"Here comes Santa Claus, right sown Santa Claus lane, Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer, Pullin' on the reins, Bells are ringin', children are singin', all is merry and bright, hang your stockings and say your prayers Santa Claus is coming tonight" might be something the Wild should consider.  While Wild defenseman Brent Burns may be singing "All I want for christmas is my two front teeth" after colliding with teammate Greg Zanon resulting in the loss of a few chicklets in last week Friday's game against Calgary which ended in a 3-2 shootout loss.  Either way its that time of year, whether its the snow shoveling or the endless and unavoidable amounts of holiday music that is tagged to virtually every commercial on TV the reminder is constant.  Its nearing the holidays, and whether you celebrate Kwanza, Hanukah, Christmas or my personal favorite, Festivus ("Festivus for the rest of us" of Seinfeld fame) its a time to show those that we care about that we appreciate them.  While some decry that the holidays have become too commercialized, I would ask them to show me a major holiday that hasn't been exploited by big business.  Anyways, I guess this is the perfect opportunity to wish all of my readers out there a happy and safe holidays and that I hope all of your holiday wishes come true!  Now that you've given me that Full House-worthy "awww" I think its also the right time to talk about gifts.  Afterall, as kids, many judge the holidays almost solely on what they received as presents as to whether it was a good holidays or not.  So what would you, Wild fans wish to receive from the Wild?  Is it a goal scoring sniper for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft?  Is it salary cap relief?  Is it that one or more of the team's prospects really takes off to become a superstar?  Is it that Andrew Brunette get rocket skates so he can skate faster than slow motion for a change?  Is it the rather un-cheery sight of a pink slip of termination for Wild Head Coach Todd Richards?  Is it the Wild qualifying for the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs?  The choices and possibility of requests are endless but I can assure you that whatever you are wanting from the Wild, Santa Claus (i.e. General Manager Chuck Fletcher) will be "makin' a list, checkin' it twice, gonna find out who's been naughty or nice" and perhaps those players who have been naughty (cough haven't gave a full effort ) will be sent out of town. 

So the Holidays are a time for giving, and the Wild have already given opposing teams plenty already by losing its last 5 straight games.  Its time for the Wild to get some gifts of its own.  Its time for some of its players to step up and repay the gratitude (heavy salaries) they've been given (cough Mikko Koivu cough), and its time holiday colored team that the Wild are finally bring some cheer to the Xcel Energy Center in the form of wins which have been a 50/50 proposition so far this season.  The Phoenix Coyotes would also enjoy some giving, from its fans for whom the team has provided winning hockey but they have shown precious little loyalty as they dress up as empty seats most nights.  So what will the Wild find in its stocking tonight, a nice gift of a victory or just a sad lump of coal as they feel the misery of losing their 6th straight? 

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There is a saying that "life is hard."  It may be a saying that is used far too loosely in our society as people say that when they can't get cellular phone reception while others use that describe rather simply a loved-one's struggle with a terminal disease.  Obviously, the latter is far more worthy of that phrase and if you've ever lost anyone to any sort of terminal disease like cancer you have an idea of just how hard life can be.  Some people might use such a phrase to talk about the difficulties someone faces if they're unemployed and trying to raise a family.  No doubt its tough to tell your kids "sorry I can't" during the holiday season.  For others, when they say life is hard they may be trying to comfort someone that is going through a break up in a relationship.  Depending on how deep the feelings are for that person, or the extenuated circumstances of that break up it can be very difficult to deal with emotionally.  In fact, it may be extremely difficult to move on and the feelings of loss and pain can be quite stressful.  Speaking of relationships, I wonder as a whole where the Wild's relationship is with its fans.  It certainly isn't on real good terms at this point.  Not quite to the point where most of them (the fans) are seeing other people (teams) but certainly they're unhappy with what they've been receiving in this relationship at this point in the 2010-11 season. 

Would it be described as "being short with one another", "disatisfied", "feeling unappreciated" perhaps?  No I am not going to recommend Cialis or Viagra for the Wild (besides the Wild can't afford it), but they need to have some sort of shakeup if things don't improve soon.  No matter what, losing 5 of their last 6 and currently mired in a 4-game losing streak isn't helping the relationship any.  If the Wild were a significant other they may be sleeping on the couch at this point.  So will Minnesota bring flowers (wins) for the fans and start the healing process or will they stay in the relationship doghouse against Dallas, who has won their last 5 games. 

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"Everyone's watchin, to see what you do, everyone's lookin' at you, everyone's wondering will it come out tonight, everyone's trying to get it right, everybody's workin' for the weekend," that is of course Workin' for the Weekend by 80's band Loverboy.  That's right, get your keytars out and start rockin' out 80's style.  Well maybe not, but hey, it was worth a try.  However, going back to the lyrics a bit, it certainly is an apt description of being a professional hockey player where games are crammed in over the weekend and if you play in the minor leagues it is not uncommon to have a game on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday making for a pretty exhausting weekend.  Obviously it is because the weekends offer a better chance at drawing bigger crowds as most people have their weekends off yet for the players the weekends are all about work and attempting to earn their keep. 

That is precisely what the Wild will have to consider as they go into this weekend that Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher as well as most of the team's scouts will be analyzing this game closely, especially the performance of the players on an individual level.  The Wild and Fletcher appear to be approaching that point in the season when he begins to create an idea of the direction of this team.  If he thinks the direction is not favorable, Fletcher has flatly stated that he will be looking to make some significant moves to shake things up already noting that teams around the league have already started making some more phone calls as they ask and inquire about player availability and players they wish to deal.  If anyone on the Wild paid attention to those comments Fletcher gave the Minneapolis Star Tribune, I think the underlying message is pretty clear.  Its time for players to play to their potential or they will be moved. 

Fletcher also stated that he feels the team's woes are more a reflection of the performance of the players rather than the Wild coaching staff, something that will likely give Wild Head Coach Todd Richards a small bit of relief as more and more Wild fans have been making their displeasure with his coaching be known on team related blogs and message boards (including this one).  If I was Richards though, I wouldn't relax too much because if this team goes through a long losing streak he could find himself unemployed before Christmas.  The Star Tribune's Michael Russo noted that teams normally axe a coach when they have a lull in their schedule.  The next scheduled "lull" period starts December 12th, not that far away.  The Wild are currently riding a 3-game losing streak; a skid where the effort and performance of many of the players has been questionable at best.  

Tonight's game gives Minnesota an excellent opportunity to redeem itself, after having lost to the Flames 3-0 on Monday.  But that could easily turn into a recurring nightmare if the team again stumbles (especially during the 2nd period) and suffers another embarrassing home loss.  The Wild are a very un-Wild like 7-6-1 at home this season (counting the 'home' game played in Finland), and the old coaching adage always says its always better to lose on the road than at home with your fans forking over big money to watch you fail.  Normally the friendly confines of the Xcel Energy Center have been a source of strength but not season, as they're at just .500 in the State of Hockey.  That does little to encourage an already skeptical fanbase that you're close to righting the ship.  To be blunt the Wild need a win and its important to them in the standings as well as their individual future with the franchise to find a way to make that happen.  Its put up or shut up time, so will the Wild play inspired hockey tonight or will their effort give you more loathing than a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles to deal with those "cheery" people that work there?

Unfortunately for the Wild faithful, the downward spiral continues.  There were moments where it appeared that they were getting their game back.  For the most part, the first period was what you want to see.  We saw examples of hard work and fighting for the puck.  While the power play has faltered as of late (1 for the past 22 chances with the extra man), the Wild's first power play chance near the midway point of the opening period wasn't a bad attempt.  By no means was it perfect, but it gave a person hope that we just might see a full sixty minutes of effort.  In fact, it was as if that power play attempt energized the skaters.  Just over three minutes after Calgary's Mark Giordano was called for tripping, a Minnesota goal came from a somewhat unexpected, but pleasant resource.  After months and months and months of question with seemingly no answers, none other than Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the game's opening goal.  I have to give him props for taking the shot on goal, as in the past we've seen him more likely to pass the puck off to someone else instead of shooting.  While I'm happy he's tallied his first goal in what seems like forever, I'm not about to crown him yet as the savior of this team.  There are still more problems that need to be addressed, and the occasional goal from Bouchard is not going to be the proverbial magic wand that fixes everything.

Speaking of those problems, it was certainly an interesting first intermission.  Being that I live outside of the Twin Cities viewing area, I generally have to rely on NHL Center Ice to catch the games that aren't on Fox Sports-North.  Because tonight's game was on KSTC-Channel 45, I had to watch the Flames' feed on Rogers Sports Net.  Wanting to catch the Wild perspective on the game during the intermissions, I took advantage of streaming audio to listen to WCCO Radio's intermission report.  The guest was none other than Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher.  With his interview in the Minneapolis Star Tribune it wasn't surprising that we got to hear from him.  With the way things are going, Fletcher is essentially on the hot seat, and he has claimed he's ready to make things very uncomfortable for the players if things do not change.  What was interesting about this interview, is that I turned toward the TV (which I had on mute at this time), and there, during the Flames' intermission was their General Manager, Darryl Sutter.  While I continued to listen to Fletcher's interview, based on the Sutter's body language, my suspicion is that he was saying many of the same things as Fletcher.  Both General Managers are in charge of teams that are struggling, not just to find success on the ice, but their identity as well.  For those of you who are regular watchers of CBC's Hockey Night In Canada, you are familiar with their "Hockey Hotstove" segment.  Well with tonight's dual General Manager interviews that were occurring simultaneously, I felt that the Wild and Flames' broadcast teams should have banded together for a segment called "1st Intermission GM Hot Seat."

One other positive about the first period, was that the Wild managed to out shoot the Flames.  However that would not hold true for the rest of the game.  Once again, tonight was another night of watching a team that just cannot get the puck on net.    With the problem of even getting pucks on goal, one almost has to wonder how the Wild even manage to score goals in the first place.  When all was said and done, the Wild ended up with 22 shots to the Flames' 33 shots.  What frustrates me the most (and probably many fans as well), is that there are times where the Wild can exude great pressure on their opponents, but when you look at the box score at the end of the night you ask yourself how that can be.  The greatest illustration of this very situation was tonight's overtime period.  In those five minutes, and especially in the last two minutes, I found myself distracted by the excited and hard work.  Looking at the box score, you can see that the Wild registered only one shot on goal in overtime.  I don't know about you, but only managing one shot in five minutes is not a great way to try to win a game, especially one to a divisional opponent.

Tonight was another night of seeing players who don't seem to care.  There are are few players who seem completely invested in what they're supposed to do.  Clearly Bouchard is still building his confidence, but at least he was taking chances tonight.  Joining Bouchard in the "I Give a Damn Club" are Martin Havlat, Cal Clutterbuck, and on occasion Matt Cullen.  With the exception of those four players, the rest of the skaters appear to have pretty much tuned out.  Havlat has clearly found his game again, displayed by his one goal and one assist night.  The question I have it how long he can continue it when he has little support around him and how durable he is.  Let's face it, it's still early in the season.  In the case of Clutterbuck, his offensive output wasn't what we have seen from him recently.  However, he still was willing to go and at least try.  And of course, as we expect from the team's "bowling ball" he was willing to sacrifice his body in an attempt to get the Flames' players off their games.  I can't give Cullen full membership in the "I Give a Damn Club."  There were plenty of times I didn't even realize he was on the ice, but he had his moments where he actually tried to turn the tide of events.  Hopefully the promised shake up by Fletcher will help increase membership in this all important club.

Remember those days, long ago, where the Wild were dangerous in the shootout?  Remember when Mikko Koivu and Pavol Demitra were pretty much guaranteed to score in the shootout?  And who can forget Brian Rolston's wicked, yet often effective slapshot in the shootout?  Yes, well those are all distant memories.  That was then and this is now.  If ever there was a team that should not go to the shootout it's the Minnesota Wild.  Between the fact that the only skater of Minnesota's trio in the shootout that could score was Patrick O'Sullivan and that Niklas Backstrom is not a strong goaltender in that extra session makes the fact that we only got one shot on goal in overtime just that much more painful.  The winning shot by Rene Bourque you pretty much knew was going to go in before he really even wound up his shot.  Backstrom just did not seem ready.  There was nothing special about Bourque's shot, and it was the kind of shot you would expect your goaltender to handle easily.  Yet that was not the case.

One can only hope that the Wild boarded the plane at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on this snowy night with a bitter taste in their mouths and a fire in their bellies.  You almost wish that Saturday's game in Dallas was on Sunday.  With the way that things are going, the Wild don't deserve the relative comfort of a plane.  I wish we could bus the team down I-35.  If we could bus them, it wouldn't be one of those nice coach buses either, it would be a good old fashioned yellow school bus.  Clearly the Wild are too comfortable in their positions.  It is time for them to be uncomfortable, and perhaps a lack of creature comforts would wake them up.  But alas, this is the NHL and when you're a team in the Western Conference, busing between games just doesn't happen like it does in the New York City metro.

Perhaps, Fletcher can start by hiring furloughed state employees, especially those "cheery" Department of Motor Vehicle employees to come and make everyday administrative issues that player might have to deal with more difficult.  Welcome to the real world boys.
   


Wild Notes:

~ The Wild roster Friday night was as follows: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Kyle Brodziak, Andrew Brunette, Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Culllen, Martin Havlat, Mikko Koivu, John Madden, Antti Miettinen, Eric Nystrom, Patrick O'Sullivan, Brad Staubitz, Cam Barker, Brent Burns, Nick Schultz, Jared Spurgeon, Greg Zanon, Marek Zidlicky, and Niklas Backstrom.  Jose Theodore served as back-up goaltender.  The Wild's heathly scratches for the night were Chuck Kobasew, Clayton Stoner, and Justin Falk.

~ The 3 Stars of the Game as selected by Let's Play Hockey were: #1 Jay Bouwmeester, #2 Rene Bourque, #3 Martin Havlat.

~ Attendance for Friday's game was 17,130.

Houston Aeros Report:

2010-11 Record:  (12-9-1-2) 27pts 5th West Division

Top 3 Scorers:
1. #14 Jon DiSalvatore ~ 5G 10A = 15pts
2. #26 Maxim Noreau ~ 7G 7A = 14pts
3. #19 Jarod Palmer ~ 4G 10A = 14pts

Top 3 PIM's:
1. #42 Matt Kassian ~ 54 PIM's
2. #23 Petr Kalus ~ 47 PIM's
3. #12 Cody Almond ~ 43 PIM's

Top Goaltenders:
1. #30 Anton Khudobin 15GP (8-5-1)  2.20GAA .927%SP
2. #31 Matthew Hackett 10GP (4-5-1)  2.98GAA  .903%SP

Most recent game ~ Aeros 4, Rockford 3 SO

 In a divisional matchup that has steadily shown more intensity the last few years, the Houston Aeros battled against the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs Thursday evening in Houston.  After a hard fought first period, where both teams were trading scoring chances with relative frequency the Aeros got on the scoreboard first when team captain Jon DiSalvatore took a nice pass from Matt Kassian who was working hard down low before chipping it out to the crease where the former Maine star buried the opportunity by Hannu Toivunen with just under a minute left in the 1st, to give Houston a 1-0 lead going into the 2nd period.  Rockford would pour it on in the second period, as defenseman Brian Connelly blasted a point shot by Anton Khudobin to tie the game just beyond 3 minutes into the 2nd, and a few minutes after that it was former Golden Gophers star Ryan Potulny rifling a wrist shot by Aeros goalie to give the Ice Hogs a 2-1 lead at the end of two.  Perhaps sensing the game slipping away from the Aeros, Houston defenseman Drew Bagnall dropped the gloves with the Ice Hogs' Brandon Bollig.  Bagnall was really throwing some devastating right handed haymakers that Bollig struggled against and it had the desired effect of lifting the Aeros' spirits.  The Aeros would tie the game early in the 3rd period when Cody Almond found Jean-Michel Daoust sneaking in on a backside play to beat Toivunen to tie the game at 2 apiece.  Rockford back just a minute and a half later on another rocket of a shot from the point by Connelly to give the Ice Hogs a 3-2 lead.  With the game slipping away from the Aeros, Houston Head Coach Mike Yeo pulled Khudobin for an extra attacker with well over a minute to play and his gamble paid off as Jarod Palmer fired a shot that was knocked down by Toivunen but he was unable to pounce on the rebound before Cody Almond managed to shovel it by him to tie the game at 3-3.  In overtime, it was all Rockford as they tried to answer back to what was a poor 3rd period.  The Aeros seemed content to let the game slide to a shootout.  In the shootout the Aeros would strike first as Casey Wellman made a nice move to beat Toivunen while Rockford's Brandon Pirri couldn't solve Khudobin.  Khudobin would also force Kyle Beach to fire his wrister high and over the goal, but Almond wasn't able to finish either for the Aeros.  Rockford's Ivan Vishnevskiy would tie the shootout at 1 goal apiece when he moved in and beat his fellow Russian Khudobin with a perfectly executed backhand to forehand deke.  The Aeros next shooter, Robbie Earl would also come up short, but he was bailed out by Khudobin who stonewalled Hastings, Minnesota's Jeff Taffe and Brian Connelly to keep the shootout tied at 1-1.  This put the game into the hands of captain DiSalvatore and he did not let his team down as he made a sneaky little deke before sliding a shot 5-hole on Toivunen for the shootout game winner.  Khudobin made 25 saves in the victory.  The two teams will see each other the next night in Houston in what should be a spirited rematch. 

	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(11-11-2)	24	3rd NW	2.42 (24)	2.79 (15)	23.3%(6)	83.3% (13)
Calgary Flames	(10-13-2)	22	4th NW	2.68 (18)	3.00 (24)	14.3% (14)	81.3% (20)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #24 Martin Havlat	5	18	23
2. #9 Mikko Koivu	5	14	19
3. #7 Matt Cullen	6	12	18
4. #8 Brent Burns	6	7	13
5. #3 Marek Zidlicky	3	10	13
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	38
2. #8 Brent Burns	35
3. #4 Clayton Stoner	22
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (8-7-2)	2.66	.916
2. #60 Jose Theodore (3-4-0)	2.76	.918
Calgary Flames
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #40Alex Tanguay	7	15	22
2. #12 Jarome Iginla	10	11	21
3. #17 Rene Bourque	11	7	18
4. #8 Brendan Morrison	4	11	15
5. #18 Matt Stajan	1	14	15
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #15 Tim Jackman	54
2. #20 Curtis Glencross	40
3. #5 Mark Giordano	32
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #34 Miikka Kiprusoff (9-12-1)	2.82	.908
2. #35 Henrik Karlsson (1-1-1)	3.16	.875

 

Being a native Minnesotan, we are well aware of some of the famous native sons and daughters from the North Star State.  Some names that come to mind are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, and former United States Vice-President, the late Hubert Humphrey.  Thinking of the current state of the Minnesota Wild, I immediately think of one of the great peace rally songs of the Vietnam War era, by none other than another of Minnesota's native sons, Bob Dylan.

                                                              Come gather 'round people
                                                             Wherever you roam
                                                             And admit that the waters
                                                             Around you have grown
                                                             And accept it that soon
                                                             You'll be drenched to the bone.
                                                             If your time to you
                                                             Is worth savin'
                                                             Then you better start swimmin'
                                                             Or you'll sink like a stone
                                                             For the times they are a-changin'.

                                                             Come writers and critics
                                                             Who prophesize with your pen
                                                             And keep your eyes wide
                                                             The chance won't come again
                                                             And don't speak too soon
                                                             For the wheel's still in spin
                                                             And there's no tellin' who
                                                             That it's namin'.
                                                             For the loser now
                                                             Will be later to win
                                                             For the times they are a-changin'. 

Now I don't want you to get the impression that I'm trying to compare what are essentially trifling problems faced by a professional sports team to the violence of war and the chaotic strife here on the homefront during the 1960's.  It would be an insult to everyone who either fought in Vietnam or fought for peace and civil rights here at home.   However when you look at what is being said in the press and felt by the fans can expressed in those iconic words of Dylan.

According to an article in yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune, according to Wild General Manager, Chuck Fletcher, things need to change on the ice.  If they don't, he has publicly stated that he will make changes for the team.  One doesn't need to work hard to read between the lines.  If people don't step up to the plate, and do so soon, people could either find themselves with a new team or no job at all.  Yes, even head coach Todd Richards is in the same boat as the players, however Fletcher has stated that the players are the most responsible and will look for changes there first before firing the coach.  One could suppose that Fletcher is feeling pressure from his boss, team owner, Craig Leipold.  Compared to most owners who sit in the press box or a suite during games, Leipold can be seen sitting with the masses or walking through the concourses talking to the fans.  If there was ever an owner who was in touch with the fans, it would be Leipold.

It's hard to say what kind of change we'll see.  And it's even harder to say how quickly it will come.  Of course, changes can come, but whether or not they actually work is another thing.  The only thing we do know for sure about change, is that there will always be supporters and critics of those changes.  When it comes to professional sports, both the mainstream media and those of us on the blogosphere, as well as the countless fans on message boards, will have our opinions on the changes, whether enough change was made, or whether the team made the wrong charges.

Yes, the times they are a-changin'.

Copyright © 2010 www.StateofHockeyNews.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.

	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(11-11-4)	26	3rd NW	2.42 (24)	2.81 (18)	21.6%(8)	83.0% (13)
Phoenix Coyotes	(13-7-6)	34	2nd Pacific	2.81 (15)	2.69 (14)	16.7% (14)	81.4% (20)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #24 Martin Havlat	7	19	26
2. #9 Mikko Koivu	5	15	20
3. #7 Matt Cullen	6	13	19
4. #8 Brent Burns	6	8	14
5. #3 Marek Zidlicky	3	11	14
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	38
2. #8 Brent Burns	37
3. #9 Mikko Koivu	26
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (8-7-3)	2.61	.917
2. #60 Jose Theodore (3-4-1)	2.89	.919
Phoenix Coyotes
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #13 Ray Whitney	3	15	18
2. #17 Radim Vrbata	6	9	15
3. #22 Lee Stempniak	8	6	14
4. #3 Keith Yandle	4	10	14
5. #28 Lauri Korpikoski	7	6	13
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #3 Keith Yandle	32
2. #19 Shane Doan	25
3. #38 Vernon Fiddler	23
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #30 Ilya Bryzgalov (11-4-6)	2.54	.921
2. #1 Jason LaBarbera (2-3-0)	3.08	.914

 

Once again, it feels like controversy has surrounded the Wild.  However, it's not as serious as it has been earlier in the season.  It's not like when agent Allan Walsh was spouting off in the press about how the Wild were under-utilizing his client, a then under-performing Martin Havlat.  While they're on a losing streak right now, it's not quite as bad as the pathetic pre-season.  Perhaps I should take back the word "controversy" and instead call it "scuttlebutt."

The first bit of scuttlebutt comes in the form of Wild defenseman, Brent Burns.  Where is this coming from?  Well when you run into the helmet of teammate Greg Zanon and head to the lockerroom right away, the talk will naturally start.  Of course one should note that the injury happened near the end of the overtime session.  However, as it has publicly been stated, Burns missed 29 games last season due to a concussion.  According to Burns, the issue at hand was nothing more than a sinus-infection that was cleared up with antibiotics.  Seems that Wild management and team doctors went the overly cautious route, because the sinus issues came so closely after an actual season-ending concussion the previous season.  With this new revelation, Burns has been quite vocal in his interviews that he did not have a concussion last season.  He is so adamant in this that he has gotten rid of the M-11 helmet that has been pushed by former NHL'er, Mark Messier, back to his old CCM one.  The claims of the makers of the M-11 helmet are a bit dubious, as they claim to reduce the occurrence of concussions.  As Burns has correctly pointed out, there is no helmet out there that will prevent a concussion, as the concussion is the result of your brain moving around and smashing against the inside of your skull.  All the helmet will and can do is prevent skull fractures.  However, that hasn't stopped Pierre-Marc Bouchard from donning his M-11 helmet.  Bouchard claims he feels safer wearing it.  Now, if they would just create some sort of equipment for Bouchard so that he feels safer going into the corners.

Of course the greater bit of scuttlebutt is coming from and about Wild captain, Mikko Koivu.  Seems that he's upset about how things are going lately.  Well that's nice to hear, but in the real world, actions speak louder than words.  Until we really see that anger , I don't know if we'll ever really believe it.  Of course it doesn't help matters that his linemates, Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen aren't playing very well either.  Just like if the Wild fall asleep at the wheel during the second period, if the Wild's supposed top line fall asleep (like they've been lately), things aren't going to go so well.  A top line should be just that, a top line.  There shouldn't be a question of when they'll score but more of a how many will they score in any given night.  Unfortunately, the question we've been left with is the "when."  It's hard to win consistently when your top line is more or less invisible more often than not.

With the Wild out on this three-game roadtrip, I have to admit I'm a bit nervous starting it out in Phoenix.  Not only are they sitting in 2nd place in the Pacific Division, they have improved in some key areas since we last saw them on December 1st.  For example, in just over a week, they went from having the 21st ranked Goals Against per game to a current 14th ranked Goals Against per Game.  They've also improved their Penalty Kill in that same amount of time, going from 25th to 20th.  For a team like the Wild that continues to struggle offensively, this does not bode well.  Sure, the Wild have been rather stagnant in their Goals per Game stat all season long, but the once best Power Play in the league has slipped to a current 8th ranked Power Play.  So while we seem to get worse, the Coyotes are getting better, at least defensively.

I honestly don't know how to feel.  Part of me is glad that I'll be at work during the game, because if things go poorly, I won't have to see it.  However, if things somehow manage to turn for the better, I'll be a little sad that I missed it.  Yet, with the way things have gone lately, I'm going to go with my first instinct.


Copyright © 2010 www.StateofHockeyNews.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.

The underdog, the up-and-comer, or an upstart; all euphemisms for describing a person who is either succeeding despite the odds or at least working hard enough to defy them.  Many times when it is a team that pulls off a similar feat its called a Cinderella season.  To quote a famous movie with a similar title, famed prize fighter Max Baer once told upstart challenger James Braddock (called Cinderella Man by the press), "Its no joke pal, people die in fairy tales all of the time."  It will take a lot more than just a discouraging quote like this to keep any underdog down.  Back during the 2003 NHL playoffs, with his team up 3-1 in their series with the Wild, Vancouver forward Todd Bertuzzi once told Wild fans that their team would be golfing soon enough.  The Wild may or may not have taken that quote to heart, but either way the upstart Wild defied the odds by coming back from a 3-1 series deficit for the 2nd time to shock the Canucks in Game 7, 4-2.  Braddock would go on to shock the boxing world by defeating Baer in a 15 round bout to become Heavyweight Champion of the World.  Yet even for the Wild who managed to break an NHL record for this accomplishment its hopes and dreams were soon shattered in the Western Conference finals when they were upstaged by another Cinderella team in the 8th seeded Mighty Ducks of Anaheim who had shocked the hockey world with convincing series wins over Detroit and Dallas respectively.  Braddock would eventually lose his title two years later when he was knocked out in the 8th round by an African-American boxer Joe Louis.  So you never know when your Cinderella will end; just as the Ducks found out in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals when they were edged by the New Jersey Devils 3-0.

Last year, the Phoenix Coyotes were often called the Cinderella team of the NHL after shocking many experts by their surprising 2009-10 season that ended in the 1st round of the playoffs.  Throughout the season, experts predicted the Coyotes would falter but they held strong and ended the year in 4th place in the Western Conference.  The Coyotes were another shining example of how well executed, defensively focused team with great goaltending can go pretty far.  Coyotes bench boss Dave Tippett did what 'the Great One', Wayne Gretzky could never seem to do; make Phoenix into a winner.  It may not be the most entertaining style of hockey but it was pretty stifiling most nights as their collection of speedy forwards would eliminate time and space and their goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was a near impenetrable wall proved to be a winning combination.  It is amazing how some things can change while others remain the same.  The Coyotes are again near the top of the Western Conference standings, sitting in 7th place but despite the repeated success as well as the progress from last season the team still struggles through woeful attendance and the league still waiting for a buyer for the Desert Dogs.  Just 12,708 showed up to their most recent home game, a 6-4 loss to arch rival Anaheim.  Both the Wild and Coyotes are coming off 3-0 losses to the Flames and Predators respectively so which team will bounce back tonight, and which Cinderella hopeful will be left disappointed with the final horn sounds?

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(11-10-2)	24	3rd NW	2.44 (24)	2.74 (16)	24.1%(2)	83.0% (13)
Phoenix Coyotes	(11-7-5)	27	2nd Pacific	2.83 (13)	2.91 (21)	16.5% (14)	79.3% (25)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #24 Martin Havlat	5	17	22
2. #9 Mikko Koivu	4	14	18
3. #7 Matt Cullen	5	12	17
4. #8 Brent Burns	6	6	12
5. #20 Antti Miettinen	6	6	12
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	38
2. #8 Brent Burns	35
3. #4 Clayton Stoner	22
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (8-7-2)	2.66	.916
2. #60 Jose Theodore (3-3-0)	2.71	.919
Phoenix Coyotes
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #13 Ray Whitney	3	13	16
2. #17 Radim Vrbata	6	9	15
3. #22 Lee Stempniak	7	6	13
4. #86 Wojtek Wolski	4	9	13
5. #28 Lauri Korpikoski	6	6	12
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #3 Keith Yandle	32
2. #19 Shane Doan	25
3. #38 Vernon Fiddler	19
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #30 Ilya Bryzgalov (10-4-5)	2.75	.915
2. #1 Jason LaBarbera (1-3-0)	3.45	.904

 

I'm sitting here wondering if I should feel excited or not. 

The Wild's recent play as of late makes it hard to feel excited about anything.  Sure, those opening periods have generally been good ones, full of solid play.  Yet, the second periods tend to be cringe-worthy.  They're so bad, you have to wonder what is going through the minds of players, coaches and management.  In fact, I think it's time that someone makes the players cringe like the fans have.  It's time for them to be uncomfortable.  It's time for them to be pulled into the boss' office and given a performance review.  And perhaps it is time for all involved to take a page from Jacques Lemaire's playbook.  In that if you find yourself in the doghouse, everyone knows it.  We as fans do pay part of a player's salary, and I think we deserve to see some of the players squirm.

It just seems to be a bit ironic, that with all the drama we've been through in this still early part of the season, that Pierre-Marc Bouchard and the team have announced that he will be making his return tonight.  He's not just returning from any injury, but from a severe concussion that pretty much knocked him out (pun intended) of action almost the entire previous season.  Concussions have easily become the current sports medicine buzzword.  Little kids playing contact sports, especially youth hockey and football are having to undergo the baseline neurological testing now.  What scares many fans about Bouchard's return is that he has never been known as a physical player.  He's never been a player willing to go into the corners to dig for a puck.  And what is even more concerning is that Todd Richard's game-plan involves skaters playing a physical game, and heading into the corners.  People coming back from concussions are often lack some confidence, and are more prone to future concussions.  Another thing that worries me, is that Bouchard's professional return is directly to the NHL.  No one would have criticized him for doing a rehab stint in the AHL.

It's also difficult to get excited about tonight's opponent.  There once was a time when a game against the Phoenix Coyotes was almost a sure win.  Those days have changed.  Last season, the Wild were swept by the Coyotes.  While this may seem somewhat blasphemous, one has to respect the turn around that has happened in the desert.  With all the chaos surrounding that team, the fact that they can put a winning team on the ice is amazing.  In fact, you have to admire that.  However, it does beg the question why a team such as the Wild with solid ownership can't find continuous success when a team without an owner is most likely playoff bound.  Just comparing the salary makeup of the Wild and the Coyotes, really makes you wish we had the salary numbers that they have in Phoenix.  Just one more example of why paying someone more does not mean they will play better. 

Tonight's game will most likely hinge on that crucial second period.  So goes the second period, so goes the Wild.

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The news that famous comedic actor Leslie Nielsen was tough to deal with.  The master of the deadpan, with terrific timing he really took off (literally and figuratively) with the 1978 Airport inspired spoof Airplane.  From lines like "Yes I'm serious, and don't call me Shirley" to "You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.  A hospital? What is it?  It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now."  No matter what he could always make you laugh and many of his jokes are more or less timeless.  He battled through having an alcoholic and abusive father as well as being able to overcome being almost deaf without almost anyone learning of these challenges until he passed away.  This proud Canadian actor who said he likely was chosen for roles of leadership for his "Canadian accent" always seemed to have a level of humbleness that made his roles so endearing.  The Regina, Saskatchewan-native may or may not have been a big fan of hockey, but he certainly had something to say about the game many hockey players relish playing during the offseason, when he described golf so aptly when he stated, "The reason they call it 'golf' is that all the other four-letter words were used up."

It may not be for a rodeo or a game of golf in Saskatchewan, but in someways the Wild need to be thinking along those lines tonight as they head up to Alberta to play the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.  The Wild need to think about wrangling in their plummeting post-season hopes and that must start with a solid effort between the pipes.  In Minnesota's most recent game, the Wild had a poor performance from Niklas Backstrom and it doomed the Wild to a 7-4 loss at the hands of the speedy Avalanche.  Simply put the Wild cannot have sub par goaltending and some wonder if the most recent performances of Backstrom is a sign that he is wearing down.  His goals against average has steadily increased and his once gaudy save percentage has steadily worn away.  Many questioned Wild Head Coach Todd Richards non-decision in swapping out Backstrom sooner, instead leaving him out there to struggle as the Avs lit him up for 7 goals.  It certainly isn't a situation that endears a coach to his goaltender when he allows him to endure such humiliation.  So will the humiliation continue or will the Wild refocus and rope in the wayward Flames this evening? 

Minnesota had the first quality scoring chance of the game as the Wild's energy line drew an early turnover as Eric Nystrom's forechecking created a steal for John Madden who fired a backhander that was steered wide by Miikka Kiprusoff.  The Wild was moving its feet well to start the game, taking every opporting to fire shots on goal as Marek Zidlicky blistered a slap shot that missed high.  The State of Hockey continued to attack and after eluding a hit, Nystrom would carry the puck to the net where he tried to stuff a backhand but was stonewalled by Kiprusoff who held on despite having Matt Kassian and Brad Staubitz also crashing towards his crease.  The level of hustle was only lacking a little puck luck as the 2nd line had a solid shift where Martin Havlat who centered the puck despite being in the process of falling to the ice but unforunately no one was there to receive this nice hustle play.  The Flames struggled to get much going offensively early on as they tried to remedy that with some puck battles along the boards before setting up a blast from the point by Mark Giordano that reached Jose Theodore who was well screened but he was able to make the save.  Minnesota would earn a power play after a hooking penalty by Robyn Regehr.  The Wild struggled to get the puck to settle on the ice, and this caused them to mison a few early scoring opportunities.  Eventually the Wild managed to set up a close range shot by Andrew Brunette who shoveled a few shots at Kiprusoff that he shut down, Minnesota would regroup and had a great chance on a little give and go between Martin Havlat and Patrick O'Sullivan whose bouncing pass nearly eluded the Calgary goaltender.  The Wild also had to defend against a few shorthanded chances as Mikael Backlund drove to the crease where his attempt was steered wide by Theodore.  The Flames continued to hustle and and a quick little pass by Iginla ended up in a great chance for Alex Tanguay who was stymied by the Wild goalie.  The Wild started to increase its level of hustle and Minnesota would continue to show their simplified attack as Martin Havlat wristed a shot on goal that Kiprusoff would cover, and after the stop Regehr would give a few shoves to Kyle Brodziak.  A few moments later, Cal Clutterbuck bounced off a check by Brendan Mikkelson and skated down beneath the goal line before feeding a pass into the slot where Antti Miettinen tried to jam a shot by fellow Finn Kiprusoff but he'd make the big save.   At times the Wild was making the game tougher than it needed to be as Havlat was guilty of a few weak passes that led to easy turnovers for the Flames.  The Flames started to pour it on late, dumping the puck deep and establishing the forecheck as Backlund got set up in the slot where he spun and fired a backhander that was directed to the corner by Theodore.  Minnesota started to show some grit as Mikko Koivu put his shoulder into Olli Jokinen that sent him falling to the ice, and the top line would go on the attack where Brunette dished a pass to Koivu who got off a quick wrist shot that was denied by Kiprusoff.  The Wild seemed to have a bit more jump in his skates as Matt Cullen made a nice steal near the blueline where Havlat would take the loose biscuit and he'd drive straight to the Calgary goal where he tried to push a shot 5-hole on Kiprusoff but he would close down the opening and cover up for a whistle.  The Wild kept working as a nice win for the puck along the boards by Cam Barker as he managed to kick it loose to Brodziak who sent a pass back to Jared Spurgeon who wound up and ripped a slapper that was easily steered wide by the Calgary puckstopper.  Minnesota would take a late penalty when Cal Clutterbuck felt more or less forced to slash the stick of Jokinen who looked to have an uncontested shot from the slot, but he'd shatter Jokinen's twig for the obvious penalty.  The Wild's penalty kill was aggressive and challenged well in the Calgary zone and the game would remain scoreless, with the Flames still holding a minute left of power play time to start the 2nd period. 

The Flames would go immediately on the attack as they had nearly a full minute of power play time left, and Niklas Hagman directed a shot on goal that was blocked wide by Theodore.  Minnesota's penalty killers kept the Flames to the perimeter and Calgary would struggle to hold the zone and the Wild were able to get the big early kill.  Moments later Minnesota had a promising scoring chance as Mikko Koivu set up Andrew Brunette with a nice little pass but as he moved in on Kiprusoff he'd try to dish it over to a wide open O'Sullivan but the puck was intercepted by a diving play by Bouwmeester.  The missed opportunity would come back to haunt the Wild as Jarome Iginla worked the puck down beneath the goal line before carrying it out in front where he backhanded a pass to a wide open Jay Bouwmeester who was patient, drawing Theodore to fall to the ice and he fired a backhander into the gaping net to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.  The pain would only get worse as a long range shot by Rene Bourque that caromed off the boards and back out into the slot where it was pounced upon by Iginla who beat Theodore to make it 2-0 Flames.  After having given up 2 goals in 18 seconds of play Wild Head Coach Todd Richards had seen enough to call a timeout where you could tell he was ripping into his team's lack of initiative on its scoring opportunity as he tried to turn things around.  The Wild you could tell were trying to regroup mentally, but the Flames were going to continue to try to press the attack and as the Flames tried to swarm the Minnesota crease as Tim Jackman put some snow into the face of Theodore, young enforcer Matt Kassian tried to goad him into a fight but Jackman just smiled and skated back to his bench.  The game would open up a bit more as both teams would trade rushes with one another.  Minnesota tried to use some physical play to neutralize the Calgary's forechecking effort as Greg Zanon leveled Alex Tanguay with a bit hit.  The Wild had its best scoring chance to this point in the period as Matt Cullen skated into the Calgary zone and he flung a dump in, which was tracked down by Havlat who turned back along the wall before sliding a pass to a wide open Marek Zidlicky who was pinching in and he looked as though he had Kiprusoff at a bad angle but he'd manage to make the stop and the possession was ultimately thwarted by a hand pass.  Minnesota would try to keep up its momentum it created from the scoring chance as the 4th line was throwing its weight around as Staubitz leveled Mikkelson, but the aggressive stance of the Wild nearly cost them as Tanguay found some open space and his snap shot did not miss by much.  The Wild would earn a level of reprieve as Matt Stajan hooked down Patrick O'Sullivan giving Minnesota just its 2nd power play of the game.  Minnesota would have great trouble getting established in the Flames' zone, but they finally was able to set up a rocket from the point by Zidlicky which was gloved by Kiprusoff.  The Wild were unable to capitalize on the power play, as Havlat tried to set up O'Sullivan who just wanted to stand near the crease and he just turned and watched as the Flames were able to skate the puck out of danger.  The Flames seemed content to play it safe and wait for an opportunity to counter attack as Rene Bourque weathered a check, and then attempted a wrap around that went skittering through the crease.  The Wild tried to go on the attack one last time as Martin Havlat worked a small little play with Mikko Koivu near the Calgary blue line where Koivu drove a shot on goal that led to a big rebound but Kiprusoff was able to keep Cullen's rebound attempt out and Minnesota would trail 2-0 going into the 3rd period. 

The Flames were outworking the Wild early to start the 3rd, keeping Minnesota bottled up in its zone with a solid forecheck.  Minnesota tried to be fancy and dangle a bit as Havlat would try to toe drag around a defender but as he was going to fire it on goal he was hit by Bouwmeester.  The Wild tried to go back to the simply their attack again as Clutterbuck and O'Sullivan took their chances to just fire long range shots on net.  Minnesota would continue to take its chances and a nice steal near the Calgary blueline by Koivu turned into a long shot by Spurgeon that was blocked and pushed away by Kiprusoff but Brunette got on the rebound but his shot was kicked away by the Flames netminder.  The Flames tried to counter with some offensive pressure of its own as Backlund tried to set up Jokinen but his shot was stopped by Theodore.  Minnesota started to create some consistent pressure with its 2nd line as Martin Havlat set up Greg Zanon for a shot from the point that he wired on goal that was absorbed by Kiprusoff.  Minnesota was still being a bit cute with the puck and this would lead to a dangerous scoring chance by the Flames as a steal by Iginla pushed a puck up to Stajan who fired a snap shot that was directed to the corner by Theodore.  Nystrom would earn a disgruntled cheer from the Flames crowd as he drew a penalty.  On the man advantage the Wild had a great opportunity early as Havlat fed a pass to O'Sullivan who redirected a shot on goal that was deflected up and over the net by the paddle of Kiprusoff and then O'Sullivan would be denied on a backhand chance near the crease.  The Flames penalty kill was challengin the full length of the ice and Backlund came real close to registering a shorthanded goal.  Minnesota would be unable to find the back of the net on the power play and you could sense some of the spirit of the Wild diminished after that missed opportunity.  Minnesota's Nick Schultz would take an ill-timed hooking penalty on what could be argued was a fairly weak call.  The Flames did not seem to care much about creating offense as they took the opportunity to kill off two minutes off the clock.  Calgary was hustling well, and Minnesota just did not seem to have the legs to win the races to the loose pucks nor the energy to win the battles along the boards.  Brent Burns would take a bad hooking penalty at 2:40 left in the period which effectively sealed the Wild's fate.  Calgary was predictably patient on the man advantage again using it as opportunity to kill more time off the clock.  They had a few shots on goal as Bouwmeester and Iginla showcased some good chemistry and Minnesota just stopped working and the Flames finally beat Theodore as Niklas Hagman skated into the slot and ripped a wrister high glove side to seal a 3-0 Calgary victory. 

Jose Theodore cannot be blamed for the loss, giving up 3 goals on 31 shots.  He certainly played well enough to keep the Wild in the game so that it had an opportunity to win this game.  Defensively Minnesota again died in the 2nd period as the feet stopped moving and the Flames pounced to score twice in an 18-second span in the 2nd period.  Penalties were not a huge problem for the Wild, but Minnesota was not getting great support from its blueline and Brent Burns had a sub par game.  Jared Spurgeon looked like a rookie on the ice, a little soft on his skates but he didn't really hurt the team either and he may get another chance but in all honesty I am not sure why the team chose not to dress Justin Falk who could bring a little physicality along with good mobility instead of giving an untested rookie a shot in a game you really needed to win. 

Offensively the Wild went away from the simplified just throw everything they can on the net, and instead started to play a fancy game and predictably the shots on goal started to stagnate.  While some may say 32 shots on goal was solid, many of those chances were from long range and even on its close in chances the Flames defense was able to prevent many of the 2nd and 3rd chance opportunities.  Minnesota victimized itself with some of its lazy passing which cost the team a few potential scoring chances off the rush where they had an advantage in numbers.  One player who looks real lost and lacking confidence is team captain Mikko Koivu.  A great example of this was in the closing seconds of the game where Koivu finally had some time and space to work with, and instead of just blazing a shot on goal he instead tried to deflect a shot off of Antti Miettinen who was not really in a good position to make such a play.  Koivu must be a factor offensively if this team is going to seriously challenge for a playoff spot.  Minnesota must continue to keep things simple offensively if they want to get their confidence rolling. 

On a sidenote, I don't see why the team chose to dress Matt Kassian and Brad Staubitz tonight when the Flames really only have one tough guy in Tim Jackman.  Jackman was smart and did not oblige Kassian's challenge to fight. 

Wild Head Coach Todd Richards felt the team played a good 1st period but had this to say about the 2nd period, "the style of the game changed, there was more flow and open ice and our defense was jumping up the ice and this fed into their momentum, but it was that 3-4 minutes where they got the two goals and its too bad because I liked the way we played in the 3rd."  He also stated he thought Theodore played well enough for the Wild to have had a chance in this game.  I personally am not happy with Richards' response.  How many 2nd period collapses do we need to see as fans?  I don't care if its for a short time or not, why did the team go away from what was working?  That being a simplified attack and just throwing the puck on net looking for rebounds.  How can you allow that to happen as a coach?  The Wild used to have a nice little lead on Calgary in the standings who was doing a fine job of self destructing on its own, but now they have left them off the hook and are now tied with them at 24 points apiece.  I am not looking forward to Wednesday's game against Phoenix, which is a solid well-coached counterattacking team in the Jacques Lemaire-mold.  If Minnesota again tries to be fancy and cute on the rush it could find itself being blitzed by the desert dogs in a hurry. 

Wild Notes:

~ The Wild roster tonight is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Antti Miettinen, Martin Havlat, Matt Cullen, Patrick O'Sullivan, Cal Clutterbuck, John Madden, Matt Kassian, Brad Staubitz, Eric Nystrom, Kyle Brodziak, Nick Schultz, Greg Zanon, Cam Barker, Jared Spurgeon, Marek Zidlicky and Brent Burns.  Niklas Backstrom backed up Jose Theodore.  Clayton Stoner and Justin Falk were the healthy scratches.  Guillaume Latendresse is still out recovering from surgeries while Chuck Kobasew is expected to return soon after helping take care of his sick mother.  Pierre-Marc Bouchard is still hopeful of a return as he has been practicing but still is feeling some discomfort.  

~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Miikka Kiprusoff, 2nd Star Jay Bouwmeester, 3rd Star Jarome Iginla

~ Jared Spurgeon who was celebrating his 21st birthday tonight wore #46 for the Wild, the first time anyone has worn that number in a regular season game in franchise history. 

~ Tonight's attendance at Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome 19,289 even though there were more than a few empty seats visible. 

Wild Prospect Report:

LW - Kris Foucault ~ Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

2010-11 Stats:  20GP  7G 8A = 15pts  23 PIM's  -5

There hasn't been a lot that has gone right for the Calgary Hitmen this season.  In what was supposed to be just a slightly down season has turned into a complete disaster.  The team has not received the production it expected from its overagers like Jimmy Bubnick as well as Wild winger Kris Foucault.  Yet this weekend there were signs that Foucault may be working his way out of his drought after scoring twice against a very strong Red Deer squad (ironically he scored both of his goals against Wild prospect goaltender Darcy Kuemper).  His skating, stickhandling skills may remind some Wild fans of Martin Havlat as a player who can dazzle but also frustrate you by not playing to expectations.  Still his battle with consistency is what will ultimately determine whether he is a viable prospect for the Wild or not.  When he is focused he can be a very dominant player but when he's not he can be completely invisible. 


F - Erik Haula ~ Minnesota Golden Gophers (WCHA)

2010-11 Stats:  14GP  3G 12A = 15pts  14 PIM's

It has been a while since the Minnesota Golden Gophers has had a foreign-born freshman play such a significant role so soon; in fact you may have heard of him, Thomas Vanek.  However Haula is playing like a junior or senior demonstrating great creativity, assertiveness that has been lacking for quite a while for the maroon and gold.  Haula has excellent speed and hockey sense and has had terrific chemistry with upper classmen Jay Barriball and Mike Hoeffel.  He has the versatility to play all 3 forward positions as well as play a role both on the power play and the penalty kill.  With that being said it should come as no real surprise that the Pori, Finland native is 2nd on the team in points.  Haula also has the ability to deliver in the clutch as he scored a crucial goal in the Gophers 3-1 victory over #8 Michigan just as the Wolverines seemed to be close to mounting a comeback this weekend in the annual College Hockey Showcase.   

	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(11-9-2)	24	3rd NW	2.54 ()	2.73 ()	25.0%()	83.5% ()
Calgary Flames	(9-12-2)	20	4th NW	2.70 ()	2.96 ()	14.1% ()	82.3% ()

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #24 Martin Havlat	5	17	22
2. #9 Mikko Koivu	4	14	18
3. #7 Matt Cullen	5	12	17
4. #8 Brent Burns	6	6	12
5. #20 Antti Miettinen	6	6	12
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	38
2. #8 Brent Burns	33
3. #4 Clayton Stoner	22
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (8-7-2)	2.66	.916
2. #60 Jose Theodore (3-2-0)	2.66	.922
Calgary Flames
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #40 Alex Tanguay	6	13	19
2. #12 Jarome Iginla	9	9	18
3. #17 Rene Bourque	11	6	17
4. #8 Brendan Morrison	4	11	15
5. #18 Matt Stajan	1	13	14
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #15 Tim Jackman	45
2. #13 Olli Jokinen	28
3. #5 Mark Giordano	28
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #34 Miikka Kiprusoff (8-11-1)	2.75	.909
2. #35 Henrik Karlsson (1-1-1)	3.16	.875

 

It appears that the first round of post-holiday letdown is upon us.  I don't know about you, but I always feel that the holiday weekends always pass too quickly.  I suppose part of that is due to the fact that our travels for Thanksgiving involved a four-hour (each way) drive.  Then, you often expect the chance to relax, yet find yourself keeping busy with family.  While I refuse to take part in Black Friday shopping, I can imagine that many found their long weekend eaten up by venturing into their nearest shopping mall.

Letdown has reared its ugly head for those involved with the Wild.  Friday's game against the Nashville Predators seems to be the bright spot lately.  Wild fans went into the Thanksgiving holiday with depressing losses against both the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.  I know I was nervous about Friday's game, as that Black Friday game hasn't always been kind to the Wild.  Fortunately, they came out to play hockey and played a strong game.  However, it appears that the turkey-laden hangover didn't come until Saturday's game in Denver.

While the Wild came out strong in the first period, the second period wasn't so kind.  For some reason that defies all logic, the team falls completely apart.  It has become so bad lately, that even head coach Todd Richards has started to express his frustration.  While he's still holding to his original agreement to never call out individuals in the media, he has finally laid some of the blame at the feet of some of the team leaders.  One thing Richards has begun to wonder about is whether or not to praise the team for a job well done.  According to Richards, he praised the team during the first intermission in Denver, when they were winning.  Of course we all know what happened after that first intermission.  Richards also mentioned that these players are professionals.  Perhaps it's time for some more criticism.  It doesn't have to be public, but perhaps it is time for Richards to take a page from Jacques Lemaire.

With more holidays just around the corner, there is plenty of time for more post-holiday letdown.  I'd rather they figure a way to get their heads back into the game.  They must figure out a way to put forth a solid sixty minutes of play.  Most can forgive a loss when they play a complete game, but we cannot forgive a loss as we saw against the Avalanche.

Copyright © 2010 www.StateofHockeyNews.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners.

Ah, the joy of Thanksgiving leftovers.  A virtual endless combination of various meals that one has after the feast on Thursday.  Whether its an open-faced gravy and turkey sandwich or something like mashed potatoes and dinner rolls the variety and the home cooked taste is just irresistible.  Desserts are often another part of the meal that may last a few days after it is all said and done and really is there ever enough excuses to enjoy pumpkin pie?  There are other post-Thanksgiving traditions (besides shopping) there may be a family touch football game or it may be simple trip to the local movie theater or sporting event.  Whatever it is, the fun doesn't have to stop at Thanksgiving.  The same holds true for the 26 NHL teams that battled one another on Black Friday.  For 22 of those teams, it meant playing in a back-to-back night including the Minnesota Wild who had to venture to Colorado after defeating the Nashville Predators 5-2 at home the afternoon the day before. 

Would the Wild be able to re-focus after earning a solid victory against the Predators or would they resemble a person snoozing after a big Thanksgiving meal? 

The game had a furious pace to start the game as the Avalanche were flying around the ice early.  Minnesota would have the first scoring chance of the game as Matt Cullen led a 3-on-2 but his sharp angle wrist shot was gloved rather easily by Peter Budaj.  The Avalanche would answer back with a scoring chance of its own as some cycling of the puck by Daniel Winnik and Milan Hejduk led to a set up of Paul Stastny who turned and fired a quick shot that surprised Niklas Backstrom to give Colorado a 1-0 lead just over a minute into the game.  Colorado was forechecking very well while the Wild seemed to be standing still and reaching just hoping to keep up as Ryan O'Reilly lifted a backhand just up and over the Minnesota goal.  Colorado's Kevin Shattenkirk would feel the pain as he was leveled into the boards by a nice hit delivered by Robbie Earl who was racing in on the Wild forecheck.  The Avalanche forecheck was so oppressive to the Wild, all they were able to do was to chip the puck out of the zone and wait for Colorado to regroup and renew its assault in the Minnesota zone.  Minnesota would recieve a break in a bad way as a big slap shot by John-Michael Liles struck his teammate Winnik who fell to the ice in pain and the Wild went on the counterattack.  Mikko Koivu had two quick chances before relaying it back to the point where Nick Schultz dished it over to Brent Burns who wristed a long shot on goal that was stopped by Budaj as Brunette and Koivu tried to pounce before the Colorado puckstopper was able to draw a whistle.  Minnesota would win the ensuing draw and Patrick O'Sullivan ripped a backhand on goal that was steered wide by Budaj.  The Wild really started to pour it on at this point in the game shift after shift as the 2nd line of Martin Havlat, Kyle Brodziak and Cullen would cycle the puck creating a few long-range shots on goal, but that was followed up by a great shift by the top line where O'Sullivan made a nice little move to the net but his wrister would miss just high over the Colorado goal.  Minnesota was also showing much better support in its own zone as well as it was backchecking and matching the Avalanche's speed as Antti Miettinen was flying all over the ice, but Colorado was always quick to take advantage of open portions of the ice as they took advantage of a line change to free O'Reilly for a slapper that was held onto by Backstrom.  The game would shift in speed and complexion as both teams seemed to want to establish some puck possession and this style of play also led to some great physicality as Eric Nystrom and Brad Staubitz started to deliver some great hits.  The Wild were counter punching and a steal in the neutral zone by Antti Miettinen set up a surprising 1-on-1 chance and oddly enough Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan moved towards a trailing Cal Clutterbuck giving Miettinen an open lane but he would not take the shot instead opting to dish it back to Clutterbuck who fanned on a shot the fluttered towards Budaj before being redirected by Miettinen to tie the game 1-1.  I have to admit I was almost going to pull my hair out watching Miettinen pass up on what appeared to be such an obvious shooting opportunity but it worked out in the end.  The Wild were feeling momentum shift in its favor as Burns stepped up to support the play before rifling a quick wrister that was snagged out of the air by a fancy glove save by Budaj.  The Avalanche would earn its first power play when Brad Staubitz tripped up Ryan O'Reilly.  The Avalanche were looking to create offense with speed as Liles raced into the Wild zone firing a shot that was knocked down by Backstrom before being carried out of harm's way by Nick Schultz.  The Wild's penalty kill was challenging Colorado through the neutral zone and the Avalanche were settling for long range shots that Backstrom was having little difficulty stopping.  Colorado started to criss-cross a bit as Stastny set up Liles who fired a shot high over the Wild goal as he had a lot of open net to look at but Minnesota would earn the big kill.  As soon as the penalty was killed the Wild went right on the attack as Andrew Brunette set up a pinching Marek Zidlicky for a quick shot that was stopped by Budaj but as the Avalanche tried to clear the zone Zidlicky would hold the line and then skate in and set up a shot by Brunette that was deflected up into the netting.  The Avalanche tried to counter attack but they would take a late penalty that would prove to be very costly as Kevin Porter got his stick into the face of Brent Burns.  On the initial draw, Mikko Koivu drew the puck back to Matt Cullen who was playing the point and he skated towards the high slot and he unloaded a slapper that beat a well-screened Budaj to put the Wild up 2-1 with less than 30 seconds to go in the period.  

The Wild tried to apply pressure with its 2nd line of Havlat, Brodziak and Cullen to start the game but Havlat's centering pass never reached Cullen as he was leveled by a big hit near the Avalanche crease.  Minnesota was playing aggressively as Zidlicky was pinching again this time passing a puck from beneath the Colorado goal line to Andrew Brunette who tried to set up O'Sullivan for a quick shot, and the Avalanche tried to counter ask Stastny fired a shot that was popped up into the air by Backstrom before being controlled by the skate of Cam Barker before it was escorted out of the zone.  The Avalanche were starting to ramp up its speed and a turnover in the neutral zone turned into a 2-on-1 as Greg Mauldin found some space behind the Wild defense and he beat Backstrom 5-hole to tie the game at 2-2 on a nice play in transition.  Minnesota did not help its cause as Marek Zidlicky took an interference penalty as he held up Paul Stastny off the ensuing faceoff giving the Avalanche its 2nd power play of the game.  The Wild did a nice job of denying time and space and harassing the Avalanche keeping them at bey for the first half of the man advantage.  The Avalanche would begin to move its feet in some plays down low that had the Wild scrambling but Backstrom was able to make the saves and the Wild were able to clear the zone as it circled the wagons near its goalie.  Minnesota tried to go on the attack but an ill-advised cross ice pass by Nick Schultz turned into a 2-on-1 for the Avalanche and in a desperate play Brent Burns slid on the ice to deny the pass and then corralled the puck enough to be able to sweep it out of harm's way but Schultz would compound his mistake as he took down a Colorado forward for an interference penalty giving the Avs its 3rd power play of the game.  The Avalanche again tried to work neutral zone with speed as Matt Duchene raced into the Wild zone only to be shut down by the leg pad of Niklas Backstrom but Colorado persisted and a play down low by Chris Stewart to feed a pass back to Milan Hejduk led to a quick shot that was in the back of the Minnesota net to give his team a 3-2 lead.  Wild Head Coach Todd Richards gave Nick Schultz a death stare as he exited the penalty box.  The pain would get worse just a few moments later as the Avalanche would continue to swarm in the Wild zone and long shot by Cody McLeod was stopped by Backstrom but Mauldin would move in and lift a shot over a sprawling Backstrom to lift the Avs to a 4-2 lead.  Minnesota tried to press the attack but the Avs were quick to throw it back in the Wild space as their risks would come back to bite them as a terrible decision to attempt a long diagonal outlet pass by John Madden turned into an easy steal that was dished back to Shattenkirk who rifled a snap shot by Backstrom as Colorado now found itself up 5-2.  The Wild would finally create some sustained offensive pressure as the 2nd line worked hard along the boards to create a few chances for Martin Havlat, including one quick wrister which Budaj had lost track of but the puck stayed out of the net.  The Avalanche threw out its energy line and their hustle frustrated the Wild, so much so that Justin Falk in a rare show of anger tried to goad Greg Mauldin into a fight but the speedy forward wanted nothing to do with it.  Minnesota would cut into the Avalanche lead on a delayed penalty when Kyle Brodziak was tripped up in the neutral zone that was carried into the Colorado zone before being dropped back to Brodziak who had no other options so he fired a snap shot that trickled through Budaj to roll over the goal line to cut the lead to two, 5-3.  The Wild tried to build on its most recent tally, as a modified line of O'Sullivan, Clutterbuck and Madden set up O'Sullivan for a big shot that was popped up over the goal by Budaj.  The Avalanche would try to counter attack but Backstrom would come up with a huge leg pad save.  Tempers started to flare a bit too as Ryan O'Byrne and Eric Nystrom chatted a bit after a big hit O'Byrne delivered to Nystrom but they would not drop the gloves and right off the next face off ensued a bizarre tilt between Chris Stewart and Kyle Brodziak.  You could tell right from the start that Brodziak really wasn't wanting to fight as both circled once another before Stewart engaged and started throwing right hands that were landing on the back of Brodziak.  Stewart clearly was more comfortable in this situation as he tore off the helmet of Brodziak as he kept trying to pummel the back of the head of the Wild forward, and perhaps out of a need to do something Brodziak tried to fire a few right hands of his own before he just opted for a take down with Stewart landing on top of him.  A clear win for Stewart.  As he skated to the Colorado locker room, Stewart mocked the Wild bench while Cal Clutterbuck and others chirped back ask for their own fights.  The fight clearly sparked the Wild bench and they came out with energy in the closing seconds of the period as Havlat created a number of great scoring opportunities; the best of which where Havlat managed to get a shot off from his back that Budaj was just able to get a piece of as Minnesota swarmed all over the Colorado zone. 

Minnesota was going on the attack right away as they were forechecking well to start the period where Martin Havlat tried to hold the zone and then fire a shot on goal.  The Avalanche would counter attack and John-Michael Liles would bear down on Niklas Backstrom where he'd get off a backhand before being checked into the goal by Cam Barker before Barker ran into Backstrom.  Wild Head Coach Todd Richards wanted a goaltender interference call which was ridiculous since it was clearly Barker who ran into Backstrom and his pleas were in vain.  Minnesota was trying to sustain pressure no matter who was on the ice as Brad Staubitz showed some great initiative leading a rush up the ice, but Colorado appeared to be content with just lifting the puck out of the zone and forcing the Wild to carry it up the full length of the ice.  Colorado would counter punch a little as Greg Mauldin used his speed effectively to eluded Nick Schultz before firing a puck towards the top of the crease where David Jones redirected it by Backstrom to give the Avalanche a 3-goal lead, 6-3.  The Wild's aggressive style led perfectly to the Avalanche to counter attack and it was again Mauldin creating the play as he raced down the right side boards before flinging a wrister on goal that was stopped by Backstrom who gave up a big rebound before it was tapped home by Matt Duchene to make it 7-3 Avalanche.  Minnesota would swap out Niklas Backstrom for Jose Theodore between the pipes.  The Wild were starting to throw its body around probably out of frustration more than anything, as Cam Barker obliterated Clay Wilson with a huge hit, and moments later the Wild would get an amazingly weak boarding penalty on Staubitz for a very soft hit to Ryan O'Byrne who had Minnesota players chirping at him all night.  The Wild would kill off the lethargic Avalanche power play, and then go back on the attack as Cal Clutterbuck fired a high shot that was tipped up into the air by Budaj and back down in his crease where he quickly covered up as Cullen, Clutterbuck and Brodziak waited near the crease.  Minnesota stayed patient and the 2nd line would strike again as a nice assertive play by Martin Havlat worked his way around a defenseman and taking the puck near the crease before sliding a pass to Brodziak who finished nicely to cut the Avalanche lead back to three, 7-4.  The Wild continued to assault the Colorado crease as Brent Burns started to dangle and make some plays and he'd follow up a long wrist shot by Brad Staubitz and he'd charge to the crease which turned into a small flurry before John-Michael Liles was able to cover it up.  Liles would be tagged with a delay of game penalty much to his chagrin.  The power play would be short-lived as Mikko Koivu would earn a tripping call when David Jones stepped on his stick and Koivu berated the official as he made his way to the penalty box.  The Wild would earn a rare 4-on-3 power play as he had his stick slashed from him by Ryan O'Byrne.  Todd Richards would call a timeout to talk things over, and Minnesota had some terrific power play chances right at the start as Brunette was set up well near the crease for a few close in shots but Budaj would shut the door.  The Wild's power play was very crisp making quick passes setting up Marek Zidlicky with a shot that found the cross bar and out and that was as close as they would get as they fell 7-4. 

Niklas Backstrom was not that great making 31 saves in the loss, and while that may sound decent he seemed to be fighting the puck for most of the night and his inability to control rebounds would allow this game to spiral out of reach.  He certainly had some reasonable stops but he also had some mildly soft goals too that Minnesota simply could not overcome.  In relief, Jose Theodore was perfect stopping the two shots he faced.  Defensively the Wild got caught pinching and some poor penalties; particularly a completely unnecessary interference penalty on Nick Schultz that really turned this game around in a bad way.  Minnesota did not support Backstrom all that well and did not sweep away the rebounds to prevent the Avalanche from having those 2nd chance opportunities.  The Wild struggled to adapt to the excellent speed of the Avalanche's forwards who just appeared to have an extra few gears than Minnesota all game long.  The penalty was just ok but not great, and against such a potent team as the Avalanche it needed to be perfect. 

Offensively had an ok performance, but its pinching was exposed by the speed of Colorado.  To the Wild's credit, Minnesota was able to battle back with a diverse attack led by the 2nd line of Brodziak, Cullen and particularly Havlat who is playing with a lot of confidence right now must be considered the Wild's most dangerous offensive threat.  He is using his skill to draw the defense towards him as well as creating some space for him to take his shots as well.  One player who really has been quiet the last few weeks, and tonight he had one assist was the team's captain Mikko Koivu who really has to be considered a let down at this point in the season.  His four goals this season are either matched or surpassed by such Wild luminaries as Kyle Brodziak (who scored twice tonight), Cal Clutterbuck, Antti Miettinen, and John Madden.  No offense to these guys but Koivu needs to be closer to 10 right now.  Sure Koivu's collecting a cool $3.75 million per season, but next year when he's making $7.29 million we'll have to see if that creates a little more heat than what he's been receiving from the Twin Cities media.  The Wild did manage to put 32 shots on goal, one of its better performances in that category and a big reason why they were able to score 4 goals tonight, Brodziak's first goal was a perfect example of what can happen when you just take a shot when the chance presents itself.

Wild Head Coach Todd Richards was clearly not pleased, "(Backstrom) wasn't sharp, but the players in front didn't help him, I liked our first period but again the game gets away from us and we make a few bad decisions and we give up 26 shots in the 2nd period and that's way too many opportunities."  Hard to argue with that, but the team has yet to figure out what is the problem in the 2nd.  Richards asked the $64 question to reporters when he noted Brodziak's 2nd period fight but asking why it was necessary for that to happen for the team to get its energy going again.  Richards says the team's enigmatic play in the 2nd has caused him to question many of his basic coaching practices; even whether to praise a team after a good period whether that causes his team to relax.  Unfortunately I know precisely how Richards feels as I've had teams that have had similar consistent mental struggles and there is no simple answer.  If there was it would've been fixed a long time ago.  However there is one thing that needs to be said.  Richards did express to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Michael Russo that perhaps it was a mistake to keep Backstrom in as long as he did allowing the game to really get out of hand against a goaltender that was really struggling all game long.  Let's not make this more than it was, it certainly was not a Patrick Roy situation between then Habs coach Mario Tremblay back in the mid 1990's but I doubt Backstrom wanted to stay out as long as he did.  Richards probably should have made the switch when the Avalanche had taken the lead 3-2 early in the 2nd period but instead he waited and Minnesota was blitzed for a few more goals and the rout was on.  The team seems to have some well-earned confidence in Jose Theodore and perhaps a switch could have salvaged the Wild's chances in this game but now we will never know.  Yet it certainly was a decision you can question. 

The Wild will fly to Calgary tomorrow to play against the Flames who are coming off a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.   

Wild Notes:

~ Wild roster tonight was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Antti Miettinen, Eric Nystrom, Martin Havlat, John Madden, Patrick O'Sullivan, Matt Cullen, Brad Staubitz, Robbie Earl, Cal Clutterbuck, Kyle Brodziak, Nick Schultz, Justin Falk, Marek Zidlicky, Greg Zanon, Cam Barker and Brent Burns.  Jose Theodore shared duties between the pipes with Niklas Backstrom who had the start.  Clayton Stoner was the lone healthy scratch.  Guillaume Latendresse still recovering from surgeries to his groin and a sports hernia while Chuck Kobasew has left the team to deal with personal issues.  Pierre-Marc Bouchard recently asked Wild assistant coach Dave Barr to practice him extra hard as he hopes to get his way back into the lineup. 

~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Greg Mauldin, 2nd Star Kevin Shattenkirk, 3rd Star Milan Hejduk

~ Tonight's attendance at Pepsi Center was 18,007. 

~ The Houston Aeros had a big night from youngster Jared Spurgeon who helped give the Wild's affiliate a hard fought 2-1 shootout victory over its old IHL rival Milwaukee Admirals at Toyota Center in Houston.  The Aeros got out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by Spurgeon who blasted home a point shot on a nice feed by Casey Wellman.  The lead would hold until the 3rd period when the Admirals were able to light the lamp when Aaron Johnson intercepted a clearing attempt and fired a wrister that eluded Anton Khudobin.  The game tied at 1-1 would go into overtime with no decision so it moved onto a shootout.  The Aeros scored first when Casey Wellman found the back of net behind Mark Dekanich.  Khudobin was rock solid, stonewalling the Admirals' first 3 shooters before Chris Mueller was finally able to solve him.  The firery Russian goalie would be perfect down the stretch denying defenseman Roman Josi and Jonathan Blum down the stretch and this would give young defenseman Spurgeon the chance to be a hero and he did not disappoint burying the chance to seal an Aeros victory.  Khudobin had 28 saves in the victory.