NHL training camps open this week. What to expect from the Minnesota Wild in the next three weeks?
A few things:
1. Very spirited competition, the likes of which head coach Mike Yeo never had last season. Yeo, not unlike most NHL head coaches, hated last season's 48-game 'shotgun start' regular season. The fact is that the Wild never had a real opportunity, after the lockout was settled to sort out all the talent on the roster to see who was NHL ready, and who wasn't.
2. The end of an era for some players? Marco Scandella, Tyler Cuma, and a few others on the first wave of the 'bandwagon of youth' need to figure their games out. And quickly. Because, there's others coming up thru the system to push these 'older' players aside. Scandella especially, as he already has had two cracks at the big time, and hasn't made the most of those chances. Time to either step up or pack up, Marco.
3. Will the new talent help finally take the Wild to the next level? The first full season of Jason Pominville. Minnesotan Keith Ballard quietly trying to rebuild his career after having been signed as a UFA after a stint with the Sedins in Vancouver. And then, there's the man you really love to hate, Matt Cooke. (I still can't believe he is a member of the Minnesota Wild.)
4. Will the real Mikael Granlund please finally step up? The most-hyped Euro in five seasons didn't live up to the lofty expectations that Minnesota fans put upon his young shoulders last season. Hopefully, the grind which was a season in the AHL last year will put some of the hunger back, into a young man who's been spoon-fed a bit much in the last three years.
And, speaking of the farm club...
5. Will the Wild take full advantage of having their farm team less than 250 miles away from St. Paul? By the Alexanders not renegotiating a proper lease in Houston, the Aeros have moved to the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa for 2013-14. Renamed the 'Iowa Wild', the club is only a 3-hour drive from the 'X', which is both good and bad. Good for the 'big club' as they have ready access for help, when they are at home. Bad for that Des Moines is not a hub for any major airline, unlike Houston's Bush Intercontinental. Getting players up to the Minnesota Wild roster when the parent club is on a long road trip will be a real challenge; all moves will have to be made either via MSP (on Delta) or Chicago (American, United).
The logistics of call-ups and send-downs are somewhat daunting, especially when you consider that the final destination is, indeed, Des Moines. Not exactly a hot spot for anything, unlike the hustle and bustle of Houston, the largest city in the US without a pro hockey franchise on any level. Should make for interesting conversations in the Des Moines Register between Iowa Hawkeye and ISU Cyclones seasons.
So what happens next? We'll all find out together, starting on Thursday. So hang on for the ride.
Showing posts with label Sedins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sedins. Show all posts
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Wild throttle Canucks, 6-2, as Olympics, trade deadline loom
Final game of homestand becomes old-fashioned beatdown of divisonal rival
By Wild Road Tripper
With the eyes of the sporting world focused on their home town, the Vancouver Canucks ended their first half of a 14-game marathon road trip in grand style. Grand style, that is, for fans of the Minnesota Wild.
As 19,342, the third largest regular-season crowd in Wild franchise history, watched on Valentine's Day at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild systematically took apart the current Northwest Division leaders with one of the better efforts of the season, as the Wild proceeded to force Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo from the nets with 11:56 remaining in the game, after giving up the Wild's 5th goal, an incredulous scene where Cal Clutterbuck put the off the back boards rebound of a Kyle Brodziak breakaway shot past Luongo, to make it 5-1 Wild at that point.
The Wild had all cylinders firing in this one; even Derek Boogaard had an assist, was a +2 for the afternoon, and got the better of Darcy Hordichuk after Hordichuk horse-collared and cartwheeled Boogaard from behind, as Boogaard went along the boards to retrieve a loose puck. The Wild scored almost immediately after Hordichuk, who received the full package (2 minutes for instigating, 5 for fighting, 10-minute misconduct) for his derring-do. The goal was one of 4 power-play goals for the Wild, who went 4-for-7 in power plays, a most jarring turnaround for a power play unit which had been rather anemic earlier this season.
In fact, 10 different Wild players, including Brodziak and newcomer Cam Barker, acquired only on Friday afternoon for Kim Johnsson, tallied points, Barker's point a laser-shot goal which eluded relief Vancouver goalie Andrew Raycroft en route to finding twine. The Wild outshot the normally shot-happy Canucks 41-29, and held the normally effective Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, to just one assist. Even Greg Zanon got in on the act, saving a sure goal by Henrik Sedin in the first moment of the third period, by robbing Sedin while prone in the crease as Niklas Backstrom scrambled to get back into position.
So what now for the Wild? With the team now on a 17-day break for the Winter Olympics, and the NHL trade deadline looming a mere 63 hours after the Olympic roster freeze ends, we may have seen the last of at least some of the seven remaining Wild unrestricted free agents-to-be. The Wild end the pre-Olympic portion of the schedule in 13th place in the Western Conference, 64 points, five points behind the eighth and final playoff spot. The team occupying that spot will be the opponent in two of the next three Wild games:
Next Game: at Calgary, Wednesday, March 3, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time, Pengrowth Saddledome. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Flames TV: Rogers SportsNet-West; XM Radio, Ch. TBA)
By Wild Road Tripper
With the eyes of the sporting world focused on their home town, the Vancouver Canucks ended their first half of a 14-game marathon road trip in grand style. Grand style, that is, for fans of the Minnesota Wild.
As 19,342, the third largest regular-season crowd in Wild franchise history, watched on Valentine's Day at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild systematically took apart the current Northwest Division leaders with one of the better efforts of the season, as the Wild proceeded to force Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo from the nets with 11:56 remaining in the game, after giving up the Wild's 5th goal, an incredulous scene where Cal Clutterbuck put the off the back boards rebound of a Kyle Brodziak breakaway shot past Luongo, to make it 5-1 Wild at that point.
The Wild had all cylinders firing in this one; even Derek Boogaard had an assist, was a +2 for the afternoon, and got the better of Darcy Hordichuk after Hordichuk horse-collared and cartwheeled Boogaard from behind, as Boogaard went along the boards to retrieve a loose puck. The Wild scored almost immediately after Hordichuk, who received the full package (2 minutes for instigating, 5 for fighting, 10-minute misconduct) for his derring-do. The goal was one of 4 power-play goals for the Wild, who went 4-for-7 in power plays, a most jarring turnaround for a power play unit which had been rather anemic earlier this season.
In fact, 10 different Wild players, including Brodziak and newcomer Cam Barker, acquired only on Friday afternoon for Kim Johnsson, tallied points, Barker's point a laser-shot goal which eluded relief Vancouver goalie Andrew Raycroft en route to finding twine. The Wild outshot the normally shot-happy Canucks 41-29, and held the normally effective Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, to just one assist. Even Greg Zanon got in on the act, saving a sure goal by Henrik Sedin in the first moment of the third period, by robbing Sedin while prone in the crease as Niklas Backstrom scrambled to get back into position.
So what now for the Wild? With the team now on a 17-day break for the Winter Olympics, and the NHL trade deadline looming a mere 63 hours after the Olympic roster freeze ends, we may have seen the last of at least some of the seven remaining Wild unrestricted free agents-to-be. The Wild end the pre-Olympic portion of the schedule in 13th place in the Western Conference, 64 points, five points behind the eighth and final playoff spot. The team occupying that spot will be the opponent in two of the next three Wild games:
Next Game: at Calgary, Wednesday, March 3, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time, Pengrowth Saddledome. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Flames TV: Rogers SportsNet-West; XM Radio, Ch. TBA)
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