Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(20-8-3)	43	1st NW	2.45 (24)	2.10 (4)	17.2% (15)	86.0% (9)
Chicago Blackhawks	(18-8-4)	40	1st Central	3.20 (4)	2.97 (20)	18.9% (9)	77.4% (27)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	7	20	27
2. #15 Dany Heatley	9	12	21
3. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	5	13	18
4. #21 Kyle Brodziak	10	7	17
5. #7 Matt Cullen	8	9	17
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	49
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	33
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (11-6-2)	2.08	.932
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-2-1)	2.14	.932
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Chicago Blackhawks
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #19 Jonathan Toews	17	15	32
2. #10 Patrick Sharp	16	15	31
3. #81 Marian Hossa	12	19	31
4. #88 Patrick Kane	8	23	31
5. #2 Duncan Keith	2	18	20
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #13 Daniel Carcillo	53
2. #22 Jamal Mayers	34
3. #88 Patrick Kane	22
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #50 Corey Crawford (12-7-2)	3.00	.896
2. #30 Ray Emery (6-1-2)	2.69	.905
.

 



I know, I know.  You're probably all wondering why the heck I used that Discover Card commercial featuring the Blackhawks' Patrick Kane.  First off, it's a great commercial.  We've all had horrible customer service experiences like this.  As someone who works in customer service, I certainly can feel for those of you who encounter the "Peggy's" of this world.  I know I get a bit short when I experience poor customer service, especially when I work so very hard to provide the best for my customers.  This just happens to put a humorous spin on it.  It's also nice to see some of the stars of the NHL have fun with the situation.  Plus, it shows superstars like Kane and Boston's Tim Thomas deal with their own customer service struggles.  However, the Patrick Kane commercial has taken on additional role.  I'm honestly not sure what game it happened in, but I'm not about to go read through a couple weeks worth of game day threads on the Wild's message board.  Some of us who are active in those threads have dubbed Pierre-Marc Bouchard as our very own Peggy.  Not because he'd be horrible as a customer service agent, but somehow we see him celebrating a bit like "Peggy" does after Kane explains how he scores on the left side of the ice. 

However, now Wild fans everywhere are concerned about the state of Bouchard's health now.  Late in Tuesday's game in Winnipeg, the Jets' Zach Bogosian hit Bouchard into the boards behind the net.  Bouchard was hit so hard into the dasher that he was bleeding profusely.  Needless to say, Bogosian got the got the five minute major for boarding and the game misconduct.  What blows my mind, is that he wasn't also awarded the match penalty like Nick Johnson was given on the phantom "head butting" that was called by Calgary's Jarome Iginla.  I will be even more shocked if Bogosian doesn't receive supplemental punishment by the league at the hands of Brendan Shanahan.  Clearly Bouchard turned in order to play the puck.  There was no reason for Bogosian to make that dangerous play.  Hopefully, Bouchard only suffered some facial lacerations.  Clearly he will have to be checked for a concussion, as he has sat for a considerable amount of time due to a concussion.  So to our very own "Peggy," I only hope you can rest up and come back soon.

Looking at Chicago's individual statistics, I have to admit, I am very scared.  When I was entering the numbers in, I was getting more and more depressed.  While as a Wild fan, I've been riding Cloud Nine lately, I am quickly brought back to reality just looking at the numbers.  The thought of a single player having 32 points at this point in the season is mind-boggling to me.  Sure, Mikko Koivu is only five points off that mark, the fact that Jonathan Toews has ten more goals than Koivu is what makes it feels just that much more daunting.  Needless to say, it will be beyond important for the Wild to play the tight Wild hockey that they've been playing in recent games.  Yes, goals are important, but they need to have more control than they did in Winnipeg.  The Jets and their fans seemed to control much of the game.  It will be nice for a short pit stop in St. Paul, and hopefully it refreshes them before they head back on the road next week.

Just like Kane's credit card was maxed out, I hope his Blackhawks are maxed out.  The Wild need a break against such an offensively gifted team like the Blackhawks, plus they need to recharge their confidence after their loss in Winnipeg.  I'm really not sure how tonight will go, and at best I'm apprehensive.

Injury Report:

Minnesota:       Devin Setoguchi (leg) 

Chicago:  None (lucky them)

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Its time to rekindle an old rivalry.  Since news of the NHL Board of Governor's approval of Commissioner Gary Bettman's plan to have 4 divisions (two 7-team divisions and two 8-team divisions) Wild fans have been relishing the return of the classic 'Norris' Division that includes old foes Chicago, St. Louis along with Winnipeg as it was back in 1981-82.  Rivalries always bring about the best and worst in teams and their fans.  Its just that much sweeter when you win and it that much more bitter when you lose.  At the NHL Entry Draft, before they had even announced they'd be the Jets again, Winnipeg fans made their presence known with a raucous contingent that were the noisiest at the Xcel Energy Center.  Their energy was a big announcement that Winnipeg was back in the NHL.  It was cool to see, but as a Wild fan I knew that good cheer would soon be turned into vitriol once the puck was dropped between the Jets and Wild.  I will make a small confession, at the draft I even wore my 1991 style Blue Winnipeg Jets jersey and my Atlanta Thrashers hat and was even interviewed by a few members of Canadian media who thought I was from Winnipeg.  I didn't mind impersonating a Jets fan for a few moments, but I think that's the last time I'll have to do that.  Former Minnesota North Star fans remember the Jets with fondness and knew the team always created sparks when the two clubs got together as you can see in the YouTube clip below. 



As you can see in this 1993 game between the two clubs (perhaps the last NHL meeting between Minnesota and Winnipeg) dropped the gloves a lot.  The Jets feature Minnesota-born and raised Dustin Byfuglien who finds himself playing less than 100 miles from his hometown of Roseau was an instant fan favorite and the Jets have been up and down throughout most of the 2011-12 season thus far.  Led by young phenom Evander Kane the Jets embrace a blue collar approach similar to the Wild.  Minnesota is at the end of a 5-game road trip where so far you have to consider it an unmitigated success with the team having won 4 of those 5 so far.  Can Minnesota complete a perfect road trip to add an explanation point to their season or will Winnipeg end the Wild's road trip on a negative note? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(20-7-3)	43	1st NW	2.50 (22)	2.10 (3)	17.0% (20)	85.4% (9)
Winnipeg Jets	(13-12-4)	30	3rd SE	2.79 (11)	3.14 (22)	17.6% (14)	81.8% (18)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	7	19	26
2. #15 Dany Heatley	9	11	20
3. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	5	13	18
4. #21 Kyle Brodziak	10	7	17
5. #7 Matt Cullen	8	9	17
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	49
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	31
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (11-5-2)	2.08	.932
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-2-1)	2.14	.932
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Winnipeg Jets
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Evander Kane	15	9	24
2. #33 Dustin Byfuglien	6	14	20
3. #18 Bryan Little	10	9	19
4. #26 Blake Wheeler	2	17	19
5. #13 Kyle Wellwood	7	11	18
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #33 Dustin Byfuglien	38
2. #22 Chris Thorburn	33
3. #4 Zach Bogosian	30
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #31 Ondrej Pavelec (10-10-4)	3.20	.900
2. #50 Chris Mason (3-2-0)	2.08	.911
3. #34 Peter Mannino (0-0-0)	0.00	1.000

          Will the Winnipeg Jets be a trendsetter of their own?


Every generation has their fads.  In the 1920's, flappers and longue lizards were the "bee's knees" to use the lingo of the day.  In the 1960's, hippies and their bell bottoms and lava lamps were the sign of the times.  Being a child of the mid-1970's, my generation is not without its fads, good and bad.  I know I was jealous of my classmates with their button-fly Girbaud or Guess jeans.  In my family, good ol' Levi's were good enough.  However, some of the more iconic trends of my childhood came in the form of the Members Only jacket and Minnesota-based Zubaz.  The advertising motto for Members Only was "When you put it on, something happens."  I don't know about you, but I never remember anything extraordinary or even mildly special happening to anyone wearing one.  You clearly didn't need any sort of special membership to own or wear one, as proven with some of its questionable "members" wearing them.  As for Zubaz, it was one of those fashions that I had seriously hoped had gone away.  According to the history of this garment put forth at badfads.com, they got their start in 1988 by Dan Stock and Bob Truax.  The two owned a weightlifting gym, and their clients needed pants and shorts that would accomodate their bulging leg muscles.  Between the weightlifters and the professional wrestling ties in Minnesota, the pants took off.  They took off so much, that they had to have female inmates at the Minnesota Corrections Institute in Shakopee sew the pants.  Zubaz unfortunately came back in 2007, although they're probably made in China now instead of by female prisoners.

Trends happen in sports as well.  In the 1990's, the sudden trend in the National Hockey League was to expand and expand quickly into non-traditional markets.  During this decade, we saw the birth of the San Jose Sharks (1991), Tampa Bay Lightning (1992), Anaheim Ducks (1993), Florida Panthers (1993), and Atlanta Thrashers (1998).  For hockey purists, it was an absolute heresy to expand into areas where rivers, ponds and lakes don't freeze over in the winter.  Those same hockey purists, also claim this era of quick expansion diluted the talent available.  In many of these new markets, early attendance was based on the fact that the game was a novelty in these locations.  Of the 1990's expansion team, it has probably been the Sharks that have fared the best, based on overall attendence.  Only Tampa Bay and Anaheim have managed to take home the ultimate prize.  It will be interesting to see how the Panthers and Lightning will fare in their new conference once the league realigns. 

It was also the 1990's that saw the move of the Minnesota North Stars to Dallas (1993), Quebec Nordiques to Colorado (1995), Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix (1996), and the Hartford Whalers to Carolina (1997).  Like expansion into non-traditional markets has been hit or miss, the same can be said about relocation.  The 1990's was a busy decade for the NHL.  Now there are many who will argue that the league cannot fully support the thirty teams it has now.  I don't know if I fully buy that argument, but I will agree that the league would be foolish to add any more teams.  However, that doesn't stop the league from moving teams around again.  The relocation trend has started again.  If you think that the relocation of Atlanta to Winnipeg as a one and done event, I think you're fooling yourself.  Considering the league currently owns and operates the Phoenix Coyotes, look to see them to be the next team finding a new home.  There had been a push ever since the original Winnipeg Jets went to Phoenix to bring the NHL back to the Manitoba capitol.  With the initial success at the gates in Winnipeg, there is another Canadian city looking to regain their NHL pedigree.  Quebec City is pretty much ready to break ground on a new arena the minute they hear they're going to be awarded an NHL franchise.  I don't care who you are, and this pains me to say it sometimes, but a strong NHL needs more rather than less Canadian teams.  With Winnipeg back in the NHL family, it won't be long until we see Quebec City as well.  Of course there are Canadian cities like Hamilton that would like their time in the spotlight as well, but expect Quebec City first.  Although, the hockey logo fan that I, I would love to see the return of the Whalers logo in Hartford eventually as well.

I would like to see the NHL be a little more cautious in their relocation plan this time around.  Let's go to places where we have a much better chance of success.  Success at the gate in the long run in a traditional market is more important than trying to build a market in a non-traditional one.  We've gone the non-traditional route already, and probably have made more mistakes than successes.  Time to go back to basics, and go back to what will work. 

Injury Report:

Minnesota:     Devin Setoguchi (leg)

Winnipeg:  Aaron Gagnon (undisclosed), Derek Meech (lower body), Tobias Enstrom (broken collarbone), Ron Hainsey (lower body), Eric Fehr (shoulder)

Copyright © 2011 www.StateofHockeyNews.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. no comments

Its a classic sports cliche you hear every year in just about any sport.  The 'Cinderella' team that somehow overcomes the odds to achieve greatness or notoriety in a way that was entirely unexpected.  The sad thing is, unlike the fairy tale which spawned the term, 'Cinderella' teams often are spared from having a complete happy ending.  Case in point, the NHL's perennial 'Cinderella' team the last few years in the Phoenix Coyotes.  They have continued to somehow put all of the talk about a lack of an owner (as the NHL currently owns and runs the team) and persistent rumors of relocation but they manage to battle their way to the playoffs the last 2 seasons.  When the team parted ways with Ilya Bryzgalov, many felt the Coyotes may have the clock strike midnight and the Coyotes 'Cinderella' status come to an end.  It hasn't happened, as the Coyotes are currently 3rd in the Western Conference with a 15-10-3 record and 33 points.  Using solid team defense and persistent effort the Coyotes keep finishing strong. 



It certainly can be argued that the Wild are just as much of a 'Cinderella' team this season.  Almost no one expected the Wild to even be amongst the top 8 teams in the Western Conference than being atop the NHL standings as they are right now.  Heck, USAToday's Kevin Allen picked Minnesota to finish dead last!  If there is anything that goes from being 'Cinderella' is that everyone is waiting for that moment when they suddenly return to reality.  You can see that right here from Canada's Sports Leader, TSN with its weekly 'power rankings' which you can see here.  Just reading the 'assessment' of the Wild shows a true lack of belief in what Minnesota has achieved and little to no actual observation as to how they've accomplished what they have so far.  TSN's Scott Cullen is quoted as saying, "Four straight wins vaults the Wild to first overall in the NHL standings. While their goal differential has improved, it's still not where it needs to be to rival the top teams, especially in light of their injuries."  Really?!?!  Because the team keeps winning despite the injuries so now injuries are going to be a major reason for its failure?   The goal differential is improved but its not where it needs to be to rival the top teams.  Really?!?!  Well the Wild are the top team, so is it really that important what its goal differential is as long as the team scores more goals than it gives up?   The team is ranked #10 and it moved up from #16 where it was a week ago.  Really?!?!  The team was #1 overall in the league a week ago yet we as fans were supposed to believe the team should've been in the bottom half of the league?  Do you check the standings much Scott?  So will the Wild keep their improbable season going in a positive direction or will the Coyotes take a bite out of Minnesota? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(19-7-3)	41	1st NW	2.45 (24)	2.14 (3)	14.8% (23)	84.9% (11)
Phoenix Coyotes	(15-10-3)	33	1st Pacific	2.64 (16)	2.50 (12)	17.6% (29)	85.6% (8)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	6	18	24
2. #15 Dany Heatley	8	11	19
3. #7 Matt Cullen	8	9	17
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	5	11	16
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	8	7	15
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	49
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #21 Kyle Brodziak	31
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (10-5-2)	2.15	.929
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-2-1)	2.14	.932
3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0)	1.01	.974
Phoenix Coyotes
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #17 Radim Vrbata	14	11	25
2. #13 Ray Whitney	10	15	25
3. #3 Keith Yandle	4	15	19
4. #19 Shane Doan	7	11	18
5. #11 Martin Hanzal	4	11	15
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #53 Derek Morris	22
2. #33 Adrian Aucoin	20
3. #37 Raffi Torres	20
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #41 Mike Smith (13-7-3)	2.42	.926
2. #1 Jason LaBarbera (2-3-0)	2.51	.914

Teamwork.  It's one of those words that we hear on a regular basis.  We hear it in our jobs.  We hear it in our kids' schools.  And of course, we hear it in regards to sports at all levels.  While we all pretty much understand the concept, we really need to take a look at its definition, because it really goes deeper than what we realize.  From Merriam-Webster Online:

"work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole"

In general, we consider "teamwork" simply to be a matter of working together as a group.  However, it goes beyond that.  In order to work as a team, we must each push aside our own wants and needs for the overall good of our teammates.  This is often difficult for people.  Even an introvert likes to be recognized for their own success.  Like the old saying goes, "there's no 'I' in team."

In professional sports, it is on occasion difficult for a group of well-paid professional athletes to "subordinate personal prominence."  A player's contract is based on one's "personal prominence."  The more goals and points you score, the more you can ask for in contract negotiations.  We've all seen teams where star players are unable to put aside their needs and wants.  For whatever reason, they refuse to buy in to the team concept that the leader, ie head coach, has put in place.  When those teams falter and refuse to buy in, it is usually not the star player who pays the price, but the head coach.  And this season has already been quite harsh to head coaches around the league.

For whatever reason, the Minnesota Wild are the embodiment of the Merram-Webster definition.  During the off-season, General Manager Chuck Fletcher managed to acquire player Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi.  As fans, we didn't expect them to completely turn this team around.  Sure they were brought in to score goals, but no one expected them to be the ultimate answer.  Nor have they been "the" answer.  Fletcher also managed to get Nick Johnson off of waivers this summer from Pittsburgh as well as former Flyer Darroll Powe as a free-agent.  On top of that, Minnesota has dressed an unbelievable 32 players this season, and we're just a third of the way through the season.  Like Heatley said in a StarTribune interview, "I've never been on a team that's dressed, like 35 guys at this point of the season.  Usually a team this high [in the standings] has dressed about the same 20 guys every night."  Even better, all those extra guys are young guys, many of whom played under Mike Yeo last season in Houston, have played quite well.

What definitely puts a smile on my face is that players like Heatley are appreciative of the role players on this team.  He has recognized that every player that either is a mainstay on the third or fourth line or has been called up, has accepted the challenge put before them and performed well.  I remember when we acquired Heatley this summer.  Fans of teams where Heatley has spent time would simply say "good luck with that baggage" or "he's a cancer in the locker room."  Sorry folks, but a "cancer" does not say things like "I can't say enough how fun it is to play this way and win this way."  Heatley and every other player on the Minnesota Wild has fully bought into Yeo's plan, and the results as shown in the league standings.

Wild fans have not seen a team concept like this since the fairytale 2002-03 season, where then head coach, Jacques Lemaire took a rag-tag group of fringe players to the Western Conference Finals.  While the quality of the rosters between then and now are vastly different, what is the same, is that the players in question believed in their coach and believed in the system used.  Even more important is that both rosters were clearly having fun playing.  Hockey is a game, and should be fun.  However, in the high-stakes of the NHL, I think there are many players who forget that it should be fun.  It is much easier to have fun when each player really knows and embraces what teamwork is.  When they forget what it means, that's when they'll stop winning and more important, stop having fun.

Until then, I will fully enjoy watching "teamwork" every night. 


Injury Report:

Minnesota:   Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Marek Zidlicky (concussion), Justin Falk (chest), Devin Setoguchi (leg),  Niklas Backstrom (groin) is probable, Josh Harding (neck) is questionable

Phoenix:  Kurt Sauer (post-concussion syndrome), Rostislav Klesla (lower body)

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Ever been told by one of your friends that the book is so much better than the movie?  As a person who has Bachelor's degree history, this is something many of my colleagues often told me.  In recent years I've decided to investigate it for myself.  Maybe its just me, but I had a hard time believing a book could be more entertaining than a movie.  Sure, the movie has to be well done but if you get a marquee cast that shouldn't be too difficult right?  Although I have to admit it, I've attemtped this in reverse where I watch the film and then read the book and see if it is just as good (or better) than the film.  The first movie I attempted this with was 2005 (book) Public Enemies after I had watched the film starring Johnny Depp in 2009.  Ryan Burrough's book was absolutely outstanding and went a lot farther than the film, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know the whole story on the crime spree that captivated America back in 1930.  Yet it doesn't always turn out that way.  Case in point, Tom Clancy's (1984) book The Hunt For Red October.  Mind you, I have always loved the Hunt for Red October movie (1990) so I was looking forward to reading Clancy's book hoping I'd be rewarded as I was with Public Enemies.  Wow, was I wrong.  Clancy's book was clunky and disjointed.  I didn't mind all of the intricate military jargon he included but I felt the story line was plodding and predictable.  This was a case where the film shined and the book failed to live up to it.  So what in the heck does this have to do with the Minnesota Wild?

 

On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Wild rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 playing most of the game with a rookie goaltender Matthew Hackett making his NHL debut, albeit in relief of an injured Josh Harding.  After the game, on NHL Network's On the Fly which is the nightly highlight show which covers all of the games on that particular day the two they had working were Brian Duff and former NHL tough guy Kelly Chase. 

  What does Tom Clancy's book share in common with Kelly Chase?

Duff is your typical sportscaster, but Kelly Chase decided to talk some trash when asked how the Wild keep managing to win games and stay atop of the NHL standings.  Chase then tossed out long-time Wild criticisms about Minnesota being "boring" and that the club just sits in the neutral zone and waits for opposing teams to attack.  He could've given the team credit for the tremendous play of its energy line (which you'd think an career 3rd-4th liner would recognize) being the team's true strength, but no he didn't try to actually add anything insightful and simply regurgitated old Wild stereotypes.  So like Clancy's book, it left me disappointed and wondering what people see that is so special about him.  During his playing career, Chase loved to chirp so I am sure he's simply disappointed his Blues are behind Minnesota in the standings.  So if you want to hear clunky disjointed crap, listen to Kelly Chase.  But if you want to see just how the Wild have managed to do what they have, watch a game for yourself and see that it really is a product that fits the notion of you can't judge a book by its cover.  Will Minnesota keep giving uninformed oafs like Kelly Chase a reason to eat crow or will they have another bad game in Los Angeles? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(18-7-3)	39	1st NW	2.39 (25)	2.14 (3)	15.4% (19)	84.6% (10)
Los Angeles Kings	(13-10-4)	30	3rd Pacific	2.26 (30)	2.18 (4)	17.6% (15)	85.3% (8)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	5	18	23
2. #15 Dany Heatley	8	10	18
3. #7 Matt Cullen	8	8	16
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	5	11	16
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	8	6	14
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	49
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #25 Nick Johnson	23
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (10-5-2)	2.15	.929
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-2-1)	2.14	.932
3. #31 Matt Hackett (1-0-0)	0.00	1.000
Los Angeles Kings
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #11 Anze Kopitar	10	16	26
2. #10 Mike Richards	11	9	20
3. #14 Justin Williams	4	13	17
4. #12 Simon Gagne	7	8	15
5. #23 Dustin Brown	5	10	15
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #25 Dustin Penner	29
2. #13 Kyle Clifford	25
3. #19 Kevin Westgarth	21
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Jonathan Quick (11-7-4)	2.01	.934
2. #45 Jonathan Bernier (2-3-0)	2.83	.893

Questions, questions everywhere.  It's not unusual to be peppered with questions on a daily basis.  Sometimes they're easy yes and no questions and can be answered with little thought.  Others require some research to provide the best possible answer.  And of course, there are the deep philosophical questions in life, some of which are never truly answered.  For the Minnesota Wild, like any professional sports team, there are always questions.  However, I kind of feel like the minute one question is answered in Minnesota, three more pop up.

The biggest question on every one's mind right now is surrounding the goaltending situation.  The season started out with some nervous questions, as Minnesota didn't quite get the start at the beginning of the season like they wanted.  I know I watched with nerves watching some of the goals our goaltending duo of Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding let in.  However, the beasts within our goaltenders seemed to be awakened in that home and home with Detroit.  There have been the occasional hiccups, but for the most part, they've been a solid pair.  However, the questions have resurfaced, and not by any fault of their creation.  First, Backstrom went down with a tweaked groin in the New Jersey game.  That's not the worst thing, since both have played well.  To serve as backup, the Wild called up Matt Hackett from the Houston Aeros.  No big deal.  All went well in Anaheim.  Then San Jose happened.  Harding found himself injured after getting hit by Nick Schultz.  It's bad enough when you have opposing players continually crashing the net, but when you lose a goaltender to injury caused by one of your own players it's even worse.  So in comes Hackett. I know I felt nervous when this all happened.  Although, color me surprised, when Hackett essentially posted a shutout against the Sharks.  Now, tonight we have a bit of a traffic jam when it comes to goaltending.  Most likely Backstrom will be dressed as will be Hackett, but everything rests on today's morning skate as to who will start and who will be backup.

Other injuries are causing more questions as well.  Also lost in San Jose was Devin Setoguchi.  At this time, it seems that we won't see him dressed again until we get back home and he can be fully assessed by the team doctors.  While mysteriously classified as a "lower body injury" he has been sporting a soft cast on his right leg.  I can only hope that it's simply a pulled muscle or a hyper-extended knee, that all is required is a bit of rest.  Strangely enough though, I'm not particularly worried over this injury.  Why?  Simply because recent call ups Casey Wellman and Cody Almond will simply step in and step up.  Whatever head coach Mike Yeo instilled in them last season on their amazing Calder Cup Finals appearance, it has carried over when they're with the Wild.  In fact, I'm more nervous when Brad Staubitz is on the ice than one of our call ups is.  Their youthful excitement and understanding of Yeo's game seems to have rubbed off on their veteran teammates.  While Setoguchi is out right now, it seems we may be getting some other players back, hopefully sooner rather than later.  Lately, Guillaume Latendresse and Marek Zidlicky who are both out with concussions, have begun to skate on their own as well as work out.  With concussions, it is steps like this that start to signal a return.  I know I will greatly welcome back Latendresse, however we've played better without Zidlicky than with him.

The only question I want to continue to surround this team is "how do they keep winning?" especially from hockey "experts" around the league.  Anyone who watches this team on a regular basis knows the answer.  In the meantime, it's quite entertaining to watch those "experts" flailing around trying to come up with an answer.  Their comments and analysis simply prove that they do not know what they are talking about.  And while they're trying to formulate their answer, we'll simply sit back and watch this team keep on playing as they have been. 

Injury Report:

Minnesota:   Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Marek Zidlicky (concussion), Justin Falk (chest), Devin Setoguchi (leg),  Niklas Backstrom (groin) is probable, Josh Harding (neck) is questionable

Los Angeles:  Mike Richards (upper body), Scott Parse (hip), Justin Williams (hand), Willie Mitchell (lower body, Alex Martinez (upper body)    

Copyright © 2011 www.StateofHockeyNews.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. no comments

I love the History Channel show Pawn Stars.  The eclectic pawn shop located in Las Vegas, Nevada has turned into its own tourist destination and the according to Rick Harrison, the shop's owner, business has never been better.  With a lagging economy I think just about everyone is thinking of other ways to try to supplement their income.  I have no doubt that the show has had more than a few people to scrounge around their attics and basements for items they knew they once had with the hopes of scoring big on something they had long since discarded.  Yet that's just half the show.  The random variety of items that come through their shop from super bowl rings to obscure gadgets but either way its a fun way to learn more about history.  Since I deal with history on a daily basis, I love the obscure factoids and the banter between Rick, Cory, the Old Man and Chumlee makes it funny and entertaining otherwise it would be just another version of PBS' Antiques Road Show.  The wheeling and dealing has probably made everyone a tougher and more skeptical negotiator.  I have to admit, watching them pass on the 1980 'Miracle on Ice' stick hurt a bit, but as they like to say they have a business to run not a museum. 

  What Wild item would you bring to Pawn Stars?

So what Wild item would you bring to Pawn Stars?  Perhaps the stick Marian Gaborik used to score 5 goals on the Rangers a few years back?  Or perhaps the puck Darby Hendrickson scored with in the first regular season NHL game played in Minnesota since the North Stars left.  Or maybe you bring a Goldy Goldthorpe game worn St. Paul Fighting Saints jersey.  Either way, I doubt a lot of those items would command a lot of money, but it'd be fun to see the wheeling and dealing to occur.  The Minnesota Wild are hoping continue to create some more buzz of their own as they try to create more success on this 5-game road trip.  So will the Wild keep frenzy going or will it be feeding time for the Sharks? 

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	Record	Pts	Div. Rank	G/G	GA/G	PP%	PK%
Minnesota Wild	(17-7-3)	37	1st NW	2.41 (23)	2.18 (4)	14.7% (23)	84.2% (11)
San Jose Sharks	(14-8-1)	29	3rd Pacific	2.78 (13)	2.44 (9)	20.5% (4)	75.0% (30)

 

Minnesota Wild
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #9 Mikko Koivu	4	17	21
2. #15 Dany Heatley	8	9	17
3. #7 Matt Cullen	8	8	16
4. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard	4	11	15
5. #21 Kyle Brodziak	8	6	14
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #16 Brad Staubitz	49
2. #22 Cal Clutterbuck	38
3. #25 Nick Johnson	23
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (10-5-2)	2.15	.929
2. #37 Josh Harding (7-2-1)	2.05	.934
San Jose Sharks
Top 5 Scorers:	G	A	Pts
1. #19 Joe Thornton	5	16	21
2. #8 Joe Pavelski	11	9	20
3. #12 Patrick Marleau	10	10	20
4. #39 Logan Couture	10	9	19
5. #29 Ryane Clowe	5	11	16
Top 3 Penalty Minutes:	PIM
1. #29 Ryane Clowe	41
2. #22 Dan Boyle	34
3. #10 Brad Winchester	34
Goaltenders:	GAA	SV%
1. #31 Antti Niemi (10-4-1)	2.38	.921
2. #1 Thomas Greiss (4-4-0)	2.37	.918

All you need to know today, is the official announcement by the NHL Board of Governors.  If you're like me, you hated waiting up until 9:00 (on rare occasions 10:00) at night for a divisional game to start.  Now it was one thing for those late starts on a Friday or Saturday night, but we all know that NHL hockey, unlike football, is a seven day a week game.  Now we'll still be stuck with the games against game against the other conferences on the West Coast, but having more games in the Central Time Zone simply puts a smile on my face.

One of the main things that the National Hockey League looked at when devising this realignment was travel.  Prior to the re-birth of the Winnipeg Jets, teams in the Northwest Division, closely followed by the Pacific, had one of the most brutal travel schedules.  Between the two furthest points of the Northwest Division, Minnesota and Vancouver, you're looking at about 1800 miles.  When you're playing each other six times, those miles add up.  Heading up to Calgary and Edmonton weren't a walk in the park either. 

The additional concern was that of time zones.  In the Western Conference, all four of the main North American time zones were involved.  Both the Northwest and Pacific Divisions had three of the four time zones.  While the time changes can be difficult on the players, the biggest impact was on that of the fans.  Like I said earlier, I really dislike game in Vancouver because they normally have a start time of 9:00pm.  On occasion we might get a weekend matinee in Vancouver, but that is the exception and not the norm.  Sure, we won't be rid of those games completely, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.

I am truly enjoying some of the ticked off comments on the NHL's Facebook page.  Clearly most of the outrage is coming from the fans of current Eastern Conference teams.  For fans in the Western Conference, just the realignment by time zones is a matter for rejoicing.  We have had to bear the countless late nights, unlike fans in the Eastern Conference where ALL of their conference games, they could be in bed by 10:00pm on a regular basis.  The other spark of outrage comes from those in the current Northeast Division.  They feel sullied by the inclusion of Tampa Bay and Florida in their new conference.  To those fans, I say, get over yourselves.  Trust me, you're not that special.

It will be interesting to see how this all works out in the long-run.  It seems that they still need to finish ironing out the playoff format, but at least now that they've realigned the league, they can sit down and hash out the rest.  Should make for an interesting off-season this year. 

Injury Report:

Minnesota:   Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Marek Zidlicky (concussion), Justin Falk (chest),  Niklas Backstrom (groin)

San Jose:  Antero Niittymaki (hip), Doug Murray (hand)  

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Who doesn't love a friendly wager?  For some people, they love to bet on just about anything and everything.  I am not talking about the compulsive gambler; I am talking about the person who manages to take any personal challenge and loves to turn it into a bet.  Whether it be for a small monetary sum, some measure of humiliation or for a drink / beer of their choice the wager itself is often inconsequential to the opportunity to say to the person you made the bet with, "I told you so."  I am sure some psychologist would say it has something to do with the ego, but let's face it that moment is often more sweet than whatever your reward may be for winning the bet.  Perhaps its only fitting that on the classic hockey film Slap Shot, the players of the Charlestown Chiefs appeared to be making wagers almost constantly.  Whether it was over who a contestant on a game show may wish to say "hi" to, or on the outcome of a race with electric Tycho cars (which according to Dave Hanson, that really did happen) pro athletes often use the per diem money they receive in small wagers or card games they may play during team travel.  A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have won a trip to Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort & Casino in Laughlin, Nevada as part of a contest run by the Minnesota Wild.  Like any casino in Nevada I decided to go place a few bets on NHL games at the local sports book.  You should have seen the look I got when I asked to place a bet on a hockey game, but that's a whole different story.  With Minnesota still (as of this moment) sitting in 1st place in the league's standings, what if a Wild fan were to have placed a bet on Minnesota winning the Stanley Cup and they managed to do just that?  Well, that fan would be in for a very nice pay day considering Las Vegas gave the Wild 30-1 odds.  Even if you placed a bet for the Wild to win the Western Conference you'd make a nice chunk of change as they stand with 16-1 odds.  In all honesty, I am not a gambler.  I don't even buy lottery tickets, but wouldn't it be cool if the Wild were to beat the odds? 



So far (knock on wood) Minnesota is doing a fine job of making those odds makers a bit nervous.  The Wild are having to reshuffle their lineup a bit as Matthew Hackett is brought up to replace Niklas Backstrom who appeared to tweak his groin on Friday, as well as Nate Prosser as the Wild put Justin Falk on injured reserve.  Will Minnesota continue to beat the odds by earning a victory in Anaheim or will the Ducks take their first step towards respectability in the new Bruce Boudreau era?

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