Olympic break and looking ahead

All but five Minnesota Wild players have been resting and taking things easy for awhile, and, after last night, all but three are able to return to regular practices. The NHL's schedule freeze has come and gone, and while there's still a roster freeze in effect, teams can at least start skating together again, and try and shake off the rust that ten days away can grow.

Not only did the Wild return to practice, but they got to return to the business of taking care of some of the free agents on their roster. While teams can't trade players until after the Olympics are over (and need to get it done by March 3), they can hammer out contract extensions, and that's exactly what the Wild did with regards to Cal Clutterbuck, signing him for another three years. Looking down the pipe, and new contracts concerning Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse should be coming, as well. But don't forget that Mikko Koivu will be entering a contract season, and he has helped put Finland on the cusp of the gold medal game.

Once the Olympics wrap up, the Wild will have a couple of days to make some decisions on players. The team is currently five points out of a playoff spot, but they feel confident that they can close that gap over the next 21 games. At least, the players feel that way. The question is whether or not the front office feels the same, and how they treat the trade deadline. The Wild haven't been shy about making moves that should help the team both short- and long-term, with the recent trade for Cam Barker proves, but they still have some questions to answer. Here's a few players that might see themselves on the block:

James Sheppard - Much like Benoit Pouliot before him, Sheppard is graced with talent, but that has never manifested with the Wild. His development was stunted thanks to some mind-boggling decisions made by the prior front office, and it might be time to let Sheppard go. He has the potential to be a decent power forward in the league, but needs a change of scenery, and needs it soon. If the Wild can pull off another Latendresse-like deal, more power to them, but it might be best to let Sheppard go for a draft pick or two.

Eric Belanger - The Wild need good quality centers, and Belanger often fits the bill. While he is dominant in the face-off, Belanger doesn't have a lot of the grit and drive that is starting to characterize this Wild team. The Wild need a center that fits their style a bit better, and Belanger might be the easiest piece to use to lure another team into making that trade.

Antti Miettinen - Miettinen is a streaky player, and the one piece that still doesn't quite mesh on the Wild's top line. If Chuck Kobasew can play soon, that makes Miettinen even more vulnerable. Still, don't expect to see him moved before Draft Day, if even then.

Owen Nolan - It would be a shame to see Owen Nolan wearing any other jersey, especially in what might be the last month or two of his career, but if the Wild decide that they are playoff pretenders, and not in a position to make a viable run, they might let Nolan go. He's exactly the type of player a playoff team would look to add at the deadline, and, given that his contract is up after this year, there's always a chance he would come back as a free agent.

Josh Harding - The Wild's back-up goaltender seemed set to be traded earlier this season, and then he ran into some difficulties with his game. Once he started getting back on track, he suffered his hip injury, which may have made it harder to move him. Harding deserves a starting job somewhere in the league, but, with Niklas Backstrom, the odds aren't good that he'll find one with Minnesota.

The Wild have a ton of decisions to make, and, honestly, signing Cal Clutterbuck to an extension doesn't even confirm that he'll be wearing a Wild sweater when the team lines up against Calgary on the night of Deadline Day. There's also no indication that anything will move between then and now, and the roster for the Wild's first post-Olympic break could be exactly what was seen in their final pre-break game against Vancouver.

2009-10 Game Sixty-One: Wild 6, Canucks 2

It felt like it took a long time to reach the Olympic break, but that's just because NHL teams were playing at such a rapid clip. And, while the next two weeks are all about international play, after the Olympics are over, the league will return to its frantic pace. Of course, the Minnesota Wild had to feel like it took them even longer to reach the break, after the stoppage-filled debacle against Atlanta to start the weekend. The Wild desperately needed something to get them going again, and all it took was a home game against their most-hated rival to spur the team to playing as a unit.

How fitting that they would play so well just before having to play against their regular teammates for a couple of weeks? And how fitting was it that the Wild would end up going into a long break with possibly the biggest swing in momentum they've experienced yet this season? Minnesota still has an outside chance of making the playoffs, but, for the next two weeks, no questions will be answered. With twenty-one games left to play, the Wild sit five points back, and there's a pile of teams ahead of them in the standings. Still, beating Vancouver, and beating them soundly, had to feel good for a team that suffered through a couple of games that they should have won earlier in the week.

Game pluses:
- Kyle Brodziak. It must be something about playing the Canucks. Brodziak has put together very impressive games against Vancouver, notching three points this time around.
- Greg Zanon. While the score was huge in Minnesota's favor, a lot of the defensive play was looked over. Zanon acted as a secondary goaltender a few times, helping keep the puck out of the net when Niklas Backstrom found himself out of position.
- Cam Barker. The newest member of the Minnesota Wild played a strong game, keeping it simple in his first appearance. He stood tall defensively, and blasted his first Wild goal into the net. The goal may have been meaningless for the score, but it spoke volumes for Barker.

Game minuses:
- Niklas Backstrom. He wasn't stellar in net, but, thankfully, didn't have to be, thanks to some help from Zanon, Barker, and a huge outpouring of goals from his teammates.
- Eric Belanger. Not that he played a bad game, per se, but Belanger is one of the players who should feel a little pressure after the Kim Johnsson trade, and he looked fairly lackluster on the ice.
- Darcy Hordichuk. As the season wears on, it's easier to find opposing players that get under a team's skin. Hordichuk has definitely succeeded in doing that. The last time Vancouver and Minnesota played, Hordichuk claimed that he was sent by his coach to fight, and then backed off of the comment. This time, he was a textbook example of a third man in a fight, and he did so by tossing Derek Boogaard to the ice from behind, with something resembling a horse collar tackle. Given that it would have been a penalty in the NFL, it wasn't surprising to see Hordichuk get hit with a 2-5-10 (instigation/fighting/misconduct) penalty.

Next up: The Wild don't return to the ice until March 3, when they face the Calgary Flames. The catch? March 3 is also the trade deadline. How different might the Wild look at that point? In the meantime, Olympic hockey should help keep you sated.

2009-10 Game Sixty: Wild 2, Thrashers 3

That sound you hear may just be the Wild's post-season hopes slipping away completely. In a game that the team felt they needed to win, against a team that they'd never lost to in regulation, the Wild did everything in their power to keep themselves out of the game. They just kept marching to the penalty box all night long, giving Atlanta a couple of different 5-on-3 situations, and at least one 4-on-3 situation.

Needless to say, the game was a whistle-fest, as neither team could really get anything moving. There was an average of one stoppage in play for every minute (probably more, actually), and that took any sort of momentum away for the most part. The few glimpses of sustained pressure came from an Atlanta team that has been cleaning house, obviously looking to set themselves up for next season, considering this one to be long gone.

And now the Wild have that decision looming ahead of them. The Minnesota front office felt that they needed to pull at least eight points out of this homestand to seriously fight for a playoff spot. Well, they now need to beat Vancouver on Sunday to do so, and that might be a big challenge, the way that they've played the last 5 periods. While the Wild didn't shy away from taking shots, like they did the previous game, they've got to relearn discipline.


Game pluses:
- Mikko Koivu. The Wild's captain set up both Wild goals, and was competitive and buzzing all night long. He just needs someone else who can finish.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Consider him something of a battery. Not only did he work hard to help the Wild's second goal, but he kept trying to spark his team to do something.
- Greg Zanon. With the Wild trading their minutes leader, members of the defense needed to step up, and Zanon performed admirably, clocking in with 25 minutes of ice time.

Game minuses:
- Discipline. Admittedly, some of the penalties called, and some that weren't, were truly mind-boggling, but that doesn't make up for the fact that the Wild couldn't stay out of the penalty box. The most glaring example was after being handed a 4-minute power play, the Wild took two quick penalties to give Atlanta the man advantage.
- Derek Boogaard. Boogaard only had a minute of ice time. He was in the penalty box for longer than that. Boogaard has done well this season to not make himself a liability on the ice, but that wasn't the case against Atlanta.
- Pace. The pace to the game was awful. Earlier this season, the Wild played a game where they actually eliminated one of the television time-outs, due to a lack of whistles and play stoppages. In this game, they could have included another two or three to make up for the one missed.

Next up: The Wild desperately need a win, and they'll get to stay at home, with the same officiating crew, to find it. Newly acquired defenseman Cam Barker might be on the ice as Minnesota welcomes the Vancouver Canucks in the final game before the Olympic break.

2009-10 Game Fifty-Nine: Wild 2, Coyotes 3

Sometimes, the bounces just don't go the way you want them to. That seems to be the case relatively often for the Minnesota Wild, and that was certainly the case against the Phoenix Coyotes, as the winning goal was scored on such a bizarre shot that Niklas Backstrom never even saw the puck. But that's the way it's been against Phoenix this season, as the Wild failed to secure even one point from a team that they had previously dominated year after year.

Of course, the loss makes things even trickier for the Wild when it comes to post-season play. Minnesota firmly believed before this homestand started that they would need to come away with at least eight points in the five games. After getting blanked in the standings by the Coyotes, the Wild need to string together two wins against tough teams to have a ghost of a chance. They currently sit five points back from the current #8 team, and the closest they can get before the Olympic break is one point out. Odds are not good, and odds are even worse that, should the Wild sneak into the playoffs, they'd be able to win a series. True, they are a better team than their record shows, thanks to a very difficult opening month to the season, but they aren't a team that should be expecting to lift the Cup this season. One more loss on this homestand, or an ability to figure out how to win away from St. Paul, will solidify the Wild's position regarding the trade deadline.

Game pluses:
- Niklas Backstrom. For a guy who had been injured with a bad back, he played pretty well. Backstrom bounced back, and held the Wild in the game, even after they let off the gas. The game-winning fluke goal might just haunt him for awhile, though.
- Marek Zidlicky. The Wild defenseman was more reward than risk against Phoenix, and helped start the play that created the Wild's first goal.
- Fast start. The Wild jumped out to a fast start, and they looked set to make things a blow-out right away. Good energy and pressure from the very first shift of the game was rewarded under five minutes in, when the Wild took the lead. Too bad they couldn't hold it.

Game minuses:
- Pressure. The Wild started the game strong, but didn't keep applying the pressure after taking their early lead. They allowed Phoenix to get their legs under them, and then the Coyotes took control.
- Passing. The Wild simply passed the puck far too much. Instead of taking shots when they were open, the Wild kept looking for the highlight reel play. Ugly goals are worth just as much as pretty ones, and the Wild need to start looking at more ugly goals if they want to play in the NHL's "second season".
- Phoenix. Face it, for the first year ever, the Wild just didn't know how to handle the Coyotes, so playing against them again had to fill fans with a sense of dread. The Coyotes swept the season series, and won each game in regulation, keeping the Wild from getting a single point out of the series. Thankfully, Minnesota won't have to worry about Phoenix again until next season.

Next up: The Wild will try to correct the ship once again, and do so against an Eastern Conference opponent. The Wild have fared well against the East this year, and they look to continue that trend against the Atlanta Thrashers, who seem to be engaging in some spring cleaning of their own.

2009-10 Game Fifty-Eight: Wild 2, Flyers 1

During the recent game against the Edmonton Oilers, a little known Minnesota Wild player got his name etched into the record books. Anton Khudobin, in his first NHL experience, was able to secure his first win with under ten minutes played, becoming the fastest goalie to reach that mark. He got to follow up that appearance with his first NHL start, against a tough Philadelphia Flyers team, and he couldn't have done much more to impress his teammates.

While Khudobin was solid all game long, the rest of the Wild seemed like they were having difficulty getting things going. The first period, the Wild were lucky to have escaped with a tie game, and while things balanced out in the second, the third period showed a surprising lack of drive, as the Wild didn't really apply the pressure to extend their lead, and give their unorthodox netminder a bit of a cushion. At the end of the game, though, the Wild were the ones celebrating, adding another one-goal win to their record, and keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Game pluses:
- Anton Khudobin. Khudobin played solidly against Edmonton, but he only had to face 9 shots. He faced twice as many as that in the first period of the game against the Flyers, and was solid. True, he coughed up a lot of rebounds, but he tended to direct them to safe areas of the ice.
- Owen Nolan. The stats keepers for the game must have thought that Nolan scared the puck to Cal Clutterbuck for the Wild's first goal, since he somehow missed getting an assist. However, his goal and his second period take-down definitely helped lead the Wild to victory.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck showed good awareness, crashing the net at the right time, to tie his goal total from last season.

Game minuses:
- Slow start. When you've got an untested goaltender and you desperately need points in the standings, you can't generally turn in a period like the Wild did for the first twenty minutes of the game. They survived, and Khudobin bailed them out, but it could have gotten scary.
- Physicality. The Wild almost seemed to shy away from the Flyers, even when bowling ball Cal Clutterbuck, or wrecking ball Derek Boogaard were on the ice. Nolan's tackle of Scott Hartnell aside, the Wild almost looked content to take the hits, rather than deliver them.
- Defensive decisions. The Wild defense was sharp most of the game. However, misplayed pucks or baffling passes popped up intermittently throughout the game, with one of the most noticable being a pass from Marek Zidlicky back to Khudobin. The biggest problem? Zidlicky was in the offensive zone at the time.

Next up: The Wild can rest for a couple of days before they welcome the Phoenix Coyotes to town on Wednesday night.

2009-10 Game Fifty-Seven; Wild 4, Oilers 2

The first period of the Minnesota Wild/Edmonton Oilers game looked very similar to the game played earlier in the week by the Wild against the Dallas Stars. For the first twenty minutes, the Wild dominated the play, keeping their opponent back on their heels and peppering the net with shots. For the first twenty minutes, the Wild couldn't solve the opposing goaltender, setting up a potential collapse. Of course, at the end of the day, the Wild had a very different presence in their own net, and they weren't forced to play from behind.

In a game where it often seemed as though the officials were trying to hand Edmonton the win, Minnesota just kept fighting, and they needed to. After getting shut out in the first period, they were able to take a 1-0 lead, but the Oilers tied the game on an extended power play, thanks to some questionable penalties. That was where things stood until the second period, where Minnesota again took a one goal lead, only to have it erased yet again by a baffling on-ice call. Then came the moment that, if the Wild make the playoffs, could be looked back at as the catalyst for saving the entire season.

It's been no secret that Josh Harding has been playing with an injured hip as of late, and he took more abuse to that joint during the scrum and beating the created Edmonton's second goal. Shortly after that, completely out of position, Harding dove across the net mouth, just trying to stifle an Edmonton shot and hold the game at 2. It was a brilliant save, and should get plenty of replay, but it was immediately followed by the image of the Wild's goaltender laying flat on the ice, unable to get back up. He was eventually helped off of the ice, and Minnesota needed to rely on another unproven goaltender in Anton Khudobin. The Wild fired off two goals to take the lead, and Khudobin performed admirably in relief, securing his first NHL victory with under ten minutes of work. Expect him to get more work than that upcoming, as the odds are good that the Wild will be without their top two goaltenders for some time.

Game pluses:
- Goaltending. Josh Harding was huge, and obviously playing through pain, but still managed to keep his team in the game. As soon as he went down, there was a sense that the season was slipping away, but Anton Khudobin, who has suffered his own streak of bad luck, was able to keep Edmonton from scoring again. The fans responded in a big way, and gave Khudobin a large boost.
- Martin Havlat. The Wild's top player was absolutely brilliant against Edmonton, and, with the Wild dressing 7 defensemen, Havlat ended up being double-shifted. He took every opportunity handed to him, and played possibly his best game in a Wild jersey.
- Guillaume Latendresse. The guy that helped spark Havlat's play earlier in the season continues to play his game, and play it well. While his game-winning goal was nice, his feed to set up Havlat's second goal of the game showed his overall hockey awareness.

Game minuses:
- Injury. Nothing can take away Harding's brilliant save. However, the Wild really need to sweep their home stand if they want to have playoff aspirations, and that task just got a lot harder with Harding reaggravating his hip injury.
- Andrew Brunette. For someone who's normally so good just a couple of feet away from the net, Brunette had a very off game. He had at least three opportunities to convert from the goal mouth, and just pushed the puck wide each time.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson again looked soft in the defensive zone, and had some mind-boggling plays with the puck, creating chances for the Oilers.

Next up: The Wild come back on Saturday with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Minnesota has done well against the Eastern Conference this season, and really needs to continue that trend right now.

2009-10 Game Fifty-Six: Wild 2, Stars 4

The Minnesota Wild have to be happy that, unless some weird twist of fate happens, they don't have to return to Dallas until the 2010-2011 season. They continued their futility in Texas, falling yet again to the Dallas Stars. The difference in this game is that, unlike most times Minnesota has visited there, the Wild actually outplayed the Stars, and they did so all game. However, as has been habit when playing against Dallas, the Wild just couldn't finish their chances, and ended up turning an average goaltender into an All Star.

The Wild dominated in every way but two. The Stars were the more physical team, thanks largely to Steve Ott continuing to be able to run around and cause whatever havoc he wants on the ice, and the Wild peppered 40+ shots on net, but most of them were completely harmless. To make matters worse, when the Wild tried to crawl back into the game, they didn't do so until they were already down by two, and immediately after pulling to within one goal, they surrendered a huge goal each time, taking whatever wind they might have assembled completely out of their sails.

Time is starting to run short for Minnesota with regards to the playoff chase, as well. They're only a few points back, but there is a huge jam of teams in the Western Conference, and, while the Wild need the teams ahead of them to lose, that will often result in a different team ahead of them winning. The conservative estimate to make it into the playoffs in the West is with 94 points, which the Wild could achieve, but they need to find a way to string together wins, and to string them together on the road. With the sudden question as to the status of their goaltending, thanks to injuries and illnesses, the obstacles in front of Minnesota loom even larger, and they might find themselves selling at the trade deadline, whether they want to or not.

Game pluses:
- Brent Burns. Burns is starting to look more and more like himself, and that can only bode well for the Wild in the future. However, as he's been stepping up, other defensemen have been falling apart.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse was buzzing the net and creating chances. His tip of the Brent Burns shot on the power play gave the Wild some much-needed life... too bad it only lasted for thirty seconds.
- Andrew Brunette. The Wild winger kept his positioning well much of the game, and was rewarded with a big goal.

Game minuses:
- Wade Dubielewicz. It may not have been kind for Dubielewicz to play his first game in a Wild sweater in an arena where the Wild haven't won in seven years, but he certainly didn't help himself, surrendering four goals on 18 shots.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson made some very bad decisions with the puck, and didn't pursue the physical side of the game at all. For someone getting paid as much as he is, he needs to show more life on the ice if he wants to get anything approaching a similar contract.
- Letting up. The Wild outplayed Dallas, but couldn't seem to figure out how to score. They got a power play late in the second period, notched a goal, and had the momentum. Then the Stars roared back, scored a quick goal, and set up a two-goal lead again. The same thing happened late in the third, and the Wild need to figure out how to keep applying the pressure after scoring, instead of coasting on that first shift, as they so often have.

Next up: The Wild return home, which should help stop their slide, but they do so with some question marks in the net. They face the Edmonton Oilers next.

2009-10 Game Fifty-Five: Wild 2, Sharks 5

On Saturday night, the Minnesota Wild skated into San Jose. As long as the play stayed even strength, the Wild had enough to play with the Sharks, and possibly even beat them. Unfortunately, Minnesota gave up too many power plays, and San Jose took advantage, proving why they are one of the best teams in the league yet again.

For awhile, at least, it looked like Minnesota was going to get the better of San Jose. The Wild were working hard, limiting Sharks chances, and getting some opportunities of their own. Even with a banged-up goaltender, the Wild were doing a fairly good job of keeping San Jose out of the net. That is, they were doing a good job even strength. The first six goals scored in the game were scored with the man advantage, and, while Minnesota may have been called for some questionable penalties, they didn't do enough while on the penalty kill to shut down the Sharks, or the league's goal-scoring leader.

Game pluses:
- Power play. In a weird game, the Wild scored twice on the power play, and got good opportunities on other chances. However, when you give up four power play goals, even clicking twice just isn't enough.
- Kyle Brodziak. Brodziak had a great feed to set up Cal Clutterbuck's tenth goal of the season, and his work on both sides of the ice helped hold the Wild in as long as they lasted.
- Owen Nolan. The veteran consistently brings everything he can to the ice. A game after taking a shot off of the wrist, Nolan got set up and fired a pretty wrist shot for the first goal of the game.

Game minuses:
- Penalty kill. This goes without saying, but giving up a franchise-record 4 power play goals? The Wild were just disjointed while a man down, and spent too much time chasing the puck.
- Shots. The Wild took plenty of shots during the game. They just didn't get enough really high-quality shots on the net.
- Luck. Sometimes, you have to make your own luck, and the good teams in the league tend to do that. This is an area where Minnesota has often struggled, as either a fluky bounce ends up in their own net, a puck just can't get shoveled into the opponent's open net, questionable penalties, or posts hit. Still, the Wild had chances until the fourth Sharks goal took the wind out of their sails, and, if they had been able to create a little of their own luck, the outcome might have been very different.

Next up: The Wild head to Dallas for a Groundhog's Day game against the Stars.