On the second night of back-to-backs, the Minnesota Wild found themselves on a huge number of power plays. Unfortunately for the Wild, they weren't able to convert any of the chances, even more frustrating after having spent over half of the second period with the advantage.
The scoring opened early, with Brent Burns taking a beautiful pass from James Sheppard, but the Wild weren't able to capitalize on any of their other chances. Josh Harding did his best to keep the team in the game, but offensive futility kept the Wild from putting any overly tough shots on Montreal's Carey Price.
Of course, one of the stories coming into the game was the showdown between Mikko Koivu for Minnesota, and his older brother Saku Koivu for Montreal. While both Koivus were buzzing with the puck, neither was able to turn the tide heavily for their team.
For the record, if Marian Gaborik had been on the ice, the game could have been very different. The Wild needed one more piece of offense, with a bit more precise of a shot, and Gaborik (and, to a lesser extent, Nolan) being injured took away the Wild's best options before the puck even dropped. Not saying that Gaby is the answer to what's currently plaguing the Wild, but the Canadiens play a style that is suited to his talents.
Game pluses:
- Brent Burns. Burns was able to play forward and defense, and was causing problems for the Canadiens. By the same token, he was only one skater.
- Josh Harding. After coming into the Dallas game in relief, Harding pulled together another strong showing, keeping his team in a game they could have lost by a lot more.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Once again, the kid used his body to make an impact. Need proof? Ask Roman Hamrlik.
Game minuses:
- Special teams. Going 0-for-10 on the power play hurt. Giving up a long 5-on-3 (questionable call or not) hurt even more. The Wild started the season amazing on the special teams. They need to get their groove back.
- Shooting. The Wild spent the game taking poor shots, or not shooting at all when they should. A prime example was the breakaway by Eric Belanger, who delayed too long before snapping a shot at Price.
- Dealing with speed. All three games that the Wild have lost this season have been to teams with a lot of speed. While the Wild is a fast team themselves, they seem to be unable to keep up with other teams' quickness.
Next up: The Wild begin a long road trip, not returning to the Xcel Energy Center until Nov. 13. The first game is Saturday, against the 4-4-0 Phoenix Coyotes.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Game Eight: Wild 2, Stars 4
When the home team scores 13 seconds into the game, you know it's going to be a rough one for the visitors. That was how it went in Dallas, as the Minnesota Wild became the last team to lose in regulation, getting throttled by the Stars 4-2.
In all honesty, the Wild had no chance in the game. Maybe the early goal shook them too badly, but Minnesota had no puck possession, no control, and couldn't get the puck out of their own end far too often. Meanwhile, most of the time that the Stars had the puck, they were able to get quality shots on goal. Admittedly, some of the goals against Backstrom were the result of bad bounces, but, after such a strong start to the season, fans knew something had to give. Against the Stars, what gave was defense.
Not only did the Wild spend the game chasing, resulting in their first regulation loss of the season, but they gave up their first power play goal of the year, just as time was expiring on the penalty. Truth be told, it was one of the few pretty goals of the night, too, as Matt Niskanen floated a shot high over Josh Harding. Meanwhile, Tobias Stephan, the rookie goaltender for Dallas, wasn't ever really challenged, which was a shame for the Wild, as the kid was giving up rebounds left and right.
Game pluses:
- Power play. True, the goal scored by Andrew Brunette wasn't pretty, but the Wild were able to keep their power play running at a good clip. If only the team had been able to put together something even strength.
- Josh Harding. Coming into a game in relief is never easy for a goaltender. Josh Harding proved why he's got the potential to be a starter, as he was solid in relief. Who knows how the game would have ended if he'd been in net at the start.
- Physicality. Something that's been missing from a number of the Wild this season has been a willingness to take the body. Possibly because they were losing, the Wild finally started finishing their checks, showing a grit that's been missing for much of the first month.
Game minuses:
- Puck possession. The Wild couldn't get anything going. Certainly, it was partly due to the Stars smothering defense. It was also due to the fact that the Wild couldn't connect most passes, and seemed to be tossing the puck forward, hoping that a white sweater would catch up to it.
- Defense. Part of why Niklas Backstrom was pulled after the first period was that Dallas was able to line up too many scoring chances against a suddenly porous Minnesota defense. When Harding came in, the defense tightened up slightly, but still not enough to help turn the tide of the game.
- Fighting for the rebound. Stephans was giving up rebounds on hard shots, and on soft shots. The Wild seemed to never be in position to dig the puck out and attempt a follow-up shot. More than a few times, the puck trickled towards a Wild player, but they didn't seem to have an offensive push.
Next up: The Wild have to put the game against the Stars behind them. They had a flight from Dallas back to Minnesota to do so, as tonight they take on the 6-1-1 Montreal Canadiens. The similarities between the teams don't end with the identical records. Each time has a Koivu as captain; Mikko in Minnesota, and older brother Saku in Montreal.
In all honesty, the Wild had no chance in the game. Maybe the early goal shook them too badly, but Minnesota had no puck possession, no control, and couldn't get the puck out of their own end far too often. Meanwhile, most of the time that the Stars had the puck, they were able to get quality shots on goal. Admittedly, some of the goals against Backstrom were the result of bad bounces, but, after such a strong start to the season, fans knew something had to give. Against the Stars, what gave was defense.
Not only did the Wild spend the game chasing, resulting in their first regulation loss of the season, but they gave up their first power play goal of the year, just as time was expiring on the penalty. Truth be told, it was one of the few pretty goals of the night, too, as Matt Niskanen floated a shot high over Josh Harding. Meanwhile, Tobias Stephan, the rookie goaltender for Dallas, wasn't ever really challenged, which was a shame for the Wild, as the kid was giving up rebounds left and right.
Game pluses:
- Power play. True, the goal scored by Andrew Brunette wasn't pretty, but the Wild were able to keep their power play running at a good clip. If only the team had been able to put together something even strength.
- Josh Harding. Coming into a game in relief is never easy for a goaltender. Josh Harding proved why he's got the potential to be a starter, as he was solid in relief. Who knows how the game would have ended if he'd been in net at the start.
- Physicality. Something that's been missing from a number of the Wild this season has been a willingness to take the body. Possibly because they were losing, the Wild finally started finishing their checks, showing a grit that's been missing for much of the first month.
Game minuses:
- Puck possession. The Wild couldn't get anything going. Certainly, it was partly due to the Stars smothering defense. It was also due to the fact that the Wild couldn't connect most passes, and seemed to be tossing the puck forward, hoping that a white sweater would catch up to it.
- Defense. Part of why Niklas Backstrom was pulled after the first period was that Dallas was able to line up too many scoring chances against a suddenly porous Minnesota defense. When Harding came in, the defense tightened up slightly, but still not enough to help turn the tide of the game.
- Fighting for the rebound. Stephans was giving up rebounds on hard shots, and on soft shots. The Wild seemed to never be in position to dig the puck out and attempt a follow-up shot. More than a few times, the puck trickled towards a Wild player, but they didn't seem to have an offensive push.
Next up: The Wild have to put the game against the Stars behind them. They had a flight from Dallas back to Minnesota to do so, as tonight they take on the 6-1-1 Montreal Canadiens. The similarities between the teams don't end with the identical records. Each time has a Koivu as captain; Mikko in Minnesota, and older brother Saku in Montreal.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Game Seven: Wild 3, Blackhawks 2
Two key players for the Minnesota Wild are in their final contract years. One has been fighting off an injury as his team has improved to 6-0-1, becoming the last team without a regulation loss. The other has been instrumental in bringing the team to that mark. If this keeps going, people will definitely start asking, "Marian Who?", while clamoring for Niklas Backstrom to get a good contract.
Keep in mind, though, that the Wild are a team with two starting goaltenders. Backstrom's hot right now, as he proved once again against a young, energetic, and talented Chicago Blackhawks team last night, but Josh Harding also has the skills to be the number one guy between the pipes. As for the Gaborik situation, well, as long as Mikko Koivu keeps doing what he's doing, the Wild may have already replaced their superstar.
One game after we called out Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette here on this site, they stepped up, along with NHL assist-leader Koivu, and put together 7 points amongst the three of them. Both Brunette and Miettinen scored goals, and Koivu was dishing the puck everywhere, including on the power play goal of Brent Burns. This all came after the Wild fell down 1-0 relatively early in the first period, and had to scramble back.
The second period is where the Wild has dominated opponents this year, and, on the scoreboard, they were able to do it again. A few too many times, they got trapped back in their own end, watching Chicago cycle the puck and fire shot after shot at the net. But that's where you're glad to have a netminder like Backstrom, who stood strong. When the third period came, in a welcome change, the Wild continued throwing pressure at Chicago's Christobel Huet, instead of their recent scheme of playing defense and nothing else. True, Chicago scored to bring the game to within 1, but, by continuing to spend time in the attack zone, the Wild kept pressuring for another tally, which forced Chicago to play in both ends.
Game plusses:
-Niklas Backstrom. One of three goalies in the league to play every minute for his team thus far, Backstrom shined the brightest against the 'Hawks, shutting them down in spite of their heavy shot total.
- AMA. Again, we called them out after the Columbus game. They might be reading us, because Miettinen, Koivu, and Brunette put together one of their strongest games. Every time their line was on the ice, the Wild had chances.
- Penalty kill. Killing off over a minute of 5-on-3 hockey is no small feat. Another thing that's no small feat? Not giving up a power play goal of any kind through the first seven games.
Game minuses:
- Shots. The Wild were heavily out-shot, by about 2-1. While Minnesota got better quality from their shots, they need to help keep the pressure off of the goaltenders. While Backstrom's riding a hot streak, he probably would like to work a little less hard during the game.
- The kids. Again, Pouliot and Gillies seem to have a lot of skills that they need to work on. This could very well be Pouliot's last chance to make the NHL roster, and he hasn't shown what he needs to show. Gillies is a question from game to game. James Sheppard also seemed a lot out of place, which was odd given how many of the Blackhawks are just as young.
- Injuries. Owen Nolan left the ice at one point. So did Brent Burns and Antti Miettinen. While we don't know if any of the injuries are serious, having them all in the line-up for Wednesday will only help.
Next up: Wednesday against the 3-4-2 Dallas Stars. The Wild have allowed the fewest goals in the league, while the Stars have allowed the most. By the same token, the Wild haven't always performed well against the team that used to call Minnesota home.
Keep in mind, though, that the Wild are a team with two starting goaltenders. Backstrom's hot right now, as he proved once again against a young, energetic, and talented Chicago Blackhawks team last night, but Josh Harding also has the skills to be the number one guy between the pipes. As for the Gaborik situation, well, as long as Mikko Koivu keeps doing what he's doing, the Wild may have already replaced their superstar.
One game after we called out Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette here on this site, they stepped up, along with NHL assist-leader Koivu, and put together 7 points amongst the three of them. Both Brunette and Miettinen scored goals, and Koivu was dishing the puck everywhere, including on the power play goal of Brent Burns. This all came after the Wild fell down 1-0 relatively early in the first period, and had to scramble back.
The second period is where the Wild has dominated opponents this year, and, on the scoreboard, they were able to do it again. A few too many times, they got trapped back in their own end, watching Chicago cycle the puck and fire shot after shot at the net. But that's where you're glad to have a netminder like Backstrom, who stood strong. When the third period came, in a welcome change, the Wild continued throwing pressure at Chicago's Christobel Huet, instead of their recent scheme of playing defense and nothing else. True, Chicago scored to bring the game to within 1, but, by continuing to spend time in the attack zone, the Wild kept pressuring for another tally, which forced Chicago to play in both ends.
Game plusses:
-Niklas Backstrom. One of three goalies in the league to play every minute for his team thus far, Backstrom shined the brightest against the 'Hawks, shutting them down in spite of their heavy shot total.
- AMA. Again, we called them out after the Columbus game. They might be reading us, because Miettinen, Koivu, and Brunette put together one of their strongest games. Every time their line was on the ice, the Wild had chances.
- Penalty kill. Killing off over a minute of 5-on-3 hockey is no small feat. Another thing that's no small feat? Not giving up a power play goal of any kind through the first seven games.
Game minuses:
- Shots. The Wild were heavily out-shot, by about 2-1. While Minnesota got better quality from their shots, they need to help keep the pressure off of the goaltenders. While Backstrom's riding a hot streak, he probably would like to work a little less hard during the game.
- The kids. Again, Pouliot and Gillies seem to have a lot of skills that they need to work on. This could very well be Pouliot's last chance to make the NHL roster, and he hasn't shown what he needs to show. Gillies is a question from game to game. James Sheppard also seemed a lot out of place, which was odd given how many of the Blackhawks are just as young.
- Injuries. Owen Nolan left the ice at one point. So did Brent Burns and Antti Miettinen. While we don't know if any of the injuries are serious, having them all in the line-up for Wednesday will only help.
Next up: Wednesday against the 3-4-2 Dallas Stars. The Wild have allowed the fewest goals in the league, while the Stars have allowed the most. By the same token, the Wild haven't always performed well against the team that used to call Minnesota home.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Game Six: Wild 2, Blue Jackets 1
So far this season for the Minnesota Wild, home is where the heart attack just might be. In three games at the Xcel, the Wild have decided to make it interesting. Against the Boston Bruins, the Wild took a three goal leading before hanging on for the one goal victory. When the Buffalo Sabres came to town, the Wild took a two goal lead into the final five minutes before losing the game in overtime. And Saturday night, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Wild almost found a way to do it again.
The scoring didn't start until the last minute of the first period, with Pierre-Marc Bouchard banging home the puck for his first goal of the season. Then, after some very nice offensive play by both teams during the second, including long stretches where the defenses were pinned into their own zone, Owen Nolan scored his first goal as a member of the Wild eight minutes into the third, putting the Wild up 2-0. If anyone thought that the Wild didn't have butterflies from their loss to Buffalo still lingering, they were proven wrong when Rostislav Klesla floated a shot from the point past Niklas Backstrom. Suddenly, the Wild were staring at another one goal game, albeit from a team not as offensively gifted as the Sabres.
That's not to say that Columbus doesn't have players who can score, and, with 11.5 seconds remaining in the game, it looked like they had done just that. Christian Backman slapped a shot from the blue line, it floated, got tipped by Rick Nash, and found it's way into the net. The problem for Columbus? It certainly looked like the 6'4" Nash had his stick above the crossbeam of the goal, and the replay confirmed it. So, after making it look like they'd collapsed again, the Wild were able to escape the Xcel with a 2-1 victory. At 5-0-1, they're also the only Western team that hasn't been defeated in regulation.
Game plusses:
- Owen Nolan. Not only was it nice to see the veteran back in the line-up, but he was out creating chances. If it hadn't been for some great play by Leclaire and Norrena, he would have had more than one goal.
- Niklas Backstrom. Again, Backs was strong in net, making defensive mistakes null and void. Plus, he kept his strong play even after getting dumped behind his net.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is a force on the ice, throwing his body everywhere he can. The kid leads the team in hits, and is certainly looking like he's got a really good shot of staying in the bigs for awhile.
Game minuses:
- Brent Burns. We know that Jacques thinks that Burns has been playing great lately. Our problem? Burns hasn't been playing the strong defense that we need. A miscue in the Columbus game was only saved by Backstrom making an incredible stop.
- The "prevent" defense. The Wild have a tendency, especially at home, to pull back and play defense when they get a late lead. Against Buffalo, it blew up in their faces. Against Columbus, it almost happened again. Maybe it's time to adjust and keep attacking the opposing teams.
- Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette. These two were skating with the best player on the ice from either team, Mikko Koivu. And yet, too often, Koivu was the only one making plays. Both Antti and Andrew need to step up to where they were the first three games of the season.
Next up: Tonight at the Xcel, against the 3-2-3 Chicago Blackhawks.
The scoring didn't start until the last minute of the first period, with Pierre-Marc Bouchard banging home the puck for his first goal of the season. Then, after some very nice offensive play by both teams during the second, including long stretches where the defenses were pinned into their own zone, Owen Nolan scored his first goal as a member of the Wild eight minutes into the third, putting the Wild up 2-0. If anyone thought that the Wild didn't have butterflies from their loss to Buffalo still lingering, they were proven wrong when Rostislav Klesla floated a shot from the point past Niklas Backstrom. Suddenly, the Wild were staring at another one goal game, albeit from a team not as offensively gifted as the Sabres.
That's not to say that Columbus doesn't have players who can score, and, with 11.5 seconds remaining in the game, it looked like they had done just that. Christian Backman slapped a shot from the blue line, it floated, got tipped by Rick Nash, and found it's way into the net. The problem for Columbus? It certainly looked like the 6'4" Nash had his stick above the crossbeam of the goal, and the replay confirmed it. So, after making it look like they'd collapsed again, the Wild were able to escape the Xcel with a 2-1 victory. At 5-0-1, they're also the only Western team that hasn't been defeated in regulation.
Game plusses:
- Owen Nolan. Not only was it nice to see the veteran back in the line-up, but he was out creating chances. If it hadn't been for some great play by Leclaire and Norrena, he would have had more than one goal.
- Niklas Backstrom. Again, Backs was strong in net, making defensive mistakes null and void. Plus, he kept his strong play even after getting dumped behind his net.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck is a force on the ice, throwing his body everywhere he can. The kid leads the team in hits, and is certainly looking like he's got a really good shot of staying in the bigs for awhile.
Game minuses:
- Brent Burns. We know that Jacques thinks that Burns has been playing great lately. Our problem? Burns hasn't been playing the strong defense that we need. A miscue in the Columbus game was only saved by Backstrom making an incredible stop.
- The "prevent" defense. The Wild have a tendency, especially at home, to pull back and play defense when they get a late lead. Against Buffalo, it blew up in their faces. Against Columbus, it almost happened again. Maybe it's time to adjust and keep attacking the opposing teams.
- Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette. These two were skating with the best player on the ice from either team, Mikko Koivu. And yet, too often, Koivu was the only one making plays. Both Antti and Andrew need to step up to where they were the first three games of the season.
Next up: Tonight at the Xcel, against the 3-2-3 Chicago Blackhawks.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Game Five: Wild 3, Sabres 4 (OT)
This was a hard game to swallow for Wild fans, and it probably wasn't that easy for Sabres fans, either. After snatching victory from the jaws of defeat Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Minnesota Wild found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the highly skilled Buffalo Sabres. It's never easy to see a team steal two points away from you, and it's that much harder to see it happen on your home ice.
The crazy thing is, for approximately 55 minutes, the Wild outplayed the Sabres in every aspect. They were skating better, shooting better, passing better, and defending better. After a great play by Brent Burns to give the Wild a 3-1 lead early in the third period, it certainly looked like Buffalo was on their way to their first regulation loss of the season. But a sloppy goal, a defensive lapse, and too much chasing turned the game completely on it's head.
From what we saw, the blame rests with the players, partly, but a good portion of it has to fall on coach Jacques Lemaire. After taking the two-goal lead against a top Eastern Conference team, Lemaire pulled the Wild out of attack mode, and encouraged them to play a defensive trap. He also started shortening the bench, which worked in the Sabres favor. Plain and simple, Buffalo was chippy all night, and they got more so in the third period, but there were no sightings of Craig Weller or Derek Boogaard. Plus, giving Buffalo the puck in the Wild zone for extended periods of time, especially without anyone clearing the front of the net, is a recipe for disaster, especially when Thomas Vanek is on the ice.
Ultimately, the Wild can't get too discouraged. Yes, they lost a game that they should have won. But they did it against a team that matches them in almost every single aspect of the game, and they still skated away with a point, keeping them on top (for now) of the Northwest Division. The next game will show if the Wild regain their killer instinct, or if they can't shake the Sabres attack from their heads.
Game plusses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. The kid looks like he's playing hard for a roster spot. He was all over the ice, in a positive way, throwing his body around and making some good plays. He's got the energy of Aaron Voros, but looks to have a bit more skill. It'll be tough to see him go back to Houston when Nolan and Gaborik come back.
- Derek Boogaard. The Boogeyman now has more points on the season (2) than fights (1). He even pulled a couple of nice dekes on the Buffalo defense, and almost banged home a goal.
- The first 55 minutes. Up until the late game collapse, the Wild were playing beautiful hockey, and were definitely out-playing the Sabres. Shifting their playing style at the end cost them the game, as they started chasing the Buffalo puck handlers.
Game minuses:
- Brent Burns. Yes, Burns had a beautiful play that gave the Wild the two-goal advantage. By the same token, he wasn't as strong in the defensive end as he has been in the past. He was also uncomfortably deep in the attacking zone a few too many times.
- Benoit Pouliot. We're hitting two of the goal scorers, but Pouliot needs to remember to play something more than offense. He picked up a rebound for a nice goal, but wasn't solid enough in his own end when push came to shove.
- Shortening the bench. We mentioned this before. The Sabres were getting fiesty. Putting Weller or Boogaard on the ice for a couple of shifts in the third might have taken some of their fight out. When Clutterbuck is the only guy really hitting, you need to add something else.
Next up: Saturday, against the 3-3 Columbus Blue Jackets, who play tonight against the visiting New York Rangers. Tonight is also Michael Peca's first game back from suspension.
The crazy thing is, for approximately 55 minutes, the Wild outplayed the Sabres in every aspect. They were skating better, shooting better, passing better, and defending better. After a great play by Brent Burns to give the Wild a 3-1 lead early in the third period, it certainly looked like Buffalo was on their way to their first regulation loss of the season. But a sloppy goal, a defensive lapse, and too much chasing turned the game completely on it's head.
From what we saw, the blame rests with the players, partly, but a good portion of it has to fall on coach Jacques Lemaire. After taking the two-goal lead against a top Eastern Conference team, Lemaire pulled the Wild out of attack mode, and encouraged them to play a defensive trap. He also started shortening the bench, which worked in the Sabres favor. Plain and simple, Buffalo was chippy all night, and they got more so in the third period, but there were no sightings of Craig Weller or Derek Boogaard. Plus, giving Buffalo the puck in the Wild zone for extended periods of time, especially without anyone clearing the front of the net, is a recipe for disaster, especially when Thomas Vanek is on the ice.
Ultimately, the Wild can't get too discouraged. Yes, they lost a game that they should have won. But they did it against a team that matches them in almost every single aspect of the game, and they still skated away with a point, keeping them on top (for now) of the Northwest Division. The next game will show if the Wild regain their killer instinct, or if they can't shake the Sabres attack from their heads.
Game plusses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. The kid looks like he's playing hard for a roster spot. He was all over the ice, in a positive way, throwing his body around and making some good plays. He's got the energy of Aaron Voros, but looks to have a bit more skill. It'll be tough to see him go back to Houston when Nolan and Gaborik come back.
- Derek Boogaard. The Boogeyman now has more points on the season (2) than fights (1). He even pulled a couple of nice dekes on the Buffalo defense, and almost banged home a goal.
- The first 55 minutes. Up until the late game collapse, the Wild were playing beautiful hockey, and were definitely out-playing the Sabres. Shifting their playing style at the end cost them the game, as they started chasing the Buffalo puck handlers.
Game minuses:
- Brent Burns. Yes, Burns had a beautiful play that gave the Wild the two-goal advantage. By the same token, he wasn't as strong in the defensive end as he has been in the past. He was also uncomfortably deep in the attacking zone a few too many times.
- Benoit Pouliot. We're hitting two of the goal scorers, but Pouliot needs to remember to play something more than offense. He picked up a rebound for a nice goal, but wasn't solid enough in his own end when push came to shove.
- Shortening the bench. We mentioned this before. The Sabres were getting fiesty. Putting Weller or Boogaard on the ice for a couple of shifts in the third might have taken some of their fight out. When Clutterbuck is the only guy really hitting, you need to add something else.
Next up: Saturday, against the 3-3 Columbus Blue Jackets, who play tonight against the visiting New York Rangers. Tonight is also Michael Peca's first game back from suspension.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Trade talk and Michael Peca
If you believe the rumor mill, then you've already accepted as fact the possibility that the Minnesota Wild is shopping around their only remaining original player. In fact, the local papers are even pointing to unnamed NHL executives saying that they've been personally asked if they are interested in Marian Gaborik, and his hefty contract hit. The unnamed execs are quoted as saying that they aren't interested in a trade.
Take that all with a grain of salt, though. Yes, Gaborik could be on the trade block. By the same token, the Wild could be inching closer to signing him to a long-term extension. The Wild bosses tend to hold their cards close to their chests, and this situation is no different. The biggest trick for the Wild, if they are trying to shop Gaby around, would be finding a team that could take him and his salary hit, and making sure to get players that make the deal look at least close to equal. However, when you couple Gaby's history of injuries with the fact that he's a year away from becoming a UFA, you realize how much more difficult it's going to be for a team to take a bite. After all, nobody wants to be like the Penguins with Marian Hossa.
As to where Gaby might end up if he does move, look for him to go east. The Wild are no fools in that aspect, and they'd make a point of shopping Gaborik out to some place that they might have to play him twice a season, unless there's a Stanley Cup match-up. After all, when he's healthy, he's always an offensive threat.
For now, it's just rumor. But rumors could spur action, so we might have more on this fairly soon.
Now, on to the Michael Peca incident. As many hockey fans now, Peca got suspended after a game against Dallas, where he initiated contact with an official. We've seen the video, and it's true that Peca grabbed the ref's arm, which is enough to merit the suspension. Peca did have an appeal, and got his suspension cut down to five games, due to circumstances that led to his grabbing the ref. Those circumstances?
Peca was tripped by Brendan Morrow on a power play. Shortly afterwards, Morrow scored a goal, which outraged the Blue Jacket veteran. So, in anger, and in trying to argue with the officials, he grabbed the referee's arm, and got slapped with his suspension. And yes, looking at the video, Peca was tripped. So was he justified?
Not in the slightest. There are calls that get missed every single game, and every single period. There are trips, crosschecks, holds, hooks, high sticks and elbows that change the course of the game and the officials don't send a player into the sin bin for them. Do some of those non-calls lead to goals? Yes. Was Peca right to be angry? Yes. But the problem here is that he grabbed an official. Say what you will about the refs at any sporting event, but they should be off-limits, except by accident. And Peca's been in the league long enough to know that, and keep his head in check. By grabbing the official, Peca took him from a position of authority to the same level as the players, and practically painted a target on him. And, in some ways, the NHL condoned Peca's actions by cutting his suspension in half.
Peca's able to return to the ice Friday night against the New York Rangers. Here's hoping he learned from his time off, and he is able to help reestablish the officials as the adjudicators of the sport.
Take that all with a grain of salt, though. Yes, Gaborik could be on the trade block. By the same token, the Wild could be inching closer to signing him to a long-term extension. The Wild bosses tend to hold their cards close to their chests, and this situation is no different. The biggest trick for the Wild, if they are trying to shop Gaby around, would be finding a team that could take him and his salary hit, and making sure to get players that make the deal look at least close to equal. However, when you couple Gaby's history of injuries with the fact that he's a year away from becoming a UFA, you realize how much more difficult it's going to be for a team to take a bite. After all, nobody wants to be like the Penguins with Marian Hossa.
As to where Gaby might end up if he does move, look for him to go east. The Wild are no fools in that aspect, and they'd make a point of shopping Gaborik out to some place that they might have to play him twice a season, unless there's a Stanley Cup match-up. After all, when he's healthy, he's always an offensive threat.
For now, it's just rumor. But rumors could spur action, so we might have more on this fairly soon.
Now, on to the Michael Peca incident. As many hockey fans now, Peca got suspended after a game against Dallas, where he initiated contact with an official. We've seen the video, and it's true that Peca grabbed the ref's arm, which is enough to merit the suspension. Peca did have an appeal, and got his suspension cut down to five games, due to circumstances that led to his grabbing the ref. Those circumstances?
Peca was tripped by Brendan Morrow on a power play. Shortly afterwards, Morrow scored a goal, which outraged the Blue Jacket veteran. So, in anger, and in trying to argue with the officials, he grabbed the referee's arm, and got slapped with his suspension. And yes, looking at the video, Peca was tripped. So was he justified?
Not in the slightest. There are calls that get missed every single game, and every single period. There are trips, crosschecks, holds, hooks, high sticks and elbows that change the course of the game and the officials don't send a player into the sin bin for them. Do some of those non-calls lead to goals? Yes. Was Peca right to be angry? Yes. But the problem here is that he grabbed an official. Say what you will about the refs at any sporting event, but they should be off-limits, except by accident. And Peca's been in the league long enough to know that, and keep his head in check. By grabbing the official, Peca took him from a position of authority to the same level as the players, and practically painted a target on him. And, in some ways, the NHL condoned Peca's actions by cutting his suspension in half.
Peca's able to return to the ice Friday night against the New York Rangers. Here's hoping he learned from his time off, and he is able to help reestablish the officials as the adjudicators of the sport.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Game Four: Wild 1, Lightning 0 (SO)
The game Saturday night reminded us why the game of hockey isn't played on paper. It also reminded us that sometimes, the best team doesn't get the bounces. After being outplayed for 60 minutes by Tampa Bay, Minnesota finally applied sustained pressure in the overtime period before sneaking away with the win in a shootout.
Defensively, both teams played strongly, as Tampa overcame penalty trouble with a very impressive penalty kill. Offensively, the Lightning had the edge, pouring more (and better) shots at Niklas Backstrom than the Wild were able to toss at Mike Smith. In fact, the only Wild line that seemed to be able to generate anything going offensively was the Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen line. Some of the best chances of the game for Minnesota came with Smith was caught out of his net, but the Wild weren't able to put the puck into the net. As for the best chances by the lightning, they were stopped by some tremendous saves by Backstrom, and some impressive blocks by both Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger.
When it came time for the shootout, it was obvious that Backstrom had practiced it in the off-season. Not sporting a great shootout record, he was able to stop all three Lightning shots (including a little help by Lecavelier just missing the post), while the only two Wild shooters who got the chance were Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen. Koivu attempted a different shot than his standard, which allowed Miettinen to take a page from his fellow Finn's book. The backhand roofer lit the lamp, and allowed the Wild to skate away with the 1-0 shootout victory, and improved their record to an impressive 4-0.
Good points from the game:
- Defense. All around, the Wild played a tight defensive game. Checking was physical, pucks were stopped everywhere, and Backstrom was given clear views of the net. Plus, keeping the penalty kill at a perfect 100% for the season is always golden.
- Shootout. We don't necessarily want to see a lot of these this year, but if the Wild can produce on the shootout the way they did Saturday, we might rest easier. No shock that the Wild's shooters were set at Koivu, Miettinen, and Brunette.
- Eric Belanger. He was the only Wild player not part of the top line that got a couple of decent looks at the net. Diving in front of those two pucks late in the third period saved the game for the Wild.
Negatives from the game:
- Power play. True, the Lightning found a way to tighten up their weak penalty kill, possibly because of coach Wes Walz's familiarity with the Wild power play. And true, the Wild had two very short chances. But the team wasn't really able to muster many shots on net, and should have been able to end the game sooner.
- Offense. Plain and simple, the team couldn't find a groove, offensively. They were badly outshot, and a good number of their attempts came from bad angles on the ice.
- Creating their own luck. The Wild admittedly had luck on defense, but none in the offensive zone. When a wandering goalie leaves the net open, and the puck is bouncing around, someone should have stepped up. And yet, when the Wild were in position, they tended to miss the net, or fan on the puck. Maybe some time off before the next game will get the team back on track.
Next up: Thursday night, against the 4-0-1 Buffalo Sabres, who have a game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
Defensively, both teams played strongly, as Tampa overcame penalty trouble with a very impressive penalty kill. Offensively, the Lightning had the edge, pouring more (and better) shots at Niklas Backstrom than the Wild were able to toss at Mike Smith. In fact, the only Wild line that seemed to be able to generate anything going offensively was the Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen line. Some of the best chances of the game for Minnesota came with Smith was caught out of his net, but the Wild weren't able to put the puck into the net. As for the best chances by the lightning, they were stopped by some tremendous saves by Backstrom, and some impressive blocks by both Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger.
When it came time for the shootout, it was obvious that Backstrom had practiced it in the off-season. Not sporting a great shootout record, he was able to stop all three Lightning shots (including a little help by Lecavelier just missing the post), while the only two Wild shooters who got the chance were Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen. Koivu attempted a different shot than his standard, which allowed Miettinen to take a page from his fellow Finn's book. The backhand roofer lit the lamp, and allowed the Wild to skate away with the 1-0 shootout victory, and improved their record to an impressive 4-0.
Good points from the game:
- Defense. All around, the Wild played a tight defensive game. Checking was physical, pucks were stopped everywhere, and Backstrom was given clear views of the net. Plus, keeping the penalty kill at a perfect 100% for the season is always golden.
- Shootout. We don't necessarily want to see a lot of these this year, but if the Wild can produce on the shootout the way they did Saturday, we might rest easier. No shock that the Wild's shooters were set at Koivu, Miettinen, and Brunette.
- Eric Belanger. He was the only Wild player not part of the top line that got a couple of decent looks at the net. Diving in front of those two pucks late in the third period saved the game for the Wild.
Negatives from the game:
- Power play. True, the Lightning found a way to tighten up their weak penalty kill, possibly because of coach Wes Walz's familiarity with the Wild power play. And true, the Wild had two very short chances. But the team wasn't really able to muster many shots on net, and should have been able to end the game sooner.
- Offense. Plain and simple, the team couldn't find a groove, offensively. They were badly outshot, and a good number of their attempts came from bad angles on the ice.
- Creating their own luck. The Wild admittedly had luck on defense, but none in the offensive zone. When a wandering goalie leaves the net open, and the puck is bouncing around, someone should have stepped up. And yet, when the Wild were in position, they tended to miss the net, or fan on the puck. Maybe some time off before the next game will get the team back on track.
Next up: Thursday night, against the 4-0-1 Buffalo Sabres, who have a game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
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