The Minnesota Wild Season in Review Part 5 of 5: Looking Ahead
Well, it’s taken a lot longer than I’d expected, but here we are—part five of my five part season in review.
I’ve looked at the season on a whole, the forwards, the defense, the goaltenders, the management and now it’s time to take a look ahead to what this off season could bring.
The Wild have a long shopping list for this off season and not a whole lot of money to shop with. They currently have 17 players under contract and have restricted free agents Guillaume Latendresse and Josh Harding yet to sign.
Their shopping list will likely include another defenseman and at least one more forward, but likely two, just to be safe.
So, let’s look at what the team needs, shall we?
The first need that the team will try to address, for sure, will be another stay-at-home, shutdown defenseman. With six defensemen under contract and approximately $16.6 million allotted to these defensemen it’s hard to believe that the Wild will go out and spend on a top-flight free agent blueliner.
What I can see, however, is the Wild spending anywhere between one and two million on a defenseman that is reliable, but not flashy—someone that they can pair with their more aggressive, offensive defensemen.
The problem is that there aren’t too many players available with that description for that price tag.
Possible Targets: Milan Jurcina, Brett Lebda, Kurtis Foster
Another need that the team desperately needs is a second line center.
The Wild do already have someone within their organization that they are hoping will fit this bill in Pierre-Marc Bouchard.
The big question about Butch, however, is his health. While he has been cleared to begin light exercising, Bouchard is still experiencing many post-concussion symptoms.
With that being the case, I would expect the Wild to pursue a center looking to spend between two and four million on him.
With the impending departure of Mike Modano from Dallas, there are a few that are hoping for a nostalgic end to the former North Star’s career. In my opinion, that would be a huge mistake for the Wild.
While Modano would be a significant upgrade from James Sheppard, the fact remains that he’s 41 years old and his production has decreased significantly over the past few seasons.
What they do need, however, is a gritty, skilled center to play on their second line between Latendresse and Martin Havlat.
Possible Targets: Matthew Lombardi, Mike Comrie, Brendan Morrison, Chris Higgins
Another player that the Wild will likely look towards is a gritty forward to replace the likes of Andrew Ebbett, Owen Nolan and Derek Boogaard, all of whom will likely leave in free agency.
This is one thing that there are a lot of in this year’s free agent market.
They won’t have to pay a lot for these players, but these players are going to be invaluable to the Wild in the future and General Manager Chuck Fletcher knows this.
With the trade for Brad Staubitz, Fletcher has gotten some of this toughness but judging from how both the Ducks and the Penguins were built, and make no mistake that those teams had his finger prints all over them, he’s not done with this.
Possible Targets: Adam Burish, Raffi Torres, Colby Armstrong, Evgeny Artyukhin
Finally, I’d look for the Wild to take a shot at trying to acquire another top-six forward; probably a winger.
It won’t be any flashy signing like Ilya Kovalchuk, unless Fletcher can work some serious cap magic, but there is a definite need for a player that can score consistently to play alongside Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu on the team’s first line.
Again, I would expect the team to go after someone in the two to four million dollar range for this, as it’s going to need to make sense both economically as well as for the team on a whole.
Possible Targets: Marek Svatos, Alexander Frolov, Slava Kozlov, Alexei Ponikarovsky
Whatever the Wild does, there is going to be a sense of excitement surrounding the team come July 1.
It’s Christmas in July for NHL fans and fans in Minnesota are hoping that the Wild come out on top.
The Minnesota Wild Season in Review Part Three of Five: Defensemen and Goaltenders
Wow. It feels like forever since I’ve written ANYTHING because, well, it has been.
But, one fried motherboard and one new computer later, and yours truly is back in business!
So, when I last left you, I was grading the Wild’s roster, so why don’t I just pick up where I left off?
We’re on to the defense.
Defense was certainly the team’s weak point this past season. Between injuries and poor play, the Wild’s defense and goaltending were vastly sub-par for the entire season.
With Jacques Lemaire leaving the squad, it was expected that the team defense might take a step back and, with it, the goaltending as well—but no one could have expected the disaster that it became.
So, without further ado…Here…We…Go…
Defensemen:
Marek Zidlicky – With the system change under Todd Richards, Zidlicky was expected to be right in his element and he definitely was.
Typically an offensive defenseman and powerplay specialist, Zidlicky cemented himself as one of the Wild’s more reliable defensemen during the season, which speaks loads towards the defensive struggles of the team, as Zidlicky’s strong season earned him a three-year contract extension with the team, but still left much to be desired.
Offensively, he was one of the few defensemen that was able to move the puck with ease—his 37 assists was good for second on the team. The only problem was that his decision making left much to be desired.
His breakout passes found opposing stick on numerous occasions and, while his defensive play improved, he was still not as impressive in the defensive zone as one would have liked.
Overall, Zidlicky’s offensive prowess is something that the Wild need on their blueline, and paired with a defensive defenseman he can be a productive player, but this last season more was needed from him, and he didn’t quite deliver.
Grade: B
Brent Burns – Burnsie, the Wild’s “franchise” defenseman, struggled mightily this season.
Early in the season, he was having difficulty both recovering from his injuries from the previous season and adjusting to balancing the Wild’s new aggressive system with strong defensive play.
His decision making was often shaky early in the season and, once he returned from injury it was apparent that the psychological affects of his concussion were still lingering.
Burns often lost his man in the defensive zone early on in the season—something that led to more than a couple goals against—and seemed weary about going into the corners after the puck.
Then, he started using the new Messier concussion helmet and suddenly, his confidence started coming back.
Over the last quarter of the season, Wild fans were treated to a Brent Burns that was more like what they had become accustomed to. He hit, he joined the rush, he created plays and he was very solid in his own end.
If that continues, Burns might just go back to joining Mikko Koivu in the ranks of players that Chuck Fletcher won’t consider trading.
Grade: C
Nick Schultz – Schultzie was Lemaire’s golden boy, plain and simple. A solid, shut down defenseman that could be paired with anyone and matched up against any line to shut them down completely.
Under Todd Richards, however, Schultz didn’t necessarily find him in the coach’s dog house, but he didn’t often have the trust of his new head coach—something that I find rather curious.
It was hoped that Schultz would begin stepping up into the play and producing offensively and, while he did that to the tune of a career season, he never quite grabbed Richards’ attention.
Despite a career best in time on ice, Schultz was rarely on the ice in extremely important situations.
The fact remains, however, that Schultz is one of the team’s top defensive defensemen. This season, as with all the rest, his positioning was impeccable and his vision on the ice was just as good.
His minus-eight rating was second among the Wild’s regular defensemen (which says a lot about how poorly the team defense was playing) and he even added a little more physicality to his play.
Grade: B
Greg Zanon – If there was ever the defenseman that the Wild needed, it was Greg Zanon.
Let’s be perfectly clear. With Zanon, you won’t get a 30-goal season. You probably won’t even get a 10-goal season. But what you will get, is a player who will compete every night and do everything he needs to in order to win.
A shot-blocking machine, Zanon led the team with 196 blocked shots this season and was second on the team in hits, with 183 (which pales in comparison to team leader Cal Clutterbuck’s 316).
Not only that, but Zanon was a leader on and of the ice. He played the last chunk of the season with a broken foot, even after the Wild were out of contention, and he battled through minor injuries in each and every game, rarely even missing a shift.
Zanon is the prototypical defensive defenseman. He gets in the way of the shots, he hits and he plays through every single bit of pain. He is, in Pierre Maguire’s words, a monster.
Grade: A
Kim Johnsson – Johnsson was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks just before the Olympic trade freeze and, in all honesty, the jury is still out on the trade.
Johnsson, despite all of his shortcomings, was possibly the Wild’s best defenseman this season. His vision on the ice made him invaluable both on the penalty kill and the powerplay and, after he was traded, it was glaringly obvious that his ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone, whether by skating or by passing, was a trait that the Wild needed desperately.
When he was brought in before the 06-07 season, he was expected to bring offense to the blueline, but he just never recaptured the magic that he had in Philly before his concussions.
Under Richards, however, Johnsson began to show more of an offensive spark, potting six goals in 52 games with the Wild.
When General Manager Chuck Fletcher had an opportunity to move an expiring contract for a younger player that fit the mold that he wanted, however, he jumped at the opportunity and Johnsson was sent to the Blackhawks for the stretch run.
Johnsson: B+
Shane Hnidy – Hnidy was one of the players that I was very excited about coming into this season. He’s a hard-nosed defenseman and a great teammate.
But Hnidy never seemed to be able to grab hold in the Wild’s lineup. Playing for his fourth team in five years, his skating ability was not anywhere near where it needed to be, leaving him out of position oftentimes and it seemed that he would often be more concerned with playing the body than playing the puck.
That said, Hnidy wasn’t all bad this season. With the injuries on the Wild’s blueline, he came in and played important minute’s on the team’s powerplay—exhibiting a heavy, heavy shot and giving the team’s top-four defenseman much necessary rests. He was one of the few players that was more than willing to stand up for his teammates regardless of the outcome and his toughness was a key component to the team.
Hnidy, however, did not seem entirely comfortable with the Wild this season and did not seem to be the best fit for the team.
Grade: D
Cam Barker – Barker, who came over from Chicago in the Johnsson trade, is a mixed bag.
On one hand, he is an extremely talented defenseman who has the potential and ability to play a strong two-way game. He has the offensive skills to quarterback the powerplay and the defensive skills to lay the body and to log minutes on the penalty kill.
But, Barker wasn’t always all good.
His skating and reaction time was very often subpar and he seemed to get turned around in the defensive zone more often than he should.
With only 19 games in a Wild sweater, the jury is still out on Barker, but he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to be a productive blueliner for the Wild.
Grade: C-
John Scott – Scott, or Derek Boogaard Lite, was a much needed physical presence for the Wild.
Like Boogaard, Scott was on the ice for one reason and one reason only—intimidation.
Despite not having been in that role before, Scott took to it like a fish to water and quickly became a second powerful heavyweight enforcer for the Wild.
While his play improved throughout the year, Scott’s skill level was not what the Wild needed on the blueline especially, with injuries to key players and with key players struggling.
Scott jumped back and forth between forward and defense, which likely didn’t help matters, but the Wild need more from their blueline than the hulking defenseman could bring.
Grade: D
Clayton Stoner – Stoner was one of a couple young defensemen that the Wild inserted into the lineup because of the injuries that was a very pleasant surprise.
Stoner, who was limited to eight games because of injury, provided a rugged, smooth skating and puck moving defenseman.
He showed a willingness to throw down, dropping the gloves a couple times and throwing big hits. His skating ability was fantastic and his vision on the ice was great as well.
He even exhibited the offensive awareness, earning limited time in important offensive situations and getting himself a couple of assists.
What was most impressive about Stoner, however, was his poise. Despite this being Stoner’s first NHL game, he is a multi-year pro in the AHL and it showed as he fit right into the Wild’s line up and fit right into the role that the team needed.
Grade: B
Nate Prosser – There isn’t much bad that I have to say about Prosser.
The young defenseman from Elk River, Minnesota was signed as a rookie free agent with the expectation that he would practice with the team, get a taste of NHL life, then be re-signed to a two-way deal this off season and play in the AHL next season.
Injuries, however, forced the Wild to insert Prosser into the line up and his three game audition may have very well made him the front runner for the Wild’s number six defenseman spot next season.
In his three games, Prosser averaged 19:37 worth of ice time—a staggering number when you consider that he had never played a pro game.
He proved that he could move the puck, that he could hit, play solid in his own zone—essentially that he could do anything and everything that the team needed.
Grade: A
Goaltending:
Niklas Backstrom – I don’t think there is a single player, pundit or coach that will deny that Backstrom had a disappointing season this season.
When it was learned that the Wild were going to play a more offensive season this year, we all knew that Backstrom wouldn’t be protected as well as he was under Lemaire—and he certainly wasn’t.
But Backstrom’s season this season was his worst since he was 23 years old, playing for AIK Solna in Sweden.
To be fair to Backstrom, he didn’t play a whole lot different than he has in years past. His positioning was still incredible, his athleticism actually seemed much improved, but he just didn’t make the big save like he had in the past.
Whether it was nagging injuries or whether it was mental, Backstrom would not and will not make excuses, but the fact of the matter remained that the Wild needed Backs to be their best player if they wanted any hope of success this season, and he wasn’t.
That being said, I don’t think that there are many that believe that he is not capable of being the goalie that he was for Lemaire’s Wild under Richards. Backstrom is a notoriously hard worker and hard preparer.
In the 07-08 season, Backstrom was horrible in the shootout. In the 08-09 season? He was one of the best in the league.
So, suffice it to say, Bacstrom will be well prepared coming into next season.
Grade: C
Josh Harding – A slow start to the season really torpedoed Josh Harding’s chances to move into a position where he could be either a starter for the Wild or considered a starting goaltender in the NHL.
That being said, Harding showed huge jumps in his development throughout the season.
His movement has always been great, but his control (both of his body and his rebound control) has been suspect. This season, however, Harding made huge steps in both especially in the latter stages of the season when Backstrom was out with injury.
His consistency still leaves a lot to be desired, but how much of that could be attributed to the lack of team defense in front of him?
Harding is a Restricted Free Agent this off season and it is likely that he will a) be resigned by the Wild and b) be shopped aggressively to teams in need of a goaltender.
Grade: C
Anton Khudobin – I realize that I glossed over Wade Dubielewicz, but I did so for a couple reasons. One, I didn’t want to have to type his name over and over and two, Khudobin is the true third goalie of this franchise.
Khudobin was thrust into action due to injuries this season and, just like the rest of the Wild’s youngsters, performed marvelously.
In 69 minutes, the young netminder stopped 47 or 48 shots and looked extremely comfortable in net. Despite his slight size, his play in net was marvelous and there was not much criticism that could be sent his way.
His movement was good, he had good angles, he had good puck control—in otherwords, he provided the Wild a good, less expensive option as a back up for Josh Harding.
The sample size is small, but he has definitely had a good start to his NHL career.
Grade: B+
Up Next: The Coaches and Front Office
Computer Troubles
Hey all…Sorry about the lack of posts lately. It seems that my computer doesn’t hold the same pleasure for writing about the Wild that I do.
In other words, my computer has finally gone belly up. I’ll hopefully be back up and running soon, and I’ll try to pop in here and there on my Blackberry…But until then, I’m out of commission.
Sorry about this everyone, and I hope to be up and running again soon.
Wild Nation Playoff Live Blog: Vancouver Canucks @ Los Angeles
Here comes the live blog again! Tonight, we’ve got the Kings/’Nucks game in all of its glory. It will be the same opinionated drivel with myself, Justin Bourne and Ms. Conduct talking hockey and making fools of ourselves all at once. The series is tied at 1-1, so it should be an increasingly fun game as playoff hockey comes back to LA for the first time in 5 years. The festivities start at 9 pm CST.
Enjoy!
Wild Nation Live Playoff Blog: Detroit @ Phoenix
Gameday Thread – Game 43 – Wild @ ‘Hawks
If anyone needed a break, it was the Minnesota Wild.
After a hot December that saw them tally ten victories (a team record for the month), the team proceeded to lose three games in five days, looking like a very tired team for the majority of those games.
But a two-day break in the Windy City and the presence of their fathers has the team rejuvenated and ready for action against the team that is arguably the best in the league—the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Wild have an extremely daunting task in front of them, as their loss on Saturday to the New Jersey Devils kicked off a month of January in which nine of the team’s 14 games are against teams that are currently in playoff contention and three more are against teams currently ahead of them in the standings.
In other words, January will be a good measuring stick for just how good this Wild team actually is.
The good news for the Wild is that Brent Burns has made this trip with the team and, though he didn’t practice, he is getting closer and closer every day to returning.
What’s more is that, by all accounts, the Wild held one of their hardest working practices of the season yesterday—in large part because of the presence of their fathers. The speculation following practice was that the Wild would have heard it afterwards if they didn’t, and I suspect the same will go for tonight’s game.
As for tonight’s game, the Wild will be facing a Blackhawks team that has won three straight and eight of their last ten. In fact, there’s not much that has not been going right for the ‘Hawks this season.
Lineup(s)
I haven’t heard of what the lines might or might not be for the Wild but; the injuries have been talked about. While Burns travelled, he is still out with a concussion. In addition, the Wild might be down one of their more important players and team leaders in Owen Nolan, who is questionable for tonight’s game. Assuming that Nolan doesn’t go, here’s my attempt at the forward lines:
Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen
Latendresse-Ebbett-Havlat
Clutterbuck-Belanger-Sykora
Boogaard-Brodziak-Sheppard
I think that, in the case of these lines, you could easily see James Sheppard and Cal Clutterbuck switch spots. First, because Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak have some absolutely sick chemistry with one another and second, because Sheppard is more of a playmaking-type player—something that could be important to getting sniper Petr Sykora rolling after returning from his concussion.
In addition, don’t be surprised if Sykora gets some shifts on Martin Havlat’s opposite wing, with Belanger in between them. The three were showing some fantastic chemistry before Sykora went down and it took the Wild a while to find some other players that fit with Havlat. That said, Havlat is riding a four-game points streak and has five goals and 15 points in his last 15 games, most of which has come playing with Andrew Ebbett and Guillaume Latendresse.
On the other hand, if Nolan is able to go tonight, I’d expect the casualty to be Derek Boogaard due, in large part, to his lack of mobility.
As for defense, I doubt you’ll see much of a change there. Clayton Stoner has recovered from his tweaked groin and continues to gain the confidence of the coaching staff. While he’s cooled off from his “call up” hot streak, Stoner has continued to play solid, physical defense—something that has endeared him to the coaching staff and the fans.
In addition, against the ‘Hawks quick forward group, I’d be surprised if the Wild rolled out John Scott who, as with Boogaard, isn’t the most mobile member of the team.
Zanon-Zidlicky
Schultz-Johnsson
Stoner-Hnidy
In nets, expect to see Josh Harding who will give Niklas Backstrom a much needed break following performances that have seen him give up three goals in six of his last seven games.
Especially in his last few games, Backstrom simply looked tired and, because of this, I would expect Harding to be in the cage tonight regardless of the score—especially with an ever-important divisional match up coming tomorrow night.
What to Watch For
Keep an eye on the Wild’s defense tonight. Against both Los Angeles and New Jersey, they didn’t give their goaltenders much help and that will need to change in a big way against Chicago’s high octane offense.
As was mentioned earlier, the Wild’s fathers are on this trip and I would expect the team (and the defense especially) to play a solid, blue collared, hockey game—lots of hitting, lots of good positioning and lots of hard work.
For the Wild, keep an eye on the usual suspects—Havlat, Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette.
These three players have been three of the Wild’s hottest players of late, with Koivu picking up the Wild on his shoulders and shouldering much of their offensive load.
The dark horse for the Wild, however, is defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
While ‘Z’ has driven Wild fans crazy with his play in his own zone, he has certainly come into his own this season and is playing much better defense than he did last season. His pairing with Greg Zanon has turned into the Wild’s top defensive unit and he is showing that he is a true asset moving the puck.
In his last five games, Zidlicky has six assists and is a plus-one. He has had the hot passing hand and his ability to break the puck out will be crucial to the Wild’s transition game.
Key(s) to the Game
Which leads me into the first key to the game.
The Wild need to, need to, need to get their transition game going early. They are simply not going to get a whole lot of quality chances against the Blackhawks team and are going to be pressured early and often.
The Blackhawks give up just over 24 shots per game, while taking around 33. For the Wild to win, they are going to need to take advantage of the ‘Hawks aggressiveness and catch them pinching. If they can do that, they can get quality chances against this team. If they can’t, though, they might not be seeing too many of their pucks hitting the net.
Anyone who watched the Winter Classic can tell you that a solid transition game can change the tempo and the momentum of the game and that a solid transition game can win the game.
My second key to the game is discipline.
The Wild need to a) hope that Chicago remains disciplined and b) remain disciplined themselves.
The reason I say this is twofold. The Wild’s powerplay, of late, has largely been a momentum killer for the team. Much of this likely has to do with the loss of Brent Burns on the blueline but, on a whole, the Wild’s powerplay has been ineffective.
For the ‘Hawks, however, their powerplay has been buzzing of late, having converted at least one opportunity in each of its last seven games. The team is 8-for-25 during that time—an impressive 32% clip.
Finally, it is paramount in this game that the Wild get out to a good start. This is a very potent offensive team that they are playing and stumbling out of the gates could very well lose the game for them.
Minnesota has not started well for most of the season and it is very important that they get their legs under them early. They need to slow down Chicago with physical play and they need to grind it out with them, plain and simple.
The puck drops tonight at 7pm CST on Versus.
Reminder: I’ll be answering my first Wild Nation mailbag here next week. If you have any questions or comments, be sure to send them to blake.benzel@hockeyprimetime.com. So far, I’ve gotten just one response, but I’m confident that I have more than one reader, so be sure to send in your questions.
Christmas Greetings from Wild Nation
I’ll keep this short and sweet for everyone.
We at Wild Nation want to extend Christmas Greetings to each and every one of our readers. We know that there are many, many other hockey blogs that you could visit, but you choose to visit here and we are greatly appreciative.
So, to everyone who visits here…Merry Christmas, from the bottom of our hearts. We hope that you all had a fantastic Christmas and wish you safe travels wherever you are going to or coming from.
Live Blogging Action – Wild/Nucks
For those of you joining me for my live blogage of the Wild v. Canucks game tonight, welcome to Wild Nation! I’ve opted to go the old school route for tonight’s game and to blog live without the assistance of the usual CoveritLive.
The Wild come into tonight after a dominating win over the Calgary Flames last night and the Canucks are coming off of a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday.
This should be a fantastic game between two division rivals and we’ll be getting underway soon! In the meantime, check out NHL.com’s gameday preview here.
First Period
20:00 – And we’re underway in Vancouver. The goalies are Josh Harding and Roberto Luongo tonight. The Wild start with Belanger, Clutterbuck and Kobasew on forward and Zidlicky and Zanon on D.
19:15 – Kesler got through pretty cleanly and went down, but looked like it was under his own power.
18:47 – G-Lat will be going to the box as he chop blocked Mason Raymond. Powerplay to Vancouver as they have started out pretty strong.
18:16 – Josh Harding looked to be blowing the game as he dropped to his knees with the puck on the goal line and Daniel Sedin shelfs the puck. Goal Vancouver.
17:06 – Havlat’s line is buzzing, but no quality scoring chances come from it. Incidentally, the scratches for the Wild are Scott (healthy), Ebbett (concussion) and Nolan (lower body).
14:57 – Good scoring chance by..wait for it…Derek Boogaard! The Canucks took exception to the fact that Boogaard actually hit the net and it looks like the refs gave him a penalty for it. Actually, it was Boogaard retaliating on a Hordichuk jab after the play, but the first part sounds better.
13:44 – 2-0 Canucks early, as Mason Raymond takes a nice shot between the feet of Kim Johnsson to beat Harding. This could be a short night for the team’s backup.
12:19 – Good interference defensive play by Miettinen to take Raymond out of the play as Schultz got caught pinching in the neutral zone.
11:40 – Something happened to someone and we have a stoppage. TV Timeout!!
11:03 – Boarding coming to Schneider on Sheppard. My God. That was an ugly hit. Shep is fine, but that should have been more than 2 minutes. Powerplay Minnesota.
10:03 – Is he even human!!?!? Bobby Lou just ROBBED Miettinen with a brilliant glove save. My goodness that was a beautiful save!!
9:03 – The penalty expires without anything of note happening, other than Louie’s glove save. Another lackluster powerplay from the Wild.
8:02 – Save by Luongo and the teams decide to dogpile after the fact. I wonder if Luongo had any say in the matter?
7:04 – Icing on Vancouver after a very nice breakout by the Wild. Havlat got the puck in full stride, but Mitchell played it fantastically and forced him to shoot, helping Luongo make the save.
6:05 – Just as I was about to say “What in the world is Shane Hnidy doing sitting on the doorstep,” Havlat hits Hnidy on the backdoor (sounds strange, I know) and Hnidy buries it to make it 2-1!
5:50 – Clutterbuck says hello to Luongo after a whistle and Vancouver doesn’t like that. I don’t understand it. He was just complimenting his flowing brown locks.
5:39 – A great tic-tac-toe play by Vancouver ended up loose in front of Harding and Zidlicky tapped it into the corner. Actually, it was more like tic-tac-tac-tac-toe.
5:05 – Harding makes a nice save with Burrows sitting on his shoulder. Not sure, but that might have been just a touch of interference, but Harding saved the puck so no-harm, no-foul.
3:15 – After a mismatch in lines, Burrows sniped Harding high, glove-side. Harding just looks to be fighting it as he’s giving up far too many rebounds.
2:20 – Good sharp angle shot by Raymond. After drawing close, the Wild are really pressing a little too hard and are giving up some good chances.
1:27 – G-Lat is making his second trip to the box for interference. Looks like Richards is giving the ref a hard time for the way he called the penalty…A little shimmy, a little shake and the Wild are shorthanded.
37.1 – Vancouver decided to be kind and even it up for the Wild as Ehrhoff gets the gate for Holding the Stick.
04.9 – The attack of the non-scoring defensemen! Greg Zanon decides to join the rush, makes a beautiful no-look pass to Havlat, then bats it out of mid-air to deflect it off of Luongo to pull the Wild within one.
00.0 – An exciting first period comes to an end as the Wild are down by one, 3-2. I’ll be back in roughly 17 minutes with the second!
Second Period
20:00 – And the period is underway as the Wild try to find the equalizer. A side note, I’m really enjoying Mikko Koivu’s new “grill.” If you haven’t seen it, it’s quite marvelous.
19:40 – They just showed Backstrom sitting on the bench. My Lord does he look bored. He must have forgotten to bring his PSP.
19:04 – Wild have a short powerplay and Miettinen JUST misses a beautiful scoring chance.
17:45 – Who says G-Lat doesn’t have wheels? He outskates a couple Canucks and takes a nice shot on Luongo. He’s obviously trying to make up for his two penalties in the first.
16:44 – Good rush by the Wild. Koivu gets off a great shot from the boards and force a stoppage.
16:05 – Interesting save by Harding. Mitchell’s shot hits the end of his stick and knocks it out of his hand as the puck flies out of play.
14:30 – The defensemen on the ice for the ‘Nucks just need to take a seat. Sami Salo just got deked out by…Derek Boogaard. Words just don’t describe the embarrassment.
12:36 – Brodziak almost gets a very good chance, but the puck just snuck off his stick as Mitchell pushed it to the corner. Great pressure this period by the Wild.
9:42 – Consecutive penalties coming. Looks like Bieksa for the ‘Nucks for interference and Boogaard for the Wild for…Get this…Diving. My mistake. Bieksa is still on the ice. ’Nucks PP.
8:45 – Good penalty killing by the Wild as Clutterbuck wrangles Raymond down and the Wild clear the zone.
7:40 – Wild kill off the penalty and we’re even again.
7:17 – Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good and Luongo was definitely lucky on that one as the puck just seemed to find Luongo’s crotch as he’s sprawled. On the up side, Minnesota has the powerplay as Raymond goes for hooking.
7:05 – Looks like the Wild will have a four minute powerplay as Raymond gets the gate for hooking AND holding the stick.
6:25 – Note to the Wild: Don’t shoot glove-side high on Luongo. He’ll save it.
5:17 – First of the double minor is over and the Wild are putting some great pressure on the ‘Nucks.
4:21 – Sheppard gets a nice hit in on Kesler with a beautiful shoulder in the Wild’s own end. Good physical play by the youngster who is playing another great game.
3:22 – Minnesota is just a bit offsides as it breaks up some great pressure.
00.0 – Scoreless period, but a very good one nonetheless. The score remains at 3-2 and we’ll be back in 17!
Third Period
20:00 – And we’re underway! Minnesota is looking to even the score here as the third starts.
18:04 – Wild are scrambling a bit in their own zone as Vancouver has come out very strong. The top line of Koivu-Bruno-Miettinen spent their entire shift in their own zone.
17:07 – Sheppard fires a good shot on Luongo as Bobby Lou looked to be out of position after playing the puck but, of course, Luongo makes the save.
16:56 – I guess that’s the benefit of being Roberto Luongo as a quick whistle stops the play before he has the puck frozen.
15:45 – Incidentally, who are these centers and what have they done with our normal ones? The Wild are DOMINATING the face off circle. Sheppard is the only player on the team with less than a 70% faceoff percentage.
14:51 – Havlat is going to go for high sticking as Hansen gets clocked by Havlat’s stick after he lifts the stick. Tough penalty, but a good call nonetheless, and my fantasy team gets that much happier.
14:41 – I’m good!! Zanon gets clocked in the shoulder by a shot from Salo, then hops right back up and looks ready to go.
13:49 – The Wild are dead set on wearing a hole into Luongo’s glove as Clutterbuck gets a solid shorthanded chance.
13:16 – And it’s a two goal game once again as Ryan Kesler gets a shot on net and it looked like Bernier deflected it. Zidlicky also got away with one after the goal as he dumped Bernier well after the horn.
12:05 – Harding is still fighting it as he had to make a nice sliding save. Way out of position, but still a nice save.
11:16 – Funny moment between Havlat and O’Brien. Havlat and O’Brien are jawing at one another and Havlat reaches up and unhooks O’Brien’s chinstrap. Wow. Just wow.
9:12 – Maybe…Just MAYBE interference on Havlat as he lays a nice pick for Brodziak. No call and play continues.
8:20 – So much for G-Lat being soft too. He just LEVELED a Ehrhoff behind the Vancouver net. Great hit.
6:20 – The pace is picking up as the Canucks are putting the pedal down, applying pressure quite successfully.
5:29 – Good save by Luongo on Clutterbuck and the Wild continue to insist on shooting glove-side high. It’s time for the Wild to put the hammer down and try to pull out another win.
3:57 – A Sedin to Sedin centering attempt is broken up by Johnsson. Great heads up defense as the Canucks continue to pressure.
2:00 – Good pressure by the Wild and Luongo has had to come up big a couple times. Wild are really pressing as Vancouver just dumps the puck deep.
1:06 – Extra attacker on for the Wild and Oh My God has Marty Havlat arrived in Minnesota!! What a play by Havlat to get the puck to Brunette and get right to the net for the goal!
29.6 – To be honest, there was so much going on in front of the net I don’t exactly know what happened…But the bottom line is that Luongo got the save. Great pressure by Minnesota.
00.0 – A spirited effort by the Wild, but to no avail as they fall 4-3. Stop back later tonight or tomorrow for my thoughts on the game!
Wild Swap Pouliot for Latendresse
Regardless of what Wild fans think of the moves that Chuck Fletcher has made so far, you can’t deny one thing. He’s an exciting GM.
Yesterday night, Fletcher moved the team’s first draft pick in the 2005 Entry Draft, Benoit Pouliot—a player that the previous regime, under Doug Risebrough, considered to be untradeable at the end of last season.
And you know what? He actually got something of value for him.
The trade made will send Pouliot to his hometown team, the Montreal Canadiens (Pouliot grew up just 75 miles from Montreal), for Guillaume Latendresse.
At surface value this trade is one of players who just needed a change of scenery.
It seemed as if Pouliot would never be successful in Minnesota, no matter how hard he tried. This season, he was given his best chance to succeed under a new coach and a new system that should have been tailor-made for his style of game. Instead of displaying the kind of talent that got him selected fourth overall, Pouliot disappeared early, finding himself as a staple in the Wild pressbox.
He was, however, starting to put things together. His game looked significantly different in the last game that he played for the Wild and he was beginning to do the little things that he hadn’t done before.
It apparently was not enough to keep him off of the trade block, however.
Meanwhile, Latendresse was in a similar situation in Montreal. He found limited success in Montreal, averaging around 15 goals per season in his time spent wearing a Habs sweater, all while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time.
There is no doubting that he has talent, but ‘Laty’ just hasn’t been able to stick in the Habs lineup, just as is the case with Pouliot in the Wild’s.
The scouting report on Latendresse, according to The Hockey News, is as follows:
Assets: Has an outstanding combination of size and hockey sense. Is equally strong scoring goals or setting up teammates. Already possesses excellent hitting ability.
Flaws: Is a liability in the defensive zone, so he needs to work on his play without the puck. Has skating issues that could hamper his development as a scorer.
Career Potential: Power Forward
One of the biggest knocks on Latendresse, as the scouting report states, is his skating ability.
Skating has always been something that the Wild have stressed throughout their existence. In fact, skating ability has been one of the team’s main factors in both their drafting and their free agent acquisitions.
In other words, if you could skate, there was a place for you on the Wild.
But this move is yet another move by Fletcher that is moving away from the players acquired by the old regime. Fletcher has publicly stated that he wants bigger and stronger players up front and that he is looking to get bigger and stronger as a team.
This is certainly a move in that direction.
To be blunt, I’m still unsure as to whether or not I like this trade. On the surface, I like it. Latendresse brings a lot more to the table than Pouliot did—at least immediately, which is what the team needs.
Pouliot was starting to grow on me, however, and the fact that the team traded him is, honestly, a bit of a surprise to me.
But, that’s the nature of the beast in the NHL. Fletcher obviously saw something that he liked in Latendresse and saw the means to acquire him. Again, Fletcher is a bit hamstrung when it comes to trading for players due, in large part, to the ineptitude of the previous managerial regime.
The roster is continuing to be in flux in Minnesota as Fletcher continues to shape his team. Of the 23 players that are currently on the Wild’s roster, 15 played with the team last season and I have a feeling that number will continue to change this season.
Wild fans will have to get used to the fact that their favorite players may not be safe on this team, but fans also need to remain patient. This is a man who has helped build winning teams in the past and he will do so again.
It’s just going to take time.
October Post Mortem: Grading the Wild
The first month of the season is over and, honestly, the Minnesota Wild are probably relieved.
After starting the season 1-6-0, the team finished the month by winning four of their last seven games, as well as breaking their eight game road losing streak against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Had you asked me, after the team’s initial five-game road trip, what I would think of the team finishing the month with five wins I would have told you that it would be a very large positive for them.
After watching the final two games of the month, I can tell you that it is much more than a large positive.
The team is finally playing together, they are playing tight defensively and loose offensively. Their best players have started to show that spark that makes them their best players and the mistakes that the team is making were no longer coming in the areas they shouldn’t be.
Plain and simple, they are beginning to look like a team that gets it.
With that in mind, here are my first month grades, as well as some first month awards.
Forwards
Be honest. You didn’t expect to see Eric Belanger tied for the team lead in scoring after the first month, did you?
For those who said yes, you’re either his parents or a boldfaced liar.
All kidding aside, though, Belanger has been spectacular for the Wild so far and he’s one of a select few forwards that we can say that about.
Along with Belanger, Andrew Brunette and Owen Nolan are probably the only other players that we can say have given consistent efforts throughout the first month of the season. Even captain Mikko Koivu looked much less than impressive until he received the captaincy.
The team is still having a hard time finding the back of the net, but the important thing is that the players that were brought in to do just that (Martin Havlat and Petr Sykora) are looking like they’re starting to hit their strides after back-to-back strong performances against the New York Rangers and the Penguins.
The disappointments for the forwards, however, have been many. Antti Miettinen has not been producing like he did early last season, though he found the net against New York, and James Sheppard has continued to disappoint up front.
Early in the month, both Havlat and Sykora could have been counted in this group and still have a lot to prove after very slow starts.
The most pleasant surprise for me has been the play of much-maligned rookie Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot is starting to do the little things that Richards is asking him and the difference between the way he is playing now and the way he was playing at this point last season is night and day. He is going into the high traffic areas and he is, most importantly, using his size and crashing the net with his stick down.
All-in-all, however, the team needs to figure out how to fill the back of the net. Despite the new “up-tempo” offense and despite peppering the goalie with shots, they are still not scoring goals. This will need to change in a large way for the team to keep winning.
October Grade: C+
Defense
Wow. Where to begin.
I’ll just put it this way. The defense looks absolutely horrific.
There is a distinct lack of communication on the blueline—something that has led to goals even in the last two performances of the team. Both of our defensemen seem to get the same idea in their heads at the same time and both do exactly the same thing, which tends to leave someone open at some point.
In New York, it was both Schultz and Burns jumping up into the play too early. In Pittsburgh, it was Burns inexplicable desire to not cover the man in the slot.
Both resulted in goals.
I’ll be honest—I love the way that Brent Burns plays. I love the passion that he plays with and I love the fact that he puts absolutely everything that he has into each and every game. But he needs a defensive partner capable of reining him in.
Keith Carney was able to do it his first season and Burns had a career year. Maybe that player is Shane Hnidy. Maybe it’s Greg Zanon. One thing is for certain, though. Burns will be a great talent, but he’s not quite there yet.
But apart from Burns, our defense has been spotty.
Marek Zidlicky is starting to play much better defensively. He has even started to cut down on his turnovers.
Kim Johnsson, like him or not, was playing quite well before his injury and was eating up minutes like a madman.
Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy, our two off season acquisitions, have been fantastic defensively for us. Zanon seems to get in the way of every shot that comes his way and Hnidy is not afraid to take on anyone.
Nick Schultz is starting to stabilize after having a rough start to the season and is looking, again, like our most reliable defenseman.
And big John Scott is actually looking like he might replace Derek Boogaard as the team’s enforcer. He can skate, he can hit and he can fight. Good enough for me.
Overall, we still have a long way to go on defense and two games does not change a defensive culture that, this season, has been absolutely horrible.
October Grade: D
Goaltending
Wow. That’s really the bulk of what I have to say. Wow.
All of the adjectives and hyperbole in the world couldn’t state just how important Niklas Backstrom has been to this team. In just about every game that he’s played in, he has been the reason why the Wild have had a chance to win.
In fact, I would wager that about 95% of the goals that have been given up this season by Backstrom are directly attributable to at least one defensive mistake.
Granted, could he maybe stop one or two of those? Probably. But he has looked absolutely stellar in net, making even the most skeptical Wild fan a believer.
The downfall of the Wild’s goaltending, however, has been on the bench.
Josh Harding has looked absolutely terrible—and that’s putting it nicely.
Both games that he has played have seen him fighting the puck and not making saves he should be making.
Plain and simple, he has to be better.
Backstrom has now played eight straight games, including two sets of back-to-backs. You’ve got to imagine that Harding’s number is going to get called again soon, and when it does he’s going to need to step his game up in a big way.
October Grade: B+
Coaching Staff
This one is a tough one.
On one hand, I think that the staff (Richards especially) are primarily responsible for the team’s early season slide.
On the other hand, I think that the staff might have played a large part as to why the team clawed their way out of that early season slide.
My criticisms for Richards remain the same. He often looks outmatched and lost behind the bench and I honestly don’t believe that he has ever gotten control of the locker room. That being said, he has done a very good job in the last few games of getting the team out of their doldrums and starting to play together.
I maintain my position that he has a long way to go to repair whatever rift may have formed between him and the team to get them to this point, but he’s certainly started the process.
October Grade: D
October Awards
Team MVP: Niklas Backstrom. I was going to go with Eric Belanger on this one, but Backstrom has been absolutely marvelous. The only stat that he’s struggling in is the win column, but that will come as the season goes. If not for Backstrom, I don’t think this team has even three wins so far this season. He has stood on his head and given them a chance to win every night.
Top Forward: Eric Belanger. He has shown instant chemistry with Havlat and Sykor and he has played a lot more consistently than anyone else on the team’s roster so far. He’s just about at a point-per-game pace and he’s going to make the coaching staff’s decision very hard once Pierre-Marc Bouchard returns from injury.
Top Defenseman: Greg Zanon. He might not contribute all that often on the scoresheet, but he’s probably one of Backstrom’s best friends right now. He gets in the way of everything he can, he plays physical and he’s pretty much everything that the team has not had in a defenseman since losing Willie Mitchell.
So there you have it! Be sure to check back tomorrow for my game preview of the second meeting of the Wild and the Vancouver Canucks.
