John Hynes previews Wild vs Blackhawks

0:00The Minnesota Wild Podcast is presented exclusively by ACRUS SHOW. Marcus, out there for the first time, that's just that next step. Yeah, he started skating on his own. So today was kind of going with the team and then do the election now. And Sierra responds to that. He's in that stage now where he get back on the ice with the team. And then it's kind of that push reaction, push a little more reaction. So it's nice to see him out there and doing what he can do today. Any further update on Erickson Eck or what his timeline looks like? No, I don't have a for sure timeline. I think that I probably would have more information I think tomorrow for you or Saturday. But I would anticipate he would be out the next two games tonight and Saturday. But the timeline I don't have it confirmed yet. And this is from the shot in that last game here. Yeah, I guess Toronto. Against Toronto? When you say it like that, there's no chances of a procedure.

1:00No, as of now, no, no. Just more testing to see how it is. It's more how he's feeling. Yeah, it's just more not even so much testing. It's more the feeling of where he's at. You get hit like that and there's bruising and whatever it might be. And then it's stiff and sore and then all of a sudden it could be great. Or it might take a little bit longer than you think it's going to take. So that's why they're giving them a couple extra days. Jim, what would your playoffs by essentially lock and you're positioning essentially lots of like this next month? Does it give you like obviously injuries and necessitated partly the lineup changes the other night, the line changes? But does it give you an ability to do some experimentation and see who fits with who and even if it ends at, you know, in the playoffs, just knowing who might work to well together. If I got to change things in game, like does that, I mean, can you experiment a lot now? Yeah, you know what, I wouldn't even say experiment. I think so much, but I would say that, yes, I think we might look at a couple like tonight.

2:03We might change the deep areas and I might have broads with faves and huesy with spurgy. That's an example of something we would look at to say that, okay, if we wanted to, you know, spurgy and faves. I mean, faves and huesy have played together since huesy's been here, right? So now, okay, what does that look like if we were to split them up and not have to do that, say, right in the middle of a playoffs series? So there will be a couple things like that that I think we'll look at as we go down the stretch for sure. Do you think on that one in particular because it's funny, I think I brought that up to Joe the other day. I wonder if they would ever try that. It does feel like, maybe I brought up the billy. It does feel like they've been bleeding chances a little bit lately and maybe partly because favor thinks that, you know, well, Queen's going, I'll go too. Like, that spursion doesn't play that way. It's almost safe or bad. I mean, is that one thing that you think could actually maybe stick? Yeah, that's why I think we're going to look at it, you know, as well. But, you know, in saying that, I also think that, you know, Brodin and Faber have been a very good pair for us, you know, even leading back to last year's playoffs, right?

3:10So, but they haven't played a lot together either. So, yeah, I think it's certainly worth, you know, I've talked to both guys this morning and I think it's worth, you know, taking a look at that. So, that's what we're going to do. What was going through your head with this last game? I didn't know. I was like, I mean, honestly, it was right away. He just came up. Normally, there's some communication, but he kind of just went off the ice and didn't say anything and no one didn't say anything to anyone. I was hoping he was all right. Like, I doubt my first thought was, is he okay? And then, then he went down the tunnel and, you know, then, you know, obviously the trainers and equipment guy, everyone goes back down and that was kind of my first thought. Was like, is there something really wrong with him? You're going viral, you know, for that area. I am. Well, I was thinking like, is he, like, and then he just kept going and I was like, we're, you know, sometimes they come off and maybe like, it's a equipment thing right there and the guy's fixed it and then he just kept, then he turned the corner and then the refs are like, what's going on?

4:16I'm like, I don't know. I'm trying to find out what you were on. You were like writing something down there. Yeah. And then, also, you go coming and just see it. Double tank. Yeah. Well, yeah, he's just, and then usually on Chicago, like, there's a bench to go back. Usually, they lift a bench up and he, like, jump the boards and then he jumped the bench and I'm like, what is going on here? Yeah. And then the other thing that was funny is then when he came back, you kind of look at him through the glass and you're like, see him standing there. So, like, what did you say to him when you opened that door? I was like, are you, are you, because Freddie, Freddie Radio down and said, if what's going on? No one knew what was going on. And then, okay, he's going blah, blah, blah. And he's like, well, if he's good, he should go back in. Yeah. You know, so I was like, yeah, I mean, Ty and he just came in and so he's like, go back in. So when he, then I turned around and he's standing there. He's got a helmet on and he's staring at me and I'm like, are you, are you good? He's like, yeah, I'm good. I'm like, you ready to play? He's like, yeah, I'm ready to play. I'm like, all right, let's go.

5:16All right, let's go. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, I just, yeah. I was someone said, gosh, it's behind you. And then I turned around and then there he is. So, yeah. It was. You're going to happen? Wally. Wally, yeah. That's so funny. Yeah. So was it a, like, he said it was under his gear. Was it what probably, like, was it? I don't know what, I don't know what he, I didn't ask. I figured it out for something. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I didn't want to take out, like, during the, uh, Well, I think it was something in there because he was, but that's why I was like, originally, I thought the same thing. I'm like, equipment. I'm like, well, why did he leave? Yeah. And then it was something private. Yeah. So I was like, okay. And then he just kept going and turning the corner. I'm like, what, what's happening? And guess where he was in the room, right? Yeah. Yeah. So he, something to go tell him. Yeah. He was sitting right in there. Yeah. And then he comes in. He comes all dressed and ready to go. And I'm like, oh, okay. Remember, there was, I think it was at St. Louis this year. Like, Beruby was going to pull Bennington. But then the backup goal.

6:16No, it was, uh, it was Jimmy. Yeah, Jimmy. Mine too. Yeah. Uh, Bennington. Yes. And then the backup didn't have as anything on. Yeah. So then all of a sudden, it was, uh, I remember I've seen that. Yeah, I saw that. So I didn't see mine. But I saw, I saw Monty's book. Yeah. The second one. The first one was hilarious when you just look at Adam. Yeah. But the second one was really funny when you just opened your door. And it's very clear you're saying, like, what's going on there? You keep coming back. The best is Gus, though. He's just saying, yeah, I'm ready to go. Helmets on. Yeah. Like, if he wasn't going to play usually, the helmets are off. And then I turned around. He's literally on a stick like this. Yeah. But not even a driveway, like, can't be equipment. Yeah. No. Yeah. Like, just to pacify the fear of, you know, like what you said. And that's what, to me, made it so weird, is that he left, like, this was a normal occurrence. Like, like, like, you just, in a one-goal game, putting your back up, and left, and then just standing there. And it's like, he realized that this is not like something that it was bizarre.

7:19Yeah. Well, I asked Gus why he was waiting for you in, like, the back area. And he was like, well, I figured, our wallet was a good save, so I didn't know what he wanted to say. Yeah. I figured that. Yeah. I don't know. Yeah. That was crazy. Yeah. So, on a different topic, have you seen anything different for Jared Senko in the last couple of games? I mean, it really seems like, you know, he's hitting his track as far as he can. He's always been a shooter, but just what do you think of him? Well, you know what? I think he's skating. You know, it's what I've always kind of talked about with Vlad A. I think when he's playing a skating game, you know, he gets himself in positions where he can use his shot. And I think he's triggering the puck, you know, given the other night on the power play. You know, he got the pass. He wasn't thinking, you know, he wasn't looking for a second pass. He got the puck on his stick in the scoring area and he shot. Same thing again. The two goals against Toronto. He was in the scoring area and he shot the puck. And I think that's one of his biggest strengths, right, is his ability to score and shoot the puck. And when he uses that, he's difficult player to defend, but I've liked his kind of the pace of his game.

8:19You have to play a skating game and today's game to be an offensive player, to be able to get yourself into those areas. And I think he's done a good job of it. Middleton talked about how, you know, if you know the wild history of the last 10 years, you know, they've seen this just coming at them the other way, kind of cool to have them on your side. It is nice because he's a threat. He's a guy that, you know, it's hard to score in the league and he's been a scorer in the league for many, many years. And I think you can see why. And it's nice to have that on your team where you have a guy like him that if the puck is on his stick and he's in the scoring area, you know, he's got a 90% chance it's going to go in. Not a lot of players, you know, have that ability, so, you know, and I'm happy for him. I think he's worked hard. He's done a lot for our team. We're going to need him here down the stretch and into the playoffs. And I think for him to get going the way he is, I think it's great for him personally, but I think it's really good for our team as well. For guys like Corrill and for Yara, especially these younger Russian players, just how important is a veteran voice like his for them? It's good. You know, I think, I mean, Corrill's been around a little bit longer.

9:21I think, you know, he and Vladi have a good relationship. I think Vladi's been a really good mentor to Yara. You know, they spend a lot of time together. He's helped in three different things even earlier in the year when, you know, he was in and out of the lineup a little bit. Like I would talk with Vladi and, you know, explain, help Vladi help me with Yara off to explain what's going on. And I think he's done a really good job that. He's got a breakout, only a small sample size with three ends. We've seen him get crushed twice. Once with, you know, they put him mildly. Yeah, you know, once cost favorite 17 minutes, essentially. I mean, you know, does he need to, like I heard this also was a thing in his and Philly. Does he need to protect himself more, be more aware on the ice? Is this just a two hits that might be? Well, I can only talk about my experience with him. I think there were two hits. You know, one of them I felt was a penalty. That that that that should happen on that. I don't see those two at least in my experience with him that he's kind of exposed himself to certain things.

10:22I do see in the games that he played with us. Though I do see, you know, he's in the battle areas. Like he's a competitive guy. He goes after the puck. He wants to touch Pucks first. You know, he's willing to get into those situations. So, you know, I think which I think is important because you have to have that. So I like his style of game, but we'll see you moving forward. How it goes. That's please go for all your Minnesota wild audio needs is the official Minnesota wild podcast presented by Acres Shore. Everything Minnesota wild related, including highlights, press conferences, players, coaches, general managers and more. It's available on the official Minnesota wild podcast presented by Acres Shore. It's all just a click away at wild.com slash podcast.