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This week's schedule:
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This schedule looks suspiciously like last week's schedule, except now all the games are in Minnesota.
Starting to see just a sliver of separation between the top half and the bottom half of the division. It would be good to add some points and really widen that split.
- Vegas - 33 points (21G)
- St. Louis - 31 points (25G)
- Colorado - 28 points (22G)
- Minnesota - 27 points (22G)
- LosAngeles - 25 points (23G)
- Arizona - 25 points (24G)
- Anaheim - 20 points (25G)
- San Jose - 19 points (22G)
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The Kirill Kaprizov Corner
.@KaprizovKirill continues to impress with his pass on this @NBjugstad72 goal 🤩🤩 pic.twitter.com/7iAUzUpg6C
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) March 6, 2021
On the rookie leaderboards, he's first in assists (13), second in goals (6), and first in points (19).
Players not Named Kirill
Cam Talbot had a rough week, going 0-2-1 while giving up 13 goals on 96 shots (.865 save percentage - not what you want). In the three games Talbot started this week, opponents outscored their xG by 5.7 goals.
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- Talbot currently ranks 36th out of 61 goalies in the NHL in save percentage above expected (-.007)
- Kahkonen ranks 27th in the same category (-.003)
- If we look at Goals Saved Above Average, Kahkonen (2.93) is 17th and Talbot (0.08) is 30th out of 61.
So either Kahkonen is the better goalie right now, or playing goalie against Las Vegas is harder than against other teams. I guess both could be true.
The Wild power play is ridiculously bad. The went 0 for 9 last week, with no goals in 16:15 of power play time. That calculates out as 0.00 goals/60 minutes, which would be a rate that would put them last in the NHL.
The season long power play numbers are just as bad.
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- 3.0 G/60 min. is last in the NHL
- 5.8% shooting percentage is last in the NHL
- 6.8 xG/60 is 18th in the NHL
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That last number gives us some hope that maybe someday the Wild will progress toward having an average power play. I'm not holding my breath.
The Wild have not given up a shorthanded goal yet this year, so the power play is ranked #1 in the NHL defensively.
Leaderboards
| Player | G | Player | A | Player | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eriksson Ek | 8 | Greenway | 13 | Kaprizov | 19 |
| Fiala | 7 | Kaprizov | 13 | Greenway | 18 |
| Foligno | 7 | Zuccarello | 9 | Foligno | 14 |
| Kaprizov | 6 | Suter | 8 | Zuccarello | 13 |
| Dumba/Rask/Greenway | 5 | Brodin | 8 | Eriksson Ek | 12 |
With their extended power play futility, the Wild have reached some rarefied air.
Goals / 60 min at 5-on-5 = 3.1
Goals / 60 min on PP = 3.0
have they allowed any short-handed goals?
Psst... Beau...
Oh, hi.
For some reason I read that had not allowed a single power play goal all season. Which I know is not true.
Every time Fiala scores, you hope it's going to ignite one of those super-hot streaks of his. This could be the one.
Wild up 1-0 after one. No power plays for Minnesota.
0/1.
Kahkonen solid tonight. He's gotten better as the year has gone on.
Wild up 1-0 after 2 periods.
Marc-Andre Fleury is really good.
Whew.
Kahkonen apparently doesn't think playing against Las Vegas is hard.
If they award an empty net goal because of a penalty, can we count that as a power play goal?
Haha, I had that exact same thought.
Ek!
He won't get many looks more open than that.
We're on pace to go to overtime tied at 30.
Well that's crap. Kaprizov takes a puck to the face.
He's back on the ice. Wild fans can breathe again.
The power play holds Vegas scoreless. Success!
Fleury's been a little ridiculous these past couple games.
Yeah, honestly the Wild are more than holding their own against Vegas. Fleury is the difference.
A POWER PLAY GOAL?!?!?
Nothing can stop them now!
EK-STRAORDINARY!!!
Erik Senneck!
Quick, someone staple Parise to the bench before he tries to get Eriksson Ek a hat trick.
Is a three-goal lead Parise-proof?
OK, back to the bench Parise
Maybe I should say Kahkonen is the difference. He's also been super good.
Talbot gets all future Ducks/Sharks games
Excuse me while I hold my breath ....
NEVER A DOUBT!!!
So correct me if I'm wrong here, but in those 4 matchups, the Wild got 5 points to Vegas' 4? That's cool.
Kessel gets a penalty and puts the Wild on a power play. Savvy veteran move right there.
THE THRILL
THE THE THRILL THRILL
Time to bench Parise again
This play definitely gets a Mikael Granland Best Defense Without A Stick Award.
I just want to say again that it is my expert opinion that Kirill Kaprizov is good at hockey.
That second goal reminded me of Gretzky, just skating around everyone at will
The goal:
Rask from Kaprizov and Zuccarello to tie the game.
Do we have to come up with a fun nickname for that line?
Boy, the Wild should really have the lead after 2. Lots of pressure, but still tied at 1.
Outshooting the Coyotes 22-12.
BONINO!!!
POWER PLAY GOAL!?!?!?!?
That's the type of goal I would always get in NHL '94. Dont see that many like that
That was the first time this season the Wild have won a game after trailing at the end of the first period.
The Whangdoodle might be full of optimism next week, I don't know if that's allowed?
Sure it is! We'll just all assume it's misguided and knowingly shake our heads