Will patience last when Wild needs to start out fast?

Star Tribune

Quote :

Despite all the platitudes about patience being a virtue, it's one of the most vexing powers to master, particularly in the realm of pro sports. Coaches and players often talk about how much they need it, only to have their Type A personalities crush any hope of actually practicing it.

The Wild will continue wrestling with the concept this week, as it counts down the final four days of dress rehearsals before the regular-season curtain rises Saturday in Columbus. The team anticipated a steep learning curve during training camp, what with a new, up-tempo style of play, a rookie coach and a sprinkling of roster changes. A spate of injuries to key players ensured it would take even more time to get everything in place.

Tonight in Philadelphia, coach Todd Richards and his players get their last chance to check their progress without points on the line. But the need for patience in an innately impatient profession will remain. The trick for Richards and company will be to indulge it as much as they can, without losing ground early in what promises to be another tooth-and-nail Western Conference playoff chase.

"As a coach, you do think about being patient and trying to get the players to understand,'' Richards said after Monday's practice. "It's a growing process, and it's been delayed due to the injuries. But there has to be a lot of urgency and desperation coming into games, especially at the start of the season, when you look at how many games we play and how many are on the road.

"[Tonight's game] will be our best measuring stick to date. I have to go into it open-minded, knowing mistakes are going to happen. I hope we have steps in the right direction, and that's something we have to continue throughout the year

A two-week break for the Winter Olympics in February means the schedule is compressed this year. The Wild play 14 games in the season's first month, compared with nine last season. Nine of those are on the road, giving the team five more away games than they had last October, and 10 are against teams that made the playoffs last year.

If the Wild is to return to the playoffs after missing out last season, it cannot afford to get out of the gate slowly. Still, it's impossible to predict just how soon this promising roster can get Richards' system into its bones -- and rid itself of the defense-first style that had become as natural as breathing. Center Mikko Koivu and left winger Andrew Brunette haven't played a game yet because of injuries, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot and Shane Hnidy also have missed valuable ice time.

When they haven't skated, the coaches have been teaching them the fine points of a more aggressive, attacking offense by diagramming plays on a board and showing them video. But such a philosophical shift requires repetition in the crucible of competition in order to lock it in. Richards hopes his players' experience and savvy can help them get up to speed quickly, particularly with the major changes on special teams.

The players, Brunette said, are mindful of how little time they have to adapt. "It's on us to change our ways," he said. "Every day, we're progressing. But we all know when you look at our schedule, it's a tough start.

"The Western Conference will be as tight as it is every year. If you have a bad start or a stretch where you don't get points, you're behind the 8-ball. We know the importance of that."

It's likely the Wild players will walk an emotional tightrope early in the season, striving to grant themselves the patience to evolve without dulling that critical sense of urgency. On the one hand, Richards noted that General Manager Chuck Fletcher understands it will take time for the Wild to find its new groove. On the other, Brunette acknowledged that patience isn't a popular concept among his hyper-competitive peers.

It doesn't sit well with fans, either, but it's the prudent course at this point. Owner Craig Leipold's overhaul of the franchise could reshape the Wild into the team this market deserves. If that finally happens, it will be worth a little extra wait.

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com

I don't think anyone is expecting miracles to happen right away. I can only hope that the fans in general can understand that this is a HUGE change from the style the guys are used to playing and will need time to adapt.

00Xtremeninja wrote:

I don't think anyone is expecting miracles to happen right away. I can only hope that the fans in general can understand that this is a HUGE change from the style the guys are used to playing and will need time to adapt.

I think Fargo is right...if and when the Wild hit a rough patch, the Chicken Littles will all be calling for Richard's head...you can bank on it.

I've said it many times, I don't have any feel for how this team will finish this season. Way too many variables to consider: new coach, new system, new players, etc.

oh and i totally agree with Fargo too, and we all know it too as we have seen it in the past. This year will be a massive question mark, we could go in any which way.

The new style and coach as well as chemistry with new players could all click and we do good.

the team takes time to adapt to things and is ok, but not terrible.

the team hasn't totally figured out how to make everything work and tanks.

For me, I am happy to have a whole new coaching crew in place as well as a new GM so the years to come will be much better. (hopefully better, lol)

The sky is gonna fall. It's unavoidable.

This season IS such a huge question mark! I think that's why I'm looking forward to it so much! Even the lines - a huge number of possiblities! Endless questions - is Shep good enough to be a decent 2nd Line Center? Will Pouliot ever break through or is he just a tin man with no heart? Will Mikko and havlat click and form the core of a dominant line? Do Bruno and Nolan have another quality season left in them? So many interesting questions!

I posted it when the Wild hired Richards - you have to give him at least a season and a half IMO.

If we're not seeing progress by the summer of 2011, there will have to be some accountability. Until then, it's too early to tell. Lemaire/Risebrough got six years of free passes, so Richards/Fletcher deserve at least two.

A free pass?!?! Are you kidding??? A trip to the Wesern Finals with an Expansion Team and a Jack Adams Trophy as the League's Best Coach - that's a Free Pass ?!

Fargocase wrote:

This season IS such a huge question mark! I think that's why I'm looking forward to it so much! Even the lines - a huge number of possiblities! Endless questions - is Shep good enough to be a decent 2nd Line Center? Will Pouliot ever break through or is he just a tin man with no heart? Will Mikko and havlat click and form the core of a dominant line? Do Bruno and Nolan have another quality season left in them? So many interesting questions!

I posted it when the Wild hired Richards - you have to give him at least a season and a half IMO.

exactly, this why the season is going to be really exciting. there is so much potential that is going to be on the ice. It will be fun to see what it can look like when these guys are unleashed and allowed to play more offensively.

What i am afraid of is we play above what is expected and it handcuffs Fletcher at the trade deadline.

Where we should be looking to deal our FA's for picks prospects we may not be able to because we're fighting for a spot, i for one would rather miss the playoffs and shore up our team then be a first round recipient of a spanking

The Wild players are pretty much a bunch of cool cucumbers and not many hot heads. I can see BP spouting off here and there but I think the team will remain calm. The fans are a different story. Most seasoned fans are willing to give it time but all the high schoolers and butt munchers will complain.

so the same types of people who yell "SHOOT THE PUCK!" when they are at the blue line with 4 people in the way of all shooting lanes?

I've heard people yell for them to shoot, before they even broke out of their own zone before....

Patience? How about apathy. How long will that last is the question.

I agree with WF#1 - apathy on the part of Wild Fans if the team starts losing is something to worry about. After seeing the way twins fans abandoned the team - TWICE - after winning the World Series, no one is going to convince me MN isn't filled with fair weather fans.

Winning brings in fans in pro sports. Period, end of story, bottom line. Exciting 6-4, 5-3 loses???? Let's hope there are enough Wins to keep up the public's interest...

Every sport has it's fair weather fans, absolutely, but each region tends to be more fair weather with different type of sports. IE the SW is VERY fair weather with football, but pretty decent support across the board with squeaky ball. The NW is fair weather with everything but football. The south is fair weather with baseball and hockey, but is pretty steady with football and squeaky ball. Here, I think we've proven to be pretty solid with football and hockey but extremely fair weather with squeaky ball and baseball etc.

Obviously these are subject to change over large periods of time (as different generations have different tastes), but this is just a snapshot of the past 15yrs or so.

I'd say I have low expectations, but the reality is I have no expectations. The first month or so I am just going to like seeing a new style and some new faces.

As for all the trade deadline infatuation, in this day and age I don't think you need that to build or even rebuild a team. I don't even think about the deadline until I know where we are at about 3-4 weeks away from it.

Wild fan patience = Knowing they are gonna suck BAD this year.

Better than sucking ASS like the Nucks will be doing.

^^There ya go, Ceh.....the gloves are off now...

mplspug wrote:

Better than sucking ASS like the Nucks will be doing.

I cant hear you with these pre-season trophy rings in my ears!!

"I'd like to know where Cehnehdeh was during my first reply. Probably up trying to get his jock out of the rafters."

All the sellouts, especially over five years of expansion team and another four years of a decent but not great team, certainly not fair weather yet. But when you lose Minny fans, you lose them for good.

Unfortunately for Fletcher and the gang, the previous regime used up all the patience of the fans. It certainly won't be their fault when the streak does end, it's just a matter of how long until it turns around, because the Wild can't afford to stink for too long. If they miss the playoffs this and next year, it's going to be a lot of trouble trying to stay in the black.

Not to mention the improved Vikings and renovated Gophers are competing for winter $$$.

I think the economy is the larger factor if the sellout streak ends, not fan patience.

Season tickets are just so damned expensive. Not sure how many more years I'll be a STH, just because of the expense alone. Can I afford them? Yes... is it smart to spend my money on them every year? I've been questioning that for some time. Had DR not been fired, I'd have been gone already, but if I don't renew in future seasons, it has nothing to do with losing patience, just feeling the need to be smarter with my money.

forthewild wrote:

What i am afraid of is we play above what is expected and it handcuffs Fletcher at the trade deadline.

Where we should be looking to deal our FA's for picks prospects we may not be able to because we're fighting for a spot, i for one would rather miss the playoffs and shore up our team then be a first round recipient of a spanking

Yeah, but if you got a shot, you gotta take it right? Maybe management is crafty enough to improve for the future AND the playoffs. I hear you though, you look at the field and even if they make the playoffs they don't stand much of a chance to go deep... however they did just beat the team all talking heads are touting (not that THAT is worth anything I think Boston looks every bit as good as Philly, they just were the flavor of last month, not this month) without having had the chance to gel. PP produced. The shoot-out guys stepped up. Secondary scoring was there. If the theory holds that exhaustive defensive systems leave nothing for the playoffs, then the changes would theoretically be in their favor if they got in. All that said, your scenario would be a kick in the nuts and would probably be the most likely one. They'll probably do well enough for a mediocre pick regardless if they get in. I hear the fourth round is stacked though, so it's all good.