Tom Powers: Jacques Lemaire's system keeps Minnesota Wild in pl...

Good point Tom, defense wins games, although sometimes not very exciting. Not all games played defensively will end up as this one did 5-1. Given the players he has, Jacques is doing a reasonable job and getting some wins. Fact remains that changes are still necessary, in order to become a real contender, starting with the G.M.

Living in Montreal, where Lemaire is nearly worshipped, everyone always says "as long as you have Lemaire you have a chance." That may be true but it wouldn't hurt to have Gabby or a few other flyers to score more consistantly.

The Minnesota sports way, play defense to lose. So every night Lemaire expects the score to be 0-0 at the end of the 3rd. If you can't score, you can't win. Why can't the Wild have great defense and good offense? Bouchard is probably the best skater on the team who can create something by himself. Where is he?

With the players this team has they need Lemaire's defense only system. JimE, Bouchard is mostly absent because he is 5'3", 140lbs and is afraid of going to the net. Seriously, watch him, every time he enters the zone and has a lane he spins outside or skates around the net and ends up not getting a scoring chance. He doesn't put up the points he used to because he's not on a line with a guy like Rolston who can score at will. Also, most of the players are overachieving but the team is not. Coming off a division championship they should have been organized to move on in the playoffs this year but management made sure that wouldn't happen through all of Risebrough's offseason debacles.

I agree--if you have lemaire, you have a chance..but he needs a gamebreaker..tough to come by in the nhl..gabby has not been the guy...and he turned down 40 million! Love the players (who sign and play) and coaching staff, but doug risebrough has not drafted well or resigned or got free agents to help this team...

I agree, to a point. Yes Lemaire's system gives the Wild a chance to win every game--which is why Wild fans love Jack and his style of hockey. You can't really overlook the fact that some guys have stepped up big i.e. Backstrom and Clu#t$uck.

...Lemaire is just fine, what we really need is a better GM

Two games does not a trend make.

And speaking of trends, Skoula still sucks.

kecker wrote:

Two games does not a trend make.
And speaking of trends, Skoula still sucks.

Maybe Skoula gets ice time because he sucks so well.

Nope he just sucks, Saturday's game was another example.