The 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.
What Went Right?
- Benoit Pouliot for Guillaume Latendresse trade. 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.
- Martin Havlat comes to Minnesota. 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.
- Mikko Koivu named first permanent Wild captain. 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.
- Young call-ups given chances. 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.
What Went Wrong?
- James Sheppard falls off the radar. 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.
- The injury bug strikes... over and over again. 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.
- Petr Sykora comes to Minnesota. 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.
What is the Verdict Still Out On?
- Kim Johnsson traded for Cam Barker. 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.
- Niklas Backstrom making Josh Harding expendable. 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.
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.
Showing posts with label Guillaume Latendresse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guillaume Latendresse. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
2009-10 Game Seventy-Three: Wild 1, Sharks 4
One 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.
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.
Game pluses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
Next up: The Wild skate to Philadelphia to take on a banged-up Flyers team.
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.
Game pluses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
Next up: The Wild skate to Philadelphia to take on a banged-up Flyers team.
Monday, March 22, 2010
2009-10 Game Seventy-Two: Wild 4, Flames 3
The 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.
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 forecheck, 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 Latendresse broke the penalty box door. On the other, a fluky play lead to Calgary's Daymond Langkow 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 Langkow being carted off the ice on a stretcher. Thankfully, reports are saying that Langkow hasn't lost any mobility, so hopefully he'll be able to return to the ice soon.
Game pluses:
- Chuck Kobasew. One of the Wild's "walking wounded", Kobasew scored twice, and almost got to complete his second hat-trick of the season.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Even without the monster hit, Latendresse had an impact on the game, scoring a beautiful backhander on the power play. This is a skater who has come to Minneosta 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.
- Casey Wellman. The Wild's freshest face has talent, and his forecheck helped create Kobasew's 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. Wellman has shown he can play with the big boys, so he could make a very interesting camp next season for the Wild centers.
Game minuses:
- Daymond Langkow. 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 Langkow's injury. Hopefully he won't be away from the game for too long.
- Josh Harding. While Harding wasn't awful, he wasn't stellar, either. He's obviously another of the "walking wounded", playing through his reaggravated hip injury. Still, he allowed Calgary to climb back into the game and make things interesting.
- 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.
Next up: The Wild next face the San Jose Sharks, who are fighting to secure the top spot in the conference. Given the Wild's tendency to play to their opponents ability levels, it could be a very tough game for San Jose.
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 forecheck, 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 Latendresse broke the penalty box door. On the other, a fluky play lead to Calgary's Daymond Langkow 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 Langkow being carted off the ice on a stretcher. Thankfully, reports are saying that Langkow hasn't lost any mobility, so hopefully he'll be able to return to the ice soon.
Game pluses:
- Chuck Kobasew. One of the Wild's "walking wounded", Kobasew scored twice, and almost got to complete his second hat-trick of the season.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Even without the monster hit, Latendresse had an impact on the game, scoring a beautiful backhander on the power play. This is a skater who has come to Minneosta 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.
- Casey Wellman. The Wild's freshest face has talent, and his forecheck helped create Kobasew's 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. Wellman has shown he can play with the big boys, so he could make a very interesting camp next season for the Wild centers.
Game minuses:
- Daymond Langkow. 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 Langkow's injury. Hopefully he won't be away from the game for too long.
- Josh Harding. While Harding wasn't awful, he wasn't stellar, either. He's obviously another of the "walking wounded", playing through his reaggravated hip injury. Still, he allowed Calgary to climb back into the game and make things interesting.
- 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.
Next up: The Wild next face the San Jose Sharks, who are fighting to secure the top spot in the conference. Given the Wild's tendency to play to their opponents ability levels, it could be a very tough game for San Jose.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
2009-10 Game Sixty-Seven: Wild 3, Sabres 2
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 Niklas Backstrom will be out for more than just one game.
No worries, Wild fans. Josh Harding answered the call with some amazing goaltending, and the Wild tapped into some grumpiness, complete with the Wild's 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.
- Guillaume Latendresse. One game earlier, and Latendresse 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.
- Andrew Ebbett. The Wild were looking to get a good start to the game, and Ebbett 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.
- 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.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Next up: 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
Friday, March 12, 2010
2009-10 Game Sixty-Six: Wild 1, Red Wings 5
One 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.
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.
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. It was good to see the Wild's spark plug on the ice, hitting and playing his game.
- 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.
- Greg Zanon. Just about the only Wild defenseman who played a consistent game, Zanon just calmly did what he did all season.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- Power play. The Wild power play reverted to its momentum-killing self, with no time more apparent than with the short-handed Detroit goal.
- 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.
Next up: It certainly isn't about to get any easier, as the Wild play against the Buffalo Sabres tonight.
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.
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. It was good to see the Wild's spark plug on the ice, hitting and playing his game.
- 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.
- Greg Zanon. Just about the only Wild defenseman who played a consistent game, Zanon just calmly did what he did all season.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- Power play. The Wild power play reverted to its momentum-killing self, with no time more apparent than with the short-handed Detroit goal.
- 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.
Next up: It certainly isn't about to get any easier, as the Wild play against the Buffalo Sabres tonight.
Monday, March 8, 2010
2009-10 Game Sixty-Four: Wild 2, Flames 5
How do you mark your 400th 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.
Reality can be a tough pill to swallow, as none of those things happened.
The Wild found itself chasing almost from the start of the game, and leave it to Wild-killer Jerome Iginla 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.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. How good does Latendresse 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.
- Martin Havlat. If it hadn't been for Havlat's pass on Latendresse's first goal, the Wild might not have scored all game.
- Brent Burns. Ignore the delay of game penalty. Burns ultimately played a strong game, and had a beautiful feed to Latendresse for the Wild's second goal.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- Cal Clutterbuck. The Wild's 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.
- 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 Mikko Koivu, when a similar play had happened earlier at the other end of the ice.
Next up: The Wild need to get moving if they want to hold hope of playing in the NHL's second season. Maybe playing against the Florida Panthers will be the balm the team needs.
Reality can be a tough pill to swallow, as none of those things happened.
The Wild found itself chasing almost from the start of the game, and leave it to Wild-killer Jerome Iginla 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.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. How good does Latendresse 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.
- Martin Havlat. If it hadn't been for Havlat's pass on Latendresse's first goal, the Wild might not have scored all game.
- Brent Burns. Ignore the delay of game penalty. Burns ultimately played a strong game, and had a beautiful feed to Latendresse for the Wild's second goal.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- Cal Clutterbuck. The Wild's 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.
- 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 Mikko Koivu, when a similar play had happened earlier at the other end of the ice.
Next up: The Wild need to get moving if they want to hold hope of playing in the NHL's second season. Maybe playing against the Florida Panthers will be the balm the team needs.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
2009-10 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. Unfortunately, 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 NHL's worst team.
The Edmonton Oilers 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 Oilers 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.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. How pretty was Latendresse's 21st goal of the season? On one of the few plays where the Wild skated like they could, Latendresse was able to beat Edmonton players on the way to a beautiful goal, and he had other opportunities throughout the night.
- 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.
- Derek Boogaard. True, he was involved in a hit that might lead to a suspension, but, aside from that, Boogaard was actually creating havoc in the offensive zone, through good puck play. Boogaard provided a forecheck, and had some great steals, trying to spark his team.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Next up: The Wild look to rebound, as they find themselves facing the Calgary Flames again, with a game coming up on Sunday afternoon.
The Edmonton Oilers 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 Oilers 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.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. How pretty was Latendresse's 21st goal of the season? On one of the few plays where the Wild skated like they could, Latendresse was able to beat Edmonton players on the way to a beautiful goal, and he had other opportunities throughout the night.
- 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.
- Derek Boogaard. True, he was involved in a hit that might lead to a suspension, but, aside from that, Boogaard was actually creating havoc in the offensive zone, through good puck play. Boogaard provided a forecheck, and had some great steals, trying to spark his team.
Game minuses:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Next up: The Wild look to rebound, as they find themselves facing the Calgary Flames again, with a game coming up on Sunday afternoon.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Olympic break and looking ahead
All but five Minnesota Wild players have been resting and taking things easy for awhile, and, after last night, all but three are able to return to regular practices. The NHL's schedule freeze has come and gone, and while there's still a roster freeze in effect, teams can at least start skating together again, and try and shake off the rust that ten days away can grow.
Not only did the Wild return to practice, but they got to return to the business of taking care of some of the free agents on their roster. While teams can't trade players until after the Olympics are over (and need to get it done by March 3), they can hammer out contract extensions, and that's exactly what the Wild did with regards to Cal Clutterbuck, signing him for another three years. Looking down the pipe, and new contracts concerning Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse should be coming, as well. But don't forget that Mikko Koivu will be entering a contract season, and he has helped put Finland on the cusp of the gold medal game.
Once the Olympics wrap up, the Wild will have a couple of days to make some decisions on players. The team is currently five points out of a playoff spot, but they feel confident that they can close that gap over the next 21 games. At least, the players feel that way. The question is whether or not the front office feels the same, and how they treat the trade deadline. The Wild haven't been shy about making moves that should help the team both short- and long-term, with the recent trade for Cam Barker proves, but they still have some questions to answer. Here's a few players that might see themselves on the block:
James Sheppard - Much like Benoit Pouliot before him, Sheppard is graced with talent, but that has never manifested with the Wild. His development was stunted thanks to some mind-boggling decisions made by the prior front office, and it might be time to let Sheppard go. He has the potential to be a decent power forward in the league, but needs a change of scenery, and needs it soon. If the Wild can pull off another Latendresse-like deal, more power to them, but it might be best to let Sheppard go for a draft pick or two.
Eric Belanger - The Wild need good quality centers, and Belanger often fits the bill. While he is dominant in the face-off, Belanger doesn't have a lot of the grit and drive that is starting to characterize this Wild team. The Wild need a center that fits their style a bit better, and Belanger might be the easiest piece to use to lure another team into making that trade.
Antti Miettinen - Miettinen is a streaky player, and the one piece that still doesn't quite mesh on the Wild's top line. If Chuck Kobasew can play soon, that makes Miettinen even more vulnerable. Still, don't expect to see him moved before Draft Day, if even then.
Owen Nolan - It would be a shame to see Owen Nolan wearing any other jersey, especially in what might be the last month or two of his career, but if the Wild decide that they are playoff pretenders, and not in a position to make a viable run, they might let Nolan go. He's exactly the type of player a playoff team would look to add at the deadline, and, given that his contract is up after this year, there's always a chance he would come back as a free agent.
Josh Harding - The Wild's back-up goaltender seemed set to be traded earlier this season, and then he ran into some difficulties with his game. Once he started getting back on track, he suffered his hip injury, which may have made it harder to move him. Harding deserves a starting job somewhere in the league, but, with Niklas Backstrom, the odds aren't good that he'll find one with Minnesota.
The Wild have a ton of decisions to make, and, honestly, signing Cal Clutterbuck to an extension doesn't even confirm that he'll be wearing a Wild sweater when the team lines up against Calgary on the night of Deadline Day. There's also no indication that anything will move between then and now, and the roster for the Wild's first post-Olympic break could be exactly what was seen in their final pre-break game against Vancouver.
Not only did the Wild return to practice, but they got to return to the business of taking care of some of the free agents on their roster. While teams can't trade players until after the Olympics are over (and need to get it done by March 3), they can hammer out contract extensions, and that's exactly what the Wild did with regards to Cal Clutterbuck, signing him for another three years. Looking down the pipe, and new contracts concerning Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse should be coming, as well. But don't forget that Mikko Koivu will be entering a contract season, and he has helped put Finland on the cusp of the gold medal game.
Once the Olympics wrap up, the Wild will have a couple of days to make some decisions on players. The team is currently five points out of a playoff spot, but they feel confident that they can close that gap over the next 21 games. At least, the players feel that way. The question is whether or not the front office feels the same, and how they treat the trade deadline. The Wild haven't been shy about making moves that should help the team both short- and long-term, with the recent trade for Cam Barker proves, but they still have some questions to answer. Here's a few players that might see themselves on the block:
James Sheppard - Much like Benoit Pouliot before him, Sheppard is graced with talent, but that has never manifested with the Wild. His development was stunted thanks to some mind-boggling decisions made by the prior front office, and it might be time to let Sheppard go. He has the potential to be a decent power forward in the league, but needs a change of scenery, and needs it soon. If the Wild can pull off another Latendresse-like deal, more power to them, but it might be best to let Sheppard go for a draft pick or two.
Eric Belanger - The Wild need good quality centers, and Belanger often fits the bill. While he is dominant in the face-off, Belanger doesn't have a lot of the grit and drive that is starting to characterize this Wild team. The Wild need a center that fits their style a bit better, and Belanger might be the easiest piece to use to lure another team into making that trade.
Antti Miettinen - Miettinen is a streaky player, and the one piece that still doesn't quite mesh on the Wild's top line. If Chuck Kobasew can play soon, that makes Miettinen even more vulnerable. Still, don't expect to see him moved before Draft Day, if even then.
Owen Nolan - It would be a shame to see Owen Nolan wearing any other jersey, especially in what might be the last month or two of his career, but if the Wild decide that they are playoff pretenders, and not in a position to make a viable run, they might let Nolan go. He's exactly the type of player a playoff team would look to add at the deadline, and, given that his contract is up after this year, there's always a chance he would come back as a free agent.
Josh Harding - The Wild's back-up goaltender seemed set to be traded earlier this season, and then he ran into some difficulties with his game. Once he started getting back on track, he suffered his hip injury, which may have made it harder to move him. Harding deserves a starting job somewhere in the league, but, with Niklas Backstrom, the odds aren't good that he'll find one with Minnesota.
The Wild have a ton of decisions to make, and, honestly, signing Cal Clutterbuck to an extension doesn't even confirm that he'll be wearing a Wild sweater when the team lines up against Calgary on the night of Deadline Day. There's also no indication that anything will move between then and now, and the roster for the Wild's first post-Olympic break could be exactly what was seen in their final pre-break game against Vancouver.
Friday, February 5, 2010
2009-10 Game Fifty-Seven; Wild 4, Oilers 2
The first period of the Minnesota Wild/Edmonton Oilers game looked very similar to the game played earlier in the week by the Wild against the Dallas Stars. For the first twenty minutes, the Wild dominated the play, keeping their opponent back on their heels and peppering the net with shots. For the first twenty minutes, the Wild couldn't solve the opposing goaltender, setting up a potential collapse. Of course, at the end of the day, the Wild had a very different presence in their own net, and they weren't forced to play from behind.
In a game where it often seemed as though the officials were trying to hand Edmonton the win, Minnesota just kept fighting, and they needed to. After getting shut out in the first period, they were able to take a 1-0 lead, but the Oilers tied the game on an extended power play, thanks to some questionable penalties. That was where things stood until the second period, where Minnesota again took a one goal lead, only to have it erased yet again by a baffling on-ice call. Then came the moment that, if the Wild make the playoffs, could be looked back at as the catalyst for saving the entire season.
It's been no secret that Josh Harding has been playing with an injured hip as of late, and he took more abuse to that joint during the scrum and beating the created Edmonton's second goal. Shortly after that, completely out of position, Harding dove across the net mouth, just trying to stifle an Edmonton shot and hold the game at 2. It was a brilliant save, and should get plenty of replay, but it was immediately followed by the image of the Wild's goaltender laying flat on the ice, unable to get back up. He was eventually helped off of the ice, and Minnesota needed to rely on another unproven goaltender in Anton Khudobin. The Wild fired off two goals to take the lead, and Khudobin performed admirably in relief, securing his first NHL victory with under ten minutes of work. Expect him to get more work than that upcoming, as the odds are good that the Wild will be without their top two goaltenders for some time.
Game pluses:
- Goaltending. Josh Harding was huge, and obviously playing through pain, but still managed to keep his team in the game. As soon as he went down, there was a sense that the season was slipping away, but Anton Khudobin, who has suffered his own streak of bad luck, was able to keep Edmonton from scoring again. The fans responded in a big way, and gave Khudobin a large boost.
- Martin Havlat. The Wild's top player was absolutely brilliant against Edmonton, and, with the Wild dressing 7 defensemen, Havlat ended up being double-shifted. He took every opportunity handed to him, and played possibly his best game in a Wild jersey.
- Guillaume Latendresse. The guy that helped spark Havlat's play earlier in the season continues to play his game, and play it well. While his game-winning goal was nice, his feed to set up Havlat's second goal of the game showed his overall hockey awareness.
Game minuses:
- Injury. Nothing can take away Harding's brilliant save. However, the Wild really need to sweep their home stand if they want to have playoff aspirations, and that task just got a lot harder with Harding reaggravating his hip injury.
- Andrew Brunette. For someone who's normally so good just a couple of feet away from the net, Brunette had a very off game. He had at least three opportunities to convert from the goal mouth, and just pushed the puck wide each time.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson again looked soft in the defensive zone, and had some mind-boggling plays with the puck, creating chances for the Oilers.
Next up: The Wild come back on Saturday with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Minnesota has done well against the Eastern Conference this season, and really needs to continue that trend right now.
In a game where it often seemed as though the officials were trying to hand Edmonton the win, Minnesota just kept fighting, and they needed to. After getting shut out in the first period, they were able to take a 1-0 lead, but the Oilers tied the game on an extended power play, thanks to some questionable penalties. That was where things stood until the second period, where Minnesota again took a one goal lead, only to have it erased yet again by a baffling on-ice call. Then came the moment that, if the Wild make the playoffs, could be looked back at as the catalyst for saving the entire season.
It's been no secret that Josh Harding has been playing with an injured hip as of late, and he took more abuse to that joint during the scrum and beating the created Edmonton's second goal. Shortly after that, completely out of position, Harding dove across the net mouth, just trying to stifle an Edmonton shot and hold the game at 2. It was a brilliant save, and should get plenty of replay, but it was immediately followed by the image of the Wild's goaltender laying flat on the ice, unable to get back up. He was eventually helped off of the ice, and Minnesota needed to rely on another unproven goaltender in Anton Khudobin. The Wild fired off two goals to take the lead, and Khudobin performed admirably in relief, securing his first NHL victory with under ten minutes of work. Expect him to get more work than that upcoming, as the odds are good that the Wild will be without their top two goaltenders for some time.
Game pluses:
- Goaltending. Josh Harding was huge, and obviously playing through pain, but still managed to keep his team in the game. As soon as he went down, there was a sense that the season was slipping away, but Anton Khudobin, who has suffered his own streak of bad luck, was able to keep Edmonton from scoring again. The fans responded in a big way, and gave Khudobin a large boost.
- Martin Havlat. The Wild's top player was absolutely brilliant against Edmonton, and, with the Wild dressing 7 defensemen, Havlat ended up being double-shifted. He took every opportunity handed to him, and played possibly his best game in a Wild jersey.
- Guillaume Latendresse. The guy that helped spark Havlat's play earlier in the season continues to play his game, and play it well. While his game-winning goal was nice, his feed to set up Havlat's second goal of the game showed his overall hockey awareness.
Game minuses:
- Injury. Nothing can take away Harding's brilliant save. However, the Wild really need to sweep their home stand if they want to have playoff aspirations, and that task just got a lot harder with Harding reaggravating his hip injury.
- Andrew Brunette. For someone who's normally so good just a couple of feet away from the net, Brunette had a very off game. He had at least three opportunities to convert from the goal mouth, and just pushed the puck wide each time.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson again looked soft in the defensive zone, and had some mind-boggling plays with the puck, creating chances for the Oilers.
Next up: The Wild come back on Saturday with a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Minnesota has done well against the Eastern Conference this season, and really needs to continue that trend right now.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
2009-10 Game Fifty-Six: Wild 2, Stars 4
The Minnesota Wild have to be happy that, unless some weird twist of fate happens, they don't have to return to Dallas until the 2010-2011 season. They continued their futility in Texas, falling yet again to the Dallas Stars. The difference in this game is that, unlike most times Minnesota has visited there, the Wild actually outplayed the Stars, and they did so all game. However, as has been habit when playing against Dallas, the Wild just couldn't finish their chances, and ended up turning an average goaltender into an All Star.
The Wild dominated in every way but two. The Stars were the more physical team, thanks largely to Steve Ott continuing to be able to run around and cause whatever havoc he wants on the ice, and the Wild peppered 40+ shots on net, but most of them were completely harmless. To make matters worse, when the Wild tried to crawl back into the game, they didn't do so until they were already down by two, and immediately after pulling to within one goal, they surrendered a huge goal each time, taking whatever wind they might have assembled completely out of their sails.
Time is starting to run short for Minnesota with regards to the playoff chase, as well. They're only a few points back, but there is a huge jam of teams in the Western Conference, and, while the Wild need the teams ahead of them to lose, that will often result in a different team ahead of them winning. The conservative estimate to make it into the playoffs in the West is with 94 points, which the Wild could achieve, but they need to find a way to string together wins, and to string them together on the road. With the sudden question as to the status of their goaltending, thanks to injuries and illnesses, the obstacles in front of Minnesota loom even larger, and they might find themselves selling at the trade deadline, whether they want to or not.
Game pluses:
- Brent Burns. Burns is starting to look more and more like himself, and that can only bode well for the Wild in the future. However, as he's been stepping up, other defensemen have been falling apart.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse was buzzing the net and creating chances. His tip of the Brent Burns shot on the power play gave the Wild some much-needed life... too bad it only lasted for thirty seconds.
- Andrew Brunette. The Wild winger kept his positioning well much of the game, and was rewarded with a big goal.
Game minuses:
- Wade Dubielewicz. It may not have been kind for Dubielewicz to play his first game in a Wild sweater in an arena where the Wild haven't won in seven years, but he certainly didn't help himself, surrendering four goals on 18 shots.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson made some very bad decisions with the puck, and didn't pursue the physical side of the game at all. For someone getting paid as much as he is, he needs to show more life on the ice if he wants to get anything approaching a similar contract.
- Letting up. The Wild outplayed Dallas, but couldn't seem to figure out how to score. They got a power play late in the second period, notched a goal, and had the momentum. Then the Stars roared back, scored a quick goal, and set up a two-goal lead again. The same thing happened late in the third, and the Wild need to figure out how to keep applying the pressure after scoring, instead of coasting on that first shift, as they so often have.
Next up: The Wild return home, which should help stop their slide, but they do so with some question marks in the net. They face the Edmonton Oilers next.
The Wild dominated in every way but two. The Stars were the more physical team, thanks largely to Steve Ott continuing to be able to run around and cause whatever havoc he wants on the ice, and the Wild peppered 40+ shots on net, but most of them were completely harmless. To make matters worse, when the Wild tried to crawl back into the game, they didn't do so until they were already down by two, and immediately after pulling to within one goal, they surrendered a huge goal each time, taking whatever wind they might have assembled completely out of their sails.
Time is starting to run short for Minnesota with regards to the playoff chase, as well. They're only a few points back, but there is a huge jam of teams in the Western Conference, and, while the Wild need the teams ahead of them to lose, that will often result in a different team ahead of them winning. The conservative estimate to make it into the playoffs in the West is with 94 points, which the Wild could achieve, but they need to find a way to string together wins, and to string them together on the road. With the sudden question as to the status of their goaltending, thanks to injuries and illnesses, the obstacles in front of Minnesota loom even larger, and they might find themselves selling at the trade deadline, whether they want to or not.
Game pluses:
- Brent Burns. Burns is starting to look more and more like himself, and that can only bode well for the Wild in the future. However, as he's been stepping up, other defensemen have been falling apart.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse was buzzing the net and creating chances. His tip of the Brent Burns shot on the power play gave the Wild some much-needed life... too bad it only lasted for thirty seconds.
- Andrew Brunette. The Wild winger kept his positioning well much of the game, and was rewarded with a big goal.
Game minuses:
- Wade Dubielewicz. It may not have been kind for Dubielewicz to play his first game in a Wild sweater in an arena where the Wild haven't won in seven years, but he certainly didn't help himself, surrendering four goals on 18 shots.
- Kim Johnsson. Johnsson made some very bad decisions with the puck, and didn't pursue the physical side of the game at all. For someone getting paid as much as he is, he needs to show more life on the ice if he wants to get anything approaching a similar contract.
- Letting up. The Wild outplayed Dallas, but couldn't seem to figure out how to score. They got a power play late in the second period, notched a goal, and had the momentum. Then the Stars roared back, scored a quick goal, and set up a two-goal lead again. The same thing happened late in the third, and the Wild need to figure out how to keep applying the pressure after scoring, instead of coasting on that first shift, as they so often have.
Next up: The Wild return home, which should help stop their slide, but they do so with some question marks in the net. They face the Edmonton Oilers next.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Sykora Experiment cancelled
The Minnesota Wild pulled a trigger yesterday that may have surprised quite a few hockey fans, but shouldn't have come as quite as much of a shock as it did. To help clear up some space for returning defenseman Brent Burns, the Wild had to put a player on waivers. They placed two there, electing to put Robbie Earl up for grabs, along with Petr Sykora. Both players cleared, which force the Wild to make some decisions.
With Earl, it's very little shock, as he's played well, but still hasn't made a huge impact on the team. He was probably the safest player to throw onto waivers at this point, with the expectation that he would most likely clear, and then be available to be returned to Houston to continue developing. He'll probably stay up for another few days, but, if the Wild keeps getting healthy, there's a good chance he'll be Texas-bound before too long.
The Sykora issue is more interesting, and, in many ways, the Wild had a large hand in how little he ended up meshing with the team. At the start of the season, his play was mismanaged, and while the entire club was trying to figure out what they were supposed to do on the ice, Sykora and Martin Havlat were sometimes looked at the most intensely, and both players found themselves on limited ice time during that initial start. The biggest difference between where Havlat and Sykora are now? The Wild made a move to bring in Guillaume Latendresse, which gave Havlat someone to play catch with. Sykora, on the other hand, suffered a concussion, and was limited in his ice time returning, never really developing a groove and never truly gaining the confidence of his coach.
Here's the thing. To be effective, Sykora needs to be a top six forward. When he didn't click with Havlat at the start of the season, he should have been rotated with the remaining top forwards at that time. Odds are, he would have fit well with one of them, and the suspicion is that a line featuring Sykora, Mikko Koivu, and Andrew Brunette could have been deadly if given the chance to mesh. The concussion came at the worst possible time for the Wild to determine if he would fit anywhere, and, when he finally did return, he was buried on a line with Andrew Ebbett and Derek Boogaard, which is honestly no place for a goal scorer of his caliber to be.
Now the Wild has to make a decision. When Sykora first signed with the Wild, there was a stipulation in place that would allow him to head to a Russian-league team, but there are currently no teams there looking to bring him on board. He could be assigned to Houston, but the odds are that he wouldn't report, which certainly wouldn't help anyone. The Wild could try and throw him on re-entry waivers, and see if a team wants to bite at half of his salary cap hit, instead of his full hit. Or Minnesota could feverishly work the phones, find an amicable trade, and wish Sykora well on his way to a new NHL team. For all involved, that would seem to be the best option, and with the trade deadline fast approaching, and the Olympic freeze coming even sooner, the Wild have less time than they might like to make something happen.
Depending on what the Wild does try and work for a trade might also be an indication of which way the team feels that they're heading, with regards to the playoffs. By the same token, Sykora is the type of player who can make an impact on almost any team in the league. It's just too bad that he was never able to do so with the Minnesota Wild.
With Earl, it's very little shock, as he's played well, but still hasn't made a huge impact on the team. He was probably the safest player to throw onto waivers at this point, with the expectation that he would most likely clear, and then be available to be returned to Houston to continue developing. He'll probably stay up for another few days, but, if the Wild keeps getting healthy, there's a good chance he'll be Texas-bound before too long.
The Sykora issue is more interesting, and, in many ways, the Wild had a large hand in how little he ended up meshing with the team. At the start of the season, his play was mismanaged, and while the entire club was trying to figure out what they were supposed to do on the ice, Sykora and Martin Havlat were sometimes looked at the most intensely, and both players found themselves on limited ice time during that initial start. The biggest difference between where Havlat and Sykora are now? The Wild made a move to bring in Guillaume Latendresse, which gave Havlat someone to play catch with. Sykora, on the other hand, suffered a concussion, and was limited in his ice time returning, never really developing a groove and never truly gaining the confidence of his coach.
Here's the thing. To be effective, Sykora needs to be a top six forward. When he didn't click with Havlat at the start of the season, he should have been rotated with the remaining top forwards at that time. Odds are, he would have fit well with one of them, and the suspicion is that a line featuring Sykora, Mikko Koivu, and Andrew Brunette could have been deadly if given the chance to mesh. The concussion came at the worst possible time for the Wild to determine if he would fit anywhere, and, when he finally did return, he was buried on a line with Andrew Ebbett and Derek Boogaard, which is honestly no place for a goal scorer of his caliber to be.
Now the Wild has to make a decision. When Sykora first signed with the Wild, there was a stipulation in place that would allow him to head to a Russian-league team, but there are currently no teams there looking to bring him on board. He could be assigned to Houston, but the odds are that he wouldn't report, which certainly wouldn't help anyone. The Wild could try and throw him on re-entry waivers, and see if a team wants to bite at half of his salary cap hit, instead of his full hit. Or Minnesota could feverishly work the phones, find an amicable trade, and wish Sykora well on his way to a new NHL team. For all involved, that would seem to be the best option, and with the trade deadline fast approaching, and the Olympic freeze coming even sooner, the Wild have less time than they might like to make something happen.
Depending on what the Wild does try and work for a trade might also be an indication of which way the team feels that they're heading, with regards to the playoffs. By the same token, Sykora is the type of player who can make an impact on almost any team in the league. It's just too bad that he was never able to do so with the Minnesota Wild.
Monday, January 18, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Nine: Wild 4, Coyotes 6
Too little, too late. That might be the mantra for the Wild season, but it was certainly in play against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Wild had a golden opportunity to do what they've done so many times this season, entering the third period down by a goal. Cue the circus music and the defensive lapses, and the Wild suddenly found themselves in a 5-1 hole. That was followed by Minnesota firing off three goals, including two power play markers, to bring themselves back to within one, but that ended up being all she wrote, as Phoenix took advantage of another opportunity to seal the deal.
Part of the Wild's current woes certainly deal with only one line really being active and playing well throughout the game, and it certainly isn't the "top" line of Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, and Antti Miettinen. The Wild will be shuffling those players around before the Dallas game, and it could lead to some interesting new combinations. It could also see a player return to the ice after a long hiatus, in the form of Petr Sykora.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Hard to argue with a guy who gets a hat trick, and had a couple of opportunities for more. He now leads the Wild in goals scored.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat had three assists to help drive what offense the Wild showed, and his chemistry with Latendresse is amazing.
- Kyle Brodziak. Rounding out Minnesota's best line, Brodziak was solid at center, and he engineered a couple of the tic-tac-toe plays the ended up in the net.
Game minuses:
- Top line. A combined -13. Almost no shots. No goals whatsoever. Is it any wonder that they're being split up?
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was something of a ghost on the ice, not really making himself visible. When he did appear, it seemed like it was to make a bad play. Not good for a kid trying to prove that he belongs in the league.
- Niklas Backstrom. True, more than a couple of the six goals he gave up were on plays that he had no chance of stopping. But Backstrom needed to do more to find a way to keep Phoenix out of the net on the other plays, and he simply didn't have the stuff in the desert.
Next up: The Wild face the Dallas Stars in Dallas, looking for a positive end to this road trip.
Part of the Wild's current woes certainly deal with only one line really being active and playing well throughout the game, and it certainly isn't the "top" line of Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, and Antti Miettinen. The Wild will be shuffling those players around before the Dallas game, and it could lead to some interesting new combinations. It could also see a player return to the ice after a long hiatus, in the form of Petr Sykora.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Hard to argue with a guy who gets a hat trick, and had a couple of opportunities for more. He now leads the Wild in goals scored.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat had three assists to help drive what offense the Wild showed, and his chemistry with Latendresse is amazing.
- Kyle Brodziak. Rounding out Minnesota's best line, Brodziak was solid at center, and he engineered a couple of the tic-tac-toe plays the ended up in the net.
Game minuses:
- Top line. A combined -13. Almost no shots. No goals whatsoever. Is it any wonder that they're being split up?
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was something of a ghost on the ice, not really making himself visible. When he did appear, it seemed like it was to make a bad play. Not good for a kid trying to prove that he belongs in the league.
- Niklas Backstrom. True, more than a couple of the six goals he gave up were on plays that he had no chance of stopping. But Backstrom needed to do more to find a way to keep Phoenix out of the net on the other plays, and he simply didn't have the stuff in the desert.
Next up: The Wild face the Dallas Stars in Dallas, looking for a positive end to this road trip.
Friday, January 15, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Eight: Wild 0, Blues 1
For many, this most recent game for the Minnesota Wild was bound to happen eventually. Not playing against St. Louis, but totally collapsing, not having any energy, and not looking like they had any business playing hockey. In fact, this sort of game was expected after the Wild used a ton of energy and hockey smarts beating Chicago in that thrilling come-from-behind affair. The two games that followed, against Pittsburgh and Vancouver, certainly carried their fair share of physicality, to go with the grueling shortened schedule. But, after four high octane games, it was seemingly inevitable that the Wild would collapse.
The funny thing is, even with the collapse, the Wild had plenty of chances to win the game, going up against a St. Louis Blues team that's still trying to find its game after their head coach was replaced. Minnesota just didn't assemble enough effort to take any real good chances, and they came up short on a night where neither team really deserved to win.
Game pluses:
- Josh Harding. The Wild's back-up goaltender did everything he could to keep the Wild in the game, but they need to give him some help on a more regular basis. Far too often during his career, Harding has gotten the start and played well, but the skaters in front of him can't put together simple passes.
- Guillaume Latendresse. The only Wild player to look like he wanted to play offensive hockey for the night was Latendresse, and he directly created the only real scoring threats that the Wild had.
- Greg Zanon. Zanon was solid in the defensive zone, blocking shots and holding good positioning. If Zanon hadn't been playing as well as he did, Harding might have been staring at 50+ shots on goal, instead of the 37 that he did face.
Game minuses:
- Power play. It's been said before, and it needs to be said again. When the game is on the line, if you're given a power play, you need to take advantage of it. Instead, the Wild could barely move the puck, even when they had the man advantage. In fact, the power play displayed some of the worst puck handling of the night.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat's turned his game on recently, but he wasn't clicking against the Blues. More than one turnover came directly off of his stick, and the Wild's best chance of the game was shot just wide, instead of buried by Havlat in the wide open net.
- Fire. When your team has fewer than ten shots through two periods, and it isn't because the other team is playing stellar defense, you know the players aren't into the game. The Wild weren't shooting, weren't passing, and weren't hitting.
Next up: The Wild take a day to regroup and recover, and then they face the Phoenix Coyotes.
The funny thing is, even with the collapse, the Wild had plenty of chances to win the game, going up against a St. Louis Blues team that's still trying to find its game after their head coach was replaced. Minnesota just didn't assemble enough effort to take any real good chances, and they came up short on a night where neither team really deserved to win.
Game pluses:
- Josh Harding. The Wild's back-up goaltender did everything he could to keep the Wild in the game, but they need to give him some help on a more regular basis. Far too often during his career, Harding has gotten the start and played well, but the skaters in front of him can't put together simple passes.
- Guillaume Latendresse. The only Wild player to look like he wanted to play offensive hockey for the night was Latendresse, and he directly created the only real scoring threats that the Wild had.
- Greg Zanon. Zanon was solid in the defensive zone, blocking shots and holding good positioning. If Zanon hadn't been playing as well as he did, Harding might have been staring at 50+ shots on goal, instead of the 37 that he did face.
Game minuses:
- Power play. It's been said before, and it needs to be said again. When the game is on the line, if you're given a power play, you need to take advantage of it. Instead, the Wild could barely move the puck, even when they had the man advantage. In fact, the power play displayed some of the worst puck handling of the night.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat's turned his game on recently, but he wasn't clicking against the Blues. More than one turnover came directly off of his stick, and the Wild's best chance of the game was shot just wide, instead of buried by Havlat in the wide open net.
- Fire. When your team has fewer than ten shots through two periods, and it isn't because the other team is playing stellar defense, you know the players aren't into the game. The Wild weren't shooting, weren't passing, and weren't hitting.
Next up: The Wild take a day to regroup and recover, and then they face the Phoenix Coyotes.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Six: Wild 4, Penguins 3
The Minnesota Wild and the Pittsburgh Penguins played dueling forwards in Saint Paul. Lining up in that role for Pittsburgh was Sidney Crosby, the type of player that the league doesn't see that often. His counterpart for the Minnesota Wild was someone who wasn't even part of the team at the beginning of the season, but is quickly becoming proof that the Wild front office have an eye for talent that will fit. And who could have guessed that Guillaume Latendresse would end up coming up on the better side of things than "Sid the Kid"?
In all honesty, the Wild just outplayed the Penguins, and they kept their composure better. It seemed like all of the extracurriculars were started by guys in white jerseys, obviously frustrated that, even though they dumped almost forty shots on net, they were getting beat by a team that had barely put together twenty shots themselves. That, and Pittsburgh had to be feeling pressure, not wanting to fall to the Wild like Chicago did. At the end of the day, they took their own route to defeat, as the Wild pulled off another come-from-behind victory, and won their NHL-leading 17th one-goal game this season.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse had the biggest night of his career, and he electrified the Xcel Energy Center crowd. One game after capping the Wild's huge comeback with the tying goal against the Blackhawks, Latendresse played a part in all four Minnesota goals, scoring the game winner.
- Martin Havlat. Latendresse may have found his home, but he apparently brought Marty Havlat's game with him. Havlat scored a goal of his own, and now has an eight-game point streak. His give-and-go with Latendresse was fantastic to watch.
- Niklas Backstrom. Sure, he gave up three goals. But he stopped far more chances than he had any right to, including a brilliant glove save that may have sealed the game for the Wild. Not a surprise, as Backstrom has a habit of bouncing back strong after getting pulled from a game.
Game minuses:
- Antti Miettinen. Right now, he's something of a non-presence on the ice, unless you're looking for someone to shoot the puck wide. Something needs to be shaken up on the Wild's top line, and Miettinen might be the odd man out.
- Power play. As it turns out, the Wild didn't need to score with the extra man, but they had a beautiful opportunity to do so during a five-minute major. However, as so many Wild power plays have gone this season, the puck was cycled without any real threat in the offensive zone. Something has to click.
- Sergei Gonchar. Normally, events for the Wild are focused on here. But it's hard to ignore what Sergei Gonchar did to Cal Clutterbuck in retaliation for a clean hit. Gonchar may face suspension for his hit, since it certainly looked like there was an intent to cause injury. He also got lucky to not get tossed out of the game for misconduct. Clutterbuck may antagonize other players, but it's largely because he's physical and plays a clean game. There was no excuse for what Gonchar did, and he deserves to sit for a while because of it.
Next up: The Wild started this current winning streak by beating a divisional opponent. Can they keep it going by taking their first victory of the season from the Vancouver Canucks?
In all honesty, the Wild just outplayed the Penguins, and they kept their composure better. It seemed like all of the extracurriculars were started by guys in white jerseys, obviously frustrated that, even though they dumped almost forty shots on net, they were getting beat by a team that had barely put together twenty shots themselves. That, and Pittsburgh had to be feeling pressure, not wanting to fall to the Wild like Chicago did. At the end of the day, they took their own route to defeat, as the Wild pulled off another come-from-behind victory, and won their NHL-leading 17th one-goal game this season.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Latendresse had the biggest night of his career, and he electrified the Xcel Energy Center crowd. One game after capping the Wild's huge comeback with the tying goal against the Blackhawks, Latendresse played a part in all four Minnesota goals, scoring the game winner.
- Martin Havlat. Latendresse may have found his home, but he apparently brought Marty Havlat's game with him. Havlat scored a goal of his own, and now has an eight-game point streak. His give-and-go with Latendresse was fantastic to watch.
- Niklas Backstrom. Sure, he gave up three goals. But he stopped far more chances than he had any right to, including a brilliant glove save that may have sealed the game for the Wild. Not a surprise, as Backstrom has a habit of bouncing back strong after getting pulled from a game.
Game minuses:
- Antti Miettinen. Right now, he's something of a non-presence on the ice, unless you're looking for someone to shoot the puck wide. Something needs to be shaken up on the Wild's top line, and Miettinen might be the odd man out.
- Power play. As it turns out, the Wild didn't need to score with the extra man, but they had a beautiful opportunity to do so during a five-minute major. However, as so many Wild power plays have gone this season, the puck was cycled without any real threat in the offensive zone. Something has to click.
- Sergei Gonchar. Normally, events for the Wild are focused on here. But it's hard to ignore what Sergei Gonchar did to Cal Clutterbuck in retaliation for a clean hit. Gonchar may face suspension for his hit, since it certainly looked like there was an intent to cause injury. He also got lucky to not get tossed out of the game for misconduct. Clutterbuck may antagonize other players, but it's largely because he's physical and plays a clean game. There was no excuse for what Gonchar did, and he deserves to sit for a while because of it.
Next up: The Wild started this current winning streak by beating a divisional opponent. Can they keep it going by taking their first victory of the season from the Vancouver Canucks?
Monday, January 11, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Five: Wild 6, Blackhawks 5 (SO)
There's stealing a point out of a game, and then there's what the Minnesota Wild did to the Chicago Blackhawks over the weekend. After practically giving the game away, and making sure that Niklas Backstrom had no hope to hold them into it, the Wild switched goalies, and started playing hockey. The third period was dominated by Minnesota, who mounted the biggest comeback victory in the history of the franchise.
With the way that this Wild team has played this season, there was reason for the 19,000+ fans to stay in their seats. From the home opener, where Minnesota beat the Anaheim Ducks after falling behind 3-0 all through the season, the Wild have mounted comeback after comeback. They've trailed in over half of their victories. But nothing comes close to the way they fought back against the Blackhawks. Minnesota had no business coming back onto the ice for the final twenty minutes after the way that they played the first forty, and it almost became a question of how much the team cared. Suddenly, the defense that had been suspect all night stifled Chicago, and the offense that couldn't put the puck in the net fired off three goals in four shots, pulling Minnesota back within one. After the score reached 5-4, it was a question of whether enough time lasted for Minnesota to ride the momentum into a tie, and at least sneak one point out of the game. That question was answered with under two minutes remaining, thanks to a smart forecheck and an opportunistic goal, and all that remained was an eventless overtime, and an eight-round shootout, capped by Owen Nolan's top shelf goal.
Game pluses:
- Josh Harding. Harding may have saved the game for the Wild. He definitely helped them steal their two points. After Niklas Backstrom was hung out to dry all night long, Harding came in and didn't allow a single puck past him until the shootout. With Chicago's firepower, that's no easy task.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Nobody saw Latendresse coming off of the bench to score the tying goal. It even looked like he fooled his teammates with how quickly he got to the loose puck, but there's no questioning his finish in the game. With two goals, Latendresse has now scored nine times since coming to Minnesota. Looks like the fresh start was exactly what he needed.
- Mikko Koivu. His line may not be clicking, but he certainly is. Koivu deserved to be rewarded, and rewarded he was, with a goal in both regulation and during the shootout. Koivu is one of those players who always plays with his heart, and his fire helped the Wild sneak back into the game.
Game minuses:
- Marek Zidlicky. If he hadn't notched the power play goal that put the Wild within one, Zidlicky may have been forced to look for a new home. His pass to Marian Hossa gave the Blackhawks an amazing shorthanded breakaway, and it's hard to stop a player of Hossa's skill when it's just him and the goaltender.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette did not have a very good game, coughing up the puck, taking a bad penalty, and overall playing out of position.
- Defense. At least for the first two periods, the Wild defense was non-existent. On the first three Chicago goals, there was no chance for Backstrom to stop the puck, because the Wild simply watched it get passed around the ice. On the fourth, Cal Clutterbuck crashed the wrong net, and prevented Backstrom from getting a look. And, well, the fifth goal was the aforementioned breakaway for Marian Hossa. The team came together again for the third period, but they definitely didn't deserve the win for the way they played the first two periods.
Next up: The Wild hope to ride the momentum even further than their stunning victory over Chicago, as they face off against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Wild did beat the Penguins earlier this season, so they will be hoping for history to repeat itself.
With the way that this Wild team has played this season, there was reason for the 19,000+ fans to stay in their seats. From the home opener, where Minnesota beat the Anaheim Ducks after falling behind 3-0 all through the season, the Wild have mounted comeback after comeback. They've trailed in over half of their victories. But nothing comes close to the way they fought back against the Blackhawks. Minnesota had no business coming back onto the ice for the final twenty minutes after the way that they played the first forty, and it almost became a question of how much the team cared. Suddenly, the defense that had been suspect all night stifled Chicago, and the offense that couldn't put the puck in the net fired off three goals in four shots, pulling Minnesota back within one. After the score reached 5-4, it was a question of whether enough time lasted for Minnesota to ride the momentum into a tie, and at least sneak one point out of the game. That question was answered with under two minutes remaining, thanks to a smart forecheck and an opportunistic goal, and all that remained was an eventless overtime, and an eight-round shootout, capped by Owen Nolan's top shelf goal.
Game pluses:
- Josh Harding. Harding may have saved the game for the Wild. He definitely helped them steal their two points. After Niklas Backstrom was hung out to dry all night long, Harding came in and didn't allow a single puck past him until the shootout. With Chicago's firepower, that's no easy task.
- Guillaume Latendresse. Nobody saw Latendresse coming off of the bench to score the tying goal. It even looked like he fooled his teammates with how quickly he got to the loose puck, but there's no questioning his finish in the game. With two goals, Latendresse has now scored nine times since coming to Minnesota. Looks like the fresh start was exactly what he needed.
- Mikko Koivu. His line may not be clicking, but he certainly is. Koivu deserved to be rewarded, and rewarded he was, with a goal in both regulation and during the shootout. Koivu is one of those players who always plays with his heart, and his fire helped the Wild sneak back into the game.
Game minuses:
- Marek Zidlicky. If he hadn't notched the power play goal that put the Wild within one, Zidlicky may have been forced to look for a new home. His pass to Marian Hossa gave the Blackhawks an amazing shorthanded breakaway, and it's hard to stop a player of Hossa's skill when it's just him and the goaltender.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette did not have a very good game, coughing up the puck, taking a bad penalty, and overall playing out of position.
- Defense. At least for the first two periods, the Wild defense was non-existent. On the first three Chicago goals, there was no chance for Backstrom to stop the puck, because the Wild simply watched it get passed around the ice. On the fourth, Cal Clutterbuck crashed the wrong net, and prevented Backstrom from getting a look. And, well, the fifth goal was the aforementioned breakaway for Marian Hossa. The team came together again for the third period, but they definitely didn't deserve the win for the way they played the first two periods.
Next up: The Wild hope to ride the momentum even further than their stunning victory over Chicago, as they face off against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Wild did beat the Penguins earlier this season, so they will be hoping for history to repeat itself.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Four: Wild 4, Flames 1
The Minnesota Wild weren't looking to lose five games in a row. They certainly didn't want to hand the hated Calgary Flames a sixth consecutive victory. So, from the initial puck drop all the way through the final buzzer, the Wild played like they had nothing to lose, and everything to prove.
It worked, as the Wild also didn't look like a team playing in the second night of back-to-backs. They attacked the Flames all night long, using a strong forecheck, effective reads, and good defensive positioning to keep Calgary from assembling much of an attack. It also marked the first time in seven games that the Wild held their opponent to fewer than three goals, as they easily coasted to the victory.
One of the interesting things that did come out of the game is the Robbie Earl situation, and that's something that may get repeated again soon with Clayton Stoner, who's nearing his own 10th game. Earl now requires waivers to be sent back to Houston, but it seems like he might be with Minnesota to stay. Earl seems to play the style of hockey that the Wild want to see more of, and he's definitely made an impact on the team, scoring three goals in his ten games. The question now is how the Wild will shed some of the extra players on the team, hopefully to get something in return. After all, with the way he's played, nobody should expect that Earl would clear waivers at this point.
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. How do you set a tone against a division rival? Well, for the Wild, it worked to have Clutterbuck get a big hit right away. He was rewarded later in the game with a nice goal, but all game long, Clutterbuck was getting under the skin of the Calgary defense.
- Eric Belanger. Welcome to game 600. Belanger eclipsed that mark, and did so in fine fashion, notching two goals, one on a great deflection, and the other with a wicked backhand.
- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild goalies haven't been very solid as of late, so it was nice to see Backstrom put together a very solid effort. The one goal that got past him was due to a huge rebound that he could have controlled better, but the rest of the game was just solid.
Game minuses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Truthfully, Latendresse had a pretty good game from start to finish. But players have been dinged in this space for getting chances and not finishing before, and that's where Latendresse falls after the Calgary game. It's a matter of finishing, although Latendresse did have a sure goal stolen away from him, thanks to a brilliant save.
- Line changes. The Wild still hasn't learned. After getting exposed by both New Jersey and Chicago, one would think that Minnesota would start being more careful about when they make a line change, so as to not create an odd-man chance.
- Slow start. The Wild almost gave this game away right from the beginning, coughing up the opening goal in the first two minutes. Oddly enough, though, this team tends to play better if they don't get the first goal.
Next up: The Wild can fly high after beating Calgary, but they can't get too unfocused. After all, next up is a return engagement with the conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks.
It worked, as the Wild also didn't look like a team playing in the second night of back-to-backs. They attacked the Flames all night long, using a strong forecheck, effective reads, and good defensive positioning to keep Calgary from assembling much of an attack. It also marked the first time in seven games that the Wild held their opponent to fewer than three goals, as they easily coasted to the victory.
One of the interesting things that did come out of the game is the Robbie Earl situation, and that's something that may get repeated again soon with Clayton Stoner, who's nearing his own 10th game. Earl now requires waivers to be sent back to Houston, but it seems like he might be with Minnesota to stay. Earl seems to play the style of hockey that the Wild want to see more of, and he's definitely made an impact on the team, scoring three goals in his ten games. The question now is how the Wild will shed some of the extra players on the team, hopefully to get something in return. After all, with the way he's played, nobody should expect that Earl would clear waivers at this point.
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. How do you set a tone against a division rival? Well, for the Wild, it worked to have Clutterbuck get a big hit right away. He was rewarded later in the game with a nice goal, but all game long, Clutterbuck was getting under the skin of the Calgary defense.
- Eric Belanger. Welcome to game 600. Belanger eclipsed that mark, and did so in fine fashion, notching two goals, one on a great deflection, and the other with a wicked backhand.
- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild goalies haven't been very solid as of late, so it was nice to see Backstrom put together a very solid effort. The one goal that got past him was due to a huge rebound that he could have controlled better, but the rest of the game was just solid.
Game minuses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Truthfully, Latendresse had a pretty good game from start to finish. But players have been dinged in this space for getting chances and not finishing before, and that's where Latendresse falls after the Calgary game. It's a matter of finishing, although Latendresse did have a sure goal stolen away from him, thanks to a brilliant save.
- Line changes. The Wild still hasn't learned. After getting exposed by both New Jersey and Chicago, one would think that Minnesota would start being more careful about when they make a line change, so as to not create an odd-man chance.
- Slow start. The Wild almost gave this game away right from the beginning, coughing up the opening goal in the first two minutes. Oddly enough, though, this team tends to play better if they don't get the first goal.
Next up: The Wild can fly high after beating Calgary, but they can't get too unfocused. After all, next up is a return engagement with the conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2009-10 Game Forty-Three: Wild 1, Blackhawks 4
Will the real Minnesota Wild please report to the Xcel Energy Center? Is the Wild the team that rattled off ten wins through December, thanks to some opportunistic goal scoring and impressive defense? Or are they the team that's currently in a tailspin, finding themselves further and further from a playoff spot thanks to a four-game losing streak, while surrendering at least three goals for the past six games?
More troubling, are both teams the current representation of the Wild? The last four losses, with the exception of the game against the Ducks, the Wild were playing against teams that have propelled themselves towards the NHL's elite, and the last two games specifically have been against conference leaders. The Wild simply don't have the finishers to make themselves competitive against some of the better teams in the league. Maybe today's call-up of Robbie Earl will help pull this team off of their recent skid, but even Earl's call-up makes for some interesting managerial moves.
Plain and simply, Robbie Earl playing tonight, unless it gets deemed an emergency call-up due to players being injured, means that he'll have to be thrown on waivers before returning to Houston, so he could end up being here for the long haul. This is due to Earl not being on an entry-level contract, so his free call-up time was limited. With the Wild's playoff hopes dimming rapidly, it might also be the best time of year for GM Chuck Fletcher to start seriously evaluating who he would like to see wearing a Minnesota Wild jersey next season, and start trying to work his magic through trades to improve the team in the long run. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that the Chicago Blackhawks were one of the worst teams in the league, and through good drafting and smart trades, they assembled themselves into a powerhouse. It's time for Fletcher to start making moves to help the Wild do that in the next couple of years.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Proof that Fletcher can spot talent that fits his team, Latendresse has been a huge acquisition for the Wild, and he notched another goal against the Blackhawks. He had another couple of chances later in the game, but was stifled on each.
- Martin Havlat. Wild fans are starting to see the type of player that Havlat can be on any given night, as he continues to direct the play around him. He helped set up the Latendresse goal, and created chances for plenty of other players.
- Clayton Stoner. Stoner may not have had the strongest game of the season, but his poise while playing against some of the bigger and tougher NHL teams has been impressive, and he hasn't made any glaring mistakes.
Game pluses:
- Kyle Brodziak. Yes, the line of Brodziak/Havlat/Latendresse was buzzing the net all night, but Brodziak was one of a few Wild players to show a problem that the team has. When the puck ended up on his stick, he just couldn't finish and take the goal.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette suffered the same problems as Brodziak, not being able to finish. Brunette had opportunities at wide open nets, but delayed too long, allowing Chicago to get back into position, turning a golden opportunity into a momentum breaker.
- Greg Zanon. The third minus almost went to the Wild for allowing so many odd-man rushes, or to the officials for some glaring no-calls, especially when Josh Harding was knocked down shortly before Chicago's second goal. However, Zanon was plagued all night by bad passes and out-of-position play. His clearing attempt in the third period that gave Chicago the 5-on-3 power play was just the capper to a rough night.
Next up: The schedule just doesn't look good for the Wild, as they come fresh off of playing the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks, only to return home and face the Calgary Flames, a team that has regularly had the Wild's number.
More troubling, are both teams the current representation of the Wild? The last four losses, with the exception of the game against the Ducks, the Wild were playing against teams that have propelled themselves towards the NHL's elite, and the last two games specifically have been against conference leaders. The Wild simply don't have the finishers to make themselves competitive against some of the better teams in the league. Maybe today's call-up of Robbie Earl will help pull this team off of their recent skid, but even Earl's call-up makes for some interesting managerial moves.
Plain and simply, Robbie Earl playing tonight, unless it gets deemed an emergency call-up due to players being injured, means that he'll have to be thrown on waivers before returning to Houston, so he could end up being here for the long haul. This is due to Earl not being on an entry-level contract, so his free call-up time was limited. With the Wild's playoff hopes dimming rapidly, it might also be the best time of year for GM Chuck Fletcher to start seriously evaluating who he would like to see wearing a Minnesota Wild jersey next season, and start trying to work his magic through trades to improve the team in the long run. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that the Chicago Blackhawks were one of the worst teams in the league, and through good drafting and smart trades, they assembled themselves into a powerhouse. It's time for Fletcher to start making moves to help the Wild do that in the next couple of years.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. Proof that Fletcher can spot talent that fits his team, Latendresse has been a huge acquisition for the Wild, and he notched another goal against the Blackhawks. He had another couple of chances later in the game, but was stifled on each.
- Martin Havlat. Wild fans are starting to see the type of player that Havlat can be on any given night, as he continues to direct the play around him. He helped set up the Latendresse goal, and created chances for plenty of other players.
- Clayton Stoner. Stoner may not have had the strongest game of the season, but his poise while playing against some of the bigger and tougher NHL teams has been impressive, and he hasn't made any glaring mistakes.
Game pluses:
- Kyle Brodziak. Yes, the line of Brodziak/Havlat/Latendresse was buzzing the net all night, but Brodziak was one of a few Wild players to show a problem that the team has. When the puck ended up on his stick, he just couldn't finish and take the goal.
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette suffered the same problems as Brodziak, not being able to finish. Brunette had opportunities at wide open nets, but delayed too long, allowing Chicago to get back into position, turning a golden opportunity into a momentum breaker.
- Greg Zanon. The third minus almost went to the Wild for allowing so many odd-man rushes, or to the officials for some glaring no-calls, especially when Josh Harding was knocked down shortly before Chicago's second goal. However, Zanon was plagued all night by bad passes and out-of-position play. His clearing attempt in the third period that gave Chicago the 5-on-3 power play was just the capper to a rough night.
Next up: The schedule just doesn't look good for the Wild, as they come fresh off of playing the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks, only to return home and face the Calgary Flames, a team that has regularly had the Wild's number.
Monday, December 28, 2009
2009-10 Game Thirty-Eight: Wild 4, Blues 3
The stockings may have been hung by the chimney, and sugar plums may have danced in people's heads, but, in the NHL, Christmas means some time away from the ice. However, barely a week removed from the bizarre equipment fire, the Minnesota Wild had one more gift left to give to their fans, and was delivered by one of the newest faces in the building, as the Wild skated to a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues.
The game itself was fast, hard-hitting, and featured some things that wouldn't have been predicted before the puck hit the ice. With recent history as a guide, who would have guessed that the Wild would score first? Who could have predicted that the defensemen would be so active? And yet, the Wild did just that, and they kept the pressure on a St. Louis team that had recently been trouncing Northwest Division opponents.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. A change of scenery has done "The Tenderness" wonders, as he has put up 6 goals since coming to the Wild, including two goals against the Blues.
- Kim Johnsson. The much-maligned Wild defenseman (especially here, admittedly) turned in a terrific performance against St. Louis, even without his stellar play to create his own goal.
- Marek Zidlicky. Zidlicky was active all night, moving the puck well, stick handling when needed, and finding the open man. Latendresse may have scored the game winner, but Zidlicky set him up with great plays.
Game minuses:
- Nick Schultz. Schultz got victimized on Blues goals, getting turned inside out. He was out of position more than a few times, and St. Louis capitalized on it.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Sometimes, Clutterbuck's willingness to hit anything he gets in his sights works against him, as it did when the Blues scored during a 4-on-4 stretch of hockey. Clutterbuck connected with a Blues player, but it completely removed him from the play, and set up St. Louis for a quick rush.
- Eric Belanger. Belanger is a face-off specialist, but, after the puck was dropped, he became a detriment. He seems to be trying to accomplish some of the same things that Mikko Koivu is doing, but he seems to be trying to do them without Koivu's awareness or skill.
Next up: The Wild take a quick trip to California, starting tonight against the Los Angeles Kings.
The game itself was fast, hard-hitting, and featured some things that wouldn't have been predicted before the puck hit the ice. With recent history as a guide, who would have guessed that the Wild would score first? Who could have predicted that the defensemen would be so active? And yet, the Wild did just that, and they kept the pressure on a St. Louis team that had recently been trouncing Northwest Division opponents.
Game pluses:
- Guillaume Latendresse. A change of scenery has done "The Tenderness" wonders, as he has put up 6 goals since coming to the Wild, including two goals against the Blues.
- Kim Johnsson. The much-maligned Wild defenseman (especially here, admittedly) turned in a terrific performance against St. Louis, even without his stellar play to create his own goal.
- Marek Zidlicky. Zidlicky was active all night, moving the puck well, stick handling when needed, and finding the open man. Latendresse may have scored the game winner, but Zidlicky set him up with great plays.
Game minuses:
- Nick Schultz. Schultz got victimized on Blues goals, getting turned inside out. He was out of position more than a few times, and St. Louis capitalized on it.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Sometimes, Clutterbuck's willingness to hit anything he gets in his sights works against him, as it did when the Blues scored during a 4-on-4 stretch of hockey. Clutterbuck connected with a Blues player, but it completely removed him from the play, and set up St. Louis for a quick rush.
- Eric Belanger. Belanger is a face-off specialist, but, after the puck was dropped, he became a detriment. He seems to be trying to accomplish some of the same things that Mikko Koivu is doing, but he seems to be trying to do them without Koivu's awareness or skill.
Next up: The Wild take a quick trip to California, starting tonight against the Los Angeles Kings.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
2009-10 Game Thirty-Seven: Wild 3, Oilers 1
What a way to enter the two-day holiday break. After suffering through a fire and some rough losses, the Minnesota Wild needed something to get them back on track. It couldn't have worked out better for Minnesota to draw a game against the Edmonton Oilers, in the arena that they've dominated Edmonton in ever since Niklas Backstrom first wore a Wild jersey.
Things didn't go as planned, but, over the last week, how much really has. Backstrom, wearing some new gear thanks to the Ottawa fire, finally looked like the player he was before the accident, and the Wild gave him enough support on the front end to take the game. Edmonton kept the contest close, but they couldn't get any more shots into the net, and the Wild took advantage of the narrow openings that they could. Meanwhile, a recent call-up, Clayton Stoner, set the tone early with a convincing fight, and may be on the way to edging out some of the Wild's other defensemen.
Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. The Wild's resident Irishman was not going to be denied a goal. Chance after chance came to Nolan's stick, and he kept getting thwarted. That is, until he showed a little extra patience and roofed a backhander.
- Guillaume Latendresse. For a guy who was just recovering from the flu, Latendresse played a very strong game. He was creating chances, and was eventually rewarded with an empty-net goal.
- Clayton Stoner. This spot almost went to Mikko Koivu, but it was Stoner who really turned in a fantastic game, and, as mentioned above, set the tone early with a fight. If Stoner keeps playing the way he has, a roster spot might just be his for the taking.
Game minuses:
- Kim Johnsson. A few too many times, Johnsson passed the puck either straight to an Oilers player, or to an open spot where nobody was nearby. For an offensive defenseman, he isn't showcasing the playmaking ability that he was heralded for.
- Eric Belanger. Maybe he's coming down with the flu again, but Belanger looks like he's skating through molasses. He doesn't have the same speed he did in previous seasons, and his puck handling has suffered because of it.
- Power play. True, the Wild got a power play goal. But it was also on the only power play where the team decided to shoot at the net from everywhere on the ice. Most of the time, too many passes lead to a lack of shots, and the Wild need to stop looking for the perfect play. Sometimes, ugly hockey is enough.
Next up: The Wild, and the NHL as a whole, have the next two days off for the Christmas holiday, but they return to action against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
Things didn't go as planned, but, over the last week, how much really has. Backstrom, wearing some new gear thanks to the Ottawa fire, finally looked like the player he was before the accident, and the Wild gave him enough support on the front end to take the game. Edmonton kept the contest close, but they couldn't get any more shots into the net, and the Wild took advantage of the narrow openings that they could. Meanwhile, a recent call-up, Clayton Stoner, set the tone early with a convincing fight, and may be on the way to edging out some of the Wild's other defensemen.
Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. The Wild's resident Irishman was not going to be denied a goal. Chance after chance came to Nolan's stick, and he kept getting thwarted. That is, until he showed a little extra patience and roofed a backhander.
- Guillaume Latendresse. For a guy who was just recovering from the flu, Latendresse played a very strong game. He was creating chances, and was eventually rewarded with an empty-net goal.
- Clayton Stoner. This spot almost went to Mikko Koivu, but it was Stoner who really turned in a fantastic game, and, as mentioned above, set the tone early with a fight. If Stoner keeps playing the way he has, a roster spot might just be his for the taking.
Game minuses:
- Kim Johnsson. A few too many times, Johnsson passed the puck either straight to an Oilers player, or to an open spot where nobody was nearby. For an offensive defenseman, he isn't showcasing the playmaking ability that he was heralded for.
- Eric Belanger. Maybe he's coming down with the flu again, but Belanger looks like he's skating through molasses. He doesn't have the same speed he did in previous seasons, and his puck handling has suffered because of it.
- Power play. True, the Wild got a power play goal. But it was also on the only power play where the team decided to shoot at the net from everywhere on the ice. Most of the time, too many passes lead to a lack of shots, and the Wild need to stop looking for the perfect play. Sometimes, ugly hockey is enough.
Next up: The Wild, and the NHL as a whole, have the next two days off for the Christmas holiday, but they return to action against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
Friday, December 18, 2009
2009-10 Game Thirty-Four: Wild 3, Canadiens 1
The last two games for the Minnesota Wild have looked eerily similar. A strong first period. A fast pace. Very few penalties. A complete collapse once the second period starts, only to have the goaltender make the big saves needed. And, at the end of it all, a Minnesota Wild win. It's pretty obvious watching the team that their recent schedule is starting to get to them. After all, they've been all over the continent recently, barely having time to rest before jetting off to the next location. They'll get to return home for the holidays, and it might be the best gift that they could ever receive.
Still, even though they're obviously fatigued, and even though they obviously haven't been playing their best hockey of the season, the Wild keep finding ways to win, and they did it again by knocking around the Montreal Canadiens. The boos that filled the arena at the start of the game were directed at Guillaume Latendresse, playing in his first game since being traded from Montreal to Minnesota. By the end of the game, the boos were directed at the Canadiens themselves, for trailing 3-1. Not that Montreal should be faulted for effort. They just couldn't put the puck into the net, even though they spent the majority of the final forty minutes in the Wild's zone. Thankfully for Minnesota, physical play and some timely saves helped propel the team to yet another win, keeping them as the hottest team in the west (10-1-2 in their last thirteen games).
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck played exactly the kind of game you expect, and he appears to be one of the few Wild players with a lot of energy left in their legs. Not only did he notch ten hits against the Canadiens, but he also put in the back-breaking third goal for Minnesota.
- Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom practically had to stand on his head to make some of the saves that he did, but he just went about his business shutting Montreal down. The one goal that snuck past him was from such a sharp angle that it certainly seemed like there was no chance for the puck to even get in front of the net, let alone into it.
- Robbie Earl. All Earl does is score goals. Well, that's not entirely true, but he came through with a huge goal in the first period. Not only did he score by threading the puck through an incredibly small opening, but he created the chance with some strong play at the Montreal blue line.
Game minuses:
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was once again a liability in the face-off circle, and he put extra life into Montreal with a foolish delay of game penalty, after the Canadiens had already pulled their goaltender.
- Fatigue. It's clear that the Wild are worn down, but the recent schedule can do that. Still, they need to find a way to keep themselves going once the second period starts, instead of retreating into a shell and just trying to hang on.
- Clearing the zone. In the first period, the Wild didn't have a lot of problems in their own end. Once the second period started, it became a different story, as they couldn't get a handle on the puck, and ended up icing it more than is comfortable just to give themselves a breather. If it hadn't been for Backstrom's amazing performance, the Wild would have easily been toppled.
Next up: One more game on the road before a little stretch of time at home, which should help put some energy back into a team that's criss-crossed the continent while maintaining an amazing streak. The Wild stays in the Eastern Conference, and in Canada, as they take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Still, even though they're obviously fatigued, and even though they obviously haven't been playing their best hockey of the season, the Wild keep finding ways to win, and they did it again by knocking around the Montreal Canadiens. The boos that filled the arena at the start of the game were directed at Guillaume Latendresse, playing in his first game since being traded from Montreal to Minnesota. By the end of the game, the boos were directed at the Canadiens themselves, for trailing 3-1. Not that Montreal should be faulted for effort. They just couldn't put the puck into the net, even though they spent the majority of the final forty minutes in the Wild's zone. Thankfully for Minnesota, physical play and some timely saves helped propel the team to yet another win, keeping them as the hottest team in the west (10-1-2 in their last thirteen games).
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck played exactly the kind of game you expect, and he appears to be one of the few Wild players with a lot of energy left in their legs. Not only did he notch ten hits against the Canadiens, but he also put in the back-breaking third goal for Minnesota.
- Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom practically had to stand on his head to make some of the saves that he did, but he just went about his business shutting Montreal down. The one goal that snuck past him was from such a sharp angle that it certainly seemed like there was no chance for the puck to even get in front of the net, let alone into it.
- Robbie Earl. All Earl does is score goals. Well, that's not entirely true, but he came through with a huge goal in the first period. Not only did he score by threading the puck through an incredibly small opening, but he created the chance with some strong play at the Montreal blue line.
Game minuses:
- James Sheppard. Sheppard was once again a liability in the face-off circle, and he put extra life into Montreal with a foolish delay of game penalty, after the Canadiens had already pulled their goaltender.
- Fatigue. It's clear that the Wild are worn down, but the recent schedule can do that. Still, they need to find a way to keep themselves going once the second period starts, instead of retreating into a shell and just trying to hang on.
- Clearing the zone. In the first period, the Wild didn't have a lot of problems in their own end. Once the second period started, it became a different story, as they couldn't get a handle on the puck, and ended up icing it more than is comfortable just to give themselves a breather. If it hadn't been for Backstrom's amazing performance, the Wild would have easily been toppled.
Next up: One more game on the road before a little stretch of time at home, which should help put some energy back into a team that's criss-crossed the continent while maintaining an amazing streak. The Wild stays in the Eastern Conference, and in Canada, as they take on the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
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