Random thoughts after the dust has settled...

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...

Playing out the String

So nice to see Blogger fixed its' problems so we can all get together again like this. Thanks to the Blogger team for fixing the problems with Internet Explorer. Now, could they do the same for problems of the Minnesota Wild?

Let's face it. This season really HAS been that bad, hasn't it? Now, most Wild followers thought that at best the Wild would be a No. 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs. One series and done. At best. Some of us said the Wild wouldn't even make the playoffs. Now, I really hate to blow my own horn, but after the March to Hell that was the Wild last month (3 weeks and only one point in the standings to show for it), the fact is that the Wild now are fighting for 12th and 13th, not a playoff spot. And doing it with four of their top ten players (Nick Schultz, Martin Havlat, Marek Zidlicky, and John Madden) out and not on the season's final road trip, things don't look like they'll look up any time soon.

The fact of the matter is that although the Wild tried to halt the slide in March, once the snowball started to really gain steam (with the four-game road trip where the Wild were outscored 15-4), it would have taken a monumental home stand to stop the skid. That, as we all know by now, didn't happen, as their 0-3-1 record in what would turn out to be the team's most important homestand in three seasons sealed their fate, puncuated by a blow out, a shutout, and a game where the Wild quit on their fans, flat-out.

The chant of, 'Wait until next year', kind of rings hollow in the halls of 317 Washington St., St. Paul right now. As Wild fans go into their third consecutive summer with no post-season play, the loyal fan base is asking itself, 'How much IS enough'? You wonder how, as the season wears down, what new tricks the Wild will have up their collective sleeves to keep the fans interested as the roster is overhauled once again?

Now, it's great for John Madden and his family that they love Minnesota (hey, we do too; that's why most of us live here, despite the seemingly endless winter) and that Madden wants to play here or retire (as has been reported elsewhere); but will that be enough to offset the fact that this Wild team has way-y-y too much dead weight on the roster? And, that they can't shed that weight fast enough for most fans?

Going into the summer, as the Wild change everything, from their first line forwards, to their flagship radio station outlet, will the changes on the ice be enough to address the lack of offense from this season's Wild team?

We'll see, beginning 48 hours after the Stanley Cup has been awarded, as that is when the trade freeze (in place since Feb. 28th) finally thaws. As Minnesota begins planning in earnest for the June 25-26 NHL draft at the 'X', and the start of free agency July 1st, will the fans have enough patience to wait this all out?

Until then, never mind that the Vancouver Canucks will celebrate their winning the President's Cup, for the most points in the NHL, against the Wild Thursday night at Rogers Place. Wild fans will just sit and wait for the planning of the Canucks' victory parade on Robson St., to go for naught, once again.

At least the Wild don't have a 40-year record with no Cups to worry about.

Jed returns to Beverly Hills! (sorta)

Ortmeyer temporary solution at center, as Wild begin two-game SoCal swing; Barker claiming injury, so he doesn't become considered as trade bait?

Yeah, so I'm reaching. Sue me.

OK, so since we last sat down with each other, the following has occurred:

The Wild, achieved a 2-2-1 record in the last five games, five games where they really NEEDED to achieve points in the standings. They even managed to stay even with the Detroit Red Wings in front of a regional (wasn't national, folks; that comes later) NBC TV audience.

Vancouver showed the Wild why they were leading the NHL's Western Conference with a 4-1 thrashing at the Xcel Energy Center, in only the second loss by three goals since the New Year.

Chicago's United Center provided the setting for a bobblehead giveaway (Tony Esposito) but little else, as the Wild basically failed to show up for a 3-1 Blackhawks' loss in the Hawks' first home game in three weeks,

Mikko Koivu managed to break his left index finger while blocking a Todd Marchant shot in last Friday's game against the Anaheim Ducks. The Wild won, 5-1, despite playing one forward short for the final 52 minutes of the game.

Sunday, Todd Bertuzzi, reviled winger and scourge of Wild fans of all ages, played in his 1,000th NHL game, and absolutely NO acknowledgement of that fact to the crowd at the 'X' during the game whatsoever. 'Big Bert', the evil-doer of note, fired the game winner in the shootout, but the fact that the game actually WENT to a shootout gave hope to Wild fans, despite the 2-1 Detroit win.

Tuesday was 'defenseman's offense night', as six separate defensemen accounted for two goals and four assists in the Wild's 4-1 thumping of the Edmonton Oilers, the 15th straight time the Wild has defeated the Grease in St. Paul. Included in the blue line salvos was a rare goal by ex-Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster, with his first goal since Dec. 1, and the first goal for the 'Minnow', diminutive rookie Jared Spurgeon, playing against the team the Edmonton native idolized growing up as a child.

So now what? Do they stay with bringing up kids, such as Cody Almond, current call-up from the Houston Aeros? So now what do they do, after the Koivu injury?

One does not think that journeyman center Jed Ortmeyer is the answer, but the ex-Shark, Pred and Ranger will get more ice time with a big NHL club, but for how long? Who knows? Ortmeyer was signed earlier this month to a two-way contract, so he gets one pay rate at the NHL level, and another, lower pay rate at the AHL level. The Wild need centers, as they will criss-cross Southern California in the next three days, with only two of their normal four centers (John Madden, Mark Cullen) available, as they take on as vicious a road trip as the NHL can dream up, with back-to-back games at STAPLES Center vs. the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, and the Ducks at Honda Center on Friday night.

Now, will the Wild have Cam Barker to kick around after Monday's trade deadline? That's yet another question facing the Wild, as the return to the ice of Marek Zidlicky has created a temporary 'glut' of defensemen, as Barker has now become the odd man out, with the solid play of Spurgeon and Clayton Stoner, another Houston call-up who doesn't miss the seafood and sun of South Texas. Barker now claims an injury, and yes, indeed he was NOT on the ice for most of last night's Edmonton game; but with all the defensive shuffling and high level of play that the Wild defense has become noted for lately, the fact that Barker has played himself into the 'odd man out' role, speaks volumes for what Barker has done...also for what he HAS NOT done.

Now, we all realize that GM Chuck Fletcher is absolutely loathe to trade away draft picks and/or prospects for basically 'rent-a-players', but will his hand be forced to do at least a little of that as the Trade Deadline, of Monday Feb. 28, 3 PM Eastern Time approaches?

Trade speculation: that's why the hockey media exists, isn't it, folks?

Are better times really ahead?

As February rolls on, things looking up for Wild, fans

With half of February gone, the Minnesota Wild go into the last 26 games of their regular season in better shape than many people -- this blogger included -- thought they would have been at this point. We all were hoping that they'd have the second-best record in the NHL since January 1 (only Philadelphia, leading the Eastern Conference, currently has a better record) but let's face facts, folks:

Did anyone expect this team to be this good in the stretch drive?

With two key members of the line-up (Guillaume Latendresse, Marek Zidlicky) out with fairly severe injuries the entire month of January, the kids brought up to replace them (Jared Spurgeon, Clayton Stoner, and before Stoner, Marco Scandella, still out with a concussion) have performed better than even the hockey operations staff had probably thought possible.

Spurgeon, a prospect released by the New York Islanders after last season, was signed out of the Traverse City Pre-Season prospects tournament before the season started. Like Stoner and Scandella, Spurgeon started the season with the Wild's AHL Houston Aeros affiliate, and was called up to the Wild on Nov. 29th. Unlike Stoner and Scandella, however, the diminutive Spurgeon (all 5' 9" of him), who has earned the nickname 'Minnow' by some Wild fans, has answered the challenge of being a rookie at the world's top level of professional hockey well, with timely play, a knack for moving the puck from the blue line, and fearless defensive play in his own zone. He may not be the biggest fish in the pond, but he probably is the most determined to stay on the roster into the playoffs.

Stoner, on the other hand, is a rugged, 6' 3" native of Port McNeill, BC (same home town as ex-Wild and current LA King, Willie Mitchell) who has also stepped in and stepped up this season to stay on the roster, after five seasons in Houston. One of the few third round draft picks the Wild has ever actually held on to, Stoner recently endeared himself to hockey fight fans, with his end-of-game beat down of St. Louis' David Backes, the Spring Lake Park, MN native, on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center, following the final horn of the Wild's 3-1 sweep of the home-and-home series with the Blues, a sweep which started to put the nails into the coffin of playoff chances in the Mound City for this spring.

Scandella, the Wild's second round selection from the 2008 draft, was being groomed to be the Wild's sixth/seventh defenseman when he suffered a concussion, interrupting his season, on January 14 (vs. the Colorado Avalanche). Scandella had played in 11 of the previous 13 games before his injury. The Montreal native, a 6' 2" blueliner with a knack for forcing play, is expected back in early March, as is Latendresse.

Now, Zidlicky will probably be back before any of the other walking wounded will return. (Update 3:00 PM Monday: Zidlicky practiced with the team today, in full pads, available to take hits and participate in battle drills.) The next question then will be: Who goes back to Houston? Who stays for the playoff drive? Who (if anyone) may become trade bait, as the Feb. 28 trade deadline approaches?

These are the questions on the minds of Wild fans as February wanes on. With eight games left in the month (five of which are at home), can the Wild get to the Trade Deadline in position to deal if they really feel a need to? Yes, we all know, GM Chuck Fletcher won't trade anyone on the roster. But, if the right trade comes along, do you let it go by? NHL GM's don't stay employed for long by being stubborn (Toronto's Brian Burke notwithstanding). The fact of the matter is that if you can get better, you do it. The Wild have assets (mainly, defensemen) that they can deal. For the first time in years, the Wild could very much be a player in the Trade Frenzy on Feb. 28th.

If they want to be.

'...'cuz Two out of Three ain't bad...'

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The refrain line from the Meat Loaf single kind of summarizes the week for the Minnesota Wild, doesn't it?

With two wins in their first three post-All-Star games, the Wild find themselves still on the precipice of falling out of playoff contention...or falling into as high as 5th place in the NHL's Western Conference.

It all depends on your point of view, I guess.

As the Wild trudge thru the mire that is the February schedule, the lack of scoring by the Wild in Saturday's game here in the desert, against the formerly-hapless Phoenix Coyotes, a game where one mistake (an early third-period turnover by Martin Havlat), an illness (Jared Spurgeon was scratched, account being sick), combined with the continued inability of Cam Barker to be anything other than a human stalagmite, allowed ex-Vancouver Canuck Taylor Pyatt to score the game's only goal. The miscues in front of the Wild net wiped out yet another stand-on-his-head performance by Niklas Backstrom, who stopped 40 of the 41 shots sent his way by a Coyotes team who, quite frankly, saw this game as an opportunity to get back into the Western Conference race, having lost three in a row prior to last night.

So the Wild move on to a stretch where they now play 5 of the next 7 at home, a place which has not exactly been the 'friendly confines' for the Wild this season. With a less-than-scintillating 12-11-2 home record at Xcel Energy Center, should this team wish to qualify for the post-season, they need to get that number of wins up -- in regulation time, no overtimes, no shootouts (like last Tuesday's game vs. LA) -- and quickly, because the next three weeks will determine the Wild's fate for this season, as well as probably next season also, due to the number of impending free agents the team has, after this season ends.

Three weeks from tomorrow -- Feb. 28th -- is the NHL Trade Deadline, as teams try to pick up that missing 'piece of the puzzle' in order to bolster their rosters for the playoff push. My question, despite what Wild GM Chuck Fletcher says, is still the same one I've had for most of the regular season:

Will the Wild be buyers at the trade deadline? Or, will they be sellers?

As even though the Wild will get some of their 'walking wounded' off of injured reserve (most notably Guillaume Latendresse, out since late October, and Marek Zidlicky, out since Dec. 29) they will have some assets which they could actually get something for, even though that 'something' may just be draft picks. The fact of the matter is, for the first time in years, younger players are pushing established members of the roster for spots. And, that really IS a good thing, because then there is hope that the team will be that much better overall.

But for now, we fans just wait. And hope that this team can actually do something. We hope that this team can actually be consistent in their efforts and in their overall play.

In short, for the rest of this season, we don't need games like last night's disaster in the desert anymore.

A moment, while we inject some reality into your Wild playoff run...

(Updated 1-10-2011 with updated second game total after Dallas game.)

Fans of the Minnesota Wild have enjoyed the first week of 2011 immensely. Four games in the New Year, four wins (three in regulation, all on the road), eight points, and the Wild have finally managed to pull themselves off the scrap heap of the NHL's Western Conference.

To what do we attribute this largesse? The system instilled by the coaching staff, led by second-year head Coach Todd Richards? Better talent obtained by GM Chuck Fletcher? Better play inspired by the likes of Mikko Koivu, Martin Havlat, Cal Clutterbuck and the now-injured Marek Zidlicky?

The fact of the matter is that all of it contributes to the sudden surge in Wild success. But so does one more important item...one overlooked except in hindsight after games have been played:

The old facet that 'It's not who you play, it's when you play them', comes into play after the games have been played.

Would the Wild have been better off playing the New Jersey Devils right after their NHL Premiere experience in Finland? Or in January, after the Devils' ship of state took on so much water it looked more like the Andria Doria than a hockey team ready to win games?

Are the Wild better off that three of the four games against the Phoenix Coyotes have already been played?

Were the Boston Bruins looking ahead to their game Saturday night in Montreal, when they played the Wild Thursday night at TD Garden?

We know the Wild caught a major break against the Pittsburgh Penguins, when Sidney Crosby got his clock cleaned not once, but twice, in the week leading up to last night's 4-0 Wild win, the second worst game in the STK era for the Pens versus the Wild. Crosby did not play last night as he was diagnosed with concussion symptoms after the second bell-ringing, which took place in their Wednesday night 8-1 drubbing of Tampa Bay.

When the Wild catch a team at or near full strength, especially in St. Paul, they have frequently had their lunch handed to them, as in New Year's Eve's 4-1 drubbing against a Nashville Predators team at full strength; a Detroit Red Wings team which came in on Boxing Day, and in Grinch-like fashion, wrested a 4-1 win from the Wild in a game so bad, the fifth-largest crowd in Wild history booed the team off the ice after the second period; an Ottawa Senators team who came in to St. Paul and used two power-play goals to earn a 3-1 comeback win, their fifth straight against the Wild; the Coyotes' first visit into the 'X', as lifeless a loss (4-2) as you could get; and the two straight home blowouts in November, the easy (for them) 5-2 NY Rangers win, and the 6-1 Philadelphia Flyers drubbing, two of the worst home games in Wild history.

Now, this afternoon, the Dallas Stars, another team which the Wild have precious little success with (9-7-2 all time in St. Paul, and an absolutely hid-e-ous 3-11-4 in 'Big D') play in a 5:00 PM start, Dallas having rested on Saturday, while the Wild were in Pittsburgh. The Stars have three players (Karlis Skrastins and Minnesotans Matt Niskanen (Virginia), Toby Petersen (Minneapolis) ) on the injured list, as do the Wild (Guillaume Latendresse, Niklas Backstrom, Zidlicky) so what does that portend?

The 1-6-3 record of the Wild this season, in the second game of back-to-backs, should speak volumes. The fact that Dallas rested yesterday, while the Wild flew back from Western PA, should speak volumes. The fact that Backstrom, the Wild's No. 1 goaltender, is possibly facing more hip surgery, maybe putting him out for the rest of the season, should speak volumes. The fact that the West is so tight (the Wild will be within two points of the Stars in the West if they win in regulation time today) should speak volumes, also.

What it speaks volumes OF, however, is subject to debate, specualtion, and of course, blogging!

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'.

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...

Wild compete level up as Canucks meltdown

Wild spot Vancouver 1st goal, then stomp on Luongo, Canucks as Rypien loses cool; suspension likely

By Wild Road Tripper

You gotta hand it to the Vancouver Canucks. Pacific Canada's favorite team becomes such an easy target, when they revert to their old, familiar, penalty-filled ways. Throw in a sure-to-be-suspended meltdown by the latest in a long line of Canucks you can love to hate, and you have the recipe for a fun evening of puck. Such was the case on Tuesday night, as the Minnesota Wild once again sent Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo to the showers, with a six-pack of goals in a row over the first two periods, as the Wild derailed the Canucks express, 6-2, at Xcel Energy Center. The pre-season overwhelming pick to win the Northwest Division is now a pedestrian 2-3-1, following the ninth all-time loss by 'Bobby Lu' in St. Paul.

There were the two goals by Daniel Sedin for Vancouver. The Canucks can hang their collective hat on that. But, they meant nothing, as what happened in the intervening 58 minutes would attest to, as the Wild rattled six straight on 18 total shots over the first two periods, including one goal and two assists for Marek Zidlicky, a goal and an assist for Guillaume Latendresse, let out of 'Le Chateau Bow-Wow', and placed back on the second line with Martin Havlat and Matt Cullen, that line combining for six points on the evening.

But, that all paled in comparison to the Rick Rypien follies, which occurred late in the second period. Following a scrum in front of the Wild bench in which Rypien, who lost an earlier fight to Brad Staubitz, was restrained from going after Staubitz a second time by the linesmen, Rypien then pushed the linesman, pushed referee Chris Lee and then went after a fan who was mildly taunting Rypien, as he made his way up the tunnel to the Canucks dressing room. Rypien was suspended immediately after the game by the NHL, pending a Friday in-person hearing, which will likely result in a long suspension for the 6th-year goon.

(Since this entry was first started, the fan involved has told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he will seek legal representation against Rypien and the Canucks.)

The victory, coupled with the blowout loss by the Canucks, now vaults the Wild into 3rd place in the Northwest Division, three points behind division-leading Colorado, who did not play Tuesday night. Vancouver faces off against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Wednesday evening, before returning home to face the Wild at Rogers Centre (formerly GM Place) on Friday. (A little 'must-see' viewing, anyone?)

The Wild now vacate the 'X' for the remainder of the Minnesota Teachers' Weekend, as their two-game road trip begins with the Next Game: at Edmonton, Thursday, Oct. 21, 8:30 PM Central (7:30 PM Mountain) Time, Rexall Place. (TV: FSNorth, FSWisconsin, Rogers SportsNet-Edmonton, all feeds in HD)

The storm passes...and nothing changes

I'd like to think I know some things about NHL hockey after watching it for over 40 years.

I know that free agency cannot be looked upon as a catch-all panacea for what ails your team. (See 'Rangers, New York' for many, many examples of this.)

I know that the amateur draft is a bigger crapshoot than a drunken tour thru a Vegas casino. You are betting your future on a bunch of 18-year-old kids, who have barely proved anything (especially those who have not gone thru the Canadian Juniors system, such as Minnesota high school kids and Europeans, who have barely begun to go thru the process in their own countries.)

I know that one of the toughest things that NHL teams have to face in this era of 'cost containment' (Commissioner Bettman's words, not mine) is the decline in gate attendance (teams in certain markets are having difficulty selling tickets, even in Northern markets). Overall, the NHL will show you whatever statistics to refute that; but the reality is that in most NHL markets -- especially those outside the Dominion of Canada -- there just aren't as many fannies in the seats these days. And that directly hurts the bottom line. Most southern teams (outside of California) are facing this reality these days. With the NHL unable to reach any terms on a long-term USA TV deal (either on over-the-air broadcast or on cable) there will be no financial help from the TV side, either.

So where does this leave the Minnesota Wild going into Thursday's start of free agency?

In this blogger's opinion, not in a very good place.

The options for free agency are limited, as long as albatross contracts, such as those of Mark Parrish, Marek Zidlicky and the injured-for-15-months Pierre-Marc Bouchard are still on the Wild's payroll, not to mention the club's continued insistence on keeping the likes of first-round draft uber-bust James Sheppard (and his new one-year, $800K contract) on the roster.

The Wild still need to re-sign two restricted free agents (Guillaume Latendresse, Josh Harding), the six players drafted Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles at the entry draft, and add help, especially at the center position, a position where the League as a whole is perilously thin. The Wild need forwards, especially centers. Now. They really cannot afford to wait until a better crop of free agents comes in, next season or any season after that.

Picking from this season's crop of UFA's is like going thru the thrift store after a three-day clearance sale. There really isn't a lot out there. It's definitely a seller's market, especially if you are a center or can play center, especially on the power play. The reality is that the best time to get better quickly is in free agency, and everyone knows it. That is where the lack of draft picks for the Wild over nine of the last 10 seasons comes in.

Doug Risebrough's legacy -- trading draft picks for virtually nothing, year after year -- is now really coming back to hurt the Wild, as the cupboards are so bare, they have no assets to trade for anyone of value right now. The lack of quality picks from 2004-2009 (players that are NHL-ready immediately after the draft) now really comes back to hurt the franchise, as the picks of the likes of A.J. Thelen, Benoit "B-b-b-Benny" Pouliot and James Sheppard are now seen, as three of the worst NHL first-round draft selections in the 2000's. Thelen never dressed in Iron Range Red, and Pouliot and Sheppard never should have. Pouliot was pawned off on Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens, in the trade steal of the year for Latendresse, while Sheppard played sparingly as other, younger, more talented players stepped in and stepped up, while Sheppard was frequently relegated to operating the Martin Skoula Memorial Popcorn Machine in the Al Shaver press box at the 'X'.

So what, then? What do the Wild do to better themselves this summer?

A few comments from one blogger:

1. Fish or cut bait with Bouchard. Don't try to drag this saga out into the regular season. Retirement should be the only option for this guy NOW. He is never coming back to play hockey, at least on the same level as he did prior to getting his clock cleaned March 25, 2009 on Long Island (a game I was in attendance at, BTW), so the time has finally come to cut the ties, set 'Butch' adrift, and free up about $4.5M in cap space.

2. Matt Cullen? No thanks. The ex-Carolina Hurricane (and four other NHL organizations), St. Cloud State Husky and Moorhead Spud is indeed out there, but I don't think he would be comfortable in Minnesota. The expectations would be set way too high, the pressure would be too great to excel with no help around you, and when you have a 90-year-old sportswriter (Sid) trying to glom onto you at every single opportunity, how can you play at a productive level?

3. Trade Zidlicky before his new, no-trade contract goes into effect July 1. For what offense he brings to the blue line, the fact of the matter is he is a defensive liability of the first order, and is nowhere worthy of his new, $4M, 3-year chokehold of a contract thru 2012-13. Like Filip Kuba, Martin Skoula and Kim Johnsson before him, Zidlicky is another Euro-defenseman who is over-paid, over-rated, and over here ... on the Wild roster.

4. Someone in the Koivu household tell Saku that the Wild is his brother's team, and that he would be a big, big help to his little brother if he signed with the Wild. With both Koivu brothers on the roster, team discipline would be at an all-time high. And after the way last season disintegrated (remember the two games at Detroit? The games at home against lowly Atlanta and Florida?) there definitely is some discipline needed from within the roster itself.

Free Agency begins Thursday. What happens then? Who knows?

--WRT

Don't forget us! Oilers 4, Wild 1

Edmonton's Rexall Place has become the equivalent of its' southern Alberta cousin, the Pengrowth Saddledome, for the Minnesota Wild. A house of horrors, where strange things just seem to happen, no matter what position either team is in the standings.

Monday night was no exception, as the Edmonton Oilers jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead and went on to thoroughly beat the Wild 4-1, as the Wild loss streak grew to four games (three in regulation, one in OT) as the NHL's 2009-10 schedule winds down. The Wild end their season with an 0-fer Edmonton (just as the Oilers have an 0-fer in St. Paul.)

What was important for Wild fans, however, was the fact that they played the entire game without two of their top six defensemen (Nick Schultz, Marek Zidlicky) and one of their better forwards (Owen Nolan), and then lost Guillaume Latendresse and Martin Havlat during the game to injuries as well.

This was a classic game between two teams with absolutely nothing to play for. Really chippy play, no crisp passing, very little discipline by either team, as they were both indeed playing out the string. And it showed. Now, only one more road game remains this season, and it's the...

Next Game: at Calgary, Thursday, April 8th, 8:00 PM Central (7:00 PM Mountain) Time, Pengrowth Saddledome. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Flames' TV: Rogers SportsNet-West; XM Radio, NHL Home Ice, Ch. 204)

Wild 'kiddie corps' almost pull it off, push Canucks to OT

Salo scores in OT to clinch Northwest Division for Canucks

The Minnesota Wild came into a post-Olympic rebuilt GM Place in Vancouver Sunday night, looking for some spark to ignite the last week of the 2009-10 season. The Vancouver Canucks tried to douse any chance of that, scoring into an empty Minnesota net with 54.3 seconds left in the game. Or so they, and 18,810 Canucks patrons, thought.

That's when the Wild kids came in to help save the day. And, they almost did, losing to the Canucks 4-3 in overtime, as the Canucks clinched the Northwest Division title, and the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Western Conference playoffs.

Cody Almond, on call-up from Houston, scored with 41.1 seconds left in regulation, then Antti Miettinen scored with 19 seconds remaing in regulation, to send the game into the OT where Sami Salo scored, after yet another load of BS was delivered by Alex Burrows, as he was the 'victim' of a phantom high-stick call against Greg Zanon, after Burrows lifted Zanon's stick into his own visor.

Ryan Kesler scored shorthanded in the first period, as the Canucks were serving a penalty as Kevin Bieksa raced up the ice, with two Wild players (Martin Havlat, Marek Zidlicky) unable to stop the seemingly inevitable, as Kesler zoomed by Mikko Koivu to receive Bieksa's cross-slot pass.

Kyle Wellwood tipped a Kevin Bieksa screen shot from the point to score late in the second period, as four players (two from each team) all wound up in front of Niklas Backstrom, who was totally helpless to stop Bieksa's shot.

Andrew Brunette finally lit the lamp for Minnesota as he put away the rebound of yet another wide shot by Miettinen at the 10:00 mark of the third period. However, the fate of the Wild was sealed as Alex Edler' s 170-foot shot found the empty net with 54.3 seconds left. Or so we thought.

Next Game: at Edmonton, tonight (Monday), 8:30 PM Central (7:30 PM Mountain) Time, Rexall Place. (Wild TV: KSTC-45; TSN (in HD); XM Radio, Ch. 206)

--WRT

FANG-tastic Flop: Preds out-everything Wild, win 5-0

Out-hustled, out-played, outshot by 3-1 margin, Wild lose by season's largest score


The Minnesota Wild, playing like they should have never stepped off the plane, were totally blown away by the Nashville Predators Thursday night at the newly-renamed Bridgestone Arena, as the Wild laid their biggest egg of the season, losing 5-0 to the Predators in front of an announced 16,615.

Ten different Preds tallied points on the evening, while Marek Zidlicky led all Wild players into the dungeon with a -3 on the game, as the Wild see their 3-game winning streak snapped as St. Louis won (at the Rangers), placing the Wild back into 11th place in the Western Conference.

Not even the goaltending of Josh Harding was effective tonight, as Harding was pulled in favor of Wade Dubielewicz for the third period. Sadly, the third period was a carbon of the first two; no Wild puck movement, no shots for the first half of the period, no life at all in the team itself.

All that being said, it was just as well that the game was not telecast locally by the Wild, as all their normal outlets were busy with other programming, a situation which will continue for the Next Game: at Columbus, Friday (tomorrow), 6 PM Central (7 PM Eastern) Time, Nationwide Arena. (No Wild TV: Jackets' TV: FSOhio; NHL Network-US (both feeds in HD); XM Radio, NHL Home Ice, Ch. 204)

-- WRT

Slick Ending: Comrie's SO goal greases Wild, 2-1

It was fan appreciation night in Edmonton Friday, but the Edmonton Oilers took the biggest giveaway away from the Minnesota Wild at Rexall Place in the shootout, as a Mike Comrie backhander meant the Wild lost by a score of 2-1 in front of 16,839.

Mikko Koivu and Marek Zidlicky scored for Minnesota in the shootout, as ex-Gopher Ryan Potulny and Gilbert Brule also scored for Edmonton.

Jeff Deslauriers single-handedly willed the Oilers to the shootout, as he robbed several Wild players in the last minute of OT to take the game to the shootout session.

The game started with the only goal of the first period coming from a Comrie wrap-around nearly half-way thru the period. The Wild only had one shot in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The second period was Guillaume Latendresse doing unto Edmonton what Edmonton did unto him earlier, a wrap-around which glanced off Oilers' goalie Jeff Deslauriers' skate and into the net, tying the game at one-all.

The third period was nearly a free-for-all as the referees (Kelly Sutherland and Olympic referee Dennis LaRue) stopped calling anything at all, save for an Owen Nolan goalie interference penalty at 14:01 after he was pushed over in front of the Edmonton goal. Niklas Backstrom saved the day when a Gilbert Brule back-door play was robbed with just over 2 minutes left in regulation.

Overtime began with the Wild charging into the Edmonton zone, as Koivu and Latendresse having clear chances and coming away empty-handed in the first minute. The Wild actually lost ground in the West, as both Detroit and Calgary won Friday night, as the Wild are still in 13th in the West going into Sunday afternoon, and the Next Game: vs. Calgary, 2:00 PM Sunday, Central Time (TV: KSTP-5 (in HD).

-- WRT

The Medalled Road

Well, we Olympic hockey fans were certainly paid yesterday, weren't we?

Three of the best hockey games probably of this generation, in one incredible day, in one city, all at the same arena. First, Ovie & Co. crushed Jagr (literally), Zid-LITS-ky & the Czech Legion 4-2, as a clean, open-ice hit turned the game in the Russians' favor. Russia awaits the winner of the play-in game, playing on Wednesday against either Belarus or Canada, who play on Tuesday...

...wait a minute! CANADA?!?!?!? What the hell happened to Canada??? Weren't they the team that was supposed to 'Own the Podium'?

Oh, yeah. They lost -- at home, nevertheless, (the last time I looked, British Columbia is still a part of the Dominion of Canada) -- to the USA, 5-3, as Brian Rafalski's two goals and Ryan Miller's 44 saves turned the 'Sea of Red' inside the arena nicknamed 'the Garage' into an angry, sober mob (as the City of Vancouver shut down the bars when the game ended, trying to avoid the riots which occurred after the Canucks choked away the Stanley Cup to the NY Rangers in 1994). The loss to the Americans means that the Canadians are seeded sixth in the Olympic medal round, and will play the eleventh-seed Germans on Tuesday, for the right to take on Ovie, Geno & Co., a.k.a. No. 3 Russia, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday; one of the three pre-Olympic top seeds will not even make it to the semis, should this become reality.

The USA goes into the medal round as the No. 1 seed, and they will play the winner of Tuesday's Switzerland-Belarus game on Wednesday afternoon, 2:00 PM Central Time. And, unlike last night's game, the second-highest rated US Olympic hockey game in history, (estimated 8.2 million viewers) was deliberately buried by NBC, the Olympics rights-holder in the USA, to the non-HD-equipped world of MSNBC, in favor of the 800-pound gorilla of Olympic competition, figure skating (specifically, the Ice Dancing original dance program). In another move which will throw further doubt as to whether or not the NHL will participate in the Sochi Games in 2014, Wednesday afternoon's quarterfinals game will be shown on the flagship NBC network...when most people who would want to see the game, are still at work.

In the nightcap, Sweden shut down -- and shutout -- Finland, 3-0, to take the No. 2 seed in the medal round. Finland, which had won everything else before then, takes the No. 4 seed, which means the USA will have to take on the Koivu Bros. & friends in the semis, should both teams get that far. The Swedes will get the Slovakia-Norway winner, while the Finns get the Czech Republic-Latvia winner in the quarters.

The semis will be on Friday; Saturday will be the bronze medal game, and the gold will be played for on Sunday (2:15 PM Central Time, the last event prior to the Closing Ceremonies). Where it will be on TV, does anybody really know?

Maybe on ShopNBC? Versus?

--WRT

Khudobin goes Wild, downs Flyers 2-1

Rookie in second NHL game saves day with 38-save stellar performance

By Wild Road Tripper

Some old-time Minnesota Wild hockey came out of the dressing room at Xcel Energy Center Saturday night. Rookie Anton Khudobin, making his second NHL appearance and first start at hockey's top level, is sure appreciative that it did.

The Wild ran its home winning streak to four straight, and eight of its' last nine, as they rode Khudobin's 38-save performance to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Flyers' second straight loss on their Western road swing.

Khudobin's game was the difference, according to Wild Head Coach Todd Richards in the post-game press conference. From my own point of view, as well as the team's, he really DID hold the Wild in the game, especially in the first period, as lacklustre a stanza as the Wild have produced since the disasterous first week of November, where they lost two games in three nights, at home, to Vancouver and Dallas. The Wild came out tentative and the Flyers were just willing to let the Wild do that, although Cal Clutterbuck's surprise goal 15:37 in opened the scoring, it didn't take the Flyers long, as Daniel Carcillo, a All-Star 'Blackheart' if there ever was, cashed in a rebound as Marek Zidlicky failed (once again) to take out his man in front of Khudobin, to tie it up with just over 4 minutes remaining.

The second period was much better for the Wild as the tempo -- and the hitting -- started getting fierce, punctuated with Derek Boogaard's de-helmeting of ex-Canuck Lukas Krajicek near the mid-way point. Shortly afterwards, Owen Nolan's rebound goal made it 2-1 Minnesota, and that's where it stayed.

The third period was a throwback to the Jacques Lemaire era: get the puck, play the puck, dump the puck, repeat. Again, and again, and again, and again. The Flyers were becoming more frustrated with every shift. But, there was nothing they could really muster. Even in the waning seconds, after goalie Michael Leighton was pulled for the extra attacker, did the Wild stray from what they were formerly famous for -- defense. And, this time, they were successful.

As the crowd of 18,640 (minus a few Flyers' fans, mostly decked out in their blaze orange) cheered their approval, the traditional 'goalie huddle' after a victory probably never was so well-earned. The boys actually did it; they beat the Flyers, for the first time in five meetings since 2003, and they have their rookie call-up to thank for it.

Next Game: vs. Phoenix, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 7:00 PM Central (6:00 PM Mountain) Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth in HD; No Coyotes' TV; XM Radio, Ch. 209)

'Just a Great Hockey Game', but Wild still wind up as Shark bait

The San Jose Sharks got a real scare tonight. And no, it wasn't a mirage you watched (if you did, given the late hour) Saturday night. The Minnesota Wild were really playing that good.

But you cannot give up four power-play goals, a single-game Wild all-time record, and expect to win on the road in the NHL. And so it was tonight at HP Pavilion at San Jose, as the Wild lost to the Sharks, 5-2, in front of 175 Wild fans on the team's official 'Road Trip', and 17,387 Sharks faithful, as Josh Harding made his third consecutive start, and finished by having suffered his first loss in his last 4 games.

The Wild struck first as Owen Nolan tipped the puck off a Guillaume Latendresse shot by Evgeni Nabokov on the power play, then after Jason Demers whizzed one by a screen Harding to tie it at one-all, Cal Clutterbuck's point-blank redirect of Kyle Brodziak's pass in front of Nabokov found twine in the last minute of the first period.

Demers then took advantage of an errant clearing attempt by Kim Johnsson while the Wild were killing off a questionable penalty against Belanger, netting his second of the night thru another screen, 3:15 into the second period, tying the game at 2-2. Later in the second, Joe Pavelski took advantage of a Marek Zidlicky penalty, stepping around Brent Burns like Burns was a statute, and surprising Harding to put the Sharks in front 3-2 at the 16:57 mark.

Six seconds after Robbie Earl was whistled off for interference, Patrick Marleau tallied his first goal of the evening as his blast sizzled by Harding at 13:14 of the third period, for a 4-2 San Jose lead. Just over 3 minutes later, Marleau made sure the Wild had no comeback as he deflected a shot by Dany Heatley into the net for the 5-2 final score.

Next Game: at Dallas, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 7:00 PM, American Airlines Center. (TV: Versus, TSN2, in HD; viewing parties in Twin Cities area; details at Wild.com. XM Radio, Ch. 209)

-- WRT

Blue Jackets show why they're 14th in West as Wild win, 4-2

By Wild Road Tripper


The Columbus Blue Jackets showed again tonight why they are 14th in the NHL's Western Conference, and why teams like the Minnesota Wild beat them, 4-2, as in Saturday night's 'Hockey Day Minnesota' feature game, as the Wild played a solid 59 minutes of good, quality hockey. The victory ran the Wild's all-time record on 'Hockey Day Minnesota', to 2-1-1.

But, about that 60th minute; we'll get to that later.

The first 59 were good, solid hockey, punctuated by the two goals of Mikko Koivu, Eric Belanger's surprise throw-in towards tough-luck Jackets goalie Steve Mason, and Robbie Earl showing again why he could be a finisher-in-training for the offensively-beleagured Wild. And, for good measure, Derek Boogaard made short work of Jared Boll, as Boogaard showed again why he is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the NHL. Even maligned defenseman Marek Zidlicky wound up a +3 for the night.

But it was that 60th minute that shocked the 18,173 in attendance, as the Jackets, behind goals by Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette, not only blew Niklas Backstrom's shutout, but closed the gap quickly to 4-2, but the last goal was scored with 3 seconds left in the contest, and the Wild walked away, victorious in regulation time for the first time in a week and a half, but the Jackets late antics (including a Nash-Nick Schultz fight; yes, you read it correctly, folks -- Schultzie dropped the purse!) left a bitter taste in the mouth of Head Coach Todd Richards, as he explained in his post-game press conference.

Jeff Rimer, Jackets play-by-play announcer, wrote yesterday for his blog on Bluejackets.com that the Jackets believe that they are still a legitimate playoff contender. After last night, the two most descriptive words about the playoff hopes of Columbus would be:

Fat. Chance.

Next Game: vs. Detroit, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7:00 PM Central (8:00 PM Eastern) Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth; Detroit TV: FSDetroit; both feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 208)

The Night Chicago Died

Wild come back to score 4 goals in 3rd,
then 'Cowboy' up in Shootout to beat Blackhawks

Game Deemed 'Greatest Comeback in Franchise History'


By Wild Road Tripper

Guaranteeing itself a place as an NHL 'Instant Classic' game, the Minnesota Wild completed the single greatest comeback in franchise history, as they came all the way back from trailing 5-1 after two periods, to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 in the shootout Saturday night at a very, very loud Xcel Energy Center, in front of 19,310, the Wild's largest crowd since October 5, 2005, the first game after the NHL lockout/strike ended.

The first 40 minutes was virtually a clinic by the best team in the NHL, as the young and very speedy Hawks took advantage of what few mistakes were made by the Wild, and were depositing them in the Minnesota net like so much trash after a summer picnic. For 40 minutes all was right in the Blackhawk universe, as the hometown sextet was showered with a loud chorus of boos (and the Hawks were cheered loudly by a good number of the estimated 800-1,000 Chicago fans in attendance.)

And then, the Wild went to the locker room. And the veterans stepped in and said that they wanted to win for the other guys in the room. Then they went out and actually did it, to the delirium and delight of the Wild faithful, and the dismay (and anger) of the Hawks fans, many of whom spent considerable effort and cash to get themselves into this game. The first NHL team to come back from four goals down since December 11, 2008, when Philadelphia did it against Carolina. The first team to end two five-game winning streaks in a row (remember, the Wild beat Calgary on Wednesday night) since 2006 (Buffalo).

There are so many heroes on a night like this, such as Guillaume Latendresse and his two goals, the first one early on in the game, and the second, a 'Mighty Mouse' goal ("Here I come, to save the Day!!") to tie the game with 1:33 remaining in regulation; Latendresse now has 9 goals since being traded by Montreal Nov. 23. (Anyone really miss Benoit Pouliot now?)

Then, what would be an eight-round shootout ensued, with Koivu and '20-Cent' Patrick Kane both scoring, and then the real fun began as players from both teams missed or were stopped by the goalies...until Owen Nolan, 'Cowboy' to his teammates, snapped a shot past Huet's glove, then, after John Madden missed, the on-ice bedlam ensued, to the delight of the many, many faithful who had stayed around to the end of one thrilling hockey game.

Also in the 'Hero' department is Kim Johnsson, whose goal started the third period charge for the Wild; Mikko Koivu and Marek Zidlicky, whose goals were part of a three-goal, 2:05 barrage against the NHL's best defense, a team which was 21-1-0 when leading after two periods prior to tonight. And, an unexpected hero was Josh Harding, who, playing goal starting the third period in relief of starting goalie Niklas Backstrom, earned his first win at home in two years.

Cristobal Huet started and finished for the Hawks, whose goals against average will go up after his performance on the night, especially in the third period, where he duly earned every derisive 'Sieve' chant the Wild fans gave him during both the latter third period and the overtime session.

The Wild would love a few days to enjoy the vibe after such a game as this, but the life of a modern NHL'er dictates that you play when you're scheduled, and when the Wild are scheduled for the Next Game: vs. Pittsburgh, Monday, Jan. 11, 7:00 PM Central (8:00 PM Eastern) time, Xcel Energy Center. (TV: Versus, TSN2, both feeds in HD; XM NHL Home Ice, Ch. 204)

Touche'! Belanger's two goal night burns Calgary

Wild win 4-1 as Belanger raises stakes in contract drive season

By Wild Road Tripper

It was Eric Belanger's world Wednesday night, and the 18,137 in attendance at Xcel Energy Center were only too happy to be part of it for a few hours.

The Minnesota Wild, led by Belanger's two goals, extinguished the Northwest Division's hottest team, the Calgary Flames, by ending their 5-game winning streak with a 4-1 Wild victory. The Wild also ended their own 4-game losing streak in the contest.

Niklas Backstrom outdueled his countryman, Mikka Kiprusoff, for his 19th victory of the campaign, as the Wild moved to 45 points, still good for 11th place in the NHL's Western Conference.

But it was Belanger, whose good luck and good timing came into play on both the Wild's first and third goals, who would be the beneficiary on this night. Playing in his 600th NHL game, the veteran center tipped in a Marek Zidlicky shot high in the slot area for the first goal, then took Owen Nolan's soccer-kick pass and backhanded it past a surprised Kiprusoff just past the half-way point of the game. Not only did this increase his possible trade value (the Wild front office staff, including GM Chuck Fletcher, are meeting Thursday and Friday in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, regarding their 9 unrestricted free agents-to-be), but playing in his 600th NHL game gives Belanger a little extra 'room' on the road. For being that he has played 600 NHL games and is a 10-year veteran, he now gets his own room (i.e., no roommate) under terms of the CBA.

Kyle Brodziak, who the Wild obtained at the NHL Draft last June from the Edmonton Oilers, scored his first goal in nearly two months when he golf-swung a loose puck, which then worm-burned its' way past Kiprusoff to start the second period scoring. Nick Schultz assisted on three of Minnesota's four goals, giving him a +2 on the evening, so he is now a -1 on the year.

Now, the bad news: it doesn't get any easier very soon, as the 4-game homestand continues with the Next Game: vs. Chicago, Saturday, Jan. 9, 7:00 PM Central Time, Xcel Energy Center. (Wild TV: FSNorth (includes FSWisconsin); Hawks TV: Comcast SportsNet Chicago, all feeds in HD; XM Radio, Ch. 238)