Gameday Thread – Game 3 – Wild @ Kings

The Minnesota Wild spent their first 100 minutes of this season looking like a team that was out of sorts. 

That all changed in about 23 minutes on Tuesday night, when the Wild dominated the Anaheim Ducks for the third period and the overtime period, coming from three goals down to win 4-3 in overtime. 

They will try to capitalize on the momentum gained when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, who swept the season series last year. 

The Wild are a team still trying to gel, and this could be a crucial road trip for them in terms of team unity. 

“I’d much rather have a road trip early on,” Head Coach Todd Richards told reporters.  “We’ll have a dinner in Anaheim, I know the guys are planning something on Sunday, we have a day off in San Jose, so they’ll be doing something as a group and spend some time together.” 

To a team that is still finding its identity, this time together should prove invaluable. 

Lineups
With Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Derek Boogaard both on the shelf with injuries, don’t expect to see any changes to the team’s lineup. 

That said, the Wild experimented with lines on Tuesday night’s game and Richards liked what he saw and will likely run these same lines in Thursday’s game. 

Brunette-Koivu-Clutterbuck
Havlat-Belanger-Sykora
Nolan-Sheppard-Miettinen
Scott-Brodziak-Pouliot 

Schultz-Johnsson
Burns-Zanon
Hnidy-Zidlicky 

Backstrom
Harding 

I would expect Harding to get his first start of the season on this road trip as well.  My expectation would be that it would be in Edmonton – a building that Niklas Backstrom is notorious for having trouble in. 

UPDATE: Looks like I was right about one thing.  Harding will get a start on this road trip, but he’ll start in net tonight.  Sounds like Richards wants to go with the 1A and 1B approach.  What does this mean for the team?  Look for Backstrom to get around 55-60 starts this season.

While the Kings lineup hasn’t been released yet, it appears as if former Wild captain Sean O’Donnell will be back from his five-game suspension.  The odd man out will be Peter Harrold. 

In net expect to see Jonathan Quick, who is 3-0-0 lifetime against Minnesota with a 1.95 GAA. 

What to Watch For
Both LA and Minnesota are coming off of huge wins.

Both teams are going to be looking to build off of this momentum and LA will be looking to cap their three-game homestand with a victory. 

Keep an eye on the Nolan line tonight.  Nolan and Sheppard displayed a great deal of chemistry with one another during training camp and Nolan has taken Sheppard under his wing to try to improve the young forward’s game.  Both Nolan and Sheppard have played two solid games to start the season, but both have been held off the scoresheet to date. 

This is no big concern for Nolan, however, who took some time to get going last season.  For Sheppard, however, it is crucial that he start getting his confidence going and start getting some points.  He has displayed some great play so far this season and once he gets going, the flood gates are going to open. 

The Kings have been running a third line that, honestly, is by name only.  The line of Handzus-Frolov-Simmonds will likely get a lot of time against the Wild’s top scoring line.  Against San Jose, this line was the spark plug that really got the team going and the Wild’s top lines will need to be solid defensively to prevent this from happening. 

Keys to the Game
Special teams. 

Four of the Wild’s five goals this season have been scored on the powerplay and the Kings penalty kill is 2 for 7 so far this season. 

The Wild have the luxury of being able to run a number of different combinations both on the powerplay and on the penalty kill, allowing them to give teams a lot of different looks.  This will be key towards getting on the board against a goalie that has had a lot of success against the Wild. 

While special teams will be key in determining the outcome of this game, the Wild need to find their scoring touch when even strength as well.  It was the Achilles’ heel of this team last season and they need to find their scoring touch when 5-on-5 if they want to be successful. 

Again, doing the little things right is going to be important for the Wild. 

The team is winning just under 55% of their faceoffs this season – something that helped them complete their comeback on Tuesday night.  The team is finally winning big draws and, because of that, are giving themselves more scoring opportunities and preventing more as well. 

The puck drops at 9:30 CST tonight and will be broadcast on Fox Sports North.

Gameday Thread – Game 2 – Ducks @ Wild

Just three seasons ago, the Minnesota Wild were unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the rough and tumble Anaheim Ducks. 

Just three seasons later, both teams are attempting to rebound from what could be considered disappointing seasons and opening day losses. 

The Ducks saw themselves booed by their hometown crowd in the first period of their tilt against the San Jose Sharks, while the Wild put up a valiant effort against a strong Columbus Blue Jackets team, only to come up short.

Lineups
The lineup looks to be much the same for the Wild as it was against Columbus.  While Benoit Pouliot has been given the green light, I think that Richards keeps Scott in the line up against a Ducks team that likes to throw their weight around. 

Brunette-Koivu-Havlat
Nolan-Bouchard-Sykora
Clutterbuck-Sheppard-Miettinen
Scott-Belanger-Brodziak

Burns-Zidlicky
Schultz-Johnsson
Zanon-Hnidy

Backstrom
Harding 

As far as the Ducks are concerned, I’m trying to track down what their lineup might be, but have been unsuccessful as of yet.  I’ll post an update as soon as I know, but I do know that Petteri Nokelainen is day-to-day with an abdominal injury and likely won’t go tonight. 

For the Wild, Derek Boogaard is still out indefinitely with a concussion. 

What to Watch For
There are a few big storylines coming into this one. 

First, these two teams just flat out don’t like each other.  It started in the playoffs three years back and has continued to grow from there.  From pre-game skirmishes to mid-game scraps, one thing is for sure.  When these two teams get together, it’s going to get physical and it’s going to get physical quick. 

I’d list a fight card for this, but honestly it’s a crapshoot.  This rivalry has seen the likes of Derek Boogaard and Todd Fedoruk square off, but at the same time has seen Nick Schultz and Ryan Getzlaf drop the mitts. 

But, if I had to put money on it, I’d say John Scott and George Parros would be a good bet. 

Next, watch for Pierre-Marc Bouchard to have a short, short leash.  He got benched late in the game on Saturday and saw just four shifts in the final period.  Head Coach Todd Richards said that he is looking for Bouchard to be more aggressive at the center position; something that Bouchard has not excelled at in his career.  

Playing with veteran goal scorers Owen Nolan and Petr Sykora on his wings, Bouchard is in a perfect position for the breakout season that everyone has been looking for from him, but he needs to prove himself capable. 

Finally, you’ve got to wonder how long it will take Richards to resume the experiment of getting Pouliot to actually play hockey.  Richards put Pouliot between Havlat and Sykora during the preseason and it paid immediate dividends.  The Wild had their fair share of offensive woes against Columbus, only filling the net once, and Richards will be under the gun to get the team producing more offense. 

Keys to the Game
The physical play will be a big part of this game.

Both teams are capable of getting down and dirty and really grinding it out and both teams have some heavy hitters on them.  This game is going to be won by the team that wins the physical battles.  This means that the Wild will need to not only match the Ducks’ physicality, but also remain disciplined.  When the game gets physical, it is all too easy to start a parade to the penalty box.  If the Wild can play physical, but remain disciplined, the parade could be towards the opposing penalty box.

Just like in Zombieland, one of the keys to winning in the NHL is to enjoy the little things. 

The Wild need to do just this. 

They need to win the battles that involve the “little things” that can lead to victory.  Winning faceoffs, forechecking, and Richards’ personal favorite buzzword, competing.  If the Wild can win the little battles, it will go a long way towards winning the game.

Gameday Thread – Game 1 – Wild @ Blue Jackets

It’s finally here.

The Wild’s season starts today in Columbus, Ohio against a Blue Jackets team that they have already had extensive experience with during the preseason.

The biggest storyline going into this game is Wild center Eric Belanger’s hit on Jackets winger Jason Chimera.  Despite Belanger’s multiple apologies about the hit, Chimera has been much less than understanding and there is a good chance that the Jackets may be out for some retribution in this game.

Despite all of this, Belanger has been very adamant about the fact that he will not fight, telling the Star Tribune’s Mike Russo that “he would not be fighting Chimera or anybody else and that if they want to take any stupid penalties on him, ‘be my guest.’”

Lineups
The expected Wild lineup for tonight is as listed below:

Brunette-Koivu-Havlat
Nolan-Bouchard-Sykora
Clutterbuck-Sheppard-Miettinen
Scott-Belanger-Brodziak

Schultz-Johnsson
Burns-Zidlicky
Zanon-Hnidy

Backstrom
Harding

For the Blue Jackets, it’s looking like this according to Russo a couple days ago:

Huselius-Brassard-Nash
Filatov-Vermette-Voracek
Chimera-Pahlsson-Umberger
Torres-Murray-Dorsett

Tyutin-Klesla
Hejda-Commodore
Methot-Russell

Russo posted this morning, however, that Commodore is out with a tweaked groin, so that the team has called up Mathieu Roy in his place.  Mason will start in nets for the Jackets.

What to Watch For
The last game that the Wild’s full line up played in, the team started off slow, but skated off with a 5-4 shootout victory.

There’s going to be a much different atmosphere in Columbus tonight, but the Wild will need to get out of the gates early – something that they’ve had problems with in their history.

It will also be important for Todd Richards to manage the game from the bench.

While I have been critical of Richards’ coaching during the preseason, the fact remains that he knows how to win games and is extremely capable of doing so.  He won’t have the last change tonight, but he will need to make decisions of the fly to try to negate the Jackets’ tough top two lines.

Look for the Jackets to come out physically as well, as they will likely be looking for some revenge on Belanger’s hit.  That said, the Jackets will likely not take any stupid penalties as Ken Hitchcock always has a good handle on his team’s discipline.

Keys to the Game
The Wild will need to set the pace for this game if they want to be successful.  The Jackets have a lot of offensive weapons that they can call upon and, if the Wild can set the pace, they can negate them at least a little.

In addition, the team will need to “just play hockey,” as Greg Zanon has said it.  They need to forget about trying to do everything perfect in Richards’ system and just go out and play hockey like they are capable of.

The puck drops in Columbus at 6 PM CST tonight.

Gameday Thread: Pre Season Game 4 – Blues @ Wild

Well, we’re in the wake of an extremely big announcement, with Wayne Gretzky stepping down as the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations of the Phoenix Coyotes. 

That said, there’s still hockey being played tonight people!

The St. Louis Blues march into Minnesota tonight as one of the last two stateside exhibition games and, hopefully, we’ll see a little more competitive Wild team tonight than we did in the first go around. 

Lineups
Per Mike Russo today:

Tonight’s lineup looks to be (by sight): Hilbert, Nolan, Irmen, Burns, Miettinen, Smith, Havlat, Sheppard, Clutterbuck, Johnsson, Schultz, Zanon, Belanger, Brodziak, Earl, Scott, Sifers, Kassian and and and and I’m looking, hang on, Gillies. 

You’ll notice that’s too many forwards. Brodziak’s wearing white with Koivu and Brunette, so Brodziak might be getting his first exhibition game off. 

Backstrom in goal for 60 is the plan. Harding backing up.

 Still nothing announced for the Blues, but I’ll keep you updated as I hear anything. 

What to Watch For
Pugilism galore. 

The last game between these two teams saw fists flying early and often and, with Scott and Kassian both in the line up for tonight’s game, it should be much of the same. 

On the same token, though, look for a much more competitive game from the Wild this time around.  The team will have many more regulars in the line up tonight and should be a lot more competitive. 

In terms of players trying to make the team, the ones with the best shot that are playing tonight are Hilbert, Irmen, Scott, Sifers and Gillies. 

But… 

With the news that enforcer Derek Boogaard is out indefinitely with a concussion, John Scott is likely nearly a lock to make the opening day roster.  If that is the case, I’d look for Irmen and Gillies to both be on the opening day roster as well. 

Also, Backstrom is likely playing 60 minutes tonight and has yet to give up a goal this pre-season.  This should be his first real test tonight, so it will be interesting to see how he does in a full game of action. 

Keys to the Game
Staying healthy.  The Wild are one of the many teams this pre-season that have been victimized by the injury bug and they are saying it’s due, in large part, to soft ice.  While the ice at the X has always been among the league’s best, this season it has been the culprit of a few tweaked “lower bodies.” 

At least it’s not a game of hackey sack. 

In any event, look for the fringe players to be playing more of what their role might be in the regular season were they to make the team tonight.  Also, keep an eye on special teams for the Wild, as Richards has been trying to drill his philosophy into their heads over the last couple days.

Gameday Thread: Pre-Season Game 2 – Blue Jackets @ Wild

It’s finally here.  The first home game of the season. 

Amidst reports of the team’s sellout streak being in jeopardy, the team will take the ice at the X for the first time this season tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

The Wild are taking the ice after a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.  A game that saw the Wild ice mostly minor league players against a Blues team that was using the game primarily as a tune up for their stars. 

The Jackets, on the other hand, are taking the ice after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  A loss that saw the Pens score four goals in the third period to draw even and force OT. 

Lineups
Per Mike Russo yesterday:

Tomorrow’s Wild lineup: Belanger, Boogaard, Bouchard, Brodziak, Clutterbuck, Gillies, Hilbert, Irmen, Kalus, Miettinen, Pouliot, Sheppard, Burns, Lannon, Rogers, Sifers, Stoner, Zidlicky, Backstrom, Harding.

Tomorrow’s Blue Jackets lineup: Raffi Torres, Derick Brassard, Kristian Huselius, Jason Chimera, Samuel Pahlsson, Fredrik Modin, Trevor Frischmon, Jared Boll, David Liffiton, Grant Clitsome, Jonathan Sigalet, David Steiner, Fedor Tyutin, Dylan Reese, Rick Nash, Matt Calvert, Jared Aulin, Rostislav Klesla, Steve Mason, Kevin Lalande

Based on these line ups, it looks like Richards is giving a few players extended looks — especially with the addition of Petr Sykora to the team’s line up.

Those players? 

Colton Gillies - Gillies was a minus-3 in the last game and had an all around poor game.  He’s been on fire this summer though, both in developmental camp and in training camp, so I’d look for a better effort from a player hell bent on making the team this season. 

Danny Irmen - Irmen had a fantastic game against the Blues and has had fantastic scrimmages and practices for the Wild.  Honestly, I would say that Irmen might have the best chance to play his way onto the roster, solely because of his contract status.  The signing of Sykora has pushed the Wild up against the cap and, of the fringe players, he has the lowest salary. 

Andy Hilbert - Hilbert played his game against the Blues.  Pretty plain jane, but also pretty mistake free.  Hilbert is on a tryout contract and it looks like Richards is going to give him every chance to impress and try to make the squad.  Truth be told, however, Hilbert is going to have to do something very special to make this squad. 

Benoit Pouliot - Despite scoring the only Wild goal on Tuesday, Richards made a point to mention that there are still things that he needs to do better.  He looked fantastic at the scrimmage on Monday, so much so that I’m even willing to give him a second look at making the squad. 

What to Watch For
The Wild are skating a line up tonight that is much closer to that of an NHL line up, so tonight’s game should be significantly more competitive.  That said, both sides look to have players that are pushing for a roster spot.  Tuesday’s game got chippy in a hurry and I wouldn’t be surprised if tonight’s game has the same intensity, especially from those Wild players who played on Tuesday night. 

The Wild’s roster is pretty packed but that doesn’t mean that someone can’t play their way onto the roster if they deserve it.  As I mentioned yesterday in my Sykora blog, the Wild may have to consider moving some players to a) free up salary or b) free up roster space — if this is the case, the most likely casualties will be players such as Eric Belanger and Josh Harding.  With Matt Kassian still in camp, the idea of trading Derek Boogaard may even be floated around. 

Tonight will also be Brent Burns’ first game back since his season ending injuries last season.  We all know Burnsie loves to fly around the ice like a man possessed, so I’d guess he’ll have even more energy than usual tonight. 

We don’t know the lines yet for the Wild, but here’s my best guess: 

Miettinen/Bouchard/Clutterbuck - pretty much a lock since they’ve been playing together all camp.
Gillies/Sheppard/Pouliot - Richards has been playing Pouliot on the wing and I think a kid line might be a good gauge at how ready all three of these players are to step up.
Hilbert/Brodziak/Irmen – Brodziak will play center wherever he plays (13 of 16 draws last game) and I think Richards could give Irmen and Hilbert a few more minutes to get a better look at them.
Boogaard/Belanger/Kalus - With the wings on this line, the entire Jackets team (including Hitchcock) might want to keep their heads up.

Burns/Rogers - They played a bit together in the scrimmage when Burns wasn’t with Cuma.
Zidlicky/Lannon - Yup.
Sifers/Stoner - These are both fringe players, so they might even get first or second pairing minutes for an extended look.

Backstrom
Harding

Keys to the Game
This may seem pretty elementary, but finding the back of the net is key for this Wild team.  They outshot St. Louis by a large margin, but couldn’t find the back of the net until late in the third period.  This is a team that has been pigeon holed as not having offensive talent, despite the potential that they have.  It’s key for them to start getting goals to get their confidence about them.  As the team has proven in past years, confidence is key for these players.  Once they start getting down on themselves, it’s a downward spiral.

The puck drops tonight at 7pm and, again, you can find it on your radio dial on WCCO.

Gameday Thread: Pre-Season Game 1 – Wild @ Blues

Just one more indication that it is indeed the most wonderful time of the year.

Wild Nation’s first Official Gameday thread.

Sure, it’s pre-season, but it’s hockey.  Why not get excited?

Tonight, after an extended layoff, the Wild will hit the ice for their first game under the new coach, under the new system and under the new management.  After a few days of scrimmages and practices, as well as the announcement that sniper Petr Sykora will be trying out for the team, the Wild will face the St. Louis Blues in their first test of the pre-season.

Lineups

Per Mike Russo, here is what the Wild’s line up will look like tonight:

Forwards: Brodziak, DiSalvatore, Gillies, Hilbert, Irmen, Kalus, Kassian, Milroy, Pouliot, Sheppard, Smith, Weller

Defensemen: Falk, Fraser, Hnidy, Noreau, Scandella, Scott, Zanon

Goalies: Khudobin, Hackett

 And, per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch:

I don’t have the lineup yet, but goalie Chris Mason will start Tuesday’s preseason game against Minnesota. 

UPDATED – 2:50 PM

Forwards
Paul Kariya-Patrik Berglund-Brad Boyes
Andy McDonald-David Backes-David Perron
Chris Porter-Derek Armstrong-Aaron Palushaj
Ryan Reaves-Yan Stastny-Cam Janssen

Defense
Erik Johnson-Steve Wagner
Darryl Sydor-Alex Pietrangelo
Brendan Bell-Mike Weaver

Goalies
Chris Mason
Ben Bishop

From those line ups, this game could get ugly in a hurry.

What to Watch For
If it wasn’t already apparent by looking at the roster, tonight will be all about checking out the players trying to make the team.  At forward, Brodziak and Sheppard are likely the only two locks playing and, on defense it’s looking like Hnidy, Scott and Zanon will be the only sure bets.

The players to watch tonight for the Wild?  Benoit Pouliot and Colton Gillies.  These two are widely thought to be the two youngsters with the best shot at making the big squad right out of camp (though with the addition of Sykora, it’s been made that much more difficult for both) and both have looked good in the first couple days of camp.  They are likely the top tier of players shooting to make the squad, followed immediately by Danny Irmen, Craig Weller, Petr Kalus, Duncan Milroy and Andy Hilbert.

To be honest, making the squad for any of these players is going to be a very long shot, as the team already has twelve forwards that are pretty well entrenched in their line up.

On the defensive side, this will be the first look we get at newcomers Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon.  The defensive side of things is also much similar to the offensive side.  Snidy, Scott and Zanon are pretty much locks for the squad.  This, combined with our top-four d-men, leaves little room for a young defenseman to make it.

Keys to the Game
This one won’t be a biggie, seeing as how it’s the pre-season and the first game, at that, but it’s going to be interesting to see how the holdovers from last season’s team react to Richards’ system on the fly.  The team will be holding practice before flying out today, but it’s going to be an interesting test of this team’s ability to retain all that has been thrown at them over the last few days.

Gameday: Wild @ Islanders – 3/25/09

Sans Brent Burns and Mikko Koivu, the Wild rolled into the Big Apple last night and left with a demoralizing loss despite a fantastic game by Niklas Backstrom.  The team dropped from 10th in the West down to 11th, chasing 8th place Anaheim who is two points ahead of them, and two points back from 9th place Nashville.

Ok.  That was the bad news.

The good news?  Tonight we roll into the island to play the league’s bottom team in the New York Islanders.

This is not to say that the Isles should be taken lightly, as they have been hot as of late; however, if there is any team that the Wild could use as a “slump-buster,” this is certainly it.

When you look at the two teams, they have similar stats on paper.  The Wild have only scored a paltry 184 goals this season (good for second last in the West) while the Isles are just two behind them (good for last in the East).  The difference between the two teams, however, has been their defense and goaltending.  The Wild have given up just 180 goals this season (good for third best in the league) while the Isles have given up 234 goals this season (good for eleventh in the East).  The Isles are also having similar problems to the Wild on the blueline; namely, not enough grit.  If the Wild are to be successful against this team tonight, they will need to get into the high traffic areas on the ice and push around an Isles defense that is extremely undersized.  This means that players that like to get their noses dirty in front of and behind the net, such as Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette, will be key to the Wild’s hopes of victory tonight.

Defensively, the Wild will need to focus on stopping the Isles offensive weapons.  Though young, the Isles still boast some players that have the talent to put the puck in the net; most notably Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Sean Bergenheim, not to mention their leading scorer, Mark Streit.  The biggest key to the resurgence of the Islanders over the last few weeks has been their balanced attack.  They have been given the freedom to play spoiler and have taken to it quite nicely and the Wild will have to focus on their entire line up in order to keep the team down.

Goaltending has been a concern for the Isles since the injury of franchise goalie Rick Dipietro; however, Yann Danis has stepped up in his absence and performed marvelously.  A little confidence can go a long way with Danis, and the Wild need to avoid giving him any at all, getting to him early and often.  This will involve shooting the puck and getting it on net; the latter of which the Wild have struggled with all season long.

In the previous meeting this season, the Wild cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Isles, outshooting them 39-16 and dominating for most of the game.  A repeat performance of this would be key to getting the Wild back on track and giving the team confidence heading into a crucial two game swing in Canada against the Flames and the Oilers.

Keys to the Game

1. Shoot the Puck.  It seems to be common sense, but the Wild have gotten behind in the shots early in too many of their games this season and, as a result, have had to fight back in too many of their games.  Especially with an inexperienced goalie in net, the key to the Wild’s game should be to get traffic in front of him and get the puck on net.  If they can do this, there’s no reason that they can’t have an offensive outburst and win this game walking away.
2. Be Physical.  The Wild are a team that have been pushed around a little more than they would like this season and it needs to stop.  The blueline especially has been a weak point for the Wild this season in terms of physicality and the Isles are a small team.  The Wild came out with a physical game last night against the Rangers and any carry over from this would be a huge help for the team.
3. Establish Consistency.  The Wild have lacked consistency all season long, both in the micro and macro views.  In games they often go stretches without pressuring their opponent and oftentimes dig themselves holes during these periods.  If the Wild are able to maintain consistency during the games, this will translate over to the macro view and consistency will begin to be established from game-to-game as well.  This is key for the Wild to win games down the stretch and make a push for the playoffs.

This is a Wild team that can be good.  They just need to find the consistency to do so.  If they’re able to shorten their memories and put their loss last night behind them, they should have no problem handling the Isles.  The question will be if they are able to do just that.

Clutter-Watch 2009: For all intents and purposes, tonight will be the game that Cal Clutterbuck breaks the NHL Record for hits in a season, set by Dustin Brown.  Needing just two more hits to do so, it is very likely that this could be accomplished by the end of the first period, or even his first shift.  As Mike Russo mentioned in his blog, however, I wouldn’t expect much of a fanfare for this.  After all, the statistic has only been around for a few short years.  We could very well be watching young Cal’s statistics next season as well, as he’ll likely be given more responsibility, more ice time and more opportunities to do what he loves to do: hit.

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