tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15301950928112690832023-06-20T06:33:23.523-07:00Totally PuckedCovering the Minnesota Wild and hockey in general.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-74957025856251331912010-05-16T10:59:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:15:59.564-07:002009-10 Playoff Previews: Conference FinalsThe two series about to get underway in the Stanley Cup playoffs couldn't look more different from the outside. In the West, the two teams that were supposed to make it this far did. Meanwhile, out East, the term "supposed to" didn't really come into play, as the two remaining teams defied the odds every opportunity to find themselves both one series away from the chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.<br /><br /><br /><strong><u>Eastern Conference Finals</u></strong><br />The Eastern Conference is really a toss-up at this point. The two remaining teams split their season series against each other, and both have plenty of reasons why they weren't expected to still be around.<br /><br /><strong><em>#7 Philadelphia <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span> vs. #8 Montreal <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Canadiens</span></em></strong><br />This marks the first time under the current playoff format that the #7 and #8 teams have faced each other for the conference championships, and history has popped up for both Montreal and Philadelphia. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span> come to this series becoming only the third team in NHL history to win a game 7 after finding themselves down 3-0 in the series. They also overcame a 3-0 deficit within that game seven to pull off the 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span> have had some injured players return at the right moments, and the biggest question mark entering the post season, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">goaltending</span>, suddenly is looking like one of their biggest strengths. Brian <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boucher</span> is out, but Michael Leighton has stepped up huge in net for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span>, and the return of Simon <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gagne</span> helped spur Philly on to their surprise series win.<br /><br />Meanwhile, all the Montreal <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Canadiens</span> have done is knock off the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">NHL's</span> best regular-season record, followed by sending the current reigning Stanley Cup champions home. After surprising the Washington Capitals, Montreal took care of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same fashion.; opportunistic goal scoring and a strong defense shut down the Penguins stars. Meanwhile, the hottest player on the ice in these playoffs has worn a Montreal jersey, as Mike <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cammalleri</span> just keeps scoring. Will the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Flyers</span> have an answer for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jaroslav</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Halak</span>, one that neither Pittsburgh or Washington could find? Either way, Cinderella's slipper will be moving on to the Stanley Cup Finals, and expect to see it remain on Montreal, as the <strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Canadiens</span> will advance in 7 games</strong>.<br /><br /><strong><u>Western Conference Finals</u></strong><br />If the Eastern Conference is about teams that surprised everyone by still being around in the playoffs, then the West is about the two teams that were expected to be fighting it out for the chance to take on the Eastern champion.<br /><br /><strong><em>#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #2 Chicago <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blackhawks</span></em></strong><br />The San Jose Sharks have spent previous postseasons haunted by their own ineffectiveness. This time around, unheralded players stepped up in their first round victory, and, when faced with the Detroit Red Wings, the Sharks found one of their stars stepping to the front. San Jose is being powered by two players named Joe, with a little help from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Evgeni</span> Nabokov on the back end. The Sharks are trying to prove that their are more than a regular season powerhouse, and, if they can keep putting the same product on the ice that they did against Detroit, they should make an interesting series.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Chicago <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blackhawks</span> have been getting plenty of help from their stars all postseason, and in their series against the Vancouver <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Canucks</span>, some of their supporting cast stepped up in a huge way. Back-to-back road hat tricks helped power Chicago past their nemesis from last season's playoffs, in a similar fashion. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blackhawks</span> are a team that was built to fight for the Cup this year, and anything short of the championship will be a huge disappointment. That's largely because salary problems will rip apart this Chicago team for next season, and some of the important role players will find themselves on different teams. At the end of the series, though, Marian <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hossa</span> will miss the chance to play in his third Finals series in a row, after <strong>San Jose defeats the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">Blackhawks</span> in 6.</strong>Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-24225812825294387152010-04-29T09:12:00.000-07:002010-04-29T10:08:47.996-07:002009-10 Playoff Previews: Conference SemifinalsPart of what makes playoff hockey so exciting is the stories that end up coming out of the games. For proof, just watch a game and see one of the cycle of "history will happen" commercials being aired. They've served as a nice reminder of the unexpected taking place, or the expected being put on a grander stage. This year's playoffs will definitely have their own fair share of history, along with some unexpected results as the remaining eight teams move ahead to the second round.<br /><br /><strong><u>Eastern Conference</u></strong><br />Who would have expected that, after the first round, none of the division winners would still be playing? And yet, in the Eastern Conference, that's exactly what happened, with only Pittsburgh avoiding an upset, dispatching the #5 seeded Ottawa Senators. The shake-up in the East means that the early favorite to win it all is now out of the way, and it could make things more interesting.<br /><br /><strong><em>#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #8 Montreal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Canadiens</span></em></strong><br />The Penguins did exactly what everyone expected they would do. True, Ottawa took a couple games away from them on their home ice, but the Penguins showed why they're the defending champs, and their star power shined brightly in the first round. Sidney Crosby and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Evgeni</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Malkin</span> were huge on the ice for the Penguins, and Marc-Andre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fleury</span> held his team in when he needed to. Ultimately, it was Pittsburgh's offense that drove them on to the second round, where they remain the highest seed remaining in the East.<br /><br />Their reward? They get to face the Montreal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Canadiens</span>. That may not be much of a reward overall, though, as the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Canadiens</span> became the first #8 seed to win a series after being down 3-1 after four games. Montreal may not have done much in their 100<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span> season, but they're looking to get the next hundred years off to a good start. They may have gotten the benefit of a couple calls, including a no-goal call in Game 7, but they simply shut down the top team in the NHL, starting with game five. Looking for a reason why Montreal moved on, look no further than <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Jaroslav</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Halak</span>. Unremarkable in the beginning of the series, he was pulled in favor of Carey Price, returned in Game 5, and just closed the door on Washington the rest of the way. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Halak</span> was absolutely brilliant in net, including a 53-save performance in Game 6 before turning aside 40+ shots in Game 7. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Canadiens</span> will be looking to their defense to stop the high-powered Penguins offense, but Pittsburgh comes in a little more rested. Cinderella's shoe might fit right now, but it will need a new home after <strong>Pittsburgh wins in 6 games.</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>#6 Boston Bruins vs #7 Philadelphia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Flyers</span></em></strong><br />Boston may have had some scary moments while facing the Buffalo Sabres, but, in the end, they did to Buffalo exactly what they did all season, and that's make the bigger plays when it counts. None may have been bigger than the plays made by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Miroslav</span> Satan, a former Sabre and a winner of the Stanley Cup last season with Pittsburgh. Satan was left floating as a free agent until January, when the Bruins snapped him up to fill in for some injured players. He's only turned around to be a consistent scoring threat. Boston is also about to get a boost when Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Savard</span> returns to play, having recovered from the concussion that kept him off the ice for the first round. Meanwhile, Milan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Lucic</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Zdeno</span> Chara should be getting ready for a physical series, because the Bruins drew a classic battle for the second round.<br /><br />That classic battle will be against the Philadelphia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Flyers</span>. The last team to make it into the playoffs, and only because of a last minute win, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Flyers</span> became the first team to advance to the second round when they stunned Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Brodeur</span> and the New Jersey Devils. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Flyers</span> are a rough-and-tumble team, but they have offensive prowess. They also showed a sturdy penalty kill, which is good for Philadelphia, as they have a tendency to march to the penalty box. Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Boucher</span> needs to continue playing the great hockey he has, and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Flyers</span> need Scott <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Hartnell</span> to find his game. At the end of this rough series, though, the <strong>Bruins will be advancing, winning in 7 games.</strong><br /><br /><strong><u>Western Conference</u></strong><br />Over in the West, it could be argued that there wasn't a single upset. True, the number four team didn't advance, but it's hard to call the Detroit Red Wings an underdog, especially with their success over the years and the way they played in the tail part of the season. Still, the West made its own history, and that should continue with an exciting second round.<br /><br /><strong><em>#1 San Jose Sharks vs #5 Detroit Red Wings</em></strong><br />In the beginning of their series against the Colorado Avalanche, it looked like the San Jose Sharks were on their way to another postseason collapse. After three games, they were staring down a 2-1 deficit, and had actually scored an own goal to dig themselves into that hole. All they did after that was rattle off three impressive wins, led by Joe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Pavelski</span>, Devin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Setoguchi</span>, and Ryan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Clowe</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Evgeni</span> Nabokov also stood tall, putting together an amazing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">GAA</span> despite a huge Colorado Game 2. The Sharks look to be serious contenders this year, but they desperately need their "Big Three" of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Heatley</span>, Thornton, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Marleau</span> to step up their level of play.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings were taken to a seventh game by the upstart Phoenix Coyotes, but all Detroit did was allow their stars to take over. Pavel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Datsyuk</span> and Henrik <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Zetterberg</span> stepped up at the exact right times, and the Detroit defense was able to keep Phoenix from playing too much of their own style. In the final game of the series, the Red Wings punched their ticket to the second round with an exclamation point, decimating the Coyotes to the tune of 6-1. That should continue for the Red Wings, as <strong>Detroit will knock off San Jose in 7.</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>#2 Chicago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Blackhawks</span> vs #3 Vancouver <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Canucks</span></em></strong><br />The Chicago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Blackhawks</span> survived a bit of a scare from the Nashville Predators, falling behind 2-1 after three games. Then Nashville gave away Game 5, and it was history. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Blackhawks</span> survived a 5-minute major penalty in that game, and it was the player who spent time in the box, and who has come in second the last two years, who scored the game winner that ultimately put the series out of Nashville's reach. Will this be the year that Marian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Hossa</span> finally gets to lift the Cup himself? With help from Jonathon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Toews</span>, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Antti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Niemi</span>, he's certainly hoping so.<br /><br />Standing in Chicago's way is the team that they faced last year at this same time, and a team that they ushered out the door in six games. The Vancouver <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Canucks</span> aren't much different from the team that lost to Chicago last season, but they are an improved team. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Sedin</span> twins are playing big-time hockey now, shaking off criticisms that they couldn't bring their talent into the playoffs with them. Meanwhile, Mikael <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Samuelsson</span> helped add offense to a Vancouver team that already had plenty. The big concerns for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Canucks</span> will have to be on the penalty kill, as they were awful at slowing down the Los Angeles Kings power play, and whether or not Roberto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Luongo</span> can shake the demons of past performances. If <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Luongo</span> can be the stud goaltender that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Canucks</span> are hoping he can be, they can look to playing in the conference finals. Ultimately, though, this year's result won't be any different from last year, as the <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Blackhawks</span> advance in 6 games</strong>.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-10042825069659040092010-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:002010-04-23T10:00:08.115-07:002009-10 Wild Season RecapThe playoffs are barely a week old. The old season has been put behind everyone, and the "second season" has provided exactly what people love to see out of the NHL, as physical play has been offset by impressive offense, and the different series have all provided different sorts of thrills. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild have been sitting at home, evaluating what happened this past year, and looking ahead to what can be better next season. What better time to take a look back at what went right and what went wrong for Minnesota during the 2009-10 campaign.<br /><br /><strong><em>What Went Right?</em></strong><br />- <u>Benoit Pouliot for Guillaume Latendresse trade</u>. Pouliot had spent his career for the Wild being something of an underachieving player. Unquestionably, he has talent, but he wasn't showing it consistently for Minnesota. The same was true for Guillaume Latendresse in relation to his time in Montreal. A mid-season trade reinvigorated both players, and Latendresse ended up leading the Wild in goals. His appearance also gave a jump start to Martin Havlat, who had previously looked like a huge bust.<br /><br />- <u>Martin Havlat comes to Minnesota.</u> At the beginning of the season, it didn't look good for Minnesota, with regards to their acquisition of Martin Havlat. The Wild made it seem as though Havlat was being brought in to replace Marian Gaborik, but the two players are very different in what they can provide. Gaborik is a goal scorer, who will gather assists, but is mainly going to be a sniper. Havlat, on the other hand, is a playmaker, and his ability to create opportunities is huge. However, without a finisher, Havlat looked lost. Enter Guillaume Latendresse, and suddenly, Havlat found his game. Once the Wild's second line was secured, the only player who looked more comfortable in the system was Mikko Koivu.<br /><br />- <u>Mikko Koivu named first permanent Wild captain.</u> The Wild have needed a permanent captain for a long time, and what better player to pick for the team than a player who is often underrated, but is able to play both ends of the ice, and does it all with his heart on his sleeve? In his first season as the full-time captain, Koivu shouldered the pressure well, setting a new career high in points, and he was willing to place the team on his back and pull them through some of their more troublesome moments.<br /><br />- <u>Young call-ups given chances</u>. The Wild's cupboard is one of the more empty in the National Hockey League, but they are working on fixing that. More importantly, some of the players that were called up this season should have a good chance to break into the roster for next season, providing some more speed and scoring to a line-up that desperately needed it. Robbie Earl, Nate Prosser, and Casey Wellman all have some seasoning and conditioning to go through before proving that they're ready, but they're definitely close and should be able to contribute. Don't forget about Colton Gillies, who spent his second season in Houston to improve his game and get him ready for the big show.<br /><br /><em><strong>What Went Wrong?</strong></em><br /><em>- </em><u>James Sheppard falls off the radar.</u> Sheppard may be the biggest casualty of the previous management staff. He was brought up to the Wild right away, without getting some needed conditioning in the AHL. He spent too many games on the ice, which would force him to be placed on waivers before being dropped to the minors. During the pre-season, it looked like Sheppard might have a breakout year, but then he just dropped off the map, and turned in his lowest point total since entering the league. Sheppard is a player who desperately needs a change of scenery, much like Benoit Pouliot. Hopefully, the Wild will be able to find another diamond like Latendresse.<br /><br />- <u>The injury bug strikes... over and over again.</u> The Wild just couldn't stay healthy. The number of man-games lost to injury this season set a new record by a long shot. Key players, from both starting goaltenders to Brent Burns, from Chuck Kobasew to Pierre-Marc Bouchard, weren't able to play the full season, and, in Bouchard's case, only touched the ice once. The Wild is looking at their off-season conditioning to try and fix some of the problems that popped up this season. The Wild definitely has to find out how to be healthy, but it's been a problem that's plagued them, admittedly not this deeply, from day one of their existence.<br /><br />- <u>Petr Sykora comes to Minnesota.</u> When Sykora was brought to the Wild, it made people believe that the Wild were honestly not in a rebuilding season, but were instead looking to remain competitive. Pairing Sykora with Havlat seemed to give Minnesota a strong second line of scoring, and the veteran's presence would help bring the rookies along. Instead, Sykora never meshed with his teammates or his coaches, and he spent almost as many games scratched instead of playing, although a concussion certainly didn't help. Sykora was eventually released by the Wild, after never finding his game, and is still looking for a new team to pick him up.<br /><br /><strong><em>What is the Verdict Still Out On?</em></strong><br />- <u>Kim Johnsson traded for Cam Barker.</u> In many ways, this trade should have drastically improved the Wild's blue line. Barker plays a similar style of hockey to Johnsson, but has a bigger shot, better mobility, and is younger. Unfortunately, Barker has run hot and cold for the Wild. If he can prove to be the young stud that he was in season's past, the Wild made a great choice. If he can't find his game, then Minnesota may want to be thankful that they have as many defensemen chomping at the bit to make the move from Houston.<br /><br />- <u>Niklas Backstrom making Josh Harding expendable.</u> In the 2008-09 season, it seemed like a no-brainer. Backstrom was amazing in net, and, while Harding was solid, he didn't look like a starting goaltender. The change of regimes in Minnesota shook that up a bit, as neither goaltender looked quite like themselves. However, both goaltenders showed a lot of heart and made amazing stops to keep their team in games. Expectations are that Harding will be with a different team by the time the 2010-11 season starts. If Backstrom can return to the brilliant form he showed, or if the Wild has the next great goaltender waiting in the wings, then they should leverage Harding for as much offense as they can get. If Backstrom falls off, and Anton Khudobin isn't able to be consistent at the NHL level, and Harding turns into a Vezina winner, the Wild might be kicking themselves for holding on to the wrong mask.<br /><br />Ultimately, the Wild had a better season than anyone had any right to expect, and they should be able to build on that for next season. Having the 9th pick in the draft won't hurt, but it won't help as much as they might have hoped. However, Chuck Fletcher and his staff are working to replenish a stripped down system, adding draft picks and bringing in college free agents, and if they can keep the team moving in this new direction, then the dream of Lord Stanley's Cup getting raised in Minnesota might only be a couple of seasons away.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-24372047766240452252010-04-14T09:25:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:53:37.634-07:002009-10 Playoff Previews: Western QuarterfinalsWith half of the hockey world looked at yesterday, it's time to turn the attention to the West. Teams in the Western Conference may not have quite the star power of their Eastern counterparts, but that doesn't make them lesser teams. Quite the opposite, in fact, as many of the teams in the West are often viewed as being stronger, more physical, and better rounded. Of course, the West also currently houses the team that has become known more for its playoff collapses than for their in-season success.<br /><br /><strong><em>#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche</em></strong><br />The San Jose Sharks spent the early part of the season looking like they were going to do exactly what Washington did in the East. However, instead of running away with the conference, the Sharks had to fend off some late pressure in the form of the Chicago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Blackhawks</span>. The Sharks are a team that has some fantastic forwards (Joe Thornton, Patrick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Marleau</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dany</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Heatley</span>), solid goaltender (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Evgeni</span> Nabokov), and consistent defense. Because the Sharks had a challenge to keep the top spot, they should be a little better prepared than in year's past.<br /><br />The Colorado Avalanche, on the other hand, didn't know if they would be in the playoffs until an impressive shoot-out win capped an unbelievable season for them. Matt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Duchesne</span>, a rookie who is getting serious Calder Trophy consideration, has helped to power the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Avalance</span> to an over-achieving season. Too bad for Colorado that they won't be able to survive against the San Jose onslaught, as the <strong>Sharks will dispatch the Avalanche in 5.</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>#2 Chicago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Blackhawks</span> vs. #7 Nashville Predators</em></strong><br />Chicago has to hope that this year is the year they take home the heavy hardware, because, with the salary cap, a number of players are going to be wearing different jerseys next season. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Blackhawks</span> spent, and it allowed them to put together a very strong team. Obviously, Patrick Kane and Jonathan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Toews</span> are expected to shoulder a lot of Chicago's offense, and Marian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Hossa</span> is hungry for his first championship, after coming in second two years in a row. The question for Chicago remains how their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">goaltending</span> will hold up, as it's been the most suspect position for them on the ice.<br /><br />The Nashville Predators, on the other hand, have just quietly gone about their business, and put together a nice season. In the East, they might even be looking at home-ice advantage, but the West is the tougher conference, and the Predators know it. However, Nashville has yet to win a playoff game on the road. They should pull one out this season, but don't be surprised to see the <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Blackhawks</span> send the Predators home in 6.</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>#3 Vancouver <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Canucks</span> vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings</em></strong><br />The Vancouver <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Canucks</span> have the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">NHL's</span> top scorer, his twin brother, and solid defense and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">goaltending</span>. They also have a player who might be on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">NHL's</span> own <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">hitlist</span>, especially given the way that Alex Burrows called out NHL officiating earlier this season (admittedly, with more than a fair reason). The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Canucks</span> will have to avoid getting into penalty trouble, which could be tough for them. Meanwhile, Roberto <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Luongo</span> needs to be stellar in net, and he has a tendency to become merely human in high-pressure games.<br /><br />The Los Angeles Kings, much like the Chicago <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Blackhawks</span>, are one of those teams full of youth, size, and speed. They play a style of hockey that fits more closely with that played in the Eastern Conference, and they can pepper the net with shots. The Kings will need to take advantage of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Canucks</span> early, and give themselves chances right away, otherwise Vancouver will lock the game down with their defensive play. All told, though, the <strong>Kings should prove triumphant, defeating Vancouver in 7</strong>.<br /><br /><strong><em>#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs #5 Detroit Red Wings</em></strong><br />The Phoenix Coyotes come into the playoffs the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">NHL's</span> most-improved team. After dismal showings in past seasons, Dave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Tippett</span> and his coaching staff turned the team around, and molded them into a strong playoff contender. Unfortunately, everything good that has come to the Coyotes has been tinged by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">wonderings</span> about how much the league has affected the outcome of games for the team that they own. If Phoenix wasn't owned by the NHL, their achievements wouldn't even be suspect. As it is, the Coyotes are definitely coming into the playoffs much better than anyone gave them reason to expect.<br /><br />Too bad that their running into the Detroit Red Wings. Earlier this season, the Red Wings looked like a team that wasn't going to even make the playoffs, or might sneak in with the #8 spot. Then injured players returned, the team allowed Jimmy Howard to become a star goaltender, and Detroit rattled off a fantastic close to the season. They enter the playoffs the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">NHL's</span> hottest team, and they aren't looking to go home in the first round after coming in second last year, and winning it all the year before. Expect that <strong>Detroit will handle Phoenix in 5 games</strong>.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-4810541849186699462010-04-13T09:53:00.001-07:002010-04-13T10:26:15.987-07:002009-10 Playoff Previews: Eastern QuarterfinalsFor hockey fans, the most wonderful time of the year is just a day away. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">NHL's</span> "second season" is about to kick off, and the 16 remaining teams have a pile of hockey ahead of them on their way to Lord Stanley's hardware. Today will feature a quick spin through predictions for the first round in the East. Tomorrow, the West will get it's chance to shine.<br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em>#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Canadiens</span></em></strong><br />Top seeds can lose in the first round. Just ask last year's San Jose Sharks team. However, when the top seed features one of the best players the league has right now, and a stellar supporting cast, the odds of them getting bumped out right away are pretty slim. Especially when you factor in an opponent who can be less-than-consistent night after night.<br /><br />The Capitals are a high-flying team. They have far from the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">goaltending</span> and defense in the playoffs, but they'll survive the same way they did all season; the scoring that they put on the ice is just sick at times. Even once you move beyond Alex <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ovechkin</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Nicklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Backstrom</span>, the Caps are a deep offensive team, and their moves at the trade deadline helped shore up some of the role positions that could have lead to question marks.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Montreal is a team that almost didn't find itself in the post-season, and they have a lot of ground to make up. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Jaroslav</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Halak</span> will be relied on to make incredible saves, and Michael <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Cammalleri</span> is the biggest offensive threat for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Canadiens</span>. However, they'll be playing back on their heels all series long, as the Caps will come gunning, looking to enter the second round with momentum.<strong> Washington should send Montreal home in 5.</strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em>#2 New Jersey Devils vs #7 Philadelphia <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Flyers</span></em></strong><br />The New Jersey Devils have the best goaltender ever to play the game in Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Brodeur</span>, and they've got skilled players in every corner of the ice. Whether it's Zach <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Parise</span> on the offense, Jamie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Langenbrunner</span> on defense, or a wicked slap shot from Brian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Rolston</span>, the Devils have assembled a tough team to play against. Add Stanley Cup winning coach Jacques <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Lemaire</span> back into the mix, and New Jersey could be a viable contender for the Eastern Conference crown.<br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Flyers</span>, on the other hand, are a team that's been scrambling for the last month or so, hoping to solidify a playoff spot, which they did (barely), by beating the New York Rangers in their final game of the season. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Flyers</span> are a team that's willing to get dirty and play the physical side of the sport, while still seeing contributions from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. The biggest problem for Philadelphia? They don't have a legitimate goaltender. <strong>The Devils will slap the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Flyers</span> around, taking the series in 5 games.</strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em>#3 Buffalo Sabres vs #6 Boston Bruins</em></strong><br />Buffalo should be concerned. While they've got a fantastic goaltender in Ryan Miller, the rest of the team has stayed pretty much under the radar. Not many people outside of Buffalo may know who plays for the team, aside from Miller, but they've still gone about their business, taking their division with relative ease.<br /><br />Their first-round opponent, the Boston Bruins, on the other hand, have some players you can't miss, but their <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">goaltending</span> isn't where they're most noted. Milan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Lucic</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Zdeno</span> Chara provide a physical side to the game, and Marc <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Savard</span>, David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Kreci</span>, and Patrice <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Bergeron</span> should provide an offensive kick. The question remains, however, if the Bruins have enough left in the tank to advance to the second round. They overcame the distractions of Phil <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Kessel's</span> situation to start the season, and will <strong>overcome the Buffalo Sabres in 6 games</strong>.<br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><em>#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Ottawa Senators</em></strong><br />The Stanley Cup champions, with Sidney Crosby, Marc-Andre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Fleury</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Evgeni</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Malkin</span>, and the rest of their cast, are looking ahead to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their first obstacle is the Ottawa Senators. The Penguins have a ton of offensive firepower, and it's no secret that the league itself wants to push them to the elite status, even despite potential burn-out from people getting tired of hearing about Crosby.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators had their own problems to deal with this season, but the loss of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Dany</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Heatley</span> may actually prove to be a gain. The Senators have a solid four lines of hockey, and they may have found their goaltender for the future. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, it won't be quite enough, and the <strong>Senators will get bounced by the Penguins in 6 games</strong>.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-1637031465194411512010-04-12T11:27:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:45:57.374-07:002009-10 Game Eighty-Two: Wild 3, Stars 4 (SO)The Minnesota Wild season ended on Saturday night, not with a bang, and not with a whimper. Instead, it ended with a tough, hard-fought game, as two teams playing for nothing but pride met and battled all over the ice. It also ended with a heartfelt tribute to a player who may have pulled on the skates for the last time. Mike <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Modano</span> may not have had much impact on the ice against Minnesota in what may very well have been his final game as a player, but his legacy will definitely live on, and he has set a number of marks that will make it tough for American-born players to break.<br /><br />Meanwhile, thanks to the continued onslaught of injuries, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wild's</span> youth movement continued, and with it comes the glimpse of what might be the future of Minnesota hockey. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wild's</span> young recruits have skated hard, and they have proven to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">wily</span> acquisitions by a team that has a pretty bare cupboard for future talent.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mikko</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Koivu</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Wild's</span> captain notched two goals, with some nicely placed shots, to give him a new career high in goals. He also showed a lot of why he became the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wild's</span> first permanent captain.<br />- Casey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wellman</span>. The Wild have needed centers for years, and, even though <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wellman</span> has played on the wing, he may be showing that the center position is getting an upgrade. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Wellman</span> has good speed and vision, but needs to bulk up a bit. Still, he has a nose for the puck, as he proved with his first NHL goal.<br />- Team toughness. The Wild laid out a lot of good strong hits, and they didn't back down from challenges. Often, with nothing to play for, teams tend to retreat. That didn't happen against the Stars.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Injuries. They plagued the Wild all season, and a slew of players missed the finale because of them. The big question remains as to how many of those players missed their final chance to skate in a Wild sweater.<br />- Steve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ott</span>. He answered <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Koivu's</span> two goals with two of his own. He was also stirring up trouble all game long, and was a general nuisance for the Wild. Minnesota doesn't have much luck eliminating other teams pests, and Minnesota's own doesn't play as dirty of a game.<br />- Letting up. The Wild had a two goal lead, and looked like they were going to dominate the rest of the way. Then the second period started, and Minnesota lost all the momentum. They definitely have to find that second gear when leading in a game if they want a better result next season.<br /><br /><strong>Next up: </strong>The Wild are done, but the blog will still be going. A look ahead at the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, as well as a look back at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Wild's</span> season, are both on tap for this week.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-61578384320441450122010-04-09T10:53:00.000-07:002010-04-09T11:18:44.452-07:002009-10 Game Eighty-One: Wild 2, Flames 1 (SO)At the start of the season, it would have been hard to anticipate the outcome of the Minnesota <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wild's</span> penultimate game for the 2009-10 season. The way that the Calgary Flames lit up the competition in their first ten games, very few people expected that they would skate into game 81 having been eliminated from playoff contention. After seasons of futility against their division rivals, nobody could have anticipated that the Minnesota Wild would be looking for their fifth win in the season series, having only dropped one game at home. Even looking at recent history, with the seemingly crippling number of injuries and the amount of untested players being asked to contribute, it seemed unreal to believe that the Wild could topple the Flames.<br /><br />Topple them they did, though. In a hard-fought, physical game, filled with penalties for both sides, the Wild and their young guns came out the victors. A scary moment came in the third period, with the score tied at 1 and the Wild on the penalty kill, as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Backstrom</span> took a puck to his throat and had to leave the game, but Minnesota responded by continuing to shut down the Flames fizzling offense, and, in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">shootout</span>, the only player who didn't use <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mikko</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Koivu's</span> signature move was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Koivu</span> himself, as both Brent Burns and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Antti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Miettinen</span> tallied goals to give the Wild the win.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Youth movement. A lot of credit has to go to the way that Cody Almond, Casey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wellman</span>, Robbie Earl, and Nate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Prosser</span> played. None of these players were with the Wild to start the season. With the exception of Earl, none were with them at the trade deadline. And yet those four are showing a lot of potential, and they could all make big splashes on the NHL stage next season.<br />- Penalty killers. The Wild found themselves shorthanded often enough that they may have thought a new rule was inserted that only gave them four skaters on the ice. And yet the penalty kill came up huge, especially with players like Greg <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Zanon</span> sacrificing themselves to stop the puck.<br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Backstrom</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Backstrom</span> has had a shaky season, and had to struggle through injuries. Against Calgary, though, he was brilliant, with the only Flames goal coming thanks to one bad rebound.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Power play. The Wild got their regulation goal on the only power play that looked like it had an idea of what to do. The rest of the time, Minnesota couldn't get set up in the offensive zone, and couldn't move the puck well.<br />- Communication. Passes went to the wrong places, and more than once, it looked like Wild players didn't know where their teammates were.<br />- Injuries. The Wild came into the game having lost 333 man-games to injury, and were missing another six players before the puck dropped. Over the course of the game, another two players went down, and at least one is guaranteed to not play in the season finale. The Wild definitely have to look at how their guys are training, to help keep them from injury. By the same token, the NHL needs to look more seriously at how some players are getting injured, and how some penalties are doled out. This is a league-wide problem, and, while the first step has been taken, at least with regards to head-shots, sometimes it's the boarding and other assorted penalties that carry larger impacts.<br /><br /><strong>Next up: </strong>The Wild finish the season against the team that used to call Minnesota home, and they get to do it in front of their hometown fans. The Dallas Stars come calling on Saturday as the 2009-10 season wraps up.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-81611864374481203512010-04-06T09:42:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:58:23.850-07:002009-10 Game Eight: Wild 1, Oilers 4The Minnesota Wild skated into Edmonton banged up, and still reeling a bit from their recent losses. Neither of those may be bad things, overall. With the number of injured players, and the fact that the team is just playing to finish out the season, some of the newer faces are getting an opportunity to play with the big club. While the Wild doesn't want to finish the season looking like a team holding try-outs, the experience being given to their rookies could prove to be very valuable down the road.<br /><br />However, while the rookies are showing a lot of compete, and some flashes of brilliance that could make for a memorable season down the road, the team as a whole just isn't playing together as a unit. When the forecheck is there, players can't get into the lane to take shots. When the shots are there, passes may be completely off the mark. Defensive breakdowns hang their goaltender out to dry, and the player between the pipes hasn't been able to keep soft shots from fooling them. This season has definitely worn the Wild down, but, thanks to injuries, fans might be getting an early preview for next season.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Nate Prosser. Prosser wasn't expected to do anything more than practice with the Wild since he was signed as a free agent. The injury bug changed all that, and Prosser put up some big minutes against Edmonton, also netting his first NHL point with an assist.<br />- Casey Wellman. Wellman has game-breaking speed and ability. All he needs is focus, and a better handle on when to shoot. Those will come, hopefully sooner, rather than later.<br />- Cody Almond. Another of the Wild's young guns played well, providing a spark when he was on the ice. Almond has struggled with injuries this season in Houston, but getting the chance to play with the Wild should bring big results for next year.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Power play. Not to sound like a broken record, but again, the power play was less than futile, and it coughed up yet another shorthanded goal.<br />- Cam Barker. Barker is just coming back from a couple of games away due to injury, but he hasn't shown the mobility and physical nature that made him an intriguing acquisition this season.<br />- Niklas Backstrom. Yes, Backstrom was hung out to dry on a few shots, and he made some of the impossible saves look easy. But Backstrom was also victimized by weak shots, and definitely doesn't look like the same goaltender as last season.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild skate to Calgary for the penultimate game of their 2009-10 season.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-78796240040538007802010-04-05T11:37:00.001-07:002010-04-05T11:46:38.391-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Nine: Wild 3, Canucks 4 (OT)In their first game officially out of the playoff race, the Minnesota Wild looked like a team that was on the brink of depression. At least, they did for the first forty minutes, where they just couldn't muster much in the way of offense, team spirit, or even a willingness to take to the ice. This was most notable in the lackluster response given when members of the Vancouver <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Canucks</span> bowled over goaltender <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Backstrom</span>. The Wild just didn't have a response, and, even though the power play was given chance after chance, nothing was happening.<br /><br />That is, until the final period of the game. In those last twenty minutes, the Wild played some tough hockey, and capped it with a thrilling final minute of play, to push the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Canucks</span> into overtime. In the end, it wasn't enough, as the Wild fell yet again, but the last minute heroics may have set the stage for some things Wild fans might want to get used to next season.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Backstrom</span>. It takes a tough goaltender to get run over all night long, and still keep his team in the game. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Backstrom</span> was the only reason that the Wild were within reach of Vancouver all night long, and he almost helped his team steal the game, even when being knocked flat onto the ice.<br />- Cody Almond. The Wild rookie notched his first NHL goal, scoring off of a pretty pass from fellow rookie, Casey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wellman</span>. It helped create the last-minute heroics.<br />- No quit. The Wild haven't played the entire season like they had nothing to lose, but they managed to put together a thrilling twenty minutes based on pride and hard work. If it hadn't been for a questionable call in the overtime, Minnesota might have been the team skating away with two points.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Power play. No doubt about it, the Wild power play has struggled all season, and again came up empty with an extended 5-on-3. They also coughed up their NHL-leading 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> shorthanded goal, looking foolish while doing so.<br />- Penalties. Both teams got thrown into the box numerous times all night long, and that might mean a short postseason for Vancouver. However, some of the penalties (namely, the high sticking against Greg <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Zanon</span> in the overtime, and the hooking against James Sheppard to give Vancouver a 5-on-3 advantage) really seemed like calls that shouldn't have been made, and dramatically changed the tone of the game.<br />- Playing for team. The Wild didn't have much of a team mentality through the beginning of the game. They allowed their goaltender to get pushed around, and, while interference penalties were called, Minnesota didn't do anything on their own to deter Vancouver from continuing to play that style.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild skate into Edmonton, to finish their season series against the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Oilers</span>.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-76301120002850811872010-04-05T10:06:00.000-07:002010-04-05T10:25:11.679-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Eight: Wild 2, Sharks 3After the way the Wild played against the Chicago Blackhawks, they had to find something within themselves to get ready and return to the ice. It might have been even more important during their game against the San Jose Sharks, thanks to needing a win to stay mathematically in the playoff chase, and because it was their Fan Appreciation Night. The Wild have always had a strong connection to their fans, and that made Friday night's game something special for the team of 18,000.<br /><br />It's just too bad that all of this happened against a Sharks team looking ready to steamroll through the early part of the playoffs. The Wild fought hard, and played with good intensity, but ended up coming up just short against the Western Conference leaders. The loss also confirmed what many have known for weeks; the Minnesota Wild will be watching this season's playoffs on television, instead of participating in them. Still, for a team that wasn't expected to make much noise in the conference, to last this far into the season before being officially out of the chase is an impressive feat.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck tied his own personal record with ten hits. He also got things rolling for Minnesota, thanks to being in the right place at the right time, as his goal bounced off of his chest.<br />- Antti Miettinen. Yes, Miettinen can score goals, and he did so on the power play to bring the game back to even.<br />- James Sheppard. Much maligned, Sheppard has started to find his game, and almost put Minnesota in front, thanks to a penalty shot opportunity. He still has a lot of growing to do, however, and it may not be done in Minnesota.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Short bench. The Wild played a very physical game, and did so with only 11 forwards. With a team as offensively talented as San Jose, missing even one forward can definitely turn the game.<br />- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild's goaltender has been somewhat exposed by the system, but a couple of fluky goals snuck past him, allowing San Jose to sweep the season series.<br />- Season. The season hasn't come to a complete close for the Wild, but there has to be a sense of sadness over officially ending their playoff chances. Not that there should have been much expectation for Minnesota to perform well in the playoffs, but knowing that it's time to look ahead to next season is always sobering.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild finished up their season series against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-81729637832734373932010-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:002010-04-01T09:49:15.710-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Seven: Wild 0, Blackhawks 4No late game heroics were on the table this time for the Minnesota Wild. The last time the Chicago Blackhawks were in town, the Wild pulled off their most impressive, and most unlikely, come-from-behind victory. This time around, they could barely pull off a standard pass, as Chicago just took it to the Wild all night long.<br /><br />At this point in the season, the Wild talk about playing for pride, and looking towards next season. However, that shouldn't mean coming out completely flat, especially against a team currently riding a three-game losing streak. The Wild have made a habit this season out of breaking other team's losing streaks, and they've also made a bit of a habit out of playing well and hard for one game, and then coming back the next with a lackluster effort. That was incredibly apparent against Chicago, as the Wild couldn't keep the Blackhawk's fourth line from scoring. Meanwhile, Minnesota barely sniffed the net all night long, and came up empty on an extended 5-on-3 opportunity. At this point, even if the Wild were looking at playoff hockey, they couldn't be looking deep, as the team's glaring inconsistencies keep being showcased.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Brent Burns. Arguably the most talented defenseman that Minnesota hockey has seen in a long time, Burns was one of the more solid areas of the ice. His four shots also lead a team that could barely think about getting the puck on net.<br />- Fourth line. They may not have created a goal, but the line of Cody Almond/Casey Wellman/Derek Boogaard actually looked like they had a bit of a jump in their step, and they applied some early pressure to the Blackhawks.<br />- Discipline. The Wild returned to their disciplined hockey, at least with regards to the penalty box. One lone penalty was charged against Minnesota.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Antti Miettinen. Give Miettinen an open net, and he'll miss it completely. A miscue by him at the end of the first also created the first Chicago goal. Miettinen needs to find his game if he wants to continue to receive top line time, especially looking ahead at next season.<br />- Andrew Brunette. A minus-3 for the night, Brunette looks like a tired and banged up hockey player. When he and Mikko Koivu are both on, they can elevate the team as a whole. When they aren't, the team tends to get bogged down with them.<br />- Mikko Koivu. The Wild captain is not free from blame for this game either, and he had a mistake that created the third Chicago goal. While he is obviously more comfortable in a playmaker role, Koivu needs to realize that he's on a line without certified goal scorers, and therefore he needs to be more willing to fire the puck on net.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild continue to play out the remainder of the season, and they face another of the West's best, as the San Jose Sharks return to town.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-24584636682062448352010-03-30T10:21:00.000-07:002010-03-30T10:37:40.518-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Six: Wild 3, Kings 2With their post-season fate decided, the Minnesota Wild are in a position to play spoiler to other teams in the league. They did just that against a Los Angeles Kings team that is still in playoff positioning, but falling quickly. Even with the odds stacked heavily in the favor of the visiting team, the Wild just kept bearing down and they ended up pulling out something of a nail-biter.<br /><br />It didn't have to be as close as it was. The Wild had a 2-0 lead, but they coughed it up to Los Angeles, who just kept driving. Minnesota also didn't help their case as the spent too much time marching to the penalty box, thereby shortening their bench and making it tougher than it needed to be. However, the defining moment of the game had to be the full two-minute 5-on-3 power play that the Kings had, as the Wild were bottled up in their own zone, unable to even get a line change, but they still stifled every chance that Los Angeles had. Shortly after that turn of events, the Wild got a power play of their own, and they converted it into the game winner.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Greg Zanon. Already playing on a broken ankle, Greg Zanon just continues to work, and he blocked another 6 shots against the Kings, including one to a tender area. He was one of the big reasons why the Wild didn't give up a goal during either of their extended 3-on-5 stints.<br />- Brent Burns. Sometimes, Burns tries too hard to make things happen. Other times, he just lets the game develop around him, and his goal to put the Wild up by two is a prime example of the second. When Burns is feeling the game, amazing things seem to come naturally.<br />- Niklas Backstrom. It would be tough to find too much at fault with Backstrom's game. He also stepped up at the exact right moment, being the team's best penalty killer.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Discipline. The Wild should be used to the fact that calls aren't going to go their way by now. That also means that they should take extra effort to not get themselves into positions where a questionable penalty could be called. Both 5-on-3 power plays could have been avoided if the Wild had been more conscious of their own play.<br />- Casey Wellman. Eventually, the kid had to have a rough outing, and that game came against the Kings. Wellman is also the type of player who should do better with more ice time, and the dynamic of the game lead him to sitting on the bench quite a bit.<br />- Marek Zidlicky. Yes, he was questionable before the game. Yes, he gritted it out and played anyways, showing some skill. But he was also one of the more undisciplined Wild players, and he was in the penalty box during both of the 2-man power plays that the Kings secured.<br /><br /><strong>Next up: </strong>The Wild will face a team that is fast, powerful, and looking to take home-ice advantage. It's also a team that let Minnesota crawl back and steal a victory after leading them by four goals, as the Wild look to take down the Chicago Blackhawks.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-71643873975978814522010-03-29T09:32:00.001-07:002010-03-29T09:46:28.821-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Five: Wild 2, Red Wings 6If this hockey season were a Hollywood movie, the Minnesota Wild would have knocked off the Detroit Red Wings, along the way to an improbable spot in the playoffs. They would have skated hard and at least matched their 2003 appearance with a series for the right to play for the Cup. No matter the injuries, they would have just kept pushing, and would have found a way to win against seemingly insurmountable odds.<br /><br />Hollywood is busy looking at Phoenix right now.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the Wild found themselves up against a team trying to keep themselves in the playoff picture, but also a team that doesn't look like your typical #8 seed. The Detroit Red Wings are firing on most, if not all, of their cylinders right now, and it was a bad time for Minnesota to come to town, especially with both of their goaltenders banged up, and their captain sidelined. The Wild struggled to keep themselves in the game, but four goals in the second period put an end to their hopes, as they slunk off to a lopsided defeat.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Justin Falk. The Wild rookie barely played in his first game, and took a brutal hit to the head. He returned against Detroit, and played well in limited ice-time. With the Wild's deep defense, getting Falk some playing time now will only help him in the future.<br />- Owen Nolan. For a guy who might be in the twilight of his career, Nolan comes to play night-in and night-out, and he notched another goal for the Wild.<br />- Grit. A number of players were in the game, despite injuries that should have kept them on the bench or in the press box. When the season's on the line, sometimes that level of grit can go a long way.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Injuries. The flip side to playing with grit, is that sometimes players will insert themselves even though they can't perform. That describes fairly well the game Josh Harding played, and he may have put himself out for the remainder of the season because of it.<br />- Discipline. The Wild marched to the penalty box all night long. While not all of the penalties were as clear and obvious, they were the types of calls that have gone against Minnesota all season, and the team should be aware of how the officials are going to work their games.<br />- Antti Miettinen. How many times can one player have a beautiful scoring chance, and completely miss the net? Miettinen did it again against Detroit, and it almost directly created Detroit's short-handed goal.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The banged-up Wild are now just playing out the remainder of the season, and may get to play spoilers for playoff teams. They return home to play the Los Angeles Kings.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-10059595786954761892010-03-26T09:52:00.000-07:002010-03-26T10:08:32.006-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Four: Wild 4, Flyers 3 (OT)Which was going to happen? Was Minnesota going to continue their good play against the Eastern Conference, or were they going to fall apart on the road? Would the Wild halt yet another opponent's losing streak, or would they battle hard and play the role of spoiler for a team desperate for playoff positioning? The way things looked at the start of the game, it certainly seemed like Philadelphia had the Wild's number. But, once the final horn sounded, the Wild were the ones skating away with two points.<br /><br />The first five minutes were awful for Minnesota, as they squandered the few good chances that they had, and gave up two quick goals. But after that, the team seemed to calm down and remember what they had come to the rink to do. Even after Philadelphia made it 3-1, the Wild kept crawling back, and the final period and overtime showed exactly why the Flyers are desperate for good goaltending. The game-winning goal wasn't a great shot by any means, but it was knocked into the net by the Flyers themselves, after it was mishandled badly.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Casey Wellman. When the Wild looked down and out, one of the players who seemed guaranteed to push into the offensive zone and create chances was Wellman. If he can keep skating like this, his first NHL goal shouldn't be too far away.<br />- Kyle Brodziak. Brodziak was almost taken out of the game thanks to a high blind-side hit. Instead, he finished strongly, and showed why throwing the puck at the net will result in good things, as he scored the game winner.<br />- John Scott. The big defenseman had his goal taken away from him, because Andrew Brunette may have tipped the puck out front. Still, Scott was a strong defensive presence, and he definitely created the tying goal. He also was quick to jump to the defense of his team, even if Casey Wellman got there quicker.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Andrew Ebbett. The Wild center was skating with the top line, and he was victimized on the two first-period Flyer goals. While he also had a great breakaway chance while shorthanded, he couldn't pull the trigger, with the puck sliding harmlessly to the back wall instead. That goal would have made it 1-0 Minnesota, and instead, a short time later, it was 2-0 Philadelphia.<br />- Brent Burns. The Wild defenseman is definitely feeling more of his game, but, unfortunately, that game has recently looked unfocused and undisciplined. Burns seems like he's trying to do everything on his own, and he isn't using his vision as well as he could. Forcing the puck up-ice leads to turnovers, and Burns has given up more than his share of pucks recently.<br />- Niklas Backstrom. Not to take anything away from the way he buckled down and kept the Wild in the game, but the goals given up were not great goals by any means. Backstrom has not shown himself as a lights-out goaltender this season, unlike last season. It may be the difference in the system, but, all told, he still has to find ways to stop the puck, and he hasn't been as strong at that this year.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild will try and keep their meager playoff hopes alive tonight when they head to Detroit to take on the current 8th place team in the conference, the Red Wings.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-8865944653474893332010-03-24T08:47:00.000-07:002010-03-24T09:04:45.008-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Three: Wild 1, Sharks 4One area where the Minnesota Wild have shown remarkable consistency this up-and-down season is the ability to break other team's losing streaks. Unfortunately, the San Jose Sharks came into town having fallen not only out of the top spot in the conference, but the top spot in their division, and had given up 27 goals in the previous 6 games. The Wild were also facing possible despondency over struggling hard to make up for an awful start to the season, and were still seeing themselves losing ground in the playoff race.<br /><br />Those elements combined for a big Sharks win, in a game where the Wild just couldn't get things clicking. Minnesota got banged around the ice, and after a few questionable penalties, they seemed to back off somewhat on their own physical play. Meanwhile, the Sharks also broke up their top line, spreading those players out and presenting a defensive challenge to the Wild. Quick, well-placed shots for San Jose were countered with sloppy passes and poor scoring chances, and the end result was determined seemingly from the first face-off.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Guillaume Latendresse. The only Wild player to score, and he did it on the power play. Latendresse made some good plays through the night, and created trouble in the San Jose zone.<br />- Casey Wellman. Wellman looked good playing against the team he grew up cheering for. He used his speed well, and looks to be calming down somewhat on the ice.<br />- Greg Zanon. Broken ankle or no, Zanon still comes to play, and he showed why he's leading the team in blocked shots, sacrificing his body more than a few times.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Brent Burns. Yes, Burns was one of the players who had energy, and seemed to be around the puck a lot. That's part of the problem. Burns was unfocused, and definitely tried to do too much himself. It showed, as he was on the ice for all four San Jose goals.<br />- Niklas Backstrom. San Jose's first shot ends up in the back of the net. They also got the benefit of a fairly weak goal to keep the game out of reach. Backstrom is the Wild's starting goaltender, but he needs to rediscover the play of the last few seasons.<br />- Drive. The Wild just didn't look like they had much of a desire to even be at the Xcel, let alone playing against one of the top teams in the league. Everything was out of sync, and now they've got to go on the road. Maybe it's time to shift things around a bit, and see what happens. After all, what's the harm in bumping Latendresse to the first power play line, and giving Wellman a shot?<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild skate to Philadelphia to take on a banged-up Flyers team.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-4995951440957390712010-03-22T09:56:00.000-07:002010-03-22T10:28:25.426-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-Two: Wild 4, Flames 3The Minnesota Wild aren't eliminated from the playoff race, but they might want to consider themselves as such. Especially if it leads to gritty performances like the one they turned in against the Calgary Flames. This is a time where the Wild can spoil other team's playoff chances, and Minnesota did just that by sending Calgary away with a regulation loss.<br /><br /><br />It's been said before. If the Wild can play a gritty, tough game and compete from start to finish, it will be entertaining to watch even a loss. If the Wild don't press, don't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">forecheck</span>, and don't skate, the rest of the season could be painful. Against Calgary, both Wild teams showed up, but more of the former was there, as they cling to the slimmest of playoff hopes. They're also doing it with players who, by all rights and means, should be sitting in a recovery room to heal their injuries, but are instead gutting it out every night on the ice. Meanwhile, the game also featured two extended play-stoppages. On one, a ferocious check from Guillaume <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Latendresse</span> broke the penalty box door. On the other, a fluky play lead to Calgary's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Daymond</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Langkow</span> taking a scary injury, with a puck striking him just below the back of his neck while his head hit the ice. It was a frightening moment, with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Langkow</span> being carted off the ice on a stretcher. Thankfully, reports are saying that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Langkow</span> hasn't lost any mobility, so hopefully he'll be able to return to the ice soon.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Chuck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Kobasew</span>. One of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wild's</span> "walking wounded", <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Kobasew</span> scored twice, and almost got to complete his second hat-trick of the season.<br />- Guillaume <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Latendresse</span>. Even without the monster hit, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Latendresse</span> had an impact on the game, scoring a beautiful backhander on the power play. This is a skater who has come to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Minneosta</span> and done all of the things he supposedly didn't do in Montreal; showing speed, hands, and a physicality that's hard to compete with.<br />- Casey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Wellman</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Wild's</span> freshest face has talent, and his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">forecheck</span> helped create <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Kobasew's</span> first goal. He's sometimes out of position, but that can be handled by calming his nerves and getting him more familiar with the system. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Wellman</span> has shown he can play with the big boys, so he could make a very interesting camp next season for the Wild centers.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Daymond</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Langkow</span>. Obviously, no matter which team you support, you hate to see any kind of injury on the ice. That goes double when it's something as strange and as dangerous as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Langkow's</span> injury. Hopefully he won't be away from the game for too long.<br />- Josh Harding. While Harding wasn't awful, he wasn't stellar, either. He's obviously another of the "walking wounded", playing through his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">reaggravated</span> hip injury. Still, he allowed Calgary to climb back into the game and make things interesting.<br />- Defense. While Harding wasn't as strong in net as he could have been, the guys right in front of him had a rough game, too. True, they tightened up at the end of the contest, but there were more than a few defensive lapses that created some of the great Flames chances.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild next face the San Jose Sharks, who are fighting to secure the top spot in the conference. Given the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Wild's</span> tendency to play to their opponents ability levels, it could be a very tough game for San Jose.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-84907541148784811362010-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:002010-03-22T09:54:51.364-07:002009-10 Game Seventy-One: Wild 2, Blue Jackets 4Maybe now the Wild can just go about the business of playing hockey without anything to clutter their minds. After losing to Columbus, and to Nashville the night before, the Wild are truly in a position where they need to win out the rest of the way through the season, and they need help. True, they are still mathematically in the race, but with today's NHL and the frequency of 3-point games, it's unrealistic for anyone to plan more hockey in St. Paul than was originally scheduled.<br /><br />The thing is, the Wild actually had chances to win this game, and, if it hadn't been for some mind-boggling officiating, they probably would have taken it. Of course, it doesn't help when the team has to play with only five defensemen as long as they did, but Minnesota still had their chances. However, the Blue Jackets tied the game on what seemed to be a clear case of goaltender interference, and that was all she wrote for Minnesota. With a shortened bench, and having to beat the Blue Jackets and the league's representatives, the Wild just couldn't turn the momentum back their way.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Casey Wellman. Welcome to the NHL, kid. Wellman, playing in his first NHL game, got his first assist on a nice feed to Chuck Kobasew. Wellman also came oh-so-close to scoring his first goal, showing some of the reason why 22 NHL teams were hungry to have him join their club.<br />- Mikko Koivu. The Wild captain is quickly closing in on his point totals from last season, which were a career best. He notched a goal in the game.<br />- Chuck Kobasew. Kobasew isn't expected to be a huge scorer for the Wild, but, over the last few games, he's been one of the more consistent. He knocked home Wellman's sweet centering pass for his sixth goal of his abbreviated season.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Justin Falk. Not that any of this was Falk's fault. In his NHL debut, Falk took a questionable hit to the head. That hit did not receive a penalty, but it did unfortunately shorten Falk's debut as he left the ice with a concussion.<br />- Mental lapses. How else can the Rick Nash goal be explained? Thanks to a broken stick and some confusion as to whether or not a player was coming off of the ice, the Wild only had four skaters as Nash took the puck up-ice for a clear shot at the net.<br />- Officiating. It's been bad all season, all across the NHL. Certain teams can do no wrong, but other teams get penalized for the mildest of offenses. In this game, the officials completely missed the shot to Falk's head (this coming shortly after the NHL had meetings to eliminate head shots), and they also ignored a clear-cut goaltender interference call that lead to the tying goal for Columbus. It should be noted that one of the officials for the game, is Stephane Auger, the very same official that was accused of showing bias by Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild need to win out for a glimpse of a hope. That opportunity started against the Calgary Flames.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-12326495080701793272010-03-19T09:24:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:39:05.697-07:002009-10 Game Seventy: Wild 0, Predators 5Maybe it was for the best that most Minnesota Wild fans were only able to listen to their game against the Nashville Predators. Riding high on a three-game win streak, and in a position where they practically need to win every game for the remainder of the season if they want to see a glimpse of the playoffs, the Wild got outplayed in every aspect of the game, as the Predators handed them their worst loss of the season.<br /><br />This game featured two teams fighting hard for the playoffs, but from two different perspectives. The Wild need to string together points badly, and they need help, if they want to crack the top eight. Meanwhile, Nashville also need to keep collecting points in the standings, but that's to stay where they are, and the Predators are hoping to avoid a first-round match-up with the San Jose Sharks. Obviously, Nashville wanted the game more, as they came out swinging, and delivered multiple knock-out punches to a Wild team that couldn't find its rhythm, and barely found the puck.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Greg Zanon. While the Wild have been banged up, and have experienced defensive lapses, Zanon has been one of the more steady players. Here's hoping that the shot he blocked late in the game doesn't leave him off of the ice against Columbus tonight.<br />- Fast opening. It doesn't look that way, but the Wild actually did come out of the gate with energy, and some ability to move the puck. Unfortunately, two quick goals just before the midpoint of the period took all the wind out of Minnesota's sails.<br />- Casey Wellman. No, the kid didn't play. But after the way the Wild got trounced in Nashville, it wouldn't be surprising if he makes his NHL debut against Columbus. All the reports say that he's got a great shot, and has a very good chance of cracking the Wild roster next season. If he lives up to his potential, the Wild may have a verified second-line center, behind Mikko Koivu.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Josh Harding. The Wild netminder seemed bewildered at times, most notably on the third Nashville goal. In his defense, the shot just before had broken his chest protector, but Harding himself admitted to a mental lapse leading to the wide open net.<br />- Shots. Even with the game seemingly out of reach after a three-goal Nashville start, the Wild had a chance to scramble back into it. After all, this team has won games from similar deficits all season. However, you aren't going to crawl back into a hockey game when you only manage eight shots in the final two periods.<br />- Compete. The Wild started strong, and had a couple of early chances. Then Nashville scored twice in under two minutes, and the game was over. Minnesota never recovered, and for a team that needs to fight if they want to see postseason play, they just didn't have it. Ultimately, this might be a blessing in disguise, as the Wild would almost invariably fall in the first round this season, and they can definitely use a higher draft position to their advantage.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild see if they can get back on track, taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-49960292932198555812010-03-17T09:49:00.000-07:002010-03-17T10:04:13.473-07:002009-10 Game Sixty-Nine: Wild 4, Oilers 2The Minnesota Wild had an opportunity to match the mark for the longest current home win streak against any opponent. Coming into the game, the Wild had beaten the Edmonton <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Oilers</span> twelve times in a row at St. Paul. After the game was over, the Wild had tied the mark, thanks to a strong all-around game, especially with some great play by the team's centers.<br /><br />Those centers might have been feeling a little pressure, given that the Wild signed a college free agent who could be looking to take a job away from one of them. Minnesota brought Casey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wellman</span> from the University of Massachusetts, and almost played him in his first chance. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wellman's</span> debut was put on hold, but he did get some time to skate with the team during warm-ups, and might see time in the upcoming game against the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, the rest of the Wild stepped up, and responded in a huge way after Edmonton twice tied the game. This was especially notable given how the on-ice officials almost seemed to be trying to hand the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Oilers</span> the win. Don't believe it? Watch the play that lead to the eventual 5-on-3 Edmonton power play, and try and find two clear penalties in that scrum.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Centers. On a day where the Wild added a coveted player (beating out 21 other teams) to their center ranks, the team's current line-up of centers stepped up in a big way. Strong play is expected out of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mikko</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Koivu</span>, but Andrew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ebbett</span> notched a multi-point game, Kyle <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Brodziak</span> was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">forechecking</span>, and James Sheppard showed a compete level that he hasn't shown often this season.<br />- Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Havlat</span>. The Wild winger keeps finding ways to get himself into the quiet areas on the ice, and he was rewarded with a big insurance goal.<br />- Chuck <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kobasew</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Kobasew</span> hadn't scored since his hat trick the day after Thanksgiving. A nice way to break that streak is to put home the game winning goal, especially after Edmonton kept clawing back in.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Officiating. It was yet another lousy game called by the officials, with plenty of bad or missed calls going both ways. Still, the penalties that put Edmonton on a 5-on-3 jump out as some of the worst ones. Yes, there was a penalty on that call. But the second?<br />- Late defense. The Wild held on at the end of the game, but they certainly didn't help themselves by giving up 20 shots to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Oilers</span> in the third period. This was the first time gave up that many shots in one period all season.<br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Antti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Miettinen</span>. Yes, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Miettinen</span> scored. However, he also missed on some great chances, by putting the puck too far or too high. He may not be a sniper, but for a team that could use more scoring, being that badly off target has to change.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild try to roll off their fourth win in a row, and keep moving themselves up the standings, when they face the Nashville Predators next.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-39566141796789593312010-03-15T11:44:00.000-07:002010-03-15T11:54:14.740-07:002009-10 Game Sixty-Eight: Wild 4, Blues 2If the Minnesota Wild finish out the remaining games on their schedule playing the way they have for the last two, it's going to be an entertaining finish. Backed into a wall for their playoff lives, the Wild are playing like they have nothing to lose, and, as a result, put together two of the more impressive wins they've had this season.<br /><br />Take nothing away from the come-from-behind victories, but watching the Wild dominate the play from the opening puck drop has been few and far between. Seeing them weather an offensive flurry with some smart defense and better goaltending has been more common, but it's often been to keep the team down by only a goal, as opposed to up by a couple. Given the number of injuries that the team has been dealing with (yet another player went down before the game against St. Louis), if the Wild can somehow keep this current surge going, it's going to be quite the ride for the boys from St. Paul.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Mikko Koivu. The Wild's heart and soul played like it. Koivu was everywhere on the ice, and he notched another multi-point game to lead the Wild to victory.<br />- Martin Havlat. Yes, sometimes Havlat fools even himself with his puck handling. Still, the two assists he added to his season total both came thanks to stellar plays by the winger.<br />- Josh Harding. No, he wasn't as scintillating as he was the previous game against Buffalo, but Harding didn't need to be. What he was this time around was just a solid presence in the net, keeping St. Louis out when it really counted.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Injuries. No doubt, the Wild need to find a way to get players healthy. Three defensemen are out, and they almost lost a fourth. Wingers are banged up, shortening the Wild bench. The goaltenders haven't both been healthy for a long stretch in quite some time. To maintain this pace, the Wild need players back, and they need them back badly.<br />- Discipline. Once again, the Wild marched to the penalty box. They only coughed up one power play goal, but good teams limit those chances by taking better care of their sticks and moving their legs more.<br />- Final push. The Wild found themselves up 3-0 after the first period, and they chased the St. Louis goaltender. What did they follow up with? Not taking shots, and not driving to the net. Instead, they sat back and held onto the lead. In today's NHL, the best defense is continuing to apply offensive pressure, but part of the Wild's old system keeps creeping back in once they've got a couple goal lead.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild have a day off, but return to the ice against the Edmonton Oilers.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-4989963746371382932010-03-14T16:34:00.000-07:002010-03-14T16:47:56.890-07:002009-10 Game Sixty-Seven: Wild 3, Sabres 2<b><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Friday, the Minnesota Wild skated into Buffalo. For the team to have any real hope of making it into the post season, they need to just about win every remaining game, and get a lot of help with the teams ahead of them losing. After losing to the Detroit Red Wings the night before to the tune of 5-1, things certainly didn't look good. Things got more dicey for Minnesota when it became clear that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Backstrom</span> will be out for more than just one game.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">No worries, Wild fans. Josh Harding answered the call with some amazing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">goaltending</span>, and the Wild tapped into some grumpiness, complete with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Wild's</span> grizzled veteran, Owen Nolan, sparking the team with physical play and a tough fight. Minnesota also put the puck on the net, beating Buffalo at their own game. Things got interesting at the end of the game, thanks to a late Buffalo goal, but the Wild ended up helping themselves the only way they could, finishing off a very tough Sabres team.</span></div><div><br /></div>Game pluses:</b><div>- Guillaume <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Latendresse</span>. One game earlier, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Latendresse</span> was being sent off the ice to visit the hospital, thanks to a stick to the back of the head. In this game, he was a strong presence for Minnesota on the ice, scoring a nice goal to put his team up by two.</div><div>- Andrew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ebbett</span>. The Wild were looking to get a good start to the game, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ebbett</span> helped out with that effort, knocking the puck into the net for a rare Minnesota power play goal. Even better, he did it against one of the best penalty kills in the league.</div><div>- Josh Harding. Harding did not play well against Detroit, and he admitted to it afterward. Against Buffalo, he played amazingly well, knocking aside 43 shots to keep the Wild in it, and keep them from experiencing another collapse similar to the one they faced against Florida.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Game minuses:</b></div><div>- Killer instinct. The Wild almost gave up another late lead, and it was only the play of Josh Harding that kept them on top of the final score. There were shots that were passed on that might have helped lock things down for the Wild, but they didn't seem insistent after getting a three-goal lead.</div><div>- Discipline. The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of weapons, and the Wild kept putting them on the power play. While a few of the penalties were questionable, Minnesota needed to do better to keep themselves out the box.</div><div>- James Sheppard. Anyone who thinks that Sheppard is the Wild center of the future is fooling themselves. Sheppard once again was one of the more ineffective players on the ice, either through poor puck handling, or horrible positioning.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Next up:</b> The Wild look to keep playing like they've got nothing to lose when they face another team in a must-win situation, with a game against the St. Louis Blues</div>Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-1623974074788318662010-03-12T12:49:00.001-08:002010-03-12T13:00:36.296-08:002009-10 Game Sixty-Six: Wild 1, Red Wings 5One team is looking to break into playoff positioning, and is playing like they have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. The other team is starting to look like they're trying to break into the NHL's bottom five, and playing like the only thing they have to gain is a top draft pick. Unfortunately for Wild fans, their Minnesota team is the one that's struggling, and having a tough time putting together a complete game.<br /><br />Admittedly, injuries haven't helped this team, and they may have suffered one of the biggest ones yet, with top-scoring Guillaume Latendresse going to the hospital after taking a stick to the back of the head. It wasn't intentional by a long shot, but it was still a scary moment. Of course, on the ensuing power play, the Wild did what they've done more than anyone else this season, as they coughed up a back-breaking shorthanded goal. One power play goal for Minnesota, and the Detroit lead would have closed to one. Instead, the Wild found themselves staring down a three-goal deficit, and no real flow to their offense.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Cal Clutterbuck. It was good to see the Wild's spark plug on the ice, hitting and playing his game.<br />- Rookies. If the season is really over, and it's starting to look that way, then the Wild would be smart to give some of their younger AHL players a chance at cracking the roster and getting a little NHL experience. Robbie Earl and Jamie Sifers got that opportunity against the Red Wings, and while neither looked amazing, they both showed flashes of brilliance.<br />- Greg Zanon. Just about the only Wild defenseman who played a consistent game, Zanon just calmly did what he did all season.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Josh Harding. True, he was rusty. True, he wasn't expecting to start. True, some of the goals he surrendered were fluky. No excuses for a team trying to make up lost ground, and a player desperate for a chance to start.<br />- Power play. The Wild power play reverted to its momentum-killing self, with no time more apparent than with the short-handed Detroit goal.<br />- Puck possession. The Wild want to be the kind of team that holds the puck, and wears down opposing players. When they did this briefly against the Red Wings, they generated chances. Unfortunately, the Wings play a similar style, and they are much better at it.<br /><br /><strong>Next up: </strong>It certainly isn't about to get any easier, as the Wild play against the Buffalo Sabres tonight.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-60993815911193807812010-03-10T10:01:00.000-08:002010-03-10T10:14:45.486-08:002009-10 Game Sixty-Five: Wild 2, Panthers 3 (SO)This is the same team that pulled off some thrilling come-from-behind victories earlier this season? A team that overcame a terrible start filled with learning a new system and spending almost the entire first month away from home by firing off one of the hottest Decembers in the league? A team that claims to still have a shot at the playoffs, despite the logjam of teams ahead of them in the standings?<br /><br />You couldn't tell it from watching the way they played against the Florida Panthers. Even though the Wild jumped out to a 2-goal first period lead, they couldn't hold onto it, and eventually fell in the shoot-out. Part of that is surely due to the mini-march to the penalty box, continuing a disturbing trend for Minnesota as of late. The bigger cause, however? The team just didn't have any desire or drive, as they couldn't even get to ten shots without using the overtime period. While mathematically still in playoff contention, the Wild may have knocked themselves out of any realistic hope with the lackluster play, and it only gets tougher this weekend, with games in Detroit and Buffalo.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mikko</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Koivu</span>. During the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wild's</span> four-shot first period, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Koivu</span> showed good patience to fire a shot in for a pretty power play goal.<br />- Robbie Earl. Filling in for suspended Derek <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Boogaard</span>, Earl took his chance, and on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Wild's</span> third shot of the period, put the puck into the net.<br />- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Niklas</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Backstrom</span>. With the Wild putting together a mere 11 shots through overtime, the only reason that they found themselves in the game was because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Backstrom</span> held them in it. The Wild goalie was solid in net, until defensive lapses backed him into a corner.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Desperation. This is a team that is allegedly trying to prove that they can make the playoffs, and, instead, they put on one of their worst displays of the season, and did it in front of the home fans. When four shots in the first period is your high for the game, something is wrong. The shots that Minnesota took during the shoot-out? Not indicative of a team trying to win, as the shots were ultimately harmless, and many of them were off the mark.<br />- Penalties. Say what you will about the officiating, but the Wild certainly didn't help themselves, as they put themselves into penalty trouble. True, the Panthers didn't score on the power play, but the Wild couldn't establish any flow, partially because of spending so much time short-handed.<br />- Physicality. This type of game is exactly why the Wild need to have Cal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Clutterbuck</span>, or someone like him, healthy and throwing their body around. The Wild had no energy, and the most physical player ended up being Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Havlat</span>, who got into a couple of shoving matches as the game wore on.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild need to find something within themselves to reverse their current direction, or they can start planning for a vacation at the end of April by the end of this weekend. Unfortunately, to do that, they'll have to get back on track against the reigning Western Conference champions, the Detroit Red Wings.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-19414643861458498732010-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:002010-03-08T10:13:01.000-08:002009-10 Game Sixty-Four: Wild 2, Flames 5How do you mark your 400<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> consecutive sell-out? If you're a fan of the Minnesota Wild, you had to be hoping that they'd mark it with a win, continuing their season of dominance over the Calgary Flames, and keeping themselves in the running to surprise everyone with a playoff berth.<br /><br />Reality can be a tough pill to swallow, as none of those things happened.<br /><br />The Wild found itself chasing almost from the start of the game, and leave it to Wild-killer Jerome <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Iginla</span> to step up after not scoring in ten games against Minnesota. While the Wild might still have an outside shot at the playoffs, they certainly aren't making it any easier on themselves, and time is definitely running short. Coming out of the Olympics, Minnesota looked poised to make a push, and possibly even put a scare into some of the top teams. However, after easily handling Calgary while visiting Canada, the Wild fell to a lackluster performance against Edmonton, and just couldn't overcome an early hole from the Flames.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Guillaume <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Latendresse</span>. How good does <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Latendresse</span> look? He was one of the Wild players buzzing the net all game long, and he was rewarded with scoring the only two goals the Wild saw.<br />- Martin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Havlat</span>. If it hadn't been for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Havlat's</span> pass on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Latendresse's</span> first goal, the Wild might not have scored all game.<br />- Brent Burns. Ignore the delay of game penalty. Burns ultimately played a strong game, and had a beautiful feed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Latendresse</span> for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wild's</span> second goal.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- Coming to play. Yes, the Wild found themselves down a mere 20 seconds into the game, thanks to a puck deflecting off a skate (and it may have been kicked in), but they didn't really recover until the second period. For a team that needs to string together wins, they haven't come ready to play the last two games.<br />- Cal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Clutterbuck</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Wild's</span> hit leader and energy guy went down in the first period to injury and didn't return. The Wild need him healthy if they're going to put together much of anything in the final eighteen games.<br />- Officiating. Not to harp on this one again, but the officiating in Wild games has been awful this season, and, since the Olympic break, it almost seems as though it's gotten worse. This time, the whistles were used, but for some questionable calls that made earlier non-calls stand out even more. The most glaring example? The goaltender interference call against <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Mikko</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Koivu</span>, when a similar play had happened earlier at the other end of the ice.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild need to get moving if they want to hold hope of playing in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">NHL's</span> second season. Maybe playing against the Florida Panthers will be the balm the team needs.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1530195092811269083.post-57615090262179435502010-03-06T10:37:00.000-08:002010-03-06T10:51:48.649-08:002009-10 Game Sixty-Three: Wild 1, Oilers 2 (SO)If this game had happened earlier in the season, or if the Minnesota Wild were higher in the standings, they might have been able to take some consolation from pulling a point out of a game they were outplayed. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Unfortunately</span>, the final stretch of the season is underway, the Wild find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture, and they couldn't gather any momentum when playing against the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">NHL's</span> worst team.<br /><br />The Edmonton <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oilers</span> came out looking to play a physical style of hockey, and they seemed to shock the Wild into making foolish plays. Two nights after Minnesota had all of the momentum against the Calgary Flames, they couldn't connect on plays against Edmonton. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oilers</span> took the game to the Wild all night long, and Minnesota had their work cut out for them. Even some highlight reel plays by Wild players couldn't swing the game in their favor, and now the Wild find themselves further back, thanks to the Detroit Red Wings winning in convincing fashion.<br /><br /><strong>Game pluses:</strong><br />- Guillaume <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Latendresse</span>. How pretty was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Latendresse's</span> 21st goal of the season? On one of the few plays where the Wild skated like they could, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Latendresse</span> was able to beat Edmonton players on the way to a beautiful goal, and he had other opportunities throughout the night.<br />- Owen Nolan. He may be the oldest player the Wild have, but he's also one that exemplifies a lack of quit. Nolan was a player who had great chances all night, and he created a lot of them himself, not getting a lot of help from teammates.<br />- Derek <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boogaard</span>. True, he was involved in a hit that might lead to a suspension, but, aside from that, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boogaard</span> was actually creating havoc in the offensive zone, through good puck play. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Boogaard</span> provided a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">forecheck</span>, and had some great steals, trying to spark his team.<br /><br /><strong>Game minuses:</strong><br />- 60 minute game. If the Wild had played a full sixty minutes, they wouldn't have had to worry about the additional five, or the shootout. The Wild just didn't have it, and they didn't deserve to win.<br />- Passing. When the Wild connected on a pass, it created a play. Unfortunately, most of the night they couldn't make the tape-to-tape pass. Even more unfortunately, too often shots were passed up in favor of trying to pass. Given how the Wild was moving the puck, they should have resorted to shooting more, and digging for rebounds.<br />- Officiating. No questions about it, the officials still seem to be on their Olympic break. This game started getting out of hand, especially given that Edmonton has nothing to lose, and very little (aside from team identity) to gain. And yet, penalties for both sides were ignored, including situations that were almost carbon copies for situations that have led to suspensions earlier this season.<br /><br /><strong>Next up:</strong> The Wild look to rebound, as they find themselves facing the Calgary Flames again, with a game coming up on Sunday afternoon.Wylderwolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11244057815999160537noreply@blogger.com0