today? I could read you the stats, but I think we all saw with our eyes what happens during the course of this game. Throttled in the faceoff circle again. The power play, which we all knew was not sustainable, has dried up. And guess what? the five on five sto scoring still can’t get it done. Hasn’t gotten it done all season. I this this shouldn’t be a surprise because this is when you go up and down the roster. When you go up and down the roster to the man, like just look at the guys that played tonight and I’m I’m going to go up and down the roster. Are these players capable of playing the style of play that the NHL plays today? Matt Baldy, yes. Juel Erikson, yes. Marcus Felino, I think, can be an effective fourth liner, but he looks leagues different than he did last year. Clearly injured. Something’s going on. He’s not the same player that he has been. He’s not the same player he was last year. Ryan Hartman. Hartman not on my issues list at this point. Vinnie Hinistroza not an NHL player. Marcus Johansson one of the only players that is giving you any level of scoring on this roster. Carl Capri off. Yes. Tyler Pitlick, no. Marco Rossi, yes. Vladimir Terosenko. I’m I’m done with the I’m done with the terko experiment. I I I think it’s I think it’s fair game to call that I think it’s fair game to call that a mistake. Denil Yurov is playing bottom bottom line minutes. Yakov Trenan, I’m fully willing to call that a bad a bad contract. Hey Brett, I’m just going to tell you right now, you can’t send Philip Gustoson to Iowa. I’ve seen you campaigning for it in the in the comments. Philip Gustoson has not been good. You’re right, but you can’t send him to Iowa. The defense looks mostly old. Jake Middleton is a shell of himself. Jared Spurgeon and Jo, what was Jonas Broaddin doing in the third period? What was he doing on that goal given up? He should know better than that. This team is either it, if you want my honest opinion, it does not look like they give an F about what’s going on. They just don’t look like they care. And I think this I think this is what we what I’ve talked about earlier. I think four years of no consequences has lulled this team into a situation in which they don’t really like what what is what is the consequence for not playing well? What is the consequence? Who loses their job? Not the players. Players don’t have any sort of consequences for not playing well. I think you need to make a seismic change to this roster. seismic change to this roster or this coaching staff or this front office because getting booed at home, being one and five at home and having a crisis in October, cannot be acceptable under any circumstances. If Craig, how long you gonna let this go on? This team looks, this team looks defeated. This team is not capable of handling adversity. the smallest level of adversity and it just fold they fold up like a paper towel. Bill Garren built this. Bill Garren built this roster. And on the 25th anniversary of the franchise existing, this is looking like one of the worst seasons in their history. It’s got to be a seismic It’s got to be a seismic change. It has to be a seismic change. It has to be a couple of seismic changes. You are probably gonna have you’re probably gonna take an L on the trades. I frankly don’t care. You have to do something to send a jolt through that lineup up and down the roster. I don’t think firing a coach is going to do it. I don’t know if firing the GM’s going to do it, but I mean Marcus Felino already had a comment after the game to the effect of um where was it? I wish I had an answer. This just isn’t good enough. This isn’t even a team gripping their sticks. It’s a team that loses how we have to play the game. Bill Garren built this. Bill Garren built this team. He built this roster. He built this roster. He kicked the can down the road for four years. This is not a good hockey team. It’s got good players. And for the it’s a slow start crowd, this doesn’t feel like a slow start. This doesn’t feel like simply a slow start. This feels like a fatal wound that was untreated over the course of several off seasons. And now you’re one of the smallest, one of the slowest, one of the oldest teams in the league. What are you going to do to fix it? Fire the coach. Roster’s still the same. I I think you’ve got to make multiple moves to fix this. just getting beat on fundamentals. Players aren’t there when they need to be. And to be honest, most of these players are just trying to play with skill alone right now. They’re getting beat in the same ways that they have been for the last four years. They’re getting beat in the same ways. Defensive miscues, bad goals allowed by the goalie, inability to score in five on five. These are not new problems. These problems have been around for a while. They continue to get worse. They continue to get worse. And now you’re telling me that you are going to short of several players pulling a complete 180 on this roster. Do you have the firepower to keep up with Winnipeg, with Utah, with Colorado, with Dallas? I don’t see it. But I’m You can miss me with the Hines is actually a good coach. The players are just incapable of of learning his system. You can miss me with that. Um, well, I at this point I don’t really know what to say. So, I think we’re going to keep this one a little on the short side. Um, next game is next game is Saturday against Vancouver and it’s this team has to do so many more. So, so many things have to change. We know the players can do it. So, blowing up the roster doesn’t make a lick of sense. What else could it be? Well, how long are you How long are you content waiting? This is supposed to be a playoff team. This is supposed to be a team that is gunning for a playoff spot on a yearly basis. Do you see as currently constructed the way that this team is playing, do you see them doing anything in the postseason? I’ll wait. I got all night. They are a playoff team. They’ve made it eight of the last 10 seasons. We know they can make the playoffs. They shouldn’t be losing this much in October. And yet here they are. There’s something that we are not doing in the fundamentals of the game if we’re losing to San Jose. Hey, I got news. I got news for you. San Jose is way better this year than they have been. And the reason that the Wild lost to the San Jose Sharks is because the Sharks have more skill and more speed. And it’s going to be the same thing when they play Chicago. It’s going to be the same thing. It was the same thing when they played Utah. Teams have more speed and skill. It’s not a Hulk. It’s not a Hulk game anymore. It’s not a bulking game. You can’t muscle your way. Oh, so Pete Debor’s the call. Pete Dbor. That’s That’s the That’s the turn this turn this on around. That’s the turn this around. Go get Pete Dbor. Go get Pete Dbor and the Wild will be the first They’ll be the number one seed in the Western Conference. Go get Pete Dbor and it’s all fixed. It’s not a coach problem. It’s a roster problem, Braun. It’s a roster problem. It’s not a coach problem because guess what? The same things were bad under Dean. The same things team started one the moment Kevin Fiala left town. The moment Kevin Fiala left town, the scoring dried up. The secondary scoring dried up. Pete Dbor is not going to fix that. John Tordella is not going to fix that. We have an issue with our bottom 12. Yeah, I would agree that Braun that I will agree that I will agree with you on. I’d take Paul I’d take Paul Maurice. I’d take Big PM, but uh that’s never going to happen because him and Billy weren’t buddies. Oh, did I go there? I’m sorry, Isa. I gotta get that I got to get the memberships thing taken care of. I uh Yeah, I’ll do that. Folks, this is not There are so many things that have to get better with this team. Um fundamentals, I guess, are one of them. We got to get better at the fundamentals. I mean, yeah, Issha, let’s uh let’s let’s chat. Let’s chat off uh off show here. Um yeah, the main thing Metal is right. The main thing, it’s not about all the losses, it’s about the friends we made along the way. Uh, don’t get your hopes up on the Timberwolves. Yeah, big ticket’s right. Big tickets, right? Team’s just too comfortable. Just they’re too comfortable because there haven’t been any sort there haven’t been any sort of consequences for what has happened the last few seasons. And you know, now that now that they’re in a position to where hey, seasons matter. That’s all I’m saying. Uh, all right. That’s What more can you say at this point? Saturday’s the next game. Uh, I got a couple episodes coming out for you in the overnight. um because I’m a maniac. I’m a lunatic. So, be on the lookout for those. And um we’ll do it again. Uh I will be on the mic for uh Minnesota State University men’s hockey, the PA mic on Saturday night. So, no postcast because I will be uh I will be occupied. But, um we will talk on Sunday and all of next week as well. Um, do not uh do not let this team cause you great despair because locked on Wild is here and unlike the Minnesota Wild, we come through in the clutch. I’m great on the power play, great in net, um, great on D, great on offense. Let’s be honest, we we got it all covered. Minnesota Wild lo in a game we spent hardly any time talking about. But hey, that’s how we post. Uh, see you later everybody. Be safe. Have a good night. And uh we’ll uh we’ll catch you in the next one.

The Minnesota Wild fell to 3-6-3 after a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh at Grand Casino Arena Thursday night. The Wild fell to 0-2-2 on the 6 game homestand, and let 1-0 after a goal by Kirill Kaprizov, but the Penguins scored 4 straight to take over the game in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Filip Gustavsson stopped 29 of 32 shots in net for the Wild, who face Vancouver on Saturday for their next game.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: Locked On Wild

Follow/Subscribe Anywhere: https://linktr.ee/LockedOnWild

Follow Locked On NHL: linktr.ee/lockedonNHL

Join our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ZAB6yyck

Have a Question for the Show or a Topic you want Covered? Email lockedonwild@gmail.com
For your next listen, check out the Locked On NHL podcast, where the season never ends providing national expertise with a local perspective. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Rugiet – Ready to level up your confidence ? Head to https://rugiet.com and use promo code LOCKEDONNHL for 15% off your first order.

Gametime – Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

Monarch – Take control of your finances with Monarch. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at https://monarch.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.

FanDuel – Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)