The dust has finally settled from the pre-Trade Deadline wheeling and dealing for the Minnesota Wild.
And, to the dismay of the fanbase, nothing has really changed. The Wild are still precipitously close to entering the top 5 in the 2012 NHL Draft, due to the club's continued inability to score goals in a timely manner (or, as in Detroit last Friday night, at all). The lack of offensive punch is a major worry to everyone in the organization as well, from GM Chuck Fletcher on down. The Wild, who had everything in place to execute the unbelieveable 3-goal comeback on Thursday night in Montreal, wound up having a Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan-esque moment, when Devin Setoguchi blew his shootout shot attempt, after falling down and losing control of the puck. The only thing missing was Setoguchi crying, 'Why? Why?' after the blown chance.
Yes, Setoguchi did help engineer the comeback, scoring the tying goal and assisting on another in the final few minutes of the third period, but it will be the shootout opportunity lost that will haunt the Wild the rest of the season. Add that to Tuesday's now-strangely-familiar 4-0 blowout loss on national TV to the Los Angeles Kings, and your 0-2-1 week for the boys in Iron Range Red was made.
You trade the longest-tenured Wild player -- Nick Schultz -- for Tom Gilbert, a similar-but-different Minnesota boy (Bloomington Jefferson) who came from the hapless Edmonton Oilers, and what happens? He gives up the game winner vs. LA, and reminds Wild fans how difficult it is to be the steady, stay-at-home defenseman that Schultz actually was.
You trade Marek Zidlicky to the New Jersey Devils, for a boatload of soon-to-be free agent talent (including two former Wild players, Kurtis Foster and Stephane Veilleux) and possibly two draft picks, and what happens? Zidlicky promptly goes -5, and Jersey fans are incensed. The Wild are immediately relieved of over $3M of salary at the end of this season, which means that if the salary cap does NOT go up, the Wild are nearly $20M under the cap...just enough to possibly be in the running, for two of the NHL's premiere free-agents-to-be, Nashville's Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, who just happens to be toiling away currently with...the New Jersey Devils.
You trade Greg Zanon to the Boston Bruins for Steven Kampfer, a 23-year-old ex-Wolverine who no one knows much about. He still hasn't played his first game in a Wild uniform, although that will probably end this evening in tonight's twilighter vs. the Colorado Avalanche. It looks like he will be paired with Gilbert tonight vs. the Avs, so hopefully the lost (Gilbert) won't lead the 'newbie' down the wrong path. Zanon was going to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) anyhow, so why not get something for him?
So, where do you go from here? Do you actually try to make the playoffs, try to make a last-minute charge for the No. 8 seed (the Wild are seven points behind current No. 8 seed Dallas this Sunday morning) or do you throw in the towel, play as many of the kids as possible, and make the fan base suffer thru the remainder of the fourth consecutive non-playoff season?
Now I know that three of the Wild's top six forwards are unavailable due to various injuries now. They have been for weeks at a time this season, especially after the Dec. 13/14 games where two players suffered concussions in back-to-back games. But the fact is there is no talent in the pool right now. It's been drained.
Reminds me of limbo. 'How LOW can you go?'
How bad into limbo are the Wild right now? And what can be done to pull out of the funk? Or, do you just wait for June and the NHL Entry Draft to try and get better?
I guess we all just wait and see...
Showing posts with label Zanon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zanon. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wild after eight games: on track, on time
Well, folks, the Minnesota Wild's first western Canadian road trip is now history. And, it didn't turn out all that bad. Could have been better, but in reality, any time you can pull 3 of a possible 4 points in the standings out of the Alberta/BC meatgrinder, you've done relatively well.
Now, granted, the Edmonton game was 1.2 seconds away from disaster, and the Vancouver Canucks should give Marco Scandella a bonus, for that nicely-timed screen he threw in front of his own goalie at the end of overtime yesterday -- but that is why they actually play the games.
The season is 10 per cent over. Yes, folks, the Wild have played 1/8th of their schedule already. (Has anybody noticed?) And, for those who worry about such things, the playoff race is already on. For every point earned now is virtually worth a point and a half come March, and the playoff drive.
The Wild are no better, and no worse, than most teams in the Western Conference, with 18 goals for, and 20 goals against. Four games have already gone to overtime, and the 1-0-3 record after 60 minutes have already been played means that the Wild are actually staying with it thru the end of regulation time, something which could not be said frequently the last two seasons.
The Wild open their new week in 7th place in the West -- actually, tied for 6th place, but thanks to yesterday's Canucks win, Vancouver has one more win (4-3-1) that the Wild (3-2-3) -- with four of the next five games at home (Anaheim, Detroit, Vancouver, St. Louis) and the lone road game at Detroit (which works to the Wild's advantage, as three of the four Wild-Red Wings games will have been played by Nov. 2).
The Wild are starting to be banged up, as injuries to Guillaume Latendresse (groin) and Greg Zanon (groin) held them out of Saturday's game at Rogers Arena. Throw in Mikko Koivu's skate-slicing episode in Edmonton Thursday night, and Mike Lundin's imminent return off his season-opening back spasms (Lundin has yet to play a regular-season game in Iron Range Red), portends that the roster will continue to be in flux for the forseeable future.
This team is slowly -- SLOWLY -- coming around to the philosophies of head coach Mike Yeo, despite falling into their old habits all too frequently (such as the third period of the Vancouver game, where they did not have a shot on goal for over 15 minutes). The fact of the matter is that when they play as the coaches want them to, they win. When they don't, they lose. The road ahead is a long, winding journey, as we've all seen already, and it will definitely not be an easy journey to take.
But, for now, this train is on track and on time for the playoffs. We'll see if they can stay on schedule.
Now, granted, the Edmonton game was 1.2 seconds away from disaster, and the Vancouver Canucks should give Marco Scandella a bonus, for that nicely-timed screen he threw in front of his own goalie at the end of overtime yesterday -- but that is why they actually play the games.
The season is 10 per cent over. Yes, folks, the Wild have played 1/8th of their schedule already. (Has anybody noticed?) And, for those who worry about such things, the playoff race is already on. For every point earned now is virtually worth a point and a half come March, and the playoff drive.
The Wild are no better, and no worse, than most teams in the Western Conference, with 18 goals for, and 20 goals against. Four games have already gone to overtime, and the 1-0-3 record after 60 minutes have already been played means that the Wild are actually staying with it thru the end of regulation time, something which could not be said frequently the last two seasons.
The Wild open their new week in 7th place in the West -- actually, tied for 6th place, but thanks to yesterday's Canucks win, Vancouver has one more win (4-3-1) that the Wild (3-2-3) -- with four of the next five games at home (Anaheim, Detroit, Vancouver, St. Louis) and the lone road game at Detroit (which works to the Wild's advantage, as three of the four Wild-Red Wings games will have been played by Nov. 2).
The Wild are starting to be banged up, as injuries to Guillaume Latendresse (groin) and Greg Zanon (groin) held them out of Saturday's game at Rogers Arena. Throw in Mikko Koivu's skate-slicing episode in Edmonton Thursday night, and Mike Lundin's imminent return off his season-opening back spasms (Lundin has yet to play a regular-season game in Iron Range Red), portends that the roster will continue to be in flux for the forseeable future.
This team is slowly -- SLOWLY -- coming around to the philosophies of head coach Mike Yeo, despite falling into their old habits all too frequently (such as the third period of the Vancouver game, where they did not have a shot on goal for over 15 minutes). The fact of the matter is that when they play as the coaches want them to, they win. When they don't, they lose. The road ahead is a long, winding journey, as we've all seen already, and it will definitely not be an easy journey to take.
But, for now, this train is on track and on time for the playoffs. We'll see if they can stay on schedule.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
How long...will this keep goin' on?
Like the old song, we ask this question of Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher:
'How long...will this keep goin' on?'
The Wild enter this week with a morbid 1-5-2 record since the OT win in Detroit on Nov. 19th (and 3-7-2 in their last 12 since the Atlanta disaster on Nov. 11, the date I have been using for the last month to show the ineptitude of this Wild club).
Yes, there is reason for optimism (Martin Havlat's sudden upsurge, the return of Pierre-Marc Bouchard, the continued goaltending of 'Backodore') despite the number of bad goals against them lately, most as a result of inopportune screening by the Wild defense.
But, therein lies the rub. The problems of the Wild, as many of them as there are, in my opinion:
1. Not enough shots on net. You don't win if you don't score, and you don't score if you don't shoot. You shouldn't have 13-15,000 people at the 'X' screaming 'SHOOT!!!' and then still wind up passing it...to the boards, because the forward moved to set up for a shot. I've seen this all too often this season. And the next time I see no one in front of the net, when the puck is ready to come out from behind the goal, I may just be besides myself.
2. Too many players are moving too slow. Granted, some of this is due to age (Andrew Brunette, as an example), but a lot of it is players taking the night off, for whatever reason. The first line (Brunette, Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen) especially has looked slow and erratic the last two weeks. None of those three wish to go after a puck in the corners. The lack of speed and/or urgency in their game has cost the Wild dearly, as they either get penalized after they get caught, the Wild generate no offense, or at worst, the Wild give up yet another easy goal.
3. Someone want to shake up the third line? The John Madden-Eric Nystrom combination is getting beat up fast, especially when the Wild are shorthanded (they are both -11 as of now). This is where Miettinen should reside, until either he is traded or the unrestricted free agent-to-be is allowed to go elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that the third line needs help, and right now they're not getting it.
4. I'll say it: Cam Barker is a STIFF. How can you be that well paid, and yet that much of a lumbering oaf on skates? This week, rookie Jared Spurgeon has been paired with the Human Pylon II, which has made on-ice life very difficult for the young defenseman, who some have called 'minnow'. Barker, a -9 as of today, has really worn out his welcome with his passive-non-aggressive play, and his standing at the blue line, too inept to do anything, allowing opposing forwards to spring free for breakaways.
5. We fans all love the shot-blocking exploits of Greg Zanon. However, maybe, just maybe, sometimes the right play doesn't always mean sacrificing the body to block the puck. Especially when your defensive partner (Marek Zidlicky) is on the ice more for offense, than defense.
Zanon is a good defenseman. He deserves to be a top-4 on any NHL club. Zidlicky, for all his known problems, is actually having his best season as a member of the Wild. Maybe not statistically, but in overall play, he has never been better. Any defensive pairing works better when both members are upright and skating. Zanon has been getting caught out of position way-y-y too often, then tries to make up for it by blocking shots. If the Wild are to get better, they must play better positional hockey. Starting with the No. 2 defensive pairing.
The Wild now have four days off until their Thursday night game at Phoenix, against a Coyotes team who came into St. Paul, and exposed every weakness of the Wild in one pathetic evening of puck. After that, the Wild make their annual December visit to Southern California, two arenas (STAPLES Center, Honda Center) which the Wild have not fared well in over the last few seasons.
Will the winds of change blow thru St. Paul this week? The best answer is...'we'll see'.
'How long...will this keep goin' on?'
The Wild enter this week with a morbid 1-5-2 record since the OT win in Detroit on Nov. 19th (and 3-7-2 in their last 12 since the Atlanta disaster on Nov. 11, the date I have been using for the last month to show the ineptitude of this Wild club).
Yes, there is reason for optimism (Martin Havlat's sudden upsurge, the return of Pierre-Marc Bouchard, the continued goaltending of 'Backodore') despite the number of bad goals against them lately, most as a result of inopportune screening by the Wild defense.
But, therein lies the rub. The problems of the Wild, as many of them as there are, in my opinion:
1. Not enough shots on net. You don't win if you don't score, and you don't score if you don't shoot. You shouldn't have 13-15,000 people at the 'X' screaming 'SHOOT!!!' and then still wind up passing it...to the boards, because the forward moved to set up for a shot. I've seen this all too often this season. And the next time I see no one in front of the net, when the puck is ready to come out from behind the goal, I may just be besides myself.
2. Too many players are moving too slow. Granted, some of this is due to age (Andrew Brunette, as an example), but a lot of it is players taking the night off, for whatever reason. The first line (Brunette, Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen) especially has looked slow and erratic the last two weeks. None of those three wish to go after a puck in the corners. The lack of speed and/or urgency in their game has cost the Wild dearly, as they either get penalized after they get caught, the Wild generate no offense, or at worst, the Wild give up yet another easy goal.
3. Someone want to shake up the third line? The John Madden-Eric Nystrom combination is getting beat up fast, especially when the Wild are shorthanded (they are both -11 as of now). This is where Miettinen should reside, until either he is traded or the unrestricted free agent-to-be is allowed to go elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that the third line needs help, and right now they're not getting it.
4. I'll say it: Cam Barker is a STIFF. How can you be that well paid, and yet that much of a lumbering oaf on skates? This week, rookie Jared Spurgeon has been paired with the Human Pylon II, which has made on-ice life very difficult for the young defenseman, who some have called 'minnow'. Barker, a -9 as of today, has really worn out his welcome with his passive-non-aggressive play, and his standing at the blue line, too inept to do anything, allowing opposing forwards to spring free for breakaways.
5. We fans all love the shot-blocking exploits of Greg Zanon. However, maybe, just maybe, sometimes the right play doesn't always mean sacrificing the body to block the puck. Especially when your defensive partner (Marek Zidlicky) is on the ice more for offense, than defense.
Zanon is a good defenseman. He deserves to be a top-4 on any NHL club. Zidlicky, for all his known problems, is actually having his best season as a member of the Wild. Maybe not statistically, but in overall play, he has never been better. Any defensive pairing works better when both members are upright and skating. Zanon has been getting caught out of position way-y-y too often, then tries to make up for it by blocking shots. If the Wild are to get better, they must play better positional hockey. Starting with the No. 2 defensive pairing.
The Wild now have four days off until their Thursday night game at Phoenix, against a Coyotes team who came into St. Paul, and exposed every weakness of the Wild in one pathetic evening of puck. After that, the Wild make their annual December visit to Southern California, two arenas (STAPLES Center, Honda Center) which the Wild have not fared well in over the last few seasons.
Will the winds of change blow thru St. Paul this week? The best answer is...'we'll see'.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
If only every week was like this past week...
3-0 week for Wild bodes team well despite injuries, schedule, cap woes
By Wild Road Tripper
If only.
If only every week was like this past week for the Minnesota Wild, they might -- might -- make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, for the first time in three seasons. Now, we know that in a long season like this, not every week will be as successful as this past week was. But, you can't sneer at a 3-0 week, where the Wild somewhat returned to the defense-first style of hockey that made this franchise successful in most of the first eight seasons of its' ten-year history. Especially when you consider that the week started off, with the first regulation-time victory over the usually-pesky San Jose Sharks in five seasons.
In fact, the Wild have a record of 7-4-2 overall, and 6-3-1 since returning from the NHL Premiere games in Helsinki. Normally, a 6-3-1 record would mean the pressure is off the coaching staff. That the old adage of, 'open the doors and the people will come', would once again hold sway at the 'X', as the longest home stand of the 2010-2011 season ended on Tuesday, with a very respectable 3-1-1 record, good for 7 points in the standings, as the schedule's treacherous start has finally fallen by the wayside, giving way to a 5-game stretch of opponents who did not qualify for the playoffs in 2010.
If only we fans knew what's wrong? Why aren't the people showing up to sell out the building? Why is there still skepticism amongst Wild fans (myself included) not believing (or not wanting to believe) that this team, despite missing three forwards (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Guillaume Latendresse, Antti Miettinen) and one of their top four defensemen (Marek Zidlicky) might be as good as they are now? That this is all a mirage, and one day we will all wake up, and find out that this was all a dream?
If only we knew the answers to these questions. Part of the reason for the non-sellouts is, indeed, the fact that the economy still is in the dumper, and will be for some time, tax breaks not withstanding. People don't have the spending cash for pro hockey when they are trying mightily to make ends meet. Of course, the fact that the Wild have failed to make the playoffs (which means, you admit that you are one of the 14 worst teams in the league) for two seasons now hasn't helped things very much, either.
If only the local pro football team wouldn't grab the headlines nearly every single day, with the Peyton Place-esque behind-the-scenes issues facing that club, that the local college football team wasn't firmly entrenched as one of the sport's Bottom 10 teams, and you have a hockey team which is relegated well inside the pages of the local sports sections.
If only we knew that this past week would be what we could expect, Wild fans could prepare themselves for the future, which would be looking pretty good. Think of the future if Brent Burns holds to at least his current level of play. Wild fans know this guy shows up every night with his engine running, then goes out and plays like it. But now, for the first time ever, it really shows where it counts (on the score sheet) and when it counts (late in games, like Saturday night in Columbus, where he basically took over after the Wild got the 3-2 lead).
If only we knew that Martin Havlat would build on the upswing that we have seen over the last week, he wouldn't even need his agent, Allan Walsh, to beg the coaching staff (via Twitter) to play his guy more. Marty, we hoped you had that in you; why did we have to wait so long for this to come out?
If only the Wild had realized earlier that the power play needed real help, and then they went out and got it in Matt Cullen, who is the big difference between a power play which doesn't get shots off at all, and a power play which is top 10 in the NHL.
If only the Wild had put Burns and Nick Schultz earlier as a defensive pairing. The Wild now have two real top-4 pairings (Burns and Schultz, and the fan-dubbed 'ZZ Top' pairing of Zidlicky and Greg Zanon) on the blue line -- something the Wild has long coveted, while other Western Conference teams (Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, San Jose, Vancouver) have enjoyed this for years.
Now, if only the Wild can stay somewhat healthy while playing in the Southeast this coming weekend, they could come home with a gaudy win streak of 6 games into their next home game vs. Anaheim on Nov. 17th.
If only...
By Wild Road Tripper
If only.
If only every week was like this past week for the Minnesota Wild, they might -- might -- make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, for the first time in three seasons. Now, we know that in a long season like this, not every week will be as successful as this past week was. But, you can't sneer at a 3-0 week, where the Wild somewhat returned to the defense-first style of hockey that made this franchise successful in most of the first eight seasons of its' ten-year history. Especially when you consider that the week started off, with the first regulation-time victory over the usually-pesky San Jose Sharks in five seasons.
In fact, the Wild have a record of 7-4-2 overall, and 6-3-1 since returning from the NHL Premiere games in Helsinki. Normally, a 6-3-1 record would mean the pressure is off the coaching staff. That the old adage of, 'open the doors and the people will come', would once again hold sway at the 'X', as the longest home stand of the 2010-2011 season ended on Tuesday, with a very respectable 3-1-1 record, good for 7 points in the standings, as the schedule's treacherous start has finally fallen by the wayside, giving way to a 5-game stretch of opponents who did not qualify for the playoffs in 2010.
If only we fans knew what's wrong? Why aren't the people showing up to sell out the building? Why is there still skepticism amongst Wild fans (myself included) not believing (or not wanting to believe) that this team, despite missing three forwards (Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Guillaume Latendresse, Antti Miettinen) and one of their top four defensemen (Marek Zidlicky) might be as good as they are now? That this is all a mirage, and one day we will all wake up, and find out that this was all a dream?
If only we knew the answers to these questions. Part of the reason for the non-sellouts is, indeed, the fact that the economy still is in the dumper, and will be for some time, tax breaks not withstanding. People don't have the spending cash for pro hockey when they are trying mightily to make ends meet. Of course, the fact that the Wild have failed to make the playoffs (which means, you admit that you are one of the 14 worst teams in the league) for two seasons now hasn't helped things very much, either.
If only the local pro football team wouldn't grab the headlines nearly every single day, with the Peyton Place-esque behind-the-scenes issues facing that club, that the local college football team wasn't firmly entrenched as one of the sport's Bottom 10 teams, and you have a hockey team which is relegated well inside the pages of the local sports sections.
If only we knew that this past week would be what we could expect, Wild fans could prepare themselves for the future, which would be looking pretty good. Think of the future if Brent Burns holds to at least his current level of play. Wild fans know this guy shows up every night with his engine running, then goes out and plays like it. But now, for the first time ever, it really shows where it counts (on the score sheet) and when it counts (late in games, like Saturday night in Columbus, where he basically took over after the Wild got the 3-2 lead).
If only we knew that Martin Havlat would build on the upswing that we have seen over the last week, he wouldn't even need his agent, Allan Walsh, to beg the coaching staff (via Twitter) to play his guy more. Marty, we hoped you had that in you; why did we have to wait so long for this to come out?
If only the Wild had realized earlier that the power play needed real help, and then they went out and got it in Matt Cullen, who is the big difference between a power play which doesn't get shots off at all, and a power play which is top 10 in the NHL.
If only the Wild had put Burns and Nick Schultz earlier as a defensive pairing. The Wild now have two real top-4 pairings (Burns and Schultz, and the fan-dubbed 'ZZ Top' pairing of Zidlicky and Greg Zanon) on the blue line -- something the Wild has long coveted, while other Western Conference teams (Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, San Jose, Vancouver) have enjoyed this for years.
Now, if only the Wild can stay somewhat healthy while playing in the Southeast this coming weekend, they could come home with a gaudy win streak of 6 games into their next home game vs. Anaheim on Nov. 17th.
If only...
Friday, October 15, 2010
It's a start...but now what do they do for an encore?
As Wild perform PP lube job, Oilers fall for 14th straight in St. Paul
By Wild Road Tripper
Would the sellout crowd of 18,449 Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center believe, that the Minnesota Wild team they saw win 4-2 against the Edmonton Oilers, was a harbinger of things to come? Or would they say that this game was just a fluke, an aberration, another step in the development of the young, baby Grease, and the Wild were just there for the ride?
Whatever the point of view you take towards the Wild's North American home opener, it was a chance for the three Finns on the Wild roster -- Mikko Koivu (2 goals, 1 assist), Antti Miettinen (1 goal, 1 assist) and Niklas Backstrom (26 saves) -- to make up for their team's lack of scoring punch in Helsinki last week. Throw in the efforts of Matt Cullen (1 goal, 1 assist) and Andrew Brunette's two assists, and you have finally enough scoring punch to get some goals. Granted, all 4 were with the man advantage, but considering the last two games were about as interesting as watching reindeer graze, well, you get the idea.
Now, the question: What will they do for an encore? They will play a Columbus Blue Jackets team who will be on the second half of a back-to-back (the Jackets face off Friday night, against the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena) while facing their own offensive demons (but at least the Jackets won one of their two games vs. San Jose in Stockholm, Sweden, last weekend, despite scoring only five goals in the two Swedish games).
Indeed, the coffin destined for the career of Wild Head Coach Todd Richards has halted upholstery, at least for now. Two of the next three games are against teams the Wild should be able to beat, if they put the same amount of effort into the next game, as into this last one.
But, as Wild fans saw as they chowed down while watching from Finland, with this club, that's always a big, BIG 'IF'.
Best moment: Greg Zanon's crushing cross-check on Gilbert Brule. Instant highlight.
Worst moment: In-arena Emcee Jim Cunningham introducing a new, even dumber in-arena intermission activity. At what point do fans throw their hands up (or, just throw up)? To watch another 'great Zamboni race' on the scoreboard, driven by fan noise? Sounds like 'Section 303' Nashville stuff to me. What's next? 'Face-Off Live' from FSNorth?
Where were you, Mikko Koivu? Now that the Finnish press isn't hounding the Captain constantly, he can concentrate on scoring goals, winning games...you know, the stuff the folks back home WANTED to see from Mikko.
Need a new barn picture: Antti Miettinen missed twice from point-blank range. So what else is new?
Next Game: vs. Columbus, Saturday, Oct. 16, 7:00 PM Central Time, Xcel Energy Center. (TV: KSTC-45, FSOhio (both feeds in HD)
By Wild Road Tripper
Would the sellout crowd of 18,449 Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center believe, that the Minnesota Wild team they saw win 4-2 against the Edmonton Oilers, was a harbinger of things to come? Or would they say that this game was just a fluke, an aberration, another step in the development of the young, baby Grease, and the Wild were just there for the ride?
Whatever the point of view you take towards the Wild's North American home opener, it was a chance for the three Finns on the Wild roster -- Mikko Koivu (2 goals, 1 assist), Antti Miettinen (1 goal, 1 assist) and Niklas Backstrom (26 saves) -- to make up for their team's lack of scoring punch in Helsinki last week. Throw in the efforts of Matt Cullen (1 goal, 1 assist) and Andrew Brunette's two assists, and you have finally enough scoring punch to get some goals. Granted, all 4 were with the man advantage, but considering the last two games were about as interesting as watching reindeer graze, well, you get the idea.
Now, the question: What will they do for an encore? They will play a Columbus Blue Jackets team who will be on the second half of a back-to-back (the Jackets face off Friday night, against the Chicago Blackhawks at Nationwide Arena) while facing their own offensive demons (but at least the Jackets won one of their two games vs. San Jose in Stockholm, Sweden, last weekend, despite scoring only five goals in the two Swedish games).
Indeed, the coffin destined for the career of Wild Head Coach Todd Richards has halted upholstery, at least for now. Two of the next three games are against teams the Wild should be able to beat, if they put the same amount of effort into the next game, as into this last one.
But, as Wild fans saw as they chowed down while watching from Finland, with this club, that's always a big, BIG 'IF'.
Best moment: Greg Zanon's crushing cross-check on Gilbert Brule. Instant highlight.
Worst moment: In-arena Emcee Jim Cunningham introducing a new, even dumber in-arena intermission activity. At what point do fans throw their hands up (or, just throw up)? To watch another 'great Zamboni race' on the scoreboard, driven by fan noise? Sounds like 'Section 303' Nashville stuff to me. What's next? 'Face-Off Live' from FSNorth?
Where were you, Mikko Koivu? Now that the Finnish press isn't hounding the Captain constantly, he can concentrate on scoring goals, winning games...you know, the stuff the folks back home WANTED to see from Mikko.
Need a new barn picture: Antti Miettinen missed twice from point-blank range. So what else is new?
Next Game: vs. Columbus, Saturday, Oct. 16, 7:00 PM Central Time, Xcel Energy Center. (TV: KSTC-45, FSOhio (both feeds in HD)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Minnesota Wild in Finland: Failure to Launch
The point of the matter was, that those NHL Premiere games the Minnesota Wild were supposed to play in Helsinki against the Carolina Hurricanes? Those were supposed to be confidence builders for the rest of the 2010-2011 season.
The reality, however, was much, much different. If the Wild actually had played two decent periods over the two games, they should consider themselves lucky. Confidence builders, they weren't, by any stretch of the imagination.
The way the series played out, the biggest disappointment is the lack of intensity right now amongst the current players. No urgency whatsoever in anything that they do. Time's a wastin', and the season has already started. The same players are making the same mistakes. Niklas Backstrom got caught out of his net twice (once in the exhibition game at Tampere, and again on Friday in the second Carolina game) and got burned both times. Greg Zanon leads in penalties (granted, he's second in time on ice to Brent Burns) but it's not only why you take penalties, it's also when you take them. None of Zanon's penalties came at good times for the Wild.
And, continued poor shooting by Martin Havlat and Antti Miettinen did the Wild in also in the Friday game. Both had wide open chances to score. Both missed the net. Dumb puck luck? Hardly. Bad ice? Perhaps (the ice at Hartwall Areena seemed slushy and snowy). Poor aim, where a picture of a barn should be placed in a net? Probably.
You could tell that the Finnish players for the Wild (Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Miettinen) were under a lot of pressure to do well in front of their countrymen. And, the media circus which the NHL put all six Finns thru was unrelenting. Daily press briefings, very little time for themselves to just go out and enjoy the town, etc., was their daily grind, as the time change screwed up their internal clocks, as well as those of the fans who came over from North America to see them (about 350 Carolina fans came to Finland, as did about 125 Wild fans from Minnesota).
The end result was, that for a trip which was to promote team unity, as Coach Todd Richards had hoped it would, the mission was NOT accomplished. The team seems as fragmented as ever. The Wild are about as inconsistent a hockey team as there is right now. And that is an ill wind which blows no good, for an organization trying desperately to sell tickets these days.
The reality, however, was much, much different. If the Wild actually had played two decent periods over the two games, they should consider themselves lucky. Confidence builders, they weren't, by any stretch of the imagination.
The way the series played out, the biggest disappointment is the lack of intensity right now amongst the current players. No urgency whatsoever in anything that they do. Time's a wastin', and the season has already started. The same players are making the same mistakes. Niklas Backstrom got caught out of his net twice (once in the exhibition game at Tampere, and again on Friday in the second Carolina game) and got burned both times. Greg Zanon leads in penalties (granted, he's second in time on ice to Brent Burns) but it's not only why you take penalties, it's also when you take them. None of Zanon's penalties came at good times for the Wild.
And, continued poor shooting by Martin Havlat and Antti Miettinen did the Wild in also in the Friday game. Both had wide open chances to score. Both missed the net. Dumb puck luck? Hardly. Bad ice? Perhaps (the ice at Hartwall Areena seemed slushy and snowy). Poor aim, where a picture of a barn should be placed in a net? Probably.
You could tell that the Finnish players for the Wild (Backstrom, Mikko Koivu, Miettinen) were under a lot of pressure to do well in front of their countrymen. And, the media circus which the NHL put all six Finns thru was unrelenting. Daily press briefings, very little time for themselves to just go out and enjoy the town, etc., was their daily grind, as the time change screwed up their internal clocks, as well as those of the fans who came over from North America to see them (about 350 Carolina fans came to Finland, as did about 125 Wild fans from Minnesota).
The end result was, that for a trip which was to promote team unity, as Coach Todd Richards had hoped it would, the mission was NOT accomplished. The team seems as fragmented as ever. The Wild are about as inconsistent a hockey team as there is right now. And that is an ill wind which blows no good, for an organization trying desperately to sell tickets these days.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Turnabout IS Fair Play: Wild 3, Kings 2
180-degree improvement in Wild effort puts Los Angeles down for fourth straight loss
By Wild Road Tripper
That classic line from the TV game show, "Hollywood Squares", aptly sums up what the difference was between tonight's effort between the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings, and last Friday's no-show effort by the Wild in Detroit.
Brent Burns did his best Marian Gaborik imitation, Martin Havlat and Owen Nolan scored also as the Wild got off the schneid to hand LA their fourth straight loss, a loss which puts the Kings in a very precarious position as they continue on to Nashville, to face a red-hot Predators team which all but has a date with the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs all sewn up.
The Wild even went so far as to kill a two-man 2-minute power play early in the third period, after retiring referee Kerry 'the Hairdo' Fraser called two Wild players for penalties on the same play -- Cal Clutterbuck for hooking, Nick Schultz for cross-checking -- and forced the Wild to use the same three penalty killers -- Mikko Koivu, Greg Zanon, and Burns -- for 1:14 of the 2 minutes. On that power play for LA, Dustin Brown was alone at the side of the net not once but twice, and never got a shot off, blowing the pass both times. Zanon, playing despite having a broken ankle, blocked 6 -- yes, SIX -- shots during the game, including two on that power-play alone. (OW!)
What started out as a very dull, boring game in the first period had, by the end of the evening, become a lively, defensive struggle as the 18,284 in attendance at Xcel Energy Center roared their approval.
Next Game: vs. Chicago, Wednesday, March 31st, 7:00 PM, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; Hawks' TV: CSN-Chicago; Versus (in select areas only, check listings); XM Radio, Ch. 207)
By Wild Road Tripper
That classic line from the TV game show, "Hollywood Squares", aptly sums up what the difference was between tonight's effort between the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings, and last Friday's no-show effort by the Wild in Detroit.
Brent Burns did his best Marian Gaborik imitation, Martin Havlat and Owen Nolan scored also as the Wild got off the schneid to hand LA their fourth straight loss, a loss which puts the Kings in a very precarious position as they continue on to Nashville, to face a red-hot Predators team which all but has a date with the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs all sewn up.
The Wild even went so far as to kill a two-man 2-minute power play early in the third period, after retiring referee Kerry 'the Hairdo' Fraser called two Wild players for penalties on the same play -- Cal Clutterbuck for hooking, Nick Schultz for cross-checking -- and forced the Wild to use the same three penalty killers -- Mikko Koivu, Greg Zanon, and Burns -- for 1:14 of the 2 minutes. On that power play for LA, Dustin Brown was alone at the side of the net not once but twice, and never got a shot off, blowing the pass both times. Zanon, playing despite having a broken ankle, blocked 6 -- yes, SIX -- shots during the game, including two on that power-play alone. (OW!)
What started out as a very dull, boring game in the first period had, by the end of the evening, become a lively, defensive struggle as the 18,284 in attendance at Xcel Energy Center roared their approval.
Next Game: vs. Chicago, Wednesday, March 31st, 7:00 PM, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; Hawks' TV: CSN-Chicago; Versus (in select areas only, check listings); XM Radio, Ch. 207)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Havlat greases the skids as Wild lube Oilers 4-2
Goal, assist by Martin Havlat lead Wild to third straight win
By Wild Road Tripper
You knew the way he was playing, Martin Havlat would have a stellar night. And, he brought his linemates right along with him. How could you tell? Look at waiver-wire wonder Andrew Ebbett.
The Minnesota Wild ran their consecutive win streak against the Edmonton Oilers at Xcel Energy Center to a gaudy 13 straight, with a workmanlike 4-2 win over the worst team in the NHL's Western Conference Tuesday night, before an announced crowd of 18,474.
The Wild had ten players scoring points tonight -- nine forwards and defenseman Greg Zanon -- as the Wild won their third straight game, to stay within six points of idle Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Both Havlat and Ebbett scored a goal and added an assist to each other's goal, to lead their team in scoring. Josh Harding turned in a 34-save performance for his third straight win, moving him to within one game of .500 at 8-9.
Antti Miettinen and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Wild, who now look at two games back-to-back on the road which are totally winnable games. We hope.
New Wild center Casey Wellman, just signed earlier Tuesday as a free agent from UMass, participated in warm-ups but was scratched, as was call-up from Houston Justin Falk. Wellman's parents were involved during the game, however, as the arena's 'kiss cam' focused in on Mom and Dad, with their newly-signed son sitting between them.
The Wild now are in 10th place in the West, six points behind eighth-place Detroit and nine points behind their opponent for the Next Game: at Nashville, Thursday, March 18, 7:00 PM Central Time, Bridgestone Arena. (No Wild TV; Preds' TV: FSTennessee (in HD); XM Radio, Ch. 238)
By Wild Road Tripper
You knew the way he was playing, Martin Havlat would have a stellar night. And, he brought his linemates right along with him. How could you tell? Look at waiver-wire wonder Andrew Ebbett.
The Minnesota Wild ran their consecutive win streak against the Edmonton Oilers at Xcel Energy Center to a gaudy 13 straight, with a workmanlike 4-2 win over the worst team in the NHL's Western Conference Tuesday night, before an announced crowd of 18,474.
The Wild had ten players scoring points tonight -- nine forwards and defenseman Greg Zanon -- as the Wild won their third straight game, to stay within six points of idle Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. Both Havlat and Ebbett scored a goal and added an assist to each other's goal, to lead their team in scoring. Josh Harding turned in a 34-save performance for his third straight win, moving him to within one game of .500 at 8-9.
Antti Miettinen and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Wild, who now look at two games back-to-back on the road which are totally winnable games. We hope.
New Wild center Casey Wellman, just signed earlier Tuesday as a free agent from UMass, participated in warm-ups but was scratched, as was call-up from Houston Justin Falk. Wellman's parents were involved during the game, however, as the arena's 'kiss cam' focused in on Mom and Dad, with their newly-signed son sitting between them.
The Wild now are in 10th place in the West, six points behind eighth-place Detroit and nine points behind their opponent for the Next Game: at Nashville, Thursday, March 18, 7:00 PM Central Time, Bridgestone Arena. (No Wild TV; Preds' TV: FSTennessee (in HD); XM Radio, Ch. 238)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
At Last: Wild beat Red Wings, 5-2
You know it's a good night for Minnesota hockey fans, when the booing against Todd Bertuzzi stops, as 'Big Bert' becomes totally insignificant.
Yes, that is exactly what happened tonight, as the Minnesota Wild put together one of their better efforts in front of 18,316 at Xcel Energy Center and drubbed the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. The Wild end their three-game homestand 2-0-1, earning 5 of a possible 6 points in the last week, prior to going on their second-to-last roadtrip of three games, beginning Thursday night in Denver.
Antti Miettinen's two first-period goals started things off, but after each the Red Wings would bounce back with Pavel Datsyuk goal to make it even. Then the Wild started to pull away late in the first period, as Andrew Ebbett's tip of a Greg Zanon blast gave the Wild a 3-2 lead after one. No scoring in the second period, but plenty of up-and-down, back-and-forth action as two teams who would rather skate than fight did just that. The third period was a real disappointment to the many Red Wings fans in the crowd, as first Guillaume Latendresse and then Martin Havlat both scored 69 seconds apart, early in the third to give the Wild a nice three-goal cushion as the period wound down. Unlike previous three-goal leads this season, however, this time the Wild did not stop working, even as the Red Wings tried to press the attack.
Josh Harding, who was pulled last week after the first period vs. Detroit for a hip injury, returned and made 26 saves on the night to record his 4th win of the season. With Niklas Backstrom currently having back problems, Harding might just have to start tomorrow night's Next Game: vs. Colorado, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time, Pepsi Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Avs' TV: Altitude, both feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 208)
-- WRT
Yes, that is exactly what happened tonight, as the Minnesota Wild put together one of their better efforts in front of 18,316 at Xcel Energy Center and drubbed the Detroit Red Wings 5-2. The Wild end their three-game homestand 2-0-1, earning 5 of a possible 6 points in the last week, prior to going on their second-to-last roadtrip of three games, beginning Thursday night in Denver.
Antti Miettinen's two first-period goals started things off, but after each the Red Wings would bounce back with Pavel Datsyuk goal to make it even. Then the Wild started to pull away late in the first period, as Andrew Ebbett's tip of a Greg Zanon blast gave the Wild a 3-2 lead after one. No scoring in the second period, but plenty of up-and-down, back-and-forth action as two teams who would rather skate than fight did just that. The third period was a real disappointment to the many Red Wings fans in the crowd, as first Guillaume Latendresse and then Martin Havlat both scored 69 seconds apart, early in the third to give the Wild a nice three-goal cushion as the period wound down. Unlike previous three-goal leads this season, however, this time the Wild did not stop working, even as the Red Wings tried to press the attack.
Josh Harding, who was pulled last week after the first period vs. Detroit for a hip injury, returned and made 26 saves on the night to record his 4th win of the season. With Niklas Backstrom currently having back problems, Harding might just have to start tomorrow night's Next Game: vs. Colorado, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time, Pepsi Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Avs' TV: Altitude, both feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 208)
-- WRT
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Nice of at least Dad to show up: Hawks 4, Wild 1
Wild drop 4th straight: Is the fire sale looming?
The Minnesota Wild always have had decent success when playing against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. But then, there are times when the local sextet just rolls over, and plays dead. Last night, in front of their fathers, with an NHL-imposed limit to player-parent road trips looming, the Wild decided that last night's game would be something special.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks had other plans for the Minnesota contingent. And, by coming at the Wild virtually in waves, the odds-on favorite Western Conference representatives to playing for Lord Stanley in June showed the tattered Wild how a real powerhouse works, spotting the Wild the first goal, then charging back to beat the Wild 4-1, in front of an announced 21,381.
Marian Hossa, the Hawks' long-term lease player, scored twice, along with John Madden and Patrick '20-Cent' Kane, as ten different Hawks tallied points against a Wild defense which had a difficult time adjusting to the younger, speedier Hawks and their wave after wave of offense. It looked, at times, like the Wild defense was asleep at the switch.
And, speaking of catching some Z's, Marek Zidlicky and Greg Zanon each wound up -2 on the evening, along with Petr Sykora, the only Wild forward so victimized. The Wild have dropped four in a row, two straight to the Hawks, and failed to win at least once in the cavernous UC for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Wild wake up Wednesday morning to find themselves still in 11th place, now 10 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, since no one else below them in the standings can win, either. In fact, the only Western Conference team currently in the top 8 that played and lost last night, was the eighth-place Nashville Predators.
Nashville was defeated by the opponent for the Wild's Next Game: vs. Calgary, Tonight (Wednesday, Jan. 6), 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; No Flames' TV; XM Radio, Ch. 207)
The Minnesota Wild always have had decent success when playing against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. But then, there are times when the local sextet just rolls over, and plays dead. Last night, in front of their fathers, with an NHL-imposed limit to player-parent road trips looming, the Wild decided that last night's game would be something special.
Unfortunately, the Blackhawks had other plans for the Minnesota contingent. And, by coming at the Wild virtually in waves, the odds-on favorite Western Conference representatives to playing for Lord Stanley in June showed the tattered Wild how a real powerhouse works, spotting the Wild the first goal, then charging back to beat the Wild 4-1, in front of an announced 21,381.
Marian Hossa, the Hawks' long-term lease player, scored twice, along with John Madden and Patrick '20-Cent' Kane, as ten different Hawks tallied points against a Wild defense which had a difficult time adjusting to the younger, speedier Hawks and their wave after wave of offense. It looked, at times, like the Wild defense was asleep at the switch.
And, speaking of catching some Z's, Marek Zidlicky and Greg Zanon each wound up -2 on the evening, along with Petr Sykora, the only Wild forward so victimized. The Wild have dropped four in a row, two straight to the Hawks, and failed to win at least once in the cavernous UC for the first time since the 2001-02 season. The Wild wake up Wednesday morning to find themselves still in 11th place, now 10 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot, since no one else below them in the standings can win, either. In fact, the only Western Conference team currently in the top 8 that played and lost last night, was the eighth-place Nashville Predators.
Nashville was defeated by the opponent for the Wild's Next Game: vs. Calgary, Tonight (Wednesday, Jan. 6), 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; No Flames' TV; XM Radio, Ch. 207)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Czech-marked: Wild end road trip with 4-3 loss
The end of the road was the end of the road, literally, for the Minnesota Wild.
The last game of an five game-in-8 day road odyssey -- the last trip of this length this season -- came up just a bit short, as the Wild lost 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks late Saturday night, before 18,810 at GM Place.
From a five-goal first period, to a scoreless second, then a third period which was a cross of the first two, this Wild-Canucks rivalry renewal had a lot of everything that NHL fans crave...hits, goals, close play, and more trash talk than most NBA games.
Josh Harding, who started tonight for the second time this season versus the Canucks, had his troubles concentrating on the puck in the first period, and gave up three goals, two of which were on the power play as the Canucks tried to run-and-gun their way past the Wild early in the game. The Wild fought back with first period goals by Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon, both off plays by Martin Havlat, who may have finally found his touch following his earlier injuries. In the second period, the play became more the kind of game that fans of the two teams are familiar with -- tight-checking, close-knit affairs which left both teams scoreless in the period. Havlat's prowess continued in the third when his rebound of an Andrew Brunette shot, in front of Roberto Luongo, found twine to close the game at 4-3, but that was as close as the Wild would get.
The Wild did set a franchise record for faceoffs, as they won 71% of them (49-for-69) on the night. It was also the first time in team history that the Wild took 40 or more shots in two consecutive games. Other than moral victories, however, the Wild came away empty, but with a 3-2 record on the road trip, the Wild will go home confident, if not happy, with the result of this game.
Next Game: vs. Columbus, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7:00 PM, Xcel Energy Center. No TV for this game (the only Wild game not on TV in 2009-10); XM Radio, Channel 207)
-- WRT
The last game of an five game-in-8 day road odyssey -- the last trip of this length this season -- came up just a bit short, as the Wild lost 4-3 to the Vancouver Canucks late Saturday night, before 18,810 at GM Place.
From a five-goal first period, to a scoreless second, then a third period which was a cross of the first two, this Wild-Canucks rivalry renewal had a lot of everything that NHL fans crave...hits, goals, close play, and more trash talk than most NBA games.
Josh Harding, who started tonight for the second time this season versus the Canucks, had his troubles concentrating on the puck in the first period, and gave up three goals, two of which were on the power play as the Canucks tried to run-and-gun their way past the Wild early in the game. The Wild fought back with first period goals by Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon, both off plays by Martin Havlat, who may have finally found his touch following his earlier injuries. In the second period, the play became more the kind of game that fans of the two teams are familiar with -- tight-checking, close-knit affairs which left both teams scoreless in the period. Havlat's prowess continued in the third when his rebound of an Andrew Brunette shot, in front of Roberto Luongo, found twine to close the game at 4-3, but that was as close as the Wild would get.
The Wild did set a franchise record for faceoffs, as they won 71% of them (49-for-69) on the night. It was also the first time in team history that the Wild took 40 or more shots in two consecutive games. Other than moral victories, however, the Wild came away empty, but with a 3-2 record on the road trip, the Wild will go home confident, if not happy, with the result of this game.
Next Game: vs. Columbus, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7:00 PM, Xcel Energy Center. No TV for this game (the only Wild game not on TV in 2009-10); XM Radio, Channel 207)
-- WRT
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wild at the Quarter pole
OK, so after ¼ of the 2009-2010 NHL season has been played, what do we have?
- 7 of the 16 teams who made last year's playoffs would be out today, if the season ended now.
- Six points separate first from eighth place in the Eastern Conference, the same number which separates second from tenth place in the Western Conference.
- The Minnesota Wild coming off a combined road record of 2-9-2 after two killer road trips (one road trip five games, the other four games) in a span of five weeks.
- Six of the next 10 games for the Wild are against teams who are currently in the playoffs, if the season ended today. Two of the other 4 games are against teams who made the playoffs last season.
- The jury is still out on Wild Head Coach Todd Richards and his new 'system' of more offense. Although they actually show signs of doing it the way it's drawn up at times, there are still lapses, such as the third period of last week's game at Tampa Bay, and the first 25 minutes of the game at Carolina last Sunday, a game played so badly, that in that period they allowed a team, who lost 14 games in a row, to get up by three goals. Twice.
- The question still exists of whether or not the Wild will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline following the 17-day Olympic break Feb. 14-March 3. And just whom do you trade, anyhow? Those players with expiring contracts only? Or, do you blow the whole thing to Hell and start over? Who gets to pick and choose who stays, and who goes?
- It is only a matter of time before the Wild's sellout streak is over; it may even happen before Thanksgiving, as the team plays two opponents who are not really strong draws league-wide (Phoenix, NY Islanders) and a third opponent (Boston) who's major calling card, at least in Minnesota, is no longer with the club (Phil Kessel, now a Toronto Maple Leaf.)
- What about the Wild defense? Brent Burns is having an up-and-down season, at best: Nick Schultz, after some horrid nights early on, is slowly adjusting to the new style; Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy are still getting used to playing with their new teammates; Marek Zidlicky still takes the dumb penalty at the wrong time, still gets caught out of position frequently and makes it harder for other defensemen to do their job; and Kim Johnsson, shoulder injury (or higher up, depending on who you listen to) still isn't the same defenseman he was last season.
- Injuries to forwards have plagued the Wild this last six weeks as well. Four of the top six forwards (Petr Sykora, Martin Havlat, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Andrew Brunette) were out at one time or another. Throw in the pre-season woes of Brunette and Mikko Koivu, and you have a recipe for disaster, as no one knows much about who they're playing alongside.
- Although one of the brightest spots has been the goaltending of Niklas Backstrom, the lack of defense in front of him means he has seen a lot of rubber already, and we still have 60 + games left to play.
Although the Wild are far from out of the playoff race (it's way too early in the season to even start that talk for any team), they are inching precipitously close to the edge of the proverbial cliff. If they go over, they're like a bad Michael Jackson record.
HIS-tory.
-- WRT
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