Minnesota Wild (20-10-2)  42pts  2nd in the Northwest

2.72 Goals For (14th)

2.41 Goals Against (8th)

17.9% Power Play (17th)

85.9% Penalty Kill (4th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 9G 21A = 30pts

2. #11 Zach Parise ~ 14G 14A = 28pts

3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 3G 24A = 27pts

4. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 6G 17A = 23pts

5. #10 Devin Setoguchi ~ 11G 10A = 21pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 82 PIM's

2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 55 PIM's

3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 31 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (18-7-2)  2.32GAA  .917%SP  1 SO

2. #35 Darcy Kuemper (1-2-0)  2.22GAA  .924%SP  

3. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0)  2.92GAA  .885%SP  1 SO

Vs.

Dallas Stars (15-14-3)  33pts  4th in the Pacific

2.69 Goals For (15th)

3.00 Goals Against (24th)

17.2% Power Play (21st)

82.2% Penalty Kill (12th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #68 Jaromir Jagr ~ 14G 11A  = 25pts

2. #21 Loui Eriksson ~ 9G 14A = 23pts

3. #14 Jamie Benn ~ 6G 16A = 22pts

4. #11 Derek Roy ~ 4G 16A = 20pts

5. #20 Cody Eakin ~ 5G 12A = 17pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #60 Antoine Roussel ~ 63 PIM's

2. #4 Brendan Dillon ~ 53 PIM's

3. #24 Eric Nystrom ~ 43 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Kari Lehtonen (12-8-2)  2.56GAA  .919%SP  1 SO

2. #31  Richard Bachman (2-3-0)  4.27GAA  .838%SP  

3. #41  Cristopher Nilstorp (1-3-1)  3.09GAA  .897%SP  

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"Happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again, so let's sing a song of cheer again, altogether shout it now, there's no one, who can doubt it now, so let's tell the world about it now, happy days are here again," this was Milton Ager and Jack Yellen's song Happy Days Are Here Again and was the anthem of America after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.  I think its a bit early to say the Wild are going to be free of set backs or bad times (knock on wood) but I think any Wild fan would have to admit its been a wonderful last two weeks.  A six game winning streak, ending long droughts of futility in Detroit and Dallas respectively and an offense which seems to have found itself in a major way (knock on wood) have been pleasant signs this team is living up to the potential of its roster.  Its been a while since the Wild's fanbase has felt so confident from night to night that its team had a better chance of winning than losing.  That is part of being a Minnesota sports fan in general where the mantra is always, "We'll believe it when we see it."  We're no strangers to disappointment after expectations have been raised.  From the Vikings, to the Twins and even to the lowly Timberwolves, Minnesota fans know to temper their excitement in the midst of good times because when it all comes crashing down the fall doesn't hurt as much.    

So can the Wild keep their winning streak going?  Can the offense continue to light the lamp with regularity? Can the fans allow themselves to get carried up in the good times and actually believe that happy days are here again?  Maybe.  The Phoenix Coyotes love the role of spoiler and with a season that as of right now has them looking on the outside of the playoff window they would love to leave Wild fans with a sour taste in their mouth.  The good times have been fun, but sports fans memories are always short and its all about what have you done for me lately.  If the Wild want to really show they're 'for real' another victory is needed this evening.  Will Minnesota have its fans cheering or howling mad tonight?  

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Minnesota Wild (19-10-2)  40pts  2nd in the Northwest

2.68 Goals For (15th)

2.39 Goals Against (6th)

18.5% Power Play (13th)

85.6% Penalty Kill (6th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 8G 20A = 28pts

2. #11 Zach Parise ~ 14G 13A = 27pts

3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 24A = 26pts

4. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 5G 17A = 22pts

5. #10 Devin Setoguchi ~ 11G 10A = 21pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 77 PIM's

2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 55 PIM's

3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 24 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (17-7-2)  2.30GAA  .918%SP  1 SO

2. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0) 2.92GAA  .885%SP  1 SO

3. #35 Darcy Kuemper (1-2-0)  2.22GAA  .924%SP

Vs.

Phoenix Coyotes (13-15-4)  30pts  5th in the Pacific

2.47 Goals For (23rd)

2.72 Goals Against (16th)

15.5% Power Play (22nd)

82% Penalty Kill (13th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #89 Mikkel Boedker ~ 6G 13A = 19pts

2. #23 Oliver Ekman-Larsson ~ 3G 16A = 19pts

3. #19 Shane Doan ~ 11G 7A = 18pts

4. #3 Keith Yandle ~ 5G 12A = 17pts

5. #50 Antoine Vermette ~ 7G 7A = 14pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #24 Kyle Chipchura ~ 43 PIM's

2. #3 Keith Yandle ~ 34 PIM's

3. #53 Derek Morris ~ 30 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #41 Mike Smith (11-10-3)  2.83GAA  .901%SP  4 SO

2. #1 Jason LaBarbera (1-5-0)  2.35GAA  .923%SP  

3. #31  Chad Johnson (1-0-1)  .98GAA  .952%SP  1 SO

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Before I say anything else, I would like to send my condolences to the family of actor Larry Hagman after losing his fight with cancer earlier this year.  Hagman would have fit in with most hockey players as he was a free spirit who loved a good practical joke.  It is with the memories of Hagman the fun-loving person that I write the rest of this introduction.  Larry Hagman's most famous character was the devious and ever scheming Oil baron J.R. Ewing on the primetime drama Dallas.  I watched Dallas a lot as a kid and even though his character often lacked ethics and did a lot of terrible things he was my favorite character on the show.  Hagman's J.R. Ewing character was calculated but had just enough charm so you didn't totally hate him but the same cannot be said for another devious corporate tycoon in the much-reviled Norm Green.  Green didn't make his fortune in oil, but rather in shopping malls he tried to be the charming owner of the Minnesota North Stars before taking the team and running to Dallas.  It is not a big surprise that Norm Green hasn't returned to the State of Hockey since he left back in 1993, not that we were hoping for a reunion anyways.  Both people, one a fictional character the other a real-life villain were greedy, lying businessmen who angered lots and lots of people.  Some things don't really change.  

Another example of this is the Wild's current losing streak in Dallas.  The team has not won a game in Dallas since 2003 when Wes Walz scored in overtime to give Minnesota a 3-2 victory.  The Wild have ended some impressive streaks already this season, ending an 11-game long losing streak in Vancouver and earning as well as ending a long droughts in Detroit and Nashville as well.  If the Wild need any inspiration at all all they have to do is look to Minneapolis where the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers' women's hockey team finished a perfect 41-0 season (49 consecutive victories and counting) and with their 2nd NCAA Championship in a row.  Can the Wild end this dubious losing streak tonight or will it continue?  

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Minnesota Wild (18-10-2)  38pts  2nd in the Northwest

2.53 Goals For (19th)

2.33 Goals Against (4th)

18.9% Power Play (14th)

86.2% Penalty Kill (3rd)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 7G 19A = 26pts

2. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 24A = 26pts

3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 12G 12A = 24pts

4. #10 Devin Setoguchi ~ 11G 9A = 20pts

5. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 4G 16A = 20pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 77 PIM's

2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 41 PIM's

3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 22 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (16-7-2)  2.23GAA  .921%SP  1 SO

2. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0)  2.92GAA  .885%SP  1 SO

Vs.

Dallas Stars (15-13-3)  33pts  3rd in the Pacific

2.64 Goals For (15th)

2.87 Goals Against (22nd)

16.8% Power Play (20th)

81.9% Penalty Kill (13th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #68 Jaromir Jagr ~ 13G 11A  = 24pts 

2. #14 Jamie Benn ~ 6G 16A = 22pts

3. #21 Loui Eriksson ~ 9G 12A = 21pts

4. #11 Derek Roy ~ 4G 14A = 18pts

5. #20 Cody Eakin ~ 5G 12A = 17pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #4 Brendan Dillon ~ 53 PIM's

2. #60 Antoine Roussel ~ 51 PIM's

3. #24 Eric Nystrom ~ 43 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Kari Lehtonen (12-7-2)  2.39GAA  .923%SP  1 SO

2. #31 Richard Bachman (2-3-0)  4.27GAA  .838%SP  

3. #41 Cristopher Nilstorp (1-3-1)  3.09GAA  .897%SP

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Sometimes the fate of enemies can be intertwined by their own decisions.  In a geo-political sense it may be connected by its use of various fuels, or strategic interests that can bring two foes to work together to solve a collective problem.  This sort of describes the strange relationship between the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks.  These two organizations, opponents on the ice have worked together a lot as they hope to solve their own team's personnel issues.  It all started in what I called the 'Summer of the Shark' back in 2011.  The Wild and Sharks made 3 separate deals that were supposed to have a big impact when they were originally made but also would loom like a shadow over these two clubs for years to come.  The first of these deals, was made at the NHL Entry draft which was held in St. Paul that year when Gary Bettman strode up to the podium and said "We have a trade to announce..." and then said Minnesota trades Brent Burns and a 2nd round pick to San Jose for Devin Setoguchi and Charlie Coyle and the 1st round pick (28th Overall who would become Zack Phillips) to the Minnesota Wild.  Being at the draft as I was there was a mix of cheers as well as some alarmed looks on the faces of some Wild fans.  Yet the two clubs were not done there as a week later the Wild and Sharks would deal two more times as Dany Heatley was swapped for an unhappy Martin Havlat and Minnesota would dump off injured and disappointing 1st rounder James Sheppard for a 3rd round pick.  So far you'd have to say the Wild have had the better end of the deal.  Setoguchi is absolutely on fire while Charlie Coyle seems to be a very promising power forward who is currently playing on Minnesota's top line.  Brent Burns on the otherhand had an reasonable year last season delivering 11 goals and 36 points, but this year he started off the season injured and since he's returned his play has been erratic at best and has 2 goals and is a -6.  The Sharks have even brought back the defenseman / forward experiment the Wild originally tried with Burns in his first few seasons after we drafted him.  Burns is a tremendous athlete, but consistency and the mental parts of the game are not his forte and I think the Sharks' are realizing that, hence their experiment at trying him out as a forward.  With the Sharks struggling this season I think its safe to say the pressure is on Head Coach Todd McLellan (who used to be the Houston Aeros Head Coach) as well as General Manager Doug Wilson who now commands an aging team with a hollowed out prospect pool whose best seasons seem to be behind them.  Also since these deals we seem to have had an affinity for former Shark players having signed free agents Brad Staubitz also in 2011 and Torrey Mitchell this summer.   Yet with all of these deals you could say the fate of one team could have a major impact on the other. 

From Right to Left: Devin Setoguchi, Dany Heatley, James Sheppard & Charlie Coyle

The Wild are currently surging towards the home stretch of the season having won its last four games in a row (knock on wood).  San Jose is staying on the edge of the playoff window but cooled off a lot after a red-hot start.  The Sharks know time is not in their favor so the sense of urgency builds with each game.  Can the Wild extend their winning streak today or will they get fed to the Sharks? 

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Minnesota Wild (17-10-2)  36pts  1st in the Northwest

2.55 Goals For (19th)

2.41 Goals Against (5th)

18.6% Power Play (16th)

86.5% Penalty Kill (5th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 7G 17A = 24pts

2. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 22A = 24pts

3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 11G 12A = 23pts

4. #10 Devin Setoguchi ~ 11G 9A = 20pts

5. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 4G 16A = 20pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 75 PIM's

2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 41 PIM's

3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 22 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (15-7-2)  2.32GAA  .917%SP

2. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0)  2.92GAA  .885%SP  1 SO

Vs.

San Jose Sharks (13-10-6)  32pts  3rd in the Pacific

2.28 Goals For (28th)

2.55 Goals Against (12th)

18.8% Power Play (14th)

86.6% Penalty Kill (4th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #19 Joe Thornton ~ 5G 23A = 28pts

2. #12 Patrick Marleau ~ 15G 8A = 23pts

3. #39 Logan Couture ~ 14G 9 = 23pts

4. #8 Joe Pavelski ~ 7G 10A = 17pts

5. #22 Dan Boyle ~ 4G 9A = 13pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #29 Ryane Clowe ~ 72 PIM's

2. #10 Andrew Dejardins ~ 52 PIM's

3. #9 Martin Havlat ~ 26 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #31 Antti Niemi (12-7-5)  2.28GAA  .921%SP  1 SO

2. #1 Thomas Greiss (1-3-0)  2.78GAA  .906%SP  1 SO

3. #32 Alex Stalock (0-0-1)  2.86GAA  .846%SP

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"Nowhere to run to baby, nowhere to hide, Got nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide, It's not love I'm running from, It's the heartbreak I know will come, 'Cause I know you're no good to me, But you've become a part of me, Everywhere I go, you're face I see, Every step I take you take with me," are the lyrics to the Motown classic Nowhere to Run by Martha Reeves & the Vendellas.  I think this song sort of typifies this shortened season.  Even though we're a little past the halfway point it really is quite the chase as just 4 points separates 3rd from 9th place in the Western Conference.  Detroit is a point behind the Wild and sitting in 7th.  The Red Wings are not used to having to claw and scratch their way into the Conference's top 8, but retirements and free agency have taken their toll and wins do not come as easy in the faux 'Hockeytown.'   Combine its own player exodus which included the retirements of future Hall of Famer Niklas Lidstrom and crease monster Tomas Holmstrom the Red Wings are more of a one-trick pony now.  Still, its an awfully good trick.  But not good enough to be atop the uber competitive Central Division with the Blackhawks leading the way with the St. Louis Blues not that far behind.  The Wild will no doubt have to play well if it expects to win in Detroit but I think everyone sees Detroit as being more vulnerable now. 

The Wild are coming off a resurgent performance in Vancouver and hope to keep its recent success on the road moving forward (knock on wood).  Minnesota has worked hard to climb the ladder into 1st place in the Northwest Division and with Vancouver still nipping at their heels they need to win to keep pace.  So will the Wild earn another big road victory or will they have nowhere to hide? 

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Minnesota Wild  (16-10-2)  34pts  1st in the Northwest

2.50 Goals For (21st)

2.43 Goals Against (6th)

17.2% Power Play (18th)

85.9% Penalty Kill (5th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 6G 17A = 23pts

2. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 2G 21A = 23pts

3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 11G 11A = 22pts

4. #7 Matt Cullen ~ 4G 15A = 19pts

5. #10 Devin Setoguchi ~ 9G 9A = 18pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 71 PIM's

2. #27 Mike Rupp ~ 41 PIM's

3. #44 Justin Falk ~ 22 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (14-7-2)  2.34GAA  .915%SP

2. #37 Josh Harding (1-1-0)  2.92GAA  .885%SP  1 SO

Vs.

Detroit Red Wings (14-10-5)  33pts  3rd in the Central

2.62 Goals For (17th)

2.52 Goals Against (9th)

15.8% Power Play (22nd)

80.2% Penalty Kill (18th)

Top 5 Scorers:

1. #13 Pavel Datsyuk ~ 9G 21A = 30pts

2. #40 Henrik Zetterberg ~ 8G 22A = 30pts

3. #55 Niklas Kronwall ~ 5G 17A = 22pts

4. #24 Damien Brunner ~ 10G 10A = 20pts

5. #93 Johan Franzen ~ 5G 9A = 14pts

Top 3 PIM's:

1. #22 Jordin Tootoo ~ 69 PIM's

2. #93 Johan Franzen ~ 31 PIM's

3. #55 Niklas Kronwall ~ 30 PIM's

Top Goaltender(s):

1. #35 Jimmy Howard (12-7-4)  2.42GAA  .917%SP  2 SO

2. #34 Petr Mrazek (1-1-0)  2.02GAA  .922%SP 

3. #50 Jonas Gustavsson (1-2-1)  2.85GAA  .878%SP

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"It's the eye of the tiger, the thrill of the fight, its the thrill of the fight, Rising up to the challenge of our rival, and the last known survivor, stalks his prey at night, and he's watching us all, with the Eye of the Tiger" are the famous rock ballad Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.  For the longest time, the Vancouver Canucks have denied a rivalry with the Minnesota Wild but its interesting how whenever these two teams meet there is always fireworks.  Whether it be sparring with fans or dirty cheap shots the two clubs seem to have the distinctive hatred that is created when you have (gasp) a rivalry.  Oddly enough that rivalry is about to end as tonight marks the last time the two clubs will meet as members of the same division.  This time its official as the league gave the final ok for NHL realignment.  I know I will not miss the 9PM start times for games within the division.  I wlll miss some of the trash talking with the NHL's most insecure group of fans.  Nothing on the line tonight, other than 1st place in the Northwest Division.  Canucks fans can go from being of full bravado after a win, to all out panic after a loss.  With the stakes so high you can imagine tensions are running high on the left coast.  

No one knows this bipolar nature of Vancouver fans better than goaltender Roberto Luongo.  After a failed bid to win the Stanley Cup in 2011 the franchise hero was pilloried as they blamed him for the loss.  The franchise seemed to give in to peer pressure and Luongo appeared to be on his way out, but he's still there.  Luongo understands the pressure, having grown up in hockey mad Montreal and saw the ugly saga with Patrick Roy  and by all accounts and has remained rather classy and professional.  Speaking of Roy, the Wild left him with a lasting impression, so what sort of lasting message will the Wild give Vancouver tonight? 

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