Wild Nation’s Ridiculously Early Season Previews: The Central Division
Well, here we are. The Eastern Conference is down and just three divisions and the playoff picture are left to go, so let’s delve into the Western Conference picture, shall we?
The Western Conference has been the more competitive of the two conferences in term of depth over the last few seasons and this season should be no different. The core of this depth has come from the Central division. Last season, three of the five teams made the playoffs, while one more was on the bubble and there’s no doubt that there’s at four teams that could be challenging for the playoffs this season.
So let’s get started.
Chicago Blackhawks – There is no doubt that the Blackhawks are going to be a much, much different team than the one that won the Stanley Cup last season.
Gone are role players like Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien who have been replaced by Fernando Pisani and a handful of players who have been developing in Rockford. This is both troubling for Blackhawks fans and intriguing as well. Jack Skille, Jake Dowell and Bryan Bickell will finally get their chance in the big leagues, as will Viktor Stalberg.
The good news for their forward corps, however, is that returning are their core players like Toews, Hossa, Kane and Sharp. With those players to guide their incoming youngsters, the Hawks should still be in good hands next season.
On defense, the team has added big defenseman John Scott who will add some toughness in the absence of Ben Eager. While the contract of Niklas Hjalmarsson may be questionable, there’s no doubt that their top-four are as good as any in the league and the potential addition of Nick Leddy to the group is encouraging indeed.
Their biggest question lies between the pipes. With the decision to walk away from Antti Niemi and sign Marty Turco, the ‘Hawks have also made a statement that they are confident that it was not the young Finn who led them to the promised land.
While Turco’s record in big games is more than questionable, there is no doubt that he has both the drive to succeed, as well as the talent to be a successful goaltender in Chicago.
Columbus Blue Jackets – The Blue Jackets find themselves in a precarious position.
They are just one season removed from their first playoff appearance in team history, yet there is an air of uncertainty surrounding this team that is undeniable. In fact, questions are abounding when it comes to the Jackets.
Is Steve Mason a true franchise goaltender? Can Nikita Filatov find himself in the NHL? Can Rick Nash truly be dominant player without a top center?
If the answer to two of the three of those questions is yes, then you could very well see the Stanley Cup Playoffs return to Ohio.
The problem is, however, is that there is no certainty that the answer to any of these three questions is yes.
Mason started to find his game again at the end of the season, while Filatov may find himself much more suited to the style of Scott Arneil than of Ken Hitchcock, but the fact remains that Nash does not have that one player on his line that can complement him and help him become the dominant player that we saw in the Olympics.
The addition of Ethan Moreau makes the team tougher to play against, to be sure, but it does nothing to help their top-six forwards.
Unfortunately for Jackets fans, it would appear that this team is again going to be on the outside looking in unless things turn around very, very quickly. There are significant needs that the team has that were not addressed in either the draft or free agency, most notably help on defense. These needs must be addressed before the team can take any significant steps forward so, they may be looking at another lottery pick.
Detroit Red Wings – So, how do the Detroit Red Wings follow up an admittedly disappointing season?
Well, how about signing a future hall-of-famer, a gritty defenseman and getting back one of their top young players from the KHL?
Their forward corps now have Jiri Hudler back in the fold as well as newcomer Mike Modano, who will serve as a depth center and also get some powerplay time, most likely. But on top of that, they will have a healthy and rested forward unit that is one of the most potent in the NHL.
Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom will be back healthy and the return of Hudler will likely spell a resurgence for the team’s two superstars in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg and that can only mean bad things for the rest of the league.
On defense, Ruslan Salei joins an already solid defensive unit and will provide them with some added grit. He, along with Brad Stuart and Niklas Kronwall will ensure that opposing forwards keep their heads up.
Led, once again, by Nicklas Lidstrom, the Wings blueline will be one of the toughest to play against in the league and Salei’s hardnosed style will only add to that and their defense should only solidify Jimmy Howard’s place in net with the squad.
Howard had a breakout season with the Wings last year and the Calder Trophy nominee unseated Chris Osgood in the starting role. He held the Wings together through the injuries last season and was the sole reason that the team was able to not only make the playoffs but claw their way as far up as they did. Howard will have a lot to prove in order to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump but he is in the best situation possible to be able to do so.
When you look at the Wings, they are a team that is poised and ready to be a competitive team in the Stanley Cup race once again and could easily find themselves as the frontrunner to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup finals again.
Nashville Predators – To be perfectly honest, Nashville is like the bad cold of the Central Division. When it comes down to it, there’s no reason they should be there but you simply can’t get rid of them.
The Preds are about $13 million under the salary cap heading into this season with 15 forwards under contract, but just five defensemen and one goaltender. As always, however, it should be expected that those positions will be filled from within.
Chet Pickard will likely get a good, long look as the team’s back up goaltender while it could be expected that Ryan Ellis or Cody Franson will get a look as the team’s sixth and seventh defensemen.
But overall, this is a Predators team that is looking like they could match up very well with the rest of the division.
Matthew Lombardi joins an underrated forward unit and Colin Wilson will find himself in an increased role as well, after the departure of Jason Arnott. The top six, while not flashy, are both reliable and clutch and their young players of Wilson and Patric Hornqvist are continuing to improve. Throw in the addition of Sergei Kostitsyn, who will have a renewed lease on life after a change of scenery, hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow former-Montreal Canadiens underachiever, Guillaume Latendresse and some solid role players like Joel Ward and Jerred Smithson round out the group.
On defense, they still have their solid top-two of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. These two will anchor a defensive unit that could use some work, but is very promising.
With veteran Francis Boullion, youngsters Ryan Parent (who is looking for a new lease on life in Nashville as well) and Kevin Klein will round out a defensive unit that will look much different by the time the season starts.
In net, they have Pekka Rinne, who will look to improve on a pedestrian season last year. Without Dan Ellis looking over his shoulders, however, the starting job is Rinne’s to lose and the team’s hope is that the certainty of his job will elevate his play.
The Predators are likely going to be a bubble team this year, as they have been the past few seasons, but that shouldn’t be a problem for a team that is used to that tag being saddled on them.
St. Louis Blues – Last season was admittedly disappointing for the Blues, who had come in with high hopes of contending, or at least winning a playoff series.
The young Blues team faltered early on and, after the firing of Andy Murray and hiring of Davis Payne, began to find the fire that had made them a force to be reckoned with in the West.
This season will be one of change for the Blues, though it shouldn’t make them any less deadly. Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk are both gone, leading to a youth movement for the team. This will lead to increased ice time for players like David Perron, David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund, all of whom will look to improve on their performances from last season.
The fate of the Blues likely lies in how these four perform. With the subtractions of Tkachuk and Kariya, their forward unit is significantly younger and has lost two of their more prominent leaders. That means that these four, as well as players like Brad Boyes and Andy McDonald will have to step up and fill the void both in leadership and in point production if this team is to be successful.
On the back end, the team has their potent young duo of Erik Johnson and Alex Pietrangelo (who will likely finally crack the lineup for good this season). These two will be the cornerstones of a defensive unit that is as offensively talented as it is gritty, making for a potent combination.
Behind this defensive unit is the hero of the Montreal Canadiens, Jaroslav Halak. Halak proved in the playoffs that he is capable of bearing the load of a franchise and is really the first solid goaltender that the team has had in a few years. Behind him will be perennial solid back up, Ty Conklin, who will fill in admirably when needed and the duo will provide one of the more solid goaltending tandems in the West.
There is no doubt that the Blues are a bubble team, but there’s no doubt that Davis Payne has this team playing the way that he wants them to and heading in the right direction.
Predictions
1) Detroit Red Wings
2) Chicago Blackhawks
3) Nashville Predators
4) St. Louis Blues
5) Columbus Blue Jackets
It breaks down like this. The Red Wings and Blackhawks will most likely be back in the playoffs this season. As with the last couple seasons, one of the last spots in the West could be determined by who finishes third or fourth in the division, lending hope to Predators and Blues fans. Finally, Columbus will find themselves looking at the lottery once again; however, their future continues to look up under Scott Howson.
Up Next: The Northwest Division
Columbus Sends Chimera to Washington
As the scuttlebutt has been all day, the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets finally made a trade.
Some anticipated that it might involve Karl Alzner and Nikita Filatov (to those of you who are sitting at your computer screens snickering…I had the same reaction) while others didn’t speculate and just reported what they knew.
In the end, it ended up being a little less dramatic, but still a good trade for both sides.
Washington Gets:
LW – Jason Chimera
Columbus Gets:
RW – Chris Clark
D – Milan Jurcina
Let’s be honest. Anytime a team trades it’s captain (Clark), it’s going to be scrutinized to the nth degree.
But let’s look at this for a second. The Caps just signed Alexander Semin to a one-year, $6 million extension. Clark is scheduled to make $2.5 million next season, with a $2.633 cap hit, while Chimera is scheduled to make $1.875 million both in reality and against the cap.
It’s not much, but every little bit counts.
Not only that, but this paves the way for Alex Ovechkin to take over the role that he has been groomed for as the team’s captain.
Meanwhile, for Columbus, it gives them two things.
One, a natural born leader in Chris Clark. There is no doubt that the Blue Jackets lack in the leadership department right now and Clark will provide just that.
Second, it gives them a much needed defenseman with both Marc Methot and Rostislav Klesla on the shelf.
It’s very rare in the cap-era of the NHL that you see a win-win trade for both sides, but this truly is one. The Caps are in first place and, though Clark was playing decent hockey for them, Chimera gives them the same qualities—just cheaper.
Gameday Thread – Game 34 – Wild @ Habs
Well, well, well. Look who’s back in Montreal.
That’s right, Wild Nation faithful. Guillaume Latendresse is returning to Montreal tonight to help the Wild dispatch his former team.
While the game will likely be much more than just G-Lat versus the Montreal Canadiens, it is certainly a storyline that bears observation.
Since arriving in Minnesota, Latendresse has been nothing short of marvelous. He has played with a physical edge, he has shown a tireless work ethic and he has produced. Since arriving in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, G-Lat has notched three goals and an assist in 10 games, not to mention a shootout goal against the Anaheim Ducks.
The bottom line is that, suddenly he has had the weight of the world lifted off of his shoulders — and it shows.
But tonight the young power forward heads home again, hoping to rub some salt in the wound against his former team.
Lineups
While I have not heard anything of yet regarding the Wild’s lineup for tonight’s game, I can’t imagine much changing for tonight’s game, though Andrew Ebbett has traveled with the team and may see action in either tonight’s or Saturday’s game. Were I setting the lineups, though, here’s what it would look like:
Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen
Latendresse-Brodziak-Havlat
Kobasew-Belanger-Clutterbuck
Earl-Ebbett-Sheppard
This is a quick, undersized lineup that the Wild are facing tonight and it is a lineup that has a wealth of skill on it. The biggest mistake the Wild could make, in my opinion, would be to put Derek Boogaard on the ice tonight. Boogaard has not been able to catch a break over the last few games and, against Vancouver especially, his reputation has worked against him. In a game that will likely be up tempo, it will be important for the Wild to put their best foot forward, so to speak.
Zidlicky-Zanon
Schultz-Johnsson
Hnidy-Stoner
There aren’t many changes here, but I’ll be honest — I want to see what Clayton Stoner can do. He was called up just before the road trip and he’s played very, very well in Houston so far this season. The likelihood that John Scott would play anymore than 10-12 minutes in this game is very small, so I don’t see the harm in giving Stoner a shot and getting him in his first NHL action.
Backstrom
‘Nuff said.
What to Watch For
I already mentioned the return of Latendresse to Montreal, but to me, this is one of the less intriguing storylines of the evening.
What is more intriguing is the match up between two teams that are seemingly on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Wild are coming off of a hard-fought win against the Columbus Blue Jackets and have lost just two games in their last 10. The Habs, on the other hand, have struggled mightily as of late, losing four straight and just three of their last 10 games.
The biggest thing to watch in this game will be special teams, however. The Wild’s powerplay that started out so strong this season has faltered, with the team going zero for their last 19 opportunities with the man advantage. Against a strong penalty killing team in the Habs, that isn’t going to be an easy stat to change. Montreal sits at an 84% penalty kill, good for 8th in the NHL.
The Wild is a surging team, however. Their play has been much improved from their 3-9-0 start and they are slowly clawing their way back up the standings. As it stands today, they are just four points from the 8th place Detroit Red Wings and three behind the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
A successful road swing in Eastern Canada could go a long way towards pushing farther up the standings.
Keys to the Game
How will G-Lat respond?
The line of Latendresse, Brodziak and Havlat have been absolutely scintillating over the last couple games. Havlat has six points in three games and has had a hand in six of the team’s last seven goals. He has finally found linemates that he has chemistry with and the line is clicking.
But, the pressure of Montreal had gotten to Latendresse before. Will it get to him again tonight?
I, for one, don’t think so.
In Montreal, he was cast out to the fourth line. His minutes cut and his confidence was shattered. He has said himself that the fact that Richards thinks enough of him to play him consistently has helped and right now his confidence has got to be sky high.
With a coach that trusts him enough to play him and is willing to give him every opportunity to succeed, G-Lat is starting to come into his own and is starting to apply everything that he has learned in his young career.
The Wild also need to continue their trend of shooting, shooting and shooting some more.
In games that they outshoot their opponents in, the Wild are 9-5-2 this season, compared to the Habs record of 8-11-2 when being outshot. Minnesota needs to keep Carey Price busy all night long. While Price is certainly a solid tender, he has not shown the elite level of play that he showed during his rookie season consistently and getting into his head will be paramount for the Wild’s success.
The puck drops tonight from the Bell Centre at 6 pm CST and is televised on Fox Sports.
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 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.
Wild Schedule Released
For a complete version, click here.
The NHL has released the schedules for the upcoming season today. Here are some of the highlights for the Wild.
- The Wild’s season opener will be on October 3, against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- Their home opener will be against one of Chuck Fletcher’s former teams, the Anaheim Ducks, on October 6.
- The team starts the year with a very road-heavy schedule, playing nine of their first fourteen games on the road.
- The Wild play fifteen sets of back-to-back games. In other words, 37% of their games are back-to-back sets.
- Marian Gaborik returns to Minnesota on October 30, while Jacques Lemaire returns on January 2.
- The team will play home-and-home series against Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Carolina.
- Three of the team’s last five games are on the road against Division Rivals.
- Todd Richards will return to San Jose on October 10, Martin Havlat will return to Chicago on October 26 and Chuck Fletcher will return to Pittsburgh on October 31.
- Training camp will open on September 13 and pre-season games will be announced at a later date.
Backstrom For Vezina; Aeros Advance
First off, I’d like to thank you all for bearing with me over the last few days. My seven month old daughter had come down with something which necessitated my being gone for a few days. But never to fear…It’s the off season, so not a whole heck of a lot occurred over those last few days!
Niklas Backstrom
It’s been a big couple weeks for the Finnish netminder. First, his surgery was a huge success, leading Dr. Philippon to conclude that Backstrom will be ready to go in full in about 12 weeks. I don’t know all of the details, but apparently the cartilage damage was much less than the doctor had originally thought and the issues with Backstrom’s hip have been corrected by the surgery. Keep in mind that this is the same surgery that Marian Gaborik underwent during the season.
In addition to a successful surgery, Niklas Backstrom also became the third member of the Wild’s organization to be named a finalist for a voted-upon NHL end of the year award. The other two? Jacques Lemaire and Wes Walz for the Jack Adams and Selke trophies respectively. This is not the first hardware that Backstrom has won as a member of the Wild. In the ’06-’07 season, his rookie season, he walked away with the Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award for the league’s best save percentage and teamed with Manny Fernandez, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy, for the team with the least goals against.
Backstrom will have a tough time winning this award, however, as he will be going up against Boston’s Tim Thomas and Columbus’s Steve Mason.
My personal thoughts on this is that Backstrom will come in second in the voting. Backstrom was certainly the Wild’s best player, and Josh Harding’s 3-9-1 record on the season certainly helps Backstrom’s cause, but let’s not forget that Harding posted extremely impressive stats during those 13 games as well. The way I look at it is like this:
- Without Mason, the Jackets miss the playoffs AND are likely to have a lottery pick in the top six.
- Without Backstrom, the Wild are likely to have a lottery pick in the top ten.
- Without Thomas, the Bruins probably wouldn’t have won the conference, but still likely would have made the playoffs.
To me, what that equates to is that Mason will get the Calder-Vezina sweep this season (and, honestly, I think there’s a pretty good argument for him getting the Hart as well, but that’s neither here nor there.) Backstrom had a phenomenal season and, let’s be honest…If the Wild make the playoffs, there’s no question that he’s up there for the frontrunner. The bottom line is that, as important as he was this season to our team, Mason was just a touch more important in their run.
Aeros Advance to Round Two
Leave it to the farm team of a Minnesota team to take every opportunity to give their fans more hockey. Houston won game seven against the Peoria Rivermen 5-2 on the strength of goals by Krys Kolanos, Marco Rosa and Maxim Noreau as well as empty netters by Corey Locke and Mitch Love. Goaltender Anton Khudobin was credited with the win, saving 19 or 21 shots.
Houston advances now to play the first seeded Milwaukee Admirals in what should prove to be an intriguing match up; at least from a front office point of view. Milwaukee is the farm team for Nashville, making it Craig Leipold’s current farm team vs. his former farm team. In other words, two candidates for the Minnesota Wild GM position (Tom Lynn and Paul Fenton) fighting it out for GM supremacy, though I doubt this series would be the deciding factor in one or the other getting the job.
Houston has three of the top 20 scoring leaders thus far for the playoffs, with Corey Locke third in scoring (4-5-9), Matt Beaudoin sixth (2-6-8) and Krys Kolanos sixteenth (2-4-6). Meanwhile, Khudobin is trucking along with a 4-3 record, a 2.45 GAA and a .906 Sv Pct, as well as one shutout. The most interesting stat? Corey Lock has 24 penalty minutes. Anyone care to explain that one to me??
Wild Sign Carson McMillian
The Wild also have signed another of their 2007 draft picks to an entry level deal. Carson McMillian of the Calgary Hitmen has been signed to a three-year, entry level deal. McMillian was in his fourth season with the Hitmen this season and recorded career highs in goals (31), assists (41), points (72) and penalty minutes (93). On top of that, he added seven game winners, five powerplay tallies and four shorties. It will be interesting to see how McMillian fares in Houston next season, as he is certainly an intriguing player for this organization (one that has rarely seen success at drafting in the later rounds).
Seventh Heaven
There are two game sevens on the docket tonight and, honestly, does it get ANY better than a Game Seven in the NHL Playoffs? It’s win or go home for four teams and it’s going to be I-N-T-E-N-S-E!!! Now I typically shy away from predictions (for those unable to pick up on sarcasm through text, I’ll note it here), but I feel inclined to share my views on these two games.
2) Washington v. 7) NY Rangers - I made the observation a few days ago that, if any team is equipped to come back from a 3-1 defecit, the Capitals were certainly one of them. It took a few games for the Caps to realize that they can’t shoot at Lundqvist’s mattresses (and for Boudreau to realize that he can’t have Theodore in nets), but once the Caps got it figured out and started executing their gameplan, they started rolling. Torts will be back on the bench for the Rangers after his Game 5 hissy fit and, if I were a Caps fan, I wouldn’t relish sitting behind him because he’ll likely be packing for this one.
The Rangers Win If: They score first. If they can do that, they can tighten up around Lundqvist and clog up the neutral zone. In their three wins, the Rangers have proven that they can give the Caps fits when they do this. The Caps offensive stars need room to skate in order to be effective, and if the Rangers are protecting a lead, they can afford to tighten up and not give the Caps the space to skate
The Capitals Win If: They get to Lundqvist early and often. Not necessarily score, but pepper him with shots. He’s been pulled in two straight games and they can’t afford to let him gain any confidence. Crash the net, get in his way, do anything and everything they can to disrupt his game. If that means buzzing him and taking a goalie interference penalty early on, that’s what they have to do. Get in his head and this one’s over.
My Prediction: Washington 4 New York 2
(3) New Jersey Devils v. 6) Carolina Hurricanes – This series has been the epitome of even. Neither team has won more than one game in a row and only two of the six games have been decided by more than one goal. At the onset of the series, everyone expected this to come down to goaltending and, tonight, it will. Both Ward and Brodeur will be at their best and this game will be very, very tightly played.
The Devils Win If: Their offense shows up early. This team has an absolutely explosive offense. The problem is that they have been extremely inconsistent this series. One game, they’ll look like absolute world beaters; the next, they look like they couldn’t find the back of the net if it were the size of the broad side of a barn. If they come out of the gates ready to skate hard and ready to play, they’ll gain the advantage over Carolina. If they falter, though, Carolina will exploit this.
The ‘Canes Win If: Cam Ward plays like he did in Games 5 and 6. Ward is the catalyst for this team. If he’s playing well, this team gains confidence and can steamroll opponents. This team does not have the defense to protect Ward if he’s playing poorly and that can lead to a collapse if he is. A couple big saves early and Ward’s confidence will go through the roof. If this happens, it gets exponentially harder for the Devils to take ahold of this game and get any sort of momentum.
My Prediction: Carolina 3 New Jersey 2 (OT)
Great End to a Disappointing Season
14 goals in two games, leading to two comback victories in one exciting weekend of Wild hockey.
Unfortunately for the Wild, they were eliminated from playoff contention just a few short hours after dispatching the Nashville Predators 8-4. The St. Louis Blues knocked off the Columbus Blue Jackets shortly after the Wild’s victory, leaving the team’s playoff fate squarely in the hands of one of the teams that the Wild have slowly become heated rivals with after their playoff series two seasons ago.
The Dallas Stars made a valiant effort to keep the Wild in the hunt, but to no avail as the Anaheim Ducks were victorious 4-3 in a shootout.
So Wild fans must now say goodbye to the boys wearing Iron Range Red; at least for another summer. More importantly, however, is the fact that it is very likely that Wild fans must also say goodbye to the two people that have been the faces of the franchise since Day One.
Jacques Lemaire
Lemaire has likely coached his last game of his tenure with the Wild, and possibly his career. It appears as if Lemaire has already made up his mind as to what his decision will be and all of his body language is pointing to retirement. Too often this season, Lemaire seemed disheartened, frustrated and even down right angry at the way that his team was playing. It’s no secret that General Manager Doug Risebrough had to fly down to Florida and all but beg Lemaire to come back for this season, and after the disappointing season that this team put forth, there’s no doubt in my mind that Risebrough could grovel at the feet of Lemaire this off season and he still wouldn’t return.
Mike Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune had this to say on the matter:
Like I said last night, when Lemaire said he’s made up his mind on his future, I think that’s a clear indication his era in Minnesota is over. If not, I think he’d just announce he’s staying to end all speculation.
But this is a guy that needed a few weeks away last year to be convinced he should return. Do you really think after this season’s disappointing ending that the decision he’s already made is to return? I just don’t think so.
Lemaire is also the type of person that doesn’t want to go to Florida, then come back for a press conference. So if his mind is made up that he is indeed stepping down, I can see a press conference very, very soon after the Easter holiday.
Again, though, this is conjecture.
Conjecture or not, Russo is one that has a consistent pulse of the team and is a consistent source of very reliable information. Whether or not he is correct on this matter, one thing is for sure. It is going to take what would seem to be a monumental change of heart to sway Lemaire and convince him to stay on for next season.
Marian Gaborik
After Friday’s victory over the Predators, Gaborik took a slow lap around the ice, waving to all of the fans. When asked if he was waving goodbye to the fans, Gaborik’s response was that he didn’t know and a lot depended on the Wild’s final contract offer after the season was over.
I’ve got news for you, folks. There’s a good chance that the Wild’s final contract offer may not even be close to what Gaborik is expecting, or even looking for.
Why?
He was offered a franchise-record contract early in the season only to turn it down, claiming that he was looking for more guaranteed money. This was before the injuries. Gaborik played in a career low 17 games this season. In 17 games, however, he had 23 points for a career high 1.35 points per game average. With a full 82 game season at this pace, Gaborik would have notched approximately 111 points. Incidentally, this would have put him at 2nd in the NHL in points, not to mention that he would have been first in the NHL in goals, by a long shot.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am no fan of Marian Gaborik’s. I feel that he is too fragile and too inconsistent to be a top level superstar in this league. That said, however, the effort he put forth for the 17 games that he played was certainly one that superstars are made of.
I am a big enough man to admit when I am wrong and, after analyzing what Gaborik has done this season, albiet brief, has been the accomplishments of a superstar.
With that in mind, I do believe that it is in the team’s best interests to work out a short term deal with their enigmatic superstar and see if the surgery that he had this season truly has made him healthy. I would not put more than three years into this deal, as it is a very high-risk deal, but what Gaborik has shown me over the past few games is that he deserves the chance to prove to the team that he broke into the league with (and that he is claiming he wants to remain a member of) that he is this superstar that he has shown.
There is absolutely no one on the free agent market that can provide the explosiveness that Gaborik has shown in the last 11 games and there is absolutely no one on the free agent market that can replace his offensive talent should we let him go. I strongly believe that the franchise needs flexibility in the coming seasons, but what Gaborik has brought to the table since his surgery is something that cannot be ignored or denied. The team needs Marian Gaborik in the coming seasons.
Do I think that he deserves the money that he was asking for initially? Absolutely not. He needs to prove that he is capable of staying healthy for an entire season as well as prove that he is worthy of the money that he has asked for (one 40 goal season and one 5-goal game does not a career contract make). That said, the team is leaps and bounds better when he is on the ice.
So where do we go from here? That is a question that will loom in the back of Wild fan’s minds for the coming months. In the coming days, I will have a season review posted, starting with the forwards, then defense and goaltending.
Also, make sure to tune in Monday for the season review Wild Nation podcast, which we will attempt to stream live.
Playoff Picture
Where’s Jim Mora when you need him?
Playoffs?!? Playoffs!!?!
Okay, okay, so the reference has probably been beaten to death every single season for every sport since Mora’s famous outburst. The fact remains, however, that the playoffs are bearing down upon us. While the field has yet to be set, we do have a pretty good idea of who is going to be in the big show. We’ll be rating the potential playoff match ups on our newly patented Mora-Meter. One Mora would be the equivalent of watching the World Series of Gin Rummy played on ESPN (my guess as to what the next program to move into the Worldwide Leader instead of hockey) while five Mora’s would be a series that would lead to so much excitement that it would drive Jim Mora into a frenzy that would leave him frothing at the mouth.
So here you have it. The playoff match ups, if the playoffs started today, complete with the new and improved Mora-Meter!
Western Conference
#1 San Jose Sharks v. #8 Nashville Predators
Analysis: The Nashville Predators are like that kid in high school that you never wanted to hang out with, but always somehow ended up getting invited wherever you went. Over the last few seasons the Preds have been the whipping boy of the NHL, more specifically from Canadian fans, about how southern expansion just flat out doesn’t work. The bottom line is, however, that the Preds continue to put a good package on the ice and continue to make the playoffs no matter what. In this series, they’d be running up against a Sharks team that will be hellbent to prove that they can perform in the playoffs. I don’t envy anyone in the position that the Preds are in, but if anyone can pull off a first round upset, it’s them. This could be an intriguing series; however, it could just as easily be a case of the Sharks doing their thing and the Predators hanging on for dear life.
Mora-Meter: 
#2 Detroit Red Wings v. #7 Anaheim Ducks
Analysis: The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, the Ducks bounced the Wings en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. Can anyone think of anything more intriguing than the last two Stanley Cup Champions facing off and in the first round no less? The biggest swing in this match up is that the Ducks still play like they’re the class bully, while the Red Wings bully teams by skating circles around them. What makes this series even more interesting is the fact that the Wings and the Ducks quite simply don’t like each other. Lest we forget Chris Pronger attempting to remove Tomas Holmstrom’s head from his body, amongst other things transpiring between the two teams that cultivated the bad blood in their last post season meeting. The Red Wings always seem to be a step ahead of the NHL; however, this season, their goaltending could be their Achillies Heel and with a potent Ducks powerplay, it would make for some great playoff hockey.
Mora-Meter:
#3 Vancouver Canucks v. #6 Columbus Blue Jackets
Analysis: Is it bad that there’s a large part of me that really wants Vancouver to slide down so that Calgary takes this spot? I mean, let’s be honest. I’m a Wild fan. I have no vested interest in the playoffs to mention at the moment (maybe by the last game of the season…A guy can dream, right?) so I don’t really care who wins the division, other than the fact that I just want to watch an entertaining playoff series. To me, there would be no more interesting series than a Flames/Jackets and Canucks/’Hawks series, because the teams just don’t like each other. But I digress. In this one, honestly, there’s not really any appreciable storylines to speak of, nor do either of the teams play extremely exciting hockey. On one side, the Blue Jackets are almost 100% playoff un-tested (save for a few players), while the ‘Nucks have some star players with a propensity to do a disappearing act in the playoffs. All of this adds up to a series that could prove to be pretty uneventful; though worth watching to watch how the Jackets respond to playoff hockey.
Mora-Meter:
#4 Chicago Blackhawks v. #5 Calgary Flames
Analysis: As much as I would love to watch the ‘Hawks fight play the ‘Nucks, I think this series would be extremely entertaining to watch. First, you have a rematch in net of the ’03-’04 Cup Finals (Kipper v. Bulin), then you’ve got two teams with some very dynamic players (Kane, Toews and Havlat v. Iginla, Cammalleri and Jokinen) and finally you’ve got two teams with some fantastic defensemen (Seabrook and Keith v. Phaneuf and Regher). This could become the best series in the first round if it stays this way. Plus, if Phaneuf keeps playing the way he has been, you could find yourself looking at a very formidable “sloppy” second defensive pairing of Phaneuf and Leopold. Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
Mora-Meter:
Eastern Conference
#1 Boston Bruins v. #8 Montreal Canadiens
Analysis: How’s this for a role reversal? The exact match up of last season’s first round, just with home ice turned around. If both teams are on their game, this could be an exciting series to watch. The problem is that both teams have battled inconsistency since the All Star Break. The biggest thing to look forward to, however, is that these two teams always get up to play one another. Look at last season’s first round. A seven-game slugfest that was probably the most entertaining series in all the playoffs. Plus, there’s also always the chance that you could hear Jack Edwards’ maniacal laugh again. That in and of itself is reason enough to watch. All of this equals one amazingly entertaining first round series.
Mora-Meter: 
#2 Washington Capitals v. #7 New York Rangers
Analysis: Honestly, this is another that I wish was a little different, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? This one, well, this could be interesting. On one end you’ve got the Caps’ unbelievable offens and on the other you’ve got the Rangers’ unbelievable goaltender. Coach John Tortorella has helped the Rangers find their game again; however, can he put a stop to the attack of the Capitals? On the other side of things, you’ve got the Rangers’ aneimic offense squaring off against the Caps’ inconsistent goalie. This could either be a very high scoring series or a series where you get nothing at all. Any series pitting a high powered offense against a solid goaltender, however, can prove to be a fun series to watch.
Mora-Meter:
#3 New Jersey Devils v. #6 Carolina Hurricanes
Analysis: Ok. So can someone please explain to me if the Devils are just coasting to the playoffs or if something is going on and when, exactly, Lou is going to place himself behind the bench yet again? Alright. I feel better now. Now that I’ve said my piece, this could be a very one sided series if the Devils don’t right the ship and quick. The ‘Canes have had success against Newark’s finest this season, and if the Devils back into the playoffs this could get ugly quick. Looking at the potential match up, the ‘Canes match up quite nicely against the Devil and have the hot hand. Both teams have a solid defense and an under rated offense. There should be some very tightly contested games in this series and some good, physical play.
Mora-Meter:
#4 Philadelphia Flyers v. #5 Pittsburgh Penguins
Analysis: The Broadstreet Bullies against the NHL’s wunderkid. I don’t see how it could get much better than this; a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers were ran out of town by the Pens in the ECF last season, but this is also a Flyers team that has gained a lot more character since then, not in turnover of players but just in experience. The big question mark for both teams is definitely in net and, in all honesty, that could lead to a very entertaining series. These two teams are also division rivals and flat out don’t like each other. That’s good enough in my book!
Mora-Meter:
So there you have it. My thoughts on the current playoff picture.
Also, coming next week will be the first intrim show of Wild Nation. Join myself and Nick in New York next week as we talk about all things Wild! We will have a time and date set for our first show sometime this weekend.
If the Playoffs Started Today – 3/12/09
It’s that time of the year. The time when every point matters. The time where the difference between losing in regulation and losing in overtime could mean a playoff spot. Both conferences are jam-packed, especially towards the bottom, so we’re going to keep an eye on potential first round match ups and even do a little prognostication as to how the teams match up. We’ll also keep an eye on who’s on the outside looking in.
And here…we…go…
Eastern Conference
(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Florida Panthers - This is a pretty intriguing match up for the first round. You’ve got the Bruins, who have been struggling recently against the Panthers who have been one of the biggest surprises of the season. The Bruins struggles have been in large part to the disappearing acts of Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler, as well as some inconsistency with the rest of their offense and the Panthers are a scrappy team that may thrive on the close quarters and pressure of the playoffs. All told, though, it’s hard to think that the Bruins couldn’t pull out a seven game series in this one. Advantage Boston.
(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Carolina Hurricanes - If I’m the Devils, Carolina is the absolute last team I would want to face in the first round. The ‘Canes are buzzing right now and the acquisition of Erik Cole has re-energized Eric Staal. On the other hand, the Devils have a fresh Martin Brodeur and one of the most dynamic group of forwards in the league. This series could be an instant classic, with both teams having unlimited amounts of energy as well as fresh and re-energized superstars. Brodeur ultimately gives the Devils the edge in just about any series, but this one would be fun to watch. Advantage New Jersey.
(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Penguins - Is it just me or would this be the NHL marketing department’s dream come true? I can’t think of a more compelling match up for the first round and the only thing that I can think of that would be better is if the two teams met in the Conference Finals. The Pens are the hottest team in the league, while the Caps are, well, the Caps. The animosity between these two teams has continued to grow throughout the season and a playoff series between the two would send it over the top. This is also a series that could go either way. It’s hard to pick a clear cut winner in this one. Draw.
(4) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (5) Montreal Canadiens - To round out the first round, a Philly/Montreal series? This could ultimately be some pretty exciting hockey in the first round. The Flyers were the team that knocked the Habs out of the first round last season and don’t think that the Habs or their fans have forgotten it. This is another series that could make for an instant classic; mostly because of how well these two teams match up against one another. Looking at this, it’s very hard to pick a team that would have a distinct advantage, but Philly’s physical game could easily put them over the top. Advantage Philadelphia.
On The Outside Looking In: With just 15 games remaining in the season, a big part of the Eastern Conference is already eliminated (not necessarily mathmatically, but realistically). The two that remain in contention are the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers. Of those two teams, the Rangers have the most realistic chance of supplanting the Panthers in the 8th seed, seeing as how they are one point behind. Both teams have struggled recently, with the Sabres losing Ryan Miller to injury and the Rangers having to be broken into a new coach, so it’s likely that the way the playoffs sit now could easily be how they sit come the end of the regular season.
Western Conference
(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Nashville Predators - Once again, the Preds are making a hard charge at the playoffs late in the season. Meanwhile, the Sharks are, well, the Sharks. They have struggled lately, but are still a strong team and, though he has had a sub-par season by his standars, Evgeni Nabokov is one of the top goalies in the league. It is pretty hard to think that the Preds could give the Sharks a run for their money as they did with the Wings last season, but if the stars align, anything is possible in the playoffs. Advantage San Jose.
(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers - The last time the Wings and Oilers met in the first round, the Wings were bounced unceremoniously en route to the Oilers magical run to the Cup finals. Don’t expect that to happen this time. The Red Wings are one of the most talented teams in the league and, despite not having a designated “enforcer,” have a great deal of sand paper on their roster. Meanwhile, this Oilers team is nowhere near as gritty as the team that contended for the Cup. The Wings should have no problem in this series. Advantage Detroit.
(3) Calgary Flames vs. (6) Columbus Blue Jackets - This series is a crap shoot in that there’s really no telling how the majority of Columbus’s roster is going to react to playoff hockey. They could take to it like a fish to water and fly, or they could flounder. Looking at the Flames roster, however, it’s very difficult to bet against this team as they have a roster that is even better than the last time they reached the finals. As hard as it is to discount a team coached by Ken Hitchcock, you can’t look past the talent and depth of the Flames roster. Advantage Calgary.
(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Vancouver Canucks - This is an interesting series. The Blackhawks are certainly more talented, but have limited playoff experience, while the Canucks have multiple players on their roster that have been involved in deep Cup runs. The wildcard for the Canucks, however, is Roberto Luongo. Time and again he has proven that he’s one of the best in the game, but he’s also only played in the playoffs once (though he was dazzling). Ultimately, you’ve got to believe that the ‘Hawks talent would win out of the ‘Nucks experience in a seven game series. Advantage Chicago.
On the Outside Looking In: There are four teams within three points of the playoffs and and one more within four. The Wild, Stars and Ducks all are within one point of 7th, the Blues are just two points back from them and the Kings are just one back from the Blues. In a tight playoff race, the extra points can make or break a season. The team that could have the best shot of squeaking in is the Wild. They hold a game in hand over both Dallas and Anaheim as well as Nashville and they hold the tiebreaker over Edmonton. The Wild are a good team mired by inconsistency and they will be getting their most dangerous offensive weapon back soon. It’s no stretch to think that they could make a solid run at the playoffs in the last weeks of the season. Both the Ducks and the Stars have been inconsistent at best of late, while the Blues and Kings have been streaky as well. If one of these five teams finds any modicum of consistency, they could easily streak into the playoffs.
