Each week sports reporters Matthew Lambert and Eric Schroeder will face off on a hot topic in sports. The world of sports is changing quickly and constantly, but we want to slow it down and take a better look at the juiciest gossip, scandal, rumor or issue that is making headlines this week. Lambert and Schroeder will take different sides and battle it out, telling you why you they are right.
This week’s topic: Who is to blame for the Wild’s unremarkable season?
FROM ERIC SCHROEDER
The Minnesota Wild have been far from impressive this season, sitting seventh in Central Divison (last place) with a record of 20-20-6. Naturally, people are looking to place the blame on someone for this season’s let down so far, but who or what is the problem? Let’s talk about it… (Recap by Allison Mueller)
It is no secret that the Minnesota Wild have been a bit of a disappointment this season. Sure, some people may point to injuries or poor goaltending. With Suter and Parise needing time off following the passing of their fathers, holes were certainly left in the lineup. But that points to one person in particular who should pick up the slack: head coach Mike Yeo.
The sign of a good coach is one who can make adjustments to his team during tough times. Injuries happen to every team, lines need to get changed up and goalies need to be rotated—that is just part of the game. Yeo has failed to do that this season. The Wild have all the pieces to be just as dangerous and successful as they have been over the past couple of seasons, yet the winning has not happened. The offense has been there because in the past two months they were never shut out and had six games go into overtime. If Yeo cannot figure out some changes soon, this season might be lost for the Wild and the state of hockey will certainly not be happy.
With only 46 points the Wild sit in 12th place in the Western Conference and seven points out of a playoff spot with just over 30 games left to go. Since Dec. 1 they have won only seven of 23 games (not including Tuesday’s tilt with Edmonton). Over that time they have given up three goals or more in a game only six times. A year ago this team had 18 more points and gave the Blackhawks all they could handle in the playoffs. Now they might be on the outside looking in when it comes down for the battle for Lord Stanley.
FROM MATTHEW LAMBERT
While many Minnesota Wild fans are quick to point the finger at head coach Mike Yeo, I ask for everyone to pump the brakes and hear me out. While the coaching may be average at best, it does not help when the goalkeeping holds you back.
The Minnesota Wild is currently 23rd in the league for goals against and they allow roughly three points a game. Compare that to the goals for statistic where they rank 15th in the league, scoring 2.74 goals per game. They try their best to keep up with the goals being allowed, but it is tough when their three goalkeepers have been unreliable. Moving forward, I believe they should stay with one of these goalies.
Darcy Kuemper is the best man for the job. Throughout this season he has had 675 shots on him and has allowed only 65 so far. That is a ten to one ratio for goals saved against goals allowed. Backstrom is too old, Curry is just hanging around because Kuemper is injured and Dubnyk is a fill-in guy—not a guy who should be relied on to save a game. Dubnyk was 9-5 with the Coyotes before being traded and allowed 2.72 goals a game. He is not as great as people make him out to be.
My advice to the Wild? Wait for Kuemper and stop pointing the finger of blame at Yeo.
