CreaseAndAssist

Wild vs. Sharks Game Preview Minnesota Wild (33-26-7) 73pts 5th in the Central 3.14 Goals For Per Game (15th in the NHL) 3.09 Goals Against Per Game (20th in the NHL) 21.1% Power Play (13th in the NHL) 76.4% Penalty Kill (27th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 21G 30A = 51pts 2. #12 Eric Staal ~ 19G 28A = 47pts 3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 7G 38A = 45pts 4. #11 Zach Parise ~ 24G 19A = 43pts 5. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 14G 20A = 34pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 69 PIM's 2. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 55 PIM's 3. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 47 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (19-10-4) 2.59GAA .911%SP 4SO 2. #40 Devan Dubnyk (11-15-2) 3.34GAA .892%SP 1SO Vs. San Jose Sharks (29-33-4) 62pts 6th in the Pacific 2.61 Goals For Per Game (27th in the NHL) 3.18 Goals Against Per Game (25th in the NHL) 15.9% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 86.5% Penalty Kill (1st in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #88 Brent Burns ~ 12G 32A = 44pts 2. #9 Evander Kane ~ 24G 19A = 43pts 3. #28 Timo Meier ~ 21G 22A = 43pts 4. #39 Logan Couture ~ 16G 23A = 39pts 5. #62 Kevin Lebanc ~ 14G 18A = 32pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 118 PIM's 2. #28 Timo Meier ~ 40 PIM's 3. #62 Kevin Lebanc ~ 36 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #30 Aaron Dell (12-14-2) 2.94GAA .907%SP 2. #31 Martin Jones (17-19-2) 2.97GAA .898%SP 2SO I will be wrote up the game preview, MNSOTA will be on the post-gamer this evening. Another important game, and the Sharks should not be considered pushovers. They may not really be fighting for a playoff spot but they relish being in the role of spoiler and Minnesota needs to dig deep because it needs the points. Just how bad does this team want it, we'll find out tonight.

Wild Earn Important 3-1 Win Over Nashville Good to see them take care of business early, but I didn't like how they eased up in the 3rd. Way too nonchalant on the power plays trying to set up specific people instead of just lighting the lamp with what they were giving us and let the other things take care of themselves. Great game for Fiala. I have a full game recap, an Iowa Wild report and prospect news too! Enjoy!

Sweet! They signed your copy! Its a great book indeed!

I thought Mikko Koivu looked and played better than Staal who to me is looking really fatigued or slow by some nagging injury.

2020 Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament Preview This should be a really fun year. We have some new faces as well as some of powerhouses back. But I think overall this tournament is less predictable and more wide open in both classes than in previous seasons. Enjoy and discuss the State Tournament here.

Ovechkin Strikes Twice as Wild Fall 4-3 to Washington It wasn't a terrible effort; well at least most of the team was working pretty hard. Staal...dead legs. Zuccarello looks really lost out there. Slow decision-making...lots of blind spinning passes to no one. Honestly, Zuccarello is doing the things that Fiala did last season. Fiala on the other hand, is playing a lot like Gaborik. Fast but with better 1-on-1 moves and he's finding the back of the net. Not sure why Donato got less than 4 minutes of ice time after scoring the early goal. Pateryn was crappy, but Dumba may have been worse. Its a shame...without those mistakes the Wild may have won this game or at least earned a point. A missed opportunity indeed. I have a full game recap, an Iowa Wild report and prospect updates too. Enjoy...

Because they were on the ice for that goal by Mantha...and when Zuccarello and Galchenyuk got their point it was on the power play where +/- are not accounted for then.

This is the kind of pollyanna crap, that people said..."just be glad hockey is back in Minnesota" Lame and weak as ever.

Fast Star Propels Wild to 7-1 Rout Over Detroit Its Detroit. Iowa probably could've won this game. Dumba certainly gained some confidence with two goals and Fiala is showing more signs his game breaking ability. I have a full game recap, an Iowa Wild report and prospect news too. Check it out!

According to the Finnish news I saw, sounds like they filed or divorce earlier this month. I think disrupting the kids lives anymore probably played a factor too.

And we could've had Newhook. Newhook was the player the Wild should have drafted. The Wild have plenty of wingers developing in their system...

I am not a Suter fan, but I'd guess he'd have a fair amount of interest. His game is such that he may not completely fall off a cliff for a while. He's had another season where he reached at least 40 points. But I think its pretty well known Suter really doesn't want to leave. Russo seemed to say the Wild were the ones that backed out. Initially we we perhaps in the mix for a 1st round pick and perhaps Keiffer Bellows to be the return for Zach Parise along with Ladd's ugly contract. But as the Islanders gave that pick for Pageau...the offer from the Islanders was less enticing and considering you had to pay Ladd's $3 million signing bonus each time for the next 3 seasons they didn't see the cost savings...so they stepped away. When the math doesn't offer much relief I guess I can accept that...but Parise did waive his NMC. That cannot be understated. Koivu also supposedly had some interest too...but Russo said he could only guess at some of the teams. He said the Wild were also in on dealing for Trocheck and the price would've been Brodin but Carolina offered more so they got him. Lastly, Russo stated that there was no interest for Pateryn, it really was his agent kicking those tires trying to get the pylon traded.

Koivu Scores Twice as Wild Narrowly Edge Columbus, 5-4 (sigh) Far more of a nailbiter than it had to be. Like the Sharks, this team was absolutely decimated by injuries yet we almost found a way to lose it. 4th line won the day. I have a full game recap, an extended Iowa Wild report and prospect news too! Check it out!

I hate to say it, but to a lot of the more casual fans...Zach Parise's like the Joe Mauer of the Wild. Immensely popular among those for that same fact, one of us...and that is literally the most important thing to them. They'll start to tear up when they think about his hustle on that one play a long time ago...or about his dad. The fact Parise waived the NMC does tell us he does want to play for a Stanley Cup and there is hope in that he might still be willing to leave. My guess is they perhaps try again this summer. I disagree with the idea he came here only for money. He could've gone somewhere else and made more $$. I think Detroit was offering him more $$$ than the Wild did. He thought the Wild were in better position to compete and I think coming off a Stanley Cup final run of his own...he thought he was ready to put the Wild on his back and lead it there. But the mediocre team is what it appears to be...and it performed the way many of us thought it would. Eventually it donned on him that it was a lost cause and that his best chances at winning a cup are somewhere else.

Wild vs. Blue Jackets Game Preview Minnesota Wild (29-25-7) 65pts 6th in the Central 3.02 Goals For Per Game (16th in the NHL) 3.18 Goals Against Per Game (25th in the NHL) 21.1% Power Play (13th in the NHL) 75.7% Penalty Kill (28th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 17G 25A = 42pts 2. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 7G 34A = 41pts 3. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 16G 24A = 40pts 4. #11 Zach Parise ~ 21G 16A = 37pts 5. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 14G 19A = 33pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 60 PIM’s 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 43 PIM’s 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 39 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #40 Devan Dubnyk (11-15-2) 3.34GAA .892%SP 1SO 2. #32 Alex Stalock (15-9-4) 2.69GAA .908%SP 3SO Vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (30-19-14) 74pts 6th in the Central 2.59 Goals For Per Game (27th in the NHL) 2.53 Goals Against Per Game (2nd in the NHL) 16.4% Power Play (25th in the NHL) 81.5% Penalty Kill (12th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #18 Pierre-Luc Dubois ~ 17G 28A = 45pts 2. #14 Gustav Nyquist ~ 12G 26A = 38pts 3. #8 Zach Werenski ~ 18G 19A = 37pts 4. #3 Seth Jones ~ 6G 24A = 30pts 5. #71 Nick Foligno ~ 9G 19A = 28pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #71 Nick Foligno ~ 62 PIM’s 2. #18 Pierre-Luc Dubois ~ 47 PIM’s 3. #38 Boone Jenner ~ 34 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #70 Joonas Korpisalo (18-10-4) 2.48GAA .914%SP 2SO 2. #90 Elvis Merzlikins (12-9-8) 2.37GAA .922%SP 5SO MNSOTA wrote up the game preview and I'll be on the post-gamer. Columbus played last night, so will they be tired or look more energized than the Wild who practiced yesterday? New lines with Mayhew getting a shot on the top line. We'll see if that pays off or how long they stick to it.

Blues in Control in 4-1 Win Over the Wild This was a pretty big snooze fest as guys sort of just mailed it in and played catch with the goalie most of the game. It reminded me a lot of the effort just after Bruce was fired. I suppose they'll tell us they played great too. First two goals were pretty soft by Dubnyk, but that's nothing new. I have a full game recap, an Iowa Wild report, and tons of prospect updates as well as an overview of the Girls State Tournament results. Enjoy...

A horse? C'mon...how many years ago? He has 2 goals...Koivu is going to retire a lot more comfortably than most of us will. IMO, whether its family stuff or not...I think he wanted to play for just ONE team. Lucky us

I updated the roster on Theresa's game day post, as well as the lines and stats.

I don't think either Mayhew or Belpedio will play today since this would be their 3rd game in 3 days. But fair possibility we might see them on Tuesday against Columbus.

We don't know that...this organization has massively overpaid this guy on MULTIPLE contracts involving multiple GM's. There is still time for this team to double-down and make another incredible mistake. No real surprise the fragile ego of the captain comes into play that he doesn't waive his NMC to actually pursue a Stanley Cup. That isn't honor or a want to stay with his team. Its his selfish wish to be with just one team (I am sure his older brother Saku would've preferred that but didn't get it) so now he's going to get just that. He knows his 'Angry Mikko' act won't play too well anywhere else but here.

Since I haven't seen it here. Apparently Mikko Koivu is getting divorced from his wife...no doubt that could be weighing on his mind too.

Ondrej Kase, a guy who had 25 points yielded a 1st rounder.. INSANE. Russo has reported the team has asked Koivu if he'd waive his NMC, and Parise apparently has a choice to make too. IMO, giddy up...hopefully we deal 'em both and take a big step towards being younger, faster.

He certainly is Minnesota's most dangerous player right now. In contrast to the Wild's least most dangerous player which is either Mikko Koivu or Eric Staal who are playing as old as they look.

Spurgeon's Hat Trick Lifts Wild to 5-3 Win over Edmonton Pretty good effort beyond the first 10 minutes of the game where the team was sleepwalking. Galchenyuk and heck even Rask played pretty well. Yea it was an empty netter at the end, but good to see Spurgeon get involved offensively. Dumba is barely an offensive threat anymore. Fiala had a good game too. Big 4 points for Minnesota on the 2-game road trip. Problem is, they should be tanking...we'll see if the trades happen now that the dad's trip is over. I have a full game recap, an Iowa Wild report and prospect news too! Check it out...

I think we'll see guys hanging out on the perimeter. Lots of weak shots being taken from there that will make either Demko or Markstrom look like a stud. Afterall, they thought they played great on Saturday, so why wouldn't they play the same way?!?!