The Minnesota Wild Season in Review Part 4 of 5: The Management

Well, we’re just about there. The NHL Draft.

On Friday, the front offices from all 30 NHL teams will be together in one place for two straight days, drafting and wheeling and dealing.

They’ll be looking for the best fits for their organizations and, suffice it to say, this is as good a time as any for us to talk about the coaching and front office of the Wild this season.

Granted, this season wasn’t the easiest for either the management or the fans. The management (namely Todd Richards and Chuck Fletcher) had to deal with players that weren’t necessarily the right fit for their system while the fans had to suffer through a team that wasn’t necessarily playing at the top of their game because of this.

That being said, I have some strong opinions about this, so let’s get started.

Head Coach
If you’ve read anything I’ve written over this past season, you know that I was very underwhelmed with the first NHL season of Todd Richards.

Richards came to the Wild with a winning pedigree and a reputation of being a “winner.” He hadn’t missed the playoffs in his career and he was sold to fans as a coach that would make the team competitive right away.

What ended up happening, though, is that Richards just couldn’t get through to the team.

While it was expected that Richards would push the team hard during training camp and that pushing would allow the team to pick up his new, up-tempo system quicker, it was very apparent that the team was not comfortable with this system, even heading into the Olympic break.

Now, whether this is an indictment of Richards’ ability to get through to the team or just a matter of the conditioning of Jacques Lemaire not wearing off as quickly as they had hoped is a matter that is up for debate. My personal opinion, however, is that it was the former.

Richards often looked lost on the bench, especially early on in the season. He didn’t look like a man who had control of his players early on—he looked like a man who was searching for answers and finding none.

Maybe it’s because I was used to the demeanor of Lemaire, who typically wore his emotions on his sleeve, behind the bench but Richards’ cool and calm demeanor oftentimes came off as aloofness and confusion rather than someone who knew what to expect from his team.

To Richards’ credit, the team suffered through a rash of injuries this season that was fairly spectacular (to the tune of 300+ man games lost to injury) and he had to work with what he had, but I never got the feeling that he was quite in control of the team the way that a coach should be.

That being said, as the season progressed, Richards seemed to control the bench much better and get much more comfortable both being vocal with his players on the bench as well as with the referees.

As the team progressed and got more comfortable with Richards and his system, Richards got more comfortable behind the bench and it showed.

The biggest moment that, in my opinion, defined the beginning of his season was the Petr Sykora debacle.

Sykora came to Minnesota on the hopes that he would provide both goal scoring and a player to mix with newly acquired Martin Havlat but, for whatever reason, Sykora never really got that chance.

Now, to be fair to Richards, I don’t know the behind the scenes goings on of the team. Sykora could have been dragging down the locker room with his attitude or he could have not been putting forth the effort—I just don’t know. But, from my view point, Sykora was never given an ample chance to succeed with the Wild and it ended up costing the team a player that could have been a valuable goal scorer.

In all, Richards season was a fair representation of the Wild’s—a maddeningly inconsistent one. He improved as the season went on, which gives me hope for his future with the team, but he certainly needed to be better this season for the Wild to both understand and execute his system to the fullest.

Grade: C+

General Manager
The opposite of Richards, if you’ve read anything I’ve written this season you’ll know my opinion of Fletcher.

In short, he did a marvelous job with not a whole lot of assets to work with.

It started at the 2009 Entry Draft, where he wheeled and dealed, picking up more picks and also center Kyle Brodziak, who would turn into one of the team’s most reliable checkers and players this season.

Fletcher has been derided by many Wild fans for some of his moves (trading down to pick Nick Leddy, giving up too much for Chuck Kobasew) and, to their credit, the moves are moves that could easily be classified as questionable. Overall, however, Fletcher did a fantastic job.

While I won’t look at all of his moves this season, let’s look at a few.

Alexander Fallstrom, Craig Weller and a 2nd Round Choice in the 2011 NHL Draft for Chuck Kobasew

This is one of the more questionable trades that Fletcher made this season and the biggest thing that stands out in this one was the inclusion of either the 2nd round pick or Fallstrom.

Many thought that the inclusion of one or the other would have been enough, but the Wild were not dealing from a position of strength and were desperate to find another NHL-level player.

It remains to be seen what Fallstrom will develop into, or who the draft pick will turn into, but for what the team needed at that point in time it was a calculated risk, though not one I necessarily agree with.

Benoit Pouliot for Guillaume Latendresse

This trade could easily be one of the best trades of the season for both squads.

Both Pouliot and Latendresse were supremely talented players that desperately needed a change of scenery. Both were being knocked for having the same downfalls and both went to their new teams for a fresh start.

While I won’t speak of what Pouliot brought to Montreal, I will say that Latendresse flourished under his fresh start to the tune of 25 goals in 55 games.

While Latendresse’s season with Minnesota was far from perfect, he turned into an instant fan favorite and became the hard-hitting power forward that Minnesota had always lacked.

In other words, this trade was a tremendous coup for Fletcher and the Wild.

Kim Johnsson and Nick Leddy for Cam Barker

This trade is one that many people were concerned about, especially given that Leddy was just selected in this past draft in the first round.

Many thought that the trade of Leddy stunk of hypocrisy because of the high value that Fletcher placed both on draft picks as well as developing from within their own system, but the reality of the situation is that you have to give in order to get.

While the Blackhawks were able to shed Barker’s salary by taking on the expiring contract of Johnsson, they weren’t willing to just give Barker up for just that.

The reality of this, however, is the same as with the Kobasew trade. Fletcher gave up a valuable asset, Leddy, who is at least two or three years away from being a potential contributor on the team for one who is ready now.

On top of that, Barker’s youth is something that will be extremely useful for the Wild. At 23, he still has his best years ahead of him. He’s big, he’s physical and he has offensive tools and, while he isn’t the best skater, that can be taught.

The bottom line is that Fletcher gave up a player who is still three years away from being an NHL player for one who can help the team immediately.

The bottom line for Fletcher here is that his first season as a General Manager was a bit of a mixed bag.

He made some good trades and signings and he made some that might not have panned out as he would have liked.

In the end, however, his season was one that should give Wild fans a lot of hope. Unlike his predecessor, he is not content to sit around and maintain the status quo. He is going to do whatever he has to do to try to improve the team and that in and of itself is a welcome change for those used to the mindset of Doug Risebrough.

Grade: A-

Up Next: A look to the future

Post-Game Thoughts

So…We lost 4-1…BUT, we actually didn’t play too bad. 

We limited their chances and, were it not for a couple defensive gaffes, we might have been able to force overtime.  One goal was an empty netter and two of the remaining three were one timers where Backstrom didn’t have much of a chance on because he was moving laterally from down low to face a shooter that was up high – this is one of the hardest shots for a goalie to stop because they have to change both their positioning AND their angle.  The d-men have got to break up those passes to help Backs out, and they just didn’t tonight. 

Here are some thoughts: 

* Burnsie is starting to look like the old Burnsie again.  He got chances, he created plays, he played physical and he wasn’t a huge liability in the defensive zone.  A funky bounce got him caught pinching on Heatley’s beautiful goal and he just flat out gave Mitchell too much space on his goal, but he played much better than his minus-4 would indicate. 

* I’m always the first to jump to Backstrom’s defense, and I don’t think there was much that he could have done on all three of San Jose’s goals last night, but the Wild needed him to come up with a big save in the third and he couldn’t do it.  He made a couple really nice saves, and the goal in the third was by no means his fault…But that’s the biggest difference this season from last is that last season, he came up with the big save(s) when the team needed him to.  This season, for whatever reason, it’s just not there right now. 

* You could definitely tell that Wellman was a rookie last night.  He definitely didn’t play his best game.  He was all over the place (not really in a good way) and there were a few times where he extended his shifts when he really shouldn’t have.  It’ll come, and he’s got a ton of promise, but he’s got a lot to learn yet. 

* Latendresse continues to just be absolutely amazing.  He scored the lone goal last night and, honestly, if he doesn’t have an A on his chest sometime in the next couple years there’s something wrong.  You can tell that he’s getting more and more comfortable with the team and with the coaching staff because he’s much more vocal on the bench and on the ice now.  The thing that I love most about him?  He doesn’t have any flashy goal celebrations.  He pumps his fist, then he waits for his teammates to get there.  None of this jumping into the boards crap, no skating past the guy that fed him the puck to pretend he’s shooting an arrow off of his stick…He just wants to celebrate with his teammates.  THAT is why he’s going to be a successful player for us for years to come. 

* Clutterbuck was absolutely invisible last night.  I don’t know if he even got a hit…That’s how invisible he was. 

* The Wild need to find a consistent finisher to play with Koivu and Brunette.  Miettinen is good, but he looks lost out there with those two at times.  They need a Bertuzzi-like power forward to play with them (Bertuzzi back when he actually was a force to be reckoned with, not now)…Someone who can get to the tight areas on the ice.  The Sharks clamped down last night, but there were small openings around the net…We just need a player willing to get into those small openings and get the puck. 

* Richards was mixing and matching lines so much last night that I thought Lemaire was back behind the bench.  He was trying ANYTHING to get some offense going.  At one point, he even stuck Sheppard in on the first line between Bruno and Miettinen and put Koivu between Wellman and Nolan. 

* While we’re not mathematically eliminated, it’s going to be pretty darn hard for us to make the playoffs.  Essentially, we have to win out and even then we still aren’t guaranteed a spot.  The good news is, though, that we’ve got a very young team and next year will look a lot better.

Almond Recalled; Earl Demoted

Veeeeeeerrrrrrrrrry interesting. 

The Wild have sent Robbie Earl down to Houston, recalling Cody Almond.  This is Almond’s first call up to the big show and, as Brian Stensaas said over at Russo’s Rants, there’s a chance that he cracks the lineup tomorrow against the Atlanta TrashOurYoungGuys (in all seriousness, the Thrashers are my favorite team not named the Minnesota Wild…I just thought that the name given by Razor was funny). 

Almond is having a decent season with Houston, despite having struggled after an early injury.  He has four goals and ten points in his last nine games with Houston and has been one of the team’s more intriguing prospects over the last year or two. 

As for Earl, Richards said that he “has slipped a little.” 

It will probably be determined tomorrow whether or not Almond debuts, but I’d say there’s a good chance.

Game 51 Post Mortem

Well, it’s official. 

Niklas Backstrom is pissed off, and he all but said so to the Star-Tribune following last night’s shootout loss to Detroit. 

“You look at the goals, we’re giving too much to the other team,” Backstrom said. “It seems we’re in the same spot we were at the beginning of the year, that we haven’t improved on a lot of things. We are 50 games deep. That’s frustrating. It seems every night the same things cost us the game.” 

So wait. 

You’re telling me that the team hasn’t yet realized that defense is a problem? 

Is there anyone that didn’t see that last month? 

But the big news to come from last night’s game is the injury to Josh Harding.  No word has been released yet on how serious the injury is, or how long the young netminder will be out, but any injury is bad news for the Wild at this point – especially with Niklas Backstrom’s confession that his confidence is wavering. 

On the upside, though, Backstrom was solid last night.  He gave up two goals on 18 shots and made some big saves in the breakaway competition at the end of the game.  While it wasn’t quite enough to get the win, he did show signs of righting the ship. 

What’s most troubling about last night’s loss, however, is that the Wild got off to another horrific start.  In ten games this month, the Wild have mustered just six first period goals – a troubling statistic, to be sure. 

In fact, in the four games since their two goal “outburst” in the first period against Vancouver, Minnesota hasn’t scored a first period goal. 

What is encouraging, however, is that Minnesota scratched an important point out of a game that, by all rights, shouldn’t have gone to a shootout.  They dug deep and came back from two goals down – again. 

On top of that, Brent Burns returned to the ice to play a little over 13 minutes of ice time – a return that Head Coach Todd Richards graded as “decent.” 

He played 13 minutes, 36 seconds, and coach Todd Richards called his return “decent.” Burns, who missed in the fifth round of the shootout, was on for two goals against and will receive some video work, Richards said. 

Essentially, what the Wild can take away from last night’s contest is this: 

It wasn’t a failure, but it certainly wasn’t a success either. 

Wild Nation’s Three Stars 

1)      Drew Miller – The unheralded of the Miller brothers (you know, the other being the one who’s won a few games this season for Buffalo) had a phenomenal game.  One goal on one shot, plus the shootout winner.

2)      Shane Hnidy – The Wild d-man had his first two-point game of his career, assisting on both tying Wild goals.  All that in just ten minutes of ice time.

3)      Todd Bertuzzi – Big Bert continued his resurgence with the Wings, scoring his 14^th of the year in the first and notching just over 23 minutes in ice time against the team and fans that hate him so.

It’s Time for A Change

Hockey sticks beware.  The Minnesota Wild are on the prowl. 

At least, that’s what yesterday’s practice showed, according to Mike Russo of the Star-Tribune. 

At the X yesterday, the Wild underwent an extremely physical practice that caused tempers to run high.  Sticks were broken, slammed against the glass and, in the case of Mikko Koivu, airmailed to the fourth row. 

Richards told reporters afterwards that he’s decided to change his tone after a sleepless night following the team’s loss to Phoenix.  Apparently someone has finally realized that coaxing this team to be better just doesn’t work. 

Let’s be honest here.  Jacques Lemaire was ten times the coach that Richards is at this point in his career.  Lemaire couldn’t do it last year, so why would Richards be able to do it this year? 

Just as Brent Sutter awakened the Calgary Flames with a physical series of practices, Richards hopes to do the same to the Wild, and if there’s any team that needs it, it’s Minnesota. 

On paper, this team isn’t much different from the team that was mere points from making the playoffs last season.  Our lines are even looking very similar to last year’s team at this point.  The most auspicious change was supposed to be the coach, who would take the reins off. 

So far, the reins are off, but the results are much the same—only this time, the defense isn’t playing airtight like they have in the past. 

For a team that wanted to play a fast, physical style coming into this season (much like the Anaheim Ducks team that won the Stanley Cup), they have spent much of the season losing battles on a regular basis.  It has been very rare for a puck to be contested in the corner and have a Wild player come out with it. 

But this “new” Richards might spark something in the team.  To my knowledge, the team has been coddled for most of their careers.  Just look at Brent Burns and Mikko Koivu.  When anyone talks about them, all you hear is how much potential these two young superstars have. 

You always hear about how great of a leader that Koivu is, or how dynamic a talent Burns is. 

But you never hear that Koivu may not have been the best pick for the captain of the team this season, or how Burns tries to do so much on the ice that he is frequently not ready when the game starts going back towards his own end.

The Wild need a change, and the change needs to start at the coaching level right now.  The staff needs to stop coddling their golden boys. 

Just look at James Sheppard.  Is confidence is obviously very, very fragile right now.  He’s playing soft and he’s playing tentative—in other words, he’s not really playing. 

But why not drive home the point with him in practice?  Why wouldn’t you send him into a puck battle drill with a John Scott or a Derek Boogaard, or even Owen Nolan?  Why wouldn’t you send him into a puck battle and tell him that he’s not stopping until he gets the puck? 

Why wouldn’t you take a stick, tape it to Benoit Pouliot’s hands and tell him that you’re not taking it off until he starts focusing on his shot and shooting like he’s capable of?  Why wouldn’t you do that with Martin Havlat? 

All that has been talked about this season by the media is how bad this team is, but all that has been talked about by the team is how bad they’ve been playing.  There’s an obvious disconnect there.  This team doesn’t think that they’re not good and, honestly, neither do I.  

But what needs to happen on a player level is that players need to begin taking accountability for their actions on the ice. 

Yes, the coaching staff needs to give these guys a swift kick in the backside, but once that has been done the players need to step up and be accountable. 

There is no better example than that of Brent Burns. 

Mysteriously, Burns simply disappears after a poor performance.  He doesn’t talk to the media or even address them—he just disappears. 

To be quite honest, running and hiding isn’t a trait you’d want in your worst player, let alone one who is supposed to be one of your superstars. 

The team needs to stand up and be accountable for their actions.  This isn’t a mandate that needs to come from the coaching staff, however.  This is one that needs to come from within. 

Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette.  These are the players this needs to come from.  Koivu and Havlat.  These are the players this needs to come from. 

A locker room wide mandate that, no matter what the outcome of the game is, you’re sitting at your stall after the game facing the music.  It doesn’t matter if you win 6-1 or if you lose 6-1, you’re sitting at your stall, answering questions. 

But that’s not going to happen.  At least not yet. 

For that to happen, the main offenders would have to have some modicum of mental toughness. 

But the mental toughness won’t start coming until the team begins to show some physical toughness. 

Maybe that’s what Richards wants to start stressing in his practices.  Physical, beat down, drag out wars.  I, for one, certainly hope so because I, for one, am sick of watching this team under perform on a nightly basis. 

Hopefully the Wild will eventually get to the point where they are too.

Walking a Mile in Coach Richards’ Shoes

In a few days (hopefully), Coach Todd Richards will have a little thinking to do and maybe a little tinkering to do. 

Why? 

In a few days (again, hopefully), both Martin Havlat and Petr Sykora will be back from injury and ready to go.  Richards will then have to tinker with the lineup in order to put his best foot forward and try to turn this early season slide around. 

So, when they come back, here is what I would be looking at for line combinations: 

Brunette-Koivu-Pouliot
Pouliot has played his way onto this line over the past couple games, quite frankly.  With Clutterbuck and Bouchard both out, we really don’t have any other options for a first line forward and, if he plays like he has been, Pouliot certainly has first line skills.  Do I think there are better options for this first line?  Absolutely.  But those better options aren’t available to us until Clutz and/or Butch are back in the lineup. 

Sykora-Belanger-Havlat
During its brief time together, this line was one of the best the Wild had.  With Bella centering the two snipers, he finally got his opportunity to shine and did just that.  It’s now just a matter of Sykora and Havlat picking up their game and burying the puck—something that has eluded the two top snipers for the Wild this season.  They had good chemistry and keeping them together is the right move. 

Nolan-Sheppard-Kobasew
Someone needs to teach Sheppard how to play with an edge, and if anyone can do that it’s Nolan.  Sheppard has played soft all season long and putting him between Nolan and Kobasew will not only mitigate his soft play with two players very capable of hitting and grinding, but will give him a good example to follow.  Not to mention that this line could have a great deal of offensive potential if they got going. 

Boogaard/Scott/Hilbert-Brodziak-Miettinen
Honestly, with the addition of Kobasew, I almost don’t see where Mittens fits into this lineup anymore, but having him on the ice with Brodziak and the token enforcer or Hilbert could pay dividends for the team.  Miettinen has struggled to get going so far, but is a very talented defensive forward.  Foregoing the enforcer route and playing Brodziak and Mittens with Hilbert could give the Wild a very formidable checking line. 

Schultz-Burns
In all honesty, it’s time for our top two defensemen to be our top two defensemen.  No more excuses for either.  Putting Burns with Schultz would give Burnsie a player that he knows well alongside him as his partner.  This could put a stop to his “I have to do everything” attitude.  In addition, pairing Schultz with Burns might be good to get Schultz back to the steady game that he is known for. 

Zanon-Zidlicky
These two are familiar with one another from their Nashville days and it makes a lot of sense to pair Zidlicky with a solid defensive d-man.  So far this season, you can give Zanon the best complement that you can give a defensive d-man—that you don’t notice him on the ice.  With that being the case, Zanon is more than capable of making up for the mild aneurysms that Zidlicky is prone to give the coaching staff and fans in trying to be the “fourth forward.” 

Hnidy-Johnsson
Honestly, I’m a big Johnsson supporter.  Yes, he hasn’t produced offense like we all had hoped he would, but he has turned into a very solid defensive d-man.  This season he has experienced some growing pains in trying to get back in the offensive frame of mind and has struggled.  Putting him with Hnidy, a very steady d-man, will help turn his season around. 

The bottom line is that this season is not only still salvageable, but is still very promising if we can get healthy.  The addition of Kobasew makes us a better team and can give us a legitimate third line that can score, as well as another example for Sheppard of how the game should be played. 

I know I’ve been very pointed in my criticism of Pouliot, but in the last couple games he has done a complete 180 from the player that he was at the beginning of the season—something that tells me that he very well could be ready for the test of playing with the big boys.

Gameday Thread – Game 3 – Wild @ Kings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schultz-Johnsson
Burns-Zanon
Hnidy-Zidlicky 

Backstrom
Harding 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keys to the Game
Special teams. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game Recap: Wild 4 Ducks 3

The end result definitely made what it took to get there bearable. 

But just barely. 

After two periods of some of the sloppiest hockey I’ve ever seen the Wild play, the team rebounded and in a big way. 

During the first two periods, the Wild’s play was absolutely atrocious.  They were giving away odd man rushes like candy on Halloween, to the point where they actually gave up a 4-on-1 at one point.  In fact, the only reason that the fans in the X had to cheer during the first 40 minutes of the game was when the result of the Twins game trickled down. 

But then big John Scott stepped onto the ice in the third. 

Scott was determined to stay with the team, no matter what, this season so he took boxing lessons with Derek Boogaard over the off season and man did it show.  Say what you want about fighting’s place in the game, but this fight was one of the ones that actually had a purpose. 

Scott started and ended the fight with a big right hand and the end result was pugilism specialist George Parros looking up at the rafters, wondering what train just hit him. 

The end result for the Wild?  A spark of energy that the team hadn’t had all game long. 

Suddenly, it just clicked.  It was one of those moments when, all of a sudden, you could see everything just make sense to the team.  After two periods of playing tentative, sloppy hockey, suddenly the team was loose, they were going out and actually just playing hockey instead of worrying about who needed to be where. 

It started after Joffrey Lupul went off for hooking.  Just over a minute into the powerplay, Mikko Koivu got the Wild on the board, and the team took off.  Just under six minutes after that Petr Sykora notched his first goal in a Wild sweater and the crowd began to stir — there was something special in the works.  Then, when Ryan Whitney went off for tackling holding, the X began buzzing.  Could we be seeing yet another spectacular finish to a Minnesota sports game? 

Eric Belanger would give the fans their answer just over a minute in as he beat J.S. Giguere on a goal that you could barely tell made it in the net it came out so quickly. 

So, why not.  Let’s go to overtime. 

It didn’t take the Wild long in OT, as Kyle Brodziak took a page from the Cal Clutterbuck notebook and goaded James Wisniewski into taking a penalty after the whistle.

That set up Andrew Brunette, who knows a thing or two about game winners, to be the star of the night and cap the team’s comeback with a goal on the powerplay 3:02 into OT. 

“Backs” to Basics
Despite what the stats indicate, Niklas Backstrom played a relatively solid game.  All three goals were a direct result of a defensive lapse by the team and only one of those three goals Backstrom had any sort of chance on. 

Don’t let the stat sheet fool you.  Backstrom is a top flight goalie.  But your goalie can only do so much. 

On Lupul’s goal, there is absolutely no reason why Lupul should have been standing, untouched, in front of the team’s net.  The result?  An easy tip in for the young sniper. 

On Artyukhin’s, it was a significant lack of back checking that resulted in the Russian forward being wiiiiiiiide open in the slot with an empty net in front of him.  The extra “I’s” are to emphasize just how open Artyukhin was.  Let’s just say that my one year old daughter could have buried that shot with no problem. 

On Koivu’s goal, the only one that Backstrom had any chance on, he was left untouched in the slot.  Give any NHL player that much time in the slot (except for maybe Derek Boogaard) and they’ll kill you. 

The bottom line is that the Wild have a world class goalie behind them, but they need to give him the chance to make the save.  On only one of the Ducks’ three goals, Backstrom had that chance and, on that one, Koivu had to bounce it off the pipe to get the goal. 

Rivalry Renewed
I’d equate this game to the first time you see an ex-girlfriend in a few years.  You start out amicably, but by the end of the night, you remember why the two of you broke up. 

This was a lot like that. 

The teams started out relatively calmly.  There was some physical play, but nothing that wasn’t to be expected. 

But by the end of the second period, these two teams looked to be back to flat out hating each other again.  Even to the point where the two teams were looking to extend the extra curricular activities after the game had ended. 

I’d tune in the next time these two teams face off on the 14^th. 

Time to Shine
Here’s the deal, and I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this. 

When he wasn’t trying to avoid rogue goalies last night, Benoit Pouliot actually looked pretty good. 

He didn’t get onto the score sheet and he didn’t play a big role in the game with only 5:11 in ice time, but one thing is for sure.  In that 5:11 that he was on the ice, you noticed him — and not in a bad way either. 

He was throwing his weight around and he honestly seemed to be buying into the checking role that he was playing. 

In fact, watching from up above, I got the sense that people might just think that he’s not trying hard out there because he just skates so darn effortlessly.  The man looks like he’s actually skating above the ice instead of on it. 

With Bouchard out indefinitely with an injury and the team not calling up any more forwards as of yet, Pouliot has a golden chance that he needs to seize. 

Bottom line, he needs to make it impossible for Richards to remove him from the line up — something that I think he is more than capable of. 

Flipping and Flopping
It became painfully obvious in the third period that Richards may have to re-think his line combinations. 

First, Havlat and Sykora looked like two peas in a pod playing together.  As much as I love having Bruno on Koivu’s wing, putting Koivu between Havlat and Sykora would give us a bona fide scoring line. 

Brunette has proven that he can play with nearly anybody, so why not put him on a line with Sheppard and Miettinen (of whom Bruno has already displayed a fair amount of chemistry with)? 

It would give the team a great, gritty, second line with Nolan, Belanger and Clutterbuck and it would also give the team three lines that could be fairly dangerous. 

3 Stars

1. John Scott - No goals, no assists, 5 PIM.  Scottie was the reason for the turn around.  His fight against Parros energized the crowd and energized the team.
2. Andrew Brunette - Bruno managed to turn what was a pretty bleh performance into a pretty good one with his overtime winner.  How does the saying go?  Winning heals all wounds?
3. Martin Havlat - Havlat was all over the place, assisting on the first three Wild goals.  He looks like he’s getting comfortable with the system, so it’s only a matter of time now.

Coming Up…
Check back here tomorrow for our pregame report for the team’s game against the LA Kings and be sure to check Hockey Primetime for my Central Division Notebook tomorrow!

Gameday Thread – Game 2 – Ducks @ Wild

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

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

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

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

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

Burns-Zidlicky
Schultz-Johnsson
Zanon-Hnidy

Backstrom
Harding 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Wild need to do just this. 

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

Gameday Thread – Game 1 – Wild @ Blue Jackets

It’s finally here.

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

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

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

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

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

Schultz-Johnsson
Burns-Zidlicky
Zanon-Hnidy

Backstrom
Harding

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

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

Tyutin-Klesla
Hejda-Commodore
Methot-Russell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The puck drops in Columbus at 6 PM CST tonight.

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