Ever watch Full Metal Jacket, Heartbreak Ridge, or even Stripes, but whether you're talking about Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, Gunnery Sergeant Highway or Sgt. Hulka the Drill Sergeant was a memorable character for their tough as nails, don't take crap from anyone style.  They drill into you discipline and force people to stop thinking as an individual and instead think and act as a collective in a quick and efficient manner.  Maybe its the old school coach in me, but if my team has a poor effort it brings out my drill sergeant side.  No, I never was a drill sergeant, but I've met a few and their straight forward directness and demanding nature is precisely what is needed after the Wild's 3-0 loss to Vancouver.  Goofing off, mediocre effort and failure will not be tolerated.  I wonder if Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo channelled his inner drill sergeant and put the team through its paces in the 2 full days they had before tonight's game against the Calgary Flames.  At the very least, put these players through a few 'Herbies' to instill discipline and authority.  The fact of the matter is the Wild are 1-7-3 in their last 11 games, and they really can't get much worse than that. 

   

If the Wild are angry about being put through some tough drills / practices they only have themselves to blame.  If they want to vent their anger, they can do so against Calgary, a team which is reeling after being destroyed 9-0 by the Boston Bruins.  When Minnesota was successful, they out worked the opposition and they willed themselves to victories.  Now, they seem to coast through periods and have lapses in effort and focus and the result is a dramatic drop in the standings.  As I say to my players all of the time, 'its about us' its not about what our opponent does its about what we do and I think that is completely applicable to the Wild.  I think any drill sergeant would say the same thing to their soldiers.  So will the Wild show they've taken accountability and play better or will they look they're in need of another boot to the ass? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(21-14-6)	48	2nd NW	2.22 (29)	2.29 (6)	14.8% (21)	84.8% (8)
Calgary Flames	(18-19-5)	41	4th NW	2.36 (25)	2.88 (20)	16.6% (18)	82.1% (19)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	9	23	32
2. #15 Dany Heatley	12	15	27
3. #7 Matt Cullen	10	13	23
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	9	13	22
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	11	9	20
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	66
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	42
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	37
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (12-10-4)	2.37	.923
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-4-2)	2.03	.935
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Calgary Flames
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #12 Jarome Iginla	15	17	32
2. #13 Olli Jokinen	12	20	32
3. #20 Curtis Glencross	16	11	27
4. #40 Alex Tanguay	5	17	22
5. #17 Rene Bourque	13	3	16
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #15 Tim Jackman	51
2. #6 Cory Sarich	45
3. #17 Rene Bourque	41
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #1 Miikka Kiprusoff (17-14-2)	2.52	.914
2. #35 Leland Irving (1-1-2)	3.66	.908
3. #33 Henrik Karlsson (0-4-1)	3.48	.895

Okay NHLPA if you were hoping to get any sort of sympathy heading into the next Collective Bargaining Agreement from the fans and media, your latest stunt isn't going to garner yourselves any favor.  In fact for many fans across the North America, especially those of us currently in the Western Conference, the backlash should be painful and rightfully so.  As players, even a rookie, makes far more money than any of us can ever imagine.  We are the ones buying the tickets, the merchandise, paying for our own travel (even if it is just across town), parking, concessions, NHL Center Ice, etc. to watch them, which in turn pays their salary.  All we ask for is that we don't have to stay up until midnight on what seems like a regular basis for a divisional road game.

If the union reps from any particular team should be upset with their union leaders, it should be those from the Winnipeg Jets.  If the NHLPA manages to somehow put this off until the 2012-13 season, the poor Jets (and their fans) will be stuck playing an Eastern Conference schedule in a Western Conference locale and timezone.  However, having grown up in a union household and married to a union member, you very rarely (if ever) publicly speak against your leadership.  Unfortunately, I believe that the players themselves are getting poor advice and leadership from NHLPA Executive Director, Donald Fehr.  I believe the sole reason the NHLPA has even pulled this, is that they simply want more out of the next CBA, and by more, I mean simply more MONEY when it comes to profit sharing.  Yep, because millionaire simply need more money, right?

Reading the statement from the NHLPA on their reasoning for this move, I have to laugh.  If they actually believe that travel is going to worse they have to be out of their minds.  The truth of the matter, is that the NHLPA is probably catering to the whining coming from current Eastern Conference teams, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens who will find themselves in a conference with the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.  Yes, there are current Eastern Conference teams who will find themselves traveling more, but to that I say "it's about time."  They will finally feel what it's been like to be the Minnesota Wild or Dallas Stars (not that I care too much about the Stars) with their travel schedule.  Even with the extended travel between eastern Canada and Florida, they're still in one time zone.  They're not going to be continually losing and gaining hours on their travel.  The other whiny complaint is that of "increased border crossings."  To that I say, so what.  Yes, they all have to be screened, but you know as well as I do, that they're not standing in the same lines you and I are when we travel outside of our home countries.  Plus, as long as you follow the rules and keep your immigration paperwork in order (especially for the European players), this should not be a problem.  I would hope that every team has someone on their payroll, where their only task is to deal with immigration concerns for their players.  There is no excuse why a player should find themselves unable to travel because they failed to renew their visa.
 
To the NHLPA and its members, quit your posturing.  The move to realignment will be better for all around, especially for the fans.  I hope you do remember that we exist.  If it wasn't for us, you wouldn't have the job you're doing.  In fact, you would have to get what the rest of us do...get a REAL job, and one that doesn't pay even close to what you earn currently.  Stop your whining and get the proposal for realignment passed.  Post-lockout sentiment may have been with you the players, but now, all bets are off.


Injury Report:

Minnesota:     Jarod Palmer (upper body), Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Clayton Stoner (groin)

Calgary:  Brett Carson (back), David Moss (ankle), Mark Giordano (ruptured leg tendons), Henrik Karlsson (sprained right MCL), Matt Stajan (sprained ankle), Alex Tanguay (upper body), Derek Smith (high right ankle sprain), Scott Hannan (upper body, questionable), Rene Bourque (suspended) 

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The Winter Classic has steadily become a highly anticipated spectacle for the National Hockey League and a chance to expand the reach of the game to fans that may not normally watch hockey.  There is just something about watching the game played outdoors that takes any of us who played our first hockey on outdoor rinks where we are able to make a connection.  We may not have been Claude Giroux or Brad Richards out there, but the goals felt just as sweet to us.  The sound of skates grinding their way along the snow-encrusted ice, the tapping of sticks as you try to draw your teammates attention for a pass and the dull thud of the puck striking the boards are all sounds that trigger those memories in an instant.  As Wild fans watch the Winter Classic, the inevitable question is asked, when will it be our turn?  I've analyzed this question before, but its hardly an unreasonable thing to consider.    

  When will it be the Wild's turn to host the NHL's Winter Classic?

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is an avid sports fan.  When he's not listening to contestants give him their vowels and consonants he's probably following baseball or his other great passion hockey.  While he is admittedly a fan of the Washington Capitals, it is obvious he follows the NHL rather closely.  When recently asked where he where he thought the Winter Classic would be next, he said Minnesota, Detroit or Washington.  Sajak obviously doesn't decide where the Winter Classic goes, but it never hurts to hear an endorsement.  I still believe there are some significant factors holding Minnesota back from the opportunity.  1.  No real marquee talent to add hype to the game which is a key element of promotion, 2.  Minnesota is not a major media market like Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago were.  3.  The Wild do not have a long historic rivalry to play on.  Sure you could try Chicago or Dallas, but then your sort of playing to Minnesota North Stars tradition more so than that of the Minnesota Wild.  However, right now the Wild have far more pressing issues its concerned with as it finished a very ugly December.  Minnesota starts 2012 with a game against Vancouver, their 4th match up of the season.  The Canucks have scorched their way through December to finally surpass the Wild and take their place atop the Northwest Division standings.  The Wild had an ok start, but then went on a horrific 8-game losing streak.  Can the Wild make January a better month for themselves or will it look like December deja vu? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(21-13-6)	48	2nd NW	2.28 (29)	2.28 (6)	15.2% (20)	84.6% (8)
Vancouver Canucks	(24-13-2)	51	1st NW	3.25 (4)	2.40 (8)	23.9% (1)	86.0% (7)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	9	23	32
2. #15 Dany Heatley	12	15	27
3. #7 Matt Cullen	10	13	23
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	9	13	22
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	11	9	20
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	66
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	42
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	37
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (12-10-4)	2.37	.923
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-3-2)	2.03	.934
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Vancouver Canucks
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #33 Henrik Sedin	10	36	46
2. #22 Daniel Sedin	17	27	44
3. #17 Ryan Kesler	10	18	28
4. #23 Alexander Edler	6	22	28
5. #14 Alexandre Burrows	14	11	25
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #40 Maxim Lapierre	67
2. #32 Dale Weise	58
3. #3 Kevin Bieksa	49
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #1 Roberto Luongo (16-8-3)	2.48	.914
2. #35 Cory Schneider (8-5-0)	2.15	.931

Dear Brendan Shanahan,

As I'm sure you probably know, Minnesota Wild fans are a bit annoyed with you these days.  When you first got your gig as the NHL disciplinarian, fans around the league held their collective breaths.  We had endured years of Colin Campbell and his joke of supplemental discipline for events that happened on the ice during the games.  Campbell was so ridiculous, that a fan created a "flowchart" that showed how Campbell's decisions were made:

  

So when you were hired, we felt there just might be some hope for legitimate discipline, but we were still optimistically cautious.  Then you laid down the law early.  Players like Jody Shelley, James Wisniewski and Minnesota's Brad Staubitz found themselves various combinations of pre-season and regular season games for things like illegal checks, hits from behind, and boarding.  We the fans felt there definitely was a new sheriff in town, and we felt like we were in good hands.  Even better, not only did we get to read about the suspension, you even provided video evidence for the reasoning.

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5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Happy New Year's everyone!  Another year is behind us and as always people often feel compelled to put that previous year in perspective.  Was it a good year?  What would we change about if if we could?  That of course leads people to make those famous weak promises (for most who do) to ourselves with the 'New Year's Resolution.'  A time were people vow to lose weight or work out more as they gorge themselves on snacks and alcohol.  Of course these 'New Year's Resolutions' sound so good when you say them as its usually about correcting something about habits or activities.  Habits are difficult to break so most of these resolutions go by the wayside pretty quick.  So if the Minnesota Wild could pass its own 'New Year's Resolution' what do you think it should be?  To stay healthier?  To score more goals?  To battle harder against opposing forwards who want to camp out near our crease?  If you've ever listened to or watched a post-game interview with Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo a word he loves to use is 'respond'.  He is always interested to see how his team responds after a good game, or a game with lots of adversity, or a game where almost nothing seemed to go right.  In essence, he is the kind of guy that always is waiting to see if that 'resolution' comes to fruition.  For example, if there was a game where you were not getting enough shots on goal; he wants his team to respond with more shots on goal for the next game.  Let's completely change direction for a bit.  What about prophecy?  These are really the ultimate 'resolutions' because they go beyond just a declarative statement about what a person is going to do but rather a prediction of the future.  There is no more popular prophecy right now than the Mayan prophecy of civilization's ultimate demise that is said to be coming on December 21st, 2012 when their calendar finishes its 6th long count cycle and doom will embrace us all. 

  Are the Wild and the rest of human civilization doomed in 2012?

We've heard this story before.  Y2k was supposed to bring about a similar collapse, but all it did was serve as a boon to those who sold canned food, batteries and electric generators and a reason to make fun of the few who did prepare themselves for a collapse that never arrived.  Last year, two dates which a religious official claimed would be the Apocolypse came and went without incident.  A few families quickly spent their life savings thinking the world was going to end only to find out the next day arrived and they had nothing.  Yet, I am going to pose a tilt on this theme.  Perhaps, these predictions were more or less an artificial motivator to see how we would respond.  So you tell everyone that the world is going to end; how will they respond to this information.  Will they selfishly horde food and build for themselves some kind of bunker hoping to defy the odds of some kind of catastrophic situation or will they simply live life as they always do.  Or will they respond by being better to those around them.  After last Thursday's emotional 4-3 victory over Edmonton, Mike Yeo gave a sort of warning about how he hoped the team would not get too caught up in the game it just played so it could focus on taking care of business tonight.  He said that teams that often go through an emotional win like they did often suffer a let down in their next game.  While that certainly is no prediction to an end to civilization as we know it, it was a declaration that was made with the hope he'd see his team respond.  So will the Wild respond with another victory tonight or will 2011 end with disappointment? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(21-12-6)	48	2nd Northwest	2.28 (28)	2.23 (4)	15.3% (20)	85.0% (8)
Phoenix Coyotes	(18-16-4)	40	4th Pacific	2.53 (22)	2.60 (10)	12.6% (30)	84.0% (10)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	9	23	32
2. #15 Dany Heatley	12	15	27
3. #7 Matt Cullen	9	12	21
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	8	13	21
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	11	8	19
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	66
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	42
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	35
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (12-9-4)	2.34	.924
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-3-2)	2.03	.934
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Phoenix Coyotes
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #13 Ray Whitney	13	20	33
2. #17 Radim Vrbata	16	13	29
3. #19 Shane Doan	9	13	22
4. #3 Keith Yandle	5	17	22
5. #11 Martin Hanzal	5	14	19
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #37 Raffi Torres	33
2. #11 Martin Hanzal	28
3. #53 Derek Morris	26
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #41 Mike Smith (15-10-3)	2.52	.920
2. #1 Jason LaBarbera (3-6-1)	2.71	.910
3. #31 Curtis McElhinney (0-0-0)	0.00	1.000

Forgive me for not creating an overly eloquent segue into the last game of 2011.  The Wild have had an eventful year (more on that a bit later) but this early evening they get a chance to decide how they want that year to end.  With the Phoenix Coyotes in town, do they want it to end with some good positive momentum and a two-game winning streak or do they wish to stumble and lose a game they're more than capable of winning?  Minnesota is coming off an emotional 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, a team it no longer has to play for the duration of the regular season to a classic trap game against a club that thrives in that capacity.  Phoenix Head Coach Dave Tippett's trapping and stifling style suffocates opponents and then frustrates you with hard working goals.  Led by 38-year old veteran Ray Whitney and team captain Shane Doan the Coyotes embrace the role of spoiler about as well as any team in the NHL.  The Coyotes' Cinderella type advances to the post-season have never gone beyond the 1st round but are proof this is a team you cannot take too lightly.  Luckily for Minnesota, goaltender Mike Smith is out with a groin injury and the Wild must capitalize on the Coyotes misfortune, much the same way clubs like Vancouver, Calgary, Colorado took advantage of Minnesota's injury situation. 

Minnesota ended an 8-game losing streak in Thursday night's win and there were a couple of basic elements that led to its success.  Most notably, was the fact the team's quick responses to goals by the Edmonton Oilers; especially once the Wild got a two-goal lead they were able to re-establish that quickly after the Oilers cut it to one.  This ultimately bought the Wild enough space to eek out a victory.  Secondly, was the fact the team got some meaningful secondary scoring as Jarod Palmer (who was just placed on injured reserve today after an injury he sustained in Thursday's game) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard combined for goals just 21 seconds apart to break the game open for Minnesota. This took a lot of pressure off the team's 1st line which really seemed to be the only line capable of producing goals over the 8-game losing streak.  Two players who will again be crucial to the Wild's success are team captain Mikko Koivu and sniper Dany Heatley who now leads the team in goals with 12.  Defensively, the Wild played better as a group even though it did have some gaffes.  It will also be interesting to see what the team does with enforcer Matt Kassian who seemed to add an extra spark to a club in desperate need of it after his two successive beat downs of Oilers' tough guy Darcy Hordichuk.  The closest thing the Coyotes have to an enforcer is the NHL's Twitter king, Paul Bissonette who I think would oblige Kassian but he may find himself being as quickly demolished as Hordichuk was.  As Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo said in his post-game interview Thursday, the team must put its last game behind it and re-focus itself for a battle this evening.  It will have to play just as hard if expects to finish the night with two points. 

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"You load sixteen tons what do you get, Another day older and deeper in debt, Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go, I owe my soul to the company store, If you see me coming better step aside, A lot of men didn't a lot of men died, One fist of iron the other of steel, If the right one don't get you then the left one will" this song simply called 16 Tons by folk singer Ford Tennessee Ernie captures the struggle that miners faced working in the Coal mines of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  I guess with the Wild's 8-game losing skid I felt compelled to find something that sort of talked about the relentless grind of the regular season and how it can be grueling ordeal.  Certainly not as fraught with danger as coal miners experience, but certainly its an ordeal that tests a person's mental and physical endurance.  Last night the Wild had one of their better efforts, but were not rewarded with a victory but a 2-1 shootout loss.  Like coal miners, the Wild must find a way to persevere and dig deeper that will hopefully reward them with success.  Mining will test a person's fortitude, character and their resilience as set backs are a part of the job and the same can be said for the course of a hockey season.  We are finding out what this team is made of and whether it can endure or whether it will shrivel and die. 



Minnesota plays the Edmonton Oilers tonight, for the final time in regular season action for 2011-12 and likely the last time as divisional foes if league's new re-allignment passes as expected.  The Oilers are a team with a bright future; lots of great young talent to draw from and I have little doubt they will bring Edmonton back to prominence eventually.  Yet that is the reward for being bad for so long; stockpiling those high draft picks that become franchise cornerstones for years to come.  The Wild have never truly been that awful to be rewarded with a large collection of high draft picks, and unfortunately in its past it hasn't always made the best choices (A.J. Thelen, James Sheppard) but there are distinct signs that indicate that is changing.  So perhaps its time for both of these franchise to make their way out of the miserable struggle of the mines and to something a little less glum.  Will Minnesota finish their final season series against the Oilers with a victory or will Edmonton give us more pain on this already arduous December? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(20-12-6)	46	2nd Northwest	2.24 (28)	2.21 (4)	15.4% (20)	84.7% (8)
Edmonton Oilers	(15-17-3)	33	5th Northwest	2.71 (13)	2.66 (14)	21.1% (2)	84.5% (9)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	8	22	30
2. #15 Dany Heatley	11	15	26
3. #7 Matt Cullen	9	12	21
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	7	13	20
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	11	8	19
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	64
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	35
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (11-9-4)	2.31	.925
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-3-2)	2.03	.934
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Edmonton Oilers
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #14 Jordan Eberle	16	22	38
2. #93 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	13	22	35
3. #94 Ryan Smyth	14	15	29
4. #4 Taylor Hall	9	13	22
5. #10 Shawn Horcoff	7	13	20
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #24 Theo Peckham	66
2. #25 Andy Sutton	50
3. #94 Ryan Smyth	41
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #35 Nikolai Khabibulin (11-9-3)	2.14	.927
2. #40 Devan Dubnyk (4-8-0)	3.10	.903
.

I have no idea why this was the first idea that popped into my head but when I heard NHL Safety Department czar Brendan Shanahan's explanation why he didn't suspend Cody McLeod for his hit on Jared Spurgeon the first thing I thought of was Imogene Coca from National Lampoon's Vacation where she said Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) should be put behind bars for killing her 'loveable' pitbull 'Dinky' and driving over the speed limit.  Imogene Coca's portrayal of the cantankerous, opinionated, and judgemental Aunt Edna was classic, and turned a rough road trip into a nightmare for the Griswolds.  Especially after she eventually passed away, presumably after eating dog urine laced sandwiches during a brief stop over at a rest stop.  Her quiet death was not discovered for several hours where everyone simply assumed she was sleeping.  Upon discovering that she had passed away, the family was rather disturbed; especially son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) who were sitting next to her in America's favorite vacation vehicle, the Wagon Queen Family Truckster.  So they tied Aunt Edna's corpse to the roof of their station wagon where they drove to Flagstaff, Arizona to drop it off with her son Normie.  Normie wasn't home to receive his mom's corpse, and with the rain falling they placed her body in the backyard, sitting in a lawn chair with a note attached explaining what happened.  Absolutely ridiculous right?!?!  But its a comedy its meant to be ridiculous, then I wish someone would tell the NHL it can stop acting as though it were a lampoon of a professional sports league. 

   Is the NHL and Brendan Shanahan trying to be funny with these explanations?

For those of you who missed it; Brendan Shanahan explained that there was no suspension to Cody McLeod because he was simply putting his hands on Jared Spurgeon's back to let him know he was there and that in no way did that contribute to the violence of the commission.  Are you joking?  Cody McLeod placed his hands on the defenseman's back to let him know he was there and thus he's absolved of any responsibility?  Wow, I wish I would've used that defense anytime I was guilty of a crosscheck or any other infraction.  Maybe I should've told the official, no when I tripped up the opposing forward I was simply tapping his skate blade to let him know I was there so can you please not call a penalty?  The full 24 hours of silence on the issue was bad enough, but the excuse turns this non-suspension from wrong to flat out insulting.  Perhaps if they ever decide to remake the movie, perhaps they should cast Shanahan in Eugene Levy's role as the car salesman.  Sure, the Antarctic Blue Super Sportswagon with the CB Rally Fun Pack didn't come in and the only alternative in stock is the Metallic Pea Wagon Queen Family Truckster.  Riiight.  Like Levy's character, he must've thought Clark Griswold was quite a fool to even attempt such a weak excuse as that.  Same thing goes for Shanahan.  He must not think too highly of the Wild or his fans so he trots out a complete joke of a reason to justify what happened.  I guess Dale Hunter was just letting Pierre Turgeon know he was there when he closelined him in the playoffs years ago or Todd Bertuzzi was just letting Steve Moore know that he was there when he drove his head into the ice.  Its funny, people questioned former NHL rules czar Colin Campbell for his judgment and apparent lack of consistency but eve he is starting to look pretty credible compared to his replacement.  To use Shanahan's patronizing reason and to modify a line from the film you could say, "you think you hate no explanation now, but wait 'til you hear it!" 

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This really is one of my favorite times of the year, the true tournament time in Minnesota.  Yes, the annual State Tournament is one of the big showcase, but only for the 32 teams for boys / girls in Class A and Class AA.  The holidays also brings us statewide tournaments which feature just about every team in the state.  Whether its the Schwan's Cup or the St. Paul Premier Tournament, these tourneys provide plenty of great hockey and competition that any hockey fan should love to watch.  Personally, I've made it a bit of a tradition the last 10 years to go to the St. Paul Premier Tournament held in South St. Paul's Wakota Arena.  Its a great chance to watch some great high school hockey in an arena that has plenty of history.  These tournaments are also a boon for scouts of college, junior, and professional ranks to get a good look at players and its not uncommon to see all three groups represented at a single tournament.  As former North Stars General Manager Lou Nanne reminds all of us in the State of Hockey each spring that many of the kids we see play will be the future stars of the game and who doesn't like a sneak preview if they can get it?  Yes, the stakes are not as high as they are in the Sectional and State tournaments, but it gives all of these teams an opportunity to perhaps add a little hardware to the trophy case along with lots of lasting memories in the process win or lose.  Isn't that really what its all about?  

  

Meanwhile, back in the NHL the holiday is basically over and you are more or less near the halfway point of the season.  Its a time where clubs put their progress in perspective and get ready for the grueling push for the playoffs.  Two clubs that hope to be a part of the post-season this year are the Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators.  In the past, these teams have combined for some tremendously exciting, high scoring games which is not what you expect from two teams who are not known for producing a lot of goals.  So will we see another exciting, back-and-forth offensive barn burner or will the Wild be the Predators prey? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(20-12-5)	45	2nd Northwest	2.27 (28)	2.24 (4)	15.7% (21)	84.3% (9)
Nashville Predators	(18-14-4)	40	4th Central	2.64 (17)	2.83 (16)	21.6% (2)	80.6% (21)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	8	21	29
2. #15 Dany Heatley	10	15	25
3. #7 Matt Cullen	9	12	21
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	7	13	20
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	11	8	19
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	64
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	35
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (11-9-4)	2.31	.925
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-3-1)	2.13	.932
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Nashville Predators
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #6 Shea Weber	8	21	29
2. #15 Craig Smith	8	17	25
3. #11 David Legwand	10	14	24
4. #20 Ryan Suter	5	19	24
5. #10 Martin Erat	8	15	23
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #23 Brian McGrattan	54
2. #22 Jordin Tootoo	49
3. #20 Ryan Suter	29
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #35 Pekka Rinne (16-10-4)	2.70	.916
2. #39 Anders Lindback (2-4-0)	2.75	.893
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"Dial 'M' for Murder" which was originally an Alfred Hitchcock movie back in 1954 starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly.  The plot of that movie was obvious, but it got me to thinking about what a person may hear if they ever bothered to call the NHL Safety Department's Comment hot line.  What would their automated message say?  Perhaps something like this, "Dial 'S' to recommend a player for suspension" or "Dial 'I' if you wish the league to be ignorant to an obvious suspension."  Or perhaps, "Dial 'N' for a request for no further explanation offered for player who may seem likely to be suspended", maybe its more like "Dial 'E" for us to provide an excuse to make a questionable hit suddenly appear to be completely appropriate."  Oh he was turning into the boards, or he had his head down or I didn't realize that guy was an NHL player so its ok to hit him are all excuses (almost) the league has attempted to use to explain why they didn't suspend a player to the fullest extent that the rules will allow. 

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