Is re-arranging the deck chairs (or the roster) enough to avoid the iceberg ahead (or the April abyss)?
Well, so this is what the 2013-14 season for the Minnesota Wild has degenerated into.
Happened yesterday, after the Wild managed to lose a 3-2 home game to the Detroit Griffins -- er, Red Wings -- a team so decimated by injury, that eight regulars were out of the starting lineup as the Wild played the first game of a weekend home-and-home, versus their old Western Conference rivals.
The post-game Mike Yeo press conference was delayed (enough so that the presser, normally in the team-produced radio post-game, was not on fans' radios as they sulkenly drove home afterwards, or even on the outstate feed provided by Clear Channel Minnesota). What they missed, or what they didn't, was this:
The start of the third straight Wild end-of-season meltdown. You heard it here, folks. It's begun. Officially. Yeo even defacto declared it yesterday, by trudging out a sheaf of notes, saying that the Wild have points in 10 of 11 games at home (the Detroit loss was the first regulation loss at home, since a 3-0 drubbing by Ottawa on Jan. 14), and that they have a point in 9 of the last 11 overall.
Two seasons ago, it was the 'first-to-worst' total implosion, as the Wild went from No. 1 in the NHL to completely eliminated from playoff contention in just 52 games' time. Last season, it was the final day back-in to the playoffs, as only a late comeback vs. the Colorado Avalanche, coupled with the end of the season troubles of the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowed the Wild to be cannon fodder for the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs.
This season? How about a 2-3-4 record since the trade deadline? How about 3 of the 4 games going to OT, finding the Wild having to come back from multi-goal deficits late in the 3rd period, only to 'achieve' the 'loser point'? And how about who(m) you've managed to do this against?
Things were looking pretty good after the Wild came off the Olympic break. A two-game road winning streak, with back-to-back victories at Edmonton and Vancouver, looking at 5 of their next 6 at home, time to fatten up for the end of the month, right?
Oh, hell no. Not with this bunch.
The month of March started good enough, with a less-than-stunning 3-2 win at home against Calgary. Then, March 5, the trade deadline, and the addition of Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick in the deadline deal which sent Torrey Mitchell to Buffalo. Since then?
Loss to Dallas on 'Mike Modano Night'. (And, yes, Norm Green STILL sucks.)
The next night began a crucial 4-game homestand for the Wild. Result? A shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues, the likely President's Cup winner for this season. Two nights later, Wild take a 3-0 lead after 16 minutes against the Edmonton Oilers, the worst team in the Conference, and proceed to pee it away, losing in the shootout 4-3. After beating the NY Rangers 2-1 on Thursday, the Wild then get 'BOB'ed by Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets, 2-1, in another shootout, one in which the Wild had a 2-0 lead in the shootout before the Jackets solved Darcy Kuemper three straight times to win.
A three-game road trip ensued; first, at Boston, the Bruins finally figured out how to beat the Wild, as the B's snapped their 6-game losing streak at TD Garden against Minnesota 4-2. The next night, as tens of thousands of fans back in Minnesota said, 'Where has this team been?', the Wild disposed of the lowly Islanders 6-0. Two nights later, as the hatred of Zach Parise overflowed at the Prudential Center in 'beautiful' Downtown Newark, the Wild came from two goals down in the last 10 minutes to force overtime, only to forget that someone has to take the man on the other side, as Matt Greene gave the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 win, which stole yet another point from the Wild.
Then, there was the home game vs. Detroit, a team so banged up, there is a sudden glut of short-term housing in Grand Rapids, as most of the Griffins' top players are up with the big club, as the Red Wings 'Lite' managed to beat the Wild (as they so often do in Minnesota), 3-2. Since the trade deadline, the Wild is now 1-1-3 at home.
The second half of the home-and-home is tonight, at the venerable Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Same conditions apply: Detroit is just as desperate; Minnesota is just as perplexed as they were into the first Detroit game.
And the head coach? Still refuses to see the forest; too many trees in the way.
The apoplexy that would ensue if, say, Dany Heatley were to sit out a couple games in the press box would reverberate throughout Minnesota. Heatley has managed to endear Minnesotans to his 'stand around and wait for something to happen his way' philosophy of offense, instead of using his 6'3" frame to create havoc around the net, using the Andrew Brunette model of 'Back that big ass up' to score goals with his hands (Heatley's stickwork is still good, even if his feet aren't motivated to move as fast as they used to.)
And, after yesterday (especially), would it hurt if Kyle Brodziak joined Heatley next to the popcorn maker in the press box? 'Brodz' was on the ice for ALL 3 Detroit goals yesterday. Great -3 there, Brodz. Work on your defense. Or your shot. Or your footwork. Or anything that won't cost the Wild another goal.
Now, that would mean you would have $10.33 million in salary cap serving up corn in the press box. At that rate, maybe they could even afford real butter.
Showing posts with label St. Louis Blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Louis Blues. Show all posts
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Perplexion in the 'Plex: One blogger's view
Strange things seem to happen when the Minnesota Wild play the Dallas Stars in Big D. Why?
It happened again last night. The Minnesota Wild were seemingly in control of a tough, hard-nosed game versus the former Minnesota franchise, the now-Dallas Stars, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Ahead by a 3-2 score early in the third period, the Wild were on track to win their 4th game since the Olympic break ended. And then, as has happened so often in Dallas...
...the Wild's train derailed, just outside 'Victory Station' of D-FW's Trinity Railway Express. Again.
The Wild have managed to craft an all-time 4-16-6 record in the Metroplex, including this year's two losses (a 4-0 whitewashing, on Jan. 21st, was the other disaster in Big D this season), against a Dallas Stars team which is struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. A victory last night, and the Wild would have opened up a seven-point lead on the currently-8th place Stars; now, the Wild only have a 3-point lead as they head into tonight's home game vs. the St. Louis Blues, a team which is so hot, they may be able to be No. 1 in the Western Conference, and win the President's Trophy for best overall record in the regular season, if they keep up their winning ways.
The fourth home game in eight nights for the Stars was the best-attended game since Norm Green did his now-infamous Mayflower move, and hijacked the then-North Stars from Bloomington to Big D in 1993. The reason? 'Mike Modano Retirement Night', as his No. 9 jersey was retired and moved to the rafters forever. But even all that wasn't enough to stop the Wild, as Erik Haula did his best to keep the Wild in the game, until Cody Eakin tripped (and nearly slewfoot) Haula as he was going in against Dallas starting goalie Kari Lehtonen. The resulting crash knocked Lehtonen out of the game, gave the Stars a 5-minute, all-you-can-score power play as Haula was assessed a major and a game misconduct for his actions, and screwed the Wild out of any momentum for the rest of the evening.
Now, that wasn't the losing goal; Keith Ballard served that up, on a platter, when his errant pass hit Dallas' Erik Cole instead of Clayton Stoner, Ballard's defensive partner. The resulting breakaway turned into the margin of victory after Cole scored, leaving the Wild empty again in the 'Plex.
The question on the floor, then: Why does this keep happening? Why does the Wild have such an awful record in Dallas?
I can only come up with three possible reasons:
1. The way the schedule is set up, the Wild and Stars seem to always play when one or the other team is on a back-to-back. They may be thinking about the previous game, or the next one; but they sure aren't thinking about THIS one, and that's the problem.
2. The home team is always setting up some special event for when the other team is in town. Modano night could (doubtful, but go with me here) have been 'retaliation' for the Stars being offered up as the opponent for the Wild's nightcap apperance in 'Hockey Day Minnesota', the Fox Sports North-conceived celebration of Minnesota hockey. In fact, of the eight HDM's since the series started in 2007, Dallas has been the opponent more than any other NHL team (3 times), and holds a 1-1-1 record in those games (winning in a shootout in 2007, losing in regulation in 2012, and losing in OT this year on Nate Prosser's rebound, 3-2, on Jan. 18).
3. There really may be some actual animosity between the two teams building, as there already is amongst the fans of the two teams (Minnesota fans still equate today's Stars, with the Norm Green-era group from the mid-90's; Dallas fans hate anything Minnesota, going back to the Cowboys' heyday, and so on).
Wild fans (at least the older ones, like me) especially relish any victory over the former North Stars, it doesn't matter how, where, or when. Dallas fans equate beating the Wild with picking on baby brother: 'But Mom, it's just SO fun to see him like that'.
Someday, these two teams will meet in a playoff series. That will indeed be a series for the ages.
Here's hoping that day is soon.
It happened again last night. The Minnesota Wild were seemingly in control of a tough, hard-nosed game versus the former Minnesota franchise, the now-Dallas Stars, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Ahead by a 3-2 score early in the third period, the Wild were on track to win their 4th game since the Olympic break ended. And then, as has happened so often in Dallas...
...the Wild's train derailed, just outside 'Victory Station' of D-FW's Trinity Railway Express. Again.
The Wild have managed to craft an all-time 4-16-6 record in the Metroplex, including this year's two losses (a 4-0 whitewashing, on Jan. 21st, was the other disaster in Big D this season), against a Dallas Stars team which is struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. A victory last night, and the Wild would have opened up a seven-point lead on the currently-8th place Stars; now, the Wild only have a 3-point lead as they head into tonight's home game vs. the St. Louis Blues, a team which is so hot, they may be able to be No. 1 in the Western Conference, and win the President's Trophy for best overall record in the regular season, if they keep up their winning ways.
The fourth home game in eight nights for the Stars was the best-attended game since Norm Green did his now-infamous Mayflower move, and hijacked the then-North Stars from Bloomington to Big D in 1993. The reason? 'Mike Modano Retirement Night', as his No. 9 jersey was retired and moved to the rafters forever. But even all that wasn't enough to stop the Wild, as Erik Haula did his best to keep the Wild in the game, until Cody Eakin tripped (and nearly slewfoot) Haula as he was going in against Dallas starting goalie Kari Lehtonen. The resulting crash knocked Lehtonen out of the game, gave the Stars a 5-minute, all-you-can-score power play as Haula was assessed a major and a game misconduct for his actions, and screwed the Wild out of any momentum for the rest of the evening.
Now, that wasn't the losing goal; Keith Ballard served that up, on a platter, when his errant pass hit Dallas' Erik Cole instead of Clayton Stoner, Ballard's defensive partner. The resulting breakaway turned into the margin of victory after Cole scored, leaving the Wild empty again in the 'Plex.
The question on the floor, then: Why does this keep happening? Why does the Wild have such an awful record in Dallas?
I can only come up with three possible reasons:
1. The way the schedule is set up, the Wild and Stars seem to always play when one or the other team is on a back-to-back. They may be thinking about the previous game, or the next one; but they sure aren't thinking about THIS one, and that's the problem.
2. The home team is always setting up some special event for when the other team is in town. Modano night could (doubtful, but go with me here) have been 'retaliation' for the Stars being offered up as the opponent for the Wild's nightcap apperance in 'Hockey Day Minnesota', the Fox Sports North-conceived celebration of Minnesota hockey. In fact, of the eight HDM's since the series started in 2007, Dallas has been the opponent more than any other NHL team (3 times), and holds a 1-1-1 record in those games (winning in a shootout in 2007, losing in regulation in 2012, and losing in OT this year on Nate Prosser's rebound, 3-2, on Jan. 18).
3. There really may be some actual animosity between the two teams building, as there already is amongst the fans of the two teams (Minnesota fans still equate today's Stars, with the Norm Green-era group from the mid-90's; Dallas fans hate anything Minnesota, going back to the Cowboys' heyday, and so on).
Wild fans (at least the older ones, like me) especially relish any victory over the former North Stars, it doesn't matter how, where, or when. Dallas fans equate beating the Wild with picking on baby brother: 'But Mom, it's just SO fun to see him like that'.
Someday, these two teams will meet in a playoff series. That will indeed be a series for the ages.
Here's hoping that day is soon.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Did anyone think it was going to be THIS bad?
Did you think it was going to be this bad to be a Minnesota Wild fan this season? Really?
Well, it has indeed gotten to the point where we are officially looking for 'moral' victories, not the two-points-in-the-standings kind. Because, for this group of Wild players, that kind of victory is the kind that is seemingly out of reach right now.
The fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets have a better record since Dec. 13 (8-19-2) than the Wild (5-16-6), despite the Jackets sacking their head coach and replacing him with ex-Wild coach Todd Richards, shows the depths of which the Wild face the rest of the season with.
Yes, Minnesota. It's THAT bad.
The fact that this Wild team cannot score, and cannot stop other teams from scoring, can no longer be denied by anyone who has even half a concept, as to how NHL hockey should be played. Yesterday's embarrassing 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues -- a team which the Wild toyed with in November, and lost to in a shootout in January -- again showed not only the depth but the breadth of the Wild's woes.
And today, the rest of North America will see how bad the Wild can get, as the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins, will take on the Wild in a game seen nationally in the USA on NBC, and in Canada on TSN2. This game should be a cakewalk for the B's, as the Wild will feature no less than seven players who, realistically, should be with the Houston Aeros this Sunday morning.
With Chad Rau and Jeff Taffe arriving this morning from Abbottsford, B.C., -- where the Aeros were getting swept in a two-game series vs. the Heat this weekend -- the number of Aeros players currently up with the 'big club' exceeds the half-dozen mark, for God-only-knows how long, as the chess game which is the Wild roster gets played once again.
(I only wish I could get the commission for all those airline tickets, shuttling players between the Aeros and the Wild.)
The fact is that most Wild fans were somewhat realistic in the beginning of the season regarding the team's playoff chances. I even said before the season started that this team could be anywhere between a 7 seed in the playoffs and in 10th place in the West, two positions out of the playoffs. I changed it later to say that they would make the playoffs, in the midst of the team's record 9-game winning streak.
Well, folks, I'm changing it back. Back to anywhere down to 10th place. And, maybe even worse than that.
The only team this Wild club can beat right now with any regularity is the Colorado Avalanche, a team whose lineup is actually weaker than the Wild's impudent roster. The Wild can't beat anyone else in the NHL right now. In the last week, the Wild have lost to three teams who, if the season ended today, would be out of the playoffs, like they are (Columbus, Anaheim and Winnipeg). In fact, if you want to go back to Feb. 1, they could add a fourth non-playoff team (Dallas) and throw in another loss to the Jackets in that mix.
And then, if you go back one more day, there was the embarrassing, destructive, come-from-ahead throw-away loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 31st. No one, most notably GM Chuck Fletcher and Head Coach Mike Yeo, can seemingly do anything to stop the slide down the mountain. The players have seemingly given up trying to win games (sorry, I'm not buying that they are still buying into the system.)
The Wild's system is broken. It's time to fix the system. Before more irreparable damage is done.
Well, it has indeed gotten to the point where we are officially looking for 'moral' victories, not the two-points-in-the-standings kind. Because, for this group of Wild players, that kind of victory is the kind that is seemingly out of reach right now.
The fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets have a better record since Dec. 13 (8-19-2) than the Wild (5-16-6), despite the Jackets sacking their head coach and replacing him with ex-Wild coach Todd Richards, shows the depths of which the Wild face the rest of the season with.
Yes, Minnesota. It's THAT bad.
The fact that this Wild team cannot score, and cannot stop other teams from scoring, can no longer be denied by anyone who has even half a concept, as to how NHL hockey should be played. Yesterday's embarrassing 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues -- a team which the Wild toyed with in November, and lost to in a shootout in January -- again showed not only the depth but the breadth of the Wild's woes.
And today, the rest of North America will see how bad the Wild can get, as the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins, will take on the Wild in a game seen nationally in the USA on NBC, and in Canada on TSN2. This game should be a cakewalk for the B's, as the Wild will feature no less than seven players who, realistically, should be with the Houston Aeros this Sunday morning.
With Chad Rau and Jeff Taffe arriving this morning from Abbottsford, B.C., -- where the Aeros were getting swept in a two-game series vs. the Heat this weekend -- the number of Aeros players currently up with the 'big club' exceeds the half-dozen mark, for God-only-knows how long, as the chess game which is the Wild roster gets played once again.
(I only wish I could get the commission for all those airline tickets, shuttling players between the Aeros and the Wild.)
The fact is that most Wild fans were somewhat realistic in the beginning of the season regarding the team's playoff chances. I even said before the season started that this team could be anywhere between a 7 seed in the playoffs and in 10th place in the West, two positions out of the playoffs. I changed it later to say that they would make the playoffs, in the midst of the team's record 9-game winning streak.
Well, folks, I'm changing it back. Back to anywhere down to 10th place. And, maybe even worse than that.
The only team this Wild club can beat right now with any regularity is the Colorado Avalanche, a team whose lineup is actually weaker than the Wild's impudent roster. The Wild can't beat anyone else in the NHL right now. In the last week, the Wild have lost to three teams who, if the season ended today, would be out of the playoffs, like they are (Columbus, Anaheim and Winnipeg). In fact, if you want to go back to Feb. 1, they could add a fourth non-playoff team (Dallas) and throw in another loss to the Jackets in that mix.
And then, if you go back one more day, there was the embarrassing, destructive, come-from-ahead throw-away loss to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 31st. No one, most notably GM Chuck Fletcher and Head Coach Mike Yeo, can seemingly do anything to stop the slide down the mountain. The players have seemingly given up trying to win games (sorry, I'm not buying that they are still buying into the system.)
The Wild's system is broken. It's time to fix the system. Before more irreparable damage is done.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
NHL Draft, day 1: End of the Burns era
No one ever said the NHL draft was going to be without intrigue. No one but those involved, knew it would be THAT much intrigue, all at once. Especially for the hometown folks.
Almost an hour after the Minnesota Wild chose Swedish defenseman Jonas Brodin, a 17-year-old who has already played in Sweden's Elite League with Farjestad, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher dropped an absolute bombshell, by trading defenseman (and free-agent-to-be) Brent Burns and next season's second-round pick to San Jose for winger Devin Setoguchi, San Jose's No. 1 pick from last season (Boston U forward Charlie Coyle), and San Jose's first round pick in this draft, the No. 28 pick, which the Wild then used to take center Zack Phillips from St. John of the QMJHL.
On paper, this looks like a classic 'win-win' scenario, as the Wild did not want to spend the $5-6 million per season to re-sign the popular defenseman, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season. The Sharks signed Setoguchi to a new 3-year, $9M deal on Thursday, but claim that signing the former linemate of Joe Thornton had nothing to do with the trade.
Coyle is projected to be a power forward, and will definitely push the likes of Guillaume Latendresse when he arrives in St. Paul, beginning next month at prospects camp. Although Phillips is only 18, should he develop as expected he, too, will push other, more veteran players in 2-3 seasons' time.
But the key is the 24-year-old Setoguchi, whom Wild fans will get a lot of satisfaction out of the fact that he loves to shoot the puck, something sorely lacking with the Wild's maddingly pass-happy offense. Being the linemate of either Mikko Koivu and Pierre-Marc Bouchard or Latendresse and Martin Havlat won't hurt, either, as the Wild have declared themselves as definitely in a youth movement and talent hunt, all at the same time.
Most observers view this trade as the biggest Wild deal ever. Only time will tell if the deal indeed was the biggest trade in the franchise's 11-season history, but the team isn't done yet. There's still another day to go. And for Brent Burns?
Better find out what the Santa Clara County regulations are about that petting zoo at home...
Almost an hour after the Minnesota Wild chose Swedish defenseman Jonas Brodin, a 17-year-old who has already played in Sweden's Elite League with Farjestad, Wild GM Chuck Fletcher dropped an absolute bombshell, by trading defenseman (and free-agent-to-be) Brent Burns and next season's second-round pick to San Jose for winger Devin Setoguchi, San Jose's No. 1 pick from last season (Boston U forward Charlie Coyle), and San Jose's first round pick in this draft, the No. 28 pick, which the Wild then used to take center Zack Phillips from St. John of the QMJHL.
On paper, this looks like a classic 'win-win' scenario, as the Wild did not want to spend the $5-6 million per season to re-sign the popular defenseman, who will become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season. The Sharks signed Setoguchi to a new 3-year, $9M deal on Thursday, but claim that signing the former linemate of Joe Thornton had nothing to do with the trade.
Coyle is projected to be a power forward, and will definitely push the likes of Guillaume Latendresse when he arrives in St. Paul, beginning next month at prospects camp. Although Phillips is only 18, should he develop as expected he, too, will push other, more veteran players in 2-3 seasons' time.
But the key is the 24-year-old Setoguchi, whom Wild fans will get a lot of satisfaction out of the fact that he loves to shoot the puck, something sorely lacking with the Wild's maddingly pass-happy offense. Being the linemate of either Mikko Koivu and Pierre-Marc Bouchard or Latendresse and Martin Havlat won't hurt, either, as the Wild have declared themselves as definitely in a youth movement and talent hunt, all at the same time.
Most observers view this trade as the biggest Wild deal ever. Only time will tell if the deal indeed was the biggest trade in the franchise's 11-season history, but the team isn't done yet. There's still another day to go. And for Brent Burns?
Better find out what the Santa Clara County regulations are about that petting zoo at home...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
So what else is new?
New season. Different players. And, so far, same old style of result.
If this is what the Minnesota Wild have in store for their fans this season, it's really a bad harbinger of things to come.
The fact of the matter is that they still will not shoot when shooting lanes develop. This team is still looking for the 'pretty play' goal, the perfect tip-in, the 'wait for the puck' rebound. Yes, I know, it's the pre-season. EX-hibition hockey. So far, what they've ex-hibited after three games is not ex-actly what Coach Todd Richards and his ex-panded staff have wanted to see being ex-pounded by the players.
After Friday night's disasterous trip to St. Louis, where the young, up-and-coming Blues once again demolished the Wild, 5-0, while the Wild watch as Josh Harding blows out two ligaments in his right knee, ending his season, the Wild then come home on Saturday night, and actually score twice, but their lack of effort on the back end allows the Philadelphia Flyers, playing with only a limited amount of their regular lineup (which is standard in the pre-season), to come from behind and win in the shootout, 3-2, as 16,742 (supposedly...looked like about 11,000 in the house to me) saw the Wild end their scoreless streak at just over 122 minutes.
You have to ask yourself: Could the pre-season schedule be strung differently so as to avoid the disasterous start to the season? Yes, teams are limited as to the amount of time available to make roster decisions, and get the team into game shape. And, as we have seen, to also sustain devastating injuries. 4 games in 5 nights is really too much. Even the NHL should know this. So should the NHLPA. This pre-season scheduling issue really needs to be a labor/management issue.
Not saying, just sayin'...
If this is what the Minnesota Wild have in store for their fans this season, it's really a bad harbinger of things to come.
The fact of the matter is that they still will not shoot when shooting lanes develop. This team is still looking for the 'pretty play' goal, the perfect tip-in, the 'wait for the puck' rebound. Yes, I know, it's the pre-season. EX-hibition hockey. So far, what they've ex-hibited after three games is not ex-actly what Coach Todd Richards and his ex-panded staff have wanted to see being ex-pounded by the players.
After Friday night's disasterous trip to St. Louis, where the young, up-and-coming Blues once again demolished the Wild, 5-0, while the Wild watch as Josh Harding blows out two ligaments in his right knee, ending his season, the Wild then come home on Saturday night, and actually score twice, but their lack of effort on the back end allows the Philadelphia Flyers, playing with only a limited amount of their regular lineup (which is standard in the pre-season), to come from behind and win in the shootout, 3-2, as 16,742 (supposedly...looked like about 11,000 in the house to me) saw the Wild end their scoreless streak at just over 122 minutes.
You have to ask yourself: Could the pre-season schedule be strung differently so as to avoid the disasterous start to the season? Yes, teams are limited as to the amount of time available to make roster decisions, and get the team into game shape. And, as we have seen, to also sustain devastating injuries. 4 games in 5 nights is really too much. Even the NHL should know this. So should the NHLPA. This pre-season scheduling issue really needs to be a labor/management issue.
Not saying, just sayin'...
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wild pre-season opener: It's Deja Vu, All Over Again
Wild suffer blowout defeat by St. Louis at home for second straight pre-season; 409-game sellout streak ends
By Wild Road Tripper
It was really bad enough the first time. Really, guys. It was.
But, proving that you can never stop learning, the Minnesota Wild scored in the first minute of Wednesday night's game at Xcel Energy Center, then proceeded to roll over and play dead, losing for the second straight pre-season to the St. Louis Blues 5-1 in front of an announced crowd of 16,219, which breaks the Wild's nine-season streak of sellouts at home. It was the first time there were ever seats available for sale at game time at the box office.
While starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom could have sued his defense for non-support, the Blues, playing their second game in as many nights, looked to be the fresher team as the Wild stumbled, bumbled, and generally did not give their faithful followers a whole heck of a lot of reason for optimism, going into their 3-games-in-3-nights marathon, which starts Friday night at Scottrade Center and follows with games at home vs. Philadelphia Saturday night, and at Montreal on Sunday evening.
I'll leave it at this: if this is the type of play we see in Europe, the Wild can say all they want, but the NHL will never ask them to go across the street, much less across the 'pond'. This team was not ready to play tonight. And, it showed.
'Nuff said. G'night, folks...
By Wild Road Tripper
It was really bad enough the first time. Really, guys. It was.
But, proving that you can never stop learning, the Minnesota Wild scored in the first minute of Wednesday night's game at Xcel Energy Center, then proceeded to roll over and play dead, losing for the second straight pre-season to the St. Louis Blues 5-1 in front of an announced crowd of 16,219, which breaks the Wild's nine-season streak of sellouts at home. It was the first time there were ever seats available for sale at game time at the box office.
While starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom could have sued his defense for non-support, the Blues, playing their second game in as many nights, looked to be the fresher team as the Wild stumbled, bumbled, and generally did not give their faithful followers a whole heck of a lot of reason for optimism, going into their 3-games-in-3-nights marathon, which starts Friday night at Scottrade Center and follows with games at home vs. Philadelphia Saturday night, and at Montreal on Sunday evening.
I'll leave it at this: if this is the type of play we see in Europe, the Wild can say all they want, but the NHL will never ask them to go across the street, much less across the 'pond'. This team was not ready to play tonight. And, it showed.
'Nuff said. G'night, folks...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Wild announce 2010-11 Pre-Season Schedule
The Minnesota Wild, as had been previously reported, released their 2010-2011 pre-season schedule. The schedule includes back-to-back games against the St. Louis Blues and the Columbus Blue Jackets, bookending single games vs. Philadelphia (at Xcel Energy Center), and at Montreal. The schedule concludes with an exhibition game, vs. the Finnish SM-liiga team Ilves Tampere at Tampeeren Jaahalli Arena on Monday, Oct. 4, leading into the NHL Premiere pair of games vs. the Carolina Hurricanes in Helsinki.
The entire release from the Wild 'Propaganda Ministry' may be found here:
http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=531536&navid=DLMINhome
The regular season schdule will be released next Tuesday, June 22nd.
--WRT
The entire release from the Wild 'Propaganda Ministry' may be found here:
http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=531536&navid=DLMINhome
The regular season schdule will be released next Tuesday, June 22nd.
--WRT
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Beat Down Sunday: Wild double up, punch out Blues 4-2
As Koivu, Harding shine, Boogaard wins fight, but you'd never know it by looking at him
By Wild Road Tripper
To look at the face of Derek Boogaard as he left the ice following his first-period scrap with St. Louis Blues enforcer D.J. King, you'd never know that Boogaard's Minnesota Wild was, at that very moment, en route to a 4-2 win on Sunday evening at Xcel Energy Center, before an announced 18,580 who were just as happy for Boogaard, as for the rest of the squad.
After all, Boogaard was doing what he is paid to do -- enforce -- and the rest of the Wild, most notably goaltender Josh Harding (36 saves) and Mikko Koivu (goal, two assists) were doing what they get paid to do -- that is, win hockey games -- as the Wild gain a needed two points to place them still on the cusp of the fast-fading Western Conference playoff chase. The Wild win against St. Louis, coupled with Dallas losing at home to Colorado, now finds the Wild in 11th place in the West, six points behind eighth place Detroit, with 14 games left to play this season.
Boogaard's face looked like he had been in a fight, but King's head was primarily used as a) a helicopter beanie holder, b) a punching bag, or c) a conveinent place to put ice after the fight was over. The correct answer was d) all of the above, as Boogaard went around and around with him (literally, they kept sticking and moving thru the zone) until King's helmet was in the corner, he was behind the net, and the linesmen were just happy it didn't escalate into worse.
(The fight rates nearly even, with a slight advantage to Boogaard, according to Hockeyfights.com)
The game? Oh, that. Yeah, yeah, let's talk: Andrew Brunette started the scoring 1:54 in as he tipped a Cam Barker shot past starting St. Louis goalie Chris Mason. Guillaume Latendresse had a textbook tip-in goal in the first period from a Martin Havlat give-and-go. The Koivu goal was a beauty, also, insofar as he didn't give up on the bouncing puck in the slot when the first shot didn't get by the St. Louis defense. Even Antti Miettinen managed a 'pretty' goal, when Koivu's backhand pass in the slot in the second period found Miettinen alone against relief Blues goaltender Ty Conklin.
Is this a case of too little, too late? Or are Wild fans just resigned to the fact that this team will not make the playoffs, no matter what they do, and should just ride it out until the NHL Draft in late June in Los Angeles, and the start of Free Agency on July 1st?
Face it, the Wild are 3-2-2 since coming back from the Olympic break, and that just won't cut it. They are entering a stretch that in the next three games they could easily pick up six points, as they take on the two worst teams in the West (Edmonton, Tuesday night at home, and at Columbus on Saturday) and a team which they have defeated each of the last two seasons on the road (Nashville, Friday night away) in the next six days. The schedule becomes considerably tougher after that point, so for the Wild, this week is critical to answer this burning question:
Will they finish low enough to aim for the draft? Or high enough to be in the playoffs?
We'll talk later.
Until then, let's remind you of the Next Game: vs. Edmonton, Tuesday, March 16, 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Daylight Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; Oilers' TV: Rogers SportsNet-West; XM Radio, Ch. 237)
By Wild Road Tripper
To look at the face of Derek Boogaard as he left the ice following his first-period scrap with St. Louis Blues enforcer D.J. King, you'd never know that Boogaard's Minnesota Wild was, at that very moment, en route to a 4-2 win on Sunday evening at Xcel Energy Center, before an announced 18,580 who were just as happy for Boogaard, as for the rest of the squad.
After all, Boogaard was doing what he is paid to do -- enforce -- and the rest of the Wild, most notably goaltender Josh Harding (36 saves) and Mikko Koivu (goal, two assists) were doing what they get paid to do -- that is, win hockey games -- as the Wild gain a needed two points to place them still on the cusp of the fast-fading Western Conference playoff chase. The Wild win against St. Louis, coupled with Dallas losing at home to Colorado, now finds the Wild in 11th place in the West, six points behind eighth place Detroit, with 14 games left to play this season.
Boogaard's face looked like he had been in a fight, but King's head was primarily used as a) a helicopter beanie holder, b) a punching bag, or c) a conveinent place to put ice after the fight was over. The correct answer was d) all of the above, as Boogaard went around and around with him (literally, they kept sticking and moving thru the zone) until King's helmet was in the corner, he was behind the net, and the linesmen were just happy it didn't escalate into worse.
(The fight rates nearly even, with a slight advantage to Boogaard, according to Hockeyfights.com)
The game? Oh, that. Yeah, yeah, let's talk: Andrew Brunette started the scoring 1:54 in as he tipped a Cam Barker shot past starting St. Louis goalie Chris Mason. Guillaume Latendresse had a textbook tip-in goal in the first period from a Martin Havlat give-and-go. The Koivu goal was a beauty, also, insofar as he didn't give up on the bouncing puck in the slot when the first shot didn't get by the St. Louis defense. Even Antti Miettinen managed a 'pretty' goal, when Koivu's backhand pass in the slot in the second period found Miettinen alone against relief Blues goaltender Ty Conklin.
Is this a case of too little, too late? Or are Wild fans just resigned to the fact that this team will not make the playoffs, no matter what they do, and should just ride it out until the NHL Draft in late June in Los Angeles, and the start of Free Agency on July 1st?
Face it, the Wild are 3-2-2 since coming back from the Olympic break, and that just won't cut it. They are entering a stretch that in the next three games they could easily pick up six points, as they take on the two worst teams in the West (Edmonton, Tuesday night at home, and at Columbus on Saturday) and a team which they have defeated each of the last two seasons on the road (Nashville, Friday night away) in the next six days. The schedule becomes considerably tougher after that point, so for the Wild, this week is critical to answer this burning question:
Will they finish low enough to aim for the draft? Or high enough to be in the playoffs?
We'll talk later.
Until then, let's remind you of the Next Game: vs. Edmonton, Tuesday, March 16, 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Daylight Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; Oilers' TV: Rogers SportsNet-West; XM Radio, Ch. 237)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
40 Minutes of Snoozing, 20 Minutes of Losing
The St. Louis Blues did what better teams, such as Calgary, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Vancouver couldn't do: they put the Minnesota Wild to sleep. And, when the Wild finally woke up, they figured out two points in the standings had been stolen from them, all too late.
T. J. Oshie's goal early in the third period stood up as the Wild semi-saw their four game winning streak come to an unsatisfactory end, losing 1-0 at Scottrade Center in front of an announced sell-out crowd of 19,150, many of whom failed to show up as the Blues ran their regular-season consecutive win streak against the Wild in the Mound City to four, dating back to February 10, 2008.
Oshie made up the only offense on this evening, which was mostly due to Josh Harding's stand-up goaltending which made up for the lack of Wild offense, as the Wild sleepwalked their way thru the first two periods. By the time the sonambulatory Wild started to play like they actually had in the last four games, there was less than 5 minutes left in the game and the Blues proved to be too fresh for the Wild, who were playing their fourth game in six nights.
The Wild have a chance to make up for opportunity lost, but it will not be easy, as the road trip continues in the NEXT GAME: at Phoenix, Saturday, Jan. 16, 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Time, Jobing.com Arena. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; No Coyotes TV; XM Radio, Ch. 209).
-- WRT
T. J. Oshie's goal early in the third period stood up as the Wild semi-saw their four game winning streak come to an unsatisfactory end, losing 1-0 at Scottrade Center in front of an announced sell-out crowd of 19,150, many of whom failed to show up as the Blues ran their regular-season consecutive win streak against the Wild in the Mound City to four, dating back to February 10, 2008.
Oshie made up the only offense on this evening, which was mostly due to Josh Harding's stand-up goaltending which made up for the lack of Wild offense, as the Wild sleepwalked their way thru the first two periods. By the time the sonambulatory Wild started to play like they actually had in the last four games, there was less than 5 minutes left in the game and the Blues proved to be too fresh for the Wild, who were playing their fourth game in six nights.
The Wild have a chance to make up for opportunity lost, but it will not be easy, as the road trip continues in the NEXT GAME: at Phoenix, Saturday, Jan. 16, 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Time, Jobing.com Arena. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; No Coyotes TV; XM Radio, Ch. 209).
-- WRT
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Antti-Swede: Miettinen scores 2 as Wild beat, beat up Canucks
By Wild Road Tripper
Were the Vancouver Canucks trying to make a statement tonight? If they were, after all was said and done, was this what they meant? Really??
If this was what they meant to say, perhaps it's good that the Olympics will be in Vancouver in less than 5 weeks. Because the Canucks sure didn't make the statement they wanted to. Which is a good thing, if you are a Minnesota Wild fan. The Wild beat the Canucks, 5-2, before 18,356 at Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday night, and beat the Canucks up as well, as three (well, actually two, we'll get to that later) fights in the third period -- all of which also wound up in Minnesota's favor -- and an early end to Roberto Luongo's night in the Vancouver goal spelled defeat for the Canucks, for the first time in St. Paul since March, 2008.
Antti Miettinen continues on his goal-scoring tear, as he twice found twine with a shot from the slot on a 4-on-3 power play early in the third, then scored again near midway thru the third period to put the game hopelessly out of reach. Kyle Brodziak, Mikko Koivu and Owen Nolan also scored for the Wild as they won their fourth straight game, all at home, to climb to within one point of idle Detroit and to within two points of Los Angeles.
No mention of the Canucks would be complete without a mention of, 'Pinky and the Brain', better known as the Sedin Twins, Daniel and Henrik, who were held completely off the scoreboard tonight as the Wild shut down Vancouver's top line all evening.
In the midst of all the hubbub, Niklas Backstrom won his 21st game of the season, and his 114th overall, eclipsing the mark for most Wild goaltender victories, set by Manny Fernandez.
The three fights were like this: First, Derek Boogaard squares off against Darcy Hordichuk, a 'fight' in name only, since only Hordichuk threw punches (and not many of those) and Boogaard backed off after pulling Hordichuk's sweater over his head.
The second fight was indeed the most brutal, as 'Big' John Scott proceeded to systematically destroy Alexandre Bolduc, landing a minimum (by my own count) 12 punches clean to the head of the recent call-up. When the fight was over, Bolduc had to be helped off the ice by the officials, as he definitely had checked in on Dream Street. This fight was almost as one-sided as Scott's destruction last March of the Islanders' Joel Rechlicz at Nassau Coliseum. If this doesn't make someone's fight card, nothing in hockey will.
The last fight of the evening took place just 6 seconds before the coaches would have been fined $25,000 if a fight had taken place. This one featured Shane Hnidy vs. Tanner Glass, two guys who would have really liked not fighting each other at all. This fight came out close to even.
The Wild now go on the road for the next week, starting a stretch where 6 of the next 9 are away from St. Paul, with the Next Game: at St. Louis, tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 14), 7:00 PM, Scottrade Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth (includes FSWisconsin); Blues TV: FSMidwest (in HD); XM Radio, Ch. 237)
Were the Vancouver Canucks trying to make a statement tonight? If they were, after all was said and done, was this what they meant? Really??
If this was what they meant to say, perhaps it's good that the Olympics will be in Vancouver in less than 5 weeks. Because the Canucks sure didn't make the statement they wanted to. Which is a good thing, if you are a Minnesota Wild fan. The Wild beat the Canucks, 5-2, before 18,356 at Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday night, and beat the Canucks up as well, as three (well, actually two, we'll get to that later) fights in the third period -- all of which also wound up in Minnesota's favor -- and an early end to Roberto Luongo's night in the Vancouver goal spelled defeat for the Canucks, for the first time in St. Paul since March, 2008.
Antti Miettinen continues on his goal-scoring tear, as he twice found twine with a shot from the slot on a 4-on-3 power play early in the third, then scored again near midway thru the third period to put the game hopelessly out of reach. Kyle Brodziak, Mikko Koivu and Owen Nolan also scored for the Wild as they won their fourth straight game, all at home, to climb to within one point of idle Detroit and to within two points of Los Angeles.
No mention of the Canucks would be complete without a mention of, 'Pinky and the Brain', better known as the Sedin Twins, Daniel and Henrik, who were held completely off the scoreboard tonight as the Wild shut down Vancouver's top line all evening.
In the midst of all the hubbub, Niklas Backstrom won his 21st game of the season, and his 114th overall, eclipsing the mark for most Wild goaltender victories, set by Manny Fernandez.
The three fights were like this: First, Derek Boogaard squares off against Darcy Hordichuk, a 'fight' in name only, since only Hordichuk threw punches (and not many of those) and Boogaard backed off after pulling Hordichuk's sweater over his head.
The second fight was indeed the most brutal, as 'Big' John Scott proceeded to systematically destroy Alexandre Bolduc, landing a minimum (by my own count) 12 punches clean to the head of the recent call-up. When the fight was over, Bolduc had to be helped off the ice by the officials, as he definitely had checked in on Dream Street. This fight was almost as one-sided as Scott's destruction last March of the Islanders' Joel Rechlicz at Nassau Coliseum. If this doesn't make someone's fight card, nothing in hockey will.
The last fight of the evening took place just 6 seconds before the coaches would have been fined $25,000 if a fight had taken place. This one featured Shane Hnidy vs. Tanner Glass, two guys who would have really liked not fighting each other at all. This fight came out close to even.
The Wild now go on the road for the next week, starting a stretch where 6 of the next 9 are away from St. Paul, with the Next Game: at St. Louis, tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 14), 7:00 PM, Scottrade Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth (includes FSWisconsin); Blues TV: FSMidwest (in HD); XM Radio, Ch. 237)
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sacre Blue: Latendresse's 2 goals spark Wild win
By Wild Road Tripper
Minnesota Wild fans just can't thank Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey enough. The Habs' insistence of getting rid of what they thought was dead weight, just might be the catalyst for a Wild playoff run, as improbable as that seemed after their disasterous October start left Minnesota for dead in the NHL's Western Conference.
Led by Guillaume Latendresse's first and third period goals, the Wild helped themselves to a post-Christmas 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues before 18,554 merry revelers at Xcel Energy Center Saturday night. Latendresse's two goals, his 7th and 8th of the season, started and finished (respectively) the scoring for the Wild, as Kim Johnsson's breakaway goal and Shane Hnidy's patience, while a screen set up in front of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason, paid off in Hnidy's 2nd goal of the year.
The crowd seemed not quite into it as the two teams went back and forth in the first period. Long, long multi-zone passes that didn't quite connect, went awry time after time for the Wild in the first two periods, creating a very sloppy hockey game. They cut the pass length down considerably in the third period and scored three times for their efforts, but still had to turn the Blues back time and again down the stretch as the intensity racheted up, and the clock wound down.
It really wouldn't be fair to not acknowledge the efforts of Marek Zidlicky is keeping the play alive, single-handedly playing thru the St. Louis defense, in order to feed Latendresse for the game-winning goal. If you want to see how Zidlicky can really play when he is motivated, watch the play that sets up the Wild fourth goal in the third period, and you'll ask yourself: "Where in the hell has THAT been these last two seasons?"
The only real drawback of the night occurred when Chuck Kobasew went knee-to-knee with Blues' winger Keith Tkachuk near the Minnesota net in the third period. Kobasew had to be helped off the ice, not putting any weight whatsoever on his left knee. No word as to his status came from the team following the game, but it is assumed he will not be making the two-game road trip to Southern California on Sunday.
St. Louis, playing their fourth and final game on an extended swing thru the Northwest division, wound up with a 3-1 record on the circuit, as they dropped only their 4th road game of the season. The Blues have earned 25 of their 39 points on the road. If there are 'key stats' in this game, here's one for you: the Wild were 35-for-53 (66%) on face-offs in this game. Another: the Blues' top line (David Backes, Paul Kariya, T. J. Oshie) were a combined -11 on the night.
The Wild now are 19-16-3, good for 41 points and solely in 11th place in the West, two points behind Dallas and Detroit and four points behind Vancouver, who is in 8th place after tonight's 4-1 win against Edmonton. All-time, the Wild are now 2-2-3 on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas, for those of you who've never been into the Dominion to the north of Minnesota), including 1-0-1 at home.
The Wild broke a team record for wins (9) in a single December; if they win one more game this month, they can tie the single-month record for team wins in a calendar month (10, set in March, 2007). They can achieve this record in their Next Game: at Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 28, 9:30 PM Central (7:30 PM Pacific) Time, STAPLES Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Kings TV: FSWest; both feeds in HD; XM NHL Home Ice, Ch. 204)
Minnesota Wild fans just can't thank Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey enough. The Habs' insistence of getting rid of what they thought was dead weight, just might be the catalyst for a Wild playoff run, as improbable as that seemed after their disasterous October start left Minnesota for dead in the NHL's Western Conference.
Led by Guillaume Latendresse's first and third period goals, the Wild helped themselves to a post-Christmas 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues before 18,554 merry revelers at Xcel Energy Center Saturday night. Latendresse's two goals, his 7th and 8th of the season, started and finished (respectively) the scoring for the Wild, as Kim Johnsson's breakaway goal and Shane Hnidy's patience, while a screen set up in front of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason, paid off in Hnidy's 2nd goal of the year.
The crowd seemed not quite into it as the two teams went back and forth in the first period. Long, long multi-zone passes that didn't quite connect, went awry time after time for the Wild in the first two periods, creating a very sloppy hockey game. They cut the pass length down considerably in the third period and scored three times for their efforts, but still had to turn the Blues back time and again down the stretch as the intensity racheted up, and the clock wound down.
It really wouldn't be fair to not acknowledge the efforts of Marek Zidlicky is keeping the play alive, single-handedly playing thru the St. Louis defense, in order to feed Latendresse for the game-winning goal. If you want to see how Zidlicky can really play when he is motivated, watch the play that sets up the Wild fourth goal in the third period, and you'll ask yourself: "Where in the hell has THAT been these last two seasons?"
The only real drawback of the night occurred when Chuck Kobasew went knee-to-knee with Blues' winger Keith Tkachuk near the Minnesota net in the third period. Kobasew had to be helped off the ice, not putting any weight whatsoever on his left knee. No word as to his status came from the team following the game, but it is assumed he will not be making the two-game road trip to Southern California on Sunday.
St. Louis, playing their fourth and final game on an extended swing thru the Northwest division, wound up with a 3-1 record on the circuit, as they dropped only their 4th road game of the season. The Blues have earned 25 of their 39 points on the road. If there are 'key stats' in this game, here's one for you: the Wild were 35-for-53 (66%) on face-offs in this game. Another: the Blues' top line (David Backes, Paul Kariya, T. J. Oshie) were a combined -11 on the night.
The Wild now are 19-16-3, good for 41 points and solely in 11th place in the West, two points behind Dallas and Detroit and four points behind Vancouver, who is in 8th place after tonight's 4-1 win against Edmonton. All-time, the Wild are now 2-2-3 on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas, for those of you who've never been into the Dominion to the north of Minnesota), including 1-0-1 at home.
The Wild broke a team record for wins (9) in a single December; if they win one more game this month, they can tie the single-month record for team wins in a calendar month (10, set in March, 2007). They can achieve this record in their Next Game: at Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 28, 9:30 PM Central (7:30 PM Pacific) Time, STAPLES Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Kings TV: FSWest; both feeds in HD; XM NHL Home Ice, Ch. 204)
Monday, December 14, 2009
WRT's Monday Miscellany
By Wild Road Tripper
(Another attempt to liven up your start of the week...)
Minnesota Wild fans are, indeed, a hardy lot. We go thru rain, sleet, snow, severe cold, six different starting times, all to see our favorite team actually win a game now 'n' then. Now, just think of how it would be if your team played like some of the other teams in the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have had it the worst for the longest. The last time they were even in the playoffs was 2003-04, when they were eliminated in 6 games by the Philadelphia Flyers (the series-winning goal? Scored by Jeremy Roenick), and since then, it's been six seasons of losing hockey. Brian Burke was brought in from Anaheim to try and turn around this moribund franchise, and he brought in what he thought was needed -- grit, and lots of it. Well, the Leafs still suck, they play the streaking Buffalo Sabres this coming Friday at HSBC Arena (tickets starting at $78 for the cheapest seats), and they are on the precipice of falling off the NHL radar once again, at least until the entry draft in Los Angeles in late June. Yes, it will take time and effort in order to turn the Leafs' ship of state around. Hopefully for Leafs' fans, the ship isn't named the Titanic...
And, speaking of Philadelphia, Flyers' fans are probably ready to kill anything on skates that is wearing a Flyers' jersey right about now. The Flyers have changed their coach, but they have a different problem; they just don't play well together. They currently have no less than SEVEN players who make over $4,000,000 per season. Flyers' fans feel that they are getting ripped off. And, frankly, who can blame them? Is Kimmo Timonen REALLY worth more of a cap hit than Chris Pronger?
The Flyers are 1-7 since the Thanksgiving holiday; three of those games the Flyers were shutout, and two more they only managed one goal. They cannot depend on their budget-balanced goaltending ($2,400,000 for their top two goalies, paltry by NHL standards) to bail their anemic offense out night after night.
Not that the Western Conference isn't much better. St. Louis Blues fans are asking themselves if they are watching the Rams instead, especially after they came out against Edmonton last weekend, and the Grease slid right by the Blues, 5-3. The Blues have only scored three goals in the last week, and have dropped three straight.
Anaheim Ducks players and fans were asking themselves 'wha' happened?' until they recently started to turn things around to keep the Ducks somewhat relevant in the West. Four of the last five Ducks' games have gone to overtime or the shootout; their 2-0-2 record since the Wild beat them in St. Paul December 4th looks to have saved the job of head coach Randy Carlyle, at least for the time being.
And then, there is the resurgent Wild, with a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, a period of time (late November/early December) when the Wild are traditionally not a very good hockey team. After the Wild's dismal 6-loss-in-7-game start to the season, they players have finally learned to control themselves yet play a more attack-style offense. The new system of Todd Richards is finally taking hold, and Wild fans are loving it. They haven't seen offense like this from a Wild team in franchise history. Reminds me of the starving man who walks into the banquet hall, just as they serve up the steamship round of beef. And, they have done it while at least three players have been recovering from concussions.
Just think of how good the Wild would be if everyone on the roster was healthy...
Have a good Monday!
(Another attempt to liven up your start of the week...)
Minnesota Wild fans are, indeed, a hardy lot. We go thru rain, sleet, snow, severe cold, six different starting times, all to see our favorite team actually win a game now 'n' then. Now, just think of how it would be if your team played like some of the other teams in the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have had it the worst for the longest. The last time they were even in the playoffs was 2003-04, when they were eliminated in 6 games by the Philadelphia Flyers (the series-winning goal? Scored by Jeremy Roenick), and since then, it's been six seasons of losing hockey. Brian Burke was brought in from Anaheim to try and turn around this moribund franchise, and he brought in what he thought was needed -- grit, and lots of it. Well, the Leafs still suck, they play the streaking Buffalo Sabres this coming Friday at HSBC Arena (tickets starting at $78 for the cheapest seats), and they are on the precipice of falling off the NHL radar once again, at least until the entry draft in Los Angeles in late June. Yes, it will take time and effort in order to turn the Leafs' ship of state around. Hopefully for Leafs' fans, the ship isn't named the Titanic...
And, speaking of Philadelphia, Flyers' fans are probably ready to kill anything on skates that is wearing a Flyers' jersey right about now. The Flyers have changed their coach, but they have a different problem; they just don't play well together. They currently have no less than SEVEN players who make over $4,000,000 per season. Flyers' fans feel that they are getting ripped off. And, frankly, who can blame them? Is Kimmo Timonen REALLY worth more of a cap hit than Chris Pronger?
The Flyers are 1-7 since the Thanksgiving holiday; three of those games the Flyers were shutout, and two more they only managed one goal. They cannot depend on their budget-balanced goaltending ($2,400,000 for their top two goalies, paltry by NHL standards) to bail their anemic offense out night after night.
Not that the Western Conference isn't much better. St. Louis Blues fans are asking themselves if they are watching the Rams instead, especially after they came out against Edmonton last weekend, and the Grease slid right by the Blues, 5-3. The Blues have only scored three goals in the last week, and have dropped three straight.
Anaheim Ducks players and fans were asking themselves 'wha' happened?' until they recently started to turn things around to keep the Ducks somewhat relevant in the West. Four of the last five Ducks' games have gone to overtime or the shootout; their 2-0-2 record since the Wild beat them in St. Paul December 4th looks to have saved the job of head coach Randy Carlyle, at least for the time being.
And then, there is the resurgent Wild, with a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, a period of time (late November/early December) when the Wild are traditionally not a very good hockey team. After the Wild's dismal 6-loss-in-7-game start to the season, they players have finally learned to control themselves yet play a more attack-style offense. The new system of Todd Richards is finally taking hold, and Wild fans are loving it. They haven't seen offense like this from a Wild team in franchise history. Reminds me of the starving man who walks into the banquet hall, just as they serve up the steamship round of beef. And, they have done it while at least three players have been recovering from concussions.
Just think of how good the Wild would be if everyone on the roster was healthy...
Have a good Monday!
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