GDT GAME #51 Minnesota Wild @ Montreal Canadiens - 7PM - Thurs, January 30, 2025

[Butterface]

I like smoke and lightnin'

Heavy metal thunder

Racin' with the wind

And the feelin' that I'm under

 

Yeah, darlin', go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your shots at once and

Explode into space

 

Like a true nature's child

We were born, born to beat wild

We can climb so high

I never wanna die

 

Born to beat wild, Baby !!!

 

[Butterface]

[GHT120]

Since I will have won 12 Powerball lotteries by then and bought the team I can't reveal what I would do in your hypothetical.

[revvvrob]

I can’t bring myself to vote in the poll question - trading and LTIR are too painful to contemplate for any of those guys!!!

[DON]

At least Minnesota's russian star isnt playing, he has like 2 points/game vs Habs

Habs will miss Guhle for sure, but missing Brodin & Kaprizov should help in this one.

Canadiens vs. Wild: Game preview and how to watch

 

"Minnesota is also missing one of its top defencemen, Jonas Brodin, and top scorer Kirill Kaprizov as well. With those two players out of the lineup, their current stretch filled with more losses than wins is understandable, but they haven’t been able to even hold their games close. Minnesota has lost six of its previous nine games, and four of those losses have been by three goals or more..."

Canadiens	Statistics	Wild
24-21-5	Record	30-17-4
48.5% (25th)	Scoring-chances-for %	49.2% (22nd)
2.98 (14th	Goals per game	2.92 (18th)
3.34 (27th)	Goals against per game	2.86 (11th)
20.3% (19th)	PP%	19.4% (22nd)
82.0% (6th)	PK%	70.2% (30th)
0-1-0	Head-to-Head Record	1-0-0

 

 

[TurdBurglar]

Great poll question.  I chose to sign Hutson, you can't trade for or get a superstar defenseman in free agency.  Trade Demidov, he should have good value and there's always the possibility Laine re-signs and his injury woes are in the past.  LTIR Fowler, even though you never want to see players hurt, but he's a goalie, he may not ever play a game in the NHL regardless of his projection. 

[Butterface]

I’m signing Demidov. We haven’t had a player looking this dynamic up front in a long while. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the ice next year and pushing our depth deeper. A few years from now he will hopefully be as important to our future as Hutson is.

 

I’m trading Fowler. Hard decision, but with Montembeault backing up Dobeš by 2029, I think we can overcome this trade. If Dobes isn’t the messiah, then Montembeault’s .900 Save Percentage is still strong enough to win most nights. Especially with Laine, Caufield and Demidov scoring a goal each, every other night.

 

I’m adding Hutson to LTIR. I’d hate to lose the most exciting player to watch in a long time for any length of the season, but hopefully he will recover in full health and continue to give us offense from the back end. 

[Commandant]

I'm waiting to see what happens over the next four years before knowing what I'm doing in 2029. 

[huzer]

What an odd question. Ideally, nobody goes on LTIR. Ever. I wish for health for the players, so my brain can't even contemplate which player I hope is injured enough to be out for at least a season.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

 

[Commandant]

RHP is closer to being an actual NHLer than Pezzetta. 

 

I'm not sure if he's an NHLer or just a high end AHLer, but Pezz isnt' even high end in the AHL. 

[Butterface]

46 minutes ago, Commandant said:

I'm waiting to see what happens over the next four years before knowing what I'm doing in 2029. 

 

[GHT120]

2 minutes ago, Butterface said:

 

[Commandant]

[xXx..CK..xXx]

Really need (want) this win. Kaprizov is indeed out but the Wild beat the Leafs yesterday without him. On paper they look like a beatable team but their level of play statistically as a unit is similar to Dallas/Vegas or a Carolina/New Jersey so we’re in for a good one. Fleury will be coming in looking to play his “A” game but hopefully that doesn’t matter.

[Butterface]

33 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Nooo. I’m sure Commando knows he can be more fun…. The comment about Beck’s expected poops per shift is a testament to that. He knows he can participate in a meaningless poll and still be considered a serious person. He’s got it in himself to be more fun.

 

Though I do see more humour in Lawyer jokes since joining this fansite. 

[Butterface]

19 minutes ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

Really need (want) this win. Kaprizov is indeed out but the Wild beat the Leafs yesterday without him. On paper they look like a beatable team but their level of play statistically as a unit is similar to Dallas/Vegas or a Carolina/New Jersey so we’re in for a good one. Fleury will be coming in looking to play his “A” game but hopefully that doesn’t matter.

Yeah, I think Fleury will try hard, but give us the game in the end. Definitely I’m happier about Caprisun not playing, but I’m worried a loss like Guhle can revert our defence to pre-Carrier times.

 

See if Dobes can hold the fort. A good test for him to see if he deserves more starts. Team defence might be shaky. 

[alfredoh2009]

1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

[DON]

A nice blowout victory before California trip would be sweet.

 

 

Will Habs win a couple in California for once. Nice that all games arnt on Sportsnet till 22nd.

 

[ch_nl]

Missing Brodin and Kaprizov is a big blow for Minny, but missing Guhle might be even more hard on us.

 

in my opinion, the Wild had been one of the most impressive teams so far and their capability to be competitive while having the cap hit issue they have.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Minnesota is clearing their zone really quickly. Can’t get a good forecheck going. Slafkovsky is at his best when causing turnovers off his forecheck 

 

D pairings seem to be in a blender

[Commandant]

The good.  Team tightened up defensively to give up just 8 shots, mostly from outside.

 

The bad.  Habs took just 3 shots.

 

The surprising.  That period was played in like 30 minutes.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Three lousy shots at the end of the first 😒 

 

Dobes made a great pad save right at the end of the PK

 

Kind of boring period 

[Peter Puck]

I hate complaining about the refs but

There were like 3 plays that period where the Wild could have been called and 1 where Montreal could have been called.  Of course they were all ignored except the Habs transgression.

[Butterface]

4 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Kind of boring period

This is Wild hockey. Perfect oxymoron to their style.  Especially without Kaprizov in their line-up.